SEASONS CHANGE..AND SO DO WE !

 

Can it be ?  The summer is gone, fall is here and
I have been absorbed in family, home and  hearth-so to speak ! 

 

All good but time has flown during these last few months.  Leslie arrived home from Amman, Jordan-leaving her USAID post after 2 1/2 years there.  Two months of  "R and R"  went too quickly and now she is settling into her new post in Juba, South Sudan.  As a critical post, she will be away for one year-but one year is still a long time !!  While home it was great to spend time with family and friends....Winston-Salem, NC beach, NC mountains and then a special time on the west coast with Hopkins' friends in Napa Valley. 

 

Duncan and I had lots of other summer events-mostly golf related-but still fun. The photo gallery walks you through our summer (mostly in the mountains) with guests, events and more guests.  We have arrived to fall and  the holidays-all too quickly!  Most of the leaves have fallen and the High Meadows mountain takes on a whole new personality.  Since this is our first winter with a mountain get away I am sure we will continue to commute to the mountains as the weather permits.



No excuses but many of you have sent wonderful updates that I have enjoyed.  So sorry for not responding but once again I seem to have taken on too many projects-I made it through another Rally event (this a combo for the Rally and Arnie's Army)...."Rumble on the Mountain"  and it was a huge success; I did enjoy working  on the Silent Auction for this event.  The Pinnacle partners met at the High Meadows home for a great retreat (although weather was terrible!!).  Another  "Witches & Warlocks" at the beach  and in the mix several weeks of landscaping and also several months of an addition in the mountains.  Next spring we will surely be settled !!!

Is one ever settled?  Life is what keeps us busy and  going-that I love.  Hope you are enjoying 2012 as we head into the holiday season.  My best to you and yours......

http://gsmackeen.smugmug.com/ 

(Check out 2012 Galleries- FAMILY, EVENTS, FRIENDS for the latest photo uploads)



 

 

 

SHARING OUR NEW HOME AT HIGH MEADOWS

Short and sweet-a much too busy spring and summer.  We are in the mountains for much of our week then in Winston as well.  Could not wait to share the mountain photos as soon as we did have our sofa-arrived on a very slow boat from wherever-but was worth the wait!  Will catch up soon with more specific events but enjoy this "street scene" at High Meadows.  Happy summer !!!
Click http://gsmackeen.smugmug.com/Street-Scenes/320-MEADOWVIEW

WELCOME TO OZ....DOWN UNDER !!!

Australia is actually known as OZ - an apt name for a "magical" place.  Arriving May 4 after a 36 hour trip - yes, that is 36 hours - we were thrilled to be in a country where you share a common language.  Mutual of Omaha once again hosted a grand time for all.  We were wined and dined in Sydney, Australia and beyond.  The photo gallery is amazing and will whet your appetite to make the trek to this beautiful country.  Highlights included a wonderful stay at the Four Seasons overlooking the Sydney Opera House, a tour of the Opera House, Botanical Gardens, Maritime Museum, The Rocks, The Museum of Contemporary Art and the list goes on. 

We sailed on the Harbor, walked on Bondi Beach (home of the SPEEDO), toured outside the city to the Blue Mountains to include a koala and kangaroo habitat and generally enjoyed the splendor of Sydney and the countryside. 

Link to www.sydney.com , www.sydneyoperahouse.com , www.bondivillage.com , www.bluemts.com.au , and then check out YOU TUBE to enjoy the "String Divas".  

The final pictures in the gallery (yes there are 164) include the Mutual farewell dinner overlooking the Opera House with a grand fireworks send off-these particular pictures do not do justice to the display but believe me-it was wonderful !  I hope you enjoy.....

http://gsmackeen.smugmug.com/Travel/2012 click on Sydney, Australia

SPRING HAS SPRUNG !!!

Now it is late April and although we have moved into the mountain cottage (have renamed since is a small weekend getaway) it is still in the remodel phase.  Work is being done on mountain time-a bit slow for me-but we are assured that all will be complete by the time we are back up at High Meadows in mid May...we will see....

As it has turned out the timing has been great.  Spent two weeks of March and early April at the beach-the first with Mom, Aunt Mark and Genia-great visit with a highlight visit to Brookgreen Gardens; the next week was the tenth annual MAC-MAR Invitational with girlfriends and then an Easter weekend before heading home to pack up for mountain move. 

Successful move even though was on Friday the 13th ! We unpacked a box, spent time playing golf, unpacked a box, dinner at Club, unpacked a box, golf and so on and so forth.  Already love it even if we still do not have a complete kitchen and could not find a the shower curtain so had to take baths-a throw back to childhood. 

We deserved our great New York weekend with Jim and Gail Bland and then off to the beach for almost another week-Member Guest with Pinnacle partners....with all of the travel the condo has become just an overnight stop on our way to fun places. 

How fortunate Duncan and I are  to enjoy these great times together.  No profound thoughts for this blog just an appreciation for all that I have.  I welcome SPRING with a big smile and my suitcase packed !!!

Check out the complete photo links:  http://gsmackeen.smugmug.com/
2012 Travel....Brookgreen Gardens and April in New York
2012 Friends....MAC-MAR Invitational
2012 Street Scenes.....High Meadows (weekly progress)  to be updated in late May COMPLETED !

STARRY, STARRY NIGHTS !!!

It's March-where did the time go?  Last checked in right after the new year began and the rest is a blur.  Duncan and I spent time in January looking at properties in High Meadows Country Club at Roaring Gap, NC.  It is a one hour drive from Winston, the homes have golf course or mountain views and we fell in love with the idea....so we are now proud owners of a mountain cottage that overlooks the #17 par 3 at High Meadows-we can see tee to green, the #18 fairway, the clubhouse in the distance and a bit of a mountain as well.  It is a true golf community with lots of golfing activities for both of us.  We are really looking forward to our weekend retreat.  After purchasing the home that we could "just move into" - did we really believe that? - we are in the remodeling process and hope to be completed by mid April.  The view..... more photos next blog.

With our extra winter time we had fun with friends: a weekend visit with Genia (Tyson family from SC) that included the W-S Symphony-such great girlfriend time-an Asheville weekend with Linda and Travis Jackson and friends to include a Big Band night at the Grove Park Inn....

a bullfighting rodeo with Jane & Paul Hendricks, dinner and bridge with Prudy and Tom Yates, a Super Bowl Sunday that included every hour of coverage, a wonderful trip to visit Nan, Tess, Jack and Pat Currie in sunny Florida,  a week with my Mom to be sure her new pacemaker is working OK, a week at the beach to resupply for the season that included two  of the coldest rounds of golf on record, dancing, dining and a spectacular evening hosted by David and Travis from River Birch Lodge-a four course wine tasting dinner with "dancing" friends that was incredible.  (Same friends-different theme!)

Tomorrow we lose an hour that I desperately need!  The time change mentally screws up my agenda but by the fall I will have forgotten all about it!  Although I do love a project I actually may have taken on a bit more than I bargained for in the mountains-we are on a timeline to be completed by mid April so we are pushing each day to stay on schedule.  When we are sitting on our deck in the late afternoon watching the last foursome of the day head to the clubhouse, it will be worth it! 

Speaking of those starry nights, having grown up in the country I look forward to a night sky with  the stars as the only light.  Heaven!  

.....HOW TIME FLIES !

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

Can it be that I have actually been "offline" for two months?  Of course not (anyone who knows me is certain I must live attached to my email)  but blame the blog lapse on a very busy holiday that began in early November and has continued on into the new year.  Duncan and I have had wonderful events to celebrate the holidays with family and friends.  We started off with a flash of light and sound enjoying the Transiberian Orchestra with Prudy & Tom Yates, November & December beach time, downtown lights and sounds, Duncan's first time at "The Nutcracker",  a celebration with Pinnacle partners, friends and Secret Santa,  then Leslie arrived (from Jordan) to surprise my Mom for the holidays which we spent with family in Kenly.

Happily reporting all of the family is well.  Updates:  Leslie will be in Amman, Jordan until mid 2012.  Her next USAID post will be in Juba, South Sudan for one year as the  deputy director for the public health office;  the exact timing is still to be determined.  Blake continues to excel at Grant Thornton in Charlotte.  Thankfully his travels are in the Charlotte area-no more stranded Fridays in airports. Duncan continues to work but with lots of time for golf and dancing.  Downtown living has been more than we could have hoped for-we just love it! 
 

As 2012 picks up speed-time is going too quickly-I am getting my life "wired"....there is the car with Blutooth and a navigation system, the IPad2, IPod and a new IPhone that is taking on a life of its own.  Imagine at one time (not that many years ago) I rejected needing an answering machine on my home phone.  Now there is no home phone and I am connected at every twist and turn.  It is taking some getting used to but am getting closer to an actual understanding of how to use all of the systems-I don't understand how any of it works I just am learning to use.  Since I am technically challenged this in no small fete!  "Wired" may not be all good-is there any peace & quiet anymore?  Sure there is-you just have to unplug.   Plug into these photo links to enjoy our holiday celebrations..... 

FAMILY 

http://gsmackeen.smugmug.com/Family/2011/HOLIDAY-TIME/20873904_jHTQ8V/

FRIENDS

http://gsmackeen.smugmug.com/Events/2011/CHRISTMAS-IN-DOWNTOWN/20874146_jWv2c7/

DANCE

http://gsmackeen.smugmug.com/Dance/2011/NEW-YEARS-EVE/20874065_dVGQXV/

May your new year be off to a grand start-keep in touch-my IPhone is on!