Remembering Sandy

My good friend, Sandy (September 20, 1943 - June 5, 2026), passed away on Friday. She and her husband, Jim, were among our first married-couple friends. As I sat in church today, memories of Sandy and all our good times just washed over me, and I had to share them.

Here are some of the memories that came up in my thoughts:

• We met in 1982 right after Don and I were married. Sandy’s husband Jim was actually my husband’s college math teacher. When we got together, we all hit it off right away.
• We started meeting for dinner on Saturday nights (alternating between our houses) and then playing the card game Rook for the rest of the evening. Sandy and I were always partners, and we played against our husbands. We had such a great time, and we did this for years.
• I remember that we usually talked on the phone with each other at least once a week. She was always willing to give me wonderful advice when I asked for it.
• Sandy tried to teach me how to make homemade egg noodles, but mine never came out as good as hers.
• I remember going on several boat rides when Jim bought a new boat. One time he ran it aground and ruined the propeller, but Sandy was always calm about everything. 
• When Jim got sick, I tried to call her at least once a week in case she needed anything.
• Sandy and I would meet for lunch in the summers when I wasn’t teaching. I would go pick her up from the law firm, and we would go out to lunch about once a month.
• One year, when I was on Christmas vacation, Sandy went hiking with me at Raven Cliff Falls when it was snowing. We hiked to the bridge over the waterfalls. It was a beautiful hike!
• When the school threw all retirees a luncheon, we were allowed to invite our closest friends, and Sandy came to my retirement party. It meant a lot to me since she has known me for most of my career.
• I remember when her family threw her a surprise birthday party and invited us. It was a great party for such a wonderful person.
• After I retired, I started teaching courses for Furman, and I taught one of my courses every July. Sandy would come meet me for lunch after class ended.
• When Sandy was moving out of her last house, I went over to help her pack up some stuff. We spent a lot of time sharing memories of good times.
• The last time I saw Sandy was at her son’s house. I’m so thankful that she has had such a loving family that was there for her. She always talked about her children, and you could tell how much they loved her back. 

I will miss you, Sandy!

Original photo of Sandy and Pat 

Tyrannosaurus rex

The United States Postal Service released the 2019 First-Class Forever Stamps featuring Tyrannosaurus rex to honor one of the most well-known dinosaurs in history. The four stamps were introduced at the same time the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History opened a new T. rex exhibit. Each stamp displays a different illustration of the dinosaur created by scientist and paleoartist Julius T. Csotonyi. The stamps are unique because they use lenticular printing, which creates a holographic effect. When the stamp is tilted, the dinosaur’s skin appears to fade away and reveal its skeleton underneath.

The Postal Service created these stamps to encourage interest in dinosaurs, science, and museums. Because dinosaurs are popular with both children and adults, the stamps also made collecting and sending mail more exciting. Many stamp collectors appreciated the detailed artwork and creative design. The stamps combined science, history, and art in a way that captured people’s attention and celebrated prehistoric life.

Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs to ever live. It lived about 66 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period. Commonly called T. rex, the dinosaur had massive legs, razor-sharp teeth, and an extremely powerful jaw capable of crushing bone. Although its arms were small, the rest of its body was built for strength and hunting. Scientists estimate that T. rex could grow up to 40 feet long and weigh several tons.

The first T. rex fossils were discovered in the early 1900s by fossil hunter Barnum Brown. He uncovered the remains in Montana and other parts of the western United States while searching for dinosaur fossils. In 1905, paleontologist Henry Fairfield Osborn officially named the dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex, meaning “king of the tyrant lizards.” This discovery gave scientists important information about large meat-eating dinosaurs and helped make T. rex one of the most recognized dinosaurs in the world.

Dinosaurs are celebrated every year on Dinosaur Day, which takes place on June 1. The day encourages people of all ages to learn about fossils, prehistoric animals, and Earth’s ancient history. Museums, schools, and libraries often organize activities such as dinosaur exhibits, crafts, games, and science lessons. During these celebrations, Tyrannosaurus rex is usually one of the most popular dinosaurs because of its enormous size and fierce appearance.

Do you have these dinosaur stamps in your collection?

References:

• United States Postal Service
• Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
• National Geographic Kids – Tyrannosaurus Rex Facts
• https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2019/0829-fearsome-dinosaur-immortalized-on-forever-stamps.htm
• https://www.mysticstamp.com/5410-13-2019-first-class-forever-stamps-tyrannosaurus-rex/
• https://nationaltoday.com/dinosaur-day/

Happenings this week

Books:

• Remarkably Bright Creatures - I read this in 2024, and I’m rereading it.
• The River is Waiting - This is an audiobook that I listened to. I got halfway through, and it was so depressing that I gave up on it. I returned it to the library early.

Knitting:

• Scrappy Socks for Don - It is so satisfying to use up my sock yarn scraps in this fun way.
• Antique Filigree sweater - a colorwork sweater. I always forget how much I love colorwork! The exciting thing is that this whole sweater involves colorwork!

Food and drink:

• Things I’ve cooked this week: Spinach and Mushroom quiche, stuffed peppers, and rice, pork burgers, and pickled beets.
• I made green smoothies for us a couple of times this week.

Watching:

I’m watching some TV shows that I’m sure others have already watched, and I’m a little behind the times.

• Tracker
• Marshals
• FBI

Special Events:

• Don had a cortisone shot in his back.
• I’m recovering from my second cataract surgery.

Fruits and vegetables:

• We picked lots of blueberries and some figs today. 
• I also found little tomatoes growing on my tomato plants.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Helen, GA

Don and I went to Helen, GA, on our honeymoon 44 years ago. We didn’t have any reservations and were lucky to get the last cabin at Unicoi State Park. After having dinner in town, we walked around the shops. We saw a sign in the welcome center that said if you were unable to find a room for the night, call this number, and they would find a room for you, even if it was in someone’s home. I thought that was so welcoming! Boy, times have changed! Now there are a lot of places to stay and a lot of shops and restaurants!

We met at 7:30 at the senior center and left on a chartered bus at 8 am. Everyone was wearing the pretty pink shirts that we were given. Sue and Heather were so organized! We got a treat bag with a Chick-fil-A treat, along with an itinerary for the day and other goodies. The drive took about 2 ½ hours due to rush hour traffic, and it was raining pretty heavily the whole time we were traveling.

When we arrived in Helen, the rain had stopped. We were told to meet back at the bus by 2:15, and we would leave at 2:30.

Don and I walked around town and saw that a pretzel was $12.95. We looked at different restaurant menus, but none had the prices on them. Plus, neither one of us was very hungry, so we settled on eating at Wendy’s. After that, we shopped some more. We went to the GA arts and crafts building, which also held the History of Helen museum. We were able to watch two videos that told about the history of Helen. The town wasn’t crowded at all, and one shop owner told us that this was the slow season, which made it a perfect time for us to come visit! I liked that it wasn’t wall-to-wall people. We were able to go into the souvenir shops and look around without bumping into people. The sun even came out, and it was a beautiful day!

Everyone showed up on time to board the bus at 2:15. The drive back took only 2 hours, and it was a lovely ride home.

I’m thankful to the City of Fountain Inn for funding our trip and to Sue and Heather for organizing the trip. I know it was a lot of work!

Original Photos by Pat Hensley

1902 10c Special Delivery, Messenger on Bicycle (#E6)

Do you remember when you learned to ride a bike? I remember my dad running along beside me while I learned to ride a two-wheeled bike without training wheels. I was scared to death, but eventually I loved it! May 1 is known as Learn to Ride a Bike Day. This fun day encourages people, especially children, to learn how to ride a bicycle. Riding a bike is good exercise and a useful skill. It also connects to history because bicycles once helped Special Delivery Messengers do their jobs faster. Today, this day is a great time for families to practice riding together and enjoy being active outdoors.

Special Delivery stamps were special stamps that paid for this faster service. People had to put one of these stamps on their letter in addition to regular postage. The first Special Delivery stamp in the United States was issued in 1885 and showed a running messenger. Over time, many different designs were made, often showing messengers, bicycles, or other ways of quick delivery. These stamps are now popular with collectors because they tell the story of how mail delivery improved.

One famous stamp is the 1902 10-cent Special Delivery stamp (#E6) called “Messenger on Bicycle.” This stamp shows a postal worker riding quickly on a bicycle to deliver an important letter. It was part of a new series issued in 1902 and is known for its detailed design and bold look. The image helped show how bicycles made deliveries faster and more efficiently. Today, this stamp is a favorite among collectors because it represents both postal history and the growing use of bicycles in everyday life.

Special Delivery Service was a fast mail service offered by the United States Postal Service. It began in 1885 to make sure important letters were delivered right away, even if regular mail was not going out at that time. When a letter was marked for Special Delivery, a messenger would take it directly to the person’s home or business as soon as it arrived at the post office. This service helped people send urgent messages much faster than normal mail.

Special Delivery Messengers began in 1885, the same year the service started. These workers rushed the mail to its destination as quickly as possible. At first, many messengers ran on foot, carrying letters through busy streets. Later, they began using bicycles to move faster and cover longer distances. The bicycle itself was invented in the early 1800s, with important improvements made by inventors like Karl Drais in 1817, who created an early two-wheeled riding machine.

When was the last time you rode a bike? Today might be a good day for a bike ride.

References:

• Stamp from the author's collection
• Smithsonian Institution – Postal history collections
• United States Postal Service – History of Special Delivery
• Library of Congress – Bicycle history
• National Postal Museum – Special Delivery stamps history
• Mystic Stamp - 1902 10c Special Delivery, Messenger on Bicycle

Carolina Casita Gathering - April 2026

We had the Carolina Casita Gathering at Twin Lakes Campground on Lake Hartwell. We got there a day early so that we could get settled in our campsite before everything started. I warned everyone on Facebook that we may get a little loud and boisterous as we back the camper into the sight. We haven't been camping for 3 years due to various circumstances, and this was our first time out. Plus, we were towing it with our new car, a 2026 Subaru Outback Touring XT.

Unfortunately, Don's back was giving him a lot of problems, so I had to pack most of the stuff on my own. He was able to back the car up and hook up the camper to the car, but otherwise, I did almost everything else by myself. Of course, this made him feel bad about having to rely on me to do everything. We were never able to fix the leaking bathroom sink, so we just planned on not using any water at the campsite.

Every morning, I was up about 5:00, and I was able to sit in the Clam and listen as the world woke up. I loved hearing all the birds sing and watching the sky get lighter. Every morning, we went to Waffle House for breakfast since we didn't have any water at the camper.

When we got there on Wednesday, the weather was beautiful. Unfortunately, we got there too soon, and the campground attendant told us we couldn't check in yet, so we went back into town and had lunch at Dairy Queen. It was a good lunch! We also stopped at the Goodwill store just to kill time shopping when the park attendant called us and said our campsite was clear and ready for us. So, we headed back to the campground and set up at our site. It was a small site where we had to unhook the camper and park the car beside the camper. Then I had to go down about six steps to set up the Clam screen room. The view was beautiful, though. We met a couple of new friends from the Casita group, Babs and Jackie, who were really nice. Later, we also met new friends, Marc and Jolene.

On Thursday night, we went to the Smoking Pig of Pendleton for dinner. There were about 20 of us, and the food was very good. Marc and Jolene stopped by our camper, and Marc tried to fix our leaky sink in the bathroom, but was unable to get it fixed that day. Then we headed over to Bab's site for a meet-up where everyone introduced themselves, told a camping story, and then everyone went around to tell what tow vehicle they used. It was hard to see the people in the dark, but at least I could hear them. I took some pictures which actually showed everyone's faces in the photo, so the next day I was able to look and try to figure out what story went with which person. It was so much fun meeting new people and making new friends!

On Friday morning, after breakfast, we came back to the campground and walked around the lake. We did happen to get into the boggy mud and had to clean our feet and shoes. In the morning, Nancy and Ray came to visit us, and we had a nice couple of hours to visit. The rest of the afternoon, we just relaxed around the campsite. For dinner, we met at someone's campsite, and we had a potluck dinner. I loved meeting another knitter, Gail, and we had a lot in common!

On Saturday, we didn't do very much but relax around the campsite. Marc came over again and was able to fix the bathroom sink. He also helped us with the vent fan, which wasn't working. He was able to get it working by putting duct tape over the fuse so that it stayed in. We drove to the picnic shelter to visit with some people and see where the potluck might be in case of rain. The dinner was supposed to be at 6:00 p.m., but it started raining about 6:00 p.m. They moved the potluck dinner to the picnic shelter and postponed it until 6:30 p.m. By this time, Don's back was really causing him a lot of pain, so he took a muscle relaxer, and we ate dinner in the camper. We decided not to go to the shelter because I was afraid he would slip on the wet, grassy hill. We went to bed early.

On Sunday morning, we went to Waffle House for breakfast and then returned to the campsite to pack everything up. We took our time, and I tried to discourage Don from doing too much. The only problem I had was getting the stakes out of the ground that held the Clam down in case of wind. Luckily, our new friend Henry stopped by with his dog to say goodbye, and he was kind enough to pull the rest of the stakes out of the ground. We got everything packed up and were on the road by about 10:30 a.m.

We had a wonderful time, and we hope to go to another gathering in the future. We won't be able to go to the next two scheduled gatherings because we have other obligations, but I'm sure we will get to be with our new friends again sometime in the future.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Bunny Hop

We signed up at the senior center to attend the Bunny Hop yesterday. Heather led us on a 4-mile hike at Conestee Nature Preserve. The weather was perfect, and so was the company. There were 6 of us who showed up. At the entrance sign, I asked a couple if they would take a photo of all of us. We walked to the old mill and saw where they were improving the dam, and then walked the Swamp Rabbit trail back to the entrance. We saw lots of flora and fauna. The last exciting thing I saw was a watersnake that had just swallowed a fish.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Blueberry Bushes and Fig Tree

I can’t believe how early the blueberry bushes bloomed. I guess it is because it has been so warm here. Now we have blueberries on them, which we don’t usually have until June. We also found some figs on the fig tree. Usually, we have to fight the birds and squirrels for this fruit, but since I started hanging CDs from the branches, it has helped keep them away. 

Easter 2026

It was a rainy morning. 

I attended church service online because I don’t like driving in the rain. 

About 12:30, we went across the street to our neighbors' house and had pizza for lunch. There were 17 of us, and it was a fun and joyous event! 

After lunch, the adults came back over to my yard to hide eggs. Each of us had a bag of plastic eggs to hide. By then, the rain started, but it was light. In the middle of hiding eggs, the rain came pouring down. At first, I was very careful with hiding them, but when the rain came pouring down, I was tossing them in the bushes and down in the weeds. 

When the kids came over, they were excited and didn’t seem to care about the rain. Of course, the boys didn’t have raincoats or umbrellas and were just running in the rain. One girl had an umbrella, and she stayed semi-dry. After about 30 minutes, they didn’t seem to find any more so they were finished with hunting. We had no idea if they had found them all. Everyone seemed to have fun anyway! 

(Update - 5 days later, and we are still finding eggs in the yard! There was a strong wind this week, so the wind may have blown them out of their hiding places!)

Original photos by Pat Hensley

Shopping, Gardening, and Scrappy Socks

Monday
We went to the car dealership. We thought we were picking up our car, but the trailer hitch wasn’t
installed, and they changed their story about financing. We left the car there, and they will install the trailer hitch. Next week, we hope to pick up the car and pay in cash.

Tuesday
We decided it was time to get back in the exercise routine. So, we went to the senior center and walked for an hour. Then, we went to Costco and bought lots of things we really didn’t need but wanted. In the evening, I went to my knitting group.

Wednesday
We went to the senior center and walked in the morning. When I got home, I did some yard work since it is expected to rain for the next few days. Then I spent most of the day working on my scrappy sock and watching videos. After dinner, we watched movies on Prime Video.

Thursday
After walking in the center, we went to the Apple Store. I picked up my new MacBook Pro that I bought online last week. Then I talked Don into buying a new Apple Watch (Series 11). He has been needing a watch for a long time because his watch would die in the middle of the day. It was a Series 2, so I think he was past due for a new watch. As soon as we got home, I set up my new computer. Meanwhile, we mowed the lawn to get it ready for the Easter egg hunt on Sunday. It took several hours to migrate my data from my old computer to the new one, so this was a good use of our time. In the afternoon, my friend came over to give me a cover for Don’s watch that she had on hand, and then I migrated Don’s data from his old computer to my old computer (his new one now).

Friday
I worked in the yard some more and then spent the rest of the day knitting on my scrappy sock. I finished one, and I really like how it turned out. I couldn’t wait to start the other one. Don is happy with his new computer. I figured that his old one was about 8 years old, and the one he is using is now 3 years old, so he will be able to use it for a few more years until I get another new one.

Saturday
It was a rainy morning, so we went to Walmart because a lot of people woke up and it got crowded. Then I had to help Don set up some things with the computer. In the afternoon, I was on Zoom with my knitting friends and finished the foot and heel of my second scrappy sock.

It’s been a very productive week!

Original photos by Pat Hensley