Back from North Carolina
Stephan and I returned today from North Carolina, where we visited my parents and my sister and her husband. We also drug my parents along for a few days on the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Balsam Mountain Inn, which was fabulous! No TV, no phone, no internet--in other words, very little to distract us from the pleasures of the mountains and visiting with each other. We toured the Biltmore Estate, complete with a tour and tasting at the winery, and visited the Cherokee Museum, which was even better than I remembered and very informative about the history, language, and culture of the Cherokee people. As an appreciator of all things mythological, I bought a book of Cherokee legends and stories that I look forward to reading. The Blue Ridge Parkway was wonderful, as always, and we enjoyed driving many parts of it as well as taking some walks. Stephan and I climbed Waterrock Knob, with a great view of the Balsams and Smokies.
While visiting my sister, we feasted on the bounty of their wonderful garden, which meant lots of tomatoes. Yum!
We also helped my parents buy a new Macintosh computer to replace the PC that has been non-functional for more than a year, and got them set up with email again. Hi, Mom and Dad, if you're reading this!
We did some browsing of craft shops including Maggie J's Jewelry in Dillsboro, where I coveted most everything she made, and ended up settling on a necklace and earrings of darkly tarnished sterling with shapes of curled leaves. I love her work and look forward to buying something else from her internet shop in the future.
Now I've got to catch up on things and get ready for the start of the semester, as well as diving back into some writing and editing.
While visiting my sister, we feasted on the bounty of their wonderful garden, which meant lots of tomatoes. Yum!
We also helped my parents buy a new Macintosh computer to replace the PC that has been non-functional for more than a year, and got them set up with email again. Hi, Mom and Dad, if you're reading this!
We did some browsing of craft shops including Maggie J's Jewelry in Dillsboro, where I coveted most everything she made, and ended up settling on a necklace and earrings of darkly tarnished sterling with shapes of curled leaves. I love her work and look forward to buying something else from her internet shop in the future.
Now I've got to catch up on things and get ready for the start of the semester, as well as diving back into some writing and editing.