Good-Bye Highlands

Well it is time for me to say good-bye to Highlands.

Today the movers come to box all our belongs.  The beginning of next week I will begin the journey to Little Rock.  I know when I get in the car I will be excited to see the children & walk into our house to make it a home.  It feels good to own a house again.

Even though I am about to enter another season of life, I will still write about Highlands from time to time.  When you spend about ten years in one place, it becomes a huge part of you.

Next week I will not be a permanent resident of Highlands any longer, but I WILL be a visitor!!!  I'm looking forward to it.

Ps.121:1-2

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hill, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord,

which made heaven and earth.

{Rose Mary's garden at Community Bible Church}

October.  On a clear day the shadow of the bear coming through the valley.  

Whiteside is to your closest right

Winter view of Short-Off Mountain

God has used these mountains to speak to my soul.

I will miss it.

ann :)

Bridge & Sisterhood

Bridge means different things to different people.

The reason many groups get together is because it is all about the game. Knowing all the conventions.  Being quiet while playing.  Two people keeping score.  This is fun to them.

Bridge means something entirely different to my group.  We use bridge as a chance to get together weekly & play some bridge on the side.   

This is my group:  Linda, Charlene, me, Ginger & Shirley.

{They gave me a going away party last week.  Like I wrote, we do more than bridge.}

Our group is very unusual for many reasons:

              1.  There are 5 & not the usual 4 members in the group.

              2.  Our ages spans 4 decades.   

                    I'm the baby-56 yr, two are 66 yr, one is 76 yr & one 96 yr.

                    Notice we all in the #6.

              3.  It might take 2 to 3 hrs to make a rubber.  

                   {That's bridge talk.}

 I was asked to join the group by the oldest member about 6 or 7 years ago.  I hardly knew anything about the game, but I was excited about learning it.  At that time it was all about the GAME, but God had other plans for me.

When I began playing, these women were used to playing from 1:00 - 5:00 pm or later.  I thought this was unreal.  I could see playing 2 or maybe 3 hr, tops.  Also, when I got the bid, I didn't want anyone to talk because I would loose concentration.  I thought they were pros.  They could talk & play, stop while playing a hand & pick right up where they left off.  I prayed many times that I wouldn't get the bid for fear I would have to play the hand, then loose.  I would be shaking in my boots.

Then one day I felt within my spirit the Lord telling me, "You are here for more than the game bridge.  There is too much wisdom in this room.  Relax & learn."  This was so true.  Yes, I have learned a little bridge, but I have gained valuable, deep friendships a long the way.  God gave me much more than my hearts desire.

BRIDGE SISTERHOOD
              1.  It is a safe group.  That means we can share anything & it will stay in that room.
              2.  We know each others hearts.
              3.  We are there for each other through the different seasons of our lives.
              4.  We laugh until we cry; we cry until we laugh; we talk, talk, talk; eat; share;
                   celebrate any chance we can get; we learn from each others lives; & pray together.
              5.  We are true sisters in the Lord & I love each of these women.

Of all the activities I have done & the people that I have met in Highlands, this group is at the top of my list.  I know this type of friendship doesn't come by often.  I know I will make new friends in AR {my next season of life}, but it will never take the place of what God has put together.  This has been a God thing & we all know it.

I am grateful to God & Charlene, who asked me to join the group.  Looked what I would have missed if she had not reached out to me.  Thank you!

Thank you dear Ladies.  {This title I give sparingly.  They are truly ladies in my book.}

I will miss you.

                 ann :)

"Memories"

Have you ever watched the women stars on TV walk the red carpet in their fancy gowns?   Then  reporters give their commentaries on who they thought was the worst & best dressed for the evening.  Well, you might want to give your own commentary on my worst & best picture of me in this collage.  I am curious to see if you match up with my list.  

These 10 pictures share some of my wonderful memories that I have 

made in Highlands.  

                           {Start at the upper left corner & go across.}

1.  The first two years in Highlands, I had the privilege in directing the Community Bible Church children's choir.   This was such a special group.  These kids are all grown-up and the oldest ones are in college.  It has been a joy to see these young people not only to grow physically, but to see them use their God given gifts & talents for the Lord.

2.  BUNKO!!!  Have you ever played this game.  It was so much fun.  I played Bunko for 8 out of the 9 1/2 yrs that I have been here.  It was a great time of fellowship once a month with all different ages of women.  We had great food, many laughs, much bonding & gain a little money.  I was called the Bunko Queen.

6.  Before I turned 50 yrs old I was the first member of this Red Hats Club in Highlands.  Because I was under 50 yrs I got to wear a pink hat & lavender clothes.   I loved being the baby of the group.

3.  Now, you see me in a red hat.  Why the change?  I turned 50 yrs old.  Any one 50 & over would wear a red hat & purple clothes.  We had fun going to plays, eating out, etc...  I am riding in the  Highlands Christmas Parade.  By this time, I had become the Queen of the group.  I don't know if you can see my crown on my red hat & holding my scepter.

4.  Clogging.  This was my favorite exercise that I have ever done in my entire life.  I hate any type of exercise, but this was a blast.   I love the music, the fellow cloggers, & of course the dancing.

5.  My faith in the Lord, my church {& my family} are the central theme of my life

7.  This was one of my "What was I thinking" moments.  I wish I could remember what I called myself.  I had two other "ladies", I use that word loosely, who sang & entertained with me.  We did this act for a women's fund raiser at church & for the Women's Retreat.

10.  Every year our church has a Women's Retreat.  This is such an anointed time.  The lady in charge is a dear friend.  Each works on it all year along & it shows!!!  It is a great time to really get to know women & grow in the Lord.  Fun, Fun, Fun!!!

8.  I taught Sunday School for about 2 yr.  The age range was 2 yrs old to 6 yrs old.  It was challenging & the children were precious.  

9.  Hiking the Appalachian Trail.  Beautiful scenery.

 I'm so thankful that I didn't miss these wonderful opportunities to get involved.

I'm blessed. 

Now, the million dollar question.  What did you pick as my worst & best picture?

I picked #7 as by best & #2 as my worst?

        ann :)

"Stuff"

Are you a person who likes your "stuff"?  Well, I am.  I am very organized with my "stuff".  I'm not a messy person.  Ask anyone concering my organization.  They will vough for me.  At times, I am too organized for my own good.  I love to have my "stuff":  by my recliner; at my feet when we travel instead of the back seat or trunk; under my feet when on a plane instead in the overhead compartment.  It's my "stuff".  Even if I don't need it or use it, I want it beside me just in case I do.  Is anyone out there like me?

During these last three months in preparing for this move, I have become very aware of how much "stuff" I have.  It is not just "stuff", but very good stuff. 

 

Since we have been living in a rental house this year we decided not to unpack anything from our last move.  We didn't even hang-up a picture.  The house we are moving into is much smaller than all of our other homes.  So the "stuff".  I figure that was a good excuse, anyway.

To help with the down-sizing process we began by selling about 1/3 of our furniture.  Also, we finally started going through a lot of the  boxes to see what we could get rid of.  Through this process I have been told by someone dear to my heart, "We have so much "junk"."  My come back would always be, "No we don't, it's "good stuff!""  Well, I must have had some people on my side, because when my husband would take our "stuff"-give aways- to his work place, it was all gone by the end of the day.  In fact many days the ladies would meet him at his car to immediately take our "good stuff" to their car.  It didn't even make it inside.

As I was packing I because aware, of how blessed I am with my "stuff".  I have some of the best kitchen gadgets around.  I might not use them, but I have them.  I have awesome clothes.  More than I ever need-that doesn't mean want, now!  My list can go on.  I really am blessed with material things & other nonmaterial blessings.  I have made a promise to myself that after everything is in place, what is left over will be in a garage sell.

I must say it does feel good to get rid of some "stuff"-"NOT TO BUY MORE"-so I have been told.   :)  We'll see!  :)

                                              ann :) 

"Chippers"

I saw the cutest thing today.  It was a chipper in a tree with its cheeks stuffed full of food.  The tree was right outside my kitchen window, up close & personal.  I tried to get a picture this morning, but I was just not fast enough.  I have never seen a chipper so still before, because they scurry every where they go.  They remind me of a humming bird in a little way, but in a rodent suit; by their speed & size.

Well, I might need to back up the train for some of you who don't know what is a chipper.  I am not really sure what most of the community call these critters, but my pet name for them are chippers & sometimes "chippas" when I am using my mature little baby voice.

I chipper is a chipmunk; a tiny little squirrel which is brown & has stripes down its back.  I see why Disney used these animals for the animation of the characters Chip & Dale.  Chip & Dale have been the only chipmunks I have ever seen, up close & personal, until I moved to Highlands.  I loved these characters as a child.

On a side note, I have actually seen a white squirrel on White Squirrel Rd.  You never know what you might find around here.

A funny story happened to one of our friends a few years ago that involved one of these critters.  He brought his three very young boys to the family's home here in these mountains.  After about five days of being here, the boys were being to get bored with out TV & the comforts of home.  So to help entertain the boys, the father put a mouse trap with cheese under a lodged shoe box.  The boys watched for hours to see if they might capture something.  To the father's surprise the boys caught a chipper. Poor little chippa.  :(   The father had in mind that the might catch a mouse, not a chipper.

The father didn't want the boys to learn that you go around killing animals for no apparent  reason.  When it came to hunting, the Father's motto was eat what you kill. Anyway, due to the size of the animal, the father had to think quickly.  You couldn't even make an appetizer out of this one.  So the father got the idea to mount it.

When we went over to visit the family, we saw this tiny creature in the stages of being mounted.  These boys were so proud. You thought they were mounting a deer head or a 10 lb bass.  It stills gives me a tickle; not for the chipper, mind you.  I still can imagine these three little boys hiding behind a chair with their head bobbing out waiting all day for something to happen.  It is kind of like telling a child to be quiet & listen to the grass grow for a little while.  :)

I hope this story isn't morbid to you as a reader.  Please let me know if it is.  I wonder if they still have that "big" mount today.

I love the hymn, "All Creatures of Our God & King".  The verse goes something like this:
          All creatures of our God & King
          Lift up your voice & let us sing
          Hallelujah, Hallelujah...
                                      ann :)
PS- If I can capture a PICTURE of the chipper outside my window, then I will post an update on this blog.

11:15 am Tues 9/20/11  My own personal chipper.  He's sleeping through the rain.

5:00 pm Tues 9/20/11  Chipper is doing his thing.  Eating & scurrying around in my driveway.

           

12:30 pm Wed9/21/11 Truffle standing her post-hunting for a Chipper.

        8:15 am Fri 9/23/11 Truffle is still at her post protecting our home.

"Show-Off"

Have you ever felt that sometimes God just likes to show-off. 

                                                            Well, I do!!!  

               I think sometimes during the Fall season-when the leaves are 

                                             in full color, bursting forth wherever you look.

                                                                            or

                What about winter-even though the leaves are gone, 

                                                     you see the beauty of the shadows on the  

                                                     trees, the animals looking for food, the

                                                     beautiful snow, & the quietness of 

                                                     the season.

                                                                            or

               The coming of Spring & Summer-what a glorious season.   

                                                                  You see every color of the spectrum. 

     

                                           {Beginning from left to right}
                  Row One-Burning Bush; Trillium-state flower; Daises,
                                     Flocks, Purple Cones, Black-Eyed Susan's
                  Row Two-Dahlias all the colors of the rainbow; Poppies
                  Row Three-Rhododendrons-these bushes grow so tall as well
                                         as wide.

Psalm 66: 1-3a "Make a joyful noise unto God, all the earth;
                             Sing forth the honor and glory of His name;
                             make His praise glorious!
                             Say to God, How awesome and fearfully
                             are Your works!

                I'm glad that God wants to show-off His handiwork for me.
                                         How about you?

                                           ann :)

The Beginning of Fall

I love when the leaves start turning colors at the beginning of Fall.  You see the evidence everywhere you go: neighborhoods, in town, hiking, different over-looks & along the mountains roads.

Driving through the mountains is where it hits me first.  I'm driving along, then suddenly I see the first pop of color in the midst of all the green leaf trees  The colors are so vivid: red, orange, & yellow. Every curve seems to bring about an unexpected surprise.  I get so excited every year.  Why?  This happens every year. I should be use to it by now after 10 yrs.  In reality I never want this season to be ordinary.  I always want this season to be an adventure like Christmas unwrapping gift.  What colors will I see around the next curve?

Here is a little science lesson for you.  Chlorophyll is the green substance in plants.  As I understand this, chlorophyll absorbs the light which makes the leaves green.  As Fall comes, it is less light & the leaves gradually loose their green color.  Now, the leaf is able to reveal its true color.

                                I sense a spiritual lesson here.
               FIRST: Let's go back to the first sighting of color.  Here I notice the one tree in the midst of a group of trees.  You might see for the first time that the tree is an individual as where before you might see that the tree is a part of the forest.  We are individuals in the midst of our world.
              SECOND: Then as all the trees change to their true colors, it becomes a tapestry.  It's like God is designing a quilt.  The same goes for lives.
              THIRD: I see Christ as the chlorophyll of the leaves.  He is our LIGHT.  I desire to absorb Him & reflect His LIGHT.
              FOUR:  God also created us with individual gifts, talents, & personalities.  He wants us to show our colors.

Show your God given colors this Fall & all through your seasons.

                                          ann :)

Mountain Driving

There are many types of driving: Flat terrain driving; Highway driving;
                                                              Parade driving; Beach cruising: &
                                                              Mountain driving-to name a few.
All of these types use various skills in driving.  For the purpose of this blog, I will be writing about mountain driving.

Ten years ago, driving in these mountain was a new experience for me.  For some people car sickness can be a problem, but I am very blessed that I have a stomach made of steel.  I do feel for those people who deal with this problem.

 The first time we came up the mountain, my husband was driving & I had our five lb Yorkie on a pillow in my lap.  Truffle was swaying back & forth.  She acted a little drunk due to not having her mountain legs under her, yet.  She corrected this pretty quickly, since her long legs are only about 3 in or less.

In traveling from Highlands to anywhere else, you have to choose of one three towns to go through:
1) Dillard, GA; 2) Cashiers, NC or 3) Franklin, NC.  All roads in the mountains are curvy, real curvy, & very curvy.  These roads are no exception.  Going to Dillard & Cashiers are pretty typical, BUT to get to Franklin you have two choices: A) the Gorge Rd-Hwy 65, or B) Buck Creek Rd.  Both are pretty  drives.  I will never forget my first time driving these roads.  A little nerve racking to say the least.

                                      BUCK CREEK
     When we first visit & moved to Highlands my husband did all the driving.  I soon learned I had to just get over the weak knees if I was going to ever venture out.  Buck Creek is the shorter route from our home to Franklin if you don't go through town.  I made it down to Franklin OK, but coming back up the mountain did put some respectable fear in me.  I was just turning onto Buck Creek Rd going to Highlands I find myself in the middle of making a very sharp curve.  That was not so bad, until I saw a semi truck coming at me.  I have to admit it really got my blood pumping.  It hasn't happened again since then.  Thank the Lord!  But, I do have a week & a half before the move.

                                       Gorge Road
     This is a VERY CURVY road.  When we first came, this road did not have many railings to protect you from the road & the gorge.  Now, there is a "big" 12 inch guard rail.  I feel so protected.  I don't know how the pioneers did it.  This was the main route from Franklin to Highlands.
     Most of the mountains have falls or springs coming up through the rocks.  During the winter months, these springs will freeze & make beautiful ice sculptures & icicles up & down the mountains.  One day I was traveling through & admiring the beautiful, huge icicles.  Then it dawned on me, "What would happen if one of these icicles fell on my car?"  About that time, one did fall, but not on my car.  Another thank you Lord!

                                     Rules for Driving
1) Keep your eyes on the road.  You take them off for a second, & you are      going to be over the mountain.
2) If you are a leaf looker, or driving slow; please pull over in the turn             out lanes so we full timers can go about our business.
3) Stay in your lane.  With all the curves, it is very easy to drive in your           on coming lanes.  We pros are allowed to do this, because we know         how it it done.

                                                      Food for Thought
In comparing our seasons of life to mountain driving: whatever season of life you are in or whatever curve you are coming around; I don't know about you, but I am grateful that I have a Protector & Guider to see me through.  Amen!  Thank you Lord!

                                                   ann :)

"Going on a "Baur" Hunt

Have you every played "Going on a Bauer Hunt"?  Well, I did when I was a child.  Bauer  meaning bear.  It goes something like this.  "Let's go on a Bauer hunt." echo!  "Thauer's a Bauer."  "Whauer?"  "Over thauer."  "Well, let's go."  That might not be totally correct, but you get my drift.  While you are saying the words, you would alternate clapping each leg.

From playing the game to experiencing it in real life has been a big deal for this Southern girl.  I went from squirrels in my back yard to black bears roaming around my neighborhood.  I must say that it has been pretty cool.

I haven't seen any sightings this year until this past Monday.  I was driving down the mountain to Franklin, NC when all of a sudden this big black bear went across the road, followed my two small ones.  It was exciting!  It is just as exciting to me now, as it was about 10 years ago when we moved here.

 I have three memorable sighting.

                                                       ONE:
We had just moved to Highlands.  We had heard NOT to leave out any bird feed or trash at night.  We took the information in stride, but my husband truly didn't believe it.  He thought we lived to high up for the bears to bother us.  WRONG!  We hid our trash in our outside storage room.  One day we came home to find a visitor had stopped by.  The bear never got into the storage room but the signs of him trying sure did leave their mark.  The ripping off the door post & his long paw nails were all over the door.  It was a good conversational piece for a long time.
                                                       TWO:
     We (my husband & I) would do anything to find a bear.  Some our friends had many visits from the bears because the bear dens were above their house.  So we would drive over & wait for sightings.  Sometimes it was eventful.
     Many times we would ride around looking for bears.  One night we really hit the jack pot!  We were riding around at night in our neighborhood & all of a sudden we saw a mother & two bear cubs scurrying through the woods.  I thought after a brief sighting it was all over.  After driving a little bit more we found them again.  They had crossed the street to a heavy wooded area.  We stopped & positioned the car so that the head lights were right on them.  I could not believe that we didn't scar them away.  Then we saw the most amazing thing.  For the next 15 minutes the mother bear was standing on her hind legs, reaching up for the berries in a tree.  The cubs scurried up another tree trying to hide.  After seeing that Mom seemed fine with the situation, they came down.  They gradually climbed up into the same tree with Mom & enjoyed the berries.  They were so CUTE!  I was spelled bound.  What a blessing & a sight to behold.
                                           LAST, BUT NOT LEAST-THREE:
     One evening early Spring, my husband & I went to our separate events.  He happened to get home before I did.  One of our customs when we get home after being gone is to let the dog out to go to the bathroom.  All of a sudden, she darted out, & went into the woods behind our neighbors house.  My poor husband runs after her.  Now, he is wearing shorts going through the thick, woods full of trees & brush.  Not to great on his legs.  All of a sudden he hears our dog give a dieing "yelp".  All he could think of was,"she is dead."  Now he is looking for her dead body.  He comes up to a big bush & has to decide which way to go-right or left.  He makes a decision, then all of a sudden he notices leaves falling on his head.  He looks up & saw the tiniest bears cubs.  They must have just come out of the den for the first time.  Then my husband heard the mother bear snort at him!  Now he is thinking,"I'm dead!".  He got out of there & went home as quickly as possible.  This took a little time.
      Low & behold there was our dog.  Bleeding.  She had made it through the bear attack, got out of the woods & back to home.  The mother bear had literally put our dog in her mouth & threw her.  You don't get between a mother & her cubs.
      Remember, as I had just written, it was early Spring.  The bears were just now coming out of their dens & they were hungry.  It was the beginning of the season & my husband was ready to see a good bear sighting.  So, he had been praying that God would bless him in this way.  This was a little too close for comfort.  What is that saying, "Be careful what you pray for."  :)
      Oh, I forgot to mention that our dog is less than five lb, her name is Truffle, & she is a Yorkshire Terrier.  Yes, she attacked a mother bear & cubs, & is still living to tell about it.  She will be 14 yr old in Nov.
                                                           ann :)                     

Highlands "Mitford"-not a series Part 2

I love being in Highlands for the holidays.  It just has a magical feel about it, especially if it snows.

It begins in October with Fall in the air.  The air is crisp, the sky clear & the leaves are beginning to change.  I love to decorate for Fall the end of August.  By doing so, you get three months of Fall decorations compared to the one month in December.  The farmers markets are bursting with color: orange, purple, yellow & white.  They are loaded with every type of apples, pumpkins, gourds, mums, fresh vegetables & awesome baked goods. I have never seen a white pumpkin until I moved here.

Halloween night, the town shuts down.  People dress up and families come from all over just for this event.  The children stand in long lines for a piece of candy at each store.  This has been one activity in town that we have missed out on since we don't celebrate Halloween.  In my home I have stressed celebrating Fall.

Some activities that I did through the years with my children when they were home were making homemade apple sauce, caramel apples, making homemade apple pies, & popcorn balls.  When the kids went off to college I began the Fall Box.  The purpose was to help bring back memories for the kids to remember.  One year I just didn't get around to it.  Then my son reminded me about the Fall Box.  I said, "I was so sorry that I didn't do it.  I just got too busy."  He said with a long face, "that was OK, I am 28."-meaning he was getting to old for it-NOT.  I will probably be doing the Fall Box until I am 80 yr old.  Now my daughter-in-love loves it.

Back to Highlands "Mitford".  The Thanksgiving celebration begins with First Baptist Church putting on a dinner for the ladies in the community.  The ladies of the church decorate their table using any holiday theme.  They bring their china & linens.  The room is beautiful!  The men serve all the food, which is delicious by the way.  There is always a special singer & an encouraging speaker which focus  on the Lord.

This dinner is always a week before Thanksgiving.  The following Tuesday is the community dinner where each church has a part in the dinner.  Thanksgiving day is for families of course & the stores are closed.  Then the weekend begins & the town is buzzing.  Saturday night is when the count down begins for the town lights to be turned on.  There is always a program, including the reading of Nativity story.  Community sing.  All of a sudden we all sing "Here Comes Santa Clause"  & Santa & Mrs. Santa comes through the crowd.  Then Santa leads the way in the count down for the town tree & lights to be turned on.  I just love it every year.

December has such an old, small town feel.
        FIRST WEEKEND: Begins with the town parade on  Saturday.  Anything that walks or can ride is in this parade.  It is so much fun.  The mayor leads the way.  I few years ago Highlands had a mayor who definitely looked the part of Santa.  So he would begin the parade, then you would see him again as Santa at the end of the parade.  Too funny.  Some of my favorites in the parade are the basset hounds wearing their Santa hats; the Garden Club singing & dancing their made-up song down main street; & the live Nativity with Mary on a donkey led by Joseph & the wise men & camels coming right behind.

                                          The McKim family put on an over the top Christmas party that evening.  This is an incredible, gifted family who loves the Lord.  They have 13 children, almost all grown.  All the children were home schooled except for the oldest.  They all look a like & are gorgeous.  The sons names begin with K & the daughters names begin with M.  They decorate the house like Southern Living & they all help with the fabulous meal.  Also, they all can sing.  Once you are invited to the party, you are invited from then own.  It ends up with the entire town coming.
        SECOND WEEKEND: The joining of the churches for a
                                                                          Christmas Cantata.
        REST OF THE MONTH: Church functions & friends parties.
        CHRISTMAS EVE: Churches candle light services
        CHRISTMAS: Jesus' birthday

No matter where you are or how you celebrate all the holiday season, remember to enjoy it with people you love & savory the memories.

                                                           THE END-Highlands "Mitford"

          ann :)

Highlands "Mitford"-not a series

At the end of my last blog I wrote that Highlands reminded me of a real life "Mitford"town that Jan Karon could have written about.  Her fictional books are a series where this blog will NOT be.

Again, as I have stated in my other blogs; Highlands is a quaint, resort, mountain town with about three traffic lights.  It has history, it's own drama, characters, & beauty.  Just like in the fictional town of "Mitford".

At the end of the last blog I wrote about some of the fun shops that are in Highlands.  Since the beginning of Highlands the leaders of this small community have not allowed franchise businesses to be developed.   So each shop & restaurant is very unique with there own class & style.  No tacky t-shirts & souvenirs shops here.

Everyone is friendly.  You can usually tell the towns people from the visitors by the towns people will say "hello", while the visitors all have ice cream cones in their hands.

A lot of the neighborhoods are outside of town.  They are called Gated Communities.  I finally learned that this was a good thing, especially when the leaf lookers come to town.  I have never lived around so many people who own multiple homes.  There home up here could be their 3rd & 4th home.  When they sell a home, they usually sell it fully furnished!  Meaning with linens & silverware.  That is beyond my comprehension!!!

One of my favorite places to hike in the Highlands area is Whiteside Mountain. I have so many great memories hiking with friends.  As we would hike, we would not only get good exercise, but solve the worlds problems in the meantime.  It is just beautiful when you get up to the top.  As you walk on the rim of the mountain, you can see four states on a clear day.  It is especially beautiful during the Fall season.

Along the path there are plaques with information concerning the mountain, along with what you might see & even stories that involve what have happened on the mountain.  One of my favorite stories occurred in 1911 about a man named Mr. Charlie Wright.

Mr & Mrs Wright, two friends & a group of young people hiked to the top with a horse drawn buggy.  (I can easily tell you that this is not & was not an easy task).  All of a sudden one of the friends got too close to the edge & fell to a cliff below.  To make a long story short, Mr. Wright miraculously saved the man.  Because of his heroic act, Mr. Wright received a Carnegie gold metal & $2000.  This metal is a very rare reward, because there have only been about 16 of these given out in the country.  In my opinion $2000 is a lot of money today.  It was a fortune in those days!  He invested the money in prime property that is now called Wright Square in downtown Highlands & the surrounding property of Helen's Barn.  Through the years the barn was used for many things like square dancing, & roller skating.  At the present, it houses a wonderful restaurant.

How does this affect me?  During these 10 years, one of Mr. Wrights' descendants have been one of my dearest, closest friends.  She is so gifted, gentle, talented & has always been there for me.  Look at this special friend I would missed in my life if Mr. Wright had not lived as he was saving his friend.

It is amazing to think how our actions affect the future of others.  Mr. Wright's actions affected his family tree in many ways.

            This story makes me want to consider my own actions.
             How do my actions, my words affect my family tree?
                                  What am I passing down?

            Material things?
                                     Eternal things?
                                                            Negative?  or Positive?
                                                                              I hope-Love?  Forgiveness?
                                                                                                               Laughter?

PS-I lied.  The next blog will be
                               The Highlands "Mitford"-not a series Part 2.

           ann :)

The Last

It is very surreal when you move to finally realize that after being in a place for 10 yrs you are now in the process of what I call The Last.  The last good byes, the last appointments.

That is where I found myself yesterday.  A sweet friend had a lovely luncheon for me to have an opportunity to have quality time with some of my friends at the Old Edwards Inn in Highlands-one of our fancier places in town.  After parking the car I found myself welling up with emotion fighting back some tears.  After walking inside & saw two of my friends, the tears began to flow a little.  After that I was fine.  We all had such a great time.  It was fun to see them & get caught up on the news.  They were all so gracious.

Today, I got a dental appointment out of the way, & body work done to my car.  What is interesting about these two appointments was, if it wasn't for the move I probably would not have had it done.  But while we had the insurance....  Do I need to say more?

The tooth was not hurting, but looked black when I smiled.  I called it my Pirate tooth.  A few weeks back, I was whitening my teeth.  After the process, I looked back to check to see my teeth sparkle.  Then I did a double take.  Where did I get that thing.  I was appalled.  I mentioned it to my husband.  He said he had noticed it a while back.  "Thanks a lot."  Anyway, this RDH couldn't have that, so I had to get it taken care of.  Also, I hate shots.  I can clean your mouth, but when it comes to the needle thing, that is another matter.  So for me to ask to get this done, you KNOW it really bothered me.  Found out after my Dentist got in there, the tooth had a fracture from one end to the another.  It was an accident waiting to happen.  See I knew I needed to have it done.  It was not just cosmetic!

A year ago on a horrible rainy day, I backed into a parked truck that had no one in it.  His car was perfectly unharmed but the bumper to my car had a big dent.  GLARING!  You see, my car is special to me because my husband surprised me with it on my 50th birthday.  I am planning to drive this baby until I am 80 yr old.  Maybe 90.  But, since it was just cosmetic, we let it go ( :( ).  Now that we are moving,  we might as well fix the car ( :) ).  Yeah!!!  I must say, I am so proud of my car & white tooth.

Other things you think about when you move are: getting into seeing all your doctors for the last time; go to your last hair appointment; dog appointments; car maintenance appointments; buy all the stuff you don't think you can get anywhere else but here; go to Bucks Coffee shop for the last time; get shrimp & craw fish bisque at Sports Page for the last time; & how can I forget getting some dark chocolate covered strawberries at Kilwins for the last time.  Realizing that today might be the last time I will drive along the gorge road seeing the river & waterfalls.  The list goes on & on.  I know if anyone is reading this, I have bored you enough.

One thing that these Lasts reminded me of today was to try to stay in the moment & savory it all.  Isn't that how we are suppose to live each day anyway?

PS-After writing about some of the shops in town, it reminded me of the fictional series written by Jan Karon-the Mitford series.  I could write a blog about this real "Mitford" Highland town.  Hmmmm...
                                                ann :)

PRAYER is Power

Many times it is hard to feel, know & see the power of prayer.  But God says in

           Mark 11:24-For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer,
             believe (trust & be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].

                                         and another great verse to pray.

          1Thess. 5:17-Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly].

His answers to our prayers are very simple: yes, no & for me a lot of the time, wait....

Concerning our move I can clearly see the power in my prayers.  I felt it began during the trip going to AR for my grand baby's baby dedication.   Right before I left a friend gave me a great, but very simple, concise prayer book-Unlocking the Heavens by Ruth Shinness.  I love those types of books.  The theme of the book is praying the way that Abraham prayed: call those things that be not as though they were.  You pray scripture back to God.  This is not a new thinking, but how many times do (we) I do it.

I had a least 11 hrs to kill each way as I was driving to & from AR, so why not spend some of that time putting it to good use by praying this little book.   Even after the trip I was diligent in praying this book for two weeks.  Now, I was not praying about a move.  I was just praying the scripture prayers.

Two weeks later my husbands' resumes went out; 6 weeks after that it was a done deal.  He had a new job & we were moving in 4 mon.  Four became our new number.  The new job began, the old job needed a notice & our rental house was up all in 4 mons.  Interesting!!!

Now, did all this start because I prayed those scripture prayers for 2 weeks.  Let's see.  What about my husband's prayers years before that.  And the prayers of our children, friends, & family members who have been praying for us for years.  Then I learned that my husband's new partner had been praying for a year concerning this job & she didn't even know us.

Well in my thinking, I see two things.: One-there is power in prayer
                                                             Two-many yes, no, & wait answers
                                                                                      in just one decision.

                                                          ann :)

Prepare to Launch

Every year I buy my one lonely huge fern for Spring.  You see I have only 2 living plants all year long & this is my seasonal plant.  It really makes me feel happy & productive.  By Fall I feel that it is time for the fern go.  Usually the frost gets it.  Part of my fern's ritual every year is the enjoyment of seeing the process of birds building a nest in the fern, to seeing the baby birds leave the nest.  I have never seen the baby birds actually launching from the nest until...

I was in AR the end of April, seeing the children of course.  My grandchild was being dedicated to the Lord by her parents at the church that weekend.  So special.  I was at my daughter's home when she called me to come look out of one of her windows.  Out of the window it had a big, bushy, full tree with a blue jay bird's nest in it.  No fern for her.  Anyway, it happened to be launch day for these baby birds.  They were so cute as they bounced out of there nest hopping all over the branches & even on the ground.  They would chirp to their parents.  It seemed like they were saying "Look at me, see how far I am."  You could see the parents close by watching there every move.  All of a sudden you would see a parent with food in its mouth & the baby bird would start hopping down the branch back to the nest chirping "Save some for me".  By the end of the day, they were all gone to begin their new season of life.

A couple of weeks later my husband began a job search process by sending out some resumes.  Six weeks later it was a done deal.  Definitely a God thing.  My husband was desiring a career change, while we were both desiring to move closer to the children.  Now, we live about 11 hrs away.  We thought a 4 hour radius from where the children live would be good, not for our benefit but for theirs.  Kind of like the episode on the "Everybody Loves Raymond" show when Ray & Debra were trying to buy a house which ended up across from the street of his family.  Anyway, the children told us if we were going to move then move to Little Rock.  Not this half way stuff.  The possibilities of that seemed impossible in our minds since the need of this type of job was not very promising.  Would you believe the first responder to my husband's resume was a perfect fit for us & his partner.  It was to good to be true.  Plus, the job was in North Little Rock.  God is good.

During the six week job hunt process, I heard my husband say something like "God is clearly plucking our nest."  This really was a profound statement, especially after what I just saw with the baby bird launch two weeks earlier.

What is interesting is when you believe that God is in control & then wonder when a long, hard season of life will ever end or at least get a little bit easier.  God showed me through the parent bird that He is there taking care of my need & desire.

Rarely, does God allow me to look back & glean from the plucking process; but I can see His Hand especially through this difficult season.  It is all beginning to make a little sense, now.  I see that God wants us to build a nest, & grow within it.  When the nest gets to snug or tight, it might mean that He has been preparing you for a new launch out & enjoy a new season of life.  I must say, it is true for us.
                                             ann :)

                                                                           

Life's a Season-Day 1

Well, I feel that this is a real joke.  You see I am not a writer.  In fact I can't even spell half the time.  Thanks to spell check, my husband, children & if push comes to shove-a dictionary-something gets written.  I guess you can see that English was not my best subject.  Anyway, I am only doing this to read & keep up from time to time my family & friends blogs.  I had to become a blogger to read blogs.  I don't believe anyone will truly read this blog.  I might never write again.  But, it is a beginning.

I would love to begin a project like the book & movie-Julie & Julia.  If I took on that project, I would really blimp out & it would kill my budget.  Especially, since I have already bought all these different wonderful grains to grind up myself to make flour for healthy breads & desserts.  We"ll see.  I would love to have the book though & make beef bour.....  What's that word?  Oh well.

I picked this title because I do believe that we do live our lives in seasons.  I know that this is not a new thinking, but it has lately been my mind.  So the title.

I am fixing to end this season of my life.  In a few weeks, I am moving to Little Rock, AR.  For the last 9 1/2 yr I have been living in the beauty of the NC mountains.  I lovingly call Highlands- "Mountain Mayberry".  It is a quaint little resort town with about three traffic lights.  Safe as can be.  The weather is never above 85 degrees in the summer & it usually always has a breeze.  Downtown has about one long street of unique stores & restaurants.  Great falls, rivers, & hiking.  If you love golf, you are in the right place.  It even has its own playhouse.  It is about 1400 elevation & all roads lead up to Highlands.   Kind of like in the Bible, all roads lead up to Jerusalem.  It is a seasonal town, meaning many of the people who live there only live there half of the year.

Before moving up here from south GA, I thought I was moving to the Antarctic.  Why you ask?  Because, going from living without real cold & snow to living in some cold & snow scared me at the time.  I thought it would be freezing & snowing all the time.  If fact now we can't wait for that first snow fall-even if it is just flurries.  Last year was a little much-30 in of snow.  One thing is for sure, these mountains have been a balm of Gilead for me.  If you don't know what that is, look it up in the Bible.  It will do you good.

These mountains have gradually restored my soul.  I have enjoyed the four seasons of the year.  I am going to miss the beauty of the mountains, the hearts of close friends that I feel safe with, & my alive in the LORD church to name a few things.  I have been blessed to have lived here & will miss it.  Being here has made me a better person in all respects.

As beautiful that this place is, I am moving toward four beautiful people that are more beautiful & very dear to my heart than all this.  God has given me more than I could have even imagined.  I could not even dream or desire living in the same town of all our children & our one precious grandchild.  God has opened the doors wide to give my husband one job, at one place, in one state, & we well be living together all the time instead of half the year.  Looking forward to getting use to that.  We haven't had this for about three years.

Well, this is more that I thought I would even write, especially for the first day of writing.
                                                         ann :)