Happy Fall Y'all!

Greetings, Friends!

We have been blessed this week with gorgeous Fall weather!  Warm, sunny days and calm, cool nights! Leaf color is starting to show up and the Fall festivals are starting up all over the place! There will definitely be a caramel apple or funnel cake in my near future!

I couldn't help but be a little emotional today as I looked around at all God's beauty and contemplated how truly blessed I am to live in these beautiful mountains! We are in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Most years we see a good taste of all four seasons. I grew up mostly in East Tennessee as did three generations before me. I live in a house built well over one hundred years ago and we are overwhelmed sometimes by the fact we have had six generations live in this very house. It amazes me to think of twelve people living in three rooms so many years ago. I truly believe they managed it much better than I ever could living here now. That old saying about "if these walls could talk" bounces off the walls in the original rooms. You can't help but feel the energy and envision the trials and celebrations that filled the house. It makes me chuckle to think of what I was always told is the "New Room"! You were special if you got to sleep in the New Room because it had soft beds and a tile floor! Also, the only bathroom was attached to it! Then I was told it was added on in the early 1930's! What a hoot! The New Room also has its own front door! I learned a few years ago that the house is described as a "saddlebag" house. This is because it was built in two phases, each phase having its own front door, and the areas shared a central fireplace. I guess you could say it was the original duplex!

You may think it is always peaceful and serene here. Not so much! Traffic has increased to a frenzy in recent years. The County just paved over an old wagon road that runs through the property. The house is on one side of the road and the "driveway" parking area is on the other. It worked out well until the GPS became available. My poor dogs just can't seem to grasp why so many cars keep coming through their yard! Many times folks have to wait until they amble out of the way. Thankfully, there have been just a few incidents where the dog was injured. Locals know to watch for them, but the "shortcut" folks aren't always as patient. At least once a day I hear someone honking the horn to move the dogs along.  We have also been listed with the bicycle clubs in the area as "the scenic route". The cyclists have their own tales to share about my dogs I'm sure! HA! Even with the added traffic, we all manage to get along. We are proud to show off nature's bounty to those who aren't as blessed as we are!

I also realize now why children were many and a welcome addition to the family. There is ALWAYS some sort of chore that needs to be done! Trees to cut, grass to mow, fences to mend, creeks to clean out, house repairs and upkeep and on and on. As I am aging, I adjust my priorities accordingly. The gutters can wait as I do not want to fall off the ladder, bushes will get trimmed when my back is having a good day, the house will get power washed when I can hold the spray wand for more than fifteen minutes, and the porch will get painted when...well, we won't worry about the porch at all for now! I've decided the spider webs all around the outside are perfect Halloween decorations! I'll work on getting those swept down after November 1st!

Some of my most treasured moments here are early morning when a symphony of bird songs fill the air and I can smell the honeysuckle vines in bloom, or watch a golden leaf float to the ground as the sun makes it glow. Just watching the dogs and the cat play in the yard is relaxing and entertaining. Then to look out and see the horses grazing with their tails swishing and the occasional whinny or snort echoing adds even more to my overflowing cup of blessings.

I thank you for stopping by and letting me share some of what makes my days so full and my heart so happy. I hope you will visit again and share some of your own moments of happy for you! Until next time, I leave you with ...

Blessings,
Vicki