1 Day for Him!

August 27, 2016


Today I enjoyed an AMAZING experience sharing the love of Christ in the community of Raleigh with Our Lady of Lourdes, One Day for Him outreach mission.  In its second year, this event pools the resources of our parish to follow Christ's command to go forth and proclaim his love.   Love of Christ is more than rhetoric and rules...the very heart of Christ's mission is salvation through mercy and love...we are all formed in love and by need of mercy.  Mercy and Love are active organs and muscles in our lives - we need to exercise love and compassion in all things - in doing so we find joy and give joy. 

In this service project, hundreds of parish volunteers, donated their time, money and supplies to help over thirty non-profits in the Triangle.  The non-profits stretched across every sector of at-risk and needs areas of the community - from assisting the homeless, to education, community gardening and more....

My mom and I signed up to volunteer at North Raleigh Ministries, a wonderful resource for the community assisting neighbors in critical need.  Here is the statement from their website:

North Raleigh Ministries provides neighbors in crisis with crucial assistance in a Christian environment.  Our vision is to be the primary agency in North Raleigh to help struggling neighbors achieve self sufficiency.
 

North Raleigh Ministries is a Christ-centered ministry located in the North Raleigh area that, among other projects, has three main ministries to help our neighbors in need.

• The first is our Crisis Center, which is a place for our neighbors in crisis to come and receive financial assistance for their water, electric or rent bills. Most of our Crisis Center neighbors are temporarily struggling and simply need a helping hand to get back on their feet. 
• The second ministry is our Client's Choice Market. The Market is a place where neighbors who are having trouble feeding their families can come and receive food assistance. The Market is set up like a any other food market and is a place where neighbors can come and choose their own groceries.
• The Thrift Shoppe is a large, well-organized store that is open for anyone to come and purchase items such as gently-used clothing, shoes, furniture, books, toys and more. All proceeds from the Thrift Shoppe go directly towards the other two ministries.

I was unfamiliar of this ministry until I signed up through the 1 Day for Him volunteer page.  I chose this non-profit because I work in retail and thought I could be of assistance in sorting clothes and merchandising.

Twelve volunteers showed up for this volunteer event - families and retirees - all committing to spreading the seeds of love for sowing. 

The North Raleigh Ministries store is the best second-hand shop I have been in.  The facility is large, and located in a great shopping center adjacent to family friendly shops and restaurants (Goodberrry's, Sassool, Galleria).  It is well-organized with the foundation's TLC radiating through the shop. 

As a shopper, I was impressed by the awesome buys...Ann Taylor Loft Pant only $2.99, fun decorations, books and children's clothes...this is a great all stop shop for back to school and beyond.

We were tasked with several different cleaning and organizing projects.  I and several other volunteers cleaned the dressing rooms and put away stock, before organizing racks.  I have a secret (I love to organize clothing racks and to size clothes!  It is therapy at work)  I enjoyed speaking to a few customers and assisting them during my volunteer shift.

My mom enjoyed sorting jewelry with Sister Renee....

It was an amazing experience and I hope to volunteer with North Raleigh Ministries again! 

Website about the organization: http://www.northraleighministries.com/about-us
Website for 1Day4Him: http://www.ourladyoflourdescc.org/ministry-descriptions/stewardship/1Day4Him_ParticipatingMinistries.pdf

On Volunteering:
I love to volunteer because it forces you to step outside of your narrow boundaries and converse neighbors and strangers with different backgrounds - all tied together by the thread of humanity and in that humanity the humanity of love and God's love for us.  That love permeates every culture and person - no matter how much we fill ourselves with temporal wants and desires - we will lack every good thing when we don't go forth in love.  Love is rich and deep - making us search for questions and seek those who are lost.  At times we chastise, but love seeks reconciliation and resting in our differences.  It is opening our mind and hearts up to this amazing world around us.

The past two months I have been battling some issues with Celiac Disease and it left me facing some trials and questions, but God revealed HIS love even in the suffering and helped me see the big picture.  While we can all get frustrated by the things we don't have and the rude behaviors in this world - many of these are legitimate frustrations - when we become so geared towards being frustrated we lose sight of hope and the goodness we do have.  Grace is always around us - even in dark spaces.  I have had a lot of stress about my job and career and money...during this battle with illness - my car died and needed a large repair...stress was off the roof...I turned to God I received peace and at times questions meant to make me grow and challenge my thought patterns.  Sometimes to truly move forward we have to accept grace and change our outlook.

The things that frustrated me are frustrating, but I am finding joy in the simplest of life's treasures - from watching a movie on Netflix, to going to church, to reading a book and even folding clothes at work.  I am learning to cast that frustration into God's net and allow myself to be present in the moment, while also not overwhelmed by the moment.  Grounded in love yields a fruit of peace and awareness not akin to a guru on a mountaintop out of touch with reality, but rather being grounded in the enormous grace of this life and ordinary blessings - which are extraordinary...the more we find blessings in things like bananas and sunflowers we see God and our humanity more clearly...we realize how small we are and in that humility...how loved and blessed we are...in acknowledging self-love we discover the true human desire to love one another as God has loved us and that is a journey for a lifetime...a journey of growth, falling down, getting up and asking forgiveness and giving it time and time again....this is a pilgrimage - the journey is the adventure and we are not ready for the destination - because life is a labyrinth worth its weight in glorious detours and expeditions...just make sure to keep our compass set on love and we can rest even in the storms.

In being more mindful and present we are able to discern how to problem solve and help our neighbors and to meet each crisis with Christ in us; the love in us...God works through HIS shepherd, Christ and I believe Christ is at work in every human soul....his voice is love and that voice is heard in compassion, laughter among friends, a great song and experiencing the beauty of a tree blowing in the wind.

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Saturday Blessings:
I have been keeping a journal of my daily blessings and itinerary to help remember the many great experiences I find even in ordinary spaces.

After volunteering at North Raleigh Ministries, my mom and I perused a fun and creative marketplace of shops called Galleria...I loved the fun Halloween decorations, Christian art, Cat motifs and other funky house décor...I love anything creative and offbeat - so this was a true treat...time to save some money, because I think I could buy out this store :)

We investigated several of the shopping area's restaurants including a sandwich and wine bar that looks fabulous....

I'm a little broke until payday so we decided to go to Wendy's which is a rarity - I like Wendy's - they have the best 'healthy' fast food...I am stretching healthy, but I got a salad and blackberry lemonade.

I was able to spend the rest of the afternoon giving a friend a ride to get something to eat (she doesn't have a car - something I faced last month)

This evening we went to Hillsborough - my favorite getaway to stumble through the colonial neighborhoods, enjoy a drink at the Weaver Street Co-Op and a hike at Gold Park.  I look forward to returning to Hillsborough soon.  It is a great spot to visit for the day for the entire family!

Beach Musings

There is a mystic power in the sea; the ocean the paradox of chaos and peace.  Today I enjoyed a rare getaway from the helter-sketler pace of work and worry for a day trip to Wrightsville Beach with a friend.  

The irony of salt in the wound, is that I have found that saltwater has a way of healing old wounds.  Perhaps it is the salt in the wounds that makes us confront pain and finally be willing to set it free to the ocean's tide, opening ourselves up to grace and mercy.  Salt is a purifier and water cleanses - the ocean heals.  It is a place of serenity, even though it is a wild abandon - the edge of the earth.

I have been grappling with a lot of life decisions - roadblocks and questions.  I was in a similar spot the last time I was in Wrightsville in March 2015 - where I enjoyed three days at the Sandpeddler Resort, writing, listening to the music and connecting with God and myself.   In a pivotal moment I was led to read Job 42:10: 'When Job prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes.'

Like a crash of a thunder wave in the ocean - I was able to perceive the need for deep forgiveness - for those who hurt me and let me down - and to forgive myself...love myself and learn to seek buried treasure in Christ.

I has been a rough road, but a gracious one.  I compare the past year and a half to sea glass that is beaten down and has to journey hundreds or thousands of miles before winding up on a distance shore.  The glass tries to be self-directed but it is at the mercy of the currents, storms and the hidden abyss of the sea.  It knows that if it every gets out of the trampling currents of the ocean - the glass will not be the same - it will be changed by the journey and the destination and entirely new beginning...and yet it is still glass - it is still defined by the journey and yet separate.

A lot of things I demanded that God change in my life, have not changed - I still am searching for another job and I need to let go of anxiety issues, but I see the progress I've made as I return to the shores where I first gave over my pain to the ocean and allowed the Atlantic Ocean to sweep away the worry and doubt.  I know I am still learning and growing

I am thinking back on Job 42:10 and the beauty, like broken sea glass - smooth and rough, shells that are imperfect and still amazingly unique and serene....I am beginning to see that God's grace has been active in the pain, teaching me - helping me to learn the lessons from the hurt and yet separate myself from it.  So when I reach the destination, I am refined by the journey and yet separate from the pain - refined by it and not defined by it and that is a hard line to negotiate and yet I find the peace to do so in the crashing ebb and flow of the waves, sea salt foam and broken shells on the sand.

Restoring our fortunes isn't always about getting back what we want or obtaining goals by our terms - Restoration is a reconciliation to love and accepting grace and moving forward in love.  Restoration of fortunes may be the ability to not crave the past yearnings of a broken heart, but to rest in quiet peace.  Restoration my not be financial treasure, but digging deep into the buried treasure of the heart....I'll continue to muse on this in future posts.

I discovered the healing peace of just being in the moment and breathing in the grace of the ocean breeze, of allowing my mind to wander into my imagination.  Strolling along the shore I remembered dreaming of the endless myth and magic of the ocean aura as a child...mermaids and talking pelicans...sand castles that I could live in forever and emerald waters....Sometimes we need to just be kids, to dream, to enjoy the journey...to explore and enjoy the simplest experiences on an extraordinary level...why also accepting current mysteries as mysteries we don't have to find a map to....

I don't have all the answers, but I know this is a beautiful world...with amazing hope and grace.

Standing on the edge of the Crystal Pier, I mused that this is the end of my known world...the end of the road, the only way forward is to jump into something new, something fierce, something beautiful and chaotic and it is scary.  Taking steps towards change isn't easy and yet it is the only way forward...At this juncture you can jump into the unknown - otherwise you will be forced to turn around and live in the past or repeat the same patterns.  

Do we sink or swim?

It is important to note that sometimes change isn't what we think it should be - big life changes where we move into another hemisphere...sometimes our lives stay relatively the same in itinerary and yet we allow our hearts to open more to love - to experience, to peace and to God.  Sometimes the hardest change is to accept blessings right where we are.

The Art of Impressions: Hassam and Cooney

May 20 2016

Sunset flashed like diamonds in the mist as rain drizzled repetitiously as we made our way into the North Carolina Museum of Art for a Friday night visit to tour the Childe Hassam: Isle of Shoals exhibit.

Listen to WUNC broadcast on exhibit

Childe Hassam has always been one of my favorite painters.  I love his bold and intricate use of color, blended landscapes of impressionist and romantic ideals.  He stands as one of America's master artists and premier impressionists.  While Hassam is an impressionist painter in style, I find his work to be unique and daring in its American ideal - romantic and stark.  The Isle of Shoals works are intrepid - showcasing the raw rugged scenery of New England's Appledore Island, while also imbuing each work with an artistry of a rugged and wild hope in the chaos of the natural world.

This exhibit showcases 39 exquisite pieces chronicling Hassam's interpretations of the enchanting landscape of the Isle of Shoals, a series of islands off the coast of Maine and New Hampshire.  Hassam spent countless summers living in the artist colony of Appledore Island with renowned poetess Celia Thaxter.  

Thaxter and her family had deep roots in the Shoals, with Thaxter hosting literary and artistic giants of the time including Longfellow, Hawthorne, William Morris Hunt and Childe Hassam into her cottage.  Artists displayed their work in Thaxter's salon and were in turn exposed to wealthy buyers vacationing on the island.


Entering the exhibit I was immediately swept into another world.  With each painting I imagined myself in another time, hearing the roar of the silent ocean - that odd silent of crashing waves so loud it drowns out all other noises and you are lost in a vortex of peace in a barren land.  I could feel the rugged stones of the shoals and sand and brush under my feet as I envisioned Hassam crating his canvas and materials, trekking to the perfect and at times impossible vantage point


 Each piece of artwork - has a simple dynamic and rich depth that can ignite memories of lazy summer days spent outside - or lingering by a botanical garden, while invoking our own individual ideal of that country garden and seascape we imagine when studying history.  Hassam creates works that are rooted in reality and our human propensity to stand in awe of nature - to see color in barren spaces, to seek life even on the edge of rocky cliffs...infusing our sense of hope in the unknown - colliding with the peace of familiar spaces...i.e. the rugged Neptune's Hall slit cove - with roaring waves fast approaching in contrast to the idyllic Thaxter cottage.

I am a literary buff and each picture reminded me of a great American novel, a mystery and magic, romance and solitary journey.

The paintings reminded me of one of my favorite books as a child, Osprey Island.  The book, which is now out of print, is a story about a magic island not too different in description that the Isle of Shoals, where cousins from across the world meet through a magical portal.  The island is full of color and life and adventure and peace...

Looking at Hassam's paintings I was catapulted into a desire to pack up my car and drive to New England, go camping and grab a camera and a journal and seek out the quiet wonders of Appledore, immersing myself in the history and magic of a land so rich in scenery, fortitude and inspiration.

Hassam captures the quiet wonder of the island.  I choose the word 'quiet' because while the beach scenes and rocky bluffs are crass and bold - there is a peace in the barren rocks and the vivid shrubbery - a quiet that we find when we are in the face of awesome power and raw beauty - an awesome wonder that calms our soul and makes us stand quiet - quiet and awake to the world around us - each other, art in motion, something as small and delicate and alive as a blade of grass roaming across the ground, dancing as a stroke of quick brushwork in a painting.

I loved all of the paintings in the exhibit - each one reminding me of summer - that restless spirit that falls into the lazy peace of just living for three months of bliss...each introspective and unique.  My mom liked the scenes of sunrise and sunset - painted from the same location nearly a decade apart...the rise of hope in the morning and the light of the moon reflected in the panorama of the vast and fearless sea - peace even in the fear of new beginnings.


In addition to the Hassam exhibit, the NCMA featured two other outstanding collections: Barbara Cooney's Island Boy and the Minneapolis Art Museum's collection of drawings.
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Marks of Genius: 100 Drawings, was an extraordinary surprise!  My mom and I were delighted to experience 100 unique compositions rooted in the art of drawing spanning across the centuries - from Medieval illuminated manuscript pages recounting the Gospel message, to modern art of Warhol and Lichenstein.

Several of my favorite artists were included in the exhibit, including Degas, Henri Matisse, Modigliani, Klimt, Homer (below) and more.  I plan to return to the museum again with a notebook to record and sketch my favorite pieces.




Kirchner - one of my favorites - love the freeform use of line, color and dynamic intrigue and simplicity of setting!

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Island Boy is a children's classic that continues to be a hauntingly beautiful story for adults - it is a story about loving your home, stepping out into the world ready for adventure - our sense of place, encountering beauty and love in even the everyday life - it is an ode to Maine and New England.

This exhibit showcases all the original artwork of Caldecott winner Barbara Cooney's book Island Boy.  This pairs perfectly with the Hassam exhibit - showcasing the folk art and purely American identity of New England's artistic movements and cultural identity of universal themes - peace in home, our lives as an island and our struggle to be an island while also living in a diverse and closely knit community.



“I believe that children in this country need a more robust literary diet than they are getting. …It does not hurt them to read about good and evil, love and hate, life and death. Nor do I think they should read only about things that they understand. '…a man’s reach should exceed his grasp.' So should a child’s. For myself, I will never talk down to, or draw down to, children.

(from the author's acceptance speech for the Caldecott award)” 
― Barbara Cooney, Chanticleer and the Fox


I look forward to learning more about the artists and art I viewed tonight.  I am also ready to start taking art classes and pursue my own passion for painting.

Grandfather Mountain: Wonders Never Cease

August 30:
The silver mists of thick fog cast a spell on the Blue Ridge Mountains, as my mom and I zigzagged on Highway 221 west towards Grandfather Mountain. The howl of a ghostly wind rumbling and rustling across the hills and through the trees - a rock sound inviting wonder and awe at the expansive cliff stopping views.

Looking across the vast roaring hills of the Appalachia, the ghosts of crystals and rocks, the secrets of these hills speak in the dense fog and effervescent green fir.  There is a peace and mystery in the North Carolina mountains - beckoning exploration.  It feels as a crossroads of the past and present, my steps merely dust prints in  wind.

Grandfather Mountain is a Tar Heel icon, it is a legend of stone, alive and awaiting discovery.  Grandfather Mountain is a guardian of North Carolina and the Blue Ridge, the ancient father of the hills and keeper of the forests.  It is a bridge between the heavens and the earth, a place to climbing to soaring heights and be humbled by nature's majesty. No human hands can improve upon this natural Eden. Human are charged with protecting this native land, a difficult task in the shadow of man-made climate factors and pollution...Grandfather Mountain is a crossroads of biodiversity of life and legend, death and rebirth...the state park and Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Educational Park are keystones to helping visitors discover the ceaseless wonders of the Blue Ridge...

Everyone who leaves Grandfather Mountain is changed by its atmosphere - the smoky mists of the mountains and blue hues of distant valleys and craggy peaks...parks like Grandfather Mountain remind us of the beauty around us and the necessity to protect the extraordinary spaces of God's grace in creation.  

My mom and I arrived at Grandfather Mountain around 2 o'clock, the craggy peak jutting out as a guidepost to heaven. I hit the brakes and pulled into a turnout to snap a picture of the profile of the mountain - which is stand to look like a man by some...there are countless legends for the naming of Grandfather Mountain, but one thing is certain the frame of this crag is unique and mysterious.

Standing at 5,946 feet, Grandfather Mountain is highest peak on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's rugged character, hidden caves, cliffs and forests tell a geologic story of 1.1 years of  Grandfather Mountain is home to 16 distinct ecological communities.  

Named by the Cherokee as 'Tanawha' - meaning hawk or eagle, Grandfather Mountain's rocks date back 1.1 billion years, the stones ancient natural skyscrapers formed by mountain building that culminated 300 million years ago, followed by ongoing erosion.  Erosion and natural forces, including impact continue to write the future of the mountain and its ecology.  Listed as a UN Biosphere, Grandfather Mountains diverse topography boasts sixteen distinct ecological communities.  The Grandfather Stewardship seeks to protect the mountain for future generations, educating the public about the diverse breadth of life in the Blue Ridge.

Admission to the tourist park, includes a audio c.d. detailing the history and geology of the mountain, while showcasing notable sites along the way.  My mom took our time winding up to the main visitor pavilion, snapping shots of the wonders of the mountain.

We started our tour at the Nature Center where we learned about the preserve's rescued animals.  I love animals and appreciated Grandfather Mountains care to provide the wildlife with a safe habitat - educating the public about endangered species currently or once native to the region.  

Highlights:
Informed park rangers and biologists presented a tour on the park's Black Bears who are native to North Carolina.  Because of a new eagle habitat, the bear viewing platform was closed, so we got a behind the scenes look at the bears in their private habitat.

Cougar: Sadly cougars, once native to this landscape were hunted to extinction and died out, however the western cousin of the extinct North Carolina cougar - a mountain lion - is part of the wildlife exhibits.  The ranger did an excellent job explaining about habitat loss, the importance of predators in the ecosystem and our duty to be stewards of the ecosystem.

Otters: They were just adorable.

My mom enjoyed meandering through the gardens and stone cliff mazes before continuing up the mountain to take on the world-famous Mile High Swinging Bridge.

I will be the first to warn you that I am terrified of heights - ironic considering I love to climb mountains, but I get a little vertigo when crossing bridges...I was determined to make it across the bridge - fearlessly facing my fears...and praying the Hail Mary a few times for moral support.

The Mile High Swinging Bridge at Grandfather Mountain is truly a feat in engineering....built in 1952, the Mile High Bridge is America's highest suspension footbridge...it is a bridge across the clouds enabling explorers to walk on the sky, spanning a 80 foot chasm to climb to the stunning panorama from Grandfather Mountain's Linville Peak

The Mile High Swinging Bridge could well be called Whistler's Roar - it has been the site of reported record breaking wind speeds - up to 200 miles per hour (though some dispute this claim - needless to say it is a WINDY GAP).

Today the wind whispered like a song, a brisk caress, invigorating the soul - aspiring to leap into the grace of the natural peace of the land.

Down in the gift shop I loaded up on 'healing' crystals native to the North Carolina Mountains including citrine and amethyst...the true gem of these mountains is not the silver and gold reported deep in the rocks of old, but the life abundant found on the mountain and stories of eons the mountain reveals in the wind and movement of the trees and the cracking of rock after a heavy rain.

I cannot wait to return to Grandfather Mountain - when I return it will feel like coming home...

More about history of Grandfather Mountain.
Visit Grandfather Mountain

St. Mary in the Hills

August 30th:
Part I: St. Mary's in the Hills

The sun cracked through the mountains like fire on stone, as the blue sky colluded with gray clouds, conspiring for rain.  The gray coolness of the last Sunday in August was like water in the desert - the air and trees felt alive with the moisture - the cool wetness welcome from the hot humidity of Raleigh's scorching temps.  I find a peace in the cloudy days in the mountains - the smoke rising in the clouds has a mysterious knowing to it - the clouds call us to search our own hearts and minds - while making peace with the things we fight against.  There is nothing cleaner and more invigorating than a mountain rain.

My mom and I enjoyed a breakfast of cereal, yogurt and fruit at the Ridgeway Inn before embarking to St. Mary's of the Hills for Sunday service.  This beautiful stone edifice, located in the heart of downtown is a space alive with grace and hope.  The church's architecture reflects the contemplative spirit of the mountains and invites travelers into the peace of God's SPIRIT of Light.  I loved the mountain architecture and old world charm of the edifice - while a church cannot be defined by its grand style - it does reflect the active community oriented parish that make Blowing Rock their home and serve their community with love and compassion.

The name St. Mary's of the Hills struck a particular chord with me as I have a strong devotion to Mother Mary - who was a light who followed God's will and said 'yes' to God.  Mary is a tender mother who God entrusted with HIS very self in the incarnate word and St. Mary's of the Hills reflects the humility and fortitude of Mary and points the way to Christ, her son, our LORD.

Built in 1918, St. Mary's of the Hills instantly invokes a sense of contemplative wonder in embracing grace and worship. The church is home to Madonna of the Hills, a master work by former congregant and internationally renowned artist Elliott Daingerfield.  The church also features glorious stain glass windows and handcrafted Stations of the Cross.
http://ncpedia.org/biography/daingerfield-elliott

The service included uplifting hymns and a thought-provoking sermon about embracing desert times and our call to provide nourishment to others in their desert times - I have been in a desert time in my life and the imagery of the sermon and scripture spoke to my heart - I felt the Holy Spirit at work.  Receiving communion I prayed in thanksgiving for God's nourishing love and grace in desert times and the blessing of my life and hope for the future.  How can I build God's kingdom?  Where have I kept my feet secure in Him, and where do I let fear paralyze my soul?



After church, my mom and I ate a hearty meal at the Town Tavern.  The rain had tapered off, so we decided to sit outside.  The Town Tavern is a popular spot for locals to listen to local musicians play cover tunes and originals while enjoying drafts in a family friendly atmosphere.

I ordered a locally bred grass fed organic burger with NC bacon, cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce with a side of got to be NC home sweet potato fries.  My mom and I split a yummy salad - loaded with tomatoes, carrots and cheese.

Stuffed and ready to explore the mountains, my mom and drove eighteen miles west towards Linville NC to Grandfather Mountain.

Grandfather Mountain is arguably the icon of the North Carolina mountains, it is a place that crosses space and time - a common anchor in the tapestry of North Carolina myth, lore and adventure.   Grandfather Mountain is a converging ecological region where alpine extremes meet with wildflower valleys and unique geologic wonders.  Grandfather Mountain is truly a place where wonders never cease...stay tuned for my blog on our trip to Grandfather Mountain.

Bumming around Blowing Rock

August 29th 2015:

I had the privilege to spend my 31st birthday enjoying a mountain retreat in historic Blowing Rock.  The mountains ignite my soul and Blowing Rock's southern rock charm blew us away.    

Nestled in the heart of North Carolina's Appalachian Blue Ridge, the hamlet of Blowing Rock is a thriving community reflecting the heritage and mountain spirit of northwestern North Carolina's High Country region.  

Blowing Rock is a mountain oasis, a quaint walk-able village bustling with culture, good eats, shopping and recreation.  The village a living story book, lined with bed and breakfast craftsman bungalows and Old Manse style  inns, book shops and boutiques, gardens and stone churches - each edifice tells a story - a history that lives side by side with the vibrant present.

My mom and I arrived at Blowing Rock just after 3 p.m, the sun peaking out from the clouds; the air a perfect seventy-six degrees with a breeze.  We checked into the historic Ridgeway Inn, conveniently located a stone's throw from downtown shops and eateries.  The Ridgeway Inn has the distinction of being the first inn in Blowing Rock to provide accommodations - it is rustic high end charm for a moderate price.  Each room is uniquely decorated with mountain ambiance and solitude luxury.

The inn features a wine and cheese hour nightly and a continental breakfast in the common area.  My favorite part of the inn are the lovely garden sitting areas on site, perfect for enjoying a glass of wine or in my case a butter beer (Hogwarts style) and a good book in the cool crisp mountain air!  

After unpacking the car, my mom and I hit the pavement and explored Blowing Rock's quaint downtown - perusing the diverse array of shops...I liked the offbeat garden shop and French shop...Blowing Rock's shops reflect the passion of shop local - with businesses owned by people who care about their community and offering eclectic and practical items for high brow travelers to back country hikers.  The downtown is family friendly, connecting directly to Broyhill Park - where outdoor concerts, family festivals and fun occur throughout the year.  

Per the suggestion of locals we ate at a restaurant tucked away in the woods, called Bistro Rocca.  My mom had eaten at the restaurant years ago and loved - so we thought we'd indulge for my birthday.  While the views from the restaurant were stellar - Bistro Rocca disappointed - I will assume it was an off night but the Gluten Free pizza tasted like paste - I make a better GF pizza - they also put salad dressing on my salad and I am highly allergic to salad dressing - the waitress was rude about having to remake the salad...the gluten free torte was bland and dry - nothing to write home about...it was so bad I could not help but laugh - I did see the steaks being served to a nearby table and they looked scrumptious.

While Bistro Rocca did not merit a * rating - Blowing Rock is teeming with awesome restaurants - we just picked the wrong meal and wrong venue...I look forward to trying the other yummy culinary hot spots in the area on this trip and in the future.  

My mom and I treated ourselves to Kilwin's delicious hand spun ice cream for a late night treat.  I got the caramel cluster flavor - it was scrumptious.  Ice Cream is my favorite meal of the day.

We concluded our evening by strolling in the brisk night air on the wandering hilly streets of Blowing Rock before relaxing in the hotel room.  I enjoyed a good book and a hot bath with some bath salts.  I could not imagine having a more blessed birthday - the biggest blessing was spending it with my mom - without her I wouldn't be here!

The View from the Top

August 29th, 2015

I don't need candles to pass the hours into another year on earth,  for my birthday, the mountains have called and I must go - my thirty-one years on this planet has been an undying series of mountains, curves and swerves, pinnacles and valleys of shadow and death, despair and reawakening from the depths of the tomb...I am usually one to cross off birthday celebrations...this year I am celebrating - not by fighting the great unknown - but embracing it...with a weekend trip to the North Carolina Mountains...I am coming home in a way, the mists and rugged hills of my home state have always haunted me with peace and an explorer's disposition.  I am rediscovering my phoenix wings and the glory and majesty of the adventure life affords - even in the madness of changes in seasons.



My rambling heart has crossed the threshold of another trip around the sun. I have always ignored birthday's as just another exchange of the moon into dawn - however this year I am celebrating my life.  Life is an extraordinary dance is a vent of chaos and I'm grateful to God for the immense blessings, HIS grace has brought into my life.

As I look back on my thirty-one years on this planet - instead of feeling rejection and heartache for all the fallen dreams that guarded my heart in my younger years - I am fearlessly learning to forgive myself and let go of the hurt.  I acknowledge the detours as lessons forking me into a untraveled byway I needed to endure on foot - testing my soul in the refining power of trial by fire.  


Life is always lived in the juxtaposition of routine and transition.  In my thirty-one years I have lassoed adversity from emotional abuse and betrayal...I am beginning to recognize lost fragments of myself...I allowed my self worth to be chained to other people's ideals - instead of resting in the grace of my own dynamic energy that God has given me.  While I have always been fiercely independent and empathetic - desperate to sow good in this world, I have clutched my fear and allowed myself to be caged in by past abuse.  

I have always lacked security in my own skin.  I am learning to dance in my joy and the joy of the Holy Spirit.  

My life has been one heartbreak after another.  Loss, pain, hurt, loneliness, struggles and hardship and yet it has been in the suffering - in the desperate times that God's light has shone like diamonds in the rough - stars in a sea of night, a firefly on the cusp of summer.  Life is not meant to be easy, Life is meant to be lived.  Living means moving.  Living means breathing.  Living is learning lessons and being willing to listen and follow the tread of an old faded map and a friends advice, without compromising our hearts.  Life is a delicate balancing of holding on and letting go.  I see it as the dove who first left the ark - able to fly, and in flying setting the world a light in a peace - 'the storm is over.'

I have always loved the mountains - In the mountains I find peace.  I am beginning to realize that mountains are a living metaphor - a eon of testimony for how life's greatest beauty and foundations is not formed by straight predestined roads, but rather the hardship of climbing and blazing a path in desert sands, rocky precipices and dense forests.  We must see the forest for the trees, but may we never forget one tree is intricately and independently woven into the tapestry of a forest.


It is easy to get lost, to feel forgotten, but when we get lost in the Holy Spirit we find in the infinite insignificance of the chaos of the world - how significant we are to God and as God's own - how integral it is that we participate in life - with an appreciation of its beauty and grace - willing to love ourselves and also being willing to sacrifice the easy roads for the rocky terrain - the terrain that builds our character and helps us to feast in a banquet of mercy.  Life is not a solitary game.  Life is a symbiotic breath in tune with the forest and hills, mesas and sky.

So how do we bridge this quandary of freeing the independent spirit - letting go of the fear of pleasing others, while still being integrated into a society.  This is not an easy task - but for me when we place ourselves in solitary confinement - we are caged by our own faculties - unable to grow and heal, and when we refuse to allow the storm within ourselves flood the noise with peace - then we are also prisoners - wandering like ants marching...

God is the root we must plug into - a tree is firmly rooted in the forest ecosystem and yet a tree stands alone and in communion.  We cannot live our lives so confined by the ways of the world that we fail to allow our Spirit, the Holy Spirit within us, to roam free.

We are free by Christ and by love - and mercy and grace.  We are free to dance and sing in the wild abandon of a heart's infinite life when God breathes life into us - and in that life, our independence we can serve our neighbor - not motivated by greed and self-importance - but a desire to share in mercy, to break the bread of ourselves and share in the cup - so that in tears we may be shoulders to lean on and in the waking of brilliant dawn in a summer sky - we can find release - the fearlessness to know that for every night there is a dawn and the dawn is always on fire in our hearts - if we just be still and ignite the SPIRIT of LOVE and MERCY within us.



At thirty-one I look back at my life and its wildfire dance of phoenix smoke rising.  The air is clearing and I can confidently step off the edge of the wild with my feet grounded and in flight.  Running but not restless.

Stay tuned as I blog about our mountain adventure in Blowing Rock and beyond...