I promised to share about our October trip to the mountains, so here ya go:
First stop was, of course, Jacksonville to visit my happy place. On the way, we go over a bridge that has a beauty-full view of downtown. This happy bridge makes me happy because it means I'm almost to my happy place.
which is, you guessed it, the Chamblin Book Mine. Just look at that -- books from floor to ceiling, as far as the eye can see. See why that makes me happy?
See how happy I am?
Next stop was to visit Mama and Daddy's grave in Lakeland, GA and put some new flowers for them in honor of their anniversary. They would have been married 69 years.
I have a lot of relatives in this cemetery. As we were cleaning up around the plot, I was attacked by ants and got some awful bites. Next time, I'll be prepared and bring some bug spray and some clippers. Pulling at the grass got the ants all aggravated. Lesson learned.
Then we headed for Hiawassee to visit my friend, Linda. We've been friends for over 50 years. On the way, I saw this lovely tree. I wish I knew what kind it is.
As we got close to Hiawassee, I saw my first glimpse of the mountains. I was so excited!
Linda and her husband live in an idyllic spot in Hiawassee. The house sits near a creek and we sat on the porch, chatting, listening to the birds, and drinking hot coffee. So lovely and peace-full.
I was having a wonder-full time, but I was freezing to death. This Florida girl gets chills and stays inside when it gets below seventy degrees. So my kind hostess brought me a blanket. Note that she's wearing capris and flip-flops . . .
We visited a local diner, and I saw these signs on the wall. Had to take pictures 'cause I agree with this one:
 |
| fits me to a "T" |
This one is kind of fuzzy, but I like it. "Farm living is the life for me" is part of a song that was played on the old TV show, Green Acres. When I moved to central Florida, I felt like Lisa when her husband moved her to the Green Acres farm. My first thought was, "Where are the shopping malls?" The country lacks the artistic and cultural experiences of life in the big city, but I grew to love it much more than city life. I don't even like to visit the city unless it's absolutely necessary. . .like when I need more books.
I just had to take a pic of this one because . . . well, I know a few drama queens. (You know who you are . . .)
Here are a few more pics of Linda's pretty yard. I'm so glad we stopped by to see her because we had a great time.
Linda owns and operates a wonderful gift shop in Hiawassee called
Creekside General Store. I bought some very nice gifts there, and I highly recommend it if you're ever near Hiawassee or Helen, GA. Tell her Gail Golden sent you. Here's a pic of a lovely scarf clip that I love, love, love. I've been looking for something like this for ages. It's perfect.
We spent one night with them and I wish we could have stayed longer, but we had a lot of miles to cover during this one week vacation. I'll write more about it next week.
My birthday was last month, and I was so thankful to celebrate it with Linda. Also visited with my friend Carlleen in Myrtle Beach, and my daughter, Melissa, on our way back to Florida. I'll write more about that later, too. But, I have to show you my favorite birthday present, given to me by my sweet husband. I've been wanting a Yeti cup for a long, long time, but hated to spend the big bucks. It's wonderful because it keeps beverages hot or cold for hours. I (big, puffy heart) LOVE it. The cup holds a big thirty ounces, and I drink it full of water every day.
We went to our favorite waterside restaurant to celebrate and saw a beauty-full rainbow. I was so thankful for my birthday rainbow.
Some other things I'm thankful for:
Birthday flowers.
And for friends who make me laugh. LaVonne sent me this pic of mop that has a bad attitude.
And for this wonder-ful dog who made me feel so happy. We had to catch up with him so we could take pics.
I'll have to stop for today, but I'll share more about our trip and some other happenings over the past month. My dream-come-true office is almost finished, so I'll be sharing about that soon.
What are you thank-full for this week, Gail-Friends. I'd love to hear about it.
