This is Elise

Elise!

I have been asking you all to keep good thoughts and prayers in your heart for Elise. Well, I thought it might be nice if you had a visual. So, here she is! Elise Crane Cahaly. Please keep her in your thoughts, along with her daughter Shay. Elise went back into the hospital last night so they could get some fluids into her. She seems to be having a problem wanting to eat and drink. Her daughter, Shay and she will certainly appreciate and utilize all of your kind thoughts and prayers. And I thank you!

Cheri

Sunbathing/Basking/Worshipping

Sun, glorious sun!!!!! We have had such an incredibly wonderful time this summer with the sunshine! I just thought it would be appropriate to pay tribute! Fay's aftermath of rain has finally found her way into the mountains, for which we are extremely grateful as the drought has been intense! I'm hoping we can make up some of the deficit, at least 6 inches or so. We're supposed to have this glorious rain for most of the week. Guess all that rain dancing was worth our while! :-) Anyway, I know you Florida folks are SICK of rain, but since it's a new thing for us, our stamina is at a different notch from yours (for now, anyway). The only draw back is that with the rain comes the cooler temperatures and you all know how I feel about the onset of winter. HOWEVER, we have already begun to think about the heating situation and how we can improve upon it. Hence, the sun worship!!!

Anyway, things are great here. This is our lovely time of year and we are truly trying to take advantage of it, and at the same time work and keep plugging along on the house. It seems like some weekends we just need the down time. Guess we're human!

We picked bushels of apples last weekend out of my friend Jennie's parents' yard. So we're going to be making gobs of apple sauce, apple butter, apple cider, apple brandy ... all things apple! Paul made another batch of wild berry jam (I think all seedless this time) and he just keeps rolling right along with his new found time occupation!

We are both exuberant about the little things in life ... the squash we are picking, the tomatoes, the beans that are coming in by buckets full ... cooking fresh veggies and having fresh, live nutrients ... we are feeling very special! Paul wants to double the size of the garden next year and I'm guessing that's going to be a good idea for us. Hope his enthusiasm holds out!

Some of the dancers from Dancer's Pointe took a Mia Michaels (from So You Think You Can Dance) workshop last weekend. I heard through several different varietals of grapevines that they all did VERY well, worked VERY hard and were VERY exhausted afterward. Sounds like a PERFECT workshop to me! Congratulations, dancers. I think it's fabulous that the parents of these kids support such things. And coming from where I stand, those teeny details stick WAY out! Kudos to all you parents! I know dance has started back for the season. Hope all of you have an incredibly fun and productive year!

It's very sad information that I share about Elise. She is not doing well and could use prayers for comfort and rest. PLEASE. The family hasn't really released the information about just how sick she is or what the expectations are, only that there is a real need and cause for prayers and good thoughts. Anything you have to offer would be GREATLY appreciated. Also for her daughter, Shay, who is her care taker, and Shay's 2 children. It's a very hard and over whelming time for all. Heart breaking, really.

I must be getting old and sappy because I find that I spend more and more time theorizing and philosophizing than I EVER have before. Guess that's what being an old crone is about. Hopefully I'm a young crone, but you get the idea of what I mean. I vividly remember when my mother hit this stage. I remember thinking that it was a milestone but not knowing exactly what kind and just assuming all women did it sooner or later. Unfortunately by the time mom was my age (or close to it) she suffered a massive stroke and spent many years following that reflecting on what she was waiting to do, and could no longer. So I have always just tried to balance wants, needs and practical realities. Don't really have a verdict on how I've done so far, but as of now, no regrets on my end.

Guess I better get myself back to work and quit rambling for now. Hope all of you can bask in the sunlight, even if it is just your own personal sun beam.

Happy Trails,

Paul & Cheri

Safe thoughts to all of our Florida Friends and Family

Morning mist in our mountains! Gorgeous!

We are sending good thoughts that Tropical Storm/Hurricane Fay doesn't do any damage and moves along quickly to her home in the water!

Take good care to all!

Paul & Cheri

Just a bit of an update. I can't get the garden pics or the sunflower pics to upload this evening ... so I'll have to save those for later. You're probably sick of them anyways. But we're having such a good time begin quasi farmers! :-)

Thougt I'd post an update of the house with all the wild flowers and such. It really looks nice and we've had such a wonderful time playing in the flower garden and "theraputing", as I call it. The jars here are all apple sauce and apple butter that Paul canned. I did help with stirring the apple butter while he was at work. But I must say, he's the canner here and seems to enjoy it so very much. He smiles a lot!

The chair full o' cats was taken Sunday morning. Kind of fits with our Sunday morning feeling around here. We had a wee dinner party Saturday night so this Sunday was particularly slow moving at first. Felt GREAT to not be in over drive for a change! I took 2 naps! HEAVEN!

The Summer Olympics have preoccupied my evenings and I haven't gotten near the painting accomplished I thought I would have. But, frankly Scarlett ... you know the rest. I think we might be getting a bit tired of all work and no play ... I know I am. I love watching these incredible atheletes! They are just so astounding to me. What dedication and determination it must take to even think about competing in the Olympics. I guess if they had a painting event, I could enter! HA!!!! But all kidding aside, OMG! Those gymnasts are so incredible!

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There is so much happening in our little world with our friends and our family:

* Christian is in kindergarten, Cade is in first grade and Austin is in third grade!! Time is flying by! Apparently Christian loves going to kindergarten, and I'm still waiting for a report on how the Adams boys are taking to school this year (I'm not even sure if they've started yet).

* Elise (my dad's s.o. ) is experiencing some very serious illness and I would certainly appreciate any good thoughts and prayers you could offer. She had 8 lymph nodes removed last week and needs some extra energy to heal from the trauma of that surgery! God Bless you, Elise.

* The kids who help me in the yard and have Tuesday night dinner club with me (Jennie and Chad) are talking about getting married! We may have an official engagement announcement in October ... so stand by for that! I love people in love ... so fun to watch!

* I did, indeed, pitch my dance program to the Crossnore School, and they were delighted and enthusaistic about having me (and Paul). So, the first class/workshop will be Sept. 24th ... some placement type classes, and then we'll go from there. I have a purpose again ... thank GOD!!

* My sister in law, Debbie and her folks have had to postpone their visit because of their various "issues" (as Debbie calls it). So as soon as their strengths improve (both individually and collectively), we'll be seeing them up here in the mountains. Heal quickly, y'all!

* I will be setting Paul up on his own blog soon. He has expressed the desire to write on his very own, so ... soon to come ... I'll let you know!

* Fall is in the air already! It really already smells different, feels different and the sunrises and sunsets are different. I am collecting stamina now for the cold that is to come. Good grief! The summer has simply flown by. I hope the fall lasts a L O N G time so winter will be prolonged!

* We have several friends and family members who are currently experiencing broken hearts, be it from romantic love, family/friend death, and just life change that is overwhelming and heartbreaking. Most of our friends are dealing with losing their parents, part of our age group, I'm afraid. Some of our friends (the younger ones, mostly) are going through the roller coaster ride of finding and losing love. It is a very big reality check for Paul and I as we listen to and sympathize with all of these people we love who are hurting. Please know, and you all know who you are, how many prayers we send your way, and how many sweet thoughts we hold for you all on the other side of this. Hang in there and let us know how we can help.

Until next time ... when I can get the garden pics to post! Can't get spell check to work either ... hope you can figure out what I mean! Happy Trails!

Paul and Cheri (Green Acres)

Change in the Air ....

For those of you who are familiar with cat body language, you'll notice they are cuddled up as tight as they can get ... that is because it was 48 degrees this morning! Lucky for them they are always donning a fur coat. Wish I could say that!

Baby pumpkin!!! We have about 15 of these now. Hope the cold doesn't kill the blossoms, I love watching these guys grow!

The marigolds are not only lively to look at, they serve as a great bug deterrent in the garden. Apparently, bugs don't like the way the smell either! :-)
Aren't they gorgeous though? Makes the garden rather festive in between things blooming and sprouting!

And the Sunflowers! (Christian's garden)
They did, indeed burst forth! and they are simply exquisite! The tall one is over 8 feet tall ... so fun! The neighborhood bees are enjoying gorging on the freshly exposed blossoms as much as we are! So glad to oblige ... thanks Christian!

The air is decidedly cool and smelling like autumn. Seems like the summer never really existed! I hope we get another blast of warmth ... I'm just not quite ready to freeze again yet. It was just flat out cold this morning, as proven by the kitties in their morning nap posture!

When I got up this morning, there were jars and jars of apple butter and apple sauce on the kitchen table from where Paul had been a busy little bee in the kitchen all night. He must have run out of time though, because the blackberry jam wasn't finished yet! He seems to be having a great time. He picked a couple of buckets of apples from the neighbor's trees (with permission, of course) and has been busy turning them in to eatables in other forms every since! He is so cute, I just can't help grinning about it. I canned a lot back in the 80's. Now that it is becoming necessary to save on groceries, I'm glad he seems to be enamored with it! My goodness the house smelled so good when I got home yesterday and the apple butter was simmering in the crock pot! Took me back to when my children were young and I made their applesauce all the time. Significant too in that Christian started kindergarten yesterday! Geez ... hate to say I'm beginning to think the sun is on the other side of high noon ... but when the writing is on the wall!!!!! :-O Yikes!

We were in the yard all weekend as it was splendid weather and there is just plenty to do out there! We finished burning all the brush from our "clearing out" projects. (Mike, the neighbor from the hardware store, even threw his old decking and numerous other things on the fires to assure we couldn't go out to breakfast or any place for that matter, and that the fire wouldn't go out.) You notice I'm using the word "we", but I'm sure Paul would like you all to know it was not his idea to do all of that! I've even corralled friends, equipment and such to finish it up. It's been a long project ... I quite accidentally knocked myself in the head with a tree branch on Sunday and was a little loopy for a few hours, but I'm back to my normal loony state now, so no worse for the wear. Still have a sore knot on the back of my head~ and for the record, it hurt like crazy when I did it! Paul was gracious, as always, and helped me back up to my feet ... and gave me permission to take a break. Perfect timing! Anyway, the yard looks fantastic, if I do say so myself, and I can never say thank you enough to the "kids" that helped us get this stuff done. I do try to feed them though as much as I can, and they seem to enjoy home cooking as well as pizza, and they all love the sweet tea! And I love having them around ... keeps us laughing and keeps me from getting and feeling old. Anyway, the outside is shaping up to the point where we can begin with the ornamental aspect now. I'm so excited! It looks like a yard that belongs to some one's home instead of the overgrown south 40 of an abandoned lot!

I began the painting project of the upstairs bathroom last night. That old cabinet is a hoot ... just need to pretend it's retro instead of junk! Perception is a great trick! Hopefully it'll all work out for unique look and we can just move on with a little smile. I'm trying to get it dressed up before Debbie and her parents arrive over Labor Day. We'll see how that goes! It's hard to be working in an area without being able to see the Olympics! Wow! How impressive are those people? Would that I was that focused on something! I'm not quite there yet! Along with the other 99% of the world I guess ...

A little bit of news ... I have officially retired from dance. At least from teaching at a studio. I have proposed a "pro bono" program for Paul and I for the local orphanage/school up here. (http://www.crossnoreschool.com/) We'll see where that leads ... but I'll just say this, for all intents and purposes, I've retired from teaching dance. I am both happy and sad. The Crossnore School is a huge plus in our community up here. It is a great success for children who for one reason or another have been removed from their family unit and need a place to be, rather it be to live 24/7 or to be loved and educated during the day school. My boss (Hugh Fields) has been on the Board of Directors for years and has helped with opening my eyes to the opportunities places like this bring to children, and to the hard work and dedication the volunteers and staff give with each day of their lives. It's an honour to be considered for part of the program. Our fingers are crossed! Teaching dance to children who are not interested in disciplined art is futile. Teaching ballet to little girls who would rather kill hogs is heart breaking. I feel like my time would be much better spent with children who can benefit in any small way .... 'Nuff said.

The final decision came when Stefanie decided to move back to her home town of Lexington, which means the studio here will close. I am closing a chapter in my life with an option to write a new one. Stefanie is doing much the same, however she is moving and starting anew ... gypsy style. Stef, I send you great gobs of love and wishes for the very best of luck in your new endeavor! xoxoxoxo As you move forward, keep us posted on what you're up to! Whatever it is, you'll be a success.

There is so much to write about, but trying to do it amongst all the commotion is not working out to be in the best interest of this post! So, I'll cut it short (yeah, right) and try to take it up again this evening after I take photos of Paul's canning escapade!

Do hope all of you are well, happy and warm! Until next time ....

All the Best,

Paul & Cheri

Christian Giovanni Hall's 5th Birthday!

Happy Birthday Christian!
Our third grandson is celebrating his 5th birthday today. Hopefully it will be a GREAT year for you, Christian. And, along with turning 5, Christian starts kindergarten on Monday coming up! Holy cow, Christian! Who knew you would grow up so fast!
We love you!
Nana and Paul Paul

On the Brink!

Sunflowers are just about to bust with yellow splendor!

Corn has silked - won't be long now until we're eating fresh corn! This is from Christian's garden

Fresh basil, and dill here

Beans, beans, and more beans!
Carrots and Beets !!!

Pumpkins! They are such fun to grow!

Cucumbers, onions and broccoli

you guess! Yellow squash, of course - which Paul is now eating with passion!

tomatoes - we have gobs!

My favorite butterfly bush - which brings tons of winged beauties to visit daily! so much fun!

The Avant Garden from the kitchen window! And the view, of which we never tire









The garden is on the brink of being our grocery store! We have already begun to reap beans and potatoes ... galore! Which we ate some in our dinner last night. It is such fun to pick dinner from the back yard ... not that we've gone to raising chickens and cows ... NEVER ... but the veggie garden is great fun. All three of the grandsons have a garden square and the plants are definitely growing at great speed now. Mother nature has seen to it that it rains just enough each day to water the gardens and make mud. :-) When we first started making all these dirt squares the neighborhood cats thought it was litter box heaven! Took us putting chicken wire over them to convince them it was not their own personal toilet garden!

Prince charming is still sleeping, but once he awakens we will be out in the garden for the day as it needs plenty of work now. It does save on the grocery bill ... and this year we will be canning and freezing to supplement our budget ... but there is physical labour and love involved in getting that accomplished! Paul seems to love it, and has "put up" dozens of jars of wild blackberry jam. He does that when I'm sleeping at 2AM so I won't have a heart attack in the midst of the mess he makes! I am so very happy to report that he has finally found the kitchen, and seems to enjoy being in it actually doing stuff! Guess when you live in Mayberry you must find things to do with your time! HA!

The weather is absolutely GORGEOUS and this time of year is why we love it here. Although, we do penance in the winter, right now it's worth the chattering teeth and shivering for months! The temperature is supposed to get to the 80's today, but thus far it is 68 with a slight breeze and some fluffy white clouds floating around. The cats are sunning on the back porch, basking in lazy Sunday morning life. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ... life! You've gotta love it!

We have been otherwise fairly busy. It's tourist season here so that means busy at work. And it keeps the roads filled with folks who are very apprehensive about mountain driving, so it slows the locals down and causes some grumbling ... especially when there is a FLORIDA license plate on the slow car. Having come from the orange state, I understand the time it takes to acclimate to driving in the mountains. But the natives are unforgiving and I'm glad I have a North Carolina tag! Good grief!

Paul is having a "Florida experience" now at work since the workshop is over 100 degrees. Also since he works in Tennessee, it is much warmer where he works than where we live. Funny how that 27 miles can be 15 to 20 degrees difference in temperature. Then when you add the heat from the welders and so forth, he sweats to death through his entire shift ... and here I am complaining about being cold and damp when I get home from work. The perspectives change a bit ...

On the home front ... or whatever front in our lives and connections ...

Our friend Beth is now in Massachusetts caring for her mom, who finally got to go home after being in hospital and rehab since early April. We are still caring for Beth's plants and "bungalow" as she cares for her mom. If any of you have extra good thoughts to generate, please send them some! Her mom is on full time respiratory therapy, voice box sometimes, and respirator some times. Although she can sit up with help, she is pretty much in a "bed ridden" state and has to have full time care. She could use some extra energy, as could Beth and her dad. :-)
My mentor, Chrissie, had her 4th child last week. He is so beautiful, and if you go to her blog you can see the pic of them together. So precious! And so thankfully, all is well with everyone!

I drove 586 miles last weekend. Jennifer had some surgery (girlee stuff) so I went down to Atlanta to help out. I agree with Janet, it's amazing how far you can drive and how many states you can go through in one day! I go across NC, up through SC, and up through and across GA. It's about 5 hours to Jenn's ... on a good day in Atlanta traffic. It was great fun to go to the city for a few days, have Starbucks, eat in a real restaurant, watch all the crazed city folks in their hurries, but I am "at home" now in the mountains. I was very glad to be back up here on my little perch! Jennifer, I'm happy to say, is doing great and spent last week with Christian in L.A. with her dad having a bit of R&R .... which we all know the kid absolutely deserves! I'm not sure how much rest she got, but I'm so glad she was not working for 7 days! That is a miracle all by itself!

My sister-in-law (Debbie) and her parents are coming to visit us Labor Day weekend. We haven't had much adult company, it'll be a nice treat for us! And so wonderfully, Debbie is moving along with her life now and willing to take a trip!! So, I will be back to painting this coming week ... the upstairs bathroom and etc. :-) Painting ... will it ever end?

Our grandson Christian will turn 5 years old on Wednesday! He is so excited! His birthday party is going to be Saturday the 9th, for which we may get to go to Chucky Cheese! Well, there you go! Our exciting social life!

Stefanie, the owner of the studio where I worked for the past 2 years and her fiance' Jesse, are getting married on the 16th! I know she's filled with "to do's" and I can only imagine how nerve racking all that planning and etc. is. Good luck, Stef .... just call if you need me!

Our friend Pennisu continues to grieve with a very heavy heart after the loss of her mom. Please send her thoughts if you can ... and Psu, know we've got you in our prayers and in our arms. God Bless.

Here is just a reminder to you all ... we are accessible by phone, e-mail, and snail mail. If you need a vacation, a few days of R&R, or just feel like driving into the mountains, mi casa es su casa, "my house is your house" ... actually OUR house is your house!! You are always invited to come and visit. Just let us know and we'll leave the light on for you!

We reach out the best we can with what our lives and time provide. If you want to talk to us and we haven't called you, you are welcome to call us! If the cell tower is in a good mood, we'll even receive the transmission! We gladly open our mail when it's a letter or card from a friend or family! And we always read our e-mails (except for forwards which we delete before opening as our computer has had too many mishaps with them!). Please feel free to initiate the contact!!

Meanwhile .... happy trails to all and take good care!

Paul & Cheri