I know, I know, it's been a long time since my last post. Here's the deal: I got burnt out and needed a break from both my machine and the web--time to enjoy the season, get down on the floor and play a rousing game of Candyland, take a couple of road trips, make my way through the rising piles of laundry and layers of dust in the house, deal with a huge set of car repairs, and put in some more hours at the day job to pay for said repairs. What a month! This recap should make up for time lost!
The week after the barn sale, Nora and I took a trip to Traverse City to see my college roommate Jodi and her little guy, Judah.
We braved the cold for a chance to explore the beach
and met some suspicious fish in a nearby gallery.
The week after that we set off on the longest road trip ever embarked upon by man--by the time it was over, we'd spent over 30 hours in the car and traveled through seven states. Our first stop was Nashville to pick up my sister, and then it was on to Hilton Head to meet my parents.
The occassion was my cousin Katie's wedding in Northern Florida, three hours from our resort in Hilton Head.
This time the breeze off the beach was much warmer and our toes were free to wiggle!
On the way to the reception Dan made sure to hit the Whataburger--his holy grail of Southern fast food joints.
We made our way back to Hilton Head the next day and dined that evening at the Sea Shack--a local favorite with dynamite seafood and sides in a tiny little dive off the beaten path. Here are Mom and little sis, Regan enjoying the fare.
We traveled North a couple of days later through the rain into Ashville, NC, in search of a toy store. We never found one, but we were happy to find ourselves some shelter and fine food at the Tupelo Honey Cafe downtown. Can you top an iced tea (I take mine unsweet please, sir), a first course of homemade fluffy biscuits, and a side of local blackberry jam?
It would still be more than 24 hours before we were asleep in our own beds at home. First we had to make our way through the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains and some real and true corners of Appalachia (my affinity with which I may detail in further chronicles). Unfortunately, the view was blurred and dampened by a steady sheet of rain the whole way through every holler and mountain and past the Cumberland Gap. So, no pretty pictures of the home lights burning in little tin roofed shacks, or smoke trailing from smoke stacks into the tree-covered hills.
Back home in my own little shack, I've been working on a new diaper bag order . . .
and anticipating the coming of the holidays with a little seasonal decorating. I refuse to start trimming a single corner of my room for Christmas before Thanksgiving has arrived, so this is my little kitchen tribute to Turkey Day and a favorite song my grandmother used to sing to me when I was little
I'm looking forward to a quiet few weeks ahead as Christmas approaches, with much less traveling and more simple pleasures. Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's is far enough for me!
