Precious Baby Neil

I'm home after a wonderful Memorial Day Holiday with my beautiful grandbaby! The time was such a blessing....Neil is the joy of my life...and of course, his mother and father are such blessings to my heart, as well:) Thank you, guys, for the lovely visit! I look forward to seeing all of you soon! I love each of you!

Wednesday Morning Sunrise

I love standing in my "back yard" and watching the sun rise over the Blue Ridge. Our little town is such a peaceful, quiet place, especially at 6:00 a.m. The view of the rooftops, the town below, the hills and then the Blue Ridge, all accompanied by the songs of birds and an occasional Canadian goose, give me an uplifting coffee time and such a pleasant way to start the day....

Moose Hollow

What a beautiful, misty weekend we've had! These were pictures from an afternoon drive Becca and I took to Murphy and Hayes, North Carolina and Hiawassee, Georgia. God has given me such a tranquil lifestyle these past few years, and I know that these scenes add so much to the sense of peace and thankfulness that fills my heart. God's creative handiwork literally surrounds me, day after day. My heart is full of wonder and gratitude.....

Alabama's DeSoto Falls

What a gorgeous finale for Mother's Day! Paul shared one of his favorite spots in Alabama with us this afternoon....DeSoto Falls. The sheer beauty of the place is breathtaking, but combined with the mountain air, the delightfully cool temperatures (about 70 degrees), and the roaring falls, made the place one of the most memorable places I've seen since my move. Thank you, Paul, Elizabeth, and Rebecca, for this perfect ending to a precious weekend!

Mother's Day

What lovely surprises on this special day. Liz and Paul had sent a gorgeous bouquet of Irises and Tulips, and Becca gave me two books on Appalachian history, a book on wildflowers, and one on wildflower trails in Georgia. I'm reading Miracle of Brasstown Valley and I used the Audubon Society Wildflower book on our afternoon trip today. I'm also so happy that today is Anna's very first Mother's Day. She is such a good mother already and I am so proud of her!

Spring Place Moravian Cemetery

Becca's school began as a Moravian Mission to the Cherokee Indians in the early 1800's.

On our way home last night we passed the old Moravian Cemetery, where the missionaries and many of their converts are buried in unmarked graves. It had just rained and the golden light of the sunset gave the entire area an ethereal air. Daisies and primroses and some sort of purple flower unfamiliar to me grew in profusion outside the old wooden fence surrounding the sacred place. I thought how different Heaven's economy is from ours....that the least truly will be the greatest some day and that the unknown will be names of renown in that land. I knew that I was standing on Holy Ground of great Saints.

Knowing that the Trail of Tears started about 10 miles from my home, I wondered how many of those exiled pilgrims from our own country's history found their true resting place with God due to the efforts and sacrifice of these missionaries.

Murphy, North Carolina

After we left Ocoee, we stopped at a gas station, where we learned we were three miles from North Carolina. Paul had not been to North Carolina in years, so off we went to Murphy, which was about 30 miles past the state line. And how thankful I am that Paul and Liz are adventuresome types. We ate lunch at Rib Country and then set off. What a lovely town! We stopped at an old church there and explored the cemetery, the town itself, and an old train depot! What a delightful ending to a beautiful day! Thanks, Liz and Paul, for coming and for a wonderful Saturday!

Olympic Center at Ocoee

Next Paul drove us to the site of the 1996 Olympic Whitewater Event Center at Ocoee. It boggles my mind some days to realize that this is about 30 minutes from my little home.

And the Earth Displays His Handiwork...

I am constantly amazed at the minute details of God's wondrous creation. The sheer beauty of these mountains seems never ending. I've heard that Appalachia holds more botanical species than anywhere else in North America, and I'm not at all surprised by this. With almost every step of every hike that I take, I find a new reason to be in awe of our Creator God. His attention to every single segment of His world, His expression of diversity, and His lavish gifts of beauty all bring me to my knees..... Thank you, Lord, for sharing your creation with us and for giving us all five senses with which to observe your handiwork...

Ocoee

This weekend was so full and such a blessing that one post will, in no way, even scratch the surface...
Paul and Elizabeth came Friday night and then took me on a driving adventure Saturday. Our first stop was Ocoee, Tennessee. These are views atop one of the many mountains in the area. We found a trail next to one of the overlooks and took a short hike through a lovely forrested mountainside. It had rained Saturday morning, and the rich greens and dark woods were simply beautiful. And nothing...nothing....tops the smells of fresh mountain air after a rain. We even found a wild peach tree loaded with new peaches!

The Brag Book

A Rite of Passage....
For my entire life I'd only been the observer of that ancient species....."Proud Grandparent".....and now, I find myself a full-fledged member of its race.....
For Christmas, Joy gave me this precious granny albumn for future pictures of my life's greatest treasure....Neil Benjamin. Today I put this wonderful gift to full use at the office.... What absolute bliss! Anna, thank you SO much for the beautiful pictures! Those not currently framed are finding a home within the pages of this very book! (and being whipped out at every convenient moment:) Baby Neil, how much I love you!

Thank you Rachel Earle and Jane Knudtson

What a delightful way to spend a rainy Saturday morning. And what clear memories rushed back to my heart. Bear Trap Ranch, Colorado.... Drizzling rain.... Jane, ever the leader and trail blazer for our motley group.... Searching for the elusive Golden Lady Slipper.... I can still see Rachel, rain dripping down the bill of her parka.... Laughing from sheer delight over God's creation.... Hopefully I will continue to follow in their hiking boot trail prints for as long as I can make it up mountains..... Today, was such a time trekking up Ft. Mountain.... Ferns abounded....I learned to spot New York Fern, Christmas Fern, Cinnamon Fern.... Wild mountain geraniums abounded as borders for our trail.... Common Wood Violets and Bird's Foot Violets sprang up, here and there, alongside May Apples....And there was even an abundance of Sassafrass...... All was misty and ethereal until the final mile or so...when torrents of rain showed up for our parade.... But all of us were undaunted and enjoyed the time to the end of the trail! Thank you, Lord, for Your matchless creation!