Raleigh, NC

Raleigh

looking back now, i see i have practically no pictures of raleigh and my aunt kakie and uncle fred. i was so excited to go see them and spend time with them. my aunt kakie is my deceased grandmother's sister, i love listening and looking at her because she reminds me of my memaw. she had a trunk full of old dolls she graciously gave the girls. juni and bee got small baby dolls with a wardrobe of clothes and popi got the life size baby. it was so much fun to watch her play with the popi sized baby! we had such a great visit with them, i wish we could have spent more time there.
p.s. you might know i am a huge david sedaris fan. i love having a small north carolina connection with him. so while driving in my mom's home state, mr sedaris' adopted state, i saw his brother's hardwood floor business van, sedaris hardwood floors. why this excited me to no end, i am still not sure why....

Asheville, NC 2

my parent's favorite place to eat in asheville is early girl eatery. now it is my favorite. my kids have been sporting early girl tshirts for years now, so it is nice to have finally eaten there. it the kind of restaurant i would like to have one day, local ingredients, and simple, good food.

i was excited to see that they had local mead on the menu. i have been hearing some about this resurgence of mead and was eager to try some. i got my chance! i liked it, i like honey, i like wine...what was not to like? for dinner i had grilled pimento cheese with tomatoes and spinach, with a side of pickled cucumbers, heaven. we ate breakfast there too, it was that good!

Asheville, NC

Biltmore Estate

this was my second trip to the biltmore. i was here with my mom a long long time ago...
the girls and i were here all day. the tour of the house was fun and long, and i was surprised the girls enjoyed themselves as much as i did. we also went to the barn/farm area. we fed animals, played on farm equipment, played old outdoor games, and walked a lot.

we also went to the winery where we had a "wine tasting." okay, it was grape juice. for lunch we ate at the old stables turned buffet. it was really beautiful, up in the rolling hills of the estate, open windows, good food, good company. we had a blast!

Nashville, Tennessee

Loveless Cafe

right outside of nashville is a restaurant i have been wanting to eat at for awhile, Loveless Cafe. it did not let me down! they give you a plate of fluffy, soft biscuits with butter and jam to eat while waiting for food (the blackberry jam is to die for). i got fried chicken, fried green tomatoes and creamed corn and it was all so good. juni had chicken and dumplin's with mac and cheese and green beans. my parents got sampler plates that were fabulous! i would weigh 400 lbs if i lived near there!

Memphis, Tennessee

first stop: memphis

we stayed at an elvis themed hotel:) super fun and the girls loved swimming in the guitar shaped pool. after singing along with paul simon all morning my mom, the girls and i went to graceland early so the line was not too long. we each got head phones for the guided tour and we all loved every second of it.

it was so cute, juni wrote "we miss you elvis, love juniper".

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig

we are so happy to be home. we got back thursday night, sorry i didn't tell you earlier...i needed to wind down. now for the details:)

Where in the World is the Pokey Little Puppy

asheville, north carolina

well, we are in florence, South Carolina! we just had a great visit with mi tio y tia, aunt sandie and uncle jose, their 2 kids, cousin samantha and carla, and my grandpa's wife, nan sara. my aunt and uncle live in beautiful spain, so it is always a treat to get to visit with them. we have been having a whirlwind tour with my mom and dad, a total blast! we've been to memphis, nashville, asheville, raleigh, laurinburg, rowland, south of the border, now here in florence! and we ain't done yet, folks!
i do wish my Greek were here with us, i miss him so much, so do the girls. but we get to face time on the ipad so we can see him and love him and give kisses through the interwebs. thank you steve jobs. (you won't hear me say that often;)
ya'll have a good night now, ya hear?