"The Greatest Pleasure In Life Is Doing What People Say You Cannot Do!"

So it's been another long while without a post...sheesh...like half a year.  So here's a quicky update for those of you (fam. mainly) who still may check up on me!  Logan and I moved into this faboo house with Richard (who is actually responsible for finding the fabulousness) and Cassy!!  It was crazy for a while, cause it was just me and the boys, but at the end of September, Cas moved in, and it has been even more fun craziness ever since!  Nuts!  We've already lived here for 3 months!!  We had our first snow of the season last week, and ended up with four inches.  Sassy and I cried, cause we moved south to free ourselves of the snow, but I guess that's what you get for moving up on top of a mountain!

Speaking of tops of mountains (it really has been a long time)... we took a hike a couple of weekends ago  (well...at the beginning of October) to check out the fall colors! 

 It was beeeeaaaaauuuuttttiiiiffffuuuullll!!  Cas took a picture of me and Logan on top of Tennant Mountain.  I made fun of her at first, cause I was snoozing on Logan's shoulder, but it's one of my favourite pictures now!

Cute, huh?  Logan's been a real trooper these last few months!  He came with me this summer to chillax at the CMW during one of the most un-chillax-friendly times... the 90th Reunion.  He also was my hot date for my cousin Lee Bee's wedding at Kiawah island a month ago!  (Like, woah!  It has already been a month...time is flying by!!)  He did so well, and put up with my crazy fam like a champ.  I think my grandmother is going to break up with my grandfather and go after Logan.  Haha...funny moment... he and my uncle Ray and mom were talking about the shrimp cocktail shooters and they were joking that they were going to put vodka in the cocktail sauce, and Logan went and told my grandma to do the same... Classic!

He's such a sweetheart!  Now we're just livin life in Waynesville.  Takin every opportunity to get outside and get active that we can!  I love it!

Every production of an artist should be the expression of an adventure of his soul.”

-William Somerset Maugham

Ok, so I really need to get better at updating, but I've been so super busy lately, that I just haven't had time to do so!!

LEWIS GRADUATED!!  Yaay Lewie!!  Our whole family flew up to Virginia, and we stayed at the North River Inn, which was beautiful!!  We got to visit at Christchurch School a lot...which is an amazingly beautiful place!  I'm so jealous he got to go to school there and be on the sailing team!!  For graduation, they all had to sign the book of alumni to make it official!  Cool tradition!!

On the other front... I love my job at SOAR!!  I get to work, live, and play with the most AMAZING people, and the kids are my kindred spirits!!  I live with a bunch of my coworkers in a double-wide in Cruso, NC (where the motto is "9 miles of friendly people, and one crab").  We are renting until I can find a perfect home!! 

 Right now it is me, Mark, Cate, and Erin, but for a month we get Katie Rose as well, and Logan, of course, when he is in town!!  It'll be cramped, but fun!  We just got water last week, and this week, we are hoping to get power.  This heat wave we've been having is killin me!  It was 98 yesterday, and when you live on the side of a mountain, and there is no power to plug in a fan, it gets HOT!  The view is what makes it amazing, though... we overlook Cold Mountain!!!

Life's a voyage that's homeward bound...

So it has been FOREVER since I last posted...well...about a month.  But sheesh, has it been a full month.   I have re-WFR-ed, been to New York, travelled to  Costa Rica, met AMAZING new friends, and GOTTEN A JOB!!  Indeed...after months of searching, I believe I've found a calling! 

I'm taking the job at SOAR, in Balsam, NC!  So I am headed home!!!  It should be great...one part Admin, another part teaching (in an outdoor setting), and a little spicy adventuring on top.  Very nice!  I finally got all of my offers together...pro-ed and con-ed them, and made a decision.  Yaay.

I went on a trip to Costa Rica with SOAR!  We had a great group of 6 kids (John, Chuck, Anders, James, Elliott, and Charlie), and 5 leaders (Jon, Carly, Logan, Cate and myself).  Car and I went as volunteers...last minute to say the least!

We flew into San Jose, and stayed the night at the Costa Rican Backpackers Hostel...very nice hostel!  Then we headed off to La Fortuna and Arenal.  We passed this church that had an amazing garden of Juniper bushes trimmed up as tunnels and mazes!  We stayed in La Fortuna for a couple of days...checkin out the rainforest!  Then we headed off to Manuel Antonio and Quepos for a little beach time...and on the way, we met up with "a few" of the MASSIVE Crocs!  (and NOT the colorful shoe kind!).

Remind me not to swim there!

We spent a lot of time just hangin out at the beach...which was really nice, since the last time I was AT the beach was after my senior year of high school...I've been close, and in beach towns, but I haven't had a good beach day since then!  

Cate, me, and Car on the beach at Manuel Antonio.

The beach was BEAUTIFUL!  (And we took LOTS of pictures of these kids...just TOO cute!).

Our last night, we went out to a FABOO restaurant near the beach.  It overlooked the ocean, and would have been lovely sans kids...but they were pretty good that night.

Me and Car with the beach and sunset behind us! 

(Check out the sunburn!!)

Mmmm...fruity drinks!  Moi and Logan...lookin like we're about to fall asleep!

So It's off to Balsam for me!  If anyone is going to be in the area, look me up!  I'm a 9-5-er now, so I'll be around evenings!!  Come on up/down and visit!!!

Crazy Times!

Hey All,

So here's a little update before I embark on some crazy times the next couple of weeks!  

I have a SUPER IMPORTANT job interview on Friday at noon...like biggest interview of my LIFE...so far!  Hopefully I get this one.

I am drivin up to Sylva, NC...or rather Cullowhee to visit some friends and recert my WFR!  Excitement!  Oh!  and WHO is in my class!?  Why, it's Miss Carly Ferguson!!  I am staying with a little old lady at her b&b...only I'm renting the guest house...for 20 bucks a day!  It's soooo cute!  Plus it has a kitchen in it, so I'll be super happy!  I am then going to go up to Cashiers/Sapphire for a day or two to chillax at home, before it's back to the ATL for a night before we jet off to NYC for a few days with the fam!  It's a rough life I lead...haha...no not really...it's pretty schwanky!  I'm excited to catch up with some old friends in Sylva, Asheville, Sapphire, and NYC!  I'm friend hoppin!  After NYC, I'll come back to the ATL, where I'll be working more for Patagonia while I search for, as my family calls it..."real jobs."  

Here's a little parting shot from my little cabin in the woods!

Time's Fun When You're Having Flies...

(Me and Kristina Brozynina posing as gargoyles in Middies on the old gates of CMW!)

It has been a while, but, for the moment, there is not much to report.  I FINALLY got some pictures developed from the last two months!  

Elizabeth Adair and I are headed to Morgantown this week!  We are going to try and clean things up a bit, so when Bob comes by to show the house, we will have some interest!!  I took some pictures the last time I was there, when it was all snowy!  I love this house!  It makes me sad to leave it!!  It makes me more sad to think of having to pack up all the decorations!  I am going to have to take some good photos of the inside and outside of the house before I move stuff around too much!   I am really excited to see the green living room with the new color paint we picked out ages ago!  Lyd painted it over the holidays, so it should look nice...or at least a lot brighter !

EA and I leave at noonish!  I can't wait!!  We are going to roadtrip it back to Atlanta in Mr. Bojangles (my truck!)!  We plan on making several fun stops that we found listed on the Roadside America website!  These include, but are not limited to...Giant Milk Cartons, Tank Museums, Giant Pencils, and Miniature Stone Villages!!!!!  Of course, we have to visit the NRG, because it's beautiful, in WV, and on the way home!  'Til then! - MC