MOVING ON.....2024

A Note From The Author: Jacqueline E. Hughes

I am so happy to welcome in the new year, 2024!!! My Blog is changing-up a bit....mainly because I am evolving. Travel will always take precedence in my life and, my journeys will be shared with you. This 2024 version will offer a variety of new stories and personal ideas, as well. This is all about having fun and enjoying this Beautiful Journey called......Life!!!

Thursday, July 27, 2017

BELEAGUERED, SADDENED, AND ENCOURAGED



 A series of essays.....



PRESTON ROBERTS AND HIS YOUNGEST GRANDSON
PHOTO FROM HIS BLOG SITE: 'RAMBLINGS OF A DREAMER'


.....as seen through my eyes!






By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


BELEAGUERED*

adjective
1. harassed, trouble, plagued, torment, hassled (informal), aggravated (informal), badgered, persecuted, pestered, vexed, put upon There have been seven attempts against the beleaguered government.
2. besieged, surrounded, blockaded, encompassed, beset, encircle, assailed, hemmed in, hedged in, environed The rebels continue to push their way towards the beleagured capital.

First of all.....who uses the word 'beleaguered' in a normal, everyday Tweet, anyway? I mean, was his intent to write a novel in one hundred and forty characters (or less)? Prove that he has a better vocabulary than he did yesterday when we all know that he does not? A repetitive vocabulary of simple, one to two syllable words does not count as having a full on, adult, (2. The sum of words used by, understood by, or at the commanded of a particular person or group.) vocabulary.

Did he have to ask someone to use it in a sentence first in order to familiarize himself with the word? And, even so.....this may not have helped him. If I were to choose proper substitute words from the definition above that he could have used instead, the only one might be the word 'trouble.' All of the others, still a little too advanced for him.

BELEAGUERING  (bĭ-lē′gər)
tr.v. be·lea·guered, be·lea·guer·ing, be·lea·guers
1. To harass; beset: We are beleaguered by problems.
2. To surround with troops; besiege: The enemy is beleaguering the enclave.






There is only one person I see doing any beleaguering here and that's the man issuing the Tweet in the first place! Oh, and this definition tells it like it is!  So, maybe I'm misguided here, after all, and should be thinking in these terms: 

"We, the beleaguered people, the harassed, beset, besieged, tormented, and the persecuted people of these United States of America these past six months, would like a change. No, deserve a change. Nay, demand a change, for the enemy doth beleaguer the enclave....."





EUSTACE AND PRESTON

In watching the past several seasons of Mountain Men on the History Channel I've become quite attached to two characters who, at least for me, have epitomized the true nature of life among the valleys, foothills and the roiling purple haze of the beautiful Great Smoky Mountain range of North Carolina. Their names are Eustace Conway and Preston Roberts and, I guarantee that through their teachings and beliefs, they capture the 'inner joy' we should all share for living off the land and fulfilling our 'simple lifestyle' dreams.

Sadly, Preston Roberts passed away several days ago. 

Preston was a woodsman, educator, artist, craftsman, and environmentalist. He has been romping around the woods of Western North Carolina for over fifty years and has always claimed to be a "Jack of all trades.... Master of some." 


PRESTON ROBERTS AND EUSTACE CONWAY
TOGETHER AT TURTLE ISLAND PRESERVE
Picture Courtesy of Turtle Island Preserve


Together, with his business partner and friend, Eustace Conway, they have been running Turtle Island Preserve near Boone, North Carolina, where, "they live, teach, breathe, and believe in nature's governing truths." They interact with the beautiful, clarifying teachings of nature and pass this accumulative knowledge on to whom they call, "the wild youth," the kids who attend camp and classes at the Preserve in order to learn this important knowledge for their future selves and personal well being. "We dig deep, reaching profound connections within us, touching our ancestral roots," and Eustace, Preston and Staff have shared their extensive knowledge with others at Turtle Island for many years.

The core of Preston’s world has always revolved around the traditional Appalachian mountain people and he has had the honor of being taught by some of the best.

Included in his brief Bio that is a part of his own Blog site, I found this paragraph and realized, in no uncertain terms, why I am so enamored by this generous and loving man:

"Preston was born in 1957 and was raised in the once small town of Brevard, North Carolina. Pisgah National Forest was his early tromping ground, and he still frequents those familiar haunts. In 1975, he met the woman of his dreams, Kathleen DuPont McGuire and wasted no time in marrying her. While many people use the old adage “Behind every good man is a good woman,” Preston frequently is found saying “Beside every good man is a good woman,” and that she is. Together they raised 3 fine boys, and they are about to celebrate their 38th wedding anniversary." 

Having fallen deeply in love with this area of the country myself as a young girl, we have since purchased our North Carolina property that borders on Pisgah National Forest and Preston's old tromping grounds. It's a beautiful, magical place and a stone's throw from several entrances to the Blue Ridge Parkway where you can ride along the misty mountain ridges, stop a thousand times to take that 'perfect' picture, and fall madly in love with this area all on your own.

The world has lost a great man. Our youth has lost a great teacher. The History Channel has lost a fascinating, colorful, and soft-spoken character. Cancer is a demon we must destroy. I will miss you, terribly, Preston Roberts, and may all of the fortunate students you have fostered along your memorable journey through life carry on your traditions, good will, and zest for what comes naturally in this world. You are among the heroes that we all seek in our lifetime....

Note: Let us not forget all of the toughest Mountain Women, the likes of Mardy Mûrie who studied wildlife in Alaska, Hallie Morse Daggett, the first woman to work for the Forest Service in 1913, and the wives of Mountain Men who have proven to be as tough, proud, and courageous in every way....and then some!





'THE VINTAGE NEWS'

As far as I'm concerned, The Vintage News is a FaceBook Page that should be shared and savored by all of us. If you enjoy history and are even remotely interested in knowing who helped, what transpired, and how we got to the places we are at today, and get to see archived pictures that illustrate every step along the way, then this one's for you!

I mean, where else can you discover as you're scrolling through your Timeline news that "A huge wall at Cal Orcko in southern Bolivia reveals more than 5,000 dinosaur footsteps" (accompanied by a photo of said footsteps), or how the "Families of Titanic’s musicians were billed the cost of uniforms after the ship’s sinking." What?

TITANIC MUSICIANS


Several days ago, The Vintage News posted a picture of a 1908 Auto-Armchair Motorcycle. That's it. No accompanying story behind it; just a picture. It appeared, however, to have sparked my long-term admiration (love affair) with scooters, small motorcycles, and mopeds, alike.

1908 AUTO-ARMCHAIR MOTORCYCLE
PRESENTED BY THE VINTAGE NEWS FB PAGE


Did I happen to mention the Italian Vespa by any chance? I mean, what young girl didn't envy every rpm of Audrey Hepburn's scooter adventure through the streets of Rome with co-star, Gregory Peck, in Roman Holiday? I was two years old at the time of its release but always held a passion for black and white movies as I grew older. I have traveled upon many Greek island roads while following the curving shoreline along the brilliant blue sea while seated upon my own mint-green Vespa. The subconscious mind is a very powerful tool! This particular adventure, unfortunately, remains in 'to do' mode, for now.


MY MINT-GREEN VESPA
ISN'T SHE SWEET?

Orlando, Florida, promoting its sultry days and nights and making scooter travel an option for residents twelve months out of the year, has opened-up its Vespa sales into a wide market catering to those who embrace a 'mini-version' of the European mainstay of convenient transportation. I have had my mint-green Vespa picked-out for ages! The Vespa is an Italian brand of scooter manufactured by Piaggio. So far, we have artfully managed to avoid these retail shops, mostly located in Winter Park, because to even sit on one of these beauties could prove to be extremely detrimental to the pocket book. 

The power of suggestion that just one photograph has supplied me may serve to represent the power behind this magnetic FaceBook Page, The Vintage News. The 1908 Auto-Fauteuil was a step-through motorcycle with an armchair instead of a saddle. (Yes, I did look it up!) According to most Web sites, the armchair idea never really caught on, but given women's attire back then, it certainly catered to the modern woman 'on the go,' even though woman were not the target market.


AUDREY HEPBURN AND GREGORY PECK
IN THE MOVIE ROMAN HOLIDAY

If you happen to be an avid FaceBook adventurer, I encourage you to check-out The Vintage News Page. Who knows where the adventures will lead you; what enchanting stories their photos will encourage you to write about.....



*Definition of the word 'Beleaguered' and 'Beleaguering taken from: 




Copyright © 2017 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

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