I'm Back!

[JLC]

WOW...what a fantastic weekend!!! 35 beautiful women from church, and an extraordinary speaker/leader to guide us through some remarkable lessons. All of it at a beautiful resort on a West Virginian mountainside!

We shopped at lovely little stores with amazing art and crafts. We ate at wonderful restaurants. We had the greatest fellowship.

And I got to take three hours all to myself to go explore a trail through the forests, up along the side of the mountain. I found a perfectly sized and shaped walking stick that I used to flip rocks and dead wood and dig in hollow logs. It was my first time to ever be out "in nature" that way, with the intent to actually LOOK for herps. I didn't find any...but it was such a beautiful time that I couldn't have been the least bit disappointed.

Anyhow....just had to share that! It's good to be back, too.

[Marla]

Glad to have you back! I'm sorry you didn't find any herps in your wanderings, but it's nice just to have a pretty place to wander, not to mention a little time away from the responsibilities of home.

[JLC]

Oh no kidding, Marla! I feel so refreshed! I'm ready for the onrushing stresses and rigors of moving this summer!

[Marla]

Heh heh! It doesn't pay to get cocky. You are lucky, though, in that most of the physical labor is done for you. We've been sorting and skimming and culling and packing for the last 6 weekends or so and will continue doing it until we move. I am SO sore! On the plus side, I haven't seen this much of the garage floor since it flooded a couple of years ago when workers broke a water pipe.

[Smynx]

Judy, you were in West Virginia? From your description, I'm going to take a guess and say you were somewhere around Berkeley Springs.

[JLC]

That's exactly where we were! We stayed at the Cacopon Resort State Park, and would drive the few miles into town for shopping and restaurants. (Although many of our meals were served at the resort...all very yummy!) Many of the ladies took advantage of the spas and got massages and such, too.

[Smynx]

It's a wonderful place. Smulkin and I spent an anniversary weekend there 2 years ago. We stayed at one of the little bed and breakfasts in town. We'll be at Cacapon sometime this summer. I can't wait to visit the antique stores again. Did you eat at Teri's? That's my favorite restaurant in town. I was so relaxed after that weekend I thought I could just melt.

[Smulkin]

Hehe that's where I caught my first snake as a kid - a beaut of a hognose!

Antiques . . . . . yay

[JLC]

We did eat there. It was wonderful! The food was outstanding, the service was great, and the atmosphere could not be beat. Every time I looked up at the walls, I was finding some new piece of art I hadn't noticed the first twenty times I scanned the room! LOL

I'm trying to figure out how to get Dean out there for a visit before we move to Alabama. We both love shopping in those kinds of stores with all the arts and crafts and antiques.

[Smynx]

That shouldn't be too difficult then, Judy. That's not too far a drive from you, is it? I would think the food at Teri's would be enough to warrant that.