"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 :)

"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 :)