where to begin?

in reality, there is no beginning. we're somewhere in the middle by now. but since it's been a while since i've written, i thought i'd share some randomness of life with ya'll...

you may or may not know that my robert lives just over an hour northwest of me. it's a lovely drive, with some highway, but mostly meandering roads. one of them follows a stream and there's a spot with a big boulder that just calls to me every time i drive by, saying something like, "stop. sit. listen to the sounds. soak up some sun. come and be. the view here is delicious...". i've not made time to stop, but i will purpose to do so in the near future. another of the roads winds past wineries (and even a brewery), through the valley, past lush, green fields, and quaint communities. and yet another road has inviting shops, where, if you were on holiday, you would certainly stop and browse all of the gifts and novelties. this road climbs up, up, up the side of the mountain, peaking where the blue ridge parkway meets the skyline drive. you can see down into the valley below and the view is magnificent! of course, being near the top of the mountain, very often you will find small wisps of clouds nestled in the folds of the hillside, and the sight gives off an ethereal feel and i find myself realizing that i live in a beautiful part of this world.

a couple of weekends ago, robert and i meandered through some of the local roads, and stopped at a couple of wineries and tasted the fare. one of the wineries makes something called "meads" which are honey wines, and berry wines. wikipedia describes meads' origins as "being lost in prehistory", they've been around so long. but they were new to me, and there were some delightful aromas and flavors. stop by hilltop berry farm and winery in nellysford, va if you get the chance, and sample some for yourself!

my nieces have been to visit recently. this is always a crazy-fun time with the house being full, and often lots of commotion. they are a delight to be around, and they have taken to robert, dubbing him "sir dude" as he is uber-cool. he calls them his shining stars, and indeed, they do shine into our lives.

last night (or rather, the wee hours of this morning) were spent in a new-for-me adventure that i do not recommend. on the trip back from charlotte, norman and i hit a deer. poor deer. at least it died quickly. neither of us were injured, though the car is quite injured, and probably will be announced "dead on arrival" once the insurance adjustor gets a peek at it. time to start looking into those whistling, silent-to-humans, deer-avoider-thingies since the driving is a daily occurrance, and the deer seem to be increasing in number. don't want the same thing to happen to the next car!

the big "holland family reunion" is fast approaching, and robert, his sons, norman, his daughters, and i are planning to drive southbound until we reach southern mississippi for the festivities. there will be nine of us traveling in two vehicles. i'm really looking forward to seeing cousins and aunts and uncles and catching up with everyone, and showing off my dear robert!

so, here we are, right smack dab in the middle...
thanks for stopping by...