This week in the mountains hasn’t been what I hoped, nor expected. It’s actually been rather stressful with Little Bug’s stomach issues (which seem to be okay now since I’ve continued the BRAT diet like her pedi suggested – no puke since Sunday afternoon), fearing my dad was coming down with a stomach bug (he didn’t), missing Dave more than I usually do when we are apart (I guess that’s a good thing :) ) and the sleepless night on Tuesday night and fearing I had started something by bringing Little Bug to my bed. (I didn’t. She slept fine all night long but chose to wake up at quarter till seven this morning. Ugh!)

So I might have given a clue or two in the past that I detest the stomach bug. (Who doesn’t?) But my detest probably actually goes a little farther to some weird phobia of it. I remember having it as a child on several occasions. For some reason, at the mention of someone even feeling like they are going to throw up, my heart rate accelerates and I have the instinct to run away as far as I can go. Maybe I should go to counseling when I return home. But seriously, when my dad called me to tell me Little Bug was up from her nap and he asked me come on back to the cabin right away because he felt “chilled and queasy” I just knew that Little Bug had indeed had a stomach bug and she had passed it on to her Grandpa. I had visions of being stuck in this 800 square foot cabin with vomiting family members for the rest of the week. Because I knew if my dad had caught it, it would only be a matter of days before my mom and brother would be sick too. I had already decided if my dad was up sick all night long I’d just brave the 40-50 degree temps outside, bundle up like an Eskimo, plug my ears with my earplugs and sleep on the front porch. The cold would certainly be better than hearing that awful sound all night long.

But, fortunately, God heard my prayers and spared me. (Yes, I prayed that God would spare me that awful experience. He cares even about the stupidest things that concern us.)  Turns out my dad didn’t have the stomach bug (because I am certain it wasn’t a stomach bug Little Bug had and was instead an upset tummy from spicy pasta she ate) and most likely was feeling bad from the flu vaccine he had gotten before we left. 

While I am on a rampage of “trip annoyances” I’ll go ahead and share this because it’s pretty funny (at least I think it is):

As I said I slept 1 hour on Tuesday night. Wednesday, as soon as I laid Little Bug down for a nap, I headed to the front porch to take a nap myself. It was a bit nippy but I was fine in my cocoon of blankets.

I had almost drifted off to sleep when I heard a girl talking loudly in the most country accent I have ever heard in my entire life. I am not exaggerating, people! (No offence to any country folks who may happen to read my blog.) I was supremely amazed and slightly annoyed. Ok – I was actually very annoyed because I was trying to go to sleep.

I know I am in the mountains of North Carolina but wow I’ve never heard anything like it and I’ve been around many Carolinian’s in my lifetime. I, techically, am a Carolinian myself because I was born here in NC although we moved away when I was only 22 months old. Anyway. And she was talking so loudly. She was visiting the next door neighbors and I can’t tell you how relieved I was when she said, “Alright now. Yall have a good day and I’ll be seeing ya later.” and then got in her mustang and drove away. I think I was asleep before she got down the mountain.

But right now, as I type this, there is serenity all around. It is the picture of a crisp autumn day. A breezy 60 degrees or so, a beautiful canvas of red, yellow and orange leaves all around. The distant sound of a train passing by down the mountain. Beautiful sunshine streaming through the trees and wrapping warmth on my exposed hands.

Yes, there have been moments when I have wished I was just home already, but overall, there is no place like the mountains in Fall.

Oh! It was special to be here on October 20th because it was on that day in 2006 that Dave brought me here to propose! My mom, Little Bug and I went walking to the general area where he proposed but I couldn’t really find it because the brush had really grown and hadn’t been kept up. I couldn’t even find the picnic table we were near. Anyway.

This is where it all began for Dave and me! We started dating here in June of 2006 and then were engaged here later that year in the Fall. And then, we came here for our honeymoon too!

Well, enough randomness for one post. Adios!

- Elaine