Black Friday.......

Shoot it is Saturday, Black Friday gone and the good sign was that Biltmore was sold out even with earlier openings , tickets for that day were all sold out. That is a LOT of people. Rhonda was extremely busy. Bus tours came early, she not only has to figure out their time schedule in the castle but also where to park all these buses.

I had a week that was FULL and made me so tired.
Now I like to stay home, safe, warm, my dog on my lap even when I work on the computer or work on jewelry.

It started on Tuesday , I had an appointment with the urologist.
I had a lot of back aches in the last weeks and figured it was the "broken back" acting up but wanted to make sure the lonely kidney was ok.
His test did not show anything bad, but he said it was about time for the scans and that is for next week, to make sure that all is still OK.
When you are over the 1 1/2 year mark and nothing is showing up any other place that is a good sign said dr "Great".

We had to do the rounds today with Zack and his radiation. Then lunch and then the mall. I need glasses again. Jeez...after 10 or so years and my cataract surgery now I need glasses again to see far away and have 20/20. Problem is that the TV faces are foggy , since I do not drive I am not really missing much otherwise. I need inexpensive and got that but they do not stay put on my face when I bend down.
Whatever...I will only use them with TV and I sit still then.
Zack became very tired and pale so we took him home back to Brevard and I had a chance to see the shop and know that I needed more vintage stuff for the Christmas rush.
We had an break with apple pie a la mode and brie her fave banana split. Then back to Asheville. I found myself fading very fast, Brie is too. We both look so tired but we do not dare tell Rhonda that we are not coming. She had planned this for weeks, she so loves the castle and wanted us to see it during the decorations days. This was a special invitation for employees and guest. Large buses from Young came to get us in parking lots, the place was packed. B. employees 1500 people.
Presents are given to the kids under 12. We had finger food and drinks and went to see the decorations. Thery are the best yet and I saw about 4 of them. Best year, just fabulous also looks nice in the evening !!!!Not much electricity but candles every where, yes even real ones!!!Guides helped me so I did not have to use the long corridors and had short cuts to the rooms plus the elevator which is the original one still running. Inside it is decorated with fancy iron work and lovely wood panels.

Somehow we got rejuvenated in the castle. However the free family photo they took makes me look like I celebrated my 100th!!!!
Came home about 10.30 P.M and fell into bed.

Next day a luncheon date, OK dress up again , try to look chipper and see long time friends again. I had canceled several dates with them so I better go a move on and go. We went to the Inn on Church street and it was just lovely....I had fish and chips, my fave but this had huge prawns with the fish. I took a doggie bag and said "woof woof" to the waiter as I am surely the dog in this case.
It was very nice BECAUSE my friends let ME talk and I am a TALKER so I do not have to strain to hear their questions. It was a gorgeous day, my petunias started to come up again it has been that warm and they even bloom.

Thursday was Thanksgiving, Brie decided she wanted family with her so Rhonda worked till 4 and then picked me up. I had a bad day and did not know why. I got up and started to cry and that lasted for most of the day- lecture from Bobby put me to sleep in my recliner. It was a very bad day ....the dinner was good but I could not hear one person at that table, conversations ran from one side to the other and I decided to look at all of Bob's art work and try to remember where we were when he did the persimmons, where he sat and painted and when did he call me for help.
He always wanted my feed back. He hated back grounds so he always asked me which one he should use. He trusted me and I am not an artist. I would tell him when to stop a work because he never thought his painting was finished. He would work and touch up for weeks if I let him. I'd say :"Bob it is finished, let it go, it is lovely". Reluctantly he would stop and take my advice.
His time was never an issue with him, it was for me because he would put too many days and hours into something we knew we could not get paid for his hours.

The room at Brie was cozy and no denying her Belgian heritage.
My aunts Victorian vases sit proudly in a nook with a light over them. In my mind I invited them to come and take a look. The Delft which was in my mother
s kitchen is there too. Bob's work everywhere. Handmade lace doilies. My mother's kas kept up and shiny from the wax jobs! The memories kept me going as I sat quietly at the table and has a glass of wine and pie with whipped cream (the real stuff).
Zack was tired and in his room with the little ones. I do not have the energy to mess with the little ones like I used to do. Besides that I wanted to cry some more.

I was glad the day was over, I had bought a spiral ham for Bobby, he does not give 5 cents for the holiday but loves the ham.
I came home and fell into bed and Rhonda emailed me she did the same when she got home and had to be at the castle at 6 30 AM next day.....

So Black Friday I rested in between catching up (barely) with my games on Facebook. I filled more display boxes with pins ready for Brie to put in my shop...whenever I see Brie again.

So today we are that saturday.......in the news there seems to be a truce , I doubt it will last or help but let there be peace for awhile so children can play outside and have parents still alive...on all sides...

Big John has decided he will GO HOME...that is a tragedy...
Zack refuses to be in the hospital on Christmas so that will be bypassed, the kid needs some "normal".

I hope to have a quiet week and will try to play catch with the energy.