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“Here comes the sun

Here comes the sun

And I say, it’s all right

Little darling

It’s been a long, cold, lonely winter

Little darling

It feels like years since it’s been here

 

~ George Harrison, excerpt from “Here Comes The Sun” 

 

The best stress relief this week happened by serendipity one night, the ancient clawfoot bathtub filled with steaming water (which lasts all of four minutes before losing steam, no pun intended), my favorite radio station cranked up on WNCW after a long day of topsy-turvy news, garden work and winter-slack muscles struggling to wake up.  

Sinking low in the tub, I caught an espresso-rich voice crooning the classic Beatles “Here Comes The Sun.” Nina Simone, floating over the airways, seeped in the evening air, into the steaming water, into my very being. It was just what the spirit needed, to hear that song, sung Nina-style, washing my troubles away. Her voice was a peaceful float for three minutes, remembering those words I’ve listened to all my life, thanks to George Harrison writing the song, the Beatles playing it in 1969, thanks to Nina (who covered the song in 1971) and the hundreds of times it has brought joy to the heart over the years. 

That’s the thing about music and the artists who create and make it. Time passes, and the music lives on—it endures. There was not a better moment in the day—icing on the cake, balm to the soul, a lift. 

By morning, another gift—delicate snowdrops pushing up from the earth. I’d been given the bulbs last fall after a friend’s visit to a garden center, where everything had been flooded by Helene. The pack of bulbs was rather beaten up, but I planted them with hope. One is blooming, and then Nina Simone showed up at the right moment. Sometimes, when things are in chaos, there are small gift messages floating in and around us. 

• Saluda Community Land Trust is resuming Walks in the Woods again, starting with a moderate 2-mile walk on March 2 to Reclamation Park to learn the history and culture of the African-American population in Saluda before the end of the railroad. On March 16, the hike is to Chestnut Ridge for early glimpses of spring. Want to go? Meet at the Saluda Library parking lot, 2 p.m. For information, contact the SCLT office at (828) 749-1560 or email info@saludaclt.org 
• All Saluda veterans are invited to a free monthly Veteran’s Breakfast (first Wednesday of every month) at 9 a.m. at Saluda Center, 64 Greenville Street. The next one is on March 5. 
• Join SLIP (Saluda Living in Place), On Track Saluda and Reverend Will Bryant of Church of the Transfiguration for a thought-provoking and meaningful discussion: “Lent, a Healthy Proximity to Your Own Mortality” on March 13, 2 p.m. at Saluda Library. For more information, visit SLIP’s website at https://www.slipnc.org.   
• Calling all gardeners! Another SLIP program, “Spring Into Gardening: Tips for a Thriving Garden,” will be presented at Saluda Center, 64 Greenville Street, on March 19, 11 a.m. Local gardeners Luanne Matson and Mary Jo Wannamaker will give savvy gardening tips and inspiration. 
• Mark your calendar for March 29—Saluda Spring Pop-Up Market will be 10-2 at McCreery Park with local farm vendors, arts and crafts, plus music and tastings! 

Happy March Birthday to: Genell Jespersen, Valerie Mintz, Sheldon Mintz, Curtis Pace, Anita Moore, Dorrie McKinley, Catherine Ross, Monica Pace, Ken Justus, Elizabeth Justus, Arlene Klippel, Rachel Bradley, Chris Bradley, Dawn Ward, Dori Ray, Martin Anderson, Lucy Holman, Craig Bass, Laura Bass, Patty Martin, Tangie Morgan, Melanie Keener, Tuula Veil, Erica Shanks, and Paul Rhodes.

Feel free to contact me at bbardos@gmail.com, (828) 817-6765, P.O. Box 331, Saluda, NC 28773, Facebook, or visit bonniebardos.com