Hi, I'm Eva. Thank you for stopping by. I live in Mendota, Virginia. If you like rural life in a country village, sharing decorating and DIY ideas, gardening, local and seasonal eating, food preservation, thrifting, and anything to do with honey, we have something in common.
Do you recognize this? If you do, you’ve visited Elizabethton in Carter County, Tennessee. It’s the Doe River Covered Bridge. I took this picture when it was so.very.cold! I’ll go back and take one on a spring day.
I wanted to go to Elizabethton for a while. When I worked for “the phone company” a zillion years ago, I did customer training at North American Rayon. Bemberg Industries and North American Rayon were huge manufacturing plants. I wondered what happened to them. I Googled and found out that they were gone. Sigh…I hope the people found other jobs.
So what was left in Elizabethton? Very nice people and lots of antique stores. The downtown is full of antique stores! I am at a place in my life where I’m getting rid of things versus acquiring them, so I was just a looker…not a shopper.
There was one very cute item that I took a picture of with my iphone. I’ve had Fence Post Pals on the blog a couple of times, but was a new take (for me) on crafting with fence posts. Isn’t she lovely?
This would be a great way to use horrible Christmas sweaters.
These were $30. I almost bought one.
Elizabethton is a town that is hanging on. I liked it. I am going back.
“What kind of Mickey Mouse operation is this anyway?” That was Mother’s words I heard in my head as I looked over our make-shift arrangement to protect my two hives of bees from the extreme wind chill. Mama…what are you doing out here in the cold? You live in my heart where it’s warm–and besides, you’re being a little sassy.”
Ok..for the sake of pleasing Mother, I’ll admit it does look a little like a shanty town for bees…
During the last “Arctic Blast” of air through Poor Valley, I wrapped the hives in bubble wrap and worried constantly for three days. You can read about that here. I removed the bubble wrap because I was concerned about trapping moisture in the hive.
And then we get the forecast for this evening…5 degrees with a windchill factor of about -5 this evening. Great.I’m short on bubble wrap. Mike came to the rescue with a tarp. Brilliant! The barn is the first defense for the chilling wind, but the tarp will give an added barrier, and tomorrow I can just pull it back. At any rate, I’ll sleep better knowing they’ve got a bit of extra protection. They have to work hard to keep their queen warm. Here they are on a nice warm day when we were working with them. I love them, but–excuse my French–these little pals are meaner than s*!t! If you come see me in the summer, you’d better bring your Benedryl!!
The tarp had to be loose around the front of the hives because there are two openings that provide ventilation. One is right at the top of the hive…just under the roof. Warm, moist air inside the hive moves upward and it has to have a place to go. If the ventilation hole is closed off or blocked, the moisture may result in icey cold drops of water falling on my bees. No way are we going to allow that to happen!
In this last picture, you’ll see the tarp going down in the center. I was worried about air getting underneath the tarp and pulling it up and possibly pulling my hives over. Am I overthinking this wind? Anyway, we used bungie cords to prevent the wind from getting under the tarp.
If this is all fallen over in the morning, I will be so upset. Stop by tomorrow and I’ll let you know how this worked.
Thank you for reading RiverCliff Cottage. If you’ve never commented, hunt around the bottom of this post and please leave me a comment. When you visit the blog, I can see where you come from but not who you are. For instance, someone in Washington State visits several times per month. I’d love to hear from them…you…anyone! Thank you!!
My day began in a surprising manner. Sam the Cat returned from being outside for about 90 minutes. He climbed into bed and began “marching” or what I call “making muffins.” He marched for about a minute and then he peed on me. Not a little bit.
Later, after everything was churning away in the washer and I’d showered, I asked him..”what was up with this peeing in the bed thing? It’s a little creepy, Sam?”
“I’m getting ready to roll. Can’t answer you now.”
And…
“Those 600 count sheets get wet just like the 180 count nubby ones. How did you like the smell? You are mine now, baby! I’ve marked you!!
And…
“Nanny nanny boo boo…better to be pissed on than pissed off.”
Suffice it to say, Sam spent a very unhappy afternoon outside looking in. This time spent on the wrong side of the “Door of Shame” has made him sleepy tonight. He’s inside, but he may be snoozing in the garage tonight. Still not certain.
Later, I went to the Mendota Post Office and decided to take you along. We are thankful for our post office. While the hours were cut, the location was spared.
The post office sits at the base of Clinch Mountain…just down from the Mendota Cemetery. It’s across from what was the Mendota Medical Center. Some day.
I had a very small package to mail to Mike’s mother in California. I’d found some lavender goat’s milk lotion made in Jonesville, Virginia — about 45 minutes away.
Have you ever went to a post office and felt you were interrupting someone’s day? It’s not that way in Mendota.
Kim gives me a big hello when she sees me!
Here’s the hours…
Have you ever seen a healthier indoor plant (picture below)? This is the Mendota Contingency Plan for Emergencies. We’ll be cutting this for firewood if our electricity goes out. That’s a joke.
We’re little, but we got all the fixins…
The post office is a hub for learning what is happening with our neighbors..
Lifelong friend Patsy is the postmistress. She’d turned her head away… hiding…peekaboo Patsy! Kim…well…she’s not hiding.
I mailed my little package. I enjoy getting anything in the mail, so I like to mail to others. It is so nice to get something delivered. Are you that way? I bought some stamps. They will increase in price soon, and I wanted to buy a few ahead of time. Patsy always pulls out her folder and lets me pick out something pretty.
If you live in Mendota, please buy your stamps at the Mendota Post Office. If you can’t get down to pick them up, give Patsy a call. She and Kim will work to get those stamps delivered!!
Do you understand why the adage, “once you get that Poor Valley dirt on your feet, you can’t wipe it off” is true? It’s just not the same anywhere else on earth.
I have a favor to ask. If you read this blog regularly, once in a while or whenever, would you mind “Liking” me on the Facebook button to the right of the page and subscribing so it will enter your email. I’ve been told that the email is not working. If you try to subscribe to the email and it doesn’t work, please let me know. You can comment or leave a message. Thank you. So much!
Do you remember my Pumpkin Blocks? Check them out here. I really like them. I liked them so much I started making more blocks at the same time…something to cheer me up on a winter day. I finished them up today. Let me introduce you to my Fence Post Block Pals.
Mr. Snowman Block. He originated from a Christmas ornament that fell and lost it’s hook. It’s now a blockhead. Like Charlie Brown…only not as famous! Oh my goodness…it looks crooked in the picture!!! It’s really not! (I don’t think so anyway.)
And because there was more fencepost to be cut…a few friends showed up. Mr. Blackbird Block.
And a taller, striped block with yet another bird appeared. Mr. Red Striped Black Bird Block. I thought long and hard on these names. These bird decals are leftover from my bathroom project. Read about that here. Read about it here if you want the realities of how difficult it is for me to get anything done. My husband pouted for a week after that post. He said I was making fun of him…hmmm…why would he think that?
At any rate, these Fence Post Block Pals are something that are more on my level of expertise. Low…very low. A trio of winter block people pals..
Instructions! Really you could just look at them, but here ya go:
1) Fencepost cut in various sizes. My True Love (Lowe’s) made the first cuts for me. Mike ended up cutting them again. I think some of the big box stores will do this, but not all. It helps to beg and coax. Most CAN do it if they will. For free.
2) Spray paint your base. It doesn’t matter if it’s red or white or whatever color you like. Sand like crazy on those sharp corners after paint dries.
3) Tape (plain old masking tape is what I used — no expensive Frog tape…I used the cheeepest. After all it was birds, and they cheep!!) Paint your stripes if you want them.
4) Spray again with alternate color.
5) I put bird decals on mine, but you could stencil something on them. Or not.
Chris, Margie and I went on a roadtrip to the Virginia Highlands Quilt Shop to see Kim (the owner). It’s time for the fabric selection of the Mendota Cemetery Quilt!! Do you like a white and red quilt? I hope so.
It’s hard to tell when looking at this picture, but it is going to be so beautiful. Chris and Linda will be cutting it out next week and then the sewing will begin. I’m going to prepare a Facebook page to follow its progress — from purchase to the time that someone owns it. More about that in another post.
I’m glad we bought the fabric in Abingdon this year. Kim had done the quilting on the 2013 Cemetery Quilt, and we wanted to support her and to keep it local. She’s got such a nice quilt shop. I want to show you around.
Please someone find me and inject sewing talent into my head and hands. I just don’t have it, but I so want it! I love this quilt.
Here’s some fabric shelves..how would some of these look in your stash?
Some fall-themed fat quarters…honestly, I would have been all over these in September. Now, I’m drawn to spring colors.
Oh my gosh…thread. Look at this!
A few things for those who like to make doll clothing. That’s not me, but my sister Nancy loves baby dolls.
After looking at all these wonderful fabrics and colors, we never waivered on red and white. It’s so clean. So cheerful and happy.
There is much, much more at the Virginia Highlands Quilt Shop. If you go by and visit Kim, please tell her that her friends from Mendota sent you!
Did I tell you this year’s quilt is called “Crossroads?” Our cemetery is about the crossroads we each will approach …when we leave this life and go to the next one. The Mendota Cemetery ensures that our friends and neighbors making this transition can leave their earthly body behind with dignity and grace.
Today Chris, Marie and I purchased fabric for the 2014 Mendota Cemetery Quilt. It’s going to be a beauty…A Heartbreaker…A Quilt to Love….and I’ll post on that later this week. But today’s post is about another quilt. Do you remember this quilt?
Of course you do! I had it on my Facebook page and on RiverCliff Cottage numerous times asking if you’d like to buy a chance on the quilt. I was begging! Every week! This was the 2013 Mendota Cemetery Quilt. So many hours went into making this quilt. Chris Schanzenbach led the process. She is one of the most gracious women I know. Her hands at work…
Machines whirring along. This is Margie — if we were in high school, and obviously we’re not, Margie would be voted “Best All Around.” Definitely.
This quilt raised almost $2,000 — all of which went to the Mendota Cemetery. It will be put to good use. The drive of the cemetery was resealed this past summer. We love that cemetery on the hill.
The quilt came to life as “I’ll Fly Away” and that is what is stitched onto the label of the quilt. See my name? Yes! I helped a teeny, tiny (really teeny, tiny) bit! Everyone has a talent…Patsy is our lead sales person…I’m the PR person…Margie does it all…Chris is the lead quilter. Linda is right in there with Chris. Everyone pitches in.
Initially, we drew for the quilt during the Mendota Homecoming. Over 1400 tickets had been sold spanning 42 states and 8 countries. Pretty cool for a little country quilt.
The very first ticket sold was to Mrs. Ruth Rice, and that ticket turned out to be the winning ticket. Amazing.
In a very generous decision, Ruth’s family (she has been ill and is of an age where she does not get out), decided that the quilt would be immediately donated back to the Mendota Cemetery Association to be “re-raffled”. We called it “Ruth’s Quilt.” It just seemed right. More tickets were purchased, and a little under 600 tickets were sold between August and December for Ruth’s Quilt. I bought approximately 100. I wanted that quilt. I bragged that I had about a 1 in 5 chance of going home with the quilt. During the Mendota Christmas Dinner, we had the second drawing for the quilt. Chris reached in and drew out Billy Carrier’s name. Billy is Ruth’s son-in-law. It was settled. The quilt was meant to reside with the Rice/Carrier family. We laughed, congratulated Billy and went home. I recall my sister Nancy and I saying on the way home that “we just were not meant to have that quilt.” Drat!
Screech! Not so fast!!
That same night, Patsy and Billy called and said they wanted to drop in for a minute. They arrived at about 10 pm. They were carrying the “I’ll Fly Away”…”Ruth’s Quilt.” Billy, who I have known all my life along with Patsy, wanted to give me the most amazing gift I’ve ever received. I told him…then them…”No!” It was too much! Seriously! I really said that! They reached out with the quilt, and oh…you might as well know…I jumped up and down! I was so happy!!
So now you know. I have “I’ll Fly Away…”Ruth’s Quilt.” Here it is draped over the chair. It’s actually moving to the bedroom in the spring, and I’ll show you pictures.
And the disclaimer…The person who sold a bunch of the tickets has ended up with the quilt!! Please understand it was all above board! And I’m in love with it. Please don’t hate me because I have this beautiful treasure. I walk by it and touch it. I think of Ruth…I think of Billy and Patsy…I think of Chris…and I understand that “loving your neighbor” is not just words in Mendota, Virginia. We don’t always agree…we are all different…but we do love one another.
It’s been another cold night in Mendota. I’ve just checked on my honeybees, and I still don’t know anything definite. (See post here where we’ve been trying to keep them from freezing.) It doesn’t look good, though. Three dead bees were lying in the opening. I removed them and stuck a small stick inside to see if I could arouse the guard bees to come out. Nothing. I’ll return this afternoon as it continues to warm. Needless to say, I am very sad if they have all died. I did everything I could do, and yet they have not survived. What are we-you and I and others–going to do if our honeybees continue to struggle?
On a happier note, a few weeks ago I received a package in the mail. It had traveled all the way from the Netherlands. Flory, my niece’s childhood friend and the daughter of my friend Tineke, has learned to knit. In a pay it forward kindness that circulated on email last year, she made me this shawl. Flory, you are extremely talented and you have made me very happy.
I love the rich earth tones….you can see it better in this picture. Sorry about the holey jeans…I’ve got leggings on underneath them.
My shawl, my dogs and my husband and I bundled up for a drive. I had Flory and Amanda (another one of my niece’s friends) on my mind as we drove and I wanted to take pictures from their home in Virginia. Amanda is a Scott County girl, and Flory lived in Washington County, Virginia but ran with the Scott County girls! Here ya go girls!
We stopped at Dennis Dean’s property which is known as “Big Bend” since the river does a loop and almost meets itself. The ice backed up as it met the curve.
Here’s another…
The ice meeting sounds like a “Freezie” machine in a convenience store. I took a very brief video so you could listen to it!
Once futher into Scott County, we pulled over and took a picture in front of the Humprey’s Farm in Hiltons. The North Fork looks like glass…
Went up to Lunsford’s Mill. I wish the Lunsford’s Mill restoration would resume. I’d swing a hammer.
More…
Look at the old turbines (below)…this had a sign that was falling off that said Lunsford’s Grocery. Someone had plans for this mill and little store. I wonder what happened?
We drove a little further and I spotted a quilt barn! How have I missed this? I love it!!
Scott County author and teacher Ann Goode Cooper passed away last year. I’ll bet she received a lot of inspiration living on the North Fork.
And a bit further… see the big ripple where there is a rock formation under the water. This is a canoe flipper for sure when the water is rushing.
It is cold here today. We were -2 last night, and the high temperature today was 14. Since our house sits near the river, we’re actually warmer than most spots in Southwest Virginia. In geography, that would be called the “maritime influence.” Through some miracle, we did not lose power last night. Thank goodness.
My neighbor, Marck Dean, took some very cool pictures of the North Fork. Looks a little nippy. Wouldn’t it be fun to have a Mendota Polar Plunge? That’s a fundraiser we might try!
Luckie went outside today. You have to dress for this weather. She wore her blue Polartec.
She asked Gracie if she wanted to go. Gracie said no. No.darn.way. I like my couch.
Gracie also said “Luckie you’ve lost your mind. Look at the North Fork! It’s very pretty, but it’s got icebergs.”
Sam the Cat joined in the conversation. He said “*!&%” and “I like my chair!” He added…
And although Luckie reminded everyone that the river really is pretty today…
No one wanted else wanted to go.
Do you think there will be lots of babies 9 months from now?
We’re all staying in and staying warm tonight here at RiverCliff Cottage. I hope your water keeps running, your heat pump keeps pumping and your animals are safe and warm.
If you’re reading this from Virginia on January 6, 2014, you are joining me on the coldest day we’ve had in many, many years. We have a low predicted tonight in Southwest Virginia ranging from -1 to 4 degrees. My cats step outside, shiver and run right back inside. While they don’t normally use “indoor facilities”, they are pleased to have that option today.
What about the honeybees? This Artic blast of winter is not typical for Virginia. While my honeybees have a wind barrier from the barn and they get morning sunshine, this only gives them so much protection. Someone asked me if I could move them to the barn. Nope, the hives are a stacked arrangement and must stay in one place. However, yesterday, Gerald and I decided that we had to do something to give additional protection and insulation. So…we wrapped the hives in bubblewrap left over from holiday mail shipments. Merry Christmas honeybees! Necessity is the mother of invention.
We left the opening (it’s only about 1/2 inch opening) for their coming and going and to get air inside the hive, but the remaining exterior is wrapped in bubble wrap taped into place with duct table. It looks a little strange…
The white part of the hive you see in the picture is completely covered in bubble wrap. The trash bag is on top of the hive and taped across the bubble wrap. If it rains, the trashbag provides a “tent” of protection so water doesn’t get down under the bubblewrap. Genius. I know.
And notice the top of the hive. What is that you may ask? The Artic blast is bringing wind gusts which could tear apart the whole bubble wrap/trash bag protection system, so for additional protection, there is one heavy bag of mulch on each hive — which also provides additional insultation to keep heat inside the hive. I might just become an architect!
We’ll leave this on for the next few day until temperatures return to normal winter temperatures.
Onto other things…check out the beautiful winterberries in my backyard. It’s so nice to have color in the landscape during this time of year.
We’re little, but we got all the fixins…
