My Hero...sigh.....

It's a bird, it's a plane...no...it's Umbrella Man! My 14 year old is a funny guy. He always manages to get a laugh out of me. I couldn't resist this pose he struck.

Momma's Boys

We just got back from Alabama where we attended my hubby's family reunion and celebration of his Mother's 90th birthday. Here is a picture of her and the 6 boys in the family. There were also 6 girls. Can you imagine?! It is really hard to believe that tiny woman gave birth to those 12 big kids!

I've gotten brave in my old age. There was a time I wouldn't venture out on my own exploring. Something about it makes me nervous. I suppose it is because I'm not used to handling everything on my own. I met my husband 1 month after I left home, we were engaged 3 weeks later and married 7 months later. I have never really been on my own. I encourage my children to experience life, but as they will tell you, I temper it with strong warnings about guarding their safety.When we took our last business trip to Cherokee NC, while my husband slept, I took off and explored the Blue Ridge Parkway.I drove up to 5250 ft elevation. Tame by Rocky Mountain standards, but by Smoky Mountain standards, pretty nice. It was a beautiful day, and I could see for miles. I spent my youth in the flatlands of southern Alabama, on land that my family has owned for about 70 years. I love that place, but when I saw these mountains for the first time, I felt as though I had found my place. I've lived here in Tennessee as long as I lived on that land in Alabama, and like they say, home is where your heart is.

Replacing old posts....Norris Post from October 2005

Thursday, October 06, 2005 This morning I woke up before dawn. I lay there unable to go back to sleep. I decided that this morning was a perfect day for a trip to my favorite place in the whole world...Norris Dam State Park. My daughter loves to go there as much as I do so I woke her to see if she wanted to go with me, she did! We left in the early morning darkness, the neighbors houses were still dark. It takes about 20 minutes to get there. I was surprised how heavy the traffic was. So many people have to be at work early. I feel sorry for them. I remember those days and am grateful working at home.We parked at the cabin area to watch a herd of deer for awhile then went down by the river to watch for Herons. We were lucky enough to see one. There wasn't as much wildlife around as usual. I was sorry about that because it was the first time my daughter has been home and able to go up there with me for awhile.There is something that happens when I get there. I can feel the peacefulness settle over me. The tensions just fade and I feel so mellow. I so miss living in the country. I guess it is true what they say about never getting the country out of the girl. I'll never truly be happy living in a city. I try to make my home a refuge. I decorate it in a way that harkens back to the home I grew up in. I use my Grandmother's oil lamps and quilts. I keep scents around that remind me of home, like Cinnamon and Gingerbread. Hopefully my children will have good memories of their home.