Random

I got my NC license plate a few days ago and got it put on my car.  It only took me about thirty minutes at the DMV.  Much different than a California DMV!  And no appointment!  ( I got my driver's license a couple of weeks ago.  That's done at a different office that is just for that)  Having a license plate makes it feel all the more "real" that I'm here.  No more "Weir Canyon Honda" plate holder.

We heard there might be snow last night, but all we got was a little sleet.  Too bad.  It’s only 38 right now but should warm up a little more to the 40’s. 

Abby has a little friend next door, to our left.  A little terrier type dog named Hartman.  Hartman doesn’t come outside very often but if Abby is aware that he’s out there, she will ask to go outside. They stand at the fence talking to each other (sniffing) and sometimes they will run along the fence together.  There are two dogs on the other side of us that would love to have Abby to play with.  She will run along the fence with them too, until one of them barks.  As soon as they bark, Abby walks away as if to say, “I’m not playin’ that game.”  Abby was given a bath today and Elaina put a bandanna on her.  She loves  to show off after her bath wearing something new.  Just like a girl.

The football playoffs are on right now, so Elaina will be totally engrossed in the Panther's game.  I'll check in once in a while to see how it's going, but I can't handle watching every minute.  

I hope to write more about my Etsy shop in the future.  

The "Natives"

We had several days of unseasonably warm weather but it has gotten cold again.  I am enjoying the cold since last summer and fall in California were so terribly hot.  Curious to see how I do with the hot and humid spring and summer that will be here before I know it.  When there’s a breeze blowing through the pine trees, it feels like I’m in the California mountains where pine trees are abundant.  I love the sound they make.

So far, I spend my days online, expanding my Etsy shop, PicketfencesVintage, grocery shopping, doing laundry and washing dishes.  I have visited a few antique stores and thrift stores.  One place in particular is called Twice as Nice and is a combination of antiques and thrift store items.  It’s huge!

People here have been mostly pleasant and polite.  Everybody says “Ma’am” and asks “how are you?”  I have come across some people that I don’t fully understand what they say to me. I can pick up the gist of the meaning though.  Just like in California there are many different kinds of people.  However, in California we didn’t see many people in camouflage everywhere.  Because hunting is a big deal here, camouflage clothing is available in Walmart like shorts and tank tops in California and everywhere you go, you’ll find someone wearing camouflage and I’m not talking about the Marines.  There is “open carry” for firearms here, with rules of course.  Many days I hear gunshots in the distance, either from hunting or target practice.  Knowing that this is common here, it’s not too disturbing hearing gunshots ring out.  In California, it was a reason to call the police if you heard gunshots!

Because of the Marine Corps bases here, Camp LeJeune and New River (where Elaina works) there are days when the sound of “ordnance” being blown up or whatever they do with it, is heard throughout the day.  Those days make Abby a little nervous and she wants to be reassured that everything is ok.  When the CH53 helicopters fly over the house, it rattles a little, but like the base’s signs say, “It’s the sound of freedom.” The booms are actually quite loud today.

Elaina and I went to see and tour the USS North Carolina battleship in Wilmington.  It sits in the Cape Fear River and has been restored and preserved as a museum. This was a self-guided tour into the ship and was impressive.  The weather was cold and dreary but never got a drop of rain on us while out in the open.  I took lots of pictures inside the ship. We later had lunch in Wilmington and did a little shopping in Trader Joe’s.