A DAY IN MITFORD

"A Day in Mitford"

If you travel west from our house, straight up Hwy. 421, and wind along the Blue Ridge Parkway (where the mountain views are endless!), you'll eventually come to the charming village of Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

This summer, my husband Joe and I spent a wonderful day together in Blowing Rock. We wandered through the many tiny shops and art galleries. We marveled at the lush gardens and hanging baskets of flowers that adorned every corner of town. At the recommendation of a local shopkeeper, we treated ourselves to a yummy lunch at the Storie Street Grille.

But the thing that made this visit most special for me was just soaking up the atmosphere of the town that had inspired the series of books I've been enjoying all summer long. Author Jan Karon lived in Blowing Rock when she penned The Mitford Series. Her lovable characters ~ Father Tim Kavanaugh, Cynthia Coppersmith, Miss Sadie, Louella, Dooley Barlowe and so many more ~ have all warmed my heart this summer.

For me, spending the day in Blowing Rock was almost like spending the day in Mitford with old friends.

HOME AGAIN...

Over the past month, I have taken two very different trips.

The first was to Rockbridge, a Young Life camp hidden in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Joe and I were privileged to stay in the guest lodge, which perches on the side of a mountain. From the front porch, I had a birdseye view of the camp activity below; and to the East, I could see mountain after mountain after mountain...

While my husband worked, I was free to use the time as I pleased. I decided to make this my first-ever Artist's Retreat. I walked & read & prayed & journaled & sketched & drew & "colored." I caught up with old friends over coffee and meals. I enjoyed meeting some special new friends. I relaxed & went to bed early. At the end of the week, I felt rested & re-energized.

The second trip was to Chicago, where our oldest son, Ben, lives & works. We stayed in Ben's apartment on the 40th floor of a highrise that overlooks the Canals and Downtown. As far as I could see in every direction there were buildings & busy streets -- cars, taxis, trains, bikes, & people bustling from place to place.

We took the time to be tourists & visited the Sears Tower & Millenium Park. We visited a fascinating Museum of Photography. We walked along Lake Shore Drive and watched the bikers, the boaters, and the beachgoers. We sampled different kinds of cuisine in our own "Taste of Chicago." We strolled along the Magnificent Mile and peeked in all the shop windows. We hung-out together & just enjoyed being family.

To be honest, I came away from Chicago feeling happy, but ooooh soooo tired! As an introvert, it's hard for me to keep such a fast pace. I need some quiet places in my days to process and unwind.

We are back at home again now. The mountains of laundry have been done. The grass has been mowed. The groceries have been bought. And we are almost caught up on our sleep...

What a blessing it is to go new places and to see new things, to live life in out-of-the-ordinary ways! And what a blessing, too, to come home again!!