Lazy Weekend

Greetings from The (Holiday Weekend) Hill,

I have not missed the purpose of this weekend.  My Daddy was a Navy vet and remembering those who are gone, in the line of service or not, is why we have this holiday.

The weekend began spending time with my Mom.  I love hanging out with her.  I took her to the beauty shop to get a perm.  While there I happened to meet the daughter of a friend of mine.  She and I had never met before and it was a delight getting to know her.  She talked about her "Poppy" tattoo and told me all about him and how special he was to her.  She told me how awesome her Mom and Daddy are.  Turns out her Mom and I have some things in common.  She is a thrift store shopper.

Saturday evening the photographer brought over the proofs of our photo shoot.  There was not a bad pic in the bunch.  Here are a few of my favs.

My beloved better half.

DD and I

DS and Ran behind the home place chicken coop

The two of us

Sunday after church I was so lazy.  All I did was take a nap and visit with DS who came over to do laundry.

Today Ran and I plan to go thrift store shopping (if they are open).  Once the living room began to take shape I realized I need a foot stool.  I want one that is fabric so the cat can't harm it.  It would be nice if it had dark wooden legs.  I don't care about the shape but it needs to be fairly small.  And so the adventure begins.

Hope you have a wonderful holiday.  Be safe and if you know and love a vet tell them you love them and you are glad they are here and say Thank you for all they went through.

Later...

Thrift Store Treasure

Greetings from The (thrifty) Hill,

The day we brought our new living room set home I knew the table in the kitchen (behind the love seat) had to go.  Suddenly it took up too much room and was the place everything was dropped on so it was always cluttered.  The solution was to get rid of the table and find a sideboard.  And so, the search began.

First stop was to search Google images to find out what my preference was.  Found out I wanted simple lines with a touch of architectural detail, light wood and plenty of storage. 

 

So with this information in hand the foot (and finger) work began.  Craig's list and EBay were first.   There was some sweet stuff out there but not at a price I was willing to pay.  Then I began my search at every local store in Jasper.  Antique stores, flea markets, thrift stores, and yard sales.  Jasper is blessed with several thrift stores and I began visiting literally every day.  I knew that one day the right piece would be just around a corner.  I had also opened the search to include bedroom dressers that might fill the bill.

Yesterday I was back at the thrift store looking once again.  Stuff arrives daily and the right piece could show up at any time.  And then, there it was.

 It met my criteria perfectly.  It was indeed a dresser that was the exact size and shape I needed.  The best part????  Only $25.00.  Don't we love thrift stores???

Yep, dresser turned sideboard.  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  The table was moved to the back porch.  I will show you that project later.  The table that WAS on the porch is getting taken to the thrift store and the cycle continues.

Looking forward to reading about your thrift store, yard sale finds.

Later...

Unwelcome visitor

Greetings from The (bear infested) Hill,

Every Spring and Fall we are visited by the local bears who are either waking up and hungry or getting ready to bed down and hungry. 

Our poor screens can't stand up to a curious visitor.  Looks like we need to put metal grid all around, not just on the bottom of the door.

Later.....

Family Photo Shoot

Greetings from The (photogenic) Hill,

We celebrated my sister's birthday yesterday.  I gave her a photo shoot and included the whole family.  We had a party at Mom's then the photographer arrived and the fun began.  Kyle, the photographer, had to sing Amazing Grace to get folks to laugh.  It was a hoot.  Mom did great but got tired of smiling after being in group photos with all of us. 

Randy followed Kyle and took pics on his own. 

This is a shot of our kids.  Kyle actually shot them doing some fake ninja moves.  Ben hung upside down from a tree and "fought" Birdie.  It was great.  Those two took some great shots together. 

This is a shot of Ran shooting Kyle shooting Ben.  We took our family pics at Grandmother's & Grandad's old homeplace.  It had so much character and was a great place to shoot.  The building you see here was Grandad's wood working shop. 

It was a fun day for everyone and Sis said it was a great present for her. 

Later...

Last Day on Earth. Let's Go!!!!!

Inspired by others I decided to think about what I wouldn't do if the world were to end tomorrow.  Here is my list.

1.  I wouldn't have to tell folks close to me I love them, they know.  I tell them every time I see them.

2.  I wouldn't go to work.  Did I even need to say that one???

3.  I wouldn't have to watch Weight Watchers points.  YAY - I'd start with Dutch Monkey Doughnuts, eat massive quantities of pasta and end with 5 kinds of dessert - lemon bars, ice cream, cobbler (any flavor except cherry), that green jello, whipped topping stuff we have at Thanksgiving and since it will be my last day on earth and migraines are not an issue, tons and tons of chocolate!!!

4.  I wouldn't spend time on the computer.  I doubt others would either.

5.  I wouldn't be afraid of heights anymore.  If I fall, it's just a day early.  So I'd go zip lining through the treetops.

6.  I wouldn't wash dishes or do housework.

7.  I wouldn't pick the car up from the shop.  What's the point of wasting that money.  I'd take the money and go shopping.  Of course I wouldn't be able to use anything I bought but it'll be fun to buy whatever I want!!

8.  I wouldn't keep the cat inside.  If it's his last day too he needs to spend it outside in the grass and exploring the woods.

9.  I wouldn't spend one minute away from my husband.  He would make my last day fun.

10.  Oops I wouldn't be able to do #3, #5 or #7.  I'm sure folks who run restaurants, stores and entertainment would be taking the day off too.  They'll have their own "What I'll do on my last day" list as well.

So what WILL I do?  Get together with my family and spend all day talking, laughing and eating.  What a better way to spend my last day?  And when Jesus comes we'll all be together to meet Daddy, brother, sister and grandparents.  Looking forward to it, are you ready?????  LET'S GO!!!!!!!

Spring/Summer On The Hill

Greetings from The (Spring/Summer) Hill,

Dog pen is behind that tree straight ahead

Just as seasons change on The Hill my background needs to change on the Blog.  Right now The Hill is green, green, green.  There are not a lot of flowers yet but the trees are in full leaf.  We are still in that place where the weather is hot one day and cool the next.  Today is cold and windy.

I have planted sunflowers on two sides of the (unused) dog pen.  When (if) they grow they will camouflage the pen.

Miss Biscuit

The pen was intended for Biscuit who is such a sweet dog that she stays on the porch unless one of us goes walking.









I also planted some shade wildflowers all around the property.  Some in the dog pen, some beside the driveway and some randomly around the woods.  I thought about Daddy the whole time.  He was always busy planting in the spring, just like my brother does. 

With spring also comes visits from the newly awake bears.  One has already visited to see if he/she can find food.  DH poured Clorox in the trash can.  Bears have a keen sense of smell and Clorox doesn't smell good so they pass by.

Touches of Spring

 Greetings from The Hill,

When I read the book written about Dave Thomas of Wendy's there was one concept that has stayed with me ever since.  Dave wanted his restaurants to look clean and was a firm believer in a coat of paint to spruce things up.

I typically do a little redecorating every Spring and Fall just to spruce things up.  Sometimes it's something small like adding new pillows or place mats and sometimes it's big involving repainting and purchasing additional pieces of furniture and accessories.

This spring I've done everything but paint.  We purchased new living room furniture so that meant we had to rearrange our room entirely.  I like the new arrangement.  I've always heard decorators say that a small room can carry big pieces.  The furniture we chose proves that true.  It is so much bigger than our other couches yet it feels we have more space than before.




Then today I visited our local discount (read "dollar") store for a box of Swiffer sheets and came home with tons of new things that make the house more welcoming for spring.  I bought a new welcome mat for the front door and a scatter rug for the living room but most of the items I purchased were for the kitchen.

This season I am drawn to a green, pear and orange theme.  This little shot glass was my inspiration.

(Yes, I know these are lemons)

So while I was at the store I found this kitchen towel.  Pear, green and orange.  Something about that color combination just grabbed me.  So I went looking further.

Then I found this rug.

Next was a new table cloth for the snack table.

And finally I changed out the place mats on the table.




















It's a little matchy, matchy than I usually do but I like it and that's all that matters.  And there you have it.  My new color scheme for spring.

Later...

Back to the Knoll

Greetings from the (post vacation) Knoll,

Thought I'd pop back here and begin journaling again. Or at least try to.  We spent last week in Savannah.  Highlights were getting to see our nephew Michael and his family.  We also went to Tybee and walked the beach all morning.  It was so wonderful to visit the ocean again.   And once again I was struck by the vastness and power of it. 

That's Ran walking in the distance.

And of course we had some fab eats.  I had contacted food critic Tim Rutherford who gave me a list of less touristy places to go.  Wiley's Championship BBQ was a fav.

Wiley's Championship BBQ

At Wiley's I had the brisket.  My side of Janet's sweet potato casserole was almost as good a mom makes.  They also let us go out back and see the cookers.

John telling us how they cook the meat.

We also ate at Cha Bella, a farm to table restaurant.  Oh my, the food was so fantastic. My app was North Carolina Scallops served with  melted leeks, topped with Provencal sauce.  For my entree I chose Bone-In White Marble Farms Pork Chop,Pan-seared with fresh herbs, roasted local sweet potatoes, Walker Farms wilted garlic spinach and an apple onion chutney.  I have to tell you the chutney was heaven.  Wish I could have taken a jar of that home.  I Googled and found a recipe online.  I will definitely try it.

On our own we also ate at a touristy place, The Crab Shack.

Resident cat welcoming committee.  Scratch the belly and be seated.

View from our table.

The Menu

My dungeness crab

The Crab Shack

The service was great, there was a nice breeze blowing and the crab was excellent.  What more could you ask for from a coastal restaurant.

Did we go on River Street?  Of course we did.  Did we drive around the city looking at the beautiful architecture?  Of course we did.  Did we buy sweets at several places??? Yes we did.  I'm a sucker for sweets.  We had cookies from Two Smart Cookies, pralines and other assorted chocolates from 2 candy stores on River Street and we visited the Byrd Cookie Company.  Gotta try the Benne Wafers.  Yum!

It was a great vacation and I'm ready to go back to visit the places we missed this time.  Ah well.  You always need something to look forward to.

Later...

I've been so busy with the new food blog I feel that I have neglected my diary blog.  It's been a good week.  I got to spend some fun time with Aunt Cindy shopping in Cumming.  We went to this store called Charming Charlie's.  It is unusual because the items - clothes, jewelry, handbags, shoes, etc, - are arranged by color.  It was so fun to browse around the different color palettes.





The weather has been beautiful this week.  I haven't even worn a coat.  Right now the sun is shining and the sky is a beautiful shade of light blue.

At Christmas Ben gave me a gift certificate to Barnes & Nobel.  I looked online and found a wonderful bamboo lap desk.  It arrived today and I have my computer sitting on it even as we speak.  I also ordered a tiny travel mouse.  I was getting a little tired of using the pad on the computer.  And I am writing more and more lately so it is important to be comfortable.

I have a food story to tell.  I love to watch Andrew Zimmern on Bizarre Foods.  He'll try any food once, the grosser the better.  This morning he ate some squirming octopus tentacles.  He said he loved the way they wiggled around in his mouth.  Yuck.  I was telling Mom the story and then told her about the tongue I plan to order when Randy and I go to dinner Saturday night.  She proceeded to tell me she had eaten pig tongue before.  Grandmother boiled the offal parts of the pig, tongue, ears, feet, etc. with herbs and spices then formed it into a loaf.  When cool they cut it into slices and made sandwiches from it.  Mom called it Souse.  I Googled souse and learned that what they made was more like head cheese.  Souse is pickled.  Head cheese is not.  Anyway that was the new thing I learned today.  My mom has eaten tongue.

Deborah Ridings, my dear friend, co-worker and cousin, is at the hospital today waiting on her soon to be daughter-in-law to give birth to Deb's third grandchild.  THREE !!  The woman has THREE!!  And I don't have one yet. I'll be an old woman by the time I have grandchildren.  That's ok though, I don't want to rush the kids.

I'm really loving writing again.  It's as if the new meds woke me up from a long, long sleep.  It feels good.  I may not be the best writer in town but it makes me happy to do it.  And life is too short not to do the things that make you happy and content. 

Later...

Check it out

New blog post up on "Fooding Around the South"

Here a Herb, There a Herb, Everywhere a Little Herb

All the little herbs

Greetings from The (growing) Hill,

My sister has a herb garden.  From time to time I've borrowed some fresh herbs and of course they can't be beat.  I also buy fresh herbs at the grocery but so often they go bad before I use them up.  Very frustrating.

The other day I saw a little herb garden kit.  Of course it was an exercise in hope as we all know I have a black thumb.  But I guess I'll never stop trying to grow things.

So with the utmost care I read the directions, planted the seeds, watered as instructed and watched the dirt for little heads popping out.  Sure enough in a few days I started to see sprouts.  YAY !!!!!

I moved the pot near the window and up they came.  Every morning I sprinkle warm water over them.  I have to rotate the pot because they lean toward the sun.

Today I took a picture. The new plants look like little trees pushing up from the forest floor.  I'm a proud mama.  I'll let you know when they are ready to use.

Later ...

Visit my new Blog

I have started a new blog as a spin off of my last post here.  "Fooding Around the South" was created to journal my adventures in Fooding.  Here's the link if you want to visit.  And I hope you do.  http://foodingaroundthesouth.blogspot.com/

Later ...

Eureka I’m not a Foodie …

Greetings from The (excited) Hill,

I often ponder on things and the past couple of days I have been pondering if I am a Foodie or not.  My claim is that I am a “Foodie wanna be”  however as I learned more I realized that doesn’t describe me at all.

The first thing I did was  look up the definition in, where else, Wikipedia.  This is what I found:

Foodies are a distinct hobbyist group. Typical foodie interests and activities include the food industry, wineries and wine tasting, breweries and beer sampling, food science, following restaurant openings and closings,  food distribution, food fads, health and nutrition and restaurant management.  A foodie might develop a particular interest in a specific item, such as the best egg cream or burrito.

I really didn’t see myself anywhere in there.  So I went to another source,  Heather Irwin’s blog “Metroactive Dining” http://bit.ly/hNWybh .  Here’s what she says:

“Let's get one thing incredibly straight here: anyone who talks about food for a paycheck is a foodie…”   “…Here's a definition from Foodie.com that I've come to associate with the true neo-foodie: "The foodie lives to eat, and eating to live is definitive boredom. A true foodie clings to all things culinary. . . . To find the perfect cheese or the best macaroon recipe is life's work." 

“Foodies of the true calling …are true eaters who have a passion for food. …they tend to carry around mental lists of the best places to find not just foie gras, but pork skins, Spanish cheese and tikka masala. They know where to find fish roe at 8am. They tend to congregate and talk a lot about food--yes, maybe sometimes to a fault.”

I didn’t see myself there either.  So what am I?

Right now I am so into the show “Bizarre Foods  with Andrew Zimmern”.  I tape each episode and love to watch him eat all that crazy stuff I’d never even think of going near.  But that’s not the only reason I watch.  Andrew is great about sharing the culture and people of the places he visits.  He immerses himself in a place and takes you with him. I’ve learned so much from him.

Today, I learned that I am not a Foodie.  Here is what I discovered.

Andrew was visiting Paris so naturally he took us to a fine dining restaurant where the $1,000.00 meal of pressed duck was prepared tableside. But then he visited the leader of a food revolution in Paris, food writer, Alexander Cammas.  Alexander has coined the term “Fooding”.   In his words  “(Fooding is a) spirit way of eating.”  When you visit a restaurant and go out ask yourself one thing, “Do you want to go back?”

Andrew went on to say “That may sound obvious but here in Paris it’s a radical idea that great food is the only thing you need for a great restaurant.  The Fooding revolution means world class food served in everyday settings at prices ordinary people can still afford.  And there are bonus points for doing great things with the most ordinary ingredients.” 

In an effort to conclude my research I Googled the term Fooding.  There's not much there that isn't French.  Go here to see what Wikipedia had to say  http://bit.ly/hedNtU.

So the word fooding is really a contraction of the words "food" and "feeling".

Eureka, that’s me, I go Fooding !!!!!!  I search out world class food in everyday settings with prices ordinary people can afford.  My adventures are not only about the food but about the feeling, the setting, the company.

I am going to brazenly steal the term Alexander coined, giving him the utmost credit and respect of course.  Going Fooding has always been what I do I just didn’t know the word to put to it.  And who knew I was a member of a food revolution.  So henceforth when you hear the term Fooding used in America you will know it all began on The Hill at Dandelion Knoll right here and now.

I’m looking forward to an upcoming Girls Night Out with my peeps.  I already have a local restaurant in mind where I know the food is fresh, some of it unique and always delicious.

Later …

Milestone

Greetings from The (hungry) Hill,

When doc put me on my new meds there were a couple of side effects.  First, and most annoying, the meds made me sleepy so I had to cut the dose in half to even function.

The second side effect decreased my appetite. I just really never got hungry. 

While the side effects began immediately the benefits of the meds did not.  It took about 3 weeks or so for the migraines to decrease and the anti-depressant effects to kick in.  Once that happened, I began to feel much better.  I felt happier, more content, more creative, really like my old self - the one that has been missing for years.  However I still didn't have an appetite, until yesterday that is.

Something weird kicked in yesterday and I was actually hungry.  I ate a decent breakfast and lunch like I usually do.  For a while now once I get home I'm just not hungry for supper.  But yesterday I couldn't get enough to eat.  I just piled it in.  It felt so good!!  Of course if I keep this pace up I'll have to come out of Weight Watcher's maintenance and go back to watching my points.  But that's OK.

Not sure how long this will last.  Not even sure I'll be hungry today.  We'll see. In the meantime - bon appétit.

Later ...

My Bucket List

I crossed something off my bucket list today.  I had my first mimosa.  Tick - that one's gone.

Of course you are now wondering what other things I have crossed off my bucket list.  Here is a partial list:

Get saved and baptized.
Marry the man of my dreams.
Have a baby, two actually.
Take piano lessons. 
Fly in an airplane.
Visit Las Vegas.  (Didn't like it too well)
Make a difference in my community.
Write a song that makes someone cry.
Win a poetry writing contest.
Design our house.

Of course there's more I just can't think of them right now.

What is still on my list?

Hold my grandbaby.
Travel in a camper with Ran when we retire.
Get published.
Retire with enough money to be comfortable.
Visit Tuscany.
Visit Scotland.
Be personal friends with a celebrity.(Could be my daughter one day.)


The wonderful thing about bucket lists is that if you enjoy life the list is never finished.  It just keeps growing and growing.

Later...

Back in Saddle

Greetings from The (rainy, wet) Hill,

I am not extremely talented at it but I love to write.  However for the last several years I haven't really written much of anything.  I even fell behind on journaling. Seems I just couldn't take pen to paper (or hands to keyboard).

Well, it appears the drought is over.  Maybe it's the new meds doc put me on.  Seems the right side of my brain woke up and said "Wow, I sure have been asleep for a long time." 

As you can see I've been posting regularly to this blog.  I've also been participating more on Facebook and, if you look to your right you'll see, I even got that Twitter account I said I'd never get. My triangle is a little off now because I spend so much time at this computer writing.  But it's a good thing and feels very satisfying. 

Twitter has actually been more useful than I expected.  I found a guy who posted a link to an article that has helped my attempts at writing dialog.  I love to write short essays but because I'm not good at it I never include dialog.  This article had several tips on originality - how to write a unique story.  One of the sections dealt specifically with writing dialog.

I decided to give it another try.  I'm now working on a fictionalized account of one of my favorite stories about Daddy.  I only know the bare facts of the store as told by him so I'm having to fill in the rest on my own.  It is nowhere near done yet but I will share it when I feel it's ready.

In the meantime, I'm back in the saddle writing again and, for better or worse, it feels so good.

Later...

The Triangle

Greetings from The Hill,

When our son graduated from college he got a good job and moved into his first solo apartment.  We visited often and were so proud of him.  One day he called and wanted me to come over to help him with his finances.  He was worried about how he was handling things.

When we sat down to look things over he told me that he thought of his life as a triangle, the points consisting of work, personal finances and relationships.  He said if finances and work were going good, relationships suffered.  If he had a good relationship going, work or finances suffered.  Seemed he could never balance all three points of the triangle at any given time. 

This week I stared thinking about my triangle.  The points on mine are housework, computer/TV time and Ran time.  As I pondered my triangle I started thinking about what might be the triangle of other members of my family.  Of course I'm just guessing but my daughter's triangle might consist of photography, her other arts pursuits and her dog, Biscuit.  Ran's might consist of flying model airplanes, work and keeping the house and cars maintained. Actually he might have a square with the 4th point being me time.  My sister's might be controlling her fibromyalgia pain, caring for Mom and helping her son with his life skills.

What does your triangle look like and is it balanced today?

Later....

Rain in Georgia

Greetings from The Hill,

It rained today and it got me thinking about other times it rained.  It rained the day they buried Daddy.  That made me feel good because I heard somewhere once that the angels cry with joy when a good person dies.  Therefore I am always comforted when it rains when someone I know dies.

When I was young I helped my parents work in the garden.  One time a storm came up.  There was thunder and lightening and it was sprinkling rain.  Mom was in the garden gathering something and wanted to get it done before the hard rain came.  I was so scared.  I just knew she was going to get hit by lightening.  Of course she didn't. 

There was a big tree on the hill above our house.  When a storm came up Mom was always afraid the tree would fall. We would go to the other side of the house and lay down on the bed until the storm was over.  Can't count how many times we did that during my childhood.

It also rained on our wedding day.  Actually it was a downpour.  We were married in the sanctuary of the church but folks had to go outside, up some stairs and across the road to the fellowship hall where we had our reception.  Folks were running and sharing umbrellas, it was a site.  Somewhere along the way I heard that it is good luck if it rains on your wedding day.  I don't know about luck but we have been together over 28 years.

Then when we built our house Ran wanted a metal roof.  Of course I was all for it.  I liked the look and the durability.  The very night we moved in it rained and we discovered the joys of rain on a metal roof.  It lulled our son to sleep for years.  And when it comes a hard rain it is so loud it roars.  You can't get that with shingles.

Later ...

Kidnapped to Anderson, SC

Greetings from The Hill,

My Sweetie works hard for a living.  So this weekend I decided to do something out of the ordinary for him.  Thursday I told him to pack an overnight bag because we were leaving for an adventure on Saturday and I didn't tell him anything about the plans. In the meantime I went to work laying out my plans for the weekend.

I found a place to stay.  I chose a place to have lunch and dinner.  I learned there were lots of antique stores on main street and then found out there was a large flea market nearby.  Plans done.  But we all know what happens to the best laid plans....

We left Saturday morning right on time and had a lovely drive up.  Fortunately Mother Nature decided to bless us with a sunny, warm weekend.  We arrived in downtown right at lunchtime and found the restaurant I had chosen only to learn that they don't serve lunch on Saturday.  WHAT !??!!?!!!  Disappointment No. 1.  OK plan B - we walked up the street to a restaurant called J Peters Grill and Bar.

While this wasn't a fine dining experience turns out the food was very good.  And the best part were the honey butter croissants.  I have never bitten into any food that literally made me close my eyes and sink into the experience.  It was pure heaven.  I ate mine, half of Ran's and asked our server if she could bring me one more before we left.  As good as all the other food was, the croissants were the most satisfying.  LOVED IT!  Disappointment averted.


After we ate we decided to do a little shopping up and down main street to walk off our lunch.   As it turns out downtown Anderson is a town in the middle of a major renovation.  There were more storefronts that were empty than full.  We did find one antique store. On unusual thing about downtown was the fish.  Every so often we saw fish on a stick.  Very interesting.

We left downtown headed toward our hotel to check in.  On the way of course we had to stop by the local Walmart.  (I know, it's a redneck thing but we always do it.)  We had several gift cards from Christmas so we spent them on a netbook case for me and a camera part for Ran.

We got to the hotel, walked in and saw the following "Welcome" sign.

 I've never had a hotel do that before.  That's me, Rhonda Lindsey.

We spent the evening relaxing and getting ready for a big day of flea marketing today.  The desk clerk told us about a huge flea market not far from where we were staying.  So we got up early this morning, had a quick breakfast and checked out so as to be at the flea market shortly after it opened at 8:00am.

We arrived at Jockey Lot, parked and started walking the buildings.  Jockey Lot is the biggest flea market in the South and covers 65 acres.  It is HUGE.  Trouble is, we got there so early that not all the vendors were there yet and it was cold.  I had left my coat in the car but we finally found a vendor selling jackets made from Indian blanket material.  I picked out a blue stripe and put that puppy on.  We walked and walked and walked but because the place was so empty and things were so spread out we weren't having a great time and decided to leave.  Trouble is, we had not really paid attention to where we parked the car.  And when we came out to our surprise we found a huge yard sale kind of atmosphere with rows and rows of  folks, and cars and booths.  Where did all this come from??????   I was turned around and scared we were not going to be able to find the car.  Well Ran to the rescue.  He remembered a few landmarks and was able to get us to the car.

 We did have one really fun experience while there.  One vendor had the most unusual thing for kids to do that I have ever seen.  He had these big plastic balls the kids got into and the balls floated on water.  We watched the kids running and falling inside these big clear balls.  It was hilarious.  Don't worry there was a 5 minute limit per child so they didn't suffocate.  

As we were leaving Ran suggested that we drop by the Pendergrass flea market near Gainesville on the way home.  We have been there before and really enjoyed it.  On the way over we saw a billboard for a large electronics outlet.  Well we couldn't resist.  We hit that first and spent more money than we planned but got some cool stuff.  My fav is the software program that teaches piano.  It's been a few years since I took lessons and I'd really like to learn some new songs.  I'm very excited.

Then we crossed over the expressway and it was on to Pendergrass.  I really love this flea market.  It is all indoor, warm in winter and cool in summer and every stall was packed with stuff.  Even if we didn't buy anything I love to just walk around and look.

We ate lunch at the food court then decided we were tired and ready to go home.  I took a risk at lunch and ate some Chinese food.  It was really good but triggered a migraine on the way home that went full blown when we got home.  I took a two hour nap and woke up feeling much better.  It was good to be  home.

All in all it was a very fun weekend.  Some things went the way we planned and some didn't but we rolled with the punches and had a good time anyway.  The best part was just being together and doing something different.  We didn't go far from home but it was far enough away that we could put our day to day life behind us for a while and forget everything except just enjoying each others company.  Ran is so much fun to travel with and after more than 28 years of marriage I love him more today than I did the day I married him.

Later ...

The Story of The Hill

I added a tag line to my blog yesterday and thought I'd share the story behind "The Hill".

When I was a child Grandmother and Grandad owned 200 acres of land four miles up the road from where I grew up. Their homeplace was there.  The homeplace consisted of their house, a garage with a loft, a corn crib, chicken pen for the house chickens, a chicken house for the chickens they raised to sell and a wood working shop where Grandad built things.

Later when a big development was being constructed up the road my Grandad was asked if they could build a lake on his land.  And they did.  I remember visiting the lake in progress.  They moved earth to create the depth and piled the excess dirt up to form the dam.  At the dam was a sort of earthen dock that jutted out very high above the dry lake bed.  One day we all went down to take a look at the progress.  My brother and I went out onto the "dirt dock" and started throwing rocks below.  It must have rained because when our rocks hit the bottom they sank into the mud.  I remember being so amazed at how high up we were and I couldn't imagine what it would look like when it was finished.

As it turned out the lake became a huge source of entertainment for the family.  We spent weekends camping there.  Daddy bought a power boat and pulled skiers behind.   We swam and had marshmallow roasts. It was great.

There were other things about the homeplace I remember.  Often after church Grandmother invited us over for Sunday dinner (lunch) and after we ate Grandad pulled out the cards and we'd play Rummy or Rook for hours.  Then we'd pick sun warmed grapes from the arbor and eat them while sitting on the porch.  The game was to see how far one could spit the hull after sucking out the sweet, warm pulp.

At some point Grandad sold 100 acres and the remaining acreage began to be divided among the children and grandchildren.  Through the years many of us started to build our homes here.  My brother was first, then my cousins, we were next, then Mother and Daddy moved here and finally my sister's family.  At this moment my entire immediate family lives within a short walking distance from each other.  We like it like that.

When we built our house DH wanted to give it a name.  He kicked around a few things but nothing stuck. Then when our son moved away to go to college he often brought his friends up for the weekend.  Those were such good times having a house full of guests all the time.  It was during this period that someone - I can't even remember who or how it stared - began to refer to coming to visit us as "going to The Hill".  And it stuck.  Then over time "going to The Hill" came to refer to visiting anyone from our immediate family.

So if you're ever in the neighborhood drop by "The Hill".  You'll get a hearty hello, a glass full of ice water and the peace and comfort that everyone who has visited knows and returns for.

Later....