Happy Birthday Cyndie!

Cyndie in the middle, me on the left, our friend Janette on the right ... probably 1963?

Cyndie : )

I have a little sister. She was born when I was barely 7 years old. We lived in Cocoa Beach, FL at the time ... my brother was 16 years old at the time and told everyone he was adopted! Cyndie was born early -- only weighing a little over 4 pounds. At 7 years old, I thought she looked funny and screamed loudly. What did I know, I was only 7!!!

This picture of her was the only recent one I could find ... and I LOVE the grin she has on her face. When this picture was taken, she was in NYC with her daughter (who I so gently edited from the picture since it's supposed to be about Cyndie) ...

Cyndie and her husband live in Clarksville, TN.

Cyndie, I hope you have a wonderful year ahead of you with magical wishes coming true. I hope y'all get to build your house and make those dreams a reality.

I hope you're healthy and happy.

I love you.

Happy Birthday.

your big sister, Cheri

Smile on our Faces

Linville Gorge - GORGEOUS

Arencha jealous? Almost all the trees look like this or completely golden. It is a color spectacular around here right now. Actually, we're almost over that part because the wind has added its dimension to the picture and it'll be raining this week as most of the leaves will hit the ground. But it has just been beautiful and a real treat after our very WET summer.

Such a gorgeous palette of color!
These pictures are courtesy of Ray's Weather site. They always have such gorgeous donations, it seems a shame not to share them!
Paul & I have just been busy as little bees ... the weekend flew by! Paul refereed some soccer, one game of which I actually got to see yesterday. It was so entirely wonderful to sit outside in the sunshine and watch the world go by. There was a soccer game to watch too if one was so inclined. I was just busy watching the cute ref waving his flag around. (tee hee)
We have begun putting out bids for the building so we're hoping to see that up and standing tall shortly. That is our number one project. Number two project is getting an electrician to FINALLY do the wiring work that will separate the kitchen from the rest of the house ... the upstairs from the downstairs (you'll be able to use a hair dryer now, girls) and the bathroom from everything else. I'm so excited about this!!! It means we can always plug in a heater if we want to. MY DREAM COME TRUE!!!!! Third project is getting the plumber to come over and properly install the claw foot tub parts, as well as switch out the lead pipes(!) for modern ones. We are so hoping this will take place before the lead poisoning has occurred. Will keep you posted! We will also get new and improved flexible piping for the freeze and thaw action that is so prominent around here for 6 months out of the year. Fourth, deciding on boiler heat or forced air heat. DECISIONS, DECISIONS!!!! I can't wait to begin posting pictures of all of this stuff because it will mean the updates have been made!!!!! YEEHAW and YEAHOO!!!!
Christmas tree season begins this weekend, so Paul will have a good 5 - 6 weeks of work coming now. YEAH!!!!! And he's scheduled to drive the tractor, so amen to that! His knees are in horrible shape. Reminds me of Festus from Gunsmoke the way he limps and groans. Guess we'll have to address that sooner than later now.
We'd like to have the building up and running by January 1 so we can start the new year with a new slate and some work - God willing!!!!! Hopefully there will be a little room in the back of it to partition it off and have a "studio" for the pottery kiln, a place for cutting mosaic materials and warping yarn ... you get the picture. If that fails, we'll abandon the welding shop plan and open a dance studio! SOMETHING will have to work! Starving and being destitute is NOT an option! :-)
There are oogogs of birthdays coming around this week. First and foremost, my sister Cyndie has a birthday on Thursday, the 29th. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY CYNDIE. Hope your dearest wish comes true.
Sue, who I work with at the real estate office, has a birthday on Thursday as well. Stefanie who owned the studio where I taught in Newland for a couple of years, has a birthday on Wednesday. I'm sure you two ladies will have a wonderful day filled with all kinds of treats!
I'm teaching a lot of dance at Crossnore now that the season is back in session. I teach Monday and Thursday evenings and Saturday morning/afternoons. I'm sore and tired! I'm hoping for that part to wear itself out so I can move through it and get over myself! I get to have a root canal Wednesday morning and would appreciate any spare good thoughts you might be able to forward my way. We have to go all the way to Johnson City to find an Endodontist. AND I have to be there by 9 AM! That could be a major miracle in itself! HA!
My sweet boss is very sick. He is hanging in there but could use any extra prayers and good thoughts you have sitting around. His name is Hugh. If you can, please think positive and happy thoughts for him as he gets through this "phase" of his healing program. He is such an amazing man and has given so much to so many. He is always serving on Boards of Directors in the community, giving his time and resources and doing more than his share to keep the community and the Club on the right path. Now it's his turn to receive. Blessings for you, Hugh. Gobs and gobs of them. And buckets filled with love.
My great friend Donna Taylor was scheduled to ride in the 'Live Strong' bicycle ride yesterday with her daughter and daughter's friend, Shelly and Erin in San Antonio, TX. They were riding in memory of Donna's first husband and Shelly's dad, Rod Taylor ... who was another amazing man, from Orlando. I can't wait to hear all the details!!!!! Hope it went well Donna!
Haven't heard much about the grandboys and their Halloween plans. HELLO????? Anyone going trick or treating? I need to know the themes of costumes so I can contribute ..... if anyone has seen these children or knows of their plans, please let me know! Thanks!
OK ... off to work now. Have miles to go before I'm done!!!!
Happy Trails!
Paul & Cheri

Our world

One morning we woke up and it was fall ... beautiful leaf color all around and the joys of scarecrows and pumpkins showing up in all those rich earth colors ... simply glorious.

Then we woke up to this .... rime ice on the tops of the mountains, and leaf color at the base. This picture was taken from the profile trail (Grandfather Mountain) on Sunday just past and posted on the weatherman's site. Isn't it spectacular?

This picture was taken the same day from someone on Beech Mountain. Crisp, clean, beautiful white scenery. This also came from Ray's weather site. AMAZING!!!

This is my niece, Hollie with Ty Pennington (sp?) from Extreme Makeover. My sister Cyndie is on the construction team that is doing one of the makeover homes for a policeman wounded in action, as she works for the construction company that is doing the project (Singleton Construction). Hollie sang Happy Birthday to Ty over the P.A. system yesterday as they opened the project to be started for the family. HOW EXCITING!!!! This kind of giving is a great thing for people to do! Makes my heart warm to know my little sister is involved. Way to go, Cyndie ... along with those hundreds of other people you've coerced into helping! Blessings to all of you!!!!!

Paul & I are staying busy, of course. He's been reffing almost every afternoon .... usually Fridays are off. I've added some evening classes to my schedule at Crossnore, so I'm getting some more exercise and having lots more fun giggling with the kids. Last night I had a bunch of under 12 year olds. What a ball of energy ... surely they could power a city the size of Manhattan! It was super fun ... and then I taught the teen girls who are all so enthusiastic about learning. Such a treat!

Paul will start working in the trees the end of this month! It was only 24 degrees when we got up this morning, so we're busy trying to organize warm clothes and such. When I say brrrrr, I mean cold! He'll be driving tractors, I hope, so we can save his knees as much as possible. The cold hurts the bones up here...old bones that is!

Do hope all of you are well.

Happy Trails!

Paul & Cheri

10 years

The Adventure continues . . . gratefully!!!!

Life is good.

P&C

OKTOBERFEST, Sugar Mountain, NC

Ruthie came and took a photo of us on a very rainy, cold morning. Brave of her to get out in the mess. Braver yet were we ... staying out in it for the day!!!!!

Our biz ... Clay for all the clay work that Shannon does, zaics for the mosaic work I try to do. We just stuck them together and came up with that! Clever women that we are ..... haha!

This was our very colorful booth. A friend of ours, Gaye Meade makes purses so we displayed some of her things as well. It was fun on Sunday because the sun came out! YEAH!!!

We had a visitor in a bat hat all the way from Atlanta ... and although that looks like Crocodile Dundee, it's really Paul with Christian. A busy day ... Christian tried to play on the slides and bouncy toys, but it was so cold even he had to go home, get a hot bath and sit by the fire! Nothing like October in the mountains for unpredictable life. It's going to snow this weekend, just in time for the Wooly Worm Festival. SOSOSOSO glad we aren't going to be vendors in that one!

Brandy (l) and Shannon messing around. Brandy is the message therapist who had the booth next to us. We all had a wonderful weekend ... perfect neighbors! Brandy sells some amazing bath soaps and herbs for bath therapies that she hand makes. Very talented lady. Will post her website as soon as I find her card!

This is one of Shannon's hand sculpted mushrooms for plants. Her stuff always has such a fabulous personality of their very own. $20 if you're interested.

Some hand sculpted clay faces by Shannon Fannon. '09 She has some absolutely amazing talent. Again, $20 if you're interested.

Our booth! Day one

These two are absolute trouble together .... Frick and Frack!

This is a mirror I did for Jen and family ... still has to have the cross put in the top center and it'll be finished at long last.

Beautiful Jen & precious Christian. We were calling Christian "Joseph and the coat of many colors" ... but we certainly didn't have to look too hard for him!

Smilin' Shannon - Booth day two

Bat boy and his mom :-)

Gotta entertain ourselves somehow!
We had a great weekend!

Meanwhile,

Happy Birthday to Janet & Craig (Paul's twin sister & brother)

Happy FIRST wedding anniversary to Charles & Sabrina (and hopes for MANY more)

Happy Birthday to Meghan!! 22 years old ...

Hope all y'all had a wonderful celebratory day and your hopes, dreams and wishes come true.

And we'll try to do better at getting these wishes out BEFORE things happen instead of after. Life comes at you fast, as they say!

Enjoy!

Paul & Cheri

Real party pictures

The BIRTHDAY Boy ... Happy 48th Paul!

Welcome to our October celebration! Paul has a friend who has a pumpkin patch and very generously let us shop!

Enough food for a house filled with friends .... nothing like a house filled with friends.

What a wonderful celebration!

Decorating with total concentration! Of course, it's his birthday trifle.

Jennie and Meghan Kress (the Kress sisters)

Jennie & Chad were married in April (remember?) and Meghan works at Fields and Company with me. She saves my life by working the weekends. Thanks for coming beautiful girls. They are as sweet as they look, beautiful inside and out.

Remember Charles?? He is the one who is always smiling!

The crowd! (l to r)

Beth, Gay Meade, Janine & Mark, Rick Meade, Crista & Sam

The trifle - never as pretty as Paul's mum's ... but the thought should count for something, don't you think??

Cheri and Shannon Fannon - Shannon is the clay artist ... the BRILLIANT clay artist!

She also celebrated her birthday on the 5th of October (yesterday). I am totally surrounded by Libras. GREAT!

Paul and Stacy Fannon (Shannon's husband) Stacy works for a Stone Company, cutting and polishing granite and such. He is also a guitarist and vocalist. Lots of talent in our group of friends. Stacy & Shannon have 2 sons, Jacob and Caleb. Caleb thinks Paul hung the moon, poor kid.

Beckye (Beckye's curl up & dye), Shannon & Paul. poor Beckye had to work so she & her husband Randy, and the Fannons came for the second shift! Kept the party moving, and helped keep the food being consumed! Very important. Had enough left for the army.

And Beckye's husband, Randy at the door looking at us wondering WHY it was taking so long to get outside! See Randy's short sleeves? The rest of us were bundled up and/or shivering. Randy's a local boy (like Charles) and they like short sleeves for a long time after I've put on a coat!

group hug as Mark & Janine must leave

Paul was having a very hard time posing for pictures ... but he was having great fun!

Just had to throw this one in. Ruthie did a GREAT job of capturing his facial expressions.

Janine, Cheri & Beth - power pack right here!

The reason Mark & Janine had to leave was because they had to catch a flight to New Orleans so they could get MARRIED Monday at 6:30 !!!!! Yeah .... Mr. and Mrs. Mark Cornell .... whoo hoo!

This is Crista and Sam being entertained (I hope) by a Paul story. Sam & Crista own Crista's Corner Store on Jonas Ridge Road. We love to go there for lunch after teaching the kids at Crossnore. Paul's been going there since he met Charles. It's a great stop off of the Parkway. I have no idea if I'm spelling that right ... sorry Crista...Sam, I think I've got yours right. ;-)

LAUGHTER! GGREATTTTTT! There was so much laughter that night, it was a wonderful sound.

The chiefs, cooks, maids, bottle washers, entertainment committee, etc.

Bruce Daniels and Paul discussing soccer or telling dirty jokes ... pick one. Bruce is a land surveyor in Newland (avery county, I guess!?). He is also one of the indoor soccer players in the winter.

The VERY tall and beautiful Kress sisters . Youth! How wonderful!

Paul with Charles and Sabrina, who will be celebrating their first wedding anniversary on October 11th (already!)

Paul & Mark --- Mark who keeps Paul honest. Thanks, Mark.

Paul is holding some very delicious chutney that Ruthie brought for us from Virginia. I regret we don't have a picture of Ruthie to present here. But I will get one.

And last, but no least, Artemis, who actually cruised through the party once or twice hoping for food ... or a mouse.

Thank you to all of our friends who helped us celebrate life.

Thanks to all of you who couldn't come, but who are in our celebration of life every day, whether near or far away.

Happy October!

Paul & Cheri

October Celebration

It's October! Time to celebrate! We LOVE October and the FALL season around here. It's right before it gets too cold to go outside! And for us, there is plenty to celebrate!!

A time for a celebration worthy of a photographer! Our dear friend Ruthie dedicated herself to photographing the event, so we will post beautiful photos soon. Paul's birthday was the 1st. His 3rd anniversary of living here in this beautiful house in NC was the 2nd, and our 10th wedding anniversary is the 16th. We have so many blessings to count and celebrate that we felt it the only choice to invite our friends and have a REAL celebration --- a life celebration. And we were right! It was a wonderfully fun and happy evening to celebrate ... and on a harvest moon! What perfect timing! (and as a side note, the couple of the right, Janine and Mark, are currently in New Orleans, scheduled to get married tomorrow evening! We are so excited for them ... best wishes you two!!!!)

Beth, the amazingly talented bungalow dweller, was on flower arranging, food presentation, and hand holding (mine, of course). She was awesome, unbelievably so. I wouldn't have made it through all the hoopla without her. Thanks Beth!!!!! Photos to follow - compliments of Ruthie! Check out Ruthie's website ... she's an incredible artist. (ruthiewindsormann.com)

Paul was, of course, the "chocolate turkey" maker. Always so creative, his turkeys were party favors! I'm sure chocolate mice are coming soon ... it's almost Nutcracker season.

The food was amazing ... and copious. And in Beth's defense, Paul draped this table cloth on the table ... a little lop sided ... but beautiful, nevertheless!

These are Christian's sunflowers - and Beth's arranging. The miniature pumpkins were perfect - and much to our entertainment, they float! The wine was plentiful ... and delicious!

Thanks for being in our celebration! What a wonderful world.

Cheers!

Paul & Cheri