Hello from TN!

Hi everyone,

My sister Loretta called me and I had my cell turned off because we were in Cherokee National Forest looking at beautiful waterfalls and she left me a message telling me that I had not updated my blog, emailed or called. Which is true......

So, here we go..... Christmas was great had a wonderful time having a picnic with 50 degree weather. I kept having to remind myself that it was Christmas. Then Nick was off to Utah for a week and Mike and I saw "Marley" while he was gone. And then we were off to Ohio to see the family.

January..... hmmmmm not too much to report just loving life and living the dream.

Today is February 3rd and we have a SNOW DAY today since we did get 2 inches yesterday. They closed due to the black ice every where.

Love to all of you.

WINTERFEST

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

On December 2nd we had our first snow storm and according to the weather reports it was going to be a big one. Get ready Utah people to get a good laugh at the "Big Storm." I will say this it did snow "sideways" due to the crazy wind.

We all went into the National Park and to Pigeon Forge to get a look at the snow and "Winterfest" it was a fun and long day. We started around 3:00 in the afternoon and got home at almost midnight. There was many things to see at the Christmas stores and Nick was thrilled with all the lights. He wanted us to take them all home to our yard.

Love ya

THANKSGIVING

Hello all,

Well Thanksgiving is over for another year and I wanted to tell you what I am thankful for. I am thankful for the health and well being of all my family and friends. I am also thankful for the feeling that the world is about to turn around the feeling of hope has returned. I am looking forward to the New Year and all that is possible.

Michael and I spent a quiet Thanksgiving just the two of us again. The leaves in the yard have been all raked up. (took both if us working on it and about 6 hours total) We had a wonderful dinner of turkey and all the trimmings and then after we cleaned up the kitchen we took a drive through Cades Cove in the National Park. Here are the pictures from that.... please notice the wild turkey I got a kick out of that.

You will also notice Elijah Oliver's grave. The Olivers have a special place in my heart (reason unknown) they lived in the Cove prior to the National Park. John Oliver and his wife Lurena will the first "white settlers" to the cove and Elijah was their son he married Mary Lawson and they had a son named William. Elijah Oliver's cabin is still in the Cove today and is my favorite to look at. You walk about a half a mile through beautiful trees, hemlocks, holly to get to his cabin. His spring house is so amazing and is still trickling water in late November.

As we were leaving the cemetary where these pictures were taken there was this family (along with many many more) coming towards us. There was a man about my age walking with what appeared to be his mother. A pale fraile woman with silver hair and the prettiest cheek bones and clear blue eyes. When I saw her I just had to smile to myself and had many thoughts go through my head which none that I can remember at this time. Our eyes met and she smiled at me from ear to ear and she said "Hello, how are you?" With that she reached for my arm and in turn I reached for her. After our embrace her son looked a little surprised and when I turned back to Michael he asked "What was that?" All I could say was "Oh we were just having a moment in a magical place together."