Monday, June 29, 2009

New Friends

It looks like Posy from my giveaway has settled in very nicely with Barb in Oregon. Wouldn’t you like to have been a fly on the wall there when Posy arrived? Guess what? Barb has written a lovely post about Posy’s arrival and how she has subsequently made herself at home. If you’d like to see her in her new surroundings, you can go on over to Barb’s blog here. Thanks, Barb! And Posy, you be a good little faerie bear.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

The Enchanted Coffee House

Courage and bravery – that’s what Saturday required; courage and bravery to venture into the heat and humidity so we could peruse the wares at the Flea Market, which we did. It seems like a lot of people had the same idea – some to sell and some to shop. In spite of the hurdles, my husband managed to find this bottle and goblet for next to nothing.


After we had as much of the heat as we could stand, we decided some fresh fruit and vegetables would really be tasty so off we went to the Farmer’s Market where we found fresh corn, green beans, peas, peaches and a watermelon.



I’ll bet you’re wondering what this has to do with an enchanted coffee house. Last week my daughter wanted to take me there as well as a couple of other places. Our plans didn’t work out as we had hoped. It wasn’t for lack of trying, believe me. I suggested we try again on Satuday after her dad returned from London because I was certain he would probably like to come along too. So that’s what we did.

Per her instructions, she insisted that we must go no earlier than dusk so we could get the full effect. With the timing exactly so, she told us how to get there and where to turn. Arriving just about as the sun was going down, we discovered she was right. It was a place that seemed slightly other worldly when twilight settled in and the fairy lights came on. Here are a few photos from our adventure to what my daughter has dubbed ‘The Enchanted Coffee House’.

We ordered our coffees and tried to decide where to sit and enjoy them. We could sit outside in the front and listen to the live music. We could sit inside or out back. My daughter had another plan.

We went down these wooden steps . . .


with our coffee in bowls being careful not to spill . . .


and we sat at the bottom of the hill under the fairy lights . . . my husband . . .



my daughter . . .


and me. We drank our coffee . . .



while looking up at the canopy of trees and lights



and wondered what this gate was for and where the path beyond it led.


Soon it was time to leave and we looked back on our enchanted coffee spot . . .

and listened to the musicians sing and play as we left.


And then we added this special spot to our list of favorite places.

Friday, June 26, 2009

In the Middle of the Night

Last night while I was happily in dreamland, I became vaguely aware of some rustling. Then, I wasn’t quite sure, but I thought I heard some whispering. I felt fairly confident that no strangers were in the house but I was positively curious as to what I was hearing. I slipped out of bed and snuck over to the doorway. Yep, I definitely heard some whispering. I carefully peered around the corner down the hall and saw that the computer monitor was brightly lit when it is supposed to be in sleep mode. Then I noticed the distinct outline of several furry bear heads. I knew something was up and knowing the bears, it was certainly worth investigating. I crept down the hall a few more feet so I could hear what they were saying more clearly.


Webster: I think if we look on her blog, we can see the mountains.
Sam: I wonder why they didn’t take us with them when they went.
Henry: I want to see the mountains!
Molly: I’ll bet they are lovely. I wonder if there are any photos of black bears.
Henry: I want to see the mountain goats!
Webster: Mountain goats? Who told you there were mountain goats?
Henry: They went to the mountains, didn’t they? And don’t mountain goats live on mountains? I’ve never seen a mountain goat and I want to see one.
Sam: How do mountain goats keep from falling down when they are on a mountain?
Webster: They have uneven legs.
Molly: What?!
Sam: Uneven legs?
Webster: Yes, their two right legs are shorter than their left legs. It makes it easy for them to stand on the mountain and eat the grass.
Molly: If they want to go to a different part of the mountain, how do they turn around?
Webster: They don’t turn around! They just walk around the mountain in the same direction until they get where they want to go.
Henry: Wow! Is it always the right legs that are shorter?
Webster: Almost all the time, but every so often, a baby goat will be born the other way, with his left legs shorter than his right legs.
Molly: What happens then?
Webster: When they are kids, they just look at their mamas all the time, but when they get bigger they are always facing the wrong direction. When a mountain lion comes along and scares the herd, they all run away in the same direction but the left-legged goats run the opposite way.
Sam: I never knew that.
Henry: So they are either left-legged or right legged?
Webster: Not always. Sometimes on a rare occasion their front legs will be shorter. Then they are always facing uphill.
Sam: Do they call them front-leggers?
Webster: No, they are called Northies. Then every once in a blue moon, a baby goat will be born with his back legs shorter and they always face downhill.
Sam: And they are called Southies, right?
Webster: No, they are called back-leggers.
Sam: That makes no sense.
Henry: I want to see the mountain goats!
Molly: You can’t see mountain goats until you see the mountains.
Henry: I want to see the mountain goats! I want to see the right-leggers, the left-leggers, the Northies and the back-leggers!
Webster: I can’t find the photos. She must not have put them up yet. I think she’s been kind of busy packing Posy’s travelling case. I’ll tell you what. Next time they go out for a café mocha, we'll sneak back in here and check again.
Henry: And see the mountain goats?
Webster: Yes, we’ll see the mountain goats. And the mountain lions. I heard them say they petted a mountain lion that was wearing a pink hat.
Sam: No self-respecting mountain lion would wear pink. I think you must be mistaken. They must have said “mink hat”.
Molly: No, I think it was an “ink hat”.
Webster: What in the world is an “ink hat”?
Henry: Maybe it was a “sink hat”?
Molly: A “sink hat”?!!

And with that I realized that the whispers could go on long into the night. I slipped back down the hall, climbed back into my bed, nestled under the covers, closed my eyes and dreamed of goats with uneven legs and mountain lions wearing sinks on their heads.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Announcing the Giveaway Winner –

It gets very complicated – this drawing a winning name for Posy. We want to be absolutely fair and so my dear husband all the way over in London pulled all the information together and created a program that would give each person the correct number of entries. The program churned and churned, sorted records, assigned numbers, mowed the grass, mopped the floors, painted the walls, took out the trash, and finally shot out the total number of entries from which a winning name was to be drawn. Not drawn like in a sketch book or even pulled like out of a hat, but chosen. Then using a random number generator, an amazing program which is probably very simple but I had nothing to do with creating, the winning number turns out to be #445.

Of course that means nothing to you, but I have the key and to me it means that Barb from Oregon is the winner of Posy, the Pincushion Faerie! Posy will be getting ready, packing her bags, and standing by for takeoff.

For those of you who didn’t win, and that’s everyone else on the list, I want to tell you that I will be doing another giveaway and if you entered this one and come back and enter the next one, I will automatically enter your name twice or thrice! Why do I complicate things for myself? Well, first of all, I’m grateful that you are interested in my work. Secondly, I’m grateful that you stop by to read my blog. And lastly, I complicate things for myself because I’m crazy that way.

Poor dear husband – all these years thinking it can only get better right? Sorry, it seems to have gone the other way for him. But he’ll be back home tomorrow and begin trying very earnestly to keep me in line. (I know it’s impossible and you know it’s impossible, but he’s such an optimist. Let’s not spoil his plan.)

Congratulations Barb! Posy will be winging her way westward and looking for a safe place to land!

Thank you all very much for your entries and your enthusiasm!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Posy says: “It’s time to fly!"

Thursday is a special day for us. Posy, the Pincushion Faerie will finally be able to fly away to her new home. She is so excited and I am too! Thanks to all who signed up for this giveaway – it’s been wonderful hearing from you all. I wish each of you the best of luck and am certain that Posy will be well cared for wherever she lives. She told me in no uncertain terms that since the bunny from my last giveaway was able to say her farewells to everyone it was only fair that she be able to say hers too. So, as it seems to be the tradition I’ve unwittingly started, I’m letting Posy take over the rest of this post.

"It’s time for me to flutter and fly and so I’ll say farewell.
So long, au revoir and goodbye to you, it certainly has been swell."

Farewell, Adiόs, Au revoir, Vaarwel, Auf Wiedersehen, до свидания, and Goodbye


Two Gardens


Monday, June 22, 2009

Come Along with Us-Asheville Final Day

So much to see and do and so little time. We spent a good deal of time in Asheville’s River Arts District and took a bunch of photos in the historical Riverside Cemetery, but they will have to wait for another day.

Food of the Day:

Does chocolate qualify as food?

Quirky Sight of the Day:

This coffee shop is a popular and a peculiar resting spot.

Flower of the Day:

Gardens turn up in different places to charm and surprise.



Chocolate Shop of the Day:

I really don’t think these photos need much explanation.





Another perspective . . .

Pardon the pun
and by the way

Have a great day!


Sunday, June 21, 2009

Come Along with Us-Asheville/Black Mountain Day 2

Even though I’ve got the most photos from this day of our trip, I’m going to have to keep it short for now. Happy Father’s Day to the Dads out there and especially to my own, the best! And to my guy who is a terrific dad to our two!

If you’re still with me on tour it’s on to day 2 . . . We didn’t think we had ever been to Black Mountain (a small town near Asheville) and we had read so many brochures that were enticing, we decided we’d go for a visit.This town is small, charming and full of personality. A couple of snapshots of the streets of the town of Black Mountain to give you a feel for the town.




The artful influence is abundant here and the shops are filled with loads of temptation.



No Food of the Day photo but how about Building of the Day instead?


Quirky Sight of the Day:

This bronze elephant as signage.


Flower of the Day:

We lucked into the time of year when the rhododendrons are blooming on the mountainsides. My mother loved the rhododendrons!





Chocolate Shop of the Day:

Does it taste better if the proprietor speaks with an English accent?




We also took a ride along the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you haven't ever visited the mountains of North Carolina, the parkway is a wonderful way to see them. I'll post some of those photos in a separate post soon. Only one day left to see what we can see!

He's there and I'm here . . .



Happy Father’s Day to my guy who has travelled to another part of the globe, X!

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Come Along with Us-Asheville Day 1


I didn’t expect anything extraordinary. After all, I’d been there before, but I’m always surprised. Now we’re back home with our photos, our memories, and plans to go back again one day to see a few more things. But I was thinking, perhaps you haven’t been there and visited this wonderful place. It’s infused with art, loads of beautiful scenery, and a few quirky, funky things thrown in for good measure. So, come along with us and I’ll show you a little bit of Asheville through our eyes.

Food of the Day:

Shortly after we arrived, it was time for dinner. This is “where the locals eat”. So we gave it a try.

First they brought these giant biscuits with homemade apple butter. I really wasn’t planning to eat something that seemed like dessert first! I think they were just trying to get us warmed up for what was to follow.


Sweet tea – Southern style was served in Mason jars to complete the atmosphere and lots of food – Southern style as well - too much to eat but delicious just the same.


Quirky Sight of the Day:

We did a double take when we passed this house. The place was decorated with plush Pandas everywhere. It seems they’re there whatever the weather.



Sitting along the fence, wondering if you'd like to join them.



I was wondering if these guys had misbehaved. They were around the corner as if banished from the main population.



Flower of the Day:

My husband took this amazing shot along a mountain roadside where this plant was growing.



Chocolate Shop of the Day:

This place is more than a chocolate shop; it’s a chocolate lounge.



You can go in and buy chocolate or cake or treats and leave but it’s a great place to sit . . .



and enjoy the wonderful scent of the artisan chocolate while you drink a café mocha.


My family wouldn’t let me leave without taking a photo of the menu board . . .



the chocolates . . .


the cakes . . .


and the chocolate bars.


(My apologies if you’re not a fan of chocolate!)

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

The Dog That Came to Visit

This is the dog.


This is the dog that came to visit.


This is the dog that came to visit us in North Carolina.


This is the dog that came to visit us in North Carolina all the way from Texas.


This is the dog that came to visit us in North Carolina all the way from Texas that had an exciting trip

and became very tired.

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