Asheville
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Enjoying the View
Yesterday morning I was sitting in the carpool line at my son’s school and was mesmerized by the colors in the sky. The mountains were peaking out of the low lying clouds and I reached for my phone to capture the moment. Unfortunately, what my iphone caught is not nearly as beautiful as the snapshot in my mind.
The point of this post is to feature the beauty that can be found in Asheville. Even mundane activities like carpool lines can have a spectacular backdrop. Just another reason why I am thankful to call this town my home.
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Hickory Furniture Mart
If you are looking for furniture in North Carolina, it is worth the drive to the Hickory Furniture Mart. Located an hour east on I-40 from Asheville, this huge complex is a shopping mall of furnishings. Manufacturers in the area, and beyond, have showrooms full of samples and custom options you can create for your home or office. Don’t worry, if you need lighting and rugs, they have that too.
I have purchased a dining room set, leather sectional, bunk beds, dressers, and end tables over the years. If you can’t find what you are looking for, it may not exist.
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Back to Work
Break time is over. The holidays are in the rear view mirror and it is time for me to charge into 2021. Back to work has many meanings for me today. Not only am I back in the office at Asheville Realty Group but I am starting Ironman training for Coeur d’Alene (June 27). Putting that out into the universe will hold me accountable on the days I feel unmotivated to swim, bike, run, show houses, cook dinner, and the list goes on.
The goals have been set both personally and professionally. It’s go time.
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To Be A Tween
Of course I remember thinking my parents were uncool and I had the world figured out. At 44 I can verify that I don’t have all the answers. Fortunately, I have a tween daughter to educate me.
Today, we went on a girls adventure to Bearwallow Trail about 30 minutes south of town. My daughter fought me tooth and nail but I knew once she got there, she would have a good time. The well maintained trail was about a mile up to a beautiful bald. There was plenty of parking on the side of the road and payoff at the top did not disappoint. I am pretty sure you could see all the way to South Carolina.
I managed to get a smile out of the child (not captured in the photo). She even admitted it wasn’t that bad when we got in the car to return home. We took the long way back, down country roads, listening to music and enjoying the relaxing silence. It was an afternoon well spent with the coolest 12 year old I know.
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Snow Tubing
Need a fun, outdoor, socially distant activity for the kids? Who doesn’t? I highly recommend snow tubing. We made the 25 minute trek to Wolf Ridge tubing for an hour of good times. I had a blast riding my giant tube down the man made slide. My son wasn’t even embarrassed to hold my hand so we could go down together. Mom win!
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White Christmas
Twenty twenty has been a fairly crappy year in general. Holidays were spent without cherished loved ones. My grandfathers funeral was via zoom. Virtual school proved ineffective for us and we had to leave our beloved elementary school for a school that went in person. Even Ironman and major marathons cancelled their races and went virtual. I sound like a huge complainer, which I typically am not. So let me describe a highlight of 2020. For the first time ever, I experienced a white Christmas. After a solid day of rain on the 24th, the snow started to literally dump at 6:15pm. By 6:45 the ground was covered and my children were sprinkling their reindeer food on our sidewalk so Santa wouldn’t miss our house. It was truly a gift. We sat around eating our takeout sushi (a Christmas eve tradition) and watched the snow blanket the yard. The kids got us up at 5am to open presents so we didn’t see the 4 inches until the sun came up. The streets were quiet. Peace covering Asheville.
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If you close one eye . . .
You can make out Santa Claus cruising down Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville on a tractor. Yes, you heard me right and I have photographic proof.
Thank you Santa for making my day.
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Not Your Typical Ornament Exchange
Is anything normal in 2020? Let’s see, being home with my immediate family seems normal. Driving in my car seems normal. Going for a run or bike ride is 50/50. The annual Christmas Ornament Exchange party in 2020, definitely not normal. Historically, one cold December evening in North Asheville, a group of ladies gather to participate in a White Elephant Ornament Exchange. The beautifully decorated home is filled with the sound of ladies laughing, while the smell of lasagna fills the air. After dinner, we fill our wine glasses and adjourn to the living room where we take turns opening wrapped ornaments and proudly steal them from our friends. This “super fun” evening is something I look forward to every year.
My friends are resilient and weren’t going to let a global pandemic get in the way of a tradition. They crafted up an Ornament Exchange 2020 style. During a designated 2 hour block, we were instructed to bring our wrapped ornament to one of the ladies homes. We rolled down our passenger window, handed our gift to the hostess, she handed us one from the car ahead. While safely remaining in our car, we opened our ornament, exchanged pleasantries, and zipped on back to our little slice of quarantine. The party lasted about 90 seconds but I got a great VW van ornament and the annual ornament from our crafty hostess.
Where there is a will, there is a way. This one will not be forgotten.
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Sunday Funday
Today was a gold star mom day. To be clear, I am giving myself the gold star because in my house, it is a thankless job. Any who, I put on my cape and took my 8 year old son for ski lessons at Wolf Laurel. Door to door, the drive was 30 minutes and no traffic (thank you Asheville). I received the star because my child spent the afternoon outside, away from a device, happy, exercising, and socially distant from others. Win, win, win. OK, enough tooting my own horn. Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy and cold and it will all even out. Happy Sunday!
