Since we now call North Carolina our home, I must salute this day properly. As a child, I knew of North Carolina as “First in Flight” thanks to the Wright brothers making history in Kitty Hawk. As the years passed, I learned much more.
Charlotte, North Carolina is home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the US National Whitewater Center. Pepsi was born in New Bern in 1893, and Krispy Kreme Donuts was founded in 1937 in Winston-Salem. Of course, there are hundreds of fabulous restaurants, microbreweries, and over 500 vineyards. Various famous folks hail from North Carolina… from Randy Travis to Roberta Flack and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Oh, and when Virginia Dare was born here on August 18, 1587, she became the first English child born in the “New World.” Who knew!
My in-laws built a retirement cottage in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1983, and it became our part-time home in 2009 and full-time home ten years (& much construction) later. This is a pretty sweet area of the state and is now home to one of the most all-encompassing equestrian centers in this hemisphere. TIEC (Tryon International Equestrian Center), on its 1400 acres hosted the World Equestrian Games in 2018.
Western North Carolina is stunning country with countless rivers and streams and waterfalls that literally burst out of mountains. The Blue Ridge Mountains boast more than 300 miles of hiking trails and Mount Mitchell, the highest mountain east of the Mississippi River, peaking at 6,684 feet.
A couple of my favorite places are located in the Blue Ridge city of Asheville. We love catching a sunset cocktail from the famed Grove Park Inn, where ten US Presidents have stayed. But the absolute #1 place is the gilded age’s Biltmore Estate. From its 178,926 square feet in the main house to the 8,000 acres of the estate, the largest privately-owned home in the US is nothing less than jaw-dropping to visit at any time of the year. (Peter Sellers movie buffs will recognize the home and property from his 1979 “Being There” film.)
So, hello North Carolina. This is your day.
(Blue Ridge Mountains photo by Anita Starchurski)
Every year on September 27th, we can celebrate our heritage. Ancestor Appreciation Day reminds us that regardless of where we were born, where we were raised, or where we may live currently, we all have ancestors.
When two of my favorite foods enjoy the same “national” celebration day, I simply must combine my thinking. I mean, to my tastebuds, there is very little as delectable as the sweet tender meat from a freshly steamed lobster simply dipped in salty, melted butter. Then comes the quesadilla, with its crispy exterior and melty, cheesy yumminess inside.
So, here’s my KISS (Keep It Super Simple) Lobster Quesadilla recipe from 
KISS Tips: These can be assembled in advance and pan-fried as needed throughout your party. You can also vary the ingredients to suit your tastes. For example, sprinkle diced bits of papaya or mango over the lobster before folding the tortillas to cook them. Or try replacing your regular salsa with mango or peach salsa.
So, it’s officially Autumn. Kiss Summer a fond farewell and look forward to Mother Nature’s magic. The leaves turning wild, fiery yellow, orange, and red make me smile. Shuffling and kicking through crispy fallen leaves makes me young again… if even for a few moments. Raking leaves? Well, that makes this stubborn Yankee glad I live in the deep South now. But wherever you may be, inhale deeply and enjoy the warmth of an early Autumn breeze. That frigid chill of Winter will arrive far too quickly, so get on out there and enjoy these lovely days.
Yum! I do love that so many of the “national” days celebrate wonderful foods. Ice cream cones have always held a special place in my little world. As a child, I struggled to finish even a small portion, so Dad always suggested I order a flavor such as strawberry or mint chocolate chip, since he knew that he would be finishing my ice cream. Naturally, he wasn’t impressed if I selected one of those crazy kid flavors, like bubblegum or red, white, and blueberry. Nowadays, I go for a true lemon ice cream (not sherbet), a delightful sorbet, mint chocolate chip, or even some knock-off on the Almond Joy bar. Oh, and serve it with a sugar cone, please.
I am quite sure that nearly every traditionally favorite cookie variety has an official day by this point. Pecans work fabulously in cookies and bars, delivering nutty goodness without any bitterness. I love a pecan cookie that borders on shortbread… slightly crispy on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth soft and chewy inside.
Hmmmm…. In our hectic, day-to-day lives, it becomes far too simple to lose track of people from our pasts. And yet, our hearts are warmed when someone from whom we have not heard in a long time suddenly appears or we hear about something they are doing. Why not take a few minutes and reach out to some childhood chum or a lost high school friend. We may not know where they may have moved or what they are doing, but social media provides lots of avenues to search. Bring a smile to your heart and someone else’s by locating a lost friend and simply saying, “Hi!”
I say it often, and yet not nearly enough. I feel especially blessed.
“Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought.”
Chocolate Balls
September 12th marks the day that is annually dedicated to uplifting people around us and making a positive impact. Yes! We can all do this. Encouragement is FREE! Let’s give some away!!!
Yes, this is a real holiday. It was initially proposed back in the 1950s and finally became a federal holiday by proclamation signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. Celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day each year, there is no need to send cards. Just share the love… the love of people for people… family for family… and Grandparents can also share it with the children of their children.
“Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again.”
Pick a book… any book! Serious nonfiction or comic book, romance novel or mystery thriller… your choice.
“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win.”
“When hope is taken away from a people, moral degeneration follows swiftly thereafter.”
One legend says that this cheesy dish was first developed by Welsh peasants seeking a substitute for expensive meat. There are records of the dish in Wales dating back to the 1500s under the name “caws pobi,” meaning toasted cheese in Welsh. Likely it was a staple throughout Britain, and it remains popular in British pubs.
Quiet Thunder Publishing releases Book 2 in the Destiny Trilogy in just 2 months!! The paperback edition of Destiny of Determination: Faith and Family will sell for $15.99 and the digital edition for $5.99. But Amazon is offering a pre-sale on the digital edition for just $3.99. Anyone who orders one prior to November 2nd gets the discounted price as the book is released that day.
Two hundred and seventy years ago today… on September 1, 1752, the Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia. Ordered from the Whitechapel Foundry in London, it was originally the bell for the Pennsylvania State House, which is now called Independence Hall.
Ah, yes! When life hands you lemons, make lemonade! I love citrus fruit, including lemons, so lemonade is a fave beverage. And yet, it must be true lemon juice, and not the sugary substitutes. Same goes when making anything from chicken piccata to lemon meringue pie.
When one of us shares that a beloved 4-legged family member has crossed the Rainbow Bridge, each of us who has been loved by a special critter feels the pang of pain and loss. Whether your loss happened years ago or today… whether it has happened to you once or many times… they do leave paw prints on our hearts that time cannot diminish, never mind erase.
If something wonderful is starting or happening in your life, bravo!!!! Relish the time… the sharing… the marvelous memories you are making. On the other hand, if something not-so-wonderful is happening… or something wonderful has ended, please do not lose hope. Your heart may be broken into thousands of pieces. You may be living in a manner that makes you feel utterly off balance. Your world may even feel totally shattered.
Each year, this day pays tribute to the most well-known eruption of one of history’s deadliest volcanoes, Mount Vesuvius, still active today. From August 24-25, 79 AD, the mountain violently spewed 1.5 million tons per second of molten rock and hot ash, obliterating the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and a couple of other surrounding villages in the Italian region of Campania just southeast of Naples. The event released 100,000 times the thermal energy of the atomic bombing tremors were common throughout the region, but the warnings of small earthquakes preceding the massive eruption had not been recognized.
Herculaneum, an ancient city of Greek origin, sat just 5 miles from the western base of Vesuvius, and the then luxurious seaside town was buried under 75 feet of molten lava. Centuries later the Naples suburb town of Ercolano (now with a population of 50,000) was unknowingly built on top of Herculaneum, the location of which had long been forgotten. That is until it was discovered by accident in the 18th century during the digging of a well. The first wall that was discovered turned out to be part of the stage of the Herculaneum theatre.
“In matters of principle, stand like a rock; in matters of taste, swim with the current.”
