Author: bkbailey2016

How’s life treatin you? Hopefully good today. Every day that we are alive is a good day. Don’t forget. Even if times are a little rough, find something to look forward to and hang on to that. Even I, positive Polly, from time to time can go though some tougher days. One thing that I always look forward to are the day trips that we take on occasion. We usually try to plan a day trip or even a one night stay at least once a quarter. I think it’s important to get away and just try to take a break from “home”. We all need time to have fun. A time where we don’t have to “face” anything. It’s good for the soul.

My husband and I like to take trips just the two of us. It’s a great way to reconnect. When you get in a car and go for a long drive it forces you in a way to talk and communicate. I do believe that you should always continue to date your spouse. If you aren’t doing that you should try it. Don’t even tell him or her your plans. Just call them up and say, “be ready at 6, we’re going out”. They will be thrilled. For a very long time we pulled a date out of a box and went every week. We added dates from walks to bike rides, to hikes, to shopping at the bookstore, to dinner. It was so much fun to pull a Suprise date out of the box every week. Even if you do it once a month. It’s completely worth it.

Although we love our time alone, we also like to do things with other couples. We call it group dating. Our favorite couple to group date with happens to be my sister and brother-in-law. Oddly enough we do like being with them lol. I know a lot of people would rather eat a dirty dish rag than spend time with family. We are lucky enough to love ours. A couple of years ago they invited us to go to Beech Mountain, North Carolina. They had gotten tickets for all of us to go to “The Land of Oz”. Y’all! If you’ve ever wanted to go and had reservations about going…….Just GO! We grew up watching the Wizard of Oz. It was on the local TV station every year in the fall as well as during Christmas time. I’ve literally watched it so much that I can quote many many lines. I even have the DVD and my son watched it when he was small. It’s a true classic. Beech Mountain’s “Land of Oz” is the closest thing to the movie come to life that I have ever seen.

Let me give you just a sneak peak without giving it all away. You will ride the chair lift to the top of the mountain to begin your “tour”. There is a gift shop where you can purchase all types of movie related items. Of course, I had to get a Dorothy shirt and a pint glass. The park, as I call it, is more than I excepted. There are actors doing skits from the movie. They cast is absolutely amazing. There’s an area in the setting of Dorothy’s home and farm. Then you get to go “into” the tornado. They have munchkin land and a yellow brick road. There are acts all along the way. Finally, you get to the Emerald City. It is stunning. There are places to stop and rest if you have issues walking. There are also plenty of places to get refreshments. And don’t get me started on the funnel cake! Like I said I don’t want to give it all away, but I will say there are flying monkeys and a horse of many colors EEEEK!

Now that we’ve talked about this fabulous experience, don’t you want to go? You need to. Here are a few little tips and things to remember. * Plan this as a day trip because it will take you all day. It won’t feel like you’ve been there all day because it’s so much fun. * If you plan to travel a ways plan to stay. Stay in Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, or Boone. They are all amazing towns. Blowing Rock is my favorite. There are a lot of mom-and-pop hotels in Blowing Rock. You’ll be helping small business owners by staying. * Wear comfortable shoes, you’ll be walking a bit. It’s not hiking or anything and the walkways are very we’ll taken of. * Don’t be afraid to ride the chair lift. It’s well maintained and not that far off of the ground. The chairs are huge and we all four sat in one comfortably. * Take the kids if you have them. It is extremely kid friendly. It’s for adults as well but, the kids will love it. Let them dress up. There were lots of folks there dressed as their favorite characters.

Now that you are raring to go, go check out their website and get your tickets. The productions are only for maybe 3 or 4 weekends in the fall. The cast has worked so hard, and you can tell it. I’ve attached a couple of photos and as I said I don’t want to give too much away. Take your camera and go on this little trip. You will be so glad that you did. I hope you all have the best evening. Happy dreams.

Always…….Brooke

Uuuum it’s Monday! All day long. But how blessed are we to make it to the beginning of a new week. New week, new goals, new reasons, new eeeeerthing lol. So working from home has its advantages. One being, my office in an upstairs small bedroom that we turned in to my office space. I love it. It’s pink and filled with retro decor. I love being in there at the front of the house where I can look out the windows all day while I work. I have tons of birds in my yard. There are several birdfeeders out there so they hang around. There’s always plenty to eat. Last summer I purchased a feeder that suctions on to my actual window. It allows me to see them so well. I have a big fat redbird (cardinal to be correct but, we’ve always called them redbirds) who comes every day to my window and eats. He is loud and chips as if to say “I’m out here, you see me?” I always talk to him and tell him I do. It just makes my day move a little easier. I often wonder if daddy sent him to me. There’s an old wise tail that says cardinals appear when someone in heaven is watching over you. I like to believe things like that. It brings me closer to dad.

Last week, I pulled in the driveway after going to the grocery store and I noticed that my birdfeeder on my window was sideways. Like one side had dropped down. It’s a deal to get over to that window so I figured I would fix it when we refill it. We usually do that once a week. There is a huge blue jay that often feeds there so I assumed it knocked it down. Well………I was wrong. The next day I was in deep though in front of my computer trying to contemplate the case in front of me, when I hear this awful racket (that’s a word for noise for y’all that aren’t from Tennessee lol). I looked up and there was a big fat squirrel sitting inside of my birdfeeder having a feast! HOW DID HE GET IN THERE!!! That feeder is in the center of an upper window in my office. It is up off of the ground and there are no trees around to help him over there. Thankfully my son wasn’t sleeping that day because I jumped up and squealed. (My son works nights so he sleeps during the day). He came running and thought it was the funnies thing ever. I, on the other hand, was mad. I don’t like things messing with my birds and the fat bastard was in my feeder. My son took a photo, laughed, and said “well mom he’s gotta eat too”. I mean there’s a huge walnut tree in the back yard that he lays in to every day.

After fixing the feeder and making it perfectly straight I filled it full of birdseed and a few hours later my birds came. I just knew there would be no way the little rouge could get up in there as I moved it up higher. I was wrong. The next morning my son was standing in the doorway telling me tales of his worknight and he jumped and said “LOOK” and pointed at my window. There was the little devil. He had his claws dug in to my screen making his way to the birdfeed. So he was climbing the brick and used my screen . Thats how he got in there. I banged on the window and he just looked at me.

I promise I’m not anti-squirrel. I just like my birds in my feeder. I’ve now come to terms that I can’t keep him out. Now I just look at him and shake my head. He comes every day. Usually mid-morning. He has his feast and then he lays in there and takes a nap. For real! He takes a nap. He keeps my birds away for about 2 hours and then he leaves (I’m sure to go to the backyard and eat walnuts). My son still thinks it’s hilarious. If he’s going to stay, I guess I will name him at some point.

Now you know my squirrel story. Thats one of the joys of living in the country. We have animals. We also have deer, racoons, snakes, and a fox but those are for a different story. I hope you had a laugh with this tale. Protect your birdhouses and I hope you have the very best evening.

P.S. Photos for your viewing pleasure and sorry about the bad word in the content but he really is a little bastard! lol

Always…….Brooke

Hellur! Cause sometime Hi just don’t cut it lol. Today’s sure been a busy one. Aren’t they all? Unfortunately I had to go to the dreaded Walmart. I avoid it like the plague. Don’t get me wrong, they have great prices but I just don’t like going. I’m still a patron. A few years ago I signed up for delivery and my life was made complete. No crowds. No long line or self-check outs. You can take our time and make sure you have everything that you need before you place your order. Then they bring it to your door. To me it’s 100% worth the yearly fee which is minimal and so worth the tip you give your delivery driver. Sometimes, however, I have to bite the bullet and walk in there. I hit that door in a slow jog trying to get what I needed and get out!

For the first time ever, I didn’t see anyone I knew. This was a good thing as I had zero makeup on, was in workout clothes, and my hat covered my bad hair day. The last time I ventured out that way I ran in to one of my mommas’ friends who proceeded to talk for 45 minutes bless her heart. Then mom called and asked me if I was feeling bad. I said “no why”. Her friend told mom I looked so sick blahahahahaha. You see! Thats why I wear make-up. Today I was fortunate as I saw no one! I grabbed what I needed and headed for the self-check-out which was lined up just as bad as the 3 registers that they had with live attendants. I was impatient. Aggravated actually. Until I looked in front of me and saw a little girl holding her baby doll. She was probably 3 or 4 years old and she was looking at that doll and talking to it like it was alive. It made me smile. It also made me remember my childhood. I’m sure this little doll that she had was today’s famous doll or something. It warmed my heart that she was actually playing with a doll rather than her head in a game or her mother’s phone watching a video. So much of that anymore. So even though I had to go in “the Walmart”, my day was blessed by this little girl and her doll.

We always had dolls when we were little. My older sister actually collected dolls. They were expensive and considered “Do Not Touch”. She had a large doll case and they were kept behind closed glass. Back then, my little sister and I just couldn’t understand why you would have all these dolls that you could never hold or play with. I mean we could have had a whole town worth of babydolls to play with if we could have gotten them out of their case. I won’t lie, we use to sneak in there when she was at work and get one or two out. But, we made sure that they were put back exactly like they were so we wouldn’t get caught. She knew. She would come in and she knew if one hair was out of place. And she would get evil lol.

Now I bet y’all think we played with Barbie dolls. That would be a big nope! Never a Barbie. She was too perfect for me. Honestly, I don’t think I ever had one. We did however have Cabbage Patch Dolls and we loved them. I thought it was so neat that you go a birth certificate for your doll and he or she was already named. I use to walk up the isle and look at the names so I would know which one to pick. They had the worst names like Janice or Bertha or Melvin. I just wanted one with a new hip name. My sister ended up with a boy named Mitchel and I settled for a girl named Cybil. (it was the hippest name I could find). We loved those cabbage patch dolls. They were a part of my childhood every day. They went on vacations and trips with us. At one time they even had an adoption center where you could go and pick your cabbage patch doll from a nursery. I’m not sure that facility is even there anymore. Today, they still make cabbage patch dolls. I have seen them in “the walmart” several times when I’ve had to shop for toys for friends children. They must have been pretty special dolls to still be around today.

On Saturday mornings I watched cartoons at my grandparents’ house. I love getting up, eating cereal. and watching my cartoons with my dolls. One of my favorite cartoons was The Hugga Bunch Kids. I bet not many folks remember that one. I sure do. I loved it. They actually produced dolls for a small amount of times. Of course, I had one. My papaw bought it for me at Hills department store (I hope you are lucky enough to remember Hills. It was the best). I thought I was big stuff with a hugga bunch doll.

Today I still have my Cybil. My little sister also still has her Mitchell. I truly don’t remember what happened to my hugga bunch doll. I sure wish I did. Its crazy what can jog a memory. That little girl in Walmart made me think of being a child that loved her dolls and had a pretty great upbringing. I get to go to birthday parties sometimes for friends’ children and now grandchildren. One thing you can bet is if it is a little girl, she will get a doll from me. And not a barbie. Not one that is perfect” because she needs to realize that no one is naturally that perfect. Not a doll that she can be jealous of, but a fun doll that she can take everywhere with her. A doll that can be her friend. Because to me, every little girl needs a babydoll to care for.

The photo is my Cabbage Patch Doll Cybil. I still have her on my guest bed. The other photo is a photo of hugga bunch dolls just in case you watned to try to remember who they were. Even though you can no longer buy a Hugga Bunch, you certainly can buy a brand new Cabbage Patch Doll. If you have a child or a grandchild, go get them one. Allow them to adopt that doll. Tell them stories. Tell them this one. Do something and get their little faces out of the game, or phone, or electronics. Let them be little and innocent. Have the greatest evening ever!

Always…….Brooke

We’ve made it to the weekend! I wish I could sing those words. Typically Fridays start my weekend because I am off at my regular job but, usually fill my Fridays with cleaning, cakes, taking my momma wherever she needs to go and groceries that it usually seems like a work day. The weather is supposed to be perfect here all weekend and I hope it is for you wherever you are. Y’all know I love the fall but, theres just something about a summer evening that makes my heart thankful for the season. I dont know if it is the sound of the birds nesting in the trees for the night or the cecadas screaming. Somehow I wish I could have the crisp cool days of fall with the warm late summer evenings. I’m really asking for a lot I know lol. Maybe that’s what my heaven will be like when I get there. Do you ever think about that? What your heaven will be? I think of it as a place where we never long for anything. So for me it might be something sort of like fall in the day and summer at night lol.

Today I walked my street during my lunch. I try to get my steps in. Our street is off a main road but it just makes a big horseshoe . Its a large hill at each end so you sure get your workout in. Two times around and back is a mile. I know its terrible but, I usually put headphones on so that my neighbors dont run out and try to talk. I am a TERRIBLE person. Its not that I dont love them. I do. But we live on a street with 9 houses. Our lots are large and they back up to a big creek so its just us 9 families. All except for one couple are elderly and they are retired. If I dont listen to music and I get stopped I wont get back home in time to log on my computer after lunch. I dont care to stand around and talk any other time but my walking (30 minute lunch and 15 min breaks) are for my brain to clear out and my feet to move on the pavement. A lot of our neighbors have beautiful flowers in their yards and there are several gardens. One gentlmen has what I call “daddy garden”. Its perfect. Dads looked that way.

Today while I was walked I happened to look down as I passed under a tree. There on the ground laid the hull of a cicada. Of course I had to pick him up and take a photo to send to my sisters. And you know I have a memory about those cicadas. Our family had a huge farm in Rogersville which was about 40 min from our how. The farm was the home of daddy’s grandparents. It was over 200 acres of forrest, gardens, multiple barnes, and the old home place. Daddy took care of all of it as all of the family who originally lived there had already passed. He loved that place and did everything that he could to keep it up perfectly. We would stay there weeks at a time in the summer and tend to the gardens and land. Although we didnt think it was “grand” being young girls through our teenage years, I look back at it now and think about how wonderful it really was. The tale of this farm is story for another time. Belive me you’ll want to hear it.

Back to my bugged story. At night we would sit out side and talk and just listen. You could hear crockets and cicadas everywhere. It was peaceful. It was a time to “be still”. Those cicadas would flock to the side of the upper barn to slip out of their shells. Sometimes there would be 50 shells hanging on the side of that barn. They were so fascinating. They almost looked like little aliens. Big bugged eyes as claws. My younger sister and I would collect the shells from the side of th barn and see how many we could get every night. My older sister however, absolutely hated them. She said they made her feel like she had bugs crawling all over her. We would laugh because she would just run and squal when we brought to show her lol. Today, all these years later, she still cant stand them.

Have you ever seen a cicada shell? Well if you havent I have attached my photo. Of course I took a photo and sent it to my girls. My younger sister laughed and the only response we got from our older sister was : NOPE! And we knew exactly what she meant.

If you have a farm, or are around a nice wooded area, take a look at the trees. You may just find a cicada shell. Teach your children or grandchildren about those things. Its something that no one else will do for them.

Have the greatest weekend. Be safe. Go explore.

Always…….Brooke

Oh Happy Day! It’s FRIYAY! We’ve made it through another week. My how time flies. And don’t blink because the weekend will be over oh so fast. I hope each of you enjoy it. Today I was outside and realized that one of my bushes is beginning to turn purple. I don’t know the name of the bush, some day I will figure it out, but I know when it begins to barely turn purple that’s my sign it’s going to turn fall soon. This makes me just squeal. I love it!. Isn’t it funny how our eyes turn towards the trees and bushes to let us know that the seasons are changing? I don’t know where you are but here, we have four lovely seasons. It’s evident in our area which season we are in. Trees are something else. I think why Bob Ross ( my absolute favorite ) always adds “happy little trees” to all of his paintings. They are just good things.

Growing up, my sister and I would spend almost every weekend with our grandparents. I have told before about how beautiful their yard was. Filled with dogwood trees. They also had a plum tree and a good ole crab apple tree. That tree was completely full of crab apples. I remember eating one of those apples once. Only once. Don’t ever do it. That was the worst stomachache I believe Ive ever had. It was like instant stomach virus. And it was so sour. It almost tasted like a sour candy. Yes, at 45 years old I still remember the taste of that apple. My papaw tried to warn me not to eat it. I wasn’t going to be satisfied until I did. You live and learn.

Although I have that one bad memory I have so many wonderful memories of that crab apple tree. The tree was right on the fence line of the neighbors which were great friends of my grandparents. It was a time when they knew all of their neighbors and you were friendly. Honestly, I can’t tell you the name of all of my neighbors. I’m friendly just not the way they used to be. Every night these neighbors came and sat on the porch and talked until the sun was almost gone. No phones, no electronics, just talking. They would share a watermelon or a cantaloupe and would share the loot from the garden for the day. It’s just what country folk did. I miss those times when everyone was friendly.

My papaw mowed his yard twice a week. He was obsessed with a perfect lawn. And it was picture perfect. Almost an acre and he pushed it. No riding lawn mower. After he mowed, we would run out into the fresh yard and visit the neighbor at the fence while he sat and “rested”. Here’s the tale of the crab apple tree. There were a zillion apples on the ground always. My sister and I would hunt a twig. Not just any twig but, one that was strong and bendable. It had to be just the right size around and it couldn’t be dry. I can’t tell you how many twigs were thrown right back on the ground because they didn’t make the cut. After selecting the perfect twigs, my sister and I would give them to our papaw to “sharpen the end”. He would take out his old pocketknife and whittle the end until it had a perfect point. Then it was on like donkey kong lol. We would load an apple on that stick and compete to see who could fling it the furthest down the yard. Those apples would fly down that hill. Sometimes we would throw a curve apple and it would hit the garage. We got a good tongue lashing for those (he was pretty particular about his garage too). I think we spent two hours an evening on Fridays and Saturdays flinging apples each summer.

It’s something how those are some of the best times that I remember as a child. A simple twig and crab apples gave us hours of entertainment. Can you imagine what a kid would think of that today. No phones or electronic games or computers. We spent time outside. We ran and rolled around on the ground. We screamed and laughed. We completely wore ourselves out. Our bathtub water would be brown at night lol. And if you don’t know, that’s how you knew you had one fun day, when your bathtub water is brown from the dirt and grime. If I could wish anything for young children today it would be that they could experience that type of childhood. I hope they can pick twigs and fling crab apples. One day, if I am ever lucky enough to have grandchildren, I will make sure that they get that opportunity. I may have to find someone with a crab apple tree to pick a bushel but, they will have that experience.

I hope tonight’s little tale has jogged a good memory for you. Feel free to comment and tell me about your great memory. Have the greatest weekend and happy dreams!

P.S. Those photos are really us. I’m the older one and that’s my little sister. And look on papaws head. You got it! Thats a crab apple on a twig. What a great life. I sure miss that little papaw of mine. He looks so hateful right there blahaha. I don’t think we ever left him alone for 5 minutes.

Always…….Brooke

Top of the day to ya! Lol. I’ve always wanted to say that. I hope this day has been filled with blessings and grace for each of you. We all need a little grace. This morning I was getting ready for my work day. Now y’all know I work from home so my “getting ready” consists of making sure I look presentable enough that if an emergency zoom meeting is called I wont scare my coworkers. Yes, I’m the gal that wears a presentable shirst and my Bob Ross pajama pants to work in. I aint gonna lie. That is me more days than not on my work day. What I wear doesnt effect the quality of my work. I stand by that. Anywho back to this morning. I looked in the mirror and thought to myself “wow were getting to look our age gal”. Its okay. I’ll take the aging better than the alternative. Thankfully my husband is a okay with me getting older. He is too lol.

As we age we begin to think a tad more about our health. I have taken measures to try to cook a little healthier and we have tried to eliminate things that we can that cause us stress. We also have tried to find something for exercise that we both enjoy and can do together. If you excercise with a partner, you can keep each other accountable. We have come to love riding bikes. We ride mountain bikes. Not the trails that require you to wear a helmet and have technical gear. I mean I have no desire to break my hip or my face lol. We prefer the more scenic trails with less treturous ground. Our bicycles are older and dont have all the bells and whistles but, the gears all work and the ride is smooth. We do try to make it a work out, so hills arent an issue and when we go we try to get atleast 15 miles in.

I always talk about what a beautiful area that we live in and I cant help it. Its true. We are so blessed to have places where we can ride that are safe and scenic. My favorite place to ride has a trailhead in Abingdon, Virginia. About a 40 minute drive from home which is okay. That drives means we can stop for a meal on the way back home. (always plan rides where you can stop for dinner on the way back. I mean, you gotta replace what you’ve burned lol). The Creeper Trail is absolutely the perfect ride for me. We can easily get 15 to 20 miles in on this trail. The scenery is breathtaking. There are tons of bridges, so many that they are numbered. Plenty of places to stop and rest and even take a packed lunch. If Abingdon Virginia isnt far from you, do yourself a favor and go for a ride on the Creeper Trail. You can even rent a bike. Make sure you take your camera. You wont regret it.

Every day I am thankful that my husband is my riding buddy. Even though we dont get to go every single week, we do go often and we encourage each other to give it our best and to push hard. As we get older we have made a promise to continue to ride. We both feel so much better each time that we go. My physician told me that if you excercise even 2 hours total per week it will help your joints more that any medication that can be described. I believe it. If I dont get my walks in or go ride I can tell. My hands and feet hurt so much more than normal. Movement is so imprtant especially as we get older. So find your way to move. Find something that you can enjoy. It’s exercise so its no going to be easy. But you can still enjouy it. Just being outside in the beauty is enjoyment enough for me.

In my daddy’s words “if you quit, you’ll quit”. If you stop moving you will become immobile. So dont do it! Keep moving. Have the best evening. Happy dreams.

Always…….Brooke

Happy Tuesday. Is it only Tuesday? I feel like it should be later int he week than that. It sure has been a busy one. Today I just wanted to take a second to show you a thing of beauty. Thats all. No long story just a beautiful photo and a word of encouragement for anyone who feels like they need it.

I know I’ve said that I work from home every day. I’m at my computer 10 hours a day so on my breaks and lunch I try to get some steps in by walking in my yard. I am lucky enough to have a large enough yard to get those steps in. I have a beautiful black eyed susan that is right now blooming in my yard. A dear friend cut some clippings from hers a few years ago and gave them to me. I planted them and they have truly taken off. I think the best flowers come from starters given by friends and family.

Some days don’t you think you just need to clear your head? Like all of the noise and the demands of the day are going to cause you just to explode. Sometimes I feel like screaming because you just feel like a number. Then when you’ve just about had it, the good Lord sends you a sign. As if to say “look at this. Look what I sent to you to let you know that I am here. I’m listening. I know today is tough but, I made you so much tougher”. Today He sent this beautiful butterfly. My husband and I call them “flutter bye’s”. It’s a little thing that we say because we usually can’t see butterflies up close because they just flutter bye. Today God said this one isn’t going to flutter bye. It’s going to sit right here on this beautiful black eyed susan and let you look at it. And it did. It sat. Long enough for me to even get a photo.

Some days are hard. And some days I know that you want to pull your hair out. It’s okay. But, let me remind you that you are so much stronger than anything that ole day put in front of you. Find something beautiful. And just admire that beauty. Breathe. And for goodness sake dont you ever think about giving up.

Enjoy the photo below because today she didn’t just flutter bye.

Always…….Brooke

Happiest of Tuesdays to all! Man, that weekend flew by. They always do for us. Our weekends are typically filled with activities. This past one was a little slower as we had a funeral service for a very dear friend. She was our “another mother” and my momma’s best friend. It’s been tough but, it’s the circle of life and that story is for another day. We did, however, go to dinner on Saturday. That’s our typical “out to dinner day”.

We all know this typical conversation: Husband: “where do you want to go to eat?” Wife: “I don’t care. Whatever you are in the mood for.” And then you are back in forth for 15 minutes until your “date” is pretty much no longer a date lol. Yes, we do this sometimes but, my normal answer is usually just: “I don’t care, you pick”. If you aren’t a picky eater that typically solves it. There’s a little tip in case you are in the never-ending cycle of where to go. I can usually find something on the menu no matter where we go. I do however speak up and say if there are particular restaurants that I don’t like. He already knows most of them and won’t even make that suggestion. Oh, the joys of being in a relationship for a while and you know each other. One type of food that we can always agree on ……..Pizza. So much so that we sort of have made it a game to go to pizza joints that we have never tried or haven’t been to in a while and we’ve been rating them. It’s a fun little thing to do. I mean, who doesn’t love pizza. And, for the most part, you can mess a pizza up too badly. I did say for the most part, because there are a few that I just can’t.

Ranking pizza! Yes, its fun. You should try it. We rank on a scale of 1 – 10. 1 being the worst and 10 being the best of course. We have not eaten any pizza that has made it to a 10 lol. We try not to do the chain pizza restaurant as there are many family-owned pizza places in our driving are. We also dont mind to drive a little way for pizza. I do have to say that some of the “chains” are pretty good. For instance, we really do like Johnny Brusco’s and if I am ordering delivery for me, it’s Papa Johns all the way. They both rank pretty high up there in the “7’s” range for us. Buuuuuutttt, don’t get me started on the worst pizza on the planet in my opinion which is Little Ceasers. If I could give a negative rating, there I would. To me that is one pizza joint that has mastered the difficult are of messing up a pizza. It is surely a big “0” for me.

Saturday on our dinner date day, we decided it was time to rank another pizza. We wanted to tr somewhere new, and my husband had heard some reviews from friends about a pizza joint in Roan Mountain, TN. Roan Mountain is a beautiful place. It has a state park and each year they host several festivals including its most popular “The Rhododendron Festival”. It’s exactly what it says. It is a festival to celebrate the beauty of the blooming rhododendron in natural form. It is very well attended. Roan Mountain is a super small town. If you blink you will miss it. There are only a hand full of restaurants in the town and we have been to a few. They have all been pretty good. The area is about a 40-minute drive for us but, its mountainous and beautiful so it makes it worth the time. If you live close to the are then make this drive. You won’t regret it. Especially in the fall.

I got off subject a little lol. So back to the pizza. As I said we made the 40-minute drive and found the restaurant. Smokey Mountain Bakers. I was in love with the name from the start as they are not only a pizza parlor but, also a small bakery. They make fresh breads, cookies, cakes, cupcakes, scones, and turnovers daily. They open each day at 8am because they also serve breakfast using all of those bakery goodies. They have a wood fired brick oven and to me that says delicious all over it. I love things that have that charred, burned edge. Can I just say when we pulled up there was a tiny little voice in my head that said “maybe this wasn’t a good idea”!

Oh know you just read that are wanting to know why. Details….details please! Did your momma ever say to you “don’t judge a book by its cover”? Yeah mine did. And most of the time momma was right. We pulled into the parking lot which was pretty much a grass and muddy field with very few gravels. The lawn was unkept and I literally thought we were at the wrong place. Had there not been signs I would have probably left. It was strange as you almost turn in to someone’s driveway to get to the front door of the restaurant. And when I say restaurant I mean a half barn, half house that looks like in needs a good bath lol. There is however a beautiful sunflower garden in front of it that were absolutely gorgeous.

I sat in the car for a moment and looked at my husband and just said “this will either be horrible or a real gem. Let’s go see”. As soon as I opened my car door I was hit in the face with the smell of delicious yeasty bread and garlic. I was already feeling better. Let’s speak of the decor in this little hole in a wall first. Like I said, this is a wood fired pizza oven place. So its appearance was a little smoky. The floors were uneven and there is no air-conditioning. Yes, I know you are going to start turning your nose up at the thought of that and so did I. But only for a moment. The wire shelves were full of fresh bakery items that looked amazing. It’s a paper plate kind of place so don’t expect anything too fancy. The windows were open and there was a constant breeze as there always is on Roan Mountain. It was very pleasant. They have a deck that has seating as well. The place was very busy. (Tip: if you pull in and it’s that packed, it must be good).

All of the pizzas at Smokey Mountain Bakers are 12-inch pizzas. They have a selection of gourmet pizzas of you can pick your won toppings. We had already decided to order 2 pizzas and if there were leftovers we could bring them home. Is there really anything better that warmed up pizza? Nope! I ordered the “high on the hog” which was piled with pork toppings. Bacon, sausage and ham. My husband ordered a “BBQ Chicken”. He loves bbq chicken pizzas. I’m not the biggest fan but he loves them. It took them no more that 10 minutes to get our pizzas to us and they were super busy. Y’all!!!!!! This pizza! It was piping hot. The crust had those big air bubbles in it where it was put in that fire. The sauce was amazing, and the cheese was stringy and good. I even really liked the BBQ chicken one and I swear the bbq sauce had to be homemade. We couldn’t even talk to one another. I was cramming pizza in my mouth as fast as I could get it in there. I just was staring at this food like I had been on a starvation diet and my brain screaming “get in my belly”. I watched patrons around me doing the same. I was also being nosey and trying to see what their pizzas looked like lol. We purchased a blueberry scone, which we halved for dessert. My mouth literally is watering as I write this. We brought home a few pieces which were warmed up and eaten the same night. We also left with homemade granola bars which are made with pumpkin seeds instead of nuts (nut allergy here so that was amazing) and a lemon blueberry tea cake. Yea I bought a little cake even though I am a baker. And I’m so glad I did. It was all absolutely wonderful.

Friends, momma was right again. Don’t judge a book (or a restaurant in this case) by its cover. This place was fabulous! We will be making that drive again real soon. If you live withing driving distance, please do yourself a favor and go. You won’t regret it. Smoky Mountain Bakers, Roan Mountain, TN. My rating 8.8. My husband’s rating 8.2. It’s hard to get that from our pizza lovin palates. Go make the drive to support this local dive. P.S. the photos don’t do it justice!

Always……..Brooke

Well happy Monday! And happy start to a brand-new week. Remember; you can handle any ole thing that this week hands to you. Chin up. Y’all know how I’m feelin about summer……. I am over it. But, the summer days do bring a lot of beauty. The lawns are green and look amazing especially when they are freshly mowed. Our neighbors have some pretty great looking gardens. (mine was a dud this year. next year will be better). My local farmers market is filled with fresh veggies and fruit. The sky is clear and a blue. And the flowers are blooming and bursting with color. I just can’t complain much about all of that. It would just be so much better if it wasn’t hot as 3 hells lol.

The summer often makes me think of my grandmother’s yard. She was the queen of flowers. There were tons of dogwood trees in their yard. Perennial flowers everywhere that just jumped up with color every year. Pink, pink, and more pink. Because that was her favorite color. She was the envy of their street. People would slow down just to see the beauty of that yard when they drove by. Hanging baskets everywhere and one huge magnolia tree in the side yard with blooms as big as my head. Papaw cussed that tree every day. They are a mess to clean under. I certainly didn’t get her green thumb but, I sure wish I would have. That little gift went to my older sister Lorie. She can grow anything.

Summer and flowers. So many to choose from. So many varieties. What is your favorite flower? And let me just ask when is that last time that someone gave you your favorite flower? Does your special someone even know what your favorite kind of flower is? I would bet a lot of folks would say roses. And they can be arranged so pretty. I guess I’m in the huge minority here. I really don’t like roses. I never have. I do however absolutely love daisies. To me they are happy and vibrant. I am very lucky to say that my husband knows that daisies are my favorite flower. Although he doesn’t do the “deliver her flowers to work” thing, he does bring a beautiful arrangement home to me sometimes. He never has been the work delivery guy and I am A okay with that. I would rather have him do something for just me to see. I’m the luckiest!

Here’s your challenge for the week. Sometime, during conversation, let your partner know what your favorite flowers are. It may prompt them to bring you a little bundle of them. And, who knows, they may not even know what you like. I bet you will get a beautiful centerpiece for your dining table real soon. Look at the beauties that I got last week. The photo is in the post. (if you don’t tell them they won’t know). And if you don’t have a partner that is okay. Go to the store sometime this week and buy yourself some lovely flowers. You wont regret it.

Always…….Brooke

Sunday! How did you get here so quickly! Sometimes doesn’t it feel like your week takes forever to progress and the weekend is gone in 5 seconds? It sure feels that way to me sometimes. So, who’s family lives by the old saying “Sunday is a day of rest”? We try to except my day to rest is a little different than most. It’s my day to cook and meal prep for the week. It’s also my day to make sure the house is tidy. My husband watches sprots all day and typically doesn’t move from his recliner. Now, I know that cooking and cleaning a little doesn’t seem like resting but to me, that is resting. All week my face is in a computer screen so being in the kitchen is kind of nice.

I always talk about how a person should do something that he or she loves. To do the things that make you happy. Sunday for us, is the perfect day for us to do that. Do you have something that you enjoy doing that literally makes you smile when you think about it? This last year I have found something that I have become so passionate about. Last fall I decided that I wanted to learn to sew. My little sister got married last September in our back yard by our creek. I wanted so badly to sew my own dress to wear. I found a dress on Pinterest that I fell in love with. It was very retro and I wanted something similar. I begged my mom to make the dress for me. She knows how to sew and has made several sets of curtains for me. She just didn’t want to tackle a dress. So, she gave me one of her sewing machines and told me to give it a shot. I started literally learning to sew a straight line. The I was able to make a tote and some key fobs. Once I saw that I really loved the peace that being behind that sewing machine gave to me, I knew immediately that I was going to make that dress. With the help of a friend who has sewn for years, I was able to pick my pattern and work through the basics. I made the dress! And I wore it. It wasn’t perfect but I was very proud of it.

Today, over a year later, I am still sewing. I have made many jumpers and items of clothing which I wear. I have also started making pillows and a lot of other items. This past Christmas I gave all sewn gifts to the women in my family, and I even sewed their giftbags. Recently I was asked if I would do some hemming for some folks, and I agreed. I am now currently working on pillows and aprons using retro patterns and materials so that I can sell them at an upcoming craft fair. Never in a million years would I have ever dreamed that I would sew even a button back on a shirt let alone that I would fall in love with being able to make my own clothing.

Recently, I have started going to thrift stores and antique stores to find vintage fabric. My eye is always on the lookout for the gaudiest looking patterns that I can find. All the browns, greens, and oranges that I can find. It’s gotten so bad that my momma and my siblings are all looking for fabric lol. If you have a family like mine, let’s just say you are super lucky. They’ll support your hobbies and begin to contribute to your stockpile.

Speaking of family, I had one of the coolest aunts ever. She was an eclectic old gal who could do pretty much anything. She worked at a bank which would make you think she was pretty boring but, she was a fire. Her name was Ellen and she was my daddy’s oldest sister. Much older. She was about 20 years older than dad. I truly say she was my spirit person. She wore bell bottoms and polyester. She wore hair ties and mary jane shoes. She and my uncle never had any children but, they loved us, and they loved life real big. They traveled everywhere with the senior citizens center. And she did “stuff”. She made dolls, she did pottery, she knitted, she crocheted, and she sewed. She could sew anything. She was always “old” to me. In fact, she died only a few years ago and was 94. A few months ago, my mom gave me a bag of vintage fabric and sewing items that were hers. I have loved every second of going through and using the items in that bag. I found some quilting squares that she had sewn and never made in to a quilt. After washing them and cleaning them up, I was able to make them in to pillows for my siblings. I gave them to them this week and they loved them.

Sunday is my sewing day. My day of rest behind the sewing machine. After my few little “chores” of meal prepping and cleaning, my rest is truly to get behind that sewing machine. Friends, go find what makes you happy and do that. Do it as much as you can. This little life that we have is so very short. Enjoy it all that you can and do what makes you happy. You may find that folks around you will benefit too. Nothing is better than a handmade sentimental gift. Have a blessed Sunday evening! (P.S. This is one of the 4 pillows that I made from my aunt’s vintage quilt panel. The design is had sewn and I love them. I think Aunt Ellen would be proud)

Always…….Brooke