SAVORING A MOMENT IN TIME

A series of essays.....

FAIRY-TALE VERSION OF THE BILTMORE ESTATE AND GARDENS
ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA ~ 2017

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

Upon returning from a long weekend in Western North Carolina, my reflection of time in this beloved space was duly noted in both words and pictures taken. 

VIEW FROM THE TOP OF OUR PROPERTY

Our purpose for being there was multi-layered. You see, we are landowners in WNC and if you travel on I-26, brushing the well known town of Asheville with your right shoulder and then take a westbound turn onto I-40 exiting at SR-19 near Waynesville and Maggie Valley, you would be very near our small mountain called Cansadie Top. More precisely, you would be in the small, unincorporated community in Haywood County, North Carolina known as Iron Duff. 

Our small, nearly three acre parcel of pines, rhododendrons, cedar trees, and low brush, merely scratches the side of Cansadie Top mountain and faces north towards the valley below and the winding Pigeon River then out to the mountains in the distance. It is a breathtaking spot. It’s where we’d hoped to spend many years together after retirement. 

This picturesque portion of WNC is snuggled within the heart of the Pisgah National Forest and just a mountain or two away from the Eastern Cherokee Reservation with its casino, several entrances to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and winter skiing fun ⛷ at the Cataloochee Ski Area just north of Maggie Valley. I love saying the word Pisgah and Chickasaw and Cataloochee. It intrigues me how the Native American names roll so nicely inside the mouth; feel so natural rolling off of the tongue and, eventually, burst forth from between the lips and out into the atmosphere like ancient wisdom to my ears... 

THE DRAGON COMES ALIVE!

As we gently rolled down Cansadie Top and into the valley heading westbound, I couldn’t help but notice what looked like smoky dragon’s breath emanating from the mountaintop in the distance. It was as if a tornado were whipping across the ridge dispersing tons of swirling snow in order to awaken the beast. In essence, it was. It only took us a few moments to realize that the Cataloochee Ski Area must have been making snow for its ski runs high above us. The dragon huffed and puffed its sultry breath all along the deep-blue ridge as if letting everyone know to pack-up their skies and poles; it was time to travel along the manicured pathways and slopes of its cold, rigid spine and ski your way downward into the valley below.

DAN IS PLACING A
STONE MARKER AT THE SPOT 

MY FAVORITE TREE JUST BELOW
OUR PROPERTY LINE

Sadly, while standing along the side of our own little mountain, moments before sighting our dragon in the distance, we employed a ritual that, if successful, will close this chapter of our hopes and dreams of residing along a mountainside in Western North Carolina. Our plans of building a Hearthstone log cabin on this site dissolved within a single dragon’s breath back in 2008 when the economic world went crazy and abrupt changes in our lives had to be implemented. Since 2006, when we purchased this ‘heavenly spot’ in the Pisgah Forest near the Blue Ridge Parkway, we imagined snowy Christmas celebrations and family get-togethers for years to come. Life has an interesting way of taking you down so many unimagined pathways with forks in the road at every turn. I really do believe that adapting to these various changes along the way is what makes us stronger, better individuals, and, eventually, happier souls.

IN FRONT OF OUR 'KATYDID' COTTAGE

This trip up to WNC found us snug and warm in our own little cabin up in the mountains near Candler and a stone’s throw away from the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. All dressed up for the Christmas 🎄 Holidays, the Biltmore Mansion did not disappoint us as we experienced over fifty-five beautifully decorated trees nestled among the splendid nooks and crannies of this magnificent estate home. Having visited Biltmore several occasions before during the warmer, summer months, this was the first time we were given an opportunity to see almost every room of this sprawling mansion. We crawled up flights of stairs to the guest quarters and then were swallowed-up and plunged into the bowels of the lower floors that included the kitchen, indoor pool, bowling alley, and the servant’s quarters.....among others. 

BILTMORE ESTATE ON A BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS EVE DAY
BUILT BY GEORGE AND EDITH VANDERBILT
~OPENED ON CHRISTMAS EVE, 1895~

Even though the weather was cold and dipped into the low thirties, not a wisp of snow graced our presence as we found our car and drove over to the Biltmore Estate Winery and Antler Hill Village for a wine tasting. Having fallen in love with Biltmore wines years ago, it is always such a pleasure to taste their various blends and this trip did not disappoint us. The limited release of their crisp, semi-sweet white and full-bodied red under the label of ‘Christmas at BILTMORE’ were phenomenal and several bottles now reside in our wine rack at home for future enjoyment.

CONSERVATORY ALL
DECKED OUT

DECORATIONS UP CLOSE

LIBRARY DOOR WITH WREATH

A TREE IN THE MIRROR IN
EDITH VANDERBILT'S BEDROOM

BANQUET HALL

The most fun we had together, and this may sound a bit corny to you, was leaving the Biltmore to shop at Ingle’s Market for Christmas dinner to be prepared in our cabin the next day. I can only describe the cabin as a ‘tiny home’ built into the side of the mountain overlooking the creek below. It is part of a group of structures that make-up the Mountain Springs Cabins that exist along South Hominy Creek and include exceptional mountain views as an added bonus! 

VIEW FROM OUR
DINING TABLE

LOOKING EAST FROM THE
MOUNTAIN SPRING CABINS

We decided an Italian menu was in order and made baked ziti in the amazingly tiny Tappan range/oven. This appliance was something I used to dream about having in the playhouse I wanted as a little girl. We served the hot, cheesy pasta with a fresh veggie and sweet berry laced spring-green salad and thick slices of buttered bread to soak up all of the spicy tomato sauce left on the plate. And, for dessert, a nutty, pumpkin cheesecake baked with love by an Ingle’s baker Christmas Eve Day!! We decided to pair our little feast with Biltmore’s Cardinal’s Crest Réserve 🍷 simply because it has always been our favorite Biltmore wine selection....made for almost any occasion.

Christmas Eve morning we spent Skyping with our youngest daughter and family as they opened the gifts we’d selected especially for them. The giggles of their excitement were like joyful carols to our ears and their faces sweet entertainment for our eyes. This was repeated when we experienced the reactions to the gifts we had sent up to our oldest daughter’s home while we were on FaceTime together Christmas morning. Not quite the same as being there, however, with Dan’s limited time off this Christmas, we made due with imagining the soft kisses and warm hugs of our five, favorite little people! 

OUR CHRISTMAS DINNER ~ 2017

Having almost adjusted to mountain walking once again, with its varying degrees of slopes and having to park our car at odd angles that made opening and closing its doors quite a challenge, we woke-up early Tuesday morning knowing that we must face the bumper to bumper traffic that was certain to greet us along South I-95. So, as usual, we tried to prolong our trip by stopping in Hendersonville, North Carolina at Mast’s General Store that offers a variety of items ranging from oaken barrels filled with penny candy to warm heather gray vests by brands such as North Face and Patagonia. 

While experiencing our mini-excursions, I try to ignore, for the most part, social media and concentrate on the task at hand....having fun! Being out of the loop for several days was just fine by us and upon pulling into our driveway around nine-thirty that night, nothing broke that spell as we unpacked and settled in for a good night’s sleep. 

HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU, KID

As Dan completes his short week of work and we anticipate the passing of an old year (thank goodness!) and look forward to a new one beginning next Monday, I am making note of as many words as I can that might exemplify or sum up my current thoughts and feelings. So far, I’ve written down the three R’s, Resist, Replace, and Retirement. Not bad for starters. Then there’s this trio, Truth, Honesty, and Obligation to Mankind. But, wouldn’t it be easier to try to find one word, only one, that conjures up my exact feelings going into 2018? 

The word I used way up in the beginning of this piece seems to come to mind: Adapt. I don’t mean to accept, assume, or promise anything. I mean to adapt in terms of making changes happen, adjusting and harmonizing with said changes, and learning to acclimate myself to and accommodate my life with what I feel is happening (for the good) around me. 

BOYD'S MOUNTAIN CABINS
MAGGIE VALLEY, NORTH CAROLINA

You see, I know that change is coming. Whether this change is political or traditionally personal, it is going to happen and, in order to survive, I must learn how to adapt. Dan will be retiring and we will be listing our home for sale here in Orlando and packing-up our lives after living here for over twenty years. And, having to adapt to the cold, snowy climes of Michigan, once again, is going to happen, whether I’m ready for it or not!

So, adjust, prepare, and reconcile are added into the mix for good measure. 

However, if you know me at all by now, you will know that there is one human attribute that constantly engulfs my thoughts and never leaves my side simply because it represents the greatest truth of all. That attribute, of course, is the ability to Love. With Love 💕 in our hearts we are capable of adapting to any and all situations that life throws our way. So, with an abundance of Love within me, I will learn to adapt to whatever this new year has to offer and grow stronger and more enlightened because of it.

Happy New Year to each one of you! Please learn to use whichever new word you might employ, wisely. And, always fill your heart with an abundance of Love for ALL of the people who share this interesting time and magnificent world with you. May we all learn to look at the reality of life this new year with a wiser, more benevolent, and kinder eye.

WE WISH YOU A HAPPY AND
PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR ~ 2018!!!

Copyright © 2017 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

Photo Copyright © 2017 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

All rights reserved

EMBRACING THE SIMPLICITY OF WISDOM

A series of essays.....

PRESENTS ALL WRAPPED AND READY TO GO

.....as seen through my eyes!



By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

The colorful rolls of paper and spools of gossamer ribbon are back in storage boxes and up on the highest shelves once again. All is wrapped; temptation eliminated. The eyes of the young children will soon focus on the shape and configuration of the presents beneath the tree with a child's imagination of bespoken treasures and youthful desires. The adults will imagine the allusive hopes conjured up so long ago; reestablished wishes now witnessed by the presence of their own children anxiously awaiting their turn to open a beribboned prize.

With age, wisdom pours through us like lifeblood and allows us to distinguish and better understand the bright light at the end of the long passageway......believe me, I know. The 'age' part I know only too well. It's quite simple and, awkwardly, way too obvious at times. Without attending to the gory details, let's just say that the body begins to take on a life separate from the one your mind has contentedly lived with for so many years. The term 'high maintenance' resolves into a very personal interpretation and we contend with these physical changes, on an individual basis, in the best way we can.

Wisdom is defined by the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. For me, the culmination of wisdom can be summed-up by just one word: Simplicity! What a beautiful word 'simplicity' is. The absence of complications; straightforwardness; clean lines; effortlessness; clarity of expression; lack of pretense.......you decide. You choose. All of the above for me, please!


A few years back I became intrigued by a tradition that I've since learned began in Scotland some time ago. It's called the 'Honesty

LITTLE FREE LIBRARY
Picture Courtesy of Ladyfleur

Box' and is based on the honor system. An honesty box, as defined by Wikipedia, is a method of charging for a service or a product by relying upon each visitor (customer) paying at a box using the honor system. I have personally seen such boxes used in the rural areas of  North Carolina where the low number of customers, along with the low quantity and/or value of the products on offer, means that an attendant would not bring a positive return on investment. Many were domestically run operations where attendance was not feasible such as selling homemade jams or fresh vegetables along the roadside. While taking advantage of this system, I could picture a farm wife in the kitchen stirring a batch of fruity confection while her husband was tilling the soil of their small, mountain field. 

HOMEMADE JAM FOR SALE
HONESTY CHAIR

Let's be honest, this system today would never fly here in Orlando or even in Edinburgh, Scotland. I do take comfort in the fact that some camping sites, small, municipal parking areas, and tiny, hutch-like libraries offering the exchange of one used book for an alternate one, for the delight of all, do exist throughout the world. I've seen them and have taken advantage of them all, at one time or another. In each case, honesty is the connection, a simple act of fairness and respect towards those who have worked so hard to provide others with the simple pleasures this life has to offer.

Downsizing, taking into consideration that having less can give you more in terms of freedom and happiness, is a concept that has been gaining momentum throughout the world. Wisely, we humans are beginning to understand that possessing more and more 'stuff' can be a burden, may cause needless anxiety, and can take the focus away from the core of family life and activities.

COLORFUL TINY HOMES

Tiny living, small homes and apartments, and taking advantage of a simple, uncluttered lifestyle is like having a self-help book unfold before your very eyes! Cable television channels such as HGTV (Home and Garden Television) and FYI Network have illustrated the wisdom of downsizing in programs entitled "Tiny House Hunters," "Tiny House Builders," and "Tiny House Nation," with  catch phrases like, "Living large in small places," and "Tips for living in small spaces." Personally, I think that many New York City residents could have written the book about 'living small' and 'downsizing successfully' years ago! 

The simple truth is, possessing an abundance of 'stuff' in this lifetime may not always equate to being happy and content. Having been empty nesters now for many years, Dan and I have often asked ourselves what it would take to be truly happy in a world that is far from being in a state of peaceful happiness itself. And, with the next phase of our lives labeled 'retirement' looming closer and closer, we've taken into consideration what the term happiness means to us and how to go about achieving it.

Every time we would add-up each column, the sum total would inevitably be.....Family!

MY FIVE SWEET AND ADORABLE FACES ~ FAMILY

Amos Bronson Alcott, an American educator and man of wisdom,
born in 1799 and died in 1888, once stated that, "Our notion of the perfect society embraces the family as its center and ornament, and this paradise is not secure until children appear to animate and complete the picture." In addition to our own children and their spouses, we are fairly certain that the 'ornaments' that animate our family circle are those five, adorable faces that greet us with smiles of joy and love in their hearts each time we see them. Nothing is better than small, outstretched arms waiting to embrace you; small, soft lips puckering in preparation for a kiss. 

With the anticipation of living a more straightforward and less complicated lifestyle as we grow older, Dan and I have purchased our 'Little Yellow Cottage' in Kalamazoo, Michigan, which is conveniently located between daughter number one and daughter number two. Our Hazel Avenue retreat is already providing us with the pleasure of remodeling in order to make it our own, and will, eventually, serve as where we 'hang our hat' for most of the year. If all goes well, the rest of the time will be spent traveling as often as possible and writing in full detail about each journey we take. I am always prepared and excited  to be able to do that!

Built in 1941, Hazel Avenue is a pre-war cottage home that's filled with spunk and charisma. It embodies the simplicity of downsizing with the beauty of original hardwood floors, plaster molding, a wood burning fireplace, and an actual basement below it all! So far, in nearly twenty years of Floridian living, we have never taken for granted or underestimated the importance of having a basement in a home.

HAZEL AVENUE CLOAKED IN SNOW

Even though our little cottage remains a constant 'work in progress,' we have already experienced the joy of having neighbors who actually care about having you live in the neighborhood. We've been invited to block parties, musical functions within the greater Kalamazoo area, and have already been included in the annual Christmas activities this  season. We've been greeted at our front door by smiling faces providing warm introductions while offering 'Welcome Gifts' and any assistance we might need to make our move-in easier. It's almost as though Hazel Avenue has welcomed us back into time, returned us to her own 'glory days' in a slower, happier, more caring time in our nation's history.     

As each month progresses, Dan and I learn more and more about the amazing and talented individuals who live in our new neighborhood. They include college professors, a sculptor, a language professor, several published authors, and right next door, Ginny and Barclay who will, at some point in time, teach my sweet husband how to play the bodhran (Irish drum) he purchased in Ireland years ago.

We anticipate a rather busy, yet fulfilled and exciting life to come surrounded by family and friends, both old and new. Our life may not always be effortless.....after all, anything worth having and doing well requires a certain amount of effort to achieve. But, I do promise to embrace the simplicity of wisdom that has guided me so far along this incredible journey called life and served to protect me from the "Boogie Man," as well as the many rough patches I've encountered along the way. I will always welcome fresh ideas, new faces, and the opinions of others because I will never be too old to learn new things or value the wisdom of others around me.

So, in the spirit of the Christmas Season, 2015, our hearts are open and ready to be filled with, as well as share with everyone, all of the joy, warmth, and copious amounts of love this Holiday has to offer! What a simply wonderful time of the year!

I leave you with the profound words of T. S. Eliot (1888-1965), American-English poet and playwright, that sum up the idea of Family for me this season:

"Moving between the legs of tables and of chairs, rising or falling, grasping at kisses and toys, advancing boldly, sudden to take alarm, retreating to the corner of arm and knee, eager to be reassured, taking pleasure in the fragrant brilliance of the Christmas tree."

Copyright © 2015 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

SIMPLIFYING A LIFETIME

A series of essays.....

My Personal Library.....Books, Books, Books!!

.....as seen through my eyes!



By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


Is the art of creating a more simplistic lifestyle a product of age, change or the current economic vibe?  A bit of 'all of the above,' perhaps?



Short of being labeled a hoarder, I would categorize myself and lifestyle, under the heading of sentimentalist along with everything this title encompasses and implies! Reasons to shed tears: Romantic movies, NBC's Brian Williams' adoration of all canine creatures, pictures of my children and grandchildren, the rocks I bring home from all of my travels whether domestic or international, classic childhood toys and memorabilia rescued from the youth of my two adult children, and.....BOOKS!  Moving from home to home, as we have done several times in our many years of marriage, was often a nightmare!

Older, wiser and more comfortable in my own skin....I can recall the many 'Boogie-Man,' monster-filled nights I spent as a young girl just lying awake in bed thinking about our latest visit to a certain aunt and uncle's home on a Saturday night.  My aunt would open the front door and guide us along the shaggy, brown path to their kitchen.  This exposed carpeted walkway was lined by two to three-foot stacks of newspapers, magazines, boxes and overstuffed paper bags that saturated the entire room.  I now wonder how many trees sacrificed themselves to become the living room decor of my aunt's home all those years ago.....?!

Once in the kitchen, we were almost able to identify the chrome and vinyl clad kitchen chairs that were positioned around a table completely covered by layers, stacks and piles of familiar products and kitchen items.  My aunt would relieve several chairs of their teetering burdens and allow my parents to have a seat. 

From my vantage point in the corner, I could see a sink full of soiled dishes and the surrounding countertops hosting a display of erratically stacked pots and pans, coffee mugs and glasses that resembled a colorful and creative landscape of miniature mountains and valleys.  Floor areas around the counters and table contained some old, used and even new household items that still remained in their original packaging.  I can't recall blinking while in this house.  My eyes were so overwhelmed and entertained all at the same time!

My aunt's illness consisted and thrived under the concept that all things should be used only once, thrown away (eventually) and replaced by new ones.  This applied to pots and pans, dishes, mops, silverware, sheets on the bed, towels....and so on.  Obviously, the new things overlapped the old and created mass chaos in that humble little house that protected its five living inhabitants from the outside elements, if not from my aunt on the inside. 



The Grimm Family

I may not have understood, at the time, my fears as a young child of five or six, but my basic anxiety stemmed from the innocent realization of wondering if this could happen to my family.  My mother loved her younger sister and never treated our visits to her home as a laughing matter or a side-show at the circus.  I believe she always hoped that our uncle would eventually see past the 'veil of love' he had for my aunt and acquire professional help on her behalf.  Without having my mother to call-up and ask anymore, I can't remember if my uncle ever did.

As I grew older I remember thinking that this gene pool was not one I intended to splash around in any time soon!  Later on, as a young wife and mother myself, even our daughter's toys tossed around our small, Cape Cod living room floor gave me pause and I would scramble around in an attempt to clear the space before dinner thus securing peace of mind. 

I have never professed to being super possessed by the need (or desire) to clean constantly.....trust me!  The dust bunnies multiplied and thrived beneath most of our larger pieces of furniture and I never lost a moment of sleep over them.  Dust gathered on flat surfaces and was left unnoticed until someone would draw a creative rudimentary face by dispersing the dust with their tiny index finger, hmm....!!  This reminded me of that (one) car in the public parking lot screaming WASH ME on its rear window!  The dirty dishes were rinsed and placed in the dishwasher with the pots and pans resting upside-down to air on the drainboard.  Life was simple.  Life was good!



The Siskind Family

My daughters enjoyed clean, comfortable clothes and were never chastised for 'just being a kid' and playing outside in the sand, dirt or piles of Michigan leaves that accumulated in the autumn along our sidewalk deprived back street in the city.  Our priorities as parents consisted of offering positive teaching and sound advice, introducing our daughters to new ideas, food, places, and loving them with as much intensity and pride as we could possibly muster.  If an early afternoon picnic downtown at the Island Park in Eaton Rapids or a visit to the Potter Park Zoo in Lansing usurped cleaning out some accumulated dust bunnies....we enjoyed the time together!

Having entered the age of ballet, guitar, youth basketball, tap dance and piano lessons....with a sprinkling of gymnastics for good measure,  my life was spent in the car going from venue to venue almost every night of the week.  Eventually, middle and high school sports became our priority as wave upon wave of 'bleacher warming' engulfed any free time we had left.  Quite often we were eternally grateful for family and friends to come over for dinner on the occasional open weekend so that it became mandatory to clean our house from top to bottom!!  Entertaining became my timetable and saving grace when it came down to a thoroughly clean home. 

To complicate matters even more, we fell madly in love with a seventeen-room Victorian era house about the time our youngest was five years old.  Selling our small Cape Cod, we moved into this massive  Beauty with stars in our eyes and proceeded to amass seventeen rooms of furniture and untold volumes of memories (and more books) as our girls lived, laughed and played within this space of over 3,500 square feet!

Papa and Brenna

Many grand-scale and imaginative plays were staged and performed in the oversized foyer with its warm, hand-carved oak staircase and switchbacks climbing up to the second floor serving as the backdrop for each scene.  We even came to envision each daughter walking down that staircase on their wedding day with family and friends gathered in the enormous front rooms and foyer to celebrate the happy occasion.

Based upon various circumstances, changes often dictate the new phases of our lives.  Eight years later, we found ourselves downsizing to a comfortable split-level home, open concept, consisting of seven rooms and around 1,500 square feet of living space.  I will not lie....it was pure hell trying to eliminate so much 'stuff' from our lives in order to complete this transition.  It turned out to be cathartic to see many items donated to friends-in-need, others sold in several garage sales and the remaining pieces surrounding us in our new environment on Donegal Street!

Our newer more simplistic lifestyle was a product of change and  produced a lighthearted and independent nature among the four of us.  This was an immense change from our eight-year-old attitude of living for a structure rather than having a structure protect us as we lived in it.  We had become slaves to a home originally built by a lumber baron for his family and based upon his prestige within the community back in 1901.  By creating this change in our lives, we had gained peace of mind! I had acquired a much less complicated home to clean.

Corinne and Alexandria

As time dictates, we became empty nesters all too soon with both of our daughters attending Michigan State University, our own alma mater.  Our hearts were filled with pride and bleeding green and white, our university's school colors, as our youngest was enrolled as a freshman.  My husband secured a new, higher paying  job and, with the economics of the construction industry in Michigan once again on a downward spiral, this was exceptional news for us!  The downside of this was that we would be empty nesting, at the young age of forty-seven, in Orlando, Florida and far, far away from our eighteen-year old daughter.....!

Crazy things began to swiftly happen as a movie being played in fast-motion....sort of the 'Keystone Cop Effect.'  Our oldest daughter, Ali, graduated from MSU winter term and secured an internship with the Walt Disney World Company and moved down to Orlando with her dad.  She helped to open Animal Kingdom in 1998 and was hired as a full-time employee of Disney Wide World of Sports soon afterwards.  I remained at my job in Okemos, Michigan and lived alone at our little house on Donegal as Corinne navigated her freshman year at State. 

The most difficult decision of my life lingered right around the corner when I would have to leave my baby and begin a new chapter of my life in Orlando.  This change in lifestyle may have contributed to a period of depression so deep and painful that the guilt spawned from it lingers with me to this day.  Once a Mom....always a Mom, and there is no denying the physical and emotional affect leaving a child has on a woman. 

Depression, ultimately solving nothing, had to go!  Securing employment with ISSA Homes in Celebration, Florida was amazing therapy.  New faces, new circumstances and new friendships helped out considerably and, after all, I had Dan and Ali around me on this ride. We flew back to Michigan as often as possible and brought Corinne down here for visits.



Courtesy: Tiny House Giant Journey

Now, nearly eighteen years later, and seriously near retirement, yet another simplifying lifestyle change must be made.  Oh, yes....it occupies most of our evening conversations and takes-up a large percentage of our silent thought process throughout the day.  It's not exactly about designing and building our own 'Tiny Home,' after all, or is it?  Could downsizing to, let's say, 550 square feet of living space solve our dilemma?  But what about all of my books?  I am tempted to consider living in a tiny home every time I see one on Facebook.  It's the playhouse I never had as a young girl and....it would be so darn easy to keep clean!! 

This new change is all about our five Grandchildren!  Yes, they all just happen to live back up in Michigan....!  Our heartstrings are plucked as soulfully and lovingly as the strings of a Joe Bonamassa guitar when it comes to missing and loving these five, sweet faces. 

Embarking upon yet another new phase in our lives, Papa Dan and I have some serious sorting out (major purging, as well) to do.  I'm chalking this one up to 'age' with a huge dash of Love and a whole lot of Cuteness stirred into the mix!

The Loves of our Lives

Copyright © 2015 By Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved