Today I spent most of the day watching September 11th footage and memorials. It all still just seems unimaginable to me…..the horror, scale and sadness of it all is too much. I remember taking this photo of my parents and grandparents on top of the World Trade Center in 1997. No one is really smiling because I was being a horrible brat refusing to be in the photo….but I just didn’t want to get near that railing. I’m deathly afraid of heights.
Not a day goes by that I don’t think about 9/11. Every day when I glance at either the oven clock or bedroom clock or even the car clock, without fail, I catch them right when they read 9:11. It’s eerie but it’s my reminder: that life is short, precious and fleeting. The death of my father is the only thing I have to relate to something like 9/11…..he died so unexpectedly, but he died so peacefully……and I’m thankful I have that. My heart goes out to all the families who lost someone on 9/11…..I can’t imagine their pain and I pray for their strength. I think about a prayer by Pita in Man on Fire: Dear God, I do not ask for health or wealth. People ask you so often that you can’t have any left. Give me, God, what else you have. Give me what no-one else asks for. Amen. I’ve written about that prayer before….I know it’s from a movie but it struck a chord. It reminds me never to ask for more than I need.
After the stressful few weeks I had in July, I made myself drop everything and travel with Boo for a much needed visit to NC to stay with my mom and see my family. It was the first time I’d been back to NC since my father’s funeral.
If you’ve never been to the North Carolina Mountains you are missing out….they are just gorgeous in the spring, summer and fall! My parent’s place in at Linville Ridge which I think is one of the most beautiful places on earth. When I’m there I feel like everything is in technicolor, I’m breathing the clearest air on the planet, and Boo is happy and content just playing with acorns and wading in a cool brook.
We visited the original Mast General Store in Valle Crucis (built in 1882 a few miles from Linville) and Boo and my mom played checkers:
(read more after the jump)
The shelves are stocked with canned vegetables and spreads….I shipped back apple butter:
Local honey:
Bread and butter pickles and okra:
5 cent coffee:
Huge tubs of candy:
If you live in Valle Crucis, here’s your post office. I don’t think it’s changed since 1882.
There’s a newer Mast General store just a mile down the road that has a huge candy store with tons of vintage toys and candy:
The view from my mom’s: Grandfather Mountain….it resembles the profile of a man. I asked Boo her favorite part of our trip and she said “eating breakfast with Grandma”….my mom made them breakfast every morning and they sat on the porch watching the morning activity of clouds, chipmunks and golfers. Standing on that porch sometimes I have to catch my breath….I know my dad is there too.
My favorite part was visiting a local swimming hole with Boo…..she made a bunch of friends and I’m pretty sure we’ll spend almost every day there next summer:
My mom was so excited we were there and left us notes everywhere……she always left us notes growing up. It’s so sweet.
My dad’s office seemed like he might just walk right in. I cried a lot in the mountains just wishing he was there. Boo would look at all my dad’s photos with such enthusiasm and it crushed me a little more each time I realized she wouldn’t be adding to their memories.
The club at Linville Ridge had a display with my dad’s photo and some of his memorabilia…….it was really touching:
We spent a few days in Charlotte, NC visiting my sister and her husband Justin and my brother and his family. I look pretty exhausted here….but I love that Boo is petting my head with her foot:
My sister and I made accessories on her floor:
We spent every afternoon and evening at Carmel Country Club where I grew up:
Fried Chicken Night at Carmel….there’s my cute nephew with my mom raking the sand trap (my brother’s son). My in-laws came down for a day and my sister’s in-laws came to dinner too….it was a huge group and I realized that every single one of our in-laws are so amazing…..that’s pretty cool.
I can’t wait until next summer.
And tonight I’m not asking God for anything except to be with those who need him more than ever…..and just thanking him for everything.
we are so glad you took that vacation … sending you hugs and some pixie dust 🙂
We visited Linville for our anniversary last year. Lovely place. Praying for you and your family.
I absolutely LOVE Boone, Blowing Rock and Valle Crucis. I grew up in Hickory and now live in Charlotte and really have fond memories of my family driving “up the mountain” to search in antique stores and get jellies and jams at the old country stores on the side of the road. Since it was my dad that was the one that always wanted to go and enjoyed buying me treats like boiled peanuts I always think of him when we go there and he passed away a year and a half ago. Thank you for this post! It is so close to my heart and I am SO glad you enjoyed yourself. I love your blog and feel an even closer connection to you now!
My aunt lives in that area, and actually goes to church in Valle Crucis. I spent my childhood going up to Sugar Mountain and Blowing Rock, depending on where she was living at the time. It IS such a beautiful and refreshing area! Sounds like you had a wonderful, much needed visit with your family!
What a blessing to have such a close and beautiful family!
I live in Spruce Pine and we always go to Grandfather mountain during “dollar days”.
http://grandfather.com/april-at-grandfather-mountain-means-dollar-days-for-high-country-residents/
I love your posts about your NC visits. 🙂
I am so glad that you had a wonderful trip….you deserve lots of R&R!
And one more p.s.—thanks a million for letting us re-make your Sienna dress pattern for Project Run and Play, it was a great pattern to work with…..so thanks.
My brother-in law and his family live in Spruce Pine. It is gorgeous there! Growing up in NC was the best! Every time we visit family, my boys (almost 16 and 12) say how lucky my husband and I are to have grown up there. They are military brats and have moved around a bit.
(Ashley- it is difficult to write a comment like I am just another person reading your wonderful blogs. You are such a graceful, loving sister-in -law. I am blessed that you are part of my life. I just wish we didn’t live a whole country apart! Much love to you, Mr. LBB and Boo!!)
That was a nice post. I just lost my father about a month ago and I can relate to you in many ways. I miss him deeply and dearly but am so incredibly grateful l to have had him for 30 years. When I was watching the 9/11 footage with the kids of 9/11 I couldn’t help but think how lucky I was and sorrow for the children who will grow up without their daddy. Okay, that’s enough. Thanks as always for the best blog in my eyes!
I thought my husband and I were the only ones who look at the clock at 9:11 almost every day!! Isn’t that crazy! We noticed this not long after 9/11 and we still do it yet.
Ash….This whole week might have been the best week of my whole summer! Can’t wait for you to come back, or us over there! We still need to film our movie! hehe. I can’t wait for Sienna to be old enough that you can just put her on plane to come spend a week with us! Loved this blog post! Going to share it on my FB right now! Maybe you can upload alll the pics and send me a link…..even my policeman picture! HAHA Love and miss you! Perry
I’ve always wanted to go to the mountains of North Carolina for a vacation. My dream is to rent a little cabin by the water. It looks like you had a great summer vacation and visit with your mom. Your little one is precious. There seems to be so much love in your family.
The quote you wrote on the rock, “Dear God, please give me what no one else asks for.” I love that quote. When my husband and I were applying for adoption (18 years ago) they would always have a box on the applications which asked what kind of child you would accept. That question always offended me but never the less, what we wrote (and prayed for) was, “please send us the child who needs us the most”. And he did. Twice in one year:)
I usually follow from afar picking up ideas and whatnot, bur God has been working so many daily wonders in my life I had to share this morning. The quote about problems in a pile hit home in such a huge way! I said something to the same effect yesterday and I just felt as though I was guided to your post as a gift! Bless you for all that you share !
We love Linville Falls. We’ve stayed there a few times. We first camped at Linville Campgrounds when the kids were just twinkles in our eyes! We love the upper and lower falls, upper and lower creek hike (I think.) And, I agree, it’s so pretty in the spring, too with all of the rhodedendrums blooming all over the mountain sides. We’re from Wilmington so they’re just like the azaleas we have all over here. We’ve recently been there so I could literally run down the side of a mountain near in the Ridge to Bridge marathon in Morganton, NC. It was great, great people, but think next time we’ll stick to the awesome hiking trails around Linville. God bless you and your family.
I stumbled onto your site and was enjoying all your posts when your Cancer Chronicles caught my eye. My best friend of 26 years has a 19 year old daughter suffering from Ewings Sarcoma. I will be referring her to your blog. As I am reading along I see that you lost your dad….I as well recently lost my dad on September 13, 2011. My dad was paralyzed from a car accident 23 yrs ago. He opened an antique store in our small west Texas town about 6 years after his accident. He went to be with our Lord after the front of his store caught on fire early one morning and he was trapped in the back in his apartment. Knowing the pain of losing a parent can only truly be shared by someone else that has felt it! I’m sorry for your loss…my half empty heart aches for others that have lost a parent and for those to come! I lost my mom when I was 29 and then my dad at 36….this fact is hard to swallow sometimes. I was reading along and then your 9:11 story hit me like a ton of bricks and took my breath away. Not too long ago I posted on facebook my same 9:11 story! I have been seeing 9:11 everywhere since the actual 9-11 in NY. I saw it enough where it started to make me concerned. September ’11 finally came around and it wasn’t after my dad’s death did I realize September is the 9th month so his death occured—>09/11. During my son’s Sr. year of football after my dad’s death I even took a pic. of him and his best friend’s back side of their jerseys on the side lines…..not even seeing it until I put all my pics on my computer—-their jersey numbers standing side-by-side were 9 11. I left my son’s first T-Ball game tonight (my dad was a big fan of his grandkids) my mind was thinking of my dad and I happened to reach down to turn the radio up and the clock said 9:11……kind of freaky, but at the same time comforting! Just want you to know that I have four kids ranging from 4-18, I teach kindergarten, have little or no time to surf the web or stalk blogs…..BUT I will be making time to read yours! May God continue to bless you and your family today.tomorrow.always!
I have spent a good part of my Saturday morning reading your blog. Thank you. Last March my mother was diagnosed with Mantel Cell Lymphoma, advanced stage 4 and in May my dad died suddenly of a massive stroke. My father was so worried about my mom (as we all were of course) and would be so angry to have left her at the profound time of need. I gain comfort in your stories about your daughter and her insight in her grandfather’s presence. I gather strength from your cancer chronicle postings. I have struggled with going to church and feeling close to God these last few months since dad died and your writing brings me closer to Him again with a renewed understanding. Thank you and God bless.