Whittling in the Mountains

 Have you ever done any whittling? Do you even know what it means to whittle? I suppose a whittler could be making something out of the stick of wood he's working over with a knife, but most of the time when a person is whittling, he's just making wood shavings. Men are the ones I usually see working their knives on a piece of wood, but women can whittle too. I've even curled a few shavings off a piece of wood at times when one of my sons wanted to show off a new pocket knife. 

Do you have a pocket knife? For years, my mother had a miniature pocket knife about the size of a one inch safety pin in her coin purse. While a pocket knife is optional for a country girl, it's almost as necessary as a comb to a country boy. Maybe more so. And for men who have reached the "let's tell some stories" age, it's indispensable. It keeps a man's hands busy and his eyes occupied, but his ears are ready to listen. Plus, he can just think better when his hands are occupied. 

It's almost a cliche to mention older men sitting on a bench outside a store talking and whittling away the afternoons. Those men have made many an appearance in books, movies, and t.v. shows. The image brings to mind a simpler time when life moved slower. Now we're more apt to see men and women sitting with their phones in their hands checking out what's going on all around the world instead of just watching what might be passing on the street in front of them while the wood shavings pile up around their feet. But is that progress? Well, maybe. At least for me. I'd probably just shave my finger with a whittling knife, but I can take pictures with the phone to share the places I've been. 

This week we went on our annual trip with my husband's brothers and sister and their spouses to the Smoky Mountains. The weather was gorgeous, the leaves colorful, the food good and the company the best. A great way to catch up with what's going on with our families. And the guys did a little tale telling and whittling. 

Thanks for reading, and now that I'm back from the mountains, I'll get those books sent out to the winners of my giveaway.  

Back from the Smokies

Got home from our trip to the Smokies with the Gabhart side of the family - the brothers and sisters. We had a beautiful cabin up on the side of a mountain and a great time talking and catching up on all our family news. When Darrell's mom died a few years ago, we decided to make a special effort to keep our family close. We didn't want to neglect getting together until the only time we were seeing one another was at Christmas or even worse, a funeral home. That sounds like an awful thing to write, but it's sometimes too true that we don't take time to visit with those we love and have grown up with and those who share our personal history until we gather for a family funeral.

So this week we all took time out of our busy schedules and spent a few days together, playing cards and enjoying some great meals and even better talk. We always tell stories about what happened in the past and even when we've heard them a dozen times, we keep laughing. And it's good to remember Darrell's mom and dad who have passed on and his grandparents, too. His granddad on his mother's side of the family was part Cherokee and also a natural storyteller. He passed some of that talent down to Darrell and his brothers.

The weather in the mountains was chilly but the sun was shining and we had great views of the trees. We went over to Cades Cove and saw lots of wildlife including three bears and a coyote. We also saw lots of traffic, but I suppose that's to be expected this time of the year when everybody is wanting to see some fall colors.

On the way home we stopped at a few book stores where I talked with the clerks and store managers. Debbie at the Family Christian Bookstore in Seiverville was very welcoming and let me sign copies of The Outsider for her customers. Maybe next time I'm down that way we can work out a booksigning date. It's a great store with books and more books. I finally had to just close my eyes and leave before I loaded the van down. I love buying books. Then we stopped at the Sonshine Bookstore in Corbin. They didn't have my book, but when I introduced myself, the guy at the counter, Dwayne, was actually ordering new fiction books out of the Baker Books catalogue. What a coincidence! There was my book listed right in front of him. So he ordered some copies of The Outsider, Summer of Joy,and Orchard of Hope.

No wise sayings tonight. I think we stayed up playing Canasta and Rook too late every night for me to think of anything wise. Except to say hope you enjoy your family as much as I enjoy mine. They may all be family by marriage, but they are definitely family.

Talk to you this weekend. I'll let you know who won my website book give-away. And tell you about where I'll be having my next booksignings in South Carolina.