This and That and a Few Other Things

Ever feel like you have a LOT to say, then when the time comes to actually say it...  crickets... ? 

No?  Just me?  C'mon now.  I know I can't be the only one.  Well, whether I'm one in a million - or not - that's me recently.  I always think I have so very much to write about until I sit down at the computer with a blank post screen in front of me.

We've been doing a hike pretty much every Saturday this month.  And I'm loving it!

Weekend before last we went up to Max Patch.  The Male Offspring even went with us!  If you've never been, let me just warn you - it is quite a climb up to the top!  And this ol' asthmatic gal was huffing and puffing most of the way.  Be prepared.  I can assure you, however - that it is WELL worth the work!  It is amazingly beautiful!  They said we would have 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains.  We were not disappointed!  Words simply do not do it justice.

Afterward, because it was the Man of the House's birthday weekend - we went to listen to some live music, eat dinner and relax for a while at Sierra Nevada Brewing.  (hint: try the Hop and Sour!)Followed by dessert at Baked Pie Company.

This past weekend the Man of the House and I stayed a little closer to home.  We started at the Hard Times Loop Trail head, walked down the NC Arboretum property, down Bent Creek Trail and back.  That's a nice easy hike if you're looking for one in the area.

In other news...

We got a new fridge.  The old one was about 24 years old.  I know!!  Can you believe it?  But it just kept chugging along.  Recently it started freezing a lot of items in the fridge area, so when we saw a good deal on one in the Lowe's clearance area we snapped it up.

I made a cute little no-sew valance for my dining room using Pioneer Woman napkins I picked up at the Walmart.

And my mantel is finally FALLified  (sure, that's a word)

I think  that's about all I have to say for now.  Although I'll probably think of about a dozen more things once I shut down the computer. 

How's life been treating you so far this month?

The Reality of Weekend Softball Tournaments

This Man of the House was invited to go participate in a softball tournament in Cherokee, NC last weekend.  Well, ok - technically it was in Whittier.  But... 6 of one, half dozen of the other...

Knowing he had to be there pretty early and that games could run late into the evening we decided to make it a weekend getaway.   A little early anniversary gift to ourselves.

After digging around online we managed to find a good rate at a cute little bed and breakfast nearby - The Chalet Inn.  It was a very nice little place.  Personal attention.  Tucked away from the beaten path, but very conveniently located to Cherokee, Sylva and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

On a side note - if you ever decide to visit Cherokee in November you should be aware that, with the exception of the casino, apparently the entire town closes up shop and heads home at sundown.  We went looking for something to eat and quickly found our choices to be fast food or fast food.  We settled on Pizza Hut because that was the nicest restaurant we could find open at 8pm.  You have been warned.

Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny, although a little bit cold.  I've never been to one of these tournaments before.  And clearly had no idea what to expect.  In all my glorious naiveté, I expected there to be some downtime between games while other teams played.  Time the Man and I could slip away for some brief sight seeing, shopping, or a quick pop into the casino to lose all my loose change in the slot machines.  (If you've ever actually BEEN to a tournament of this time you are now laughing like crazy.  Go ahead.  Take your time.  I'll wait.)  The reality of it was several back to back games, with an occasional break of about an hour - IF the current game didn't end earlier than scheduled.  So much for down time.

On the plus side:  have I ever mentioned how beautiful this part of the country is?  Well, it is.  Beautiful.  I mean, when you live somewhere that THIS is the view from the ballfields:

Yeh... that!

During the day the weather was cool, but not uncomfortably so.  The sun was shining.  (I ended up sporting a pink nose the next morning.  Oops!) I settled into a camp chair, relaxed, crocheted and watched my handsome man pitch game after game.

Which is not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Once the sun set behind the mountains things got ugly cold very quickly.  And as games continued on into the wee hours of the morning we found ourselves tired, hungry and frozen.  Which just isn't as much fun as it sounds.  Exactly.

But, their team did take second place in their division.  We got a day and 2 nights away from the grind.

And on the drive home we made much less softball-ish type plans to enjoy our actual anniversary this coming weekend.

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

Three Things: That Make Me Happy

Well, once again, my post for yesterday didn't get published. If you're counting, that's twice in less than a week.  What is with me and getting "Publish" goin' on time?  I apologize for the late post.

LOTS of things make me happy.  It would be simple to fill this list just with immediate family members alone.  The Man of the House makes me happy.  The offspring make me happy.  And the grand baby makes me happy.  They are the top 4 on my "Things That make Me Happy" list.  Without question. And if you've been reading this blog for any amount of time now, you can probably guess that, Yes, reading makes me happy.  Coffee makes me happy (and awake)  Knowing all of that - let's just move on to some other things that make me happy.

1) Living in the Mountains - Here in western North Carolina, I am constantly surrounded by so much natural beauty.  God's artwork at it's best.  We get a definite distinction between all four seasons (usually)  The summers are hot.  The winter's aren't too cold (again - usually).  And the autumn is just spectacular! I don't think a week goes by when I don't have my breath taken away from a view along my daily travels.

2)  The Sound of a Child's laughter -  You know the one... that full, hard belly laugh of a child.  You don't?  Go to YouTube right now and search for "baby (or babies) laughing"  Seriously... it's the BEST.  I challenge you to listen to a child's uninhibited, joyous laughter and not end up laughing yourself.  Or at least wearing a huge grin on your face.

3)  Sleep - good sleep.  Restful sleep.  Or maybe I'm just thinking it would make me happy because I have been waking myself up coughing which has prevented a good night's sleep for the past 2 nights.  Nope.  Even without the cough... I just love a good, deep sleep.  Or, more precisely, the rested peaceful feeling I have the next day makes me happy.

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups
Life of Meg: Monday Mingle
The Chicken Chick: Clever Chicks Blog Hop
A Proverbs 31 Wife: Living Proverbs 31
A Life in Balance: Motivation Monday
The WellSpring: Playdates with God 
Tell Me A Story: True Stories
The Beauty In His Grip: Sharing His Beauty 
Salt & Light: Beautiful Ashes