Native North Carolinian

Fall has come to the coast.  And how do we know it is fall?  It is raining—  all day, almost every day, for the whole month of November.  In fact, before we moved back here, my husband thought it rained here all the time because it always rained when we were home for a visit. Of course, we always came sometime between the middle of November and the end of December: berghaus jackets and umbrellas everywhere, and not a spot of sun. Plenty of family, fun, laughter and good stuff to eat, but very little sunshine.

So, how are you liking the time change? This morning, I thought I had slept really late, only to find out that it was two hours earlier than I thought it was. A combination of a really grey day and the fact that I forgot to change the clock beside my bed was responsible for this grand illusion, but that’s ok— I got plenty of sleep and was still able to start work around 8am.

Even with the extra sleep, though, I am still running ragged. I did a youth lock-in this weekend, and participated in the craft fair I told you about last week, and now I seem to have developed a wee bit of gastro-intestinal distress. Ok, maybe a lot, but we’re not going there just now. I’ll be going there in a minute, and that will be soon enough.

In the meantime, make sure if you haven’t voted already that you do so tomorrow. I’m still old-fashioned, so even though the polls have been open for weeks, I have purposefully not voted. I like to do it on election day. After all, we didn’t used to have “election months”, did we?

Don’t “forget” to vote. Seriously, it can’t be your home state if you don’t at least let your voice be heard, right? Right. I know the election is still a week away, but early voting has already started, and “go vote” is just something that bears repeating. I’ll probably say it again sometime next week, so be warned. And go vote.

oooh, here’s something local that looks like fun for next month! The town of Holly Ridge is hosting the annual Holly Festival on November 1st and 2nd. I’m absolutely sure I could place at least 2nd in the Moon Pie eating contest at the Redneck Olympics! Fortunately for the other contenders, I will be at a different event, and it is even closer to me than the Holly Festival.

Waterford of the Carolinas is hosting a craft fair on that same day, and that’s where I will be–as an exhibitor/vendor. All the money they raise from the fees and silent auction will go to benefit Cape Fear Hospice.

And do you know what else I am going to miss? The Lexington Barbecue Festival. And that my friends, is almost enough to make this little piggy cry! It’s on this coming Saturday the 25th, and we have games plus other stuff, plus it’s several hours away.

as I did a couple of posts below this one, I think I got a bit derailed!  Life has just really picked up pace, as I should have remembered it would during football season. The good news is that it’s almost over, and then I can devote another month to just cheer, and then I might have time to collect a thought or three suitable for blogging.

One of the things I really missed going to this year was the North Carolina Muscadine Festival. There was just no way to get there because we had other commitments in addition to the ball games. Of course, my cuz called and rubbed some salt in that wound, when he called and let me know he’d decided at the last minute to head over and check it out! You can bet that I am writing next year’s festival in my calendar in ink as soon as the dates are announced.

Is it possible? Will winter finally visit the deep south this year? I’m beginning to think it might! I am sitting here typing this in long sleeves and considering getting out some sweatpants. And at the pants couple of football practices, I have actually shivered! It’s colder here right now than it is in Illinois! How crazy is that? Now, admittedly, “cold” is relative. It’s currently 66, but it is also windy and rainy. And last week it was in the 80s. I dare say a 15 degree drop in on week constitutes a cold snap, don’t you?

The thing is, we haven’t had winter is several years now, and I am just not used to it anymore. I’m looking forward to it, don’t get me wrong, because my sweaters have been folded on the shelf for far too long, and I love me some sweaters. On the other hand, I sorta had plans for some family camping adventures after football season, and that definitely calls for warmer weather than we have just now–especially considering that 55 degrees is the coldest rating I have seen on sleeping bags locally. At this rate, we can maybe do some hiking, but not much camping. And of course, I bought a tent instead of outdoor shoes.

Do any of you have suggestions for fun outdoor activities that are fun for all ages? And by all ages, I mean two through sixty? Tell me about them in the comments, please, and include important stuff I need to know, like what equipment we need and how much it costs.

Totally taking this idea from the pictures on Zemanta, because they are reminding me of something I wanted to tell you about anyway! Can you guess that might be trains? I have always loved the sound of trains, and around here, I get to hear them frequently. There is the 2am train that runs through about 3 times a week. I used to enjoy that one when I was an insomniac. The tracks are so far from my house that I don’t get to hear the trains go by in the daytime, but the ones in the night are a different story.

And this year, I am enjoying the sounds of the train during football practice. The park where the kids practice is quite close to a set of tracks, and so I get to hear the whistle three times a week.

So, how close are you to the train tracks? And do you like it or not? Why or why not?

I really, really enjoyed my time in Florida. I always enjoy going, but I always enjoy coming home as well. And do you want to know how I knew I was home? I took this photo in the Charlotte airport:

You know, it might be possible to spot a rocking chair in airports outside of North Carolina, though I doubt it. But you’ll certainly not see people actually using them.

Just one more reason that I like calling North Carolina home.

Well, if you have watched the news lately, you know Hanna was mostly a bust:  all bluff and bluster but not much trouble. We lost a day of football games, which I spent in leisure pursuits. My only regret is that I lacked the fundage to spend the day at Wal-Mart, LOL!

In other news, I am heading out of town this week, and since my laptop is deskbound, I will not be updating in my absence. Unless I get a new laptop, which I am technically NOT giving up on until midnight Wednesday, but, it is looking less likely as the minutes tick by. Apparently the fam thinks eating is more important that a new computer for mom. Go figure.

So, expect to see me again a week from tomorrow!

One day, I will start a blog and all teh titles will come from songs, LOL. But that is not today. Today, I am getting ready to greet Hanna. I’m pleased to report that they are now predicting a small storm, with winds around 30MPH, at a time when most, if not all, of my family will be asleep. That means prep is easy!

• Buy bread and peanut butter so we an eat if the power goes out.
• Recharge the MP3 player and check out some free audio books, so I can be entertained in case of same.
• Worry until 6pm when my husband will be home from work and off the roads, but only if it starts picking up before he gets here.

Did you know, and if you didn’t hold on, I’ll tell you, that the last time traffic statistics were released, my area was in the top of the list for accidents? Well, it was. And the way people drive, it’s no real surprise. I mean, I always groan when I look at auto insurance quotes, and I do have to pay more than I have ever paid in other locations, but somehow, I chalked it up to the laws here in North Carolina. No. It’s here. In my area: Accident Central.

I onder how much of that is do to tourists? Not in any way to slam them, I am really curious. Does our accident rate go up during tourist season or not? And if it does cycle, why do we pay the same rates all year? Cheap Enquiring minds want to know!