By Bonnie J. Bardos 

“Some things
 you know all your life. They are so simple and true
 they must be said without elegance, meter and rhyme,
 they must be laid on the table beside the salt shaker, 
the glass of water, the absence of light gathering 
in the shadows of picture frames, they must be
 naked and alone, they must stand for themselves.”

~ excerpt from “The Simple Truth” by Philip Levine

 

No sheets dry outside in spring-like sun this week. Ol’ man winter leapt back into the boxing ring, victorious with no sign of defeat.

Folks flock to the box office, twittering about “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Personally, I’ve already seen more than enough shades of grey this winter to do me a lifetime. It’s been a few years since I rushed to see a mainstream box office movie mainly because by the time you pony up for ticket, popcorn, drink, and a box of those pastel Jordan almonds, you could get a year of Netflix or buy a full cart of groceries! But after borrowing the books the movie was based on, I quite decided that River dog could write one just as well, if not better (meow!). We’d be rolling in the big bucks if he had! Around this old house, it’s more like fifty layers of clothing, and there’s no best-seller in that … yet.

Wearing our winter boxing ring outfits for another round with the ol’ man’s ice and snow punches, River sports a red sweater, and I’ve suited up in a bag lady’s dream: fuzzy purple cap, knit scarf, wool jacket over flannel shirts (plural) and thermal vest, plus two layers of pants. Needless to say, I pray no unsuspecting visitor comes to the door. They’d think the Michelin Man has escaped.

Go write us a runaway best-seller, I tell River as he huddles close to the gas stove as I work on this column. Fifty Shades of Dog Tales, or such—it can’t be worse than the other, just repeat the same phrases a few hundred times, and I’ll do the typing for you. By the time it hits the big screen, we’ll toss these damn bear outfits and head for Tahiti!

Saluda Welcome Table is every Tuesday, with dinner served from 5:30-7 p.m. in the fellowship hall of Saluda United Methodist Church.  All are welcome; donations are accepted.

Come enjoy a potluck and bingo night at Saluda Center, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. 

Saluda’s Tree City USA meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at Saluda Library.

 

Save your box tops for Saluda School. Collection containers are located in Saluda Library, Saluda Post Office and Saluda Elementary School.

 

Saluda Community Land Trust (SCLT) will benefit from your donations or time as a volunteer for their many community projects. For information, contact SCLT at 828-749-1560 or saludasclt.org.

Veterans are invited for a free breakfast from 8-10 a.m. at Ward’s Grill downtown on February 26.

Artists: if you’d like to participate in the 12th annual Saluda Art Festival on May 16, the deadline to enter is March 16. For information, contact Susie Welsh at 828-749-3900, sswelsh@tds.net or Catherine Ross at 828-749-3534, carnc@charter.net.

 

Happy February birthday to: Wylie Rauschenbach, Wesley Pace, Biddie Dawson, Amy Beeson, Ginny Jones, Jenna Igoe, Suzanne Igoe, Pam Thompson, Catherine Raymond, Eva McCray, Ellen Rogers, Margaret Miller, Paul London, Ward Sandahl, Bill Klippel, Pat Bares, Dwight Smith, Ingrid Sandahl, Fred Baisden, Duane Bateman, Jim Crowther, and Ragan Thompson. Please add your birthday to the list; the more the merrier!

 

Winter snow days are time to thumb through riverboat cruises, bright garden catalogs, and to keep a book pile close at hand. What’s on your reading list? Mine has included Anne Tyler, Laird Hunt, Jodi Picoult, and various other succulent reads from the library. Recently, I’ve been in the Civil War, studying wild elephants in Africa, and more—thanks to books.

 

Thank you dear readers, for reading this column! As ever, the goal is to make you feel like you’re enjoying a cup of hot tea and small town life in a friendly little mountain town called Saluda. You can contact me at bbardos@gmail.com, call 749-1153, visit  bonniebardos.com for more writing and art, or find me on Facebook.

 

 

#30