Springtime Visitor

My dad recently drove down from Minnesota to visit us. He got here the Saturday before Easter and stayed for a little over a week. He made it here it what I would consider record time. He left late Thursday evening and was here by 11 a.m. on Saturday. Only Troy's dad has driven faster, one time making it all the way back to MN from C-Ville in one shot despite the fact that it is a 21 hour drive! Pretty hardcore.

On Saturday evening we went to Flint Hill to see Courtney. Her mom happened to be visiting too and our parents know each other so we thought it would be fun for all of us to get together. My dad used to date Courtney's mom back in the day. Courtney and I were 16 at the time and we were scheming to get them together because we thought it would be really cool if we could be sisters! It didn't quite work out as we had planned but our parents have remained friends and so we had a really nice visit. We all enjoyed the pretty drive through rural Virginia.

Courtney happened to be babysitting a little pug puppy for a relative. It was really cute to see the puppy interact with Paisley, Courtney's 9 year old pug. Both Troy and I were ready to take this adorable and ridiculously sweet and cuddly puppy home with us.


On Sunday we took a drive to the Blue Ridge and introduced dad to Turk Mountain. He thought it was a pretty steep hike but in the end agreed that the view was worth it.



And of course no trip to the Blue Ridge is complete without stopping for beer (and this time pizza with brats, caramelized onions and apples) at the Blue Mountain Brewery!



Dad didn't have the greatest weather most of the week while he was here but he walked around town a bunch and got to know some more of C-Ville's restaurants. His favorite breakfast joint still turns out to be the Nook. He also tightened up a few of our dining room chairs and helped Troy fix his bike. Nice to have dads around for things like this!

Dad also brought our Christmas present down, a custom-made cabinet to hold wine glasses and bottles and with a cabinet below for dishes. Since he retired 6 years ago he's really gotten into woodworking. It turned out really great.

Our friend Dave's mom was also visiting while my dad was here. They were nice enough to have us all over for dinner one night. We were treated to his mom's delicious Italian cooking -- yummy lasagna along with fresh roasted peppers and mozzarella.

It seems we did a lot of eating and drinking while my dad was here. One thing my dad can't get enough of is eating or drinking beer alfresco. Over the course of the week we did a lot of this. We sat outside at Blue Mtn Brewery, Beer Run, Escafe, and finally Horse & Hound.


On dad's last night we got to see our friend Joe play some music at Durty Nelly's. Joe especially likes to do Hank Williams tunes. My dad loves Hank Williams--and I grew up listening to him sing Hank songs so they have a special place in my heart too. Dad also gets a kick out of Joe, so we ended up having a really good time. All in all it was a really nice visit.

Belgium Bound!

For those of you who haven't heard our exciting news, Troy just found out he got a Fulbright fellowship to study in Gent, Belgium next school year with the Logos Foundation! We are still reeling from the news.

There are still lots of details to be ironed out. The biggest one--how exactly we'll live together on a meager stipend in an expensive European town. But I'm hopeful that we can figure something out. It's an incredible opportunity for Troy, who will continue his music robot-building with some real experts. I'm looking at it as a fabulous opportunity for both of us to experience a different culture for a while. And of course we are very much looking forward to the amazing beer and chocolate!

West Virginia Wimmin's Weekend

Our friend Catherine's mother owns a lovely B&B--in Davis, WV called the Bright Morning Inn. To celebrate her birthday this year, Catherine invited 6 girlfriends to stay there for a weekend. I was one of the lucky girls.

It's a long drive to Davis--about 3 1/2 hours on very windy, mountainous roads in the rain--but it was well worth it. Catherine's mom had wonderful food and hospitality waiting for us.

The Inn is a quaint and comfy place, with an impressive breakfast menu. I was really excited to try ramps for the first time in an omelet and with some fried potatoes too. Yum!

The Inn is situated in the gorgeous Canaan Valley. We ventured out for a long hike on Saturday in the Dolly Sods wilderness area which is unusual and beautiful in its abundance of pine trees. Interestingly, its vegetation resembles that of Canada more than that of the rest of W. VA. It was COLD and windy but we bundled up and had a blast.



We also went to Blackwater Falls State Park to see the gorge and the waterfall. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera when we were at the waterfall but there are some great pics online. It was pretty spectacular, really rushing with all the recent rain and melting snow.


Before heading back on Sunday, we stopped at a nearby wind farm to get a closer look at the windmills. It was pretty spectacular to see them up close.


One of the coolest parts of the trip was getting to meet a lot of new and interesting women. Catherine has assembled a pretty diverse group of great girlfriends and it was fun to meet and spend time with them. This was a good reminder for me of the importance of making time for my female friends and family members. I am very thankful for the connections that I have with the women in my life. These bonds are really significant--they truly help to nourish my soul.