It's Our 48th Anniversary! And Reflections on the Smokies

In the latter part of June, Bubba came up with a great idea for our upcoming anniversary.  He suggested that we rent a cabin in the mountains (Smoky) and have a little vacation.  Of course I thought that was a great idea and I immediately reserved us a cabin with an agent that we had used before.  By the time August arrived, we were both chomping at the bit for a getaway.

Our first stop was Atlanta where we spent the night with Amy, Darryl, and Amelia.  After all we had completed her Wild Kratts costume and couldn't wait to see her in it.

She seemed pleased with it although she did mention the fact that it was supposed to have black boots with it.  (No, we're not out searching for black boots.)

I think Amy may be hinting for a Wild Kratts costume of her own.  This is a good look for her.

We enjoyed our Sunday evening visit.  All of you who live close to your family need to be thankful.  It is rough when you don't see them often enough.  Everyone but us was out the door bright and early the next morning -- Darryl and Amy to work and Amelia to a camp she was attending at the gym.  Bubba and I took our time getting ready and then set out for Pigeon Forge via Cherokee and Gatlinburg.

Our first stop after a Cracker Barrel breakfast was at Jaemore Farms where we bought some delicious peaches and boiled peanuts. 

This is one of the best produce markets ever.  I didn't realize that there were so many varieties of peaches.  After consulting with an expert, we chose Sunprince peaches.  They were big and juicy.  You just don't get peaches like this in a grocery store.

This picture was taken in front of apple trees at Jaemore Farms.  I bet they have some good produce in the fall also.  Later we stopped at another smaller produce market where we bought some ears of corn (to cook at the cabin) and some South Carolina peaches which were good, but nothing like the Georgia peaches which were the best.

We took our time travelling.  We stopped for a few minutes at Tallulah Gorge.  This site used to sit right on the main road, but now it is on a loop off of the main road.

This is what the site looked like many years ago and it looks pretty much the same today -- except that there are not many people stopping there these days.

Do you remember when the Great Wallenda (Karl) walked across the gorge in 1970?  I bet there were a lot of people there that day.

We passed through Cherokee, NC, and stopped by a stream for a boiled peanut break.  Have I mentioned that I don't intend to be a good dieter on this trip?  I love boiled peanuts.  My pile of shells was much bigger.

We've stopped to eat by this stream before.  There used to be a Dairy Queen on the same side of the road in Cherokee and we used to always get lunch there and eat at a picnic table by the stream.

We crossed over the mountain, went through Gatlinburg and arrived at Pigeon Forge about an hour before check in time for our cabin, but we checked and the cabin was ready so we headed for our vacation home.  

After resting for a while we went to a Longhorn Steakhouse for our anniversary meal.  We were both steak hungry and had planned to eat at Alamo Steakhouse, but upon checking TripAdvisor I saw that the recent reviews for Alamo didn't look too good so we went with a sure thing and had a great steak.

All rental cabins seem to have a decorating theme.  Our cabin was called Fowl Play.  It was a beautiful cabin and carried out the theme by having roosters everywhere -- even the knobs on the bathroom vanities were roosters.  We did not have a mountain view (I should have checked), but we were in the tops of trees and it was pretty and peaceful.  We enjoyed the hot tub every day we were there.  

The air conditioner was turned down low when we arrived and I begged Bubba to just leave it cold and he agreed.  The next night I cooked a pot of chili which was really good in that cold cabin.  By this time, Bubba was exhibiting signs of having a cold or sinus problems but he was a good sport and pushed himself to go when I'm sure he didn't feel like it.  I'm sorry I made you sick, Bubba.

We enjoy spending time in the cabin about as much as anything else.  We read and watch tv, just relaxing enjoying the peace.

On Wednesday we went to Cade's Cove and took the 11 mile loop through some really beautiful country with a lot of history.

Bubba wanted me to title the picture below, "Two Broken Down Old Things."

One day we enjoyed a late lunch at one of my favorite Pigeon Forge restaurants, the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant.  This is country cooking at its best.  Every meal served there is preceded by apple fritters with apple butter and a glass of apple julep.  I've never eaten anything there that wasn't delicious.

I confessed before that I didn't intend to diet on this trip and I didn't.  During the week I had pancakes twice, Cracker Barrel biscuits twice, a cheese omelet with a cathead biscuit, fried chicken twice, steak, a loaded baked potato, chili with cheese and crackers, mashed potatoes, apple fritters, peach ice cream, a peach fried pie, boiled peanuts, hamburgers, and two cream-filled donuts -- plus lots of peaches and assorted snacks.  So far the scale is only showing a two pound gain.  How long do you think it will take for all that to catch up with me?  I'm waiting, but in the meantime I'm back on the program. 

We did a lot of shopping and looking around at the outlet malls in Pigeon Forge and also in downtown Gatlinburg.  The thing is that I don't want or need anything.  I do not intend to accumulate any more stuff than what I already have.  There was heavy traffic everywhere.  

The mountains are always beautiful no matter what time of year you visit.

Going to the Smokies always evokes a lot of memories for me.  I've been going ever since I was a little girl.  It has really changed a lot since then.

We used to carry a Coleman stove with us and Mama would always cook breakfast by the road on a picnic table.  I can still remember the smell of bacon cooking and how good everything tasted.  In this picture my mother is wearing pedal pushers, but I can remember that she used to wear skirts and blouses for travelling.  Sometimes Daddy would go with us, but many times we went with friends or relatives because he was too busy to take off from work.

Going through Cherokee, NC, always included having my picture taken with an Indian. 

On this trip, my Granny was with us and agreed to have her picture taken also.  Granny's slip was always showing and she always wore a dress.  Cherokee is looking kind of run down these days.  A casino has been built there and I guess that is where everybody is these days.  The little shops that used to be so much fun are gradually fizzling out.

When Daddy was with us, we always headed over the mountains early because that was the best time to see bears.

I can remember Daddy would ignore these signs and try to get the bear to eat something.  I saw a bear drink coke from a bottle one time.  The trip over the mountains would always involve a lot of stops taking pictures, having picnics, and wading in the cold mountain streams.

We always stayed at the Laurelwood Motel in Gatlinburg.  The motel was owned by the Woody Luther family and we got to know them well.  Up the hill from the motel was the Laurelwood Restaurant.

To me, these were deluxe accommodations.  They had a pool, shuffleboard, and tvs that would pick up more than one channel.  I read somewhere that rooms were $5.00 per night.  Gee, we could have stayed there for a month for what we paid per night for our cabin.  I wanted to go up and see what was left of the old motel, but the traffic was so heavy it would have been too difficult.  I later read that the whole thing, restaurant and all, had been demolished.

Gatlinburg has changed so much.  There used to be a few little restaurants and shops.  Street parking was always available.  Now, the cheapest parking is $6.00 on River Street and $10.00 for a lot off the main street.  The pictures below are like I first remember seeing Gatlinburg.

Pigeon Forge used to be nothing. There were two or three motels that caught the overflow from Gatlinburg.  Now it looks like Panama City Beach.  Something I read said that ten million people each year visit Pigeon Forge.    

This is a picture from the 60's.  If you've been to Pigeon Forge lately, you know that there is not a gap in the buildings/attractions anywhere and the traffic everywhere is bumper to bumper.

Bubba and I have been back many times through the years.  When Amy came along, she also had the Smoky Mountain experience.

Just like the trips when I was a little girl, we stopped a lot, took a lot of pictures, and waded in the mountain streams.

So, am I ready to go back?  I'm disappointed in the way things have changed, but it had to if ten million plus people are going to visit each year; however, I'm looking forward to making the trip with Amelia one day.  I want her to see the mountains and wade in the streams just like Amy and I did.  I want to tell her about the Cherokee Indians and take her to see "Unto These Hills".  After all, it's a family tradition.

We headed back to Atlanta on Friday making a stop at Jaemore Farms where we bought more peaches, some plums, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes.  We also had a small dish of their homemade peach ice cream and a fried peach pie.  My only regret on this trip is that I got the small cup of ice cream instead of the large.  We spent Friday night at Amy's and headed on home Saturday since Bubba was still not feeling well.

This was a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary.  I can tell you that although we saw many people pulling their travel trailers, this is something I don't think we will ever do.  It is fun to stay in a cabin every now and then.  Thank you, Bubba, for this trip and for 48 years together.  You're the best!

What About the Rest of the Summer?

Usually I just write about the "big" things we do like camping trips or having Amelia come for a visit so I thought I would write about what I've been doing the rest of the time.  I'm a little disappointed with myself because I feel like I spend too much time in my recliner.  I love to watch tv, read, and surf the internet.  I admit it.  I feel guilty because I'm afraid when I get older I'm going to regret the time I spent doing nothing.  I think Bubba is feeling the same way, but the truth is that we don't really know what we should be doing.  We could travel more, but we don't really have any where specific that we want to go.  Of course there is always yard work and housework, but it tends to lose its glamour after a while.  Physically we don't know if we are on target for our age or if we are "sickly" because truthfully we don't have a lot of energy. With that being said, I would like to highlight some of our recent activities.

I keep thinking that I want to sew again.  I have a sewing machine that is approximately 40 years old that I pull out every now and then.  I wanted to make Amelia a dress so I found an easy pattern and some cute material and went to work.  It took me about three days on and off again to complete the dress.  She seemed to like it although I don't imagine that she has ever worn it anywhere; however, it gave me a project to work on for a while.  Sewing is just not practical anymore.  Prices have gone up so much on material and patterns that you can buy something ready-made just as cheaply.

Dieting has really taken a lot of the fun out of going anywhere.  Trips to town used to be centered around where we were going to eat.  Now it's typically at the same two or three places so that I can have a diet friendly meal.  So far I've lost 35 pounds.  Eating out is not as much fun, but eating at home offers a lot more variety.  I've tried several new recipes that are in line with the Weight Watchers "Simply Filling" plan that I like.  Pictured below is the chicken parmesan recipe.

Bubba and I both love fresh tomatoes.  Today we made our third trip to pick tomatoes.  They are $9 for a five gallon bucket and are totally worth it.  Pictures below are from our first trip and our last trip.  The bushes are looking pretty bad now and we were told that this was the last day the field would be open this summer.  They are planting a fall crop that is supposed to be ready in October, so we can look forward to that later on.

We have been to the beach several times this summer.  This has been the best summer in a long time for the beach.  The days have been sunny (a lot) and the water has been perfect.  It is so nice to lie in a beach chair and read and then get in cool water when you get too hot.

Bubba has painted our bathroom and is going to lay new tile on the floor.  I have cleaned out some drawers and closets and plan to get rid of even more "stuff".  

I have been telling Bubba for a long time that we needed to upgrade and get a new tv. Saying that I had to talk him into it is an understatement.  Finally I did.  We bought a 40 inch Samsung Smart TV and the really unbelievable part is that I hooked it all up and programmed it myself.  The wall mount was complicated, but between reading the instructions one line at a time and watching YouTube videos, we were able to get it done.  The end result looks pretty good.  With changing furniture around, installing the tv, and doing some work on the bookcase/entertainment center we had, we spent about four days focused on this project.  Bubba loves it and actually admits that we should have done this a long time ago.

In my last post, I mentioned that Amelia wanted me to make her a Wild Kratts bat costume and I told her that when she said yes ma'am/yes sir, etc. consistently that I would make her one.  Well she has been doing that really well for the past two months so I knew that I had to keep my end of the bargain.  This past Saturday was a miserable rainy day so I got Bubba to help me.  He is so much better at crafty things than I am.  He took care of the ears and the wings while I handled the gloves and the vest.  Since we took this picture we added a black mask and a blue shirt to go under the vest.  I'll post a picture of her wearing the costume when we give it to her.  I hope she enjoys it as much as we enjoyed making it for her.

We had planned to do a lot of fishing this summer, but the river was too high and then it was too low.  Now they've torn up the landing we like to use.  We're still hoping to get some fishing in this fall.  Bubba has a new lantern that he wants to try walking and floundering with the next time we are camped in a location to make that possible.  He did manage to go throw his cast net yesterday.  When he returned, he tapped on the door for me to hand him something and I couldn't help but get a picture of him in his mullet fishing ensemble.  He is quite the dapper fisherman!

The Best Laid Plans

Isn't is funny how you can plan exactly what you are going to do for a long time and then in a matter of hours the whole plan can change?  That has happened to us a few times but none as big a change as our 4th of July plans.  Earlier this year we made plans to camp at Seminole State Park with Joe and Judy over the holiday.  Reservations were made and when Amy asked if we could keep Amelia so that she and Darryl could participate in the Peachtree Road Race, we were excited that she would get to camp with us again.  In fact in planning ahead and anticipating the hot July weather and the lack of a good place to swim, we had purchased a small inflatable pool to take with us so that Amelia would have a place to "cool it" right at our camp site.  As the time approached for us to meet Amy in Eufaula to get Amelia, the plans began to change.  Joe and Judy have a beautiful garden and it was starting to look like their peas would be ready to pick during the week we were supposed to be at Lake Seminole.  Now we had to decide if we wanted to go without them which would not have been as much fun or camp in Opp at that state park; however, when we called for reservations we were too late.  The park was full. 

Then Joe and Judy invited us to camp in their yard.  When we arrived, they had a spot already picked out for us.  We used their electricity and water all week, had good tv reception, a swimming pool close to our trailer, and all the peas and cucumbers we could eat.  Oh, and we had wifi most of the time.  John was able to come that week so he and Amelia enjoyed playing and swimming together.  It could not have worked out better.  

We went to Opp on Tuesday and came home on Saturday.  The week could not have been any more enjoyable if we had planned it that way the whole time.  

Amy came on Sunday and stayed until Wednesday.  It was nice to have her with us for a while.  On Tuesday we all went to the beach.  Amelia loves the water.  Once again we had a beautiful day for it.  That night we had a slumber party which meant that Amy, Amelia, and I watched a movie in our pajamas and ate popcorn.

I have been encouraging Amelia to say "yes ma'am, no ma'am, yes sir, no sir," and I told her on her last visit that when she did it all the time I would make her the Wild Kratts Bat Costume she had been asking me to make.  She is doing great so I bought the materials I would need this week and plan to take it to her when we go in August.  Now this may look easy to you, but I'm telling you that these simple projects have a way of requiring a lot of time and effort on my part, but what a fun way to spend my time.  I don't know what she plans to do with it -- but she does have a vivid imagination.  She talks about nocturnal animals and non-venomous snakes.  At least Wild Kratts is an educational show.

Cute things I want to remember are:

• If you kiss someone on their cheek and they put their hand over the kiss, it saves it for later when you need a kiss.
• She knows so many birthdays.  She said that she knows Jesus's birthday, but doesn't know God's.  She says that she will ask him when his birthday is when she gets to heaven.
• She still remembers all the presidents in the order they were elected.  She can just say them, she doesn't even have to sing them.
• She knows a lot of facts about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
• John had made her gift bag with a pencil, suckers, and two friendship bracelets made out of rubber bands.  She thanked him and hugged him. He blushed.

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray."  So we didn't follow our original plans for the 4th of July, we made better ones.  We had our granddaughter with us and enjoyed the hospitality of our loved ones.  It just doesn't get any better than that.

Moving Back to Georgia - "Our Job"

As the four of five of you who read this blog probably already know, Amy, Darryl and Amelia have moved back to Atlanta from Baton Rouge.  When Amy moved off to attend college in 1993, it was her dad who did all the heavy lifting and moving.  In the 21 years since that first move, things have improved greatly.  Now our sole "responsibility" when they move is to keep Amelia.  On moving day we picked Amelia up from Amy in Mobile (half-way) and kept her the following week.

We had been promising her a camping trip to the beach for a while and had our fingers crossed that the weather would be good and that the gulf would be calm enough that she could enjoy swimming without our worrying about waves knocking her down.  Crossed fingers must have worked.  We had some great weather and the water was perfect.  For four days St. George Island State Park  provided us with a great week together.  Every single day we went down to the beach and stayed in the water for most of the hours spent there.  I rented movies from Red Box to watch in the evening.  We were all happy campers.

Amelia met some little girls from Tallahassee at the beach and they enjoyed swimming and playing together.  One special thing about Amelia is that she is always looking for an opportunity to make a new friend.  I wish that I could be as outgoing as she is.

One night her mom called and the first thing out of Amelia's mouth was "Have you heard about my back?"  She was a little pink on her cheeks and back after the second day and I put some aloe gel on it.  Her question made it sound like I had allowed her to get a bad sunburn and hadn't even used sun screen.  Thankfully, Amy is used to some exaggeration.  

Bubba and I bought her a book of mermaid stories while we were in Savannah so every night I read her at least one story from that book.  Then she would say her prayers and sing "Jesus Loves Me".  She was so sweet one night.  She had thanked God for her parents and us and closed the prayer.  Then she remembered that she forgot Joe and Judy and John so she had to pray again thanking God for them.

We came home from the beach on Friday with a ton of dirty clothes and towels and left Saturday morning carrying her back to her mom and dad.  We have decided that we don't want to travel in that direction again on the weekend.  The traffic was terrible going both ways.  

Amy and Darryl were settled into their new apartment and we enjoyed a weekend visit with them.  We were able to have lunch with our favorite cousin, Vicky, which was very nice since we had not seen her in person since Amy and Darryl moved to Baton Rouge two years ago.

I'm calling Bubba a "shirker" because I spent more time in the water than he did.

The water was so nice.  Paw-Paw had to get in.

This was taken on the third day.  Amelia is still ready for the water.  By this time we had bought more sun screen and added a visor and sunglasses.

Amelia loves to feed the birds.  She thinks they prefer Cheetos.  She throws the food closer and closer and holds her hand out like she wants a bird to land on it, but when they get too close she runs.

Amelia finds new friends on the beach.

A chocolate treat after a day at the beach and an outside shower is appreciated.

Amelia enlisted us to be in her "Buttercup Troop".  She is writing the rules in her journal.  She loves making rules and explaining them to everyone.

She is all tucked in for the night in her Dora sleeping bag.

Paw-Paw brings her hot chocolate every morning with two, or sometimes three, marshmallows.

Sometimes I have to stop and remind myself why I started a blog.  It was never supposed to be a travel log, or pictures of scenery or animals, or reviews of campgrounds.  It's my way of saving memories that are special to me.  I've already learned how quickly I forget things that I thought I never would and I want to always remember these special times that I've had with Bubba and our family.  I've already had the first two years printed into a hardback book and next year I will do that again.  I think it will probably be one of my most valued possessions.