My Post-Chemo Vacation Dreams

One thing I'm learning on my cancer journey, is to take it one day at a time.

And plan for the future.

I've already decided on long hot pink hair IF mine should decide to fall out.

My next plan is my post-chemo vacation.

A place where I can relax and recoup with no stress, no iv bags, no tubes or needles or nausea.

So, where should I go?

Local to NC of course, and my favorite rest spot

The Outer Banks.

See that soft tan sand?

The beautiful blue green water?

The softly lapping waves?

And right in the middle of this picture,

picture me,

laying in a hammock 

in my hot pink wig.

lol

I am a history buff, I love stories of how this country started.
So what's a trip without a little learning?
We have talked about seeing this every
time we go to the beach, and never get there.
But since this trip I am not going to be in
hiking form, sitting and watching
Ghosts of The Lost Colony
is a good choice.

Now when I'm tired and just need some quiet time, I'll send Chuck and the kids to
Jockey's Ridge State Park,
the world's largest sand dune.
I'll be sitting on the beach again,
having some alone time with my son who I never get to see as much as I want since he grew up and moved out of state.

And for our last night there,
nothing is more fun than some interactive
action.  And this
OBX Mystery Dinner
looks like a blast.

Does any of this look like fun to you?
Be blessed,
Debbi

5 Things I'll Miss When We Move

As some of you may already know, we are planning to sell our home here in sunny warm NC and move back to not as sunny and warm NY to be closer to family.  I have tried for 16 years to get everyone to move down here....but I've been outnumbered. lol

So here is my list of 5 things I'll miss about North Carolina.

5) Kill Devils Hill and The Outer Banks

I absolutely loved the trips we have taken to The Outer Banks.  Walking the beach, floating the waves, and the shops are such fun.  Plus you're not too far from the wild horses of Corolla and in the opposite direction is Roanoke where you'll find lots of fun places to explore like the aquarium and botanical gardens.

4) Blowing Rock.

Closer to home is Blowing Rock, in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.  I can see the mountains from my front porch, but the trip up the mountain is so much fun.  The first stop is always at the rock....you'll get an amazing view if you are brave enough to walk out to the tip (I never have, lol).  Then into downtown to enjoy a great day of shopping and eating.

3) Emerald Hollow Mine

Right down the road from us is the little town of Hiddenite, home of the Emerald Hollow Mine.

It looks muddy, but it's a lot of fun, prospecting for gems.  

2) The NC Antique Trail

One of the things I love about the south is not only the lovely weather, but also the love of history.

Chuck and I always enjoyed jumping in the car and traveling the route to shop our favorite antique shops.

1) The Statesville Full Gospel Tabernacle

The place I will miss the most is my church.

It's not just our church..they are our family.

If you're in this area, and looking for a place to belong, to be loved, check us out.

So, what is your favorite spot in your neck of the woods?

Be blessed,

Debbi

What To Do On Our Staycation

Chuck and I were talking about going home to NY for a visit this 4th of July, but with the cost of gas and hotels, it's just not going to happen. :0(

But now I need to find ways to celebrate summer at home with our children, and here are a few ideas for my friends that live in North Carolina.

The NC Zoo in Ashboro.

We went with our church a few weeks ago, and let me tell you, I will probably never go again. At least, not during the summer months, because IT WAS HOT!!!  Plus this zoo is very naturalistic so to walk the whole zoo, you're walking 5 miles, and you can't always see any animals.  I was very disappointed.

Cherokee is a great place to visit.  Chuck and I went without kids a few years ago, and we will definitely go back with the kids this summer.  No, we did not go to gamble, because there is so much more there, like the museum, the village, and the drama "Unto These Hills".  You can read about our trip here, with pictures. :0)

Now to find new places for us to visit..

For years I have talked about taking a train ride through the Great Smoky Mountains...and this may just be the year.  Do you think my kids are too big for the Peanuts Pumpkin Event?  I hope not. lol

Right up the road from us is The Emerald Hollow Mine in Hiddenite.  We've gone there several times, and always had fun for very little money.  When our out of state family comes to visit, they always ask to go mining....cuz you just never know when you might find the big one. hahaha

And no summer is complete without a drive on The Blue Ridge Parkway.  Not only are the views spectacular, but the history is interesting, and you must stop at Blowing Rock and then do some shopping and eating in the town of Blowing Rock.

Well, that should hold us over during the summer months.  What are your plans?

Be blessed,

Debbi

WonderWorks - amazing

I recently shared with you our visit to the Hollywood Wax Museum during our Christmas vacation.  On that same day we also went to WonderWorks.  It is an amazing (and totally awesome) interactive museum.

This is the front of the building, and yes, it's upside down.  When you walk up the front steps, it has a sound system going where you can hear the building creak and groan like it's about to fall apart.

It's upside down inside too.  This is a shot of the ceiling.  Pretty cool.  You can pick from a few different activities, we went through the museum.

To enter the museum, you had to walk through this tunnel, it was pitch black, except for the strobe lights.  It was so hard to keep you balance as you can see by looking at Hannah.  (Awesome flash in my camera...I couldn't see a thing, so I just pointed and shot, and this is what showed when I downloaded my memory card).  My poor hubby had to walk this, with a cane.  Yes, I admit, I laughed at him. <3

There was a hurricane booth that the kids and I tried, and it's a good thing I don't spend much time on my hair, lol.  Here's Hannah on the rock wall.  I swear, that girl will try anything, she's such a daredevil.  

It took us hours to walk through because Hannah needed to try EVERY. STINKIN. EXHIBIT! 

hahaha

Now Brandon is NOT a daredevil.  You could even say he's a chicken, (like me, lol).  But I did get him to climb into this space suit.  We didn't get to see or try everything because we had to leave for the Stampede, but we are definitely going to go back here, and make sure we have a whole day to play.  I'll leave you with this video, believe it or not, Hannah got me to ride this with her.  I just screamed thru clenched teeth (so my dentures wouldn't fall out), curled my toes hard (so my clogs wouldn't fall of), held on tight, closed my eyes, AND PRAYED.  The things mothers do for their kids!

Be blessed,

Debbi

Our Family Christmas Gift

This year, Chuck and I decided that we spend way too much money on stuff that kids don't really need, or they grow out of, or stop playing with, or break, or lose.  So this year we decided to make family memories.

The weekend before Christmas we all went to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee to see the Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede Christmas show.  But before the show we did some sightseeing.  Our hotel was right on the main strip, and the kids were so excited looking at all the lights and parks and shops.  On Saturday afternoon we went to the Hollywood Wax Museum.  The exhibits weren't the best, a lot of them didn't even look like the celebrities they were suppose to portray.  But we had fun anyway.  Here's some pictures.

The front desk at the hotel told us to just drive down the road and look for the giant gorilla.  It was big, lol

There's me with my heart throb...

Hey Johnny!!!

Kiss me you fool.

Hannah wanted a snack, so she was thinking of sharing a box of chocolates. 

After all, what is life but a box of chocolates?

Now to work off those extra calories.

Personally I think Lucy looks demented here, but this was my mother's favorite episode of her favorite show.

Run Boys Run!!!

Hey, watch the cane their buddy. heehee

Hannah loves this series of movies...

Owen is such a cutie :-)

And we ended the tour with Brandon's favorite musician.  You should see this boy try to dance like Michael.  He's always a big hit at family weddings. lol

Well, that was what we did before lunch...

What do you do to make memories?

Be blessed,

Debbi

the "handmade" family

Would you like to know what's great about the handmade community?

Family.

I have have know all my life that most (not all) artists are truly the most friendly and sharing group of people, and since I've started selling my creations on line, I have made so many new friends there too.

And some have become family.  Let me share with you my newest family member.

Monika from MyEuropeanTouch.

(Monika - me)

I first "met" Monika many years ago when we were both selling on Etsy.  I had totally fallen in love with a violin that she had mosaic-ed.  It was gorgeous.   Fast forward a few years, and I had left Etsy and started selling on Handmade Artists.  Well, who did I run into in the forums?  You guessed it....Monika.

Then, just a few weeks ago, we were in her neck of the country visiting family, and when I sent Monika a message about meeting for coffee....she did not hesitate to squeeze me into her very busy schedule.  (She had just purchased a new condo and was in the middle of moving and unpacking).

I am so glad she did, because dinner with her made my vacation complete.  Sometimes you meet a person that you feel like you've know forever, and that's how it was with us.  Instant BFF's lol.

( And yes, I totally believe that it was God who brought us together. )

(my hubby Chuck and Monika)

And not only did I enjoy our visit, so did Chuck (the proud recipient of one of her mosaic doves).

(Monika - me - Hannah - Brandon - Chuck)

Now here's a new family photo, one I will proudly display on my wall.

Love this handmade community!

Be blessed,

Debbi

my dream vacations...

In the Handmade Artists blog ring, we have been sharing items with the theme vacation.  So I thought I would share what my personal dream vacation ideas have been...

a dude ranch!  While we have had horses, and I've loved horses since I was a kid, the idea of a midwest dude ranch has always piqued my interest.  The whole idea of following a mountain trail on the back of a horse, camping under the stars, and eating beans from a can...don't laugh, that IS my idea of fun.  And that's why I wanted to show you this amazing painting on slate of horses and mountains from bjsgourdartetc.

You all may also remember that I have a fondness for the beach...most any beach as long as it's not too crowded.  I think that's why we keep going back to the Outer Banks here in NC.  And with any vacation, one of the nice parts is NO COOKING.  No, I do not look for hotels with kitchens, hahaha.  So this sweet beachcomber soft wallet would work great when we're walking the boardwalk looking for souvenirs or dinner.  I found this in the shop of Excess Bags N More.

And of course, the place we vacation the most is back home in New York...mostly for family weddings.  For my last 2 nieces weddings, I painted for them wedding banners for their cars and/or head tables.  The one on the left was for Jennifer and John and was based on their own invitation, and the one on the right was for Janine and Matt and incorporated the art work of my late mother.  They were both big hits.

This last one is an original design I did for our niece on my husbands side...these banners are painted on vinyl and sealed against the weather (just don't leave them out in a down pour), and they will become a great keepsake of the special day.  You can order a banner for your special day, or special couple, by just visiting my shop at Handmade Artists.  

Enjoy your summer, and your own special family vacations.

Be blessed,

Debbi

Our NY vacation drive

Last week we packed up the girls and hit the road for the 12 hour drive from our home in North Carolina to our old home in Western New York.  (I also specify western NY because when I say NY, everyone assumes New York City....there is so much more to NY than that city.  So for us, think Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and the Great Lakes.)  While driving on I-77 north, you drive right through the Appalacian Mountains.  These are pictures of our journey right through the Big Walker Mountain Tunnel in Western Virginia.  I take pictures of this every trip, lol.

 Once you enter the tunnel, it slowly gets darker...the lights help, some.

 I did not change the settings on my camera, this is from being deep in the mountain.

 You can start to see the "light at the end of the tunnel".

 It just gets brighter and brighter then....

 BAM!!!  I love this shot.

When we had Brandon, he used to love to shout "time tunnel, time tunnel". lol.

Be blessed,

Debbi

My crafty travels

I enjoy vacations, but usually not the long drives.  The only good part of the 12 hour trip is all the crocheting I get done. A doll dress, the start of a summer top, and 3 washcloths. Do you like these colors? And please excuse the photo quality. Blogging and taking pictures with a phone while hubby is doing 70 mph is not easy. Hahaha.
Be blessed,
Debbi

Cool pets

I took the girls to the pet store today. I love the local pet store in my home town, Pets Plus in Lockport New York. They specialize in unusual animals. Here's a few the girls and I enjoyed.