Our World!

THIS is our prediction from our local weather fella for Wednesday (Ray's weather). I brought my entire desk top computer home ... monitor and all so I can just work at home. If the electricity holds up during our 50 - 70 mph winds as predicted, then all will be well.

Sooooooooo, we are once again preparing for some interesting weather pattern ... including some single digit temperatures, plenty of precipitation, obviously high winds and gusts, and hoping for the very best! Well, we haven't had a blizzard yet this year ... and in order to earn the "Mountain People Patch", it appears this is on the docket. I thought the "sewing patch" was hard to earn in the Girl Scouts! Things seem to escalate with the whole adult thing! Well, we signed up for the course, so bring it on!

On another note, Paul found the "crack in the wall" where the neighborhood cat was getting into the Indiana Jones room and he filled it in ... and proud to report ... thank goodness, no kittens! Just a very innovative stray cat! All black with no tail. Very unique! I think he brought a few of his friends around because they're all visiting the front porch. (and yowling - perfect!)

ALSO, Arti has not found his mouse. (drat!) He is as bummed about that as we are.

Paul & I had a date night on Saturday night. We went to Johnson City to see a movie. Thank goodness Paul is not skiddish about driving in the crazy weather. We were the only car in Tennessee with snow on it! So easy to find in the parking lot ... we laughed a lot. We were lucky enough to see Avatar in 3D. It is INCREDIBLE. What a beautiful story. What incredible art work! It is an excellent movie. Go see it! :-)

ALSO, the Daniel Diet is going quite brilliantly. I made it to the health food store yesterday, thanks to Janine and Mark (there is a complete ice city in Boone, Blowing Rock and Linville ... it was so beautiful with the sun shining through the ice ... but treacherous nonetheless), and found all the stuff I'm supposed to be eating! Now, I'll have plenty of food and satisfaction (I hope!). I'm finding that my pants are looser ... and I am very thankful for that. Maybe by the time the real fast is over, I'll be back to my "normal" again. It's a real interesting time ... I'm very grateful for the opportunity to see things that I was too busy and preoccupied to see before. A new perspective. Good in the midst of this crazy winter! Seems like it's going to last a while. Yippee!

Hope you are all well!

Have a great week!

Paul & Cheri

Sunday already!

Artemis is mousing today (!). He caught one this morning ... but it got away ... he's been looking for it all day. If he ever finds it again ... and puts it "to sleep" ... he will rest well! And so will I. He did bring it to me when he caught it this morning ... but it was squeaking so I had to leave the room. Paul stayed with him to watch the show ... which turned out to be a true cat and mouse chase ... and is still in play! Our own version of the Super Bowl!

Here is the kitchen ... everything off of the walls, the shelves, the counters, etc. is piled on the table, so please pardon our mess ... we are under construction! However, you can see how the bead board looks and our blinds ... I'll take other views with the blinds open if I can remember. And maybe the table will be cleaned off by then too! G E E Z. Things take forever here!

another view ... sure did brighten things up! Paul is so talented.

continuing around .... how about the mosaic note board! Love it!

back to the beginning.

Isn't it great? We have to paint ... when it gets above 50 degrees ... and we have to caulk the seams, windows and doors ... when it gets warm enough for the caulk to dry. Then, it'll be spring and we can finish the floor. Maybe some year, we'll do a ceiling. Who knows! For now, we're happy ... and everyone who sees it mentions how big the room looks now. Wait until that table gets cleared off --- it'll look HUGE! HA! ;-)

And for those of you who want to know how deep the snow is .... while I was trying to get a neighborhood cat out of the basement, I had the opportunity to go outside and see just how much snow there was out there. These boots hit me let about one inch under my knee. You can see by where the snow is how deep I sunk into the snow. ;-D

Here you go! D E E P in my opinion! :-O

Now ... let me tell you, I did indeed find a cat in our basement. He was in the Indiana Jones room of our basement, which is the room that is blocked off by a closed door ... it is all dirt ... where they cut the mountain out to build the house way back in 1924. Where Paul put insulation in that first spring ... where he spent weeks cleaning out the junk they'd put under there including water heaters, toilets, and aquariums! There is no other entrance really ... a shut window, a locked draft vent and the door from the basement. ??? Poor little thing. I have an idea he'd been down there for a good while! Like a couple of weeks. OR ... he has a secret passage that we don't know about ... anyway, he was ever so glad to see a person ... and when he was led to the great outdoors with food, he was DELIGHTED to enjoy food. Then he turned around to go back in, but I'd already closed the door! I'm sure it was warmer and no snow inside ... haven't seen him since. I do hope he is a he ... not a her ... and no litter of kitties in the Indiana Jones room. Guess I better send the scout down to check it out, huh? Always an adventure!

Congratulations, New Orleans Saints! Well done.

Happy week to all!

Paul & Cheri

It's the mid week mountain post

In support and honor of my daughter, her husband and I are joining her in The Daniel Diet. Among the approved items are fresh veggies and fruits, whole grains, water, pure juices and that's about it. It's similar to vegan ... and very interesting menu planning! I am on day 6. I have more energy than I've had in 2 years. Now I remember why I like not consuming animal protein. But let me be clear .... I MISS DAIRY PRODUCTS! But not enough to deviate from the plan. My perspective for Jenn and her health life has deeply broadened. I am very grateful for the insight. I'm hoping Monday adds fish and eggs. Then it'll be perfect! Thanks, Jenn for letting me play along.

This is where Hugh and I have moved the office to. It's a pretty cool building. They call the area Tynecastle. All the buildings are stone. Very nice. We are up on a hill and situated looking at these:

This is Dunvegan Peak. It is covered in ice today and is absolutely gorgeous!

This is part of Grandfather ... not sure which part ~ but it's ever so gorgeous. You can see the ice line. It's very interesting to watch it start up top and descend throughout the day when it's cold enough. SO beautiful.

We are continuing to work on the kitchen. Hoping to finish that project this weekend and post some glorious pictures. Fingers are crossed. They are calling for a snow~ice~snow storm. We shall see! Hope you are all having a wonderful mid week!!!

The Dancer's Pointe goes to competition (Regionals) this weekend. GOOD LUCK!!!!! We miss you all.

Happy February Everyone!

Paul & Cheri

Weekend kitchen redo

This is what our weekend was filled with .... C.O.L.D.!!!!!

So, we had this dark dingy paneling that I've desperately wanted to replace, and it seemed a good weekend since the snow was pouring and it was too cold to go out.

And Paul, being the sweet man that he is, played along and pulled the paneling off of the kitchen walls...

And this is what we found (*YUCK and GAG*)!!

So, Paul got out all this nifty stuff ... saws and such ... three to be exact. Guess it's best to have one for each cut? Anyway ...

And after measuring twice and cutting once, we began to have much brighter kitchen walls!

And WHAT a difference it makes!

This is the finished version, albeit not really finished. We are still getting the moulding up and there is paint that needs to happen. But isn't it FABULOUS!!!!!
Will keep you up to date as we hope to finish it up this upcoming week ... blinds and all (fingers crossed)! We just have to wait to paint until this gets out of Mother Nature's system .....

As my sweet friend Kathy says, Have Mercy!!!!

Our next snow storm is expected next weekend. Oh boy!

Happy Week everyone!

Paul & Cheri

Snowy Saturday

A lot of my art blogger friends make a list of ten things that they post on Sundays ... things they are grateful for. I guess my list would be something like this:

* grateful for my health

* grateful for my sweet husband and for his health
* grateful for loving families and friends, and their good health
* grateful for our jobs (!)
* grateful for our house
* grateful for heat, water and electricity
* grateful for snow plows and the men/women who drive them to keep us safe around here
* grateful for food, drinking water and wine ;-)
* grateful for art and humor
* grateful for faith

We have LOTS of snow and it's very cold ... what else is new?!?

Paul began the bead board project in the kitchen today. I'll post pictures tomorrow. It's been a good day. Life is good. We are grateful. Happy weekend!

Paul & Cheri

Jonathan Michael Adams (aka Jon)

My sweet little boy

can always make me laugh

Jon and his sweet wife, Melissa

Here, in all his glory, is my sweet son and second born child, Jon!

Jon just celebrated his birthday on January 19th.

HAPPY 28th BIRTHDAY JON!

There is a sweet bond that happens between a mom and a son. It isn't any more special than the bond between a daughter and her mom, but it certainly is different somehow. I've never been able to put it into words. Maybe it's because little boy sons turn into men sons and go about their lives without needing their moms so much? Daughter's tend to need family history and recipes. My son is a chef. 'Tis I who call him for recipes! Nice twist, huh?

This little fella took a great deal of pride and delight in twisting me around his little pinkie. He was the most adventurous little boy ever, with stitches galore and broken bones and things to prove it. He has always had the twinkle in his eye and the grin on his face that let you know right away he was going for the mischief, no matter to what depth he had to reach to find it! (When he was in first grade he took my diamond earrings to school to give to his girl friend, but before Valentine's Day came he got mad at her and put them in his desk instead of returning them to my jewelry box. When I discovered them missing his teacher helped me retrieve them). He could always smile his way out of trouble (and make me laugh about it). MISCHIEVOUS and sweet hearted ~ what a combination! He can still melt my heart with his smile. He has his own meltable heart now as he looks at his own two sons with his sweet gorgeous brown eyes. He's been wrapped around a couple of pinkies himself now too! He's a wonderful son (when he remembers to call ;-)) and I am so very grateful for having him in my life. He's an accomplished chef, a true artist through and through, a loving husband, a wonderful daddy and a very loving son. A unique and wonderful man. I could not be more proud.

I love you, Jon.

Happy Birthday.

Mom

Still here ...

This picture has absolutely NOTHING to do with this post. I just love it. Bubbles!!!

Was so hoping we were going to have a warm up ... but snow heads back our way tomorrow. I know it's great for the slopes, and they've had a jolly good season this year that we're very grateful for, but goodness knows I've had enough cold to last a long time. And it usually snows here up until April-ish ... I hope I can last! We've about earned our "mountain people" patch, I'm sure! And we are weary to prove it! YEE GADS. I'll let you know when we find out the details about the presentation ceremony. ;-)

We have moved (physically did the move ourselves) the office where I work from the Country Club to The Sterling Company Real Estate and are merging with that company now. My boss, Hugh is going through some yucky treatments and needs the back up of the other agents for business. As you know, the economy is not on our side being in real estate. And being in the 2nd home market, it's a little bigger battle. So, work wise, my world has changed 180 degrees in one week. With the merge came some layoffs, and it's all getting sorted out. We shall see what comes my way. He's moved, he's settled, he's comfortable and he's supported. Amen. I'm tired, stressed, anxious and curious. Ummmmm ... the adventure continues.

On another note, Paul's new job is going great! He comes home every evening dipped in oil products and smelling of motor oil. It's a HUGE change from smelling of metal and burned flesh. All in a day's work! He's learning a lot of new things about servicing 18 wheelers and their trailers. I'm learning how to wash oily clothes! I love seeing his dimples shine when he tells me things about his day in the garage. We both call it the workshop, guess old habits die hard.

It's been an entire week since I've posted and I can't imagine when the time has gone ... we've just been flying through life up here trying to survive! Now I REALLY know why I absolutely LOVE and ADORE the summer here. The glorious lazy days of summer. Well, there aren't really any lazy days around here .... but at least Paul doesn't have to chop and haul wood in the summer for survival! (just for stock piling) And I don't spend near as many hours shivering! Will keep you posted on the happenings of the upcoming week. Maybe we'll have some news that is actually newsworthy.

Please keep the people in Haiti in your prayers and donate if you can. Can you honestly imagine the horror these folks are living through? I lived in Los Angeles, I've been in earthquakes. They are scary enough when they're under 5 ... there was an earthquake while I was delivering Jennifer!!! But I CANNOT even imagine the level of fear these precious people are being forced to live with. Please, please, please if you can't monetarily help out, send them blessings!

Our best to all,

Paul & Cheri