Sister On The Go

New Year 2012

2012-01-02T09:17:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve this year is the best for me in a long time. Twelve good friends got together at the invitation of Mss Gail and Mr. John. I always love being in the land of milk and honey so where but here would I want to spend New Year's Eve? We all shared in the cooking, some of it at the direction of Miss Gail.

Of course, the Master Gravy

Maker needs no direction.

There is always an outdoor fire going and we all end up here off and on during the day/night.

There are musicians in our group that kept us entertained while we waited for the midnight hour.

New Year's Day my family had our family Christmas celebration. Amond other things, we did a tribute to Toby Keith with the red solo cups. Sadly, this was the first year ever that our mother was not able to join us. After dinner, we took the celebration to her. Her smile was the best present ever.

Thanksgiving 2011

2012-01-02T08:08:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving, for me, is always a time to relax and get ready for Christmas. Wait, did I say "relax" and "get ready for Christmas" in the same sentence? Okay, it is a busy time. Real busy. But fun. And that can, end the end, make you feel like you relaxed a bit. At least for me. 2011 was a really good Thanksgiving for me.

I relaxed while pretending to play the guitar I had just purchased.

My sister decorated her tree...always beautiful.

Cynthia and I went shopping for ingredients needed for all the cakes we would give away at Christmas. The grocery store is always fun during the holidays. They have more than food to entice you.

Shopping is always hard on me. I don't like it. What I do like is finding an interesting place to take a break. I have a hard time focusing when I shop so I need lots of fun breaks.

Once we had all the supplies we needed,we went home and started baking.

What would the holiday be without some Mom time?

I'm thinking life is pretty good.

Back to the Past-What Influences Linger?

2011-11-13T17:41:00.000-08:00

I have worked for the last 3 hours trying to get rid of all the extra spaces. I give up. Please keep scrolling till you get to the end of this blog.

Theresa, my cousin, has been reading my blog. We knew each other growing up, but have only seen each other once in the last…??...umpteen years. In fact, I last saw her two years ago, just two days before I moved to St. Thomas. We made a good connection that day and she has since followed me through my blogs. Last week Theresa invited me to come for a visit. All of you know I said yes. Theresa loves animals. She has scaled down. Theresa has 4 dogs, 2 turkeys, some chickens and 2 birds with a huge vocabulary that cracked me up.

Theresa and I decided to take a drive. First stop, Falling Springs Falls, a favorite stop. Theresa and I drove to Hot Springs to have lunch at Sam Snead’s Tavern only to learn they do not serve lunch. No problem. We were already heavy into conversation, so where we ate did not matter. We drove a little further north to Cucci’s where we found a table that allowed for some private conversation.
Theresa and I shared lots of life stories and noticed how similar our lives have been. I was most fascinated to learn about my paternal grandmother. I spent grandmother time with my maternal grandmother and really do not have many memories of Granny. I learned that I missed out not knowing her. We looked at old photographs. My favorite: a photo of my great, great grandfather, Dennis Denslow Murphy, born in Ireland in 1825. He came to America at age 12. He fought for the South in the Civil War. He died in 1905 and is buried in WV. Theresa has a wonderful piece hanging in her home of her mother and father at different times in their life. She gave many photos to the artist she commissioned and asked only that the painting tell a story. What a wonderful thing to have.
Theresa lives in Alleghany County, which is where we grew up. There is a long stretch of land on the Jackson River that has been in my family for many years. A large part of my childhood summers were spent on the banks of that river. Theresa’s house is built on this property. Just behind her house lies the river. We took her dogs for a romp along the river and Theresa showed me her favorite summer morning spot. There is a small cement area where she puts an old glider. From here, she enjoys the sight of the rocky cliff on the other side and the sound of the rapids. Her little piece of heaven. Another wonderful thing Theresa has is a barn. It is old and starting to sag. I remember horses in the pasture that is now Theresa’s yard. I used to walk there after school with carrots for the horses. Because the barn has been there since before my time, it never occurred to me that there was a time when it did not exist. So, it never occurred to me that someone had to put it there. Theresa explained to me that person was our grandfather. Gone are the horses and the pasture that are so much a part of what defined my world as a child. But the barn still stands. Now it stands for more than I ever knew.
We drove to the part of the property that belonged to my father so I could see the section where I played with my brothers, sisters and cousins. Where we swam and played in the river endlessly. Where we had cookouts. Where we built fires and roasted marshmallows and camped out under the stars. I did not recognize anything except the large rock that allowed us to anchor in the water. It seems closer to shore now. The water is still so clear. But everything else that marks all of those events is gone. The river bank is no longer manicured by my father and the fields are no longer his garden. The fireplace he built is gone. The shed is gone. Sadly, there is no physical evidence of what was once such a significant place in my life. Standing there, the tapes rolled in my head like an old movie playing in black and white. Only I was in it. Barefoot. Running. Laughing. I wanted to cry.

This morning Theresa left early for church. I was not ready to leave her, but I promised to return very soon. I want to know more of the woman she has become and to catch glimpses of the little girl I knew growing up. Before heading home, I decided to see what more I could find of my childhood.

I drove up the hill to see the house I grew up in. My mom sold it several yeas ago and the current owners have taken good care of it. But look, a for sale sign.

I drove through the neighborhood and noticed the pine grove where we caught the school bus does not even have a pine tree.

So I drove to the pine grove at our neighbor’s house where we spent a lot of time high above he ground spying on people and having secret meetings. No way we could climb those trees now. Everything changes, nothing stays the same…not even the pine groves. Determined to find something familiar, I decided to retrace the drive to my elementary school. First, I checked out another old swimming hole under a bridge by Theresa's house. We used to have to go down the hill by the edge of the bridge. Now it seems one only has to drive up on the other side and walk down a set up steps. I think that is cheating.

I stopped to see the swinging bridge, which has been repaired over the years. The second I started walking across the bridge, I felt the childhood fear I had experienced. It was just there. I started walking, the bridge started swaying and there was that little girl with a ponytail, scared but determined to make it to the other side. Then and now. The journey is always worth it because of what you experience along the way.

I went by Falling Springs Elementary School. Only there is nothing there from my childhood. The little two room school house is gone. The original structure of the main brick building is gone. Did they wrap this new thing around it? Where did it all go? The only thing I recognize is the stone wall holding back the hillside from the road and the stone steps that led to the front of the schoolhouse. I remember a May Day celebration when I sat on those steps. I walked around the building straining to find something familiar. Nothing. Except….the road.
Ah, the road. Still so familiar. I let it take me home. Suddenly I realize the river and the mountains, especially the mountains, are more significant to me than all the things I did not find in my search for the familiar today. The mountains and the river provided the backdrop for my past. They are the unwavering constants. They are what call me back when I wander.

Sometimes It Snows In October and the Stone Soup Find

2011-10-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

I decided not to wander this weekend, but to stay home. Do the laundry, do the this and do the that. Since they called for an early snow, I thought I would do some cooking, too. We awakened to about an inch and a half of snow, and it was coming down hard at daybreak. I was so excited and could not wait to get outside to see the world. I excitedly grabbed my camera. We don't often get to see the combination of fall foliage and winter snow at the same time. Beautiful.

My day-plan was to run my errands early so I could get back home and relax. Feels like a movie kind of day. A brown beans and cornbread kind of day. With list in one hand, and my camera in the other hand, my sister and I dropped off my car for its annual inspection and took off in her car to work off the items on the list. I hate shopping. I get it done as quickly as I can. Most of my time is spent trying to think of a way to reward myself. Some call it a diversion. Today it was not hard to find one…a reward or a diversion. The snow changed the look of the world I live in so our neighborhood seemed new and wonderful. My neighborhood world became my reward and my diversion for the day.

One of my favorite rewards is food and interesting places that serve it, especially those independently owned places that began as someone's dream. My sister suggested we try out a new place for lunch…new to us, but not the town. We chose the Stone Soup Bookstore and Café. What a delightful find! I can’t believe the place has been here for 5 years and I did not know of it. Stone Soup is the dream creation of the owner's and today we got to enjoy the determined effort of someone making their dream come true. There is a large, interesting choice of books, both new and used. The menu indulges in organic, locally grown food that is prepared by chef Laura. Soups and desserts are made in-house. I was more than happy with the Southwest Corn Chowder, made inhouse, and a half sandwich: goat cheese, spiced walnuts and lettuce on a multi-grain bread. I think my sister had the turkey, ham and cheddar sandwich. Very good.

We enjoyed a homemade Harvest Cookie, but could not keep our eyes off the Ginger Bread cake that was served to a table nearby.
My sister and I promised to return…and we definitely will. The food, the atmosphere and live music on Fridays will get me back. We enjoyed the owners as much as the food. No doubt they are happy in their creation. Check out their website http://www.stonesoupbooks.net/index.php. The “about” page is a fun read. You can see the menu, which changes often, and find out what musicians are performing on Friday nights. There are also book related events that will interest lots of people.

I forgot to mention, there is seating for at least 45 people outside. I can’t wait till Spring to enjoy this part of the restaurant. Even in the snow it is delightful.
Recharged, we headed to Kroger. But first, another distraction. There is a small business that sells great looking produce at prices that are much more affordable than Kroger. Produce is all they sell. And they are open year round. Another good find.

I usually try to get my errands run in about an hour. Today, it took us about 4 hours. As always, it is the journey, not the destination.

Taking In The Good Stuff from the Caribbean to the Mountains

2011-10-23T06:53:00.000-07:00

I have been too distracted to blog. By work, by life. But I have taken moments to soak in some good stuff. I have managed to loose a couple hundred photos so you will have to trust that I have not been standing still. (Where do things go on your computer when they do not seem to live there anymore and you know it is not because of something you did?) Virginia experienced an earthquake on August 23. I thought an explosion was occurring in our building where I work so I instructed everyone to leave the building. I soon learned we had experienced an earthquake. That weekend I visited some friends about an hour away. I enjoyed reading their local reactions. Apparently they did not just have an earthquake, but a “freak earthquake” that caused one resident to conclude the wind was blowing. (I say, what??) Another resident’s mother explained to her questioning daughter that she just needed to get something to eat. (Uh?)

The newspaper also was covering local elections. A candidate explains the reason she is running for office is because ‘The Lord told me to.” Another states “Some people thought I should do it. I tried not to do it, to the best of my ability, but I will try one more time.” I had to wonder: Should he win, will he be as successful at the job as he has been in trying not to run?

I toured The Buner at The Greenbrier. Planned by the Eisenhower Administration, it was designed to accomodate the US Senate and House of Representatives in case of a national emergency. It was exposed by the Washington Post in 1992 and its termination as a safe place for our government began immediately. An interesting tour.

I recently met up with some friends at a Blue Grass Festival. (I had some great photos.) I am not a musician, but attended a class on techniques for playing the banjo. It was fascinating to me. There was a clogging class taught by one of the best instructors in the country. I really enjoyed walking around, stopping to listen as small groups sat around their camp sites playing what to my ear seemed to be the same song. I was assured they were not all playing the same song. Still, the music was perfect in the fresh air of a perfect late summer day. I later had dinner with friend's at a house I had never visited. That was interesing. Our host is a long-bearded hermit with an interesting past that was very social. He lives in a large, old farmhouse surrounded by nothing but rolling hills and mountains as far as the eye can see. Pam and I hiked to the top of the hill behind the house to take advantage of the view at dusk. Wow. I am sick that those photos have disappeared. Thank heaven I still have my memory. When the time comes that I cannot remember that weekend, the photos would do me no good anyhow. Afterward, I started thinking about going somewhere that required me to get on a plane.

So I ended up in St. Thomas. I stayed at the house where I lived for 13 months. It was a working vacation. I did a little work for George, saw lots of people I knew and did some beach time. Coffee taste better when you can look out at George's back yard.

The nights are wonderful on island. The moon was full, just for me it seemed.

I ended my Caribbean trip by returning to my favorite spot in the mountains where fall colors were peaking. How fabulous is that...

I visited with some friends who live close to where I was staying. After a wonderful breakfast, we went up to their apple orchard to pick apples and to enjoy the view.

What's a little sheep poop.

Since that weekend, I continue to enjoy drives in the valleys and mountains that surround me.

Inspiration

2011-08-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Gail recently repainted her kitchen salty marguerite green. Completing a project always calls for celebration so several of us got together on a Friday night recently to do just that. Of course, marguerites were served. I wanted to do a small painting for the “new” kitchen. Looking at the marguerite glass gave me the inspiration I needed. Last weekend I returned to Gail’s to complete the small painting in honor of her hard work.

John's Bithday Get Away...For Me

2011-08-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

John’s birthday party provided me with a destination for a get-away-trip in late July. The 4+ hour drive into this part of West-By-God Virginia is grueling, even the I64 part. But it is all worth it when you get here. John is one of those gregarious people that you like as soon as you meet him. He has an unbelievable portfolio of friends, many of whom came to his birthday party. Conversation was interesting and flowed easily. Good food. Good music.

As wonderful as it was, what falls before and after are my favorite parts. Like John's explanation for why this old slide sits next to the garden. He bought it for his daughter when she was little (20 years ago???) and it kept bouncing off the ground when she used it so he poured cement down the poles. It has stayed all these years. Now he will have to use a blow torch to break the posts off below gound in order to remove it. There is a reason for everything.

I like the getting’ ready part. I attended last year so I was a bit familiar with some of the things that have to be done in preparation of the party. Sweeping the decking. Watering the plants. Wiping off chairs.

So Gail, John and I got busy on Friday morning. Gail and I accomplished a lot, and we managed to work most of the afternoon on a project that had nothing to do with the party. I won't tell you what we did because even you will say "What?". We thought the project was worthy. I love the part when friends who are spending the night start to arrive. Mike and Donna arrived with our dinner for the evening and our breakfast for Saturday morning. Already we had a good start on the next day. Later that evening George-from-St.-Thomas arrived, which revived the night while we all got caught up.

Saturday started with Donna's amazing french toast dish. Fortified with caffeine and sugar, we got busy. My horoscope suggested that I needed my people around me and they would protect me from who knows what. So, Gail, Donna and I took the wooden raft out onto the pond. Princess Paula relaxed while we went off on a Tom Sawyer exploration of the pond, which gave us a very nice view of the back of the house. I felt so protected by my women people. They did all the work, I took the photos.

I am not sure what happened next, but I think it involved a long nap. There was also some porch sitting. There are several good spots for that.

At some point,Tim and Ann arrived and then the party happened. Next thing I knew, it was Sunday morning and John was making his sausage gravy and his homemade biscuits. Biscuit World’s got nothin’ on this boy. Sadly, we said our goodbyes to Mike and Donna and Tim and Ann. There was some cleaning up to do and another nap to take before John, Gail, George and I went to dinner at a Mexican restaurant. How far did we drive to get there???? When you live this far out, nothing is close. It was worth the drive. On Monday, I was still living off that dinner when George and I went for a drive to see his old farm place. That took hours. You have not seen seclusion until you have visited George’s property. Back at the homestead, we learn that Gail has gotten stung and John is making dinner. Today (Monday) is actually his birthday. Afterward, Gail and I reclined on John’s “the best bed I ever laid on” bed to watch some TV. John and George joined us later to watch an old episode of Six Feet Under.

Now Tuesday is here. It is a good day for doing absolutely nothing but reading a good book. That is my plan. After a shower and another cup of coffee.

Tuesday: I spent the day napping and reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. This is John's beach book so I will have to purchase it when I get back as there is not enough time to finish it.

Now I Am 60

2011-05-30T17:27:00.000-07:00

I am thinking you should do whatever you want, with whomever and wherever you want on your 60th birthday.. The where had to be at Gail’s house. It is one of my favorite places on earth…and I have been to some places.

The whomever was Gail, John and friends.

The whatever was to be low keyed. Good thing because I had been sick for a month and was not feeling any better. A small cookout would be perfect. I enjoy the getting’ ready stuff and I arrived at Gail’s in time to watch her and John working in the yard.

Later, I parked myself on the couch with a cup of tea, a good book and some candlelight. I think most things in life should be done by candlelight. So, my birthday celebration was what I wanted. The following day we enjoyed the morning, a hike behind Gail's house and an unplanned dinner with friends.

Now that the birthday is over...

What I don’t know: how much time I have left. But that is not unique to turning 60. I am no different from anyone else…it has nothing to do with age.

What I do know: 60 is the mark of getting old. But it is the youthful side of old. I have met all the life challenges thrown at me for 60 years and am able to tell my life story. As I consider all those experiences, good and bad, I still say I have had a good life. It has certainly been interesting. I have never been afraid to live life. At times, I have walked out on the most fragile limb to take another bite of life. Things did not always turn out so well for me, but I have no regrets. I never lost the nerve to jump again. I see that as a wonderful thing because it means that the beatings I took did not diminish my desire to keep experiencing life. I have loved a couple of good men and I have had some interesting relationships. I have been abused and let down by a few. But I believe I am still worthy of someone’s love. I still hope. I know there is more good than bad left for me. I look forward to every day. I try to live each day as peacefully and simply as I can. And I still want to dance.

The Royals at the Beach Part II

2011-05-08T19:10:00.000-07:00

So much for blogging each day at the beach. My plan was to do nothing but read while lying by the water. I did that. I was also very sick all week. In fact, the day after my first blog posting, I had a serious relapse. Red flags warned us every day not to go in the water.

But that was alright. Our goal was to do nothing. That is what we did. Turns out, when you do nothing all day there really is not anything to write about. I read Water for Elephants, which I was saving for the beach. Liked that. Then I read the book Ellen just finsished: Jodi Picoult's Sing You Home. Loved it. Could not put it down. That is pretty much what I did all week. Oh, I did visit with some friends from St. Thomas who have a place in Orange Beach. Thanks to my friend, Cindy, we had dinner at two wondeful restaurants. I was grateful for that because the food experience was not anything to write home about. I am not even going to show you my food photo. You would not forgive me if I did. Instead, I offer you this photo of Ellen expressing her opinion of dinner one night.

I admit the food on the whole was not very good. I did not feel much like eating anyway. And being so sick all week was not what one wishes for while on vacation. Still, I cannot complain. I got to read two good books while at the ocean with a good friend. I really did do exactly what I went there to do.

Royals on Vacation Part 1

2011-04-24T06:55:00.000-07:00

Spring is glorious in Virginia. My drive to work is inspiring. Still, I need a beach break. Luckily it was overcast and raining when I left Virginia to fly to Atlanta where I would meet up with Ellen for our drive to Orange Beach, "Sweet Home" Alabama.

Neither of us have been anywhere in Alabama, so this seemed like a trip with promise. I never fear the unknown when it comes to traveling. Especially now. I turn 60 next month. During the last year, I have been distressed about turning 60. There is far less of life to look forward to on this birthday, blah, blah, blah. It has scared me to death. How much more life will I have? What will my state of health be like? Will I be healthy enough in the coming decade to do what I want/to explore the world and life as I always have? I have gone through menapause and did so when I was being treated for Aplastic Anemia. That time of my life was the most challenging. At times, I fully accepted the fact that I might die. I was okay with that. The challenge was facing the way in which my state of health changed my life and how I lived it. But I did live through that time and I did get much of my life back. But it changed my life and how I felt about my body change. Later, I had a back fusion. Another altercation in life that added more changes to my body. Still later, I dealt with colon cancer. Add another layer of body change. In January, I had shoulder surgery and am still recovering from that surgery. Considering all I have been through, I decided that I can meet the challenge of the next decade. I chose to stop worrying about turning 60. I decided to be happy about it because it gives me the right to celebrate these body changes. The scars are the footprint of my life. They are the dots that connect the scars to other things that happened in my life. Attitude is everything. I had to change how I felt about turning 60 because the attitude has everything to do with how I look at me. I discussed this with Ellen and we have decided that we have reached the stage of royalty. Not the kind of royalty that is bestowed at birth, but the stage of royalty that you have earned since birth. I need to celebrate this new stage. I am what I am. So, appropriately, this being the "Royal Wedding Week", Ellen and I begin to celebrate our royalness with a trip to Orange Beach.

Ellen picked me up at the airport on Good Frday in true royal fashion. Her voice mail directed me to meet her at Houlihans where she had a Cosmo waiting for me. Perfect.

Saturday morning we left for our 6 hour drive to Orange Beach. We took our time because royals do not have to rush. And we just did not care how long it took. We are along for our own ride at our own pace. The royals arrived around 6:00 PM. Since it was after 5:00 PM, we poured a glass of wine and sat on the beach to watch the day end.

Duty calls even upon royals to be responsible at times. That meant we had to take our list to the grocery store for essentials. Milk and stuff like that. It was getting late and we wanted to get some take out so we stopped at Wintzells for some seafood. "Take out" seemed to be a foreign notion to the 3 ladies standing at the hostess/checkout. Once it was determined that we could place a take out order, Ellen suggested that it would be necessary for us to look at a take out menu. One lady had a blank look, but another seemed to understand and was able to produce the menu. We again approached the stand to place our order of steamed shrimp and one crab cake to go. That was quite a challenge, too. We later learned the young lade punching the register keys was new. Yep. The lady who had more experience advised that our order would take about 10 minutes. The new-key-puncher-lady told us 20-25 minutes. With that, Ellen made the firm decision that regadless of how long it takes, we will have a drink at the bar. As luck would have it, we sat at the end where they shuck oysters. It looked nasty and smelled unappetizing to this mountain girl. I tasted a couple of undrinkable red wines and decided on a Cosmo, which was quite good. We had a good laugh with the bartender as he agreed their wine selection sucks (my word, not his). He explained that they have a whole staff of new people as they gear up for what promises to be a good season. We ended up having a lot of laughs, even with the manager who came to apologize for our earlier experience. We really were not upset, as we royals simply did not care and appreciated the humor in our situation. The bartender gave us parting gift: the best bread pudding I have ever had. And I have had a few because George and I used to sample that dessert every place we went. It was getting late, so we gathered up our food so we could enjoy a late dinner on our patio.

Back at the condo, we decide to eat inside because it is a little uncomfortable on our patio as the wonderful breeze was not reaching us. Just as we were ready to sit down, Ellen asked if we brought in the groceries...the milk and stuff. I looked at her in dismay as we started laughing hysterically. We could not stop laughing so we went out to get our goods barely able to stand up straight from laughing so hard. Just as we reached the elevator, I asked if Ellen had the car key. Again, the deerin-the-headlights look. No. That fueled the already out of control laughter. We complete our mission and again head for the elevator when we realized I had left the door key inside the condo. Now we are laughing so hard our 60 year old royal bladders are about to loose control. Ellen went down to get the security guard while I hung over the balcony watching her and yelling down for her to get him to help her with the groceries. They did not hear me, but it made me laugh even more. She was laughing as she pointed me out to the security guard telling him I locked them out. He, at first, mistook her out of control laughing for a sign of a domestic quarrel, but soon put the pieces together. As they exited the elevator, I instructed Ellen to go back down for the groceries and I would wait for the security guard to get a key to let me in. Just as he was unlocking our door, we heard a car alarm go off. He was right on when he said, "That's her." I did not think I could laugh any harder or any longer. Until Ellen got off the elevator. She rode up with a couple and was telling them why she was laughing so hard and was shocked when she found herself on the third floor instead of the second floor. Finally reunited with our out of control laughter, some lady exclaimed that she was glad to see women our age could still laugh like that and that she hopes when she is our age she will be able to laugh that way. That was it. We wanted to bitch slap her but knew whe could not stop laughing long enough to do anything but run inside where we would try to better control our bladders and have our dinner. Shrimp was good, Crab cake awful. Bread pudding unbelievably good. We wanted to share our story, but it was too late to call anyone. All that laughter melted away any residual stress and made us feel 5 pounds lighter. It took us a while to settle down, but we eventually got our royal asses to bed. Here's to tomorrow.

Deerfield Weekend

2011-04-16T20:46:00.000-07:00

My friend Ellen was visiting her sister in Deerfield last weekend and I was invited to join them at the Deerfield farm. I was delighted to make the trip on this picture perfect day. First, I stopped by to see my Mom.

I arrived in Deerfield in time to have a wonderful lunch. I was thrilled to meet my new friend, Darby. I swear this is a perfect dog. I instantly fell in love with her.

Fortified with food and eager to get outside, we put on our walking shoes.

We made our way back down to the house and decided to hang out in the yard for a while.

Dinner time was approaching so we reluctantly went inside to make dinner.

Being outdoors all day followed by a wonderful meal makes you tired in the best way. We were all ready to call it a day.

The March Part of Spring

2011-03-27T07:32:00.001-07:00

The islands don't offer the four seasons, but Virginia sure does. Spring is officially here. That does not mean instant sunshine and warm temperatures. Spring has warm days and cold days, sunny days and dark days, calm days and stormy days. Spring is when Mother Nature gets ready for summer. She has to ease us into it and get our part of the earth ready for all the things that happen in nature during summer. The days get longer, the nights shorter, which is really cool because you can see the moon during the daybreak hour. One of the things that we people do is to have festivals to celebrate what Mother Nature is doing. For instance, syrup runs in the Maple Trees in March allowing people to make maple syrup. This famously happens in the mouontains of Highland County, VA and they have a festiaval to celebrate. I lived there for 2 years some years ago and know first hand how important this 2 weekend festival is to the community. This is the 53rd year of the festival. Mother Nature gave Highland County two beautiful weekends this year so I went to check it out on the second weekend.

Forgive this long blank spot. I have tried 6 times to edit this, but sometimes blogspot.com does not work very well.

My friend Gail lives in West Virginia, just across state line, which is very close to the festival. I needed the fix I get when I visit her. Spring was evident in her yard. The huge weeping willow tree has started to bud with that beautiful spring green and the delicate-looking-but-hardy-first-to-bloom flowers are up.

Rhododendron makes you hold your breath waiting for those blooms to pop. That is Mother Nature getting you ready for the beauty that will unfold all over the mountains.

The outdoor fireplace sits all winter ready as ever.

Gail got our day started by making buckwheat pancakes served, of course, with local Maple Syrup. After beakfast, we headed out for the small town of Monterey to experience the festival. We stopped to say hello to our friend Deb Ellington at her store. The Ginseng Mountain Store is a popular stop on Rt 220, north of Monterey. She and her husband raise cattle and sheep. You have to check out the sheep skins at her store. They are beautiful and have practical applications. You can actually rent the apartment above the store. They live on the farm located just beyond the store. In fact, the farm is for sale. Check it out on their website http://www.ginsengmountain.com/.

We drove to Monterey to look for a parking space in town. That can be challenging even when you live there. Gail found the perfect spot, which will remain our secret. The perfect weather allowed us to leisurely stroll around town checking out the many arts and crafts.

I had not seen Pat in many years so I was happy to see him and meet his wife, Valerie. He has his own sugar house where he makes his syrup. He has built a log cabin on Back Creek that you can rent. Check out his website for more information: http://www.welcometobackcreek.com/index.html

Our find of the day was Daniel Coles' Hudson River Inlay. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful work. There are a couple of mirrors that I would have taken home in a heart beat if I had the money. Each piece contains hundreds of pieces of inlays and many different species of wood. The use of Mother of Pearl unbelievably accents each piece. It is very difficult to photograph this work as the intricate work demands personal inspection to appreciate the resulting beauty of such detailed work. Check out my photo of a close up of the corner of one piece. See what else they do by going to their website...again, the photos do not come close to depicting the beauty in each piece. http://www.hudsonriverinlay.com/

I once owned the Galley of Mountain Secrets in Monterey. Gail and I stopped by to say hello to Rich and Linda. The next day would be the last day for the Gallery as the building has been sold and the Gallery will be closed. Part of my own history will be gone. Nothing is forever.

For information on the annual festival, go to: http://www.highlandcounty.org/maple.htm

There is much to stimulate you at the festival, but it tires you out. Gail and I left, but decided to go for a drive in Gail and Paula fashion. We wanted to catch the views of a particular area while the leaves were off the trees so we drove all the way to the summit...to the top, Baby! The grays of winter are still prevalent, so it was not a good day for photos.

That evening Gail and I attended a party at Ginseng Farm for Ske who turned 60 on the night of the Super Moon. Even that draw did not bring him the big win on the lottery tickets he was gifted. His take was about $15. I think he won big for the night as he was surrounded by people who obviously love the guy.

Gail and I went for another drive on Sunday. We were tired so we did not go far.We stayed on paved roads. I can't remember the name of the place we stopped for lunch. One of the best pizzas I ever had.

I got back home Monday evening to find Spring stuff happening in the yard. The next night it snowed. Mother Nature does that in March. You have to embrace it when it happens.

Trust me, the snow will be gone in a day.

Returning to Virginia

2011-03-06T08:59:00.001-08:00

Christmas Day brought me back home to Virginia in the midst of a snow storm.

It's beautiful out there, but ya gotta know when it is time to come in from the cold.

Gail's Visit to St.Thomas

2011-03-05T20:58:00.000-08:00

Gail dates George's good friend, John. She has known George for several years and has been down to visit several times with John. This time she came alone. It was wonderful having one of my dear friends in St. Thomas. The world looked so beautiful during her visit.

While watching this extraordinary sunset, we noticed something very peculiar coming out of the water. Turns out it was an elderly man with a walker.

I so enjoyed having my friend with me for a week. Nothing like a little girl time.

Sister Cyn Visits St. Thomas

2011-02-22T18:52:00.000-08:00

George brought Cynthia to St. Thomas. She had to work off the trip and did so by doing projects at the house and cleaning the wine room at the restaurant...that was major. I think she may have had moments when she wished she had not come, but she has to be glad now that she did have this experience. It was clear that she would not ever want to live there. It is not for everyone. Here is a reminder that there was some good stuff, too.

Cynthia arrived all happy to be in St. Thomas. You have to stop for the free shot of rum the first time you come here.

Okay, maybe it was two shots. We drove all of 15 minutes to the house. It is always fun to watch someone see for the first time what you see everyday. The house,

The sugar birds and humming birds that hang out in the tree next to the deck (it did not take long for the foliage to return after the recent hurricane had stripped the tree of its leaves).

The views from the house.

The Iguanas that hang out just outside the guestroom,

and the large agave plant.

The cruise boats that silently slide by the house.

Always the sunsets.

George drove Cynthia around the neighborhood to see nearby things we see everyday.

And he treated her to our famous milkshakes at Udder Delight.

George always like to ride over to his property at Magen's Bay...Peterborg.

It was getting dark, but we had to take her to the beach at Magen's Bay. The bugs were bad so we did not stay long, but she did get to go to one of the most beautiful beaches you will ever see.

Back at the house, she saw some of our night time beauty.
Before Cynthia started working off her trip, we went to Jost Van Dyke (BVI) on our friend's boat. Ya gotta like that.

George treated Cynthia and I to a day of swimming with turtles on Drake Island. This is an excursion you sign up for and you leave from the Marriott. Our friend, Captain Mike Coyle, was our host for the day on the Fury. I highly recommend him if you ever visit St. Thomas. He is very funny and he makes this a great adventure. You get a very good lunch on the boat as part of the deal. Never snorkeled? Don't worry, Cpt. Mike makes it easy for you to try and provides all the gear you need. Cynthia got the hang of it and she is afraid of eveything! I don't have too many pictures to offer as we were in the water without a camera swimming with the turtles and fishies. If you go, check him out. Better yet, reserve your space. This is a very popular excursion. http://www.stthomasexcursions.com/tours/listing-fury-sailing-yacht,-swim-with-the-turtles!-3.html.

Cynthia was amazed at the number of Iguana's that await your return hoping you will drop a morsel of food.

Now here is a small world story. Cynthia used to live in Seattle. Her best friend, with whom she still talks regularly, is Cpt. Mike's wife's cousin. Cynthia was thrilled to meet him and even more thrilled when he and Linda came to the restaurant for dinner. Cynthia joined them. It was like she had known them forever. They called the cousin in Seattle.

Linda is the sweetest thing you ever met. She gives a wonderful facial. You can find her at Esthetica in St. Thomas. Check out their website. You can book an appointment or buy a gift certificate for someone you know who is going to be traveling there. http://www.stthomasdayspa.com/.

Water Island is one of the islands you see from our deck and is only 15 minutes away by boat. We took Cynthia over for lunch on the beach. This is the dock where you arrive. You are looking back at St. Thomas.

The first thing you come to is the Post Office/Library. This is island living.

During our travels, we saw boats that were beached during the hurricane that hit in August.

The beach here is small and lovely.

Trees on the beach offer a reprieve from the heat.

This lady sets up on the beach everyday to make lunch for you. Not too bad. Saturdays the beach fills up with tourists brought over on chartered boats.

When you live on the islands you get jaded to the chickens that run wild. Cynthia was amazed by them. She was trying to get pictures of them when these two jumped into a trash can providing her with a great photo op.

Some friends invited us to go out on their boat on Cynthia's last weekend. It was a picture perfect day and so relaxing. We got to do some swimming and snorkeling and some good eating.

One of fun things about boating is seeing things you can only see from the water.

Evenually you get to a place where you want to stop and spend some time. This was a beautiful spot where we swam, snorkeled and ate lunch.
At the end of the day, you travel back toward the sunset. What could be better.

I was grateful for all the work Cynthia did. I am grateful for all the things George made possible for Cynthia during her visit.

St. Thomas - Coming Home after Vacation

2011-02-20T09:37:00.000-08:00

A hurrricane was brewing when we returned to St. Thomas as our August vacation was coming to an end. We went by the house to check on things. The neighbor dog was there to greet us, still walking on three legs.

The plants looked good so we knew Peter made sure things were okay while we were gone.

We opened the hurricane shutters just enough to check out the house. We could not stay long as a hurricane was on the way so we would be sleeping on the floor at the restaurant.

Knowing the birds we feed so faithfully had missed the sugar water for a month, we dutifully filled the feeder to let them know we were back.

The storm arrived as promised. W slept on the floor for two nights at the restaurant. I had never been through a hurricane so it was part exciting, part frightening. The wind pounded away for a couple of days and nights. George and I made preparations to reopen the restaurant...one day later than planned. The first thing on the list was to try to capture all the baby Iguanas. George says every year he has baby Iguanas in the restaurant when he returns from vacation. There must have been 20 of them. The wait staff was still trying to help us capture them right before we opened the doors to our customers. They are kind of cute at this stage and the brightest green.

George's restaurant, Room With A View, is located at Blue Beard's Castle. Once the storm subsided enough to make it safe to walk around outside, I took photos of some of the damage at the hotel. Here is what I found.

George and I went home a couple of days later. The house was fine. The wind had stripped every leaf off of some of the trees next to the house and had ripped large portions of trees away from the main trunk. Realizing we were home, the birds came around for the sugar water. Their normal cover is gone.

It was strange seeing the trees without a leaf. I think the birds were wondering what to do about the lack of cover where they feed everyday.

Some of the birds seemed to be waiting for me to give them guidance.

George and I worked to put the house back in order. We brought the outside things back from the inside.

Time was moving to my favorite part of the day--sunset. Our view looking to Charlotte Amalie was beautiful. You can't help but slow down and breathe.

So George made the world slow down.

And we watched the world go from light to dark. Beautifully.
Thank you George. The vacation was wonderful, but so was coming home.

Paula and George on Vacation Part X

2010-08-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

LAST DAY OF VACATION!!

Lydia joined us on our last day. We drove out to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, which is like a mini Grand Canyon.

I could not resist this sign in the ladies room. It made me think of my Mom and her red pen.

Earth Ship, sustainable buildings using green building designs constructed from cans, botles and tires with mud and cement holding it all together. All solar. Built into the ground.. Electricity comes from the sun and wind; water comes from rain and snow melt; sewage is treated on site in botanical planters; heating and cooling is from the sun and earth. There are about 60 houses in this area.

Lydia thought we would like Arroyo Seco(means dry gulch) located at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. She was right.

We made our way back into Taos where we had dinner at Bent Street Cafe and Deli and dessert at the Dragonfly before taking Lydia back home.

Thanks Lydia. Enjoy your new life. A storm was forming in the mountains, which gave us a rainbow we could watch while we took one last drive through some neighborhoods before returning to the hotel. If you look carefully in the third picture, you can see that a double rainbow was forming.

Aaaah. This is the place for me. This is the place I need to return to someday.

Paula and George on Vacation Part IX

2010-08-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

TAOS, NEW MEXICO - TAOS PUEBLO

Taos Pueblo – home of the Taos Pueblo Indians. Inhabited for over 1,000 years. One of the oldest communities in the United States. We arrived early, paid $10 each to entire the pueblo and $6 to allow me to photograph. Visitors are only allowed to see certain parts of the pueblo, but it was all so interesting. You must have permission to photograph the residents. Some have shops where they sell their craft. It is the only place in our travels that I purchased anything. I was fascinated by what I saw. I offer these photographs.

This was by far my favorite part of our vacation.

ENCHANTED CIRCLE

Leaving the pueblo, we drove the Enchanted Circle. This took us through 2 hours of stunning landscape. It is hard to photograph the largeness of what we saw. The drive took us through the mountains and over 12,000 feet up. DINNER WITH LYDIA
After a long day, we had dinner at Lydia's casita. Check this out...Lydia lived in my apartment complex in Staunton, VA. She read my earlier vacation blog so she knew I was planning on coming to Taos. She had moved there in April! She emailed me her phone number and I contacted her when we got to Taos. This old world gets smaller all the time. It was fun to see how someone really lives and to actually have dinner at someone's house in an actual neighborhood.

Paula and George on Vacation VIII

2010-08-26T09:28:00.001-07:00

TAOS, NEW MEXICO - DRIVING THE HIGH ROAD

We took the High Road from Santa Fe to Taos. I cannot tell you what everything is, but it sure was a beautiful drive.

The Indians have all these casinos in the middle of nowhere. This is the largest one we saw. I think it is called Buffalo Thunder.

The Rio Grande runs along this road for some distance.

I think I am going to like it here.

Paula and George on Vacation Part VII

2010-08-26T00:05:00.000-07:00

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

We arrived in Santa Fe on the last day of the Indian Market. This annual event has been held for the last 64 years and draws abou 100,000 people. I have read about this market for some years and was excited to to attend. For me, there was too much jewelry and it all looked the same, except for a few crafters that really stood out. I could not get into the pottery or the artwork that I saw. I am certain there was some great artwork, but we did not make it to that section...or so I believe. Art is everywhere in Santa Fe. George and I did explore some galleries that gave us more satisfaction than what we were seeing on the street. A couple galleries always advertise in Southwest Art Magazine. I felt like I was on hallowed ground in those galleries while looking at original artwork I had read about. It gave me cold chills.

There were a couple of musicians that we enjoyed.

The Indian Market can be overwhelming due to the volume of art and craftwork. I would have left the streets long before we did, but I was drawn to other attractions.

The architecture fascinated me.

I am always drawn to dogs, and fell in love with this one.

In a crowd like this, people watching is so entertaining. I have never seen so many Indians and Hispanics. I could have kept the going all day, but I did not want to offend nor did I want to make George too uncomfortable. When a man carries your big black purse so you won't be budened by its weight, you do what you can to make him comfortable. I did manage some people photos. Here are some of my favorite.

And my absolute favorite...

The next day, before traveling to Taos, we went to the Georgia O'Keefe Musuem and saw the Miraculous Stairs. No pictures allowed at either.

Now we are off to Taos.

Paula and George on Vacation Part VI

2010-08-25T23:06:00.000-07:00

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

Everyone we spoke to said "Don't bother with Albuquerque, go straight to Santa Fe." That was our plan. But then there was this cute elderly couple volunteering at the Information Desk at the airport who said, "Not so, there is plenty to see here!" After listening to them for what must have been about 30 minutes, we decided to spend the night. We explored the Plaza area starting with San Felipe De Neri, the oldest church in Albuquerque, which has served the community since 1706. Beautiful.

There are lots of shops and galleries to explore. We saw many of them.

We were told to dine at the Church Street Cafe and were not disappointed. The owner sat down at our table to swap restaurant stories with George.

We did not spend a lot of time in Albuquerque, but we can say that we gave it a shot.

But Santa Fe and Taos beckoned, so we got on the road the next morning.

Paula and George on Vacation Part V

2010-08-25T08:10:00.000-07:00

VISITING MY AUNT AND UNCLE IN EASLEY, SC

I visited my aunt and uncle two years ago (see my blog on 11/02/08) and was thrilled to be able to see them again. My aunt prepared a wonderful dinner and invited my cousin and her family to join us.

The visit was short, but we made the best of it. The four of us went for a drive through the countryside. We stopped for lunch at Aunt Sue’s.. We also stopped by to see Maxie, The Bowl Digger, whom I met 2 years ago (see my blog on 11/08/10). She is in her mid 80s and still turning wooden bowls prolifically. She says her mind just keeps spinning with ideas…she cannot stop it. So she keeps making her bowls and sculpting. She is an amazing woman. This is a piece of wood she will be working on soon. A large mushroom was growing on the wood, which makes it an interesting piece and one that offers a challenge.
My aunt and uncle are just as busy as they were two years ago when I saw them. I think they look great. My uncle is still handsome and my aunt is still lovely.
George seemed to connect with my uncle, which made me happy.
My aunt is an artist. There is art everywhere in the house. My uncle designed and built the house himself, with a little help. He also builds airplanes, the kind you take out to a field to fly. Two of them were recently hung from the ceiling in the living room. The ceiling is sky blue with a few clouds. My aunt painted the four seasons around the entire room quite some time ago. All this makes the planes look really cool.. After years of joking about the art world, my uncle has joined the art world with his first stained glass piece. A lot of people are getting a kick out of this new found interest.
This visit was far too short. George and I had a hard time leaving. I wish we could have stayed longer as one night is not enough at a feel good place like this. But, New Mexico was calling.

Paula and George on Vacation Part IV

2010-08-17T07:57:00.000-07:00

We left John's house and traveled to Gail's house. The 4 hour drive took us through some beautiful countryside. She invited some friends over for dinner. It was a perfect evening with a perfect combination of personalities.

The next day, Tuesday, we drove over the mountains to sister Cyn's house. But before I went to her house, I got a new doo.

Cyn's yard is beautiful, she is a great hostess and I got to see the dogs.

George wanted to see Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Want is, so we went.

While visiting with Cyn, we explored the county and ended up at George's friend's house, Andre Viette. He is quite well known for his day lillies. They were not home (wonder if they are in St. Thomas) but we walked around the fabulous gardens.

Next, we drove south to Roanoke, VA where we had a wonderful visit with sister Marsha and her family.

The next morning we started out early for Greenville, SC. We drove the Blue Ridge Parkway for a while in NC and took a detour in Blowing Rock, one of my favorite places. One of my earlier blogs is on this area.

We arrived in Greenville late afternoon and had a wonderful dinner at Soby's with our host and hostess. The next day, we drove back into NC and toured The Biltmore. A must do if you are anywhere near this place. You cannot take pictures inside the house, but you can outside. The gardens are unbeliebable.

Paula and George on Vacation Part III

2010-08-10T04:40:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 9, 2010. George wants to go back down memory lane today by visiting his farm again. The morning starts off slowly as Gail prepares to travel the 4 hours back to her West-By-God home. The sunlight is beautiful this morning so I cannot resist the temptation to get some shots in John's beautiful yard. The first thing I notice is that two of the lawn chairs are covered with butterflies. I don't know what would attract them to the chairs, but there they are in all their glory.

Later in the morning, George and I took off on our road trip. We stopped by Subway for a sandwhich and water to go. As we were leaving, an elderly lady was just arriving and announced to me that "there used to be no place to eat around here and now there are three places". She had never eaten at Subway before, but she watched a man order a sandwhich. She thought she might have the steak sandwhich. I assured her that she would be happy with the sandwhich because she would have plenty of options for adding whatever she wanted. She seemed happy about that. And George seemed happy to see his history again. We covered a lot more of the property on foot than we had a couple of days ago. I saw more beauty in this remote farm that I had before. George pointed out a beautiful spot where he once thought of building another house. It would have been lovely among all the old stands of maple and hickory trees. Lovely. But very remote.

There are a couple of acres that must be set aside for an old cemetery. We walked up to that knoll and then onto the road that leads up to it.

The road is perfect for a mountain bike. George's property lies on both sides of the road, which allowed me to see what is probably some of my favorite parts of the farm.

This road comes out to the gravel road we travel to get to the farm. We took this road for the walk back to the car.

George and I took our sweet time exploring the county.We came upon Upper Mud Lake, which is quite beautifully maintained.

There are lots of places to picnic, or you can take your boat out here, or you can swim, or
you can go fishing.
We got home just in time to quickly shower and walk up to Linda's house for dinner. Her house is fabulous. Her daughter's family lives close by so we were lucky enough to get a tour of that house as well. Amazing what you can do if you want to. We walked home by flashlight so we could rest up for tomorrow.

Paula and George on Vacation Part II

2010-08-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

John's birthday was last week, but we are celebrating tonight (Saturday) by having some friends over. John did a lot of the prep work, George helped, and Gail and I worked as a team doing our thing. The grills were set up, the smoker prepped, tables wipped off and the plastic tablecloths put on the tables in the garage where people will set out their food offerings and drinks. Coolers were readied. Decks cleaned off. All those sittin' places cleaned off. A tent is set up for anyone who might not want to drive home. The weather is picture perfect.

Before you know it, people start arriving. It was a wonderful afternoon/evening/night. We met some wonderful people.

You can be assured in a community like this that you will find some musicians. We were lucky to have these two show up and fill the night with their sound.

Every birthday celebration should end with a little bang.

I believe it was close to 2 AM when the last of us went to bed. The next morning (Sunday) Gail and I started the day by the pond. Our host made sausage gravy and biscuits from scratch. Several neighbors who were here the night before came back to share breakfast with us. I love that.
After breakfast, George and I visited a neighbor. Later, Gail, John, George and I drove to Charleston's Civic Center to see the last performance of Hair. When we got back home, it was sittin' time again.

Paula and George on Vacation - Part I

2010-08-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs some time off. Even when you live in paradise. They call it rock fever. St. Thomas is beautiful, but ya gotta get away every now and then. George owns a wonderful restaurant on St. Thomas called Room With A View. I have been working there since November. The business can make you a little crazy so working in a place that closes for a month is wonderful. RWAV served the last meal of the season on July 24 and I learned what it takes to close a restaurant and a house before leaving during hurricane season. Luckily George's daughter was visiting with her friend so we had a reason to do some fun and relaxing things. Like a couple of days on St. John. Finally, we flew to Charlotte, NC on August 4 (Wednesday) to start our vacation. Thursday we drove from there to Hamlin, West-By-God-Virginia to visit John and Gail. They introduced George and I last year in August, so this visit is rather special. I have never been to John's house. It is quite remote but lovely, quiet, peaceful and emersed in nature. There are a lot of these places tucked in the mountains and hollars in West-By-God. The house suits its environment. It is the kind of place where man can plant things.

Where you can shower outside if you want to.

Where cats can be cats.

Where men can be men.

Where you can just sit a while. There are lots of sittin' places here, inside and out at John's place.

There is a wonderful pond behind the house. John built a wooden walkway from the upstairs bedroom to the pond. Because a man can. The walls of John's house are a wonderfully eclectic browse. You can find almost as many fun things hanging around outside. Some you really have to look for, like the face in the tree.

As good as sittin' is, sometimes you have to get up and go do something. Like go to the PO.

While you are out, you might want to stop and say hello to your neighbors where they work. This is Charlie Ott.

We thought we would also take a drive. George has a farm in West-By-God. He had someone bush hog it a little so we could walk around part of the property. George's farm is even more remote than John's. Remember the long covered wagon ride Laura Ingalls and her family took to find their little house on the prairie and how remote the farm was? Well, that is George's farm. And he must have lived like a pilgrim. I am not making that up. I know for a fact that a lot of hippies started their life out that way back in the day. I don't know that I was ever made of the stuff to enable one to do that. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Charleston, WV to John's place. A lot of the drive is a one lane road. George;s farm is another 40 or so minutes further out than John's. Nearly the entire drive is a one lane road. There used to be a house and several outbuildings on the property. There is not much left to tell you that any kind of life lived there but the remnants of an old tobacco barn and a couple of very small outbuildings. Still the hippie at heart, George would never sell the farm. It is his insurance policy against a world that could turn nasty. It is his go to should he have no place to go to. He has this farm where he could exist far away from the cruel world. It would be rough, but man could.

So, George needed a farm fix and Gail and I wanted to see the place. John drove us 20+ country miles further into the mountains and hollars, which is about 45 minutes from John's house. I mean to tell you this place is tucked away. John and George marveled at the condition of the one lane road. Most of it has now been paved and the dirt part now has a nice layer of gravel.

After a short walk, we approach the gate to the property, which boasts a posted sign with George's name on it. Can a man be any more proud?

This may not look like much to most of you, but this is a guaranteed fresh water supply. Man could survive.

There is a pond that attracts snapping turtles, frogs and dragonflies.

We soon came to what is left of the old tobacco barn where George used to dry the tobacco he grew.

I soon discovered a certain beauty here. Even in the old tobacco barn. It is a fallen down kind of beauty that hides its history in the rubble.

I noticed the beautiful maple trees, black walnut trees, pines, butterflies, mushrooms, moss and ferns.

There is definitely some redeeming quality provided by mother nature in this once upon a time place. While it is too remote, I left with feelings of guardianship. Whether it is your go to place or not, it should be nurtured and protected.Back at John's, we visited with a neighbor and long time friend of John and George. Gail and John prepared a wonderful dinner. Linda joined us at the handmade table that very comfortably seats 8 people. I love it. I love the people. I love the place.

I think I will take my shoes off and sit a spell.

Things I Saw This Week

2010-06-16T04:32:00.000-07:00

I have been up since about 3:00 AM this morning, not feeling well. And now I am glad. Had I not watched the sun come up, I would not have seen this rainbow. A few nights ago, I saw my little friend back on the deck when we came home from work. He did not move as I took photos of him.

We have a Royal Palm tree in the front yard. I did not know they bloom! They actually have this beautiful flower that resembles wheat. It was covered with bees.

I think that is very cool.

Sunday Drive

2010-06-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

I remember Sunday drives as a child. My Mom, my brothers and sisters and I would attend church while Daddy bellied up to the bar at the Southern Saloon. He would pick us up after church, we would go home and have a nice Sunday dinner. Afterward, we would sometimes pile into the station wagon and go for a Sunday drive. In the mountains, of course, because that is where we lived. I remember trees, but not much more. I could not see that much out of the back seat. I do remember that we would sometimes check out the trout at the Alleghany Trout Farm. What I remember most is that I like Sunday drives. I'm not sure why, but the notion of a Sunday drive is comforting to me. Now when I go for a Sunday drive, it is on George's 17 foot Windrider Trimarand. We set out from Jessup Beach where George keeps the boat and we let the wind take us away. First, we get the boat ready...

...then we maneuver among these boats

...and we are off!

The great thing about the Trimarand is that we can beach it when we want to take a swim or snorkel.

This Sunday we met a very interesting couple in the water. We enjoyed hearing their story, which included Jib, their champion poodle. This dog is amazing. Check out their website http://www.jibandsuzicope.com/.

The ride home is always into the sunset. The winds are calm and so are we.

The Sunday drives as a child did not last as long as the Sunday drives I take now. I don't remember ever meeting anyone, and never did I have a sense of peace like I have when we return home. We relax in our slice of heaven and watch others go by on their Sunday drive.

Eric The Bartender's Last Night

2010-06-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

Eric has been the bartender at Room With A View for several months, but he is leaving the island now. He came to see what life would be like here and was open to possibilities. Some change in his life. Maybe a new opportunity. It seems after his short time here, he has been presented with an opportunity that he could not say no to. So, Eric leaves us now to go explore this new possibility. We wish him well. Perhaps we will see him when the next season brings in another new wave of those who come here looking for an experience. Thanks, Eric for the good work you did for us and for being someone we could always count on and trust. We would welcome you should you decide to return.

Eric takes one of his last takeout orders.

Jennifer will be one of Eric's replacements. (How many people will it take to replace Eric?)

Eric gets a little support from his coworkers.

Jennifer gets encouragement from Javier.

Good luck, Jennifer.

April in Virginia

2010-05-31T09:11:00.001-07:00

I love Virginia, especially the Shenandoah Valley. I was happy to go back for a visit. I ws looking forward to seeing lots of people, but only saw a few. Yearly medical exams took up a lot of my time, I spent an 8 hour day taking 2 classes back to back, stayed in bed one day with flu like systems due to an infusion and spent time in the ER with my Mom, getting home at 1:00 AM. Time gets away from us while we do life. Next thing you know, you hven't seen anyone and it is time to go home. I did get to spend lots of time with my Mom, which made it all worth while. My last day was my best. My sister and I put her two dogs in the car and we drove around the county for a few hours. It was glorious.

Tammy took the 2 classes with me. We ate at one of my favorite restaurants in Charlottesville, Fellini's.

I met Cynthia (Mrs. Alaska) for lunch before a medical exam. Just trying to fit something in.

Then there was the drive with sister Cyn and the doggies.

April in Atlanta

2010-05-30T12:11:00.001-07:00

Five months after moving to St. Thomas, I went home for a visit. First, I stopped off in Atlanta to visit my friend Ellen. She is a great hostess and was my driver as we explored some of the area. Ellen and I both enjoy cooking and we are always up for eating. We did some of that.

Sometimes we would take a break from eating and do other things. One day we got lost (literally) in Ikea. The place is huge.

One day we went down on the Chatahoochee River. We say geese...

and fishermen...
and Ellen asked all kinds of questions. She learned from this man that you use regular canned corn, not the cream corn. Looks like she took in every word.

One day we went to the Botanical Gardens. It was a beautiful day and any botanical garden makes for a great walk. They were getting ready to take down the Gardenia display, but we got there in time to see the wonderful display.

We did have some downtime at the house and did some catching up. Then I flew on to Virginia.

Gail, John and friends visit St. Thomas Jan 2010

2010-05-26T16:14:00.000-07:00

You never know what you are going to get when you spend time with people you do not know. Gail and John knew everyone who would come together on this weekend. They were the common denominators going into the week they visited George and I in St. Thomas. Gail and John arrived a couple of days before the others so the four of us were able to spend time together. We had not seen them since they introduced me to George in August. George and John have been friends for many years. Gail and I have been friends for many years. Gail had visited George in St. Thomas with John the last couple of years. I had only met John once so I only knew him through Gail. It was an exciting reunion.

After a few days, the others started arriving. I knew Donna through Gail and had only met Michael a couple of times. I knew none of the others. George did not know anyone else except for John's beautiful daughter. As the others arrived, I quickly surmized that this was going to be a good union of people.

The first night we were all together, we had dinner at Latitude 18, a very casual outdoor restaurant. It was the perfect setting for us all to come together for the first time. There was a live performer...

and an entertaining wait staff. We especially liked the tshirt worn by one of the waitresses.

The gang stayed at Cinnamon Bay a few days and George and I went over to visit during their stay. St. John is beautiful and the beaches are incredible.

Looking back, if felt to me that we had all been friends for a long time. This group was so compatable. What a wonderful gift to have all of this come into one's life.

Gail and John stayed a couple of days after everyone else left. We had lunch in French Town and dinner at Room With A View. We celebrated Gail's birthday. Her birthday also marks the time we met...I crashed her 40th birthday party. I learned to love her by the end of the evening and she became one of my best friends. And now she and John brought their friends to visit. They were the common denominator. They represeented the attribute common to the rest of the group. The attribute of friendship among people who truly like one another. Need proof? Look at my face.

Ellen Visits St. Thomas May 2010

2010-05-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

Ellen and I usually spend my birthday together and we always try to do something very special (I loved the hotair balloon ride over Charlottesville, VA). This year, Ellen came to St. Thomas for my birthweek. Soon after she arrived on Sunday, May 16, we went for a swim at beautiful Magen’s Bay. What a wonderful world that allows you to get off a plane and a couple of hours later be swimming in the Caribbean. Later that evening, we had dinner at The Grille at Mahogany Run.

Tuesday, Ellen and I walked around downtown Charlotte Amalie, toured the Amber Museum at Hotel 1829 where I bought a fabulous pair of Caribbean Green Amber earrings (this Amber is thought to be about 20 million years old and is only found in the Caribbean) and then we had lunch at Gladys’ Café.. The music was great. We sang and Gladys sang along. Gladys sings better than we sing. The café is located in one of the attractive alleys with stone walled buildings.

Later we took a drive to show Ellen where George has his sailboat...Vessup Beach.

Wednesday, we went to St. John for the day. Thanks to Laurance Rockefeller, about half of this island , which is less than 20 square miles in area, became a National Park. It has some of the most beautiful beaches you will ever see. George and I sail there on Sundays and usually swim off of Solomon's Bay. Today we will swim at Cinnamon Bay.

Elaine Estern is a watercolorist living on Frank Bay, St. John. We traveled down a road on St. John, not sure of where it would lead. It took us to Coconut Coast Studio on Frank Bay where the works of watercolorist Elaine Estern hang. A fun stop, full of surprises, where Ellen purchased a print of one of the chocolate labs in a hammock. The setting was fabulous.

This is where the artist paints. I was practically salivating thinking of my being able to sit in such a spot and paint all day. Lucky her.

We needed something to drink before heading to the beach at Cinnamon Bay.

Ellen settled for a beer and a seat out of the rain...just a little shower. Strangers don't bother her.

Then we headed for the beach.

Afterward we had a bite to eat at a small barbeque place in Cruz Bay where you watch the cook prepare your BBQ chicken or ribs on a grille. Delicious.

My birthday fell on Thursday. Ellen and I enjoyed a quiet day reading and napping on the deck with warm Caribbean winds keeping us comfortable.

That evening, we had dinner at The Old Stone Farmhouse. Friday was the ultimate day. We boarded the Bimini at 7:30 AM for the best day of the week. We would stop at Virgin Gorda, Norman Island and Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands. Virgin Gorda is a small island, about 8 square miles. Our guides took us on a hike through granite formations to arrive at what is known as The Baths. Unbelievably beautiful.

We left The Baths to boat over to Norman Island. It is also known as Treasure Island because of a chest of coins hidden by a pirate and later dug up by people from Tortolla. We did not see any booty, but we did see some beautiful fish while snorkelng .

We then were taken to White Bay on Jost Vany Dyke. George and I have been there several times and were happy to go again. The Soggy Dollar Bar is located here. It is said to be the birthplace of the popular drink known as the Painkiller.. The Soggy Dollar bar was named because of the difficulty of navigating one's boat over the coral reef to reach the beach where the bar is located. It is common for boaters to anchor beyond the reef, swim to the beach, and pay for their drinks with wet money. Kenny Chesney’s video for his hit song No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem was filmed on and around Jost Van Dyke. He also has a home on St. John.

When returning to the US Virgin Islands, you are required to check in at the Customs office on St. John, passport in hand, to declare anything you may have purchased in BVI.

What a wonderful day. We got back home feeling great and we were a bit browner/redder than when we left that morning.

We hurried off to the restaurant to work after we got back home. Ellen helped me at the hostess stand each night and I think she had a good time doing that. Javier is one of our best waiters....

Eric is our bartender.

Hope you had a good visit Melon. I enjoyed our time together and I had a great birthweek. Thank you George.

Jake and Nina visit St Thomas January 2010

2010-05-13T17:21:00.000-07:00

Jake and Nina have known George a very long time. I met them in January when they came to visit and felt like I had known them a long time by the end of their visit. They are wonderful people. My favorite day during their visit was the day that we joined them on St. John.

We went "beach hopping" so I got to see some incredible beaches. The water in the Caribbean is always good. While at Salt Pond Beach, we hiked over to Drunk Bay. What a hoot. This is not a swimming beach, but once there, you have a hard time leaving. The ruggedness is so beautiful and the "rock artwork" is hilariously fun. First, you have to hike down to Salt Pond.

We were entertained by Mother Nature on the hike down to the beach...like Hermit Crabs.

This is Salt Pond Beach where we started our hike out to Drunk Bay.
The hike to Drunk Bay is an easy hike past cacti and interesting foliage...and a salt pond.

We caught a beautiful sunset on the hike back to Salt Pond Beach. By the way, the body of water you see here is a salt pond. You can actually scoop up sea salt on the edge of the pond to take home for your kitchen.

While on St. John, we also went to Skinny Legs for a bite to eat. There is also a gift shop there. The bathroom has very clear instructions for flushing...#1, no flush, #2 flush. True to island life.

Recycling is good. For instance, use beer containers to hold condiments.

Always drink a Bush Wacker when you can.

And drink them with friends.

Especially friends who like each other.

I mentioned that we visited other beaches on this day. We also got up close and personal with some of the wildlife...like the donkeys that run wild on island. Don't get too close.

Back on St. Thomas, we went to see George's property on Magen's Bay. It was overcast and showers cooled us off. Still beautiful. This shot is standing on the property looking back toward the opposite hillside.

We also visited a few restaurants and bars with Nina and Jake.

We saw fabulous sunsets from the deck every night. Mother Nature was good to us. And we got to sample that good stuff with two very wonderful people. Good things come to you in life. I count Jake and Nina among some of the best of those good things.

My New Backyard

2010-05-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

Island life is vastly different from life in the Shenandoah Valley. I shared pictures of scenes from my backyard in the Valley with you. Here are some photos from my new backyard in St. Thomas. These are Sugar Birds. We must have 50 of them feeding from our hummingbird feeder. They feed all day long.

The hummiingbirds share the feeder. Bernadine makes desserts at George's restaurant. She also makes the hummingbird food for our feeder.

This is a hawk looking for my little birdies.

This little tree frog greets me when I come home at night. He perches on top of the electrical box to catch the bugs that are attracted by the light above the box.

There is always something to watch from the deck.

Charlotte Amalie in the distance on a rainy afternoon.

Look closely for the baby Iquana.

There are so many beautiful sunsets to be seen from our deck.

I love the mountains, but this is a beautiful place to land.

This is a flower arrangement made from flowers in our yard.

I really like all the little lizards. I talk to them in the morning. They actually turn their head up to look at me while I am talking to them.

This is an Agave plant. It is quite large. Once it blooms, it will die and send out a shoot for the next plant. It takes years to complete the cycle.

I will keep you abreast of things that happen from this spot. I already have hundreds of photos!

Leaving Virginia Part III

2010-05-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

Mom's birthday attracted a lot of people from all over the country. My farewell benefited since I was able to see so many people during the days before my departure. How lucky am I.

...and then there is my sweet Sammie. I love that little doggie. Off I go.

Leaving Virginia - Part II

2010-05-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

My Mom turned 85 on November 21, 2010 so we gave her a birthday party. Relatives and old neighbors came to wish Mom happy birthday. It had been a few years since Mom had seen some people. She said it was the best day of her life. That made it one of my best days.

Mom and her siblings.

Mom's children.

Mom's grandchilden.

Neighbors Jess and Eileen.

Mom's nieces, Sandra and Theresa.

Thanks to Boston Beanery for letting us take over half the restaurant for the afternoon. It was the perfect place and location for a family get-together. Happy Birthday Mom. We all love you.

Leaving Virginia Part I

2010-05-02T11:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you have to get up and go. I wasn’t dissatisfied with my life. Quite the contrary; I was settled. I was happy in my apartment and enjoyed life outside my kitchen window. I was content with the peace that, for me, comes with being alone. The Shenandoah Valley gave me constant beauty to feed my soul and gave me a playground for my photography. I did not have a dog to love, but there were plenty of dogs for me to care for while their owners were away. And I was the sister on the go, always looking for the next road trip or life event to write about. Life was good, very good. I worked hard to get to that point and was happy in the world I had created for myself. Then I met George in August, visited him in St. Thomas in October and moved to St. Thomas in November. .

Sister on the go got up and went south. First, I said goodbye to my little world at Manchester Townhouse Apartments. That was tough. That space was all me; it was small, but it was all I needed and gave me comfort. I had all the control there. But I packed up everything and put my belongings in storage.

Next, I said goodbye to my job and my fellow employees. They were my daytime family and I enjoyed their contribution to my daytime life five days a week.

There are some really great cooks among my coworkers. My leaving gave us another reason to bring in some great dishes.

Saying goodbye to my daytime family was the easy part. Next came the family.

Meeting George

2009-08-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

The evening of August 15, I left my family poolside and drove an hour and a half to Gail's house. I love this lady and had not seen her in a while. She and I had that evening and all the next day to catch up before John and George arrived a little after 8:00 PM. Gail was excited to show George her home. I was looking forward to getting to know John and to meeting George.

Gail's home is a wonderful place to hang out. That includes her yard.

Gail made a wonderful dinner the night John

and George arrived.

Earlier that day, we went in search of dill....

Later Gail set the mood for the evening.

I am nothing if not the ambience queen. She did it right.

The next morning we set out for a tour of Pendleton

and Pocahontas counties, including Snow Shoe.

I had such a great weekend. Did the thing with

the family. Loved that.

Got to spend time with three people who are very fond of one another.

Very cool.

Got to know John better. Happy about that.

Got to spend lots of time with Gail.

That always makes me happy.

And I met George. For that I am grateful. Life is good.

Family Time

2009-08-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

August 15 was our summer family get-together. We had a great time, but I did not get many photos as I was in the pool most of the afternoon.

Dear Family, here is what little I have to offer. Please send me your photos. Love ya, p

Humpback Rocks

2009-08-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

Humpback Rocks was on my list of things to do this summer. Cynthia and Norm took the climb

with me. Humpback Rocks is at milepost 5.8 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The approximately 40 minute climb rewards you with a stunning view. The rock outcrop was a landmark guiding wagon trains over Howardsville Turnpike in the 1840s. I'm going to let the pictures do all the talking. Keep in mind, the photos do not do justice....

After the climb down, we drove over an hour to Timmy and Sara's to top off the day poolside.

Riding Hawksbill Greenway Trail in Luray VA

2009-08-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

Sister Cyn and I decided to pack up the bikes and try out the Hawksbill Trail in Luray, VA. This is a fairly new paved trail for walking and biking. The trail is located in downtown Luray. This easy trail meanders along the trail, which is named for the tallest mountain in the Shenandoah Virginia National Park, Hawksbill Mountain...elevation 4,050 feet.

This is the road that goes through town. The trail goes under this bridge.

The benches in this area a dedicated. Live music is held here during the summer. This is next to the bridge by the trail.

If you want nice and easy, this is your ride. Right, Cyn?