Just do it!

Its been far to long since I've blogged....and life has been happening at a rapid pace for certain things yet for others it seems to have slowed to the minute crawling of an earthworm.

Just a beginning. Ryan and Sarahs wedding was amazing. Filled with fun, good times and the most beatiful ceremony I have been to in years. I must admit that I was teary eyed on more than one occassion throughout the ceremony and it was strange to see them drive off together for the beginning of their new life together. The realization that they are now truly married and everything they do impacts the other person was a sobering thought. But they do truly love each other as was evidenced by the heartfelt vows they spoke to each other during the ceremony and the beaming smiles on their faces during the reception.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and I have visited the great state of GA...specifically the Atlanta region. While not a spot I would willingly go back to again it was interesting from a historical perspective. Different people, different cultures and different way of living. The traffic was atrocious and the people not to friendly.

A good point during that time was the visit I took one weekend to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. The estate was amazing, the scenery beautiful, the gardens lush and well maintained with such a bountiful selection of flowers, manicured beds, wild beds and hot house and cold house flowers. Some day whether for a special occassion, a honeymoon, or just a treat myself because I'm woth it vacation I will go back there and spend time just exploring the miles and miles of gardens, the mountains surrounding the estate, the mountain biking trails, the horseback riding trails and the hiking trails. The area was amazing and certainly offset the less than pleasant experiences I had while in Atlanta.

While in Asheville I took an evening and went to a neighboring town called Flat Rock, NC. It reminded me of Door County WI. Very touristy with quaint little shops, excellent restraunts and such a fun atmosphere. I went to the Flat Rock Playhouse for a showing of "Kiss me Kate" which is Cole Porters version of the "Taming of the Shrew". The production was fantastic and funny. Filled with innuendo and double entendres. It was a delightful evening, I dressed up with my fantastic little black dress, spike open toe heels, and a beautiful red silk scarf which I had picked up in Paris (and has been residing in my suitcase ever since that trip). It was a rainy evening but not a hard rain, just the steady downfall that gives a drink to the crops and makes everything fresh and new again. Perhaps that is what I liked so much about NC. It was so green, the mountains and rolling hills were completely covered in trees and was just beautiful. It was possible to be on the main interestate and yet feel like you were driving on a country road. WV felt much the same but as I spent more time there doing audits I quickly realized that the areas were still a little to rustic for my taste (I went a whole week without Starbucks---it was difficult) and that the old story of dont get off the main roads cause if you wander into the hills there are still areas that create their own moonshine and mountain mend do still exist. But NC was a blending of the beauty of the mountains and enough urban edge to keep me happy.

Fast forward a couple of more weeks and I now find myself in Pittsburgh and the far western reaches of Ohio. The trip has been okay. This weekend I am running all over the countryside visiting such places as Hershey, PA and Gettysburg, PA. I'll let you know my findings and interesting observations about those areas.