Many exciting events

Saturday was a memorial for a church member who had died.  We had to take some finger food for the reception afterward.  We had friends for cards in the evening.  We played hand and foot for a couple of hours and ate some of the Magnum bars I had bought in the afternoon.  We talked about some trails to walk in the area.  He suggested one near the NC/TN border that we might explore sometime next week.

Sunday we were blessed with Holy Communion and a great message.  Our choir sang a great number about Holy Communion.  We had rehearsed it only once, and our director was very upset with our practice prior to the service.  The Lord in His mercy allowed us to correct our mistakes for the actual performance.  We left there with the Ramsey’s to have lunch at a local Mexican restaurant for which I had a Groupon.  To our surprise the restaurant has closed.  We went to an Italian restaurant for lunch.  Afterward they came to sample some cake that Evelyn had made.  We stayed home the rest of the evening and had our usual popcorn.

Monday is geezer day at the golf course, so Marty and I went to play 18 holes after Evelyn and I went to exercise.  We had to run a few errands before coming home near noon.  We had a good time but have played better.  I also lost one of my club covers while playing.  It came with my hybrids and is very distinctive.  I can’t understand where I could have lost it.  Evelyn also had a great day at home alone.  She is sometimes easy to please.  We watched Dancing with the Stars for a while and then went to bed. 

Tuesday we went to Silver Sneakers.  We had a different leader and had a good workout.  We came home to finish preparation for our lunch guest: Betty Golden from church.  She is a German lady, and we wanted to share our rouladen with her.  Evelyn is so creative and marvelous cook.  We had a little visit after lunch and then drove to Asheville to return a tablecloth we had purchased last week. It is too small for our table.  Evelyn had decided to make one herself.  We looked at Hancock Fabrics and JoAnne fabric and thought we had found a piece of material but it was too short.  We went on to Belk and found a large tablecloth that she can shorten and make napkins of the excess.  We also found some underwear that will support her back.  We returned home and went to a cancer survivor dinner held by a Christian church.  It is presented each year by the Relay for Life.  We met Jo and Rolene at the site.  We returned home for a quiet evening.

Wednesday was a fascinating day.  We decided to skip exercise and go on a hike.  We had talked with our Sunday guests about a trail near the border, so we drove there.  We weren’t sure where the trail was and asked at a rest area on the Interstate 40.  We were referred to the first exit in TN.  When we drove off on a gravel road we came to a hostel for people hiking the Appalachian Trail.  There were several buildings, some sleeping areas including a large dorm that would sleep more than 20,  a laundry, a place to cook food and a place to gather to talk about the events of the day.  I was impressed with the camaraderie of the hikers.  We drove back to the Interstate and noticed a stair that led to the trail itself.  We walked up and found the trail.  We walked a short distance together before Evelyn turned to walk back to the car.  I went on and was met by a young man headed for the hostel.  We walked together, and I learned many things.  I learned that hikers get a “trail name”.  His was reboot, and another young lady was “Loopy”.  These hikers must stay in the same hostels but hike at different times of the day.  They get to know each other.  We had met Loopy and learned that she had hiked from GA to Maine last year.  She was only going to do 500 miles this year.  Reboot lived in the DC area but loved to hike. I was surprised to learn that I had only walked less than a mile from the stair where we began.  We went from there to the location where Olivia and I went whitewater rafting last year.  We returned home for lunch and a nap.  We went to choir practice and then returned home for supper.  I spent much of the evening writing this.