Priddy's Store

While visiting Margie for the weekend, we went to Danbury, NC to visit Margie and Bill's daughter and her family. One of my favorite things about fall is the festivals and harvest time gatherings.

Priddy's Store is a general store that Bill (my uncle's) uncle owned. His daughter runs it now. Her name's Jane. I met her along with another of his daughters. Such a lovely gathering - it was called "Pickin at Priddy's Store," and included pinto beans cooked over a fire in an iron pot, pumpkin and ginger breads, homemade potato wedges cooked outside the store, bluegrass and old time music. Oh we had fun! It was very chilly and damp outside, but that didn't dampen the gathering too much. The crowd was down, which just left more food and fun for the rest of us.

We met a family from Eastern NC camping in Hanging Rock Park nearby. The couple had six children who are home-schooled. The wife was an artist - nature journaling. It was so interesting talking to her and having folks admire my sketchbook.

This sketch is of the old doors to the side of the building. The door handles and the begonia underneath really drew my attention. Margie said, "she paints the oddest things." That's part of the artistic eye, I told her. We see things differently than the average person. Artists find beauty in things that most people overlook - ordinary things, and it's our job to draw their attention to that beauty.

One other interesting note: About 2 weeks ago, two small boys, ages 3 and 4, drowned in the Dan River. It was a huge story in the news and oh so tragic. We passed by the very place where the boys were found. The community had set up a memorial on the guardrail on the banks of the river - stuffed animals, signs, and flowers. It was so heart-wrenching.