sweet smoky mountains of east tn

it was a wonderful trip over the hills and thru the mountains we went…it rained off and on, just enough to make these beautiful smoky mountains “do their thang”…Creator was giving us a good show today…headed down I-40 and now off the highway, headed  towards cosby and carver’s apple orchard…the view is lovely, the orchard is so pretty with bare limbs…it just feels really good here…what a wonderful farm..when you walk into the apple barn, it smells so sweet and delicious! always displays of different things in season, many jellies and jams and hot sauces…it’s heaven in here! row after row after row of bushel baskets full of sweet smelling apples…asked for the same order as last time, seems to be the ones i like best of all…half a bushel of pink ladies, half a bushel of carousels…got some red and green tomatoes and squash…grabbed a couple of pink ladies to eat on the way home…we nibbled until it was down to seeds! so sweet and delicious! home to prepare supper, more company arrived…got to trade a gallon bag of cookies for jewelry work…the wonderful cosby bookstore turquoise necklace feels so very good around my neck…the cookies went over well…good to visit…we enjoyed our supper…a lovely end to a lovely day! thanks, kent…big SMILE

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feasting with family

this little piggie went to market, this little piggie stayed home…this little piggie got a pedicure and lordy, it was wonderful…my tiny splurge now and then…a new color and new flowers…makes me a happy woman…YIPPEE YAHOO! i get to feed jesse, alexander and phoenix joe mailyn this evening! mmmmm cut up chicken breasts, peeled potatoes for smashing, broccoli in a  bag for nukin’ and cornbread in the oven. tea made and glasses chilled for milk…alexander got the computer chair! had 4 around my little table…it was wonderful to visit and laugh and play and eat and visit and gab some more…phoenix finally got to make a necklace or two…braided some ribbons, looked really pretty…thanks, kent! smile…we had GREAT fun, it was a wonderful visit…phoenix and alexander are growing like weeds! they change so much each time i see them…phoenix has 2 big teeth now in front and alexander has his first loose one! smile…the wonders of life…thank you, Creator for blessing me with 4 wonderful children and 5 sweet grandbabies…i am forever thankful…

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a beautiful day, let’s ride

ok, got a bag full of boxes of love, got all my thank you cards done, off i go to dandridge…stopped and filled up with gasoline at food city, looking at the mountains, i got a wild hair…off to the post office and just kept right on going down the road…left a text for ronnie as tonight is drumming…it’s a wonderful day for a ride…i’m running away…when i got things on my mind, riding down the road helps me sort them out…have collective soul crankin’, thoughts a flying and down 25-70 i go…thru newport, past the wonderful biker bar and the french broad river is sparkling like diamonds today, but i didn’t even bring my camera…now that’s a shocker! and i just realized i have on my old man moccasins, too…haha oh well, take me as i am…2 hours later i’m pulling up at madison manor in mars hill nc…Momma was surprised to see me…not the best of days but wonderful to hug her neck and just spend some time with her…we had supper together…i buy a tray and we get to visit for awhile…not many words from her today…more childlike than momma-like, but so thankful to be able to look in her eyes and tell her all about her grandchildren and her sweet great grandbabies…she asked about that indian man…boo will be pleased…i told her about family and friends and she remembered peachy being with me last visit…her dreamcatcher shines above the head of her bed…photo’s adorn almost every inch of her walls…she is surrounded by love…ALWAYS…getting dark, getting colder out as the sun sets in these glorious mountains of north carolina…santana sang me home…when you have troubles on your mind, if you can, it’s always nice to run back to momma, no matter how old you are…her hugs just seem to make everything alright…thanks, Momma…i dooooooooo soooooooooo love you madly! rest easy…i’m home safe now…big SMILE

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snow…wonderful snow

our first snow of the winter…had to get out and about…i love driving when the snowflakes are a coming down! star trek…the next generation! hahaha actually it was collective soul crankin’ in the toyota! hahahaha mighty cold out, low 20’s going down to the low teens…Creator be with the homeless…let them stay warm and dry…i am so thankful to be where i am, to have family and friends that love me…to be warm inside, typing away on this computer…i have so many folks in my heart…hope you are enjoying the snow, too! it’s sticking like crazy to the cars, to the ground, it’s steady coming down and getting thicker! YIPPEE…a winter wonderland in east TN tonight…ENJOY IT…be safe, be warm…know that i love ya’ll madly, i do! big SMILE

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the trees are dancin’

the sunshine was out early this morning, but i noticed the heat kept kicking on…i keep it at 65…when i came in here to the computer, can’t help but watch the bare trees, their long branches are dancin’ thru my window…the wind is coming from the south this morning…my sunshine and pretty blue skies are quickly being replaced by big fat gray clouds…moving in fast…peachy says she’s blowing them here from GA…35 degrees is the warmest i’ve seen here today…it’s afternoon now and the hummingbird feeder is swinging on the shepherds hook, ringing like a bell…it’s not glass or i wouldn’t let it swing…the birds are all puffed up as they sit on the vines and branches…the wind has changed…my windsock is flying now with a steady wind from the west and my windchimes in the tree and even the ones on the front porch are singing loudly…you know it’s gusty when the ones on the porch make music…the weatherman is calling for snow! our first! how wonderful…been working on cards and paying bills online and have to deliver one down the hill…the only one i write a check for…haha…i have groceries, things i would need…couple of jars of water…i’m ready…bring it on…let it SNOW, let it SNOW, let it SNOW…big SMILE

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is it saturday?? smile

i hit the floor running! busy morning, got the fat back cooked, added to the butter peas…gotta cook them all day…peeling the HUGE sweet potatoes from NC…only peeling 2 and they will make 2 pies, easy…i tell you, somebody had a mighty fine garden…thanks debbie and boyd for bringing them to TN…yep, they kept well…got them on cooking and back in for other chores…getting mighty warm in here and opened up the door and WOW…greg and becky are here! haha my house is not ready, but come on in…hahaha we had a FANTASTIC visit…just like we always do…pies in the oven now, peas cooking, starting to make cornbread muffins…making 3 pans full, one hot and spicy…ok, they took the pies on over…got the juicy corn cooking, last pan of muffins in…go wash my stinky butt and wrapped presents from SIS…got the camera ready, 3 sets batteries, peas in a glass 1/2 gallon (no more juice in the car! haha) bags of goodies, took some “harry and david” over, several trips and the car is loaded up, my goodness, it’s almost 7…where did time go??? arrived and had help unloading…stuff warmed, they are STARVING…just STARVING i tell ya! and my my my, the piggie came in off the grill and just fell apart when ronnie was slicing it. and i have enjoyed more greens here these last few months than i have in years…goes well with the cornbread…the feast was fantastic! the company was GREAT fun…i was so happy to be with friends that mean so much to me…the jams never stopped…visited with debbie and boyd and ronnie’s momma by telephone and then it was NEW YEARS! yippee…out with the old, in with the new! and the jams continued, the laughter was enjoyed, the visiting didn’t stop until sunrise and ronnie had to go to work…starting to rain as i headed home…goodnight gina, goodnight eric…all that wonderful coffee kept me going until 9am…so i got to work on pictures, jam and visit with friends online…then…i gotta go lay down! hahaha it was AWESOME…thanks, my sweet friends, i had a really good time…goodnight, good morning…BIG smile

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dixie gray

i had the honor to get to go to band practice…lovely ride out in the country…walked in…felt the warmth of the woodstove…i was home…just that quick…made me wanna kick open the damper and stoke the stove…(well, not tonight, it kept warming up outside! build a fire and open the window! haha) hey, maybe that can be my chore for practice night…they will let me play in the fire…SMILE…i’ll have to ask…haha this is the most i’ve ever got to talk with scott…this man just radiates goodness, he can’t help it…and when he gets that guitar in his hand…it’s magic…and what a voice…and time after time they would go back to the music room and come out with another instrument…i loved it…i really had a good time…i loved meeting everyone…the vibes in this home are wonderful…and to watch songs come to life is magic i haven’t seen since hanging out with the doke brothers band…i ADORE being around creative, musical people…it does my heart good…so thanks ronnie and eric for the invite! i hope to return…big SMILE

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december 25th

happy birthday jesus! lit a candle in the window for all those i love that reside in heaven now…for all those in my heart…so many in my heart…i am so blessed…slept in bits and pieces! you can’t sleep on christmas! haha got a call…clothes on…bag of presents loaded in the frozen car…let it thaw a moment, santana on christmas morning…over the hills and thru the woods…the mountains towards dandridge are such a beautiful blue this morning, about 3 shades…the evergreens are majestic against the bluffs…such a fantastic, crisp morning…thank you Creator! enjoyed the ride and when i pulled up and parked, i could see the flash from robin’s camera going off inside the house through the glass on the front door! BIG SMILE…yeah yeah yeah…Merry Christmas! we had a grand old time! made out like bandits, jason got busy making a breakfast feast…coffee sure did taste good…g-bob and barbara down too and feasted with us…these sweet grandbabies are so excited and i’m such a happy woman! my heart is full of love! i got such AMAZING pictures of these grandbabies! MUSIC, mist, fudge, opened wonderful presents from ray and family in missoui! yippee, my favorite scent and from marty tate in florida! WOW a beautiful dreamcatcher necklace! i could ask for no more…gifts from around the world…gifts made with love. i am in awe, i am so thankful, i am humbled…thank you one and all…your LOVE is the BEST, ever! and you mean the world to me, 365 days a year! LYM big smile

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Christmas eve

up early, early, early…first light…thank you Creator for another day…what a fun day! got to be stealthy once again! yippee…this is fun…then home for a nap! haha up and car loaded with pie, 2 gallon bags of cookies…presents for gbob and grandma barbara and bell bracelets for all them sweet grandbabies and belle too!…stopped by robin’s house, quinn was bundled and ready so he rode up the hill with me…mmmmm smells good in here…food a bubblin’, the house looks beautiful…many tables added, this little family sure is growing! robin is all over shooting pictures…up, down and all around! haha…feasting and love…laughter and presents…we are truly blessed…i am so thankful to be here with my family…much love to MO and FL…too! smile

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i’m with you stevie ray…

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