50th Anniversary

 Happy Anniversary to us!  50 years with this amazing man. We celebrated on a River Cruise on Viking and experienced so many amazing memories.  The trip was filled with travel problems, we lost a day to delayed flights, lost luggage and sickness. We arrived to our hotel in Italy at midnight.  

We were so exhausted and excited to be here. The staff stayed up for us and sent up food and wine. Thank goodness for a hot shower, food and a bed. 

We spent 3 lovely nights in Italy touring 

We were celebrated on the cruise ship with a wonderful cake, no it wasn’t our birthday but our anniversary!

Our beautiful Aunt Gennie and wonderful cousin Scott joined us. This is our 3rd cruise together and the fun never stops. 

Family is the gift that keeps giving!

More to come

Di

Appalachian Strong

 It’s been awhile since I have shared anything, I was enjoying retirement.  Then, Western North Carolina was hit by Hurricane Helene on my birthday.  At first we thought we would just have rain as we prayed for our friends and families in Florida.  Then the devastation and reality came.  No power, no water, trees done on our main road in Jupiter, NC outside Weaverville, 20 minutes away from Downtown Asheville.

We were physically fine but our daughter, who lives up the hill, had trees fall, and flooding in her basement bedrooms.  The day was filled with towels and worry.  We were completely blindsided to hear our small neighboring communities were destroyed and there was so much loss.  

 

My mind was filled with worry for my friends in Swannanoa, Black Mtn., Burnsville, Marshall, Hot Springs and Asheville.  As we reached out to friends and neighbors, we shared stories and tears.  The stories were sad and the losses many.  I felt guilty for having everything we had and wanting to get out and help.  We donated clothes, water, food but the suffering in the communities was unbelievable.

Volunteers responded to cut up the trees  they worked 10 hours.  We asked them to stop so the stump would not roll back and damage the storage shed or septic field.  

  They then asked if could pray and we joined them. 

It was a day of blessings and prayers.

Again, we felt overwhelmed with the day. But grateful 

Continue to pray and help the communities that were destroyed.  We just started getting out to go to appointments and are seeing the devastation and are dealing with loss around us. 

Appalachian Strong we remain.

Di

The Treasure and The Box

I was invited to participate in an art show at Flow, a gallery in Marshall, North Carolina.  Our curator, Connie Mollard shared that the treasures are seen as precious things that pique our curiosity and sense of wonder and excitement.  The boxes that hold the treasures can also draw the viewer into the mystery of what treasure lie within.

I approaced this art challenge remembering my treasures and how I keep them.  I have collected objects since I was a child sitting in my pops watchmakers shop.  I had a drawer in the shop and I could keep anything in there from marbles to jewerly.  We would call these my personal ornaments (treasures).

As i aged my collection of treasures included marbles, pears, plastic rings, letters, pictures and charms.  I love opening up my pops Navy Shipmasters sewing box and touching the items I have placed in there.  I have many different "boxes" filled with what I consider treasures.  

Desk love

 I love to craft but it explodes all over the house. So I decided I needed to change up the craft room/guestroom desk. 

Treasure boxes, Journals, memory keepers

 Treasure or memory boxes come in various shapes and sizes. My sister in law had a hope chest and jewelry box she kept her special collections in. My mom had a beautiful chest her dad brought back from China. She also, had a beautiful jewelry chest from him. My nana had her secretary that held special items. 

I kept mine in a locked jewelry standing mirrored case. That is until I wanted to look at my special finds and treasures. I have a clutch purse that houses my tokens. 

I took a course by Roxanne Evan’s Stout.   During the winter I discovered Ann Woods tutorialMini travel kit on a.k.a. Sewing kits. I made many. I couldn’t stop finding new uses for them. Little journals to house my career pins. These include my Walt Disney Pins and Nursing Pins. I also collect Red Cross and vintage nursing pins. . 

I have a mini journal book to keep my favorite snippets of fabric. And a mini sewing kit for my stork scissors, tape measure, pins and needles (what the design was originally designed for. 

So my idea spun into treasure keeper boxes where I can store little items that capture my heart. Of course, I have several. I love combining several artists gems of creative ideas and incorporate my fusion. 

I added Rhonda’s kits at A Little Bit of French to my mini Ann Wood minis and into journals. They even made it to the tins and boxes. I turned into a little manic making beautiful and fun creations. 

I have had so much fun creating them. I am going to offer a treasure box filled with a journal and sewing kit on my Etsy shop Cottage Wishes. Also, I will take them to Junk-in the Trunk in Brevard, NC on April 9th. Cathy,  Lady Beatrice on Instagram, hosts us on her lawn. It has been a blessing to keep us connected with our love of handmade and vintage. 

Thanks for joining me, Di

Cruising on the River

Viking Cruising on the River in Germany was a dream trip.  We probably should have waited and didn’t know the  pandemic was going to raise its ugly head again.  We followed all the tips and filled out all the forms, little did we know the paperwork would be unending.  

We were going with an aunt and cousin and I helped them with their paperwork on line as well.  Thankfully, my work in the financial and medical field prepared me for the computer and numerous sites we had to go to.

Since we were flying internationally into London, Germany and Prague, the rules changed day to day, country to country!

On our way. 

We met at the Charlotte airport from Asheville and Myrtle Beach.  We compared notes and found they did not have all the links I had.  Thankfully, we had 4 hours to get them set.  We boarded and the flight went smoothly, plenty of empty seats.  We transferred quickly to the plane to Berlin  

Jim and Scott wishing this was our transportation 

The InterContinental Hotel Berlin

Monday 15 Day 1 Berlin Arrive 1130 meet Viking Representative, and was transferred to hotel InterContinental Hotel Berlin Budapest’s Strasse.  We had a beautiful room, went on a walking tour downtown.  It was exhausting for our Aunt and wished we had a wheelchair  it was beautiful outside but we were tired.  We searched for a traditional German restaurant but no luck and headed back to the hotel.  We finally seated ourselves at the hotel restaurant.  Their was confusion on if they could serve us, but after showing our vaccination records we ordered.  We were lucky they spoke some English.  Our dinner was great and the wine even better  off to bed we went 

 

 

Tuesday 16 Day 2  at hotel Berlin 0930 to 1 pm Panoramic Berlin tour by bus and some walking. The highlights were checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall.  Our tour guide gave us insights into living behind the wall during the time before it came down.  One fact she mentioned was not seeing her relatives that lived just on the other side.  She was unable to visit her aunt before she died.  Also, she had to order and pay for a car and did not get it for 10 years and it was a small plastic car!

  

 

When we approached the torn down wall, I could not imagine the feelings of sadness that was felt knowing your family was just a few yards away, separated by a thin wall of concrete.  Many people died trying to get over that wall.  President Regan was considered a hero when he stated “Tear down that wall Mr. Gorchechev”. 

   

 

  

When we got back to the hotel, Jim, Scott and I ventured out to the city.  We wanted to go to the Zoo.  When we got there we were told we needed a bar coded immunization document.  We were told to them them we were Americans and had our passports and immunization paperwork.  We were directed to the pharmacy, 4 blocks away.  Mind you it was cold and wet!  After going there, we were told they could only issue the papers to European citizens.  Great, now what to do.  We went back to the zoo and were told the rules changed that day and they could not let us in without the correct documentation.  

 

So, what is the correct document?  Back to the Viking representative we went.  Of course, the hotel had to call him back.  My cousin explained everything to our guide, we couldn’t eat or drink in the restaurants or go to the attractions.  Not what we expected for sure.  The guide didn’t know the rules had changed, how was this going to affect our trip if we couldn’t eat or go on the tours?!

After discussing options our guide agreed it was a mess.  We were worried about our aunt and ourselves for dinner (what about the other 24 guests).  We were told to go to the shopping center or eat again at the hotel.  This was not our idea of a traditional German meal!  We made our dismay vocal to our guide.  He made some calls and we were set up to join a tour to a German brewery.

 

Our host was very animated and the brewing process explained 

A lot of electronics used in the brewing process and of course water

   

 Our starter included pretzels ( not served with mustard, that’s an American thing!) and different beers  

A traditional German meal, yum

 

  

A good time was had by all

Wednesday 17 Day 3 Wittenberg. 0830 to 3 pm Sanssouci Palace & Potsdam Walk after tour lunch on your own and transfer to ship Viking Astrild @ 3 pm light buffet 

Thursday 18 Day 4 Wittenberg. 900 to 1230 walking tour  Martin Luther  Torgau Germany

Friday 19 Day 5 Meissen 1330 to 1730 Meissen porcelain Factory, market square

Saturday 20 Day 6 Dresden panoramic 0900 to 1230 by Motorcoach to Neustadt district, Grunes Gewolbe then stroll

Sunday 21 Day 7 scenic cruise Saxon Switzerland, Elbe River, Bad Schandau 1400 to 1730 The Bastei rock castle of Neurathen

Monday 22 Day 8 Disembark in Decin check in Hilton Prague Hotel. Prague Czech Republic 1030 to 1430 Panoramic Prague Old Town, Tyn Church Astronomical Clock , Prague Castle, gothic St, Vitus Cathedral with St. Wenceslas tomb

Tuesday 23 Day 9 Prague Hilton Hotel Pobrezni 1 420 (0) 224 841 111

Wednesday 24 Day 10 Prague transfer to airport 5 am flight BA 853 leave PRG at 7 am  arrive LHR 737 pm; LHR > CLT AA731 1150-4pm; CLT - AVL AA5052 6:37 pm - 7:37  HOME

Thursday 25 Thanksgiving