Coffee Klatch

We don't leave on our trip till next Friday. Working on preparing the house and packing this weekend. But you are right - I doubt I will put the baby down very often.

Geez
All this time I thought you were already there. We leave next Friday too for GA

So much exciting news. Congrats on your precious Grandson, SO. I hope you have a wonderful time on your trip and with that precious baby. You must be SOOOO excited.

Congrats on your piggies Flav. Bet they're the cutest little things. Hope the other ones are born before you leave so you can see them too. It has to be the greatest thing watching them grow. They're so darn cute.

Both of you guys have wonderful, relaxing, and safe trips.

TB, glad things are easing up for you some. Been a long time coming. Hang in there.

Hey you!

I know, I thought they were both gone, too!

Yeah for piggies, Flav!

I'm back in the room, trying to cool down a bit. I was helping with laundry and both of us got a little over-heated. We found a little house to rent that we like. We're just waiting on the landlady to finish her investigation on us. Sheesh! It's SO hard to rent these days, or is it just here? Idk. Everyone does background checks.

Oops...gotta run again. Sorry Nine's. I was hoping for a chat. I can't type in the night here. It keeps DH awake. Once we finally move, I'll be able to chat more.

Love all you guys, even our missing friends. Anyone hear from Mama or OG?

Catch y'all later.

I'll be hoping and praying you get into the house you want real soon TB.

Hope it will also get you out of some of the workload you're carrying. Take care of yourself and try to not get overheated. You sure don't need that!

I hope you get the house! The good property management companies do credit and criminal background checks here. I'm sure you will pass.

Nine's, I have a huge list of things to accomplish before we go. I'm so excited to finally hold him! We use facetime daily so I get to see them, but it's not the same. I'm thankful for it though. It makes long distance seem close.

TB
I do the entire checks on my prospective tenants too. They usually take only a few mins to run them so you should call and check on it.

It is nice to hear from everyone. I see mama on FB every so often, she is doing well. I haven't heard from OG either, hope all is going well with her.

I am going nuts getting ready for my trip too SO. Its hard as a small business owner to leave for more than a few days isn't it.

Bet you do have a lot to do! It must be a real tease seeing him facetime and not being able to hold and snuggle him. It's easy to imagine how excited you must be. Mama is probably equally excited and looking forward to having Grandma's help for a while. Hope you all have a wonderful time!

Just bought two new suitcases for the trip. Our old ones were falling apart. Also bought a couple of really cute baby boy outfits. One is Mickey mouse and the other is a really cute cammo one. I can hardly wait to get my arms around that little one, and of course the daughter too!

Happy for you that you got new suitcases. Hope they have good wheels on them. Makes all the difference in the world.

Your outfits sound adorable.

Soon. Soon, a snuggly little baby. Don't knock daughter down in your rush to hold him. 8)

Enjoy every min SO.
I am getting thru the last of craziness before leaving. I am going to really enjoy this vacation. We are going to spend a few days in Gatlinburg, I want to whitewater the pigeon forge river and maybe Dolly land or something I will see what there is to do there when I get there.

Something tells me daughter may have to step back and let Granny cuddle for a bit. lol

Rafting is always a great way to spend some time!

HAHA. No doubt. Enjoy.

Have a great time, Flav. Gatlinburg is such a quaint place, especially when it's not over run with tourists....does that even happen anymore? Anyway, they have some great cabins, some nice outlet malls, and awesome outdoor activities. Stay safe on your rafting and have a wonderful time. I'll be thinking about you

Oh, tell me what there is to do Nines. I know about the rafting and Dolly land or whatever its called. What else is there to do there, and what about Nashville?

I am looking forward to a breather from the grind.

Oh wow, Flav. Where to begin. There's about anything you'd want to do or see. It's been a while since I've been to either place so my information is probably outdated so don't take my word for things til you check it out.

Gatlinburg is/was a really unique town. Narrow streets lines with all types of shops with any kind of art, craft, food items, wineries, breweries, pottery, any type of folksy thing. Think mega old small town. LOL.

I usually stayed at a place called Eagles Nest, Eagle Ridge, something like that. Awesome cabins with a fireplace, great room, modern kitchen appliance, nice stereo, big deck with spectacular views. They're just gorgeous cabins. Wish I could remember the name for sure, but it might have been Pigeon Forge instead of right at Gatlinburg. It was only a short drive though. Could have been this place... [link to www.eaglesridge.com] not. Just remember what a great value it was for what it offered in privacy, scenery and items supplied. Now that I think about it, you could call ahead and have them get things (food, alcohol, flowers, etc) to have in the cabin when you got there.

Regardless of where you stay, I've never stayed at a cabin to be complained about in the area. They were all decent.

It really depends on what you like and what you want to do. Whatever it is, it's probably there. My interests were more in the nature things. They have a couple riding stables for horseback riding, there's rafting, fishing, hiking, guided nature walks and even some backpacking and overnights hikes if you want it. Probably best to google it according to what you like/want.

The outlet malls were outside of town a short ways, but if they have an event going on, you'd be better off to stay in town or in nature if the roads are the same. I have a vivid recollection of a car show or something going on when it was about 100 humid degrees and the traffic was stop and go bumper to bumper at a crawl. A few miles seemed to take half the day. It was probably only a couple hours, but it's not something nice to experience.

If you're into scenic drives, Cades Cove is nice if you're not the one driving. Look up Cades Cove on you tube before you decide if you'd like to do it. There are quite a few areas around there that you won't want to count on your cell phone or gps working, just something to keep in mind. You'll want to have a full tank of gas, some snacks and drinks along.

Nashville has about anything you'd want too. Big towns just aren't my thing, and the people I was with loved the Grand Ole Opry. I didn't. It was loud, crowded, and once was plenty. The next time we went, I found other things to do while others visited the Grand Ole Opry. There's biking, horseback riding, rafting,(some pretty adventurous, don't know your skill but you might want to check the levels. Some are Level IV and V if memory is correct) canoing, skydiving. If you're into heights and thrills, they have zip something, the thing you sit in a harness and swoope around up high. UGH. And of course hot air balloons. The Parthenon, which is a replica of the original Parthenon in Athens and has a huge (around 40 ft. or so) statue of Athena, which is kind of creepily cool. There are nice parks and trails around Nashville that were more enjoyable than anything in town, to me. You can check out a bike to use free for the day but it has height and weight restrictions (it did have, maybe not now) You had to be at least 5 ft. 4, so I couldn't get one. Go figure. Also couldn't be over something like 250 lbs.?

Whatever you decide, you'll probably find there isn't enough time to do everything you'd like. Hope you have a wonderful time!

Thanks for all that info Nines. I think we are going to stay at hotels since I have freq flyer miles and it wont cost me anything. I am at the cabin in Ga now anyway. I plan on going to Pigeon Forge to whitewater raft but now you have me excited about Nashville. I love class IV and V. I am doing the Ocoee again in TN but I have done that 4 or 5 times now. Its still fun. Pigeon Forge is III and IV but only one IV. Did the Chatooga last year IV and V and wasn't impressed. The rapids were awesome but we had to tie off after each one so the rest of the group could come thru so it was literally like stop and go and not that much fun. The water was really high that time and that is why so they said but I haven't been back.

I think we will look into the water park there since its summer and hot, and maybe just bum around the town, it sounds like Mt Dora in Fl, a cute little town that is big but like a blast from the past. You feel like your walking into 1950, very artsy too.

Im not 5'4" either! Nor am I 250 lbs!

So heres more big news, my daughter, the one getting married next July is expecting this November. A little girl which I am really happy about. Have kept it to myself so as not to jinx it. She let the cat out of the bag to FB today, and told close friends about 2 mo ago. I found out Mothers Day.

So... I have been making a quilt for the baby, the funny part is I really don't sew, hate it actually but I don't mind quilting. I learned when I was a teenager and got grounded for a month, don't even remember what I did to get grounded but it was before computers and cell phones so I took up quilting to kill a month.

This one I am making isn't simple squares, and I haven't made a quilt since my 20's so holy crap what did I get myself into! I am enjoying every minute of doing it though and the peace and quiet up here to do it.

Its a rolling hill with Cinderellas castle, a carriage and bushes, flowers and trees. The top has sky and clouds. I am piecing it all together now and basting it, and pinning it to a piece of fabric to create it since I am making it up as I go along. Its like painting a mural with fabric. Once I get it home I will sew it all together on my machine (after dusting it off) I haven't used it in about 5 yrs. I plan on using some soft lace trim to trim out the castle turrets and some rick rack to border off some of the things and give it dimension.

The back side that actually touches the body wont have anything on it so that its nice and comfy, no stitching or anything. Its a good thing to have to do up here since the town rolls up after dinner and even during the day theres not a lot to do. The woods are full of chiggers right now, got some picking blackberries that line the driveway.

I just looked up the Nashville rafting and its the Ocoee, which is the river I always go on. LOL

Congrats on the new baby Flav. Your quilt sounds adorable. Bet it will become a loved heirloom. It sounds like something she will snuggle on and her imagination will take her far beyond the carriage and castle. Then, when she's older, she'll think about the magical journeys that your quilt inspired. 8) Hope you'll share a pic when you're finished!

Bummer about you already rafting that place. Haven't been to the Chattooga, but have read about it and it sounds real treacherous in places. If you did that, it's going to take more than what I can offer to give you a thrill. HAHAHA.

Poor thing having chiggers in the woods. Are they the same as ticks, or a smaller one? Ticks have been horrible here this year. Probably best to try to avoid them with all the diseases anymore.

Mt. Dora sounds awesome. You'll have to let me know if Gatlinburg resembles it.

Whatever you do, have a great time!

The quilt is looking great, give me a month or so to finish and I will take a pic.

Yes I have done the Chatooga and yes its a bitch that one! The river was high so it was really bad when we went and we had to tie off after each rapid and spot other rafters which made it less fun than running thru them one after the other.

Chiggers are the tiny ones that you cant even see and they are in all the bushes up here I don't know how the early settlers walked thru these woods on a daily basis. Geez its like being locked in a closet with a million hungry mosquitos!

Ah, now I know what you mean about the chiggers. "no see ems". HA! Nasty little things.

Can't wait to see the quilt pics. It's going to be so beautiful.

I'm impressed that you've done the Chatooga. Forget the names of the rapids but that's enough to scare off most people. You're braver than I am. Wouldn't do those even with a guide. They sound real tough and dangerous.

Was wondering if the bad weather hit you. Didn't read it til it was too late to tell you about it and figured it it hit you, it had already passed. They were expecting flooding in Nashville, but if it happened, I haven't seen it posted or heard about it. Was hoping it would stay clear for your visit.

Have you heard if you have any new piggies yet?

Hoping you're having a great time. Hope SO is too. She's not going to want to leave. HAHA.

Have a great one Flav!

This month is just going from bad to worse.

The house we were trying to rent fell through and we don't have a clue why. The only thing we DO know is the landlady didn't like that we have no rental history (we OWN our house, for cripes sakes!) and we aren't from around here. Seriously!?! She didn't even have the decency to call us and let us know anything. Oh well, we'll find something, I hope. We've got more people looking for us, so I've got my fingers crossed. We've got until the 1at of September.

I just talked to my mom. Dad isn't doing well at all. The blockages in his legs have moved from his calves all the way up to the top of his thighs and they can't do anything about it. His arteries and veins have been too brittle for a couple of years. If they try to operate, they'll just shatter. Now, he's going to bed around 6:30 at night and he sleeps most of the day, too. He goes back to the cardiologist on Monday. Mom thinks they might put a pacemaker in. Idk. It's sounding to me like congestive heart failure.

DH's dad isn't doing to well either, but he's in the VA home in their town and they're taking good care of him. We'll see when we get up there in a couple of weeks.

Guys, I haven't been posting much, because I've been either too busy or downright miserable here. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to just go back home. You know I usually post late at night, well, I can't do that here. It keeps DH awake. It used to be ok when I could help with things around here, but after corporate did an inspection awhile back, I'm not allowed to do anything because I'm not an employee and I wasn't in "uniform". All I was doing was helping with laundry and doing little things that needed to be done that no one else had time to do. How terrible is that?

Flav, you guys were talking about it might be cheaper for 2 to eat at restaurants. It isn't. We have to eat out EVERY day and I'm totally SICK of it. It's always between $25-$50 dollars a trip. If we go to fast food, it's a little cheaper, but I have to stay away from that stuff. I WANT TO COOK!!! I want to eat what I want, not what they put on the menu. I really don't want to know what my A1C is. I'm sure it's not as good as it was.

Oh well. Sorry for being the Debbie downer. That's one of the other reasons I haven't been posting. I didn't want to *itch all the time. I know things will get better, it's just been a VERY LONG 9 months.

Aww, TB. Feel so bad for your worries and disappointments. It's hard to worry about a loved one, and even harder when they're far away.

Can't imagine how you've endured your situation for so long. The rental house has to be a huge disappointment. How does D. feel about you going back home and you guys just getting together once in a while? Hard as that would be, seems it could get harder if you can't even meet your health needs.

What a slap in the face to have all your efforts and free labor end with being told to not help. Go figure. Guess they have their reasons but it has to be annoying that they don't take "other things" as seriously as they should.

Last time I escaped down to Shawnee, you and D were on my mind so much. Though it's owned by the State, the State has hired a private company to run and manage the place. They do the hiring.

Was talking to the room service people and the manager, (they weren't busy and are very friendly). All the people who work there seem to like the manager and speak highly of him. They have a nice restaurant that serves delicious "real" food, and one day the manager brought my food. I asked if he was involved in everything there and he said, "just about, but I'm lucky to have good people working here."

I thought of how nice it would be if D. was running it. There are so many jobs there in Shawnee, like the guys that drive pick up trucks around hauling wood from the lodge to the campground, mowing, trimming, a bar, restaurant, gift store, and everyone seems to get plenty of break time, smoke time, or to relax for a few whenever they want. It would be a great opportunity to have a job there and see if they were interested in the management position when it came open.The cost of living seems pretty low, and people are friendly. There are busy times, but at least there's a wonderful atmosphere and nature all around. It's such a peaceful place.

Know you don't want to leave where you're at, but it doesn't seem like the crap that you and D. have endured can go on forever.
Are you saying you have to be out of your room by September? If D has a room anyway, what's the difference who's in it? Doesn't make them seem real family friendly.

Can't I waste a lot of time rambling on when I want to say something to make a difference but know there isn't anything that will help? LOL. Sure do hope things get better real fast. We'll talk soon. Hang in there.

TB
I hope things turn out well for your dad and his dad too.
I know eating out can get boring, I agree, its just while on vacation.

Nines had some good ideas there! Maybe you could go home and come down or up once a month for a week and be a guest.

Shawnee sounds great to me from nines description, don't know where it is but it sounds lovely.

Nines, yeah the Chattooga is not for amatures that's for sure and I would never do it without a guide! I don't even do the Ocoee without a guide but it is an adrenalin rush to do them both that's for sure. We got rain here in Ga a few nights ago.

Shawnee is great, Flav. Hope you've been enjoying yourself. Looks like there are some storms moving in toward your home, so be careful. One is blowing in here now. Lots of thunder, lightning and wind. Waiting for the power to go. LOL.

What happened to you TB? You have your first of the month plans firmed up yet?

SO, you back yet? Better not have taken that baby. After you leave, the little guy's gonna be like, why me, just met my Grammy and she's gone. Pooor Mama after you go. 8)

Still here. I saw you on last night, but couldn't post. Hubbie was asleep. You have NO idea how loud a keyboard can be! LOL

We're leaving the 30th, one party is on the 3rd, I don't know when the other one is yet and we'll have to be back on the 7th. Too quick. As soon as I talk to my mom, I'll know when the 2nd get together is. I hope!?! Dad went to the cardiologist yesterday, so I was waiting until today to call her. I already told D that I was spending a day with you this time, since I couldn't last time.

We had the amazing Em for the weekend, that's the other reason I didn't post. Oh, my! I really want to take her with us, but I'm not sure my mil could handle it and I'm not sure Pops and I could either!! I wish I could show y'all some videos of her I've taken, but I'm not putting anything out there. Her mom can, but I'm not.

Poor thing, TB. Gosh it has to be hard. You were pretty much a night owl. Has to be so frustrating for you.

It sounds like your time will be busy, busy, busy! Hope it's a fun busy or it will be more duty than vacation. LOL.

Bet it would be really hard on Em. Long trip, being away from Mom for so long, in a new place, so many things happening, people she doesn't know well. Bet she wouldn't be a happy camper for long.

Looking forward to seeing you. Be thinking about something you'd like to do, ok? Take care of yerself.

I'm home. Wow, so hard to say "See you Soon", I cried all the way to the airport, then cried some more. I woke up yesterday with huge swollen eyes. lol That baby boy, Atticus, grabbed a huge chunk of my heart. Good news is we booked a flight for them to come home next month so he can meet this side of the family. The area they live in is beautiful. We were able to get out and about (so glad daughter talked us into waiting to go. We saw an Amish Community, Stealth Bombers, A 10's practicing fighter moves, many old homes and historical sights, baby Daddy racing his car at the local speedway, and spent some time at a cabin at the lake.