Blue Ridge Mountains – Day 3

Day 3 of our trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains was really our last full day together.  (Papa Bear had to come home early on Day 4. )   Day 3 was pretty much a driving-around day.  My husband wanted to head in the direction of Zionville, North Carolina, because his mother had family there.

We found one set of grandparents up in Zionville Baptist Church cemetery.  He has other family, on his father’s side, buried in Beaver Dam, and some family still living who we really enjoy visiting, but unfortunately we did not make it up to Beaver Dam this year.  Perhaps we can take another trip in the fall. 

We also found the marker at the gravesite of Landrine Eggers, Sr.  Yes, hubby is descended from Landrine.  I think there is only one Landrine Eggers, Sr., and with a name like that it’s not hard to find your distant cousins!

This is the day that we drove into Mountain City, Tennessee, and I bought my apron, which you have already seen. 

After leaving Tennessee, we headed back towards Boone and got on a climbing, winding mountain road that had me clutching my door handle.  We were going up to meet Patricia from Little Cabin in the Woods and her family.  I have always very much loved to read Patricia’s blog.  If you’ve seen her wonderful photography — pictures of girls learning at home, nestled snuggly in a little cabin in the mountain woods, in pretty dresses, surrounded by good books and music, then you’ll know it’s like going back in time. 

I had e-mailed Patricia telling her that I thought we’d be vacationing close to where she lives.  She graciously invited us to come see her and her family, which is something I really wanted to do!  I also wanted to talk with Patricia about our current homeschool situation and decisions I need to make in the future.  Patricia is a careful, quiet listener and I know it did my heart good to be able to tell her some of my concerns. 

Patricia is amazing.  I came away from her cabin really admiring her obvious firm footing in knowing what she wants for her family and just following after that course.  She also has an amazing voice. 

My daughter hit it off immediately with little Sage, Piper and Willow, and she wants to go back!  As you can see Piper and Michaela made a game of trying to get Piper to look at the camera.

All I can say about Mountain Man is that he’s really, truly a Mountain Man and he was very kind to sit and visit with my husband and my boys.  They are a very sweet family.

I always hate to leave the mountains when it’s time to come home from vacation, but this year it was especially hard knowing about the homeschoolers tucked away up in the mountains and the tranquility they have all around them.

Some Things From Home

Of course I did get settled back into home.  I’m pretty content that way (thankfully), and I immediately started planning a trip to find a corner shelf for my office.  Papa Bear has said from the very start that I needed a little corner shelf in a particular corner of the office, so yesterday I had a day off and some time to go visit the antique and thrift stores and I found the perfect shelf!

I felt it urgent to get the shelf now because my office is so tiny and I was running out of space for my birds, so when my husband bought me the pretty bluejay, I knew it needed a home so as not to get broken when it fell off it’s too-small perch on the corner of a desk.

The shelf has the perfect shabby chic look and color.

I love little play dishes.  Don’t you?  Oh, and old books…

There’s only one more thing I want to share.  We are headed out today to the library and to get a frame for a couple of pictures I’ve been wanting to put out so I can see them every day.  It’s yours truly and Papa Bear in their very early youth.

Aren’t we just the best couple ever?

Lynn

PS – Patricia does NOT cluch her door handle on that climbing, winding mountain road.