“Life is not what one lived, but what one remembers and how one remembers it in order to recount it.”

~ Gabriel García Márquez

Almost five inches of rain in a couple days time turned my brain to a bowl of mush, or perhaps it’s because I celebrated yet another birthday this past Sunday. Whether it’s advancing age or wet-noodle-brain, I’m not sure what’s causing blank spots and forgetfulness. Yesterday a friend dropped in with a bag of books and a birthday card. By the time she’d snagged her favorite chair, I’d misplaced the card and all but one of the books. I did not lose the bag of birthday chocolate she proffered upon entering. So, perhaps my absent-mindedness is selective. Did I take my medicine today? Have I had chocolate yet? Guess which one I remember quite clearly? Just guess.

Today it was a late fee on a credit card bill. Some months ago, I got tired of going online to pay two bills each and every month, and I swear up and down to you, dear reader, that I put both on auto-pay at that time.

Well, this month one was paid on time, and the other just sat there. After checking the website and account, I could find no trace of auto-pay, so I contacted customer service to have a nice chat, probably some anonymous robot sitting in a boiler room over in India.

Explaining the problem and that the website had been changed to a new design—possibly the source of my problem–
I got nowhere. If you argue with a robot, you are not going to win. Ever. Taking a second to go check through past emails from the company, I then lost contact with my robot. Headache knocking, I finally gave up, paid the damn bill and enrolled in auto-pay again. Or at least I hope I did!

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Saluda Welcome Table is at Saluda Methodist Church every Tuesday from 5:30-6:45 p.m.

Learn more about Saluda Community Land Trust (SCLT) by visiting saludaclt.org or calling 828-749-1560.

Sing! With The Saluda Community Singers, Tuesdays, 7-8:30 p.m. at Old St. Matthews Church, 396 Irving Street.

Saluda School is collecting plastic bottle caps for an art mural. The first grade classes distributed bottle cap collection containers in various businesses downtown. Please donate bottle caps in the containers or bring to the school office.

Get your tote bags ready: Saluda Tail Gate Market re-opens for the growing season May 5, 4:30-6:30 p.m. each Friday May through October.

The 14th annual Saluda Arts Festival is May 20 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Historic Saluda committee will have a tour of homes on Shand Hill, plus other historical buildings. Save the date for June 3. Visit historicsaluda.org for more information.

In case you were wondering: our new Saluda postmaster is Christine Iwerks, who lives in Forest City and has been with the post office over 32 years.

Spring is a good time to learn to compost if you haven’t yet started. Earth Day can be every day! I keep a stainless steel container with lid on the kitchen counter, saving up coffee grounds, paper napkins, egg shells, banana peels, and all organic matter from the kitchen. I’ve done it all my life, starting as a kid. We kids groaned about having to haul the compost bucket out to the back yard bin, but these days I take great delight in seeing dark rich soil and earthworms on the bottom. It’s free, good for the planet, and good for the spirit to make a difference. A properly turned ‘heap’ doesn’t smell and you can add lawn clippings, fall leaves, etc. on each layer.

Happy April Birthday to: Martha Ashley, Melody Gibson, Dave Prudhomme, Kaye Vazquez, Cindy Keeter, Betty Anna Brown, Hope Pace, Diane Pace, Ruth Anderson, Greaton Sellers, Clay Arrington, Bonnie Bardos, Luther Connor, Gary Pace, Dee Owen, Doug Honeycutt, Niece Lundgren, Julie Roy, Tommy Williamson, and Rhonda Corley.

Thank you, dear readers, for reading this column. You can contact me at bbardos@gmail.com, 828-749-1153, or
bonniebardosart.com.