Tennessee Dreaming

We have only been back from our trip to Tennessee for about 2 weeks and I am anxious to get back. It was a beautiful trip there and being in the outdoors was exactly what I needed.
I am a stay at home mother to two and I home school my autistic son. Let’s just say, no day comes easy for me, but always worth it. Getting a chance to hike in thee smokies was truly the best vacation I could have asked for. Well, maybe some camping a proposal could have topped it 😉 but… The cup is always half full.
Only a month until I will be set out to our new home in TN and I am excited for this new chapter in life. I am hoping for a better life for my kids… More stability and love and happiness. I want to make new friends, join a local church, get involved in extra curricular activities, work with animals, etc.
I won’t deny having doubt and fear. There’s always a little bit of worry in my mind that these big plans won’t work out the way I hope. 29 years old and I have truly been through hell and back and back to hell again. Some days are wonderful and there are other days I wonder why I bother trying. Some days I am head over heels about life and other days I am wanting to escape.
I have fought for good things to happen and have had an abundance of failure … Heart ache… Frustration… You get the idea here. I am ready for my fairy tale story … I would like a happy ending … Better yet, a happy beginning.
This a move to TN is going to be the mark of me atop catering to everyone else and start centering to my own damn self. I don’t want to be nothing but the cook and cleaner of the house… I am tired! Drained! Feel unappreciated. I am ready for it to stop now. So… I am going to get the job I want… I am going to have the life I want… I am going to do the things I want and not have some negative bull shit in return. I am going to be happy and APPRECIATED.
No one is ever doing for me… Not even myself. So I am changing that… And I will be the one to do for me and love me and be the change I need. Cuz I am not going to wait around forever merely to live the same story every day. I’m 29 yes old and catered to everyone and was abandoned and left as a single mom and hurt and betrayed and I waited and waited and waited …. I am always waiting on someone.. I’m done waiting. I am just going to take this move and make it my positive change… In the most beautiful scenery I could ask for.

Scrub Me Sweet!!!

Scrub Me Sweet!!!

This soap is wonderful… I have just recently got back into soap making and trying to figure out the whole etsy selling thing. It’s a lot harder to sell on etsy than just a local green/saturday market. But, it was worth a shot. SO, back to the soap. I made it, I tried it, I love it. It is wonderful. My skin is my worst enemy. Some days it likes to be oily and other days it is so dry it is peeling. Well, for the peeling days, this soap works wonders. Scrubs away the dead skin cells and nourishes the dry skin. Makes me one happy lady. I sell many other products, like art and other bath and body products – BUT – etsy is kind of new to me and I am doing my best to keep listing items as I create them. 😉 

Soup Me!

This here is a potato leak broth (organic), zucchini, red onion, mushroom, red pepper and kale soup … I love all kinds of soup, but I truly out did myself here. Can you say “delicious?”

Refreshing…

My adventures in life have always given me inspiration for new projects. Mostly having to do with art. I have an abundance of pieces stored away.
One thing that is most important to me, is everything being natural in my life. Organic is my way. It is the better way to experience life.
I can walk out into the woods and all of the things that were ailing me will no longer be a problem. I can let go and breath.
I love going off trail and exploring all that there is out there, where people don’t ordinarily walk off to. I try to find what has not been seen by every other passer by.

water along the trail

As soon as we had got past the Tennessee state line, I knew I was in God’s country. The mountains and rivers all around us just had me in a trance. Timothy kept asking if I was ok, because silent isn’t something I am good at.
I was more than ok. I was in love with all the beauty nature provided us along this drive… and I was anticipating grander beauty once we got to Gatlinburg for our weekend of hiking.
I anticipated right.
Rainbow Falls Trail was a little strenuous, but definitely worth it. It is a 2.8 mile hike over some rocky terrain, amazing roots coming above ground with beautiful rivers/streams along side it. The waterfall itself, once you have reached it (there are several little waterfalls along the way) is 100 feet tall. From a distance it doesn’t ‘look’ so large, but once you get up next to it, you will begin to feel a little bit tiny. It took my breath away. In a good way.
The hike down was a little harsh on my knee. I think most people know that going down hill is hard on the knee, whether you are in perfect shape or not. I have a bum knee from soccer and this was the day it decided to flare up. It was cold up in the mountains and there were many little obstacles to get over on the way down. Not to mention the bees that nest in the ground 😉
Despite the minor difficulties, I would do this again and again… and I plan to once we are moved up there and calling Tennessee ‘Home’.

a little bit of Peace…

With all of the chaos that is going on in our country, I found that being up in the mountains in Tennessee was just the kind of peace I needed. The rolling waters, the rolling hills, the fog over the tops of mountains, good food and wonderful people. It was a trip truly worth taking.

In Jacksonville

Well, I am driving through (passenger) Jacksonville, FL right now. Only been on the road for about four hours, but it feels so much longer. We still have another 8 hours of driving before we land in our deatination… Knoxville, TN

Those 8 hours can’t go by fast enough.

add a little bit of spice… you’re good

I don’t know about you, but I just about NEED one cup of coffee to get any day started. Something about the smell of freshly brewed coffee makes an early morning much more pleasant.

I use to use a nifty Tassimo machine for my coffee, but found it to be a little less than cost effective for a family of five. So, I went back to the old original coffee maker you can get for $9 at Walmart. Put a little Foldgers French Roast in and we are good.

But, I do have a little tip for those who like to spice things up a bit… which I am always trying to do. Before scooping those coffee grounds into the filter, sprinkle a bit of Pumpkin Spice (can be found in any spice section of your local grocer) into the filter, then scoop the coffee grounds on top, let it brew… pour it in a cup… add a tid bit of sugar and maybe cream (if you’re a cream person) and WALLA – delicious and definitely cheaper than going to Starbucks.

Happy Morning to You All!!!

24 hours from now…

24 hours from now I should be on the road and up and out of Florida. FINALLY! Only problem is… I still haven’t even begun to pack. I have a horrible habit of procrastination when it comes to packing. I feel like I want to do everything BUT pack for the trip… every single time I go on a trip. Needless to say, the leads to me forgetting at least one item. Usually being a tooth brush or something easy to find at a local store wherever I land. What will it be this time? … 

I am so excited to get out the door. I feel like a child on Christmas Eve. I just want to explore every single place we travel through while on our destination to the Smoky Mountains. 

Now, I have only lived in Florida for just over a year and I am beyond anxious to get out. The state is just not all that it was cracked out to be. It is most definitely cracked out, but not the kind of cracked out you would look forward to. Unless, of course, you are into the drug and party life. I have found that the west coast of Florida is a bit more humble than the east… either way, the state is definitely not family oriented. Steer clear of living here if you are raising children. 

Time to stop procrastinating and get to packing. I have an exciting adventure awaiting my devoted attention. 

www.etsy.com/shop/cordiscloset

an acrylic one of a kind painting …