RETREAT TO CHEROKEE COVE

This past weekend Paul and I went on a retreat to Cherokee Cove, a bit over the Tennessee border past Boone. It was our first trip to the mountains since we’d moved—and ever to that area. Fall is only threatening to arrive at home, so a trip there was like fast-forwarding to “real” autumn. It was in the 30s at night, and sweater weather during the day.

I think I can safely assert it’s best to approach Cherokee Cove by day the first (and maybe ALL) time(s) you go there. We found ourselves terribly lost a couple of times, despite using GPS… and perhaps because of it at least once because “that crazy lady” told us to go up a narrow gravel road that, 1.1 miles from the next turn GPS instructed, was abruptly blocked by a rusty. chained gate sporting a ‘no trespassing’ sign. That 6 point turn was not fun. Anyway, we persisted and eventually found ourselves in our cabin.

It was worth the mishaps, though. Even with often-dreary weather, the surroundings and buildings there are beautiful, peaceful, and inspiring. The food was incredible, too!

FALL COLOR

I did some calculations, ran some sophisticated algorithms, and have concluded that last weekend was it. THE peak of fall color here. Thank goodness we took the time to get out and really see it.

This weekend the leaves are still very pretty, but trees are thinning, and there is that undercurrent of brown. Speaking of… I think it’s time to buy a rake! Those kids need to learn what leaf piles are.

A RELAXING WEEKEND

Bwahahaha. Not so much on the relaxing, but it has been productive!

Friday morning, as we pulled into carpool line at middle school, Bunny told me that the birthday slumber party she was going to this weekend was Friday night, not Saturday night as I’d thought, having misread the invitation. “Shooooo,” I said, telling Bun I really didn’t know how I was going to pull the rabbit out of the hat on this one, since I was working late that evening and we were planning to shop for the present the next day. All the way to work I alternated between trying to figure out how I’d make this work at all, and deciding to just worry about it later. However, some fast texting between the other mom and me resolved it acceptably, and all I had to do was bring Bun her PJs etc that evening.

I think I was Reece’s hungover from my annual Eat all the Reece’s I Want Day (aka Halloween for everyone else), and the only cure was to eat 4 different egg casseroles, hash browns, pastries, and the like during our floor’s potluck breakfast. I contributed two kinds of (store-bought) egg nog and some OJ. BTW, pumpkin egg nog is surprisingly awesome. I had my doubts, which is why I used my coworkers as guinea pigs instead of bringing it home.

I was still stuffed at lunch, so I walked around during lunch. It was gusty and rainy, but it was also nice and peaceful. I decided to check out the Museum of Natural Sciences a block away and look forward to taking the family there some inclement weekend. Free admission, too!

Thankfully month-end went well this month, so I only had to work a little late that night, packed a bag of stuff to take to Bun, came back, and sat and stared at idiots not finding gold on TV until a little before 10, then went to sleepy land.

Saturday I made breakfast, fetched the very tired slumber party kid, went to the bank, took some clothes to be altered, went grocery shopping, went on a little walk by the lake with the family (pretty colors!), watched the boys throw sticks into the spillway by the dam, and peppered the day with an inordinate amount of coaxing/threatening/wrestling with a 5 year-old who just needs to take his ^$%#@ cough medicine (“I hate the flavooooooorrrrrr….”). Linda Blair in The Exorcist could have taken notes on how to spit red stuff from Cole yesterday.

Today was more of the same, with a bonus trip to the hair cuttery for the girlchild just when I had exclaimed, “That’s it; I won’t do anything else today, except make this soup and watch TV.” Except I’d forgotten that I had promised to take someone for a haircut… But! There was no line, and that was nice. Now I’m finally feeling the extra hour we got back today, and looking forward to watching Once Upon a Time with the kids. Bunny has been dying for Ariel to be featured, and is about to burst with excitement over it. I think Regina as Ursula is genius and am looking forward to it, too. Plus! Zombies. And! Talking Dead, which I really enjoy, too. (Man, I sound like the teaser for that awful show Extra! there.)

Here’s a photo Paul sent me from when he went to the park to play two-touch with Carter.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by SouleMama.