November 8, 2006
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This and That
(the short version of our trip to N.C.)
Thurs: flew with the kids and had a fine travel day
Fri: visited with all the relatives and went for a 3 hour hike in the mountains with the kids.
Fri Evening: Jesse was not well, tired and queasy and by the middle of the night was very sick.
Sat: Jesse still very sick and Roo beginning to get queasy.
Sun: Jesse getting better, Roo puking and Trevor getting sick
Mon: Jesse better, Roo cranky, Trevor heading uphill
Tues: flying with the kids, I get sick
, my niece gets sick and my BIL comes down with it, as well.
Tues night: arrive home after 13 hours of travel and Roo vomits all night.
I am so glad to be home, I could cry.
~~~~~
The good?
The first day there was wonderful and I did get to share some time with everyone before playing nurse to all the ill ones. The hike was beautiful and the kids were thrilled. Trevor had already been camping for nearly a week and so he was relaxed and we were glad to all be together.
Jesse found puffballs and smashed them
Roo and I found a quiet spot in which to curl up and listen to birds
and we rested
and played ping-pong
and my mother brought her basket making as she has work to do for the holidays
it was a gorgeous place and my grandfather rented our family a sweet cabin in the mountains because he has such a generous heart.
and he is now 90 years old
and he is as bright and handsome and witty and loving as ever
Happy Birthday Grandpa!!!
I have missed you all; it’s funny how much Xanga is a part of my daily life and when I don’t have that dialog and the chance to read about your happenings, I really miss it.
I was touched by all your warm greetings and I apologize if I don’t get around to everyone but there is some toxic waste I need to deal with.
Here’s a big contagious smooch!
(incidentally, these pictures were all taken on day one)
Comments (51)
Even with all the pukiness, you sounds like you had a great time and didn’t let it ruin everything. Glad you’re back and I hope everyone feels better soon!
oh what gorgeous fall colors!
How you managed to take such lovely pictures while there was so much vomit around you I will never know!
So good to have you back! I absolutely love the picture of you and Roo.
It all looks so lovely that those unhappy, sickly 13 hours on an airplane don’t seem possible. May you never have to live through anything like that again. Your due to the universe must be paid in full for illness and travel misery!
Welcome back!
well, all vomit aside, it looks like a perfectly lovely little spot. your grandpa is a charmer, for sure. and i’m so glad to have you back around xanga. i missed you and your bright and cheerful ways.
Love love LOVE these photos! Of your kids, the mountains…I want to live there. Beautiful. xx
What a beautiful first day! Glad you are feeling better and that you were in a comfortable place while everyone was sick. Happy Birthday to your Grandfather! Welcome back, I missed you: )
Those are great photos. Sorry about all the puking.
From the pictures, it appears you got a full vacation in one day. Sorry everyone was so sick the rest of the time. I’m glad you are safe and sound at home.
Ouch, I’m so sorry! Glad everyone is feeling better though
Gorgeous pics, as always. Your Grandpa looks like an awesome old man!
Sorry about the illness but what a gorgeous place! Those photos are incredible. I love the one of your grandpa too.
I am glad you are all better now. What a lovely place…and happy birthday to your grandpa!
What a beautiful spot to spend time with your family.
I’m sorry you all got sick! We’ve been there and done that so I can totally sympathize. =) And your Grandpa – Happy Birthday indeed! He looks like a great grandpa!
Awwww, I’m glad you at least found some good in your trip.
I’ll hold off on the pukasmooches if that’s ok w/you
I’m just glad you’re back!
Wanna talk about it?
I live right here in these mountains and I LOVE, love, love this time of year. Glad you got to see it in spite of the yuckiness!:)
We had a couple days like that when visiting Alaska last summer, EVERYONE ended up puking all night at some point in the week. Major ick.
We kept a lot of lovely memories in spite of it all though. It’s all good.
Next time you’re in NC, pop on over to my side of the mountain for a cuppa.
The pictures are gorgeous, and I am glad you got to have a little fun. Sorry about all the puke!
Missed you too, lady! I am SO sorry about the yuckiness. It is going around here as well – quite a few of my friends’ kids got stomach sick earlier this week; I am waiting for it to hit us, as we’ve spent time with them! Hoping you are all on the mend – lovely pics and glad to have you home!
*oh that first pic of roo, poor little thing. (((hugs for all of the sickeys)))
*I have not seen puffballs since I was little. I have tried to find them to show Laney, but they have disappered around here. : (
*I have very fond memories of making baskets with my mom when I was little, your photos of the baskets brought them all flooding back. She used to send me down to my neighbors house to gather the walnuts that had fallen off the tree so we could make our own stain from them. We would boil them and then soak the reed in the liquid over night. I LOVED doing it. I need to start that with my Laney. Thanks for jogging those memories. : )
At least you had 1 day before all hell broke loose. I hope things are looking better soon!
oh your poor family! you all deserve lots of chocolate! lots of it.
what a gorgeous spot, and what a special sounding family. welcome back, and get some rest now!
I found your site through JennyG and I have been reading for a while, so I guess I would be considered a “lurker”. I love your photography and your blogs. I love seeing pictures of Roo and Jesse because I loved being that age, and they still have that innocent, carefree look and feel about them. Just out of curiosity, is Roo a family nickname? Also, I remember you saying “mum” (as in mother) in one of your comments, and now you said 13 hrs. of travel! Do you live in England? Anyway, I am going to NC this weekend and I love the colors of fall there. Despite a few setbacks, it sounds like at least part of your trip was fun!
i’m so sorry all of you had to be sick!!!!
What beautiful pictures … the colors of the trees are awesome, Roo and Jess look sweet as ever, even if under the weather, you look smashing! Welcome home!
P.s The basket weaving looks very fun!!!
Day one was a great day. I am sorry you all got sick, but glad you are back safe and sound.
Hey!
I was sure glad to see your name on the homesteading blogring and the Friends across the Fence community blog (which you are all set to post on btw), I lost touch when I dumped my homeschooling weblog, good to see you again!
Steph
Oh… those pictures are heavenly. Have you ever felt as if you need a vacation after vacation? Rest to my friend…
My vacation to NC this past summer ended in Virgina and went similar to yours, except all the good parts. You had some very nice good parts. Poor wee things, and you… so sick and away from home.
What a beautiful things you saw, though.
Oh, I’m so sorry you had the sickness; but how wonderful to be with your grandfather!
oh, yeah, nothing can totally send a vacation on a downword spiral like vomit. Big props to you for not losing your mind! (I so would have!)
Sounds like HennePenne is right: you deserve chocolate. Loads and loads of it
XOXO!
Oh goodness! That horrid stomach thing made it’s way to Ohio and it was awful! I hope everyone is feeling better.
So sorry everyone got sick! You must have all shared some bug…Love the pictures…I always enjoy your pictures!
thinking healthy thoughts for your family!
Your pictures are beautiful, hope you are feeling well!
OMG, I feel like such a creepy lurker! I started to read your post, adn wanted to comment on it. Then, Pete started talking to me, and I tabbed another window to look something up for him. Then I went out for the evening and came home to find your tab still open.So, you may find that I was reading your site for HOURS!
I LOVE that sick picture of Roo. It sums it up so well.
Sorry that you all got sick…whats that they say about sharing?
You are totally right… Grandpa is quite the looker! Hope the yuks are soon over for all of you.
Sorry you were all so sick on your trip. Looks like the mountains were gorgeous, though. I love Asheville, Cullowhee, Black Mountain, and Boone. Luckily in the middle of the state, we’re not far from there or from the beach.
I loved looking at your photos of your straw bale house below. I’ve seen some beautiful straw bale buildings and yours is no exception. In our humid buggy southeastern climate, I wonder how straw bale would hold up?
I hope everyone’s well now and feeling fine.
looks gorgeous!
i so love your photos, and i’m glad you are back. hopefully everyone will stop puking soon
Oh that intestinal virus sounds terrible. I’m sorry it hit during your vacation. It sure is easy to catch viruses when traveling by air.
I like those basketry photos.
I must ask- why North Carolina? Is there a family connection? Is it the traditional fall vacation?
i am so sorry yall were sick:( and on vacation, that just shouldn’t be! the pics are great as always, i really like the one of your grandpa.
knitsteel: my grandpa picked the place in NC as he has been going there since 1967 and wanted his birthday party there.
What a beautiful place! You take the loveliest pictures. Too bad you all got sick. I hope everyone is feeling better.
What beautiful photos. We did miss your writings. Sorry to hear about such a rough trip. Those things happen and sometimes at unfortunate times. How special to be with the ones you love. I can imagine the wisdom and the stories your grandfather has.
Glad you’re back! *boing* So sorry you all erupted so inconveniently on the trip.
Such a glorious complication to any travel, right? Happy Birthday to your grandpa. He looks like a cool old dude.
That’s one heck of a trip!!!!!!
hi!!!!
I hope you all are feeling 100% again.
The photos are incredible and beautiful.
Be Blessed