This will be a straightforward description of the three days before I left on the next leg of the Homecoming Journey. It was my plan next to go to Wake Forest, North Carolina and visit my second cousin, Jeff. I would be going through many towns and cities on the 212 mile hike and needed this rest. I've combined the last days in Anderson, South Carolina, because I didn't do much work that was any different from the days leading up and wanted to highlight these three incredible people with whom I spent time.
DAY 202
This day was pretty typical workwise. I got another post up but continued to be a few behind. The major event was to occur that evening. Fay's husband, James, was going to cook up a beef stew feast for us all at their house. This was something I was looking forward to. Jan got home from work and we visited for a while before heading out.
When we arrived at Fay and James' house for dinner, the table was already set and the wine and beer were liberally flowing. We always have great conversations together. And of course, there was always a lot to talk about. We checked out Fay's studio, as she has been painting walls, making shelves, hanging stained glass and artfully decorating an old door for the corner of the room. She was making great progress since we had last visited.
James called us in for dinner and we sat down to enjoy a great stew with turnips, carrots, other veggies and perfectly cooked beef. It was savory, with herbs and the well-blended broth so highly desired in such a dish, and carefully produced with a long cooking time. Certainly this kind of hot satisfying food, shared with good company, on a cold Southern night, fills the soul as well as the tummy. I enjoyed talking with James. He is from Canada, with just a bit of the accent remaining, is a college football fan, one hell of a cook, and a generous man, with a jovial laugh and a great sense of humor.
After we were indeed filled with food--James and I first having another helping of veggies, Fay, Jan and I went back into the office to have some wine, look at photos discuss the possibility of Fay helping with editing this blog; something which sometimes is needed. And then, we simply relaxed.
At some point the idea came up to take a few photos...
Left to Right: Jan, Alex, and Fay.
With Jan.
Wine taking its toll.
A respectable group. At least we thought so.
When we were exhausted and it had gotten late, it was time to go. Jan and I returned to her house and she went to bed. I worked for a little while longer and then went to my room for a good sleep.
DAY 203
I worked all day writing and Fay popped in to get some stuff, so I had a chance to see her. Jan went grocery shopping later in the afternoon. She brought home some chicken and other yummy stuff and made us a couple of bloody marys while she fried up some great comfort food...
Fried chicken, croissant with gravy, acorn squash with olive oil-brown sugar, and mashed potatoes.
Jan and I had a good chance to really get to know each other. She is quite an active and energetic person, smart, and laughs easily. She left Colorado to come all the way to South Carolina, having stayed with Fay until she got her job, and then the house. It didn't take her long to get all set up and established there in Anderson.
I also learned about her family. She was even fortunate to have her parents make one last great road trip to see her there on this last Thanksgiving. She said they all were trying to decide what to have for dinner on that day--turkey or ham. Then, suddenly they decided on king crab legs! I thought that was a super choice.
I'd met Jan through my online friendship with Fay, and she had become quite interested in the blog. It means a lot to me that she would send an invite to visit with her and be generous enough to put me up for a whole week. That takes trust (I was still kind of a stranger), but also a willingness to contribute in such a generous way. I found Jan very easy to get along with, kind, and tolerant of me in all my strangeness.
It was a delicious meal and a warm conversation. Afterwards, instead of going straight back to work, I took a break from writing and watched a Star Trek movie with her. She I both love sci-fi, so that was fun. Then she went to bed, because she had to work the next day.
I had planned to leave the next day (Monday), but decided to delay my departure for another day so that Fay and I could discuss more about the editing. I worked more that night and then watched another movie (Ender's Game) before feeling so sleepy that I needed to go to bed.
DAY 204
There was a lot to do on this day. All of my stuff had been strewn about the guest room airing out over the last week. It was time to reorganize it. Fay had given me two new knit hats and three pairs of new socks; all vitally needed as I head north.
She came over in the morning and took me out to Wal-Mart to get some new underwear. We also stopped by Lowes and bought some stain and molding strips for her studio shelves. When we went back to Jan's so that Fay could drop me off, we decided that we should all four have some pizzas on this last night as a kind of going away meal. She offered to make them from scratch and that sounded great to me. I wrote until she returned a short time before Jan got home from work.
Pizzas were well on their way to being made when Jan arrived...
Once Jan was settled in, we cracked a bottle of strange fortified wine (or, "Shimmering Liqueur"), called Viniq. Very odd stuff, but cool looking--purple, having a kind of lava lamp appearance...
Viniq. [Source: Google Images]
James arrived and we munched on pizza. It was made with crust from scratch, tomatoes, black olives, peppers, lots of garlic, onions, a few kinds of cheese, ham, and chunks of leftover fried chicken! ...
Yummies!
They watched amused, as I tried to stuff everything into Saggy, the wonder pack. The extra clothes made for a pretty tight fit. This overstuffing often happens right before I head out after a visit with friends, due to the things received from them. Clothes are used by me, worn down, then sometimes discarded, donated, or sent back to my sister in Maine as part of my growing pile of memorabilia. Socks and underwear are always disposable. This means the pack is very full whenever I move on, but steadily decreases in weight and volume as I go.
We exchanged stories about the places they had all been and my time on the road. I shared my strategies - such as they were - for dealing with cold and rain. I knew I had a long way to go on this next leg and we joked that at least they had fattened me up for the trek (which they certainly had).
By the end of the evening, James headed back to their house, Jan went to bed and Fay stuck around to spend the night and drive me to my departure point in the morning. Fay and I were were tired, but stayed up talking about the wide variety of subjects in which we both were interested.
Fay is a unique thinker. The first thing that struck me about her when she friended me on Facebook (before I left Maine a couple years ago), was that whenever we would message each other, she would never say the thing I expected. I liked that. She says the unexpected; thinks in unexpected ways. She makes me think. We are both writers and though we may favor different styles in our own writing, our interests and philosophies are very similar. We've both had our rough periods in life and the commiseration was therapeutic. She has a quick wit and a high intelligence.
During the two late nights we stayed up talking in that last week, I think we truly bonded. I felt no age difference between us and had the odd feeling that it was like we were both in high school having one of those post-party discussions that two kids of that age might indulge in after everyone else has gone home. Eventually, sleep overtook us and we retired to our rooms.
Our version of Viniq bottle.
It had been a wonderful week. What terrific people! It was a rough hike to Anderson from Athens, feeling like bits of me were being torn off along the way. I genuinely enjoyed this time to gather myself up, take hot showers, sleep in a real bed, and eat and drink with these kind and giving folks. I will not forget my stay in this town. And, I am thankful to them for letting me share it with you all.
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