Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

…in the blue gloom of early morning,
the sky heavy with portents of snowfall,
the air crisp with the cold that will
gather about us for the long season ahead…

~ Kwame Dawes, excerpt from “Dawn” 

 

Tucked in a kitchen cabinet, there’s a pottery mug that’s one of a pair. Or there was. 

For several years, my favorite coffee mug earned its keep, and the longer we were together, the more I appreciated how it fit my hand, held plenty of morning’s magic elixir, and survived everyday abuse. Over time, it developed a fracture line but still kept going. Until I retired it to the cupboard, and put its twin to work instead. 

Of course, you know this story, Dear Reader. Within two days, the new mug jumped out of my hand to the porcelain sink—not a happy ending. Without a tear, I pulled Old Cracked Faithful out again, muttering c’est la vie–it’s life indeed. Things break, and disappear, and it’s all part of the circle. 

The broken pieces went out to the garden to be repurposed. Lessons are gifted to us everyday: all things will disappear, leave, change. 

For this moment I am filled with gratitude for scarlet-red birds outside the window, a background of red berries making a vignette on a chilly damp day…an ice-sharp scent of snow promises in the air. For graceful evergreen branches cut on another damp day, for a pile of books waiting near glowing holiday lights. For a juicy tangerine, tart-sweet-perfect.

Things that bring a smile to the heart are simple: a photo of a homemade birthday cake that reads “Juniper is 1.” A lazy, sleepy-eyed cat sitting on a rock ledge, ignoring all potential targets (NOT). Soft moss-green paths meandering into mist-veiled woods.  Who could ask for more? 

 

Saluda Winter Market is at Saluda Center, 64 Greenville Street, on 2nd and 4th Saturdays from 9-12 through April. (No market on December 24.) 

 

Saluda Visitor Center at 20 W. Main Street is open 11-4 daily and will close for a holiday break December 24-31. Contact Lynn Casey at caseysaluda@gmail.com if you’d like to volunteer or need information. 

 

For this year, did you know our Saluda Community Land Trust (SCLT) protected over 600 acres of land, maintained Saluda Dog Park along with nine SCLT trails and public areas, added a ‘forever wild’ easement on 300 Holbert Cove acres, constructed trail bridges on water crossings, and joined forces with Columbus for a public nature park on Chocolate Drop Mountain–plus much more! Donations are appreciated this time of year. visit saludaclt.org or call 828-749-1560 for information.

 

Saluda Pop-Up Pantry is Tuesday from 1-6 at Saluda Presbyterian Church, 54 Carolina Avenue (behind Saluda Library). To volunteer at the Pantry, call Saluda Church of the Transfiguration, at (828) 749-9740. The Pantry has doubled the clients it helps this year and needs your financial support: mail tax-deductible donations to Saluda Pop-Up Pantry, P.O. Box 428, Saluda, NC 28773 or donate online at www.saludapantry.com; or through Amazon Smile.

 

Saluda Center (64 Greenville Street) will have a Christmas Dinner potluck at 1:30 p.m. on Christmas Day—bring a side dish if you can. For information or to volunteer to help: call Aurelia Mayer at (828) 749-3591.

 

Happy December birthday to Judy Ward, Holly Wilkes, Theresa Wilkes, Perry Ellwood, Donnie Hunter, Jeff Bradley, Preston Mintz, Carolyn Morgan, Susan Casey, Jeff Jenkins, Nikki Ammerman, Cas Haskell, Mary O. Ratcliffe, Laura Fields, Lord Blanton, Beth Brand, Jim Carson, Susan Ansley, Tom DeKay, and Ana Lilburn. 

 

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