Because my memory is so poor now, I’m keeping a document titled “Tinyletter Ideas” on my desktop. The hand-lettered sign I used to see on NC 80 South - “Warning: Ill Bees!” - really cracked me up. I kinda/sorta wish I had swiped it, so I could add it to my living room wall, which already has

ALL MEN ON THIS JOB MUST WEAR HARDHATS - Eugene W. Kelsey (from Jim’s father’s house)

CLINIC SERVICES (from one of the now-closed substance abuse clinics where I worked), and

ART HOUSE (which came from a quonset hut in Deland that the artist was moving away from, and depicts a beautiful tiger).

The other sign on my wall was given to me by my late friend Raven Tata. It’s a street sign - “Clarkesville Street” - because I’d told her I grew up on Clark Street in Big Bend, Wisconsin. Just now, it occurs to me I don’t know how the street came to be named Clark. A couple/three decades ago, they renamed our address from 406 Clark Street to W229S8870 Clark Street. Ugh.

Another listing on the Tinyletter sheet is “Lucy Doll sandwich.” There’s a new deli opening on the Burnsville Town Square, and I met the owner months ago. I told him how, back when Mary Jane’s Bakery & Cafe was in business on East Main, I’d go in every morning (there were 10-15 of us regulars who’d sit together) and order the same bagel sandwich. Mary Jane added the “Lucy Doll Sandwich” to the menu and it was quite popular. So, I told the new deli guy, whose name I think is Tony, what the Lucy Doll was, but I told him wrong. Somehow, I discovered the original recipe recently, and need to get it to him so we are being historically correct! It’s delicious, imho.

The last item on my Tinyletter topic list is “Helene links for 9/27 tinyletter.” Unfortunately, I’m not quite sure what I meant, but it may be telling me to include a link to “Humble River” - a documentary somebody not from here made about the Helene disaster. It features footage of what’s left of my wonderful old rock house on the Cane River. A minute into it, you’ll see what was left. (I can’t seem to scroll down past this YouTube thing, so I guess this ButtonDown/Tinyletter is done for now.) I wanted to talk about the great event the Yancey Dems put on at the Square today, but that’ll have to wait. xox Lucy