The Vibration of Being

I just lost my whole post of all the art museums I’ve been seeing. I may find it but at the moment I am … pausing with a deep breath and biting my lip.

I am putting in a picture of a stuffed toucan because I want to tell you a story about the store clerk who refused to give him a ride on her cart. And how I found another cart and gave that bird a ride.

The photo is out of focus but you get the idea. I’m sorry to only tease you with the story but I have to leave the library and we don’t have email where we’re staying and … I will give you more details soon.

PS Having technical difficulties and not sure I got the photo in right.

Tough driving today with torrential down pouring of rain. But the mist rising off the green mountains was magical. We’ll be in DC tomorrow and we’ve heard about the flooding. Here’s a photo of our friend’s dog, Cassie.  

The blackberries are in back of where our car is parked tonight. If they get some sunshine they’ll soon be ripe.

The spiral is a piece of pottery in a craft store downtown Asheville. The orchids were in a health food store.

Have you ever had organic stone-ground grits for breakfast? It’s not like the glue-type ones served in a restaurant … those are a poor substitute for the true southern grits made by a pro. Paul made us proper grits, eggs over-easy, the best sausage and whole wheat toast this morning. (The grits soaked all night to soften them up for cooking.)

For lunch we celebrated my husband’s birthday at the Grove Park Inn. Great food and a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains to fill the soul. Salmon and shrimp Caesar salad and duck with mushroom risotto. The torte speaks for itself.

It’s wonderful to be with friends. Green bombards us with summer joy. Sun all morning and thunder showers this afternoon as we took a nap.

Who wouldn’t love a lollipop for breakfast … Cracker Barrel has tons and I had fun taking photos of them after I had breakfast. It’s been a long day driving but we had fun stopping for lunch at the Aquarium Restaurant in Nashville at the Opry Mall.

On Thursdays kids can buy lunch for only $1.99 if they bring an adult who buys a meal. The place was teeming with kids … so much fun to watch them watching the fish in the gigantic aquarium. Here’s a photo of the sink in the women’s bathroom and the window behind the bar.    

We’re only about 3 hours from Asheville, NC where we’ll be staying with friends for a few days. Apparently there’s a botanical garden so get ready for more flower photos. I was a flower once and know how much fun it is to have your picture taken.

A wildflower beginning on my short morning walk. Humidity. (No photo) Loads of it … all around me … walking through warm moist air…. I felt like steamed broccoli must feel when I cook it. Exaggeration, I know, but when you’re not used to it … and you’re damp … all over … and it won’t wipe off … you remember 109 degrees and 5% humidity and sigh … a little sigh and then smile.

I always love crossing the Mississippi River … it may be a past life thing but I get this surge of joy and excitement. Jim was driving and I was snapping photos at 60 mph with the hot wind whipping in the car window. Most of the photos are of the bridge railing but one caught the river. Close your eyes and see if you can get the feel of the mighty Mississippi that cuts the country like a moving harp … I know that doesn’t make sense but I was connecting river to sound and I imagined a harp-river.

Thank you so much for reading my posts. Often when I travel, I feel lonely. This is my first blog and I’m feeling connected to all of you, my friends, in a way that I’ve never felt before when I travel.