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Ode to Joy

By Julie Terry Cartner

Our pastor calls them “God Moments,” and asks every week where we have seen God. Simply said, I see God everywhere. Who else could have created the beauty that I see every day? In our yard I see vibrant, black speckled, orange tiger lilies that can make your heart sing. The crimson, purple, and hot pink crepe myrtles take their turn as the eye-catching part of the bush, though the rest of the year, their gorgeous wood is the star of the show. White Asian lilies fill the air with the sweetest of perfumes, and the seeds of sunflowers as large as dinner plates, ripen slowly in the sultry summer days of July. Daring bluebirds vie to lower the insect population against woodpeckers, nuthatches and swallows, while brilliant goldfinches, cardinals and bluejays prefer the buffets provided in feeders across the yard. Soon they will be feasting on the sunflower seeds. And who can forget the sassy zinnias in hues of colors that only look good together in nature?

Then, as if that weren’t enough, He gave us achingly blue skies, clouds so puffy and white they hurt my eyes, then thunderingly gray clouds that split the sky with blasts of lightning, so brutal and so glorious. Sun-split clouds with rays of sunlight and showers of rain feed us all the colors of arching rainbows. And then, more subtle, but no less beautiful, moonlit nights, twinkling stars and, the star-spangled milky way inspire reverence and awe.               

These are the landscapes of our days, and daily I give thanks for the beauty I am able to experience. But sometimes, I’m given even more. A few weeks ago, we were at the Methodist Conference at Lake Junaluska in Western NC. On Sunday, the visiting choral group stood to perform one last song. As the opening strains of the “Halleluia Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah filled the conference hall, I could see hundreds of people sitting up a bit straighter and smiling in anticipation. Anyone who has ever sung in a serious choral group, a choir, a school chorus, or a vocal ensemble, or played in an orchestra or symphonic band has, at some point or another, learned the “Halleluia Chorus,” and the opening notes are enough to make musicians come to attention. The thought, how can I quietly sit and listen to this…I have to sing… passed through my mind and probably every other vocalist’s.

And then, and then, the director did the most amazing thing. She turned around and started directing all of us. Her smile said it all. I know you, you musical people out there; I know you have to sing, so go ahead, I give you my permission and my blessing.

And sing we did. I don’t know how many hundreds of people out of the 800ish people in attendance knew their parts, but literally hundreds of voices rose in song, “For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, Hallelujah, Hallelujah…For ever, and ever, Halleluia, Halleluia…” The director’s vocal group, though small, undoubtedly had the talent to sing without help. They’d proven that throughout the conference. It wasn’t about that, it was about sharing the love of music, the joy that an outstanding piece of composition inspires in the music lover’s ears. Hundreds of voices, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or employment status joined together in joy, in celebration, in a shared love of a fantastic experience. Surely a God Moment, an ode to joy. Amen.

The News

By Gaye Hoots

I celebrated the Fourth of July with family and a fireworks display from the bridge of Oriental which is visible from my condo. My potassium level is back to normal, and I have added tomatoes back to my diet. Baby Mia is still in the NICU but has frequent episodes and is making small gains. They are slowly decreasing the assisted breathing and have started her baby shots. She has not required any more blood transfusions but continues to have episodes of decreased heart rate. We celebrate each tiny gain she makes but Tiffany is still living in NICU with her indefinitely.

Larry Vogler had a brief hospital stay and is recovering at home. Bob Potts is declining but choosing to remain at home. Jimmy Carter, the brother of my classmate Travisene Carter Boger, has passed away. He worked with Roy at the realty company for several years and was a good friend.

The recent RWG column about travel, by fellow writers, was enjoyable as were the pictures included. My brother, Phil, and I frequented many of these areas for a few years and it brought back good memories.

I read the obituary column in the Enterprise and saw several people I had not seen in years were deceased. Susan Mock Atchley’s husband Benny Roger was one of them. I did not know him but grew up and went to school with Susan and am sorry for her loss. Another was Mary Ann Cornatzer Smith. I remember her as the older sister of Margie, who was about my age. The paper stated she was deceased also.

The obit I was surprised by was that of Ada Mae Patterson Carter who was 93 years old. I lost touch with her after she moved from Advance, but see she lived a long and fruitful life in the Fork community. Her father was known as Robe Patterson, he sold the farm and home at the end of Burton Road to my grandfather three years before my birth. My fondest childhood memories are of life there with my grandparents.

The Pattersons then built or bought the house on People’s Creek Road and later moved but kept the house and farm for many years. My dad had a key to the house and permission to use a phone there that was connected to Forsyth County. It required a long-distance call to Forsyth from our phone line and I remember using the phone at their house. I remember Ada Mae as being especially kind and I believe after she married, she lived in Advance near the building that was Larry Vogler’s shop. I remember visiting her there.

The other news article that interested me was one about a program started by the present administration to reduce illegal border crossings. It was mentioned concerning an immigrant charged with rape of a child and released on five hundred dollars bail. The program flies in thirty thousand immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela each month at no charge to them and arranges housing, work visas, etc.

The state of Texas challenged the legality of the program based on the increased taxes necessary to support this population unsuccessfully. The program has existed since 2022. These immigrants are legal immigrants with protected rights.

There is no doubt this in a more humanitarian way, but it did not mention if there was a vetting process or address the staggering debt incurred by immigration both legal and illegal. I have friends who have applied to become citizens, and this is a cumbersome and expensive process. We have not introduced laws to improve this, yet we turn a blind eye to existing laws to discourage illegal border crossings. Many of the illegals pay thousands of dollars to be transported here. Wouldn’t we be better off charging for legal crossings and vetting, setting up employment programs, and limiting the number to what we can afford without continuing our snowballing national debt?

Meanwhile, life in Oriental is good, my 7-year-old grand asked me when she could retire so I must make retirement look good.

Encouragement

By Marie Craig

When I was 13, growing up in Black Mountain, my family and I were active in a church in town.  It was a busy, happy group of people who came together for suppers and events in addition to worship on Sunday mornings.  I don’t remember this presentation I made for the adult Sunday School class, but evidently I gave a little report about Leonardo da Vinci.  There was a senior woman in that class named Mary E. Aleshire.  She was kind enough to send me a greeting card with the following handwritten words.

“Dear Marie, You did such a fine job giving us the story of da Vinci’s model at S.S that I want you to have this story. I hope you will be interested enuf in his and other artists to start you a scrap book of stories of their lives and reproductions of their work.  If you would begin it now, by the time you are thru school you could be a real authority on Masters of Art or music or whatever field interests you.  I know, as that is the way I obtained my art education to the point where I held a chair in the Art Extension Dept of the U of Ill for eight years.  Concentration on one subject and gathering the material are the important things, if you start early in life.  Happy Easter to you & Dad & Mother.  Your friend, Mary E. Aleshire.”

     This made such an impact on me that I found it in my personal scrap book, envelope with 3 cent stamp, card, and clipping from the Asheville Citizen-Times newspaper about da Vinci. The return address was Oak Knoll.  I remember her well; a friendly, happy older woman who wore huge earrings every time I saw her until her ears were stretched.  She owned a big two story house that she shared with church members for pot luck suppers, and rented a few of the rooms to boarders.  I remember lots of art work in her home but had no idea about the history of her home and her career until finding an article on the Internet recently.

     At https://blackmountaininn.com/history/ I found a very interesting article.  Mrs. Aleshire’s home is now named Black Mountain Inn and this Website gave the history.

     This nearly 200-year-old building has been well maintained, updated, and features carefully chosen decor and attention to detail.  Originally designed as a stagecoach stop, the inn was built circa 1830 and underwent several transformations for more than 100 years.  At the turn of the 20th century, it operated as Franklin Humanitarian Home (a TB sanatorium) for several years.\\

     Notably, in 1940, as the famed Black Mountain College approached its zenith, the property was purchased by Mary Aleshire and Daisey Erb.  Mrs. Aleshire was the manager of the Norton Art Gallery in Palm Beach, Florida, and she artfully restored the historic property. In 1942, the house was opened as the Oak Knoll Art Studio, which served primarily as a summer artist’s retreat for Mrs. Aleshire and her many famous guests; Ernest Hemington, John Steinbeck, Norman Rockwell, Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan, and Joan Sutherland, among them.

     Wow!  I had no idea, or if she shared that with me when I was so young, I don’t remember it.  A stage coach stop that now would be such a delight to see!  And all those famous people who were one mile from where I was raised.  About three miles to the northwest was the short-lived Black Mountain College that attracted famous people as teachers and students.

     Mrs. Aleshire’s support for me really impresses me now.  I hope I’ve encouraged young people in a similar way.  We never know how much good we do.  I’m also overwhelmed at her support for the arts and the famous people she hosted.