Climb Every Mountain

Bear with me as I catch up on last weekend's activity. Our eldest son and his wife called and were heading on a trip.










MC, our granddaughter couldn't wait to get in the water. She splished and splashed having a grand time just as her father did when he was a child.











I won't bore you with too many pics (because I take wa-a-ay too many) but this huge rock formation was nestled in the evergreens. We enjoy nature and can't get enough of it. I often wonder what the Native Americans thought when they first encountered the mountains in all their glory. I could sit for hours in solitude pondering that thought while waiting and watching for wildlife.

My new favorite pic of DH. He's working hard to lose some weight. A bit difficult when one can't exercise due to medical issues but I'll give him a big round of applause for trying.

We were planning a camping trip for a weekend but after today we're going to scrap it and opt for another day out when God paints the landscape for fall.

Mountain Blessings

Chan is having a contest. Click over there folks and join the fun.
One of my blessings is my life in the mountains.
We went for a drive this past weekend to check out the fall foilage. Anything to battle the funk I'm in. Unfortunately the leaves are a bit slow in turning this year but that didn't stop me from capturing some beautiful pics of our area. This is my favorite picture. I love the logo on the barn. It reminds me of my grandfather's farm where I was raised. Do you see the old blue tractor to the side? Just like the red one on my grandparent's farm.


I love pictures of barns and covered bridges. I'm hoping we get to take another ride soon so I can take pictures of some covered bridges in our area.









This picture caused the hubby to come to a screeching halt on a country road.

Word of caution: DO NOT make the husband come to a screeching halt with dpns and camera in hand. Those dpns could become dangerous weapons when flying through the air........LOL









These fascinated me and I have no idea why. They were very tall and I wonder how the "artist" created them.










I love the mountains. The ride was pleasant (didn't require me to read a map and make feeble attempts giving directions......lol).
So much scenery and so very peaceful.

I did get some knitting done on my car socks but that picture will come later.

Up, up & Away

I promised to write the reason why the youngest DD will be away for Father's Day.
She was one of 90 students chosen from 500 across the nation to participate in a two week, all expense paid science/space exhibition. Her group consists of 8 students from across the USA to attend their particular exhibition.
She has been preparing and anticipating this trip for months.
A lot of firsts for this young lady, her first flight, her first time anywhere west of Arkansas/Tenn, her first time away from family.
Here she is, pasting a "have-to" grin for her mother at 5:45 am in the airport. We departed at 3:00am in order to be there two hours in advance. Good thing. We have never been to the airport so it was quite confusing for us. Add in the husband who does not (or better yet, refuses) to "ask" directions and it only gets worse (eyeroll). Her flight was at 7:15 am. We arrived in the terminal at 5:30 am. Thank goodness she had all of the necessary paperwork in hand. Security was a nightmare with very lo-o-ong lines.

We watched and waited for her to get through security. Apparently we missed her going through the line. This Appalachian mama had a meltdown. Husband was very patient and insisted she would call if there was a problem. I knew she turned off her cell phone as she is very adamant about following rules. At 6:40 am my phone rang. She called to say that she could have the phone on before boarding but she would promptly turn it off after she boarded. She barely made it in time for boarding due to the security check lines. Thank goodness we didn't listen to those who advised to only allow an hour at the airport. She would have definitely missed her flight if we followed that advice. My heart skipped a few beats as I watched her plane on take off. She landed safe and sound many hours later and she LOVED it! Unlike her mother who has only flown once and hated every minute of it.

As John Denver sang, ".....mountain mama, take me home, country road." This mountain mama was glad to head home.

I took some stress-free knitting along. Tiger socks in progress. It's my new car knitting project.

Appalachia

This is a post about a way of life.

I was born and raised on a farm in the Appalachian Mountains.
I went squirrel, turkey and deer hunting with my dad & uncles. As a young girl I watched as my grandmother and mother canned squirrel and vegetables. I learned to sew, knit and crochet when I was very young. My mom sewed our clothing when handmade clothing was not in style. We weren't poor, we were frugal. We speak with an Appalachian twang and yes I admit to saying crick instead of creek:).

I was teased as a child for being of Native American heritage and for living on a farm. Two strikes against me. Add in homemade clothing and that was a third strike. But we were taught to hold our head up high and be proud. We did.

My dad worked a hard life delivering milk and working on the farm. He left for work at 2-3 am and worked until ?? We never knew when dad would be home for dinner. He even worked on Christmas Day in the wee hours of the morning so he could be home in time to watch us open gifts on Christmas morning. Milk was home delivered back then and that meant holidays too.
My parents worked to provide a decent home life and encouraged us to get an education. They taught us

strong work ethics and good moral values.
There is a program coming on tonite, The Children of the Mountains. It is a program about Appalachia folk and it is a must see.

My husband is one of those hard working Appalachia folk. He was in masonry for 15 yrs and then went to a delivery truck driving for a soft drink company and then an ice cream company. Jobs have always been scarce around here yet our roots are in the mountains.
Just like my dad, my DH lugged heavy cases of product in and out of stores working 12-16 hour days. He was salary paid. Sadly the heavy work load took it's toll on his body. He suffered a severly fractured back at work a few years ago. Due to the extent of his injury he is no longer permitted to drive a delivery truck. He was told by the insurance company that he has no skills. Quite a blow to a hard working man trying to provide for his family.
My husband's boss is a decent man and he created an office position for him. Appalachia folk stand by one another.

My DH told our kids not to follow in his footsteps but to get a good education and get out of the area to find a good paying job. He gave up so much to make certain that our kids have a better life and he is so very proud of them.

Upon hearing what my husband did for a living when he fractured his back and was heading into surgery, the surgeon looked at my husband, patted him on his shoulder and said, "I have a great respect for men like you. The kind of job that you do takes it's toll on the body. Men like yourself pay the ultimate price for the work that you do and yet receive so little in return." These are words my husband will never forget.
Appalachia living is a tough life and the hard working people who live here work long hours for very low wages.
Please say a silent thank you to the hard working folk of this great country. They are the ones who will turn this country's economy around and if anyone else takes credit they're only pursuing a vote in a future election.

I am proud to be from the Appalachian Mountains.