HOPE

Not just any golf tee ...
A very specific golf tee

and what I am constantly reinforcing in life

For those of you who are following along, you know Paul and I have had the week from hell. We have truly fought mountains of tears and emotions we never wanted to deal with. We have watched friends crumble and ask questions that never should have had to be asked. We have met new friends and found new treasures we did not have this time last week. But it came about through a very unusual, unexpected and untimely series of events.
We have hope. We have love. We have each other.
We have anger. We have sadness and we have confusion.
And so it goes.
This morning I was "fussing" at Steve all the way to the post office. REALLY fussing ... and trying to make sense of things. I jumped out of the car (because it's 11 degrees and too cold to meander) to get the mail for the office and something on the ground caught my eye. Yep, the golf tee. For those of you who knew Steve, you know the golf tee was him. It sure helped to know he was sending me a message. Whatever the message might be, it was good enough. And it made me feel better. And it was almost as good as the morning text messages I used to get every morning .... almost. And the healing has begun.
And so it goes.
HOPE.
Thank GOD.

*the HOPE piece above is a Chrissie Grace piece. Please visit the "in His Grace" link for more of her incredible mixed media art!!!

Blessings, Paul & Cheri

Steve

Steven Ashley Robinson

May 20, 1977 - February 18, 2009

We say goodbye today to my sweet friend Steve at his request.

Steve was the sweetest hearted young man I've ever known and wise beyond his years.

He was addicted to his "crackberry", which I benefited from greatly by copious text messages sharing his humor and zest for life. (and Hell's kitchen and Biggest Loser!)

He taught me generous amounts about life in real estate and life in the High Country.

He added richly to my education of young adults and how to keep up with things like facebook, impulsive travels, and golf courses. Steve was a hugely gifted and talented golfer.

His enthusiasm and giggles were contagious. He was my surrogate son. My heart is broken.

I will miss Steve gobs and bunches. I am certainly not the only one who is feeling the void. He was very well loved by flocks of people. Sweet Paul found Steve today in his eternal sleep. Our hearts weighs 3000 pounds.

Please say prayers for Steve, his family and his friends.

It has been a very difficult day.

Rest in Peace, Steve. God bless your sweet soul.

Much love,

Paul & Cheri

Sunset on Sugartop

Just wanted to share a most gorgeous view of the sunset last night on top of Sugar Mountain. It is one of the ski mountains here in Banner Elk ... very close to my office. Thought you could all use a bit of color in your lives on this Friday the 13th! This photo was posted on our weather website (Ray's Weather) so I can't take credit for it, but I can certainly appreciate it!
Happy Friday to all!
P & C

Valentine's Day and Love

Jennifer Hall
This is my gorgeous, intelligent, HEALTHY, and incredible daughter, Jennifer.
Jennifer is my first real true love. I suppose unless you are a mom, you don't quite understand the intensity of that statement. One would think a romantic love would always be "the first love" of someone's life. I just don't believe that to be true in my case. This angel in human being form, born during an earth quake in Los Angeles, came in to my oblivious 20 year old life and began teaching me all kinds of things. First, she taught me about unconditional love, mine for her and hers for me. She taught me how to be responsible (actually she is probably still working on teaching this one!), and she taught me how to have fun - REAL fun with giggling and everything! She has continued to be my teacher through her entire life. Watching her parent my grandson is another life lesson. Their love is so precious and their relationship is so sweet that it is everything I can do to contain myself when I'm around them! It seems like the teacher and student is supposed to be the other way around, and maybe to a certain extent it is, but this beautiful woman has been the most incredible teacher I've had in my life. And though these words are generally spoken about a romantic love, in our case they have held true for us for almost 33 years ... through sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, through thick and thin ... we have stuck together and always admired and respected one another for our part in each other's lives. I am so very PROUD to have Jennifer as my first true love Valentine.
Jennifer, I love you honey. Happy Valentine's Day. xoxo
I hope all of you out there have a special Valentine!
It would figure that I would love Valentine's Day the best of all holidays ... I really seem to pick up on the HAPPY occasions! SO you will see another post on this subject ... one dedicated to my sweetheart, of course!
Happy Tuesday to all!

HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY CADE!!!

Happy Birthday, Cade!!

Jonathan Cade Adams is 7 years old today!

Cade is the one who will sit in the kitchen with me while I prepare the meals and talk to me about all kinds of random things, anything under the sun. HE will help chop, dice, wash, toss and anything else I ask him to do. He also loves REAL food and we have a wonderful time preparing the menu! He is hugely thoughtful and sensitive. He's a big thinker/ponderer and will talk to me about a subject in the summer that he will come back with another perspective about in the winter after having time to process it. He LOVES to have fun and can be the life of the party (see picture above!) He is a natural born athelete and is especially good with hand/eye coordination. He is persistent and determined with that "red headed" thing going on! He has "polka dots" and beautiful wide BLUE eyes. He is a wonderful combination of his parents. And we love him VERY MUCH.

Happy Birthday, Caderman! Enjoy your 7th year, and hopefully all your birthday wishes will come true for you!

xoxoox Much love,

Nana and Paul Paul

The sun came out and it WARMED our souls!

A two-toned grouted stepping stone!!! FINALLY warm enough to grout!

A very happy kitty who got to sit outside in the sunshine! He was the model for the stepping stone.

Blooming daffodils ... can you believe that! (might have to enlarge this to see the blooms, but they are there!)

The last of the snow piled up in the yard ... melting ... this week is supposed to be warm, however the following week is winter return so we are ENJOYING every minute we can of the sun's warmth! Today is overcast but 50 degrees!! Don't even have a fire yet today!

In other news ...

* Tomorrow is Cade's 7th birthday! Will post dedication to him tomorrow! Happy Birthday, Caderman! We love you.

* Christian did, in fact lose his tooth ... apparently in a bagel which he ate!

* Paul took my car to the shop where he sometimes works w/ Mike (our neighbor) and they determined it is safe enough to drive! Hallelujah! It needs work, but I'm not in immediate danger of running out of brakes .. always a good thing. I do, however, have broken boots. Hmmm

* Paul finished the chair railing in the bathroom !!! One step closer to having one room finished. A very major threshold in our endeavor here in the mountains!

* The Dancer's Pointe dancers all danced spectacularly at Regional Competition yesterday ... CONGRATULATIONS to you ALL, dancers! Also congrats to all you incredibly beautiful and talented teachers! Way to go! And to all you patient and dedicated incredible parents, congratulations as well.

* Our friend Donna Taylor had a cornea transplant (!) on Friday, and all went well. We wish for you a speedy and complete recovery, Donna!

* Jennifer is having a kidney struggle. Please keep healthy, healing thoughts for her right kidney. Thanks!

Hope everyone out there in the world is doing well, is healthy and is happy.

All the best to you all in the week to come,

Paul & Cheri

**SNOW - REALLY**

Standing on the front porch looking out toward Tennessee -- beautiful!!!

This is the clock in the bathroom, it was 11:58 this morning and it was 58.5 degrees in there! Makes you take care of business and get back into the kitchen! Cheese on toast, it's cold in there! Getting naked to shower is a very "mind over matter" type of experience! Brrrrrrr! It's 44 degrees in the dining room, but couldn't get that picture to come out. It's 63 degrees in the kitchen, and somewhere around that in the living room. It's way over 70 degrees under the electric blanket...my personal favorite place to warm up!

This is the side yard looking toward our neighbor's on the right. There is a stream down below their house and then a big hill going up to another home. (The one that has all the roosters and sheep - bet they're cold!) It's so beautiful and still when it it snows. Look at all the snowflakes in the way ... so fun! There is a magic that is unexplainable. Oh, and it's cold too! REALLY!!

Look at the garden! Totally unidentifiable at this point ... but it is the same place where we had all that gorgeous food growing last summer. I am truly looking forward to that now!!!!

We had a snow day, obviously! We have 6 inches or more of snow on the ground and it is still coming out of the sky in copious amounts. Supposed to slow down in the morning. I had a night filled with sick, so the day to re coop was much appreciated. All those office mates of mine with the flu, thinking they may have penetrated my protection wall after all. Paul & I have spent most of today doing crafts .... I was making valentine's cards and napping, he was doing something with strips of wood ... I think it has something to do with his Victorian house. His foresight is better than mine. He'll have to expand on it when he's ready! teehee!

We are looking forward to building a snowman and sledding when I can move around without falling over and throwing up. Oh, and when it's over 10 degrees.(!) I haven't built a snowman in years! It is definitely on one of my "things to do" list. Can't wait! Also, the snow is deep enough that sledding should be great fun and very FAST! Things to look forward to ... my favorite!!!

Do so hope all of you have things to look forward to! Makes life so good.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL AT DANCER'S POINTE THIS WEEKEND AT REGIONALS. WE KNOW YOU'LL BE BRILLIANT AS ALWAYS ... HUGS TO YOU ALL!!

Cheers!

Paul & Cheri