FAVORITE PLACES

This lovely vine has bloomed all summer and thrived. I don't know the name of it, but that doesn't matter to me. It makes me smile when I see those happy flowers outside my window.

My little Lexie claims the chaise lounge as her own. On sunny days she asks to go out on the deck where she escapes the air-conditioned house. 

She falls asleep quickly but her ears are always tuned to every sound, especially the movement of the deer that roam around on the mountain and in my yard.

This summer, being isolated at home due to COVID, I have enjoyed many different colorful flowers and plants that light up my deck and bring the birds and butterflies. 

Autumn is slowly approaching the southwestern region of North Carolina. Tourists will soon arrive to see the leaves turn red, orange, yellow, and gold.

The dogwoods around my house are beginning to change to fall colors. I have about 25 dogwood trees on my property. They are filled with white blossoms in the spring, filled with green leaves in the summer, and become brightly colored in fall. 

Fall is a happy time in these mountains. Fall festivals draw crowds every weekend. The John C. Campbell Fall Festival has always been one of my favorites. The Punkin Chunkin festival here in Clay County brings in visitors from far and wide. The highways between here and Atlanta, GA are crammed with traffic.

October is a favorite month to vacation in the mountains.

I remember how excited I was when Barry and I would drive up here from southwest Georgia many years ago to vacation. We often rented a cabin on the lake. Gay and Stu joined us and our friends the Clarkes often visited while we were here. 

Carefree and glad to leave behind responsibilities at home we spent hours on a pontoon boat laughing and talking, exploring the coves and waterways of Lake Chatuge. We drove the back roads admiring the mountain ranges and soaking up the rural countryside. 

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Blue Ridge Parkway in Autumn

Since the spring of 2020, life has been far different than it was in those days when we escaped reality here in the quiet of this region of the United States. Like many over the past months, I found myself wondering where I should be. I have no family here and am cut off from my friends due to this horrible pandemic. I have gone through periods of depression, anxiety and frustration with the entire world. I know I am not alone with those feelings because I talk with others who have felt the same way. 

Still, my favorite place is right here where my best memories reside. 

My close friends are here and I am fortunate to meet and make new friends through my classes. I think about what I am grateful for every day. I am grateful for kind and generous people who reach out to me and offer their help if I need it. 

I have been sick the past week with an upper respiratory infection. Because my symptoms are similar to COVID, my doctor's office wanted me to take a test. I had to wait until the next day to get results and was so thankful the test was negative. Although I had only been to the grocery store and a doctor's office, I knew I could have been exposed to a stranger who didn't know he was ill and was not wearing a mask.

After taking an antibiotic the last two days, I feel much, much better. Tomorrow will be a good day and I look forward to watching the leaves change, driving along country roads, and taking Lexie for a walk. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead wherever you live and that you find kindness and love all around you.