This Is The Life

I've heard people say they want a simpler life and, in all honesty, we used to, too.  We wanted to be able to spend more time focused on family, enjoying life instead of watching it pass us by.  This lifestyle IS our simpler life.  This week, for example, we've enjoyed nights by the fire, family game night, fed the ducks, I went for a "run" with Kylee and we had dinner with new friends (Trish, Wayne and Destiny).  Trish even taught me to crochet.

Besides enjoying the little things, Kylee and I snuck off to the Oconaluftee Cherokee Village, while Daddy brought home the bacon.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself; she entertained herself with dirt and climbing on tree roots.  What an incredibly informative tour that demonstrated how they made tools, homes, and weapons essential to their life of old.  It also dispelled frequent misconceptions.  For example, chiefs did not wear full length head dresses and they are not "Indians".  That's a term we've given them because Columbus thought he was in the West Indies. My visit into their culture definitely deepened my appreciation for the Cherokee people; Kylee, on the other hand, was not happy because they didn't dance (dances were over for the season). 

So we headed to a festival in Waynesville that had live music and dancing.  It wasn't Cherokee dancing, but Kylee was just as thrilled as if it had been.  In the mountains, it was exactly what we expected, clogging and bluegrass.  My girl even loved the music; well, the fiddle anyway.  She pointed the player out and told me it was her favorite instrument.  Music to my ears since lessons are planned for after Christmas.  Being an arts and crafts festival, there were booths galore!  Shelves full of jewelry, pottery, baskets, paintings, wood-turned wares, knitting (which made me pick mine back up - oh how I've missed it), quilting, toffee, and on and on for as far as the eye could see.  I was in awe, admiring each craft, the creativity and the skill that brought it to be; Kyle humored me for as long as his patience would allow.  So, his reward was a blooming onion; a funnel cake (so healthy) for Kylee and I, and the day was complete. We headed home, plotting the next day's adventure...elk.

Being so close to Cataloochee Valley during rut, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the elk and hear that amazing bugle.  So off we went.  I very quickly regretted not having my car unpacked yet; boy oh boy, I had forgotten how narrow those mountain side dirt roads are.  I really shouldn't have looked over the edge; definitely, SHOULDN'T have.  So with a white knuckle grip on the door, I peeked through one eye as our dually tried to pass other vehicles on a road one and a half car widths wide.  After what seemed an eternity, we made it to our destination.  The elk did not disappoint.  There's nothing like the bugle of an elk.  I sat knitting and enjoying the bugles back and forth between bull elk, watching my silly goose roll around in the grass, and just enjoying the crisp, fall evening, the beauty of the foliage, and being with my family.

 

As I look back over our week, I smile; This is why I chose this life.  We're spending more time together as a family, meeting new people and enjoying those little moments that got bypassed in the busyness of our old life. It's the little things that makes life meaningful.  We're finally LIVING life and I couldn't be happier.

Fat and Happy

I have a confession.  I am addicted to food.  I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT!  I love the smell of it, the visual appeal, and of course, the explosion of flavors that make your taste buds come to life, your eyes involuntarily close, and a mmm escape your lips.  I'm completely hooked and enjoying every new ingredient I find, every new cuisine, and even classes of ingredients.  My most recent discoveries are whole grains and Mediterranean Cuisine, which marry perfectly I might add.  But, this zeal and passion for food wasn't always so.

When Kyle and I met almost 12 years ago, he could not believe I had never eaten Chinese takeout.  Everyone has eaten Chinese...right!?  Not my family; we were the last holdouts.  Setting out to correct that injustice, he was determined to show me all that I had been missing.  I would like to say I jumped at the chance, but to say I was reluctant would be the understatement of the year.  I mean, country cooking (what I grew up on) is a starch, protein and vegetable each with it's own place on the plate.  Chinese is all slopped together.  Determined to keep my separation, I started with sweet and sour chicken and fried rice.  Surprisingly, I liked it; and that's how this love affair started.  What else had I been missing?  What other foods were out there to try?  I was determined to find out. 

Back then, I would not order anything I wasn't sure I would like, so my food adventure began by trying whatever Kyle ordered.  It wasn't long before I was steering him to order to what I wanted to try, but was too chicken to order myself.  Somewhere along that journey, food and flavor so excited me, I wanted to learn to cook.  At first, I learned techniques and ingredients, but while learning those, I was also picking up health tips.  At this point, I love exploring healthier options and all things new!  I love trying new foods, and I am fearless...unless it's bugs or brains or other weird stuff people eat (that's still gross).

My journey towards healthy, started with a desire to provide better for Kylee.  At first, I just learned the basics of healthy eating: healthy fat vs. bad fat, added sugars, avoiding empty calories (foods that have NO nutritional value - think soda).  Eventually I learned, and was ecstatic to find out, healthy can be YUMMY!  That revelation opened up a whole new world of ingredients and methods.  From whole foods, fresh produce (www.localharvest.org), and lean meats, the possibilities abound. 

As a result, we try something completely new at least a few times a month, three already this week (Mama's missed her kitchen).  American inspired tabbouleh was first and fabulous!  Well, Kyle and I enjoyed it, Kylee on the other hand...

She did enjoy the Mediterranean Roast Turkey, but she's unsure about black olives.  After 5 slices, she still couldn't decide.  I love her willingness to try all of my concoctions, even though few pass her litmus test.  One of cooking's greatest rewards is seeing my family try and, hopefully, enjoy what I've prepared.  Even better then Kylee trying my food, is that she loves to help me prep and cook.  There's no greater joy than sharing something you love with someone you love.  So, in the spirit of sharing, this week's hits (not the flop) are under the recipe tab above.  Bon Appetit!

Things I Love and Wish I'd Known

Now that I've had a few days to unpack and really get a feel for our rig, somethings I love and some I wish I'd known.  Hence, the really long post! 

In spite of these first few days, being chaotic due to the disarray, I LOVE MY NEW HOME!  Getting it organized and making it a home is a chore, but each accomplishment fuels the momentum.  Some things will take time, like decorating and adding our touch to it, but I have already found a little miracle by 3M.  Command strip hook thingys.  Yes, that's their official name. They're the hooks that stick to the wall without nailing. They work! They REALLY WORK!  Right now, only Kylee's Glow Station benefits from their magnificence, but I have large living room wall screaming for artwork, which is now a sure thing!

There's so much to love.  The little details add to the appeal, like track lighting under the bathroom sink (great for middle of the night visits), the keyless entry (walks with keys), and the outside propane connector for the grill.  The detailed woodwork makes it prettier and more homey and the hidden spice rack was the icing on my cake!  The ginormous pantry gets me all giddy inside and the solid wood is a blessing since we have a live in product tester (our 4 yr old bundle of energy) - durability is priceless. I love having a real table instead of the flip up kind, on a skinny fold down stick, that wiggles more than Kylee.  The abundance of storage has been invaluable.  Did I mention I am really impressed by the insulation.  The howl of the wind lulled me to sleep the night before last, while I lay toasty and warm in my draft free home on wheels.  She was tested again last night when the temps dipped into the 30's.  Cozy inside!

Now onto what I wish I'd known. Capacity.  Oh my word, where did all this STUFF come from!?  That little bitty Uhaul!?  Impossible!  Right?  Wrong.  I am astonished by the capacity of that little trailer.  It looked small and sad back in DE, but as I've spent the last few days trying to find homes for all that it transported, it may have been too big (still can't believe I'm saying that) as I've given away several MORE boxes of stuff.  I wish I had known about the uhaul's 5X8 size parameter before packing.  It would have been helpful in prioritizing what goes and what doesn't.  Instead, I packed too much and hoped for the best.  

On the flip side, I've found that these rigs have compartments, cubbies, and storage EVERYWHERE!  I plan to use every square inch, to which Kyle continues his mantra about weight or something.  It's a wonder I haven't given that man a heart attack as he watches ever more stuff get shoved here, there, and everywhere.  Certainly, I've caused a headache or two, but I have Advil and a cute smile for that.  He can't resist my smile, especially when I'm goofy. 

It would have been nice to have sat in our rig before we bought it, but dealers don't really stock the 43 footers.  If we had been so fortunate, I would have known I can't reach the fantastic fan and added the switch and I could've measured for storage units. Since that wasn't the case, I've made the best of the shelving available locally from the Family Dollar (except the one I'm ordering for my closet).  I also wish I had taken a writing class and many photography classes. Guess I'll have to settle for a couple of Idiot's guides.

Mommy's little helper.

 

 

Not bad. Not bad at all!

All in all, our rig is perfect for our family.  We couldn't be happier with our new home, or our new location in the Smoky Mountains.  Happy Trails!