Peach State says: I’m Back and I’m Gone Again!

I got back in town late Thursday and began the final preparations for VBS. YEP! I am off again…but I should be able to blog later in the day. My strong brew is accompanying me everyday and I am ready to face 5-6 graders…

I’m Back and I’m Gone Again!

I promise I will catch you up…in the meantime catch a glimpse of one of my souvenirs…

This week will challenge this statement…I gotta run!

Have a great day!

Peach State

Peach State says: We’re Here!

Just checking in as promised! We are back in the room for a few before heading back out.

Destination #1:Charleston, South Carolina

We’re Here! This is the view from our room…I just love it…here are a few more!

As we were driving in yesterday I was greeted by the relatively new and hard to miss landmark…

We also found a wonderful seat in the shade…after our been-walking-too-long-in-the-sun excursion. There was a delicious Barbeque for us to enjoy! Granted we did have to pay for it!

We have explored Fort Sumter today and walked through a section of Market Street. “Time was not my friend…only part of Market Street…bit we are going back out in a little while!” So, until then I better put my feet up and relax. I will share more pics later!

Have a great day!

Peach State

Peach State says: “I’m So Excited!…I Just Can’t Hide It!”

“I’m So Excited!…I Just Can’t Hide It!”
Do you know the next line?

“I’m about to lose my mind and I think I like it!”

Losing my mind…yep that sounds like what I am experiencing. I am so excited and cannot wait to finally be on the road. My hubby did make an announcement the other day about his hopes for the trip. “No electronics!” Well that won’t happen! I told him I would be more than happy to cut back my usage if he would not watch “Fox News” 24/7. (Well at least while we were in the room…)

I have just about finished packing my youngest’s bag complete with snacks and treats. “His swimsuit has not been packed due to going to the pool with one of my other sons.” The dinning room table has the organized bottles of water, juices and bottled Mocha Frapps awaiting their placement in the car tomorrow. I started sorting through my make-up yesterday to find the perfect “vacation look”. One of my “silly routines” for a trip is to wash out my make-up brushes. They are now clean and dry…ready for the application of those oh-so-natural-and-needed facial colorings. “My grandmother would have called it “war paint”!”

Medicines have been gathered, skin-care assembled in a cute carrying bag and my specialty fragranced bronzing foam that shimmers. “And yes…I have the rest of the fragranced set.”
(Shower gel and lotion) The need to travel with same scented set is another “silly routine” but understandable when it comes to packing light and souvenir storage. I have my cute little socks for each outfit and my clothes are all hanging in the closet anticipating the final transfer into the suitcase. “Well I am anticipating the transfer!”

Coming in 3rd the “silly routine” of adding the vacation destinations to my weather app. I check it daily! I even added the destination of my youngest…he was relieved to see the lack of rain the week he will be gone.

“Silly routine” number 4 falls into the category of primping-prep and will be completed today…Haircut!…slightly excited about this too!
My hair has gotten a bit out of control. “In other words long and thick!” The time-management part of me dreads the amount of time it takes to dry and style this mop sitting on top of my head. Short and sweet…Quick and easy…This haircut means less time in front of a mirror more time with hubby.
I have never been one to use a curling iron…my hair is too thick and will not hold the curl. Styling products…I use a couple to smooth my coarse hair and add a little definition. But nothing major!

My mother taught me the best way to travel and this is “silly routine” number 5. Always be prepared! (Books, word searches, music, small coolers filled with drinks and snacks and a small supply of gum.) My husband thought it was a “silly routine” until he realized the savings on the road. He is the one who suggested the Mocha Frapp (Starbucks bottled mochas) for the trip. I suggested the apple juices for him and the bottles of water. I have a Mio and some Starbucks “Cool Lime Refreshers” to add to my water and if my hubby is sweet I may share. HeHe!

I hope I have not bored you with this topic. You have to know how excited I am. As for the “ban on electronic devices” I will be blogging…but they may be short and sweet. Being an early riser I will use that time in the morning, before my hubby wakes up, to touch base with you.
I hope to catch a few sunrises and sunsets to share…scenic beauty…and of course the revealing my vacation destinations. For those of you sitting on “pins and needles” just today and tomorrow…can you hang on that long? Well if can…you can!

See you there…Have a great day!

Peach State

Peach State says: It’s Finally Here…Friday!

It’s Here! It’s Finally Here…Friday! The day we all love to dream about Monday through Thursday! This Friday is unique for several reasons…Let me explain!

There is only one more Friday left on my son’s school calendar…8 days until school is out!
This is the Friday before Mother’s Day
This is the Friday before my hubby’s birthday…and NO! He is not old!
This Friday means only 2 more Fridays until vacation…( Yipee…Joy…Yea Me…) “Oops…Sorry!”
This Friday means only 3 more Fridays until VBS (Vacation Bible School)…I will need to fit in some planning before I leave town.
And to push the proverbial envelope…10 more Fridays till my birthday. “No it is not on the 10th Friday…”

Excitement is beginning to set in as “General Mom” puts on her “strategic planning and preparation” hat and climbs in her tank with a huge-oversized-coffee-cup. “Nothing is getting in my way…so move or be run over!” I have started the various lists and have been planning a soft itinerary. My poor phone and pad are getting a real workout as I bounce back and forth as one is often on the charger while I use the other.

I am not that bad…”I don’t think!” Let’s call it “OEADHD” (Overly Excited Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

My youngest is leaving to go on his first official “Youth Retreat” with our church on the 27th. My incredible-dear-sweet-loving-hunk-of-a-husband informed me the other night of another retreat…ours! Here is the biggie!

BY OURSELVES…NO KIDS…JUST US…

It has been a long time since we have done this. “Did I mention it had been a long time…12 Years! Told you it had been a long time. The rest if the family…my 3 older sons will be staying home…working…manning the fort…taking care of my Precious Princess. Hopefully they will not kill each other. Hubby and I will be visiting two locations neither of us have ever been. “I have been to one location but was only on the outskirts never the tourist part of the city.” I will not spoil the surprise but reveal it while on vacation.

Spoilers! No amount of arm twisting will force this information from my lips…don’t forget I am in “General Mom” mode and am driving a tank.

What am I doing?…I have more planning to do and lists to make and errands to run! “I’m off!”

Have a great day!

Peach State

Peach State says: Smoky Mountain Morning

Good morning from the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee!

We got in Iate last night and surveyd the accommodations. I then headed out to the balcony and snapped a pic…

It is very nice to be away for this time with a part of my family. I am sitting out on the balcony with my cup of coffee and the heat of the day has started it’s radiating broiling. The birds are singing as the sweet relaxing cricket sounds cascade up and down the riverbank. I will share when I can. This is a sample of the view from my balcony this morning.

Have a great day!

Peach State

Peach State says: It’s Finally Here!

The packing of the family car…”Boy does that hold memories.” There were 6 of us and we were taught the “Art of Packing” for that extended beach vacation. We packed linens and groceries…clothes and grill…we were not packing for a vacation but moving. Those were the good old days before there was a chain grocery store and a grill that stayed at our home away from home. Those methods of placing and stacking have come in handy before and will come in handy today. It’s Finally Here!.

There are only a couple of things on my list of things to do today…

Pack mine and hubby’s clothes and toiletries
Buy a case of bottled water
Oh and Pack the car!

I am fortunate to have two strong backs today for this important task…I think I zigged when I should have zagged last night.

#Pack the pain meds

I packed a few grocery items…pop tarts, popcorn, instant oatmeal, snack cakes and paper plates, paper bowls, plastic spoons and forks…”You expect me to wash dishes or run a dishwasher while I am on vacation!” I also packed some laundry detergent and softener sheets…yeah I know! You can quit laughing! I will wash a load or two so we will not have to take as many clothes.

#Pack some garbage bags for the paper products and snack wrappers…

Wow…it is a little after 8 AM and in less than 9 hours we will be on the road. “No! It is not going to take that long to pack…my hubby had to work today but is getting off a little early.” I will use my time wisely today and rest this wicked twinge in my get-along. [Translation: Pain in my lower hip.] Don’t forget to tell me about your vacation with family and friends… And don’t forget to check out my pics! This time tomorrow I will be waking up in the mountains over looking a river. It’s Finally Here…and I can hardly wait! Have a great day!

Peach State

Peach State says: The Final Countdown!

And here we are at the edge of insanity. The tropical-storm has left mounds of unfolded laundry on the dinning room table as drapes of clean, un-hung shirts decorate the elegant high backed chairs. An oversized bag, strategically placed to catch the non-packed items, waits to be evacuated in the last moments. Check marks line the itemized page showing the dedicated and non-stop vigilance followed in this, The Final Countdown!

One moment of ceasing, as the cascading hot water splashes against the dinner dishes and breakfast bowls….Shh! That still small voice rises above the swirling clicks.

Relaxing relief floods in allowing for a lull in the chaotic hustle. The schedule is tricky with overlapping demands upon my remaining time. I can do this…I will do this…after all…“I’m Mom!”

The warning bell sounds drawing me back to the task at hand. Back to work and the realization of reality…2 days!

Okay…so the description was a little over the top…but it sure was more fun to describe it this way than to admit my house is a bit of a mess. At least it will be over soon and I will be on my way to enjoy the seasonably hot temperatures somewhere else. Have a great day!

Peach State

Peach State says: Like The Energizer Bunny!

I have received suggestions o’plenty for feeding our faces and recommendations to wear out the body, even the youngest spirit among us. The coordinates have been punched in as a “Favorite Destination” on the navigation device as well as a couple of “Points of Interest”. Single digits have been reached in our final countdown…and my list just keeps going and going and going Like The Energizer Bunny!

Last night the discussion of food items came up in things to pack. The main items were:

Breakfast food like cereal and pop tarts maybe some instant oatmeal
Bottles of water
Snacks
Our coffee!

I was pleased to announce the already purchased products from Starbucks that you add to water…Instant Starbucks! My son, who is being left behind due to his work schedule, said “Why don’t you take the espresso machine?” I looked at my hubby as the sudden silence grew. Hubby grinned and said “We could…it is not a small hotel room but a condo…there will be room!”. I wanted to stand up and shout…

“But this is our vacation…I am wanting to escape the everyday schedules!”

But…if we did take that money saving appliance with us…that would buy a lunch or better yet Candles! “I think that is a great idea…we should take it so we could enjoy our morning latte’ as we sit on the balcony in the mountainous landscape.”

“It is a good thing our 19 year old son is going with us…we are going to need his youthful endurance to unpack the car.”

The maps, of the destination area, have been studied and will be neatly tucked into my companion bag just in case the conversation needs a boost. Coupons and discounts have been collected for the possible Points of Interest and will be placed along side the tourist information. “I should consider taking a position with AAA Travel with the degree of organization that has gone into this trip!” It is not the same as going to the beach house…up, coffee, beach, lunch, beach, dinner, sleep and repeat…

I have even pulled up the weather forecast and added the destination city to my weather app. Either I am very excited and a very prepared mom or I am very____…”No need to go there!” Unfortunately there is a chance of Thunderstorms most of the trip…but that just means more shopping! Right? I have a hair appointment on Wednesday and will get my nails done on Friday…after everything is packed. I am really excited…”Can you tell?”

I was relived to find out that I was not the only person, involved in the music program, that would be gone on the first Sunday…As a matter of fact all but one will be unable to be there for one reason or another. I guess it is a good thing we switched with week two’s praise team. I was a bit bummed about missing the Patriotic music but that too has been moved to the second Sunday.

I need to start on my youngest clothes for the trip…that should take me the rest of the morning. At least his closet will be cleaned out in the process.

Have you ever gone to this extreme for a vacation? Do you have any suggestions about the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee area? Let me know! I just hope i can last…Like The Energizer Bunny! Have a great day!

Peach State

Peach State says: I Know Where You’ve Been This Summer!

You know it is summer when the beach pics begin to crash the Facebook status updates. The constant series of waves, filled with smiling faces and scenic beauty, ebb and flow filling those landlocked at work with a swelling desire to escape. We see the packed cars racing to different warm sandy regions…fashion hats and sunglasses worn by all…as sunrises and sunsets flood the screen. The vast comments and likes attached to each postcard pic give the readers the title of “pen-pal”! Thank you for including me in your adventures and for sharing the fun and beauty those with you experienced…I Know Where You’ve BeenThis Summer!

Here are some of the Vacation Pictures from my Facebook Friends!

And what would a vacation be without cups in the car…Hmmm? Someone found the Starbucks! I would recognize those cups anywhere…

I can’t wait to put my own pics on Facebook. My pics will not have white sands and seagulls. There will be no cute family of dolphins swimming in the mountains. I am so excited and the countdown for today is 7! Seven days until we leave…”Sorry, I was doing the dance of joy!” Now that I Know Where You’ve Been This Summer you will have to endure looking at my pics while you sit behind your desk at work. Have a great day!

Peach State

Peach State says: I Would Rather Be There!

With my list of chores already laid out before me today I receive this picture of a friends vacation spot. I simply replied…Jealous! I Would Rather Be There in that place by the sea! The fresh salty air and the mist from the breaking waves as they crash against the white sand. But I grab my coffee and continue with my day! I am not finding any solace in my daily doldrums. I need to escape! Don’t get me wrong…I love being a housewife and taking care of the castle. I just need to get out past the walls of the fortress…by myself…and breathe in some fresh air. I know…I know…I got out last night when I went to church. I will get out again on Sunday morning. Maybe I should have titled this post…”My Pity Party!” I will leave in a little while and search for a useful wedding gift for my niece. “Her wedding is Saturday!” Once that retail exploration is complete I will return to the castle…and clean!

The floors of the castle are laden with traveler’s dust and collections from their journeys….(translation)… The floors are covered in the tracked in dirt from the boys and the dog along with scattered debris, like clothes and balls and water bottles and doggie toys, as they came in. The movie images of the servants sweeping the castle’s dirt floors was hilarious to me as a child. Sadly…that is the way my floors have been lately. I know they are not dirt floors…but with the constant pollen and laying down of new mulch comes yard work which leads to a constant flow of mud and grass throughout the house.

The boys have their chores (which all seem to fall on me) that are completed during the day. With their new schedules and revolving door routine the chores never get done. My youngest…well he can’t be expected to do them all and he would forget to do them anyway. Besides…what beautiful Queen would want to live in a dirty castle! This Queen will not have her King come home to a dirty castle…he would not be happy! We are not a poor kingdom…but the concept of servants only exists in dreams. The shinning of the marble and crystal must be maintained. The polishing of the silver is not an everyday activity. The Royal Gardens are still under seasonal construction and will be completed in the summer. The ever present plague of dust must be removed by hand and Pledge. “A fresh scented Pledge dusting spray not a vow!” A short solitary escape is what I desire…I Would Rather Be There!

Walking along the shore as the sun’s glow touches my skin. The sound of the waves fills my senses and drowns out all other interruptions. The warm water covers my feet as the loosened sand embraces my toes.

Snapped back to reality as I sip on my latte’! Two have already left and two prepare for their day. I will soon be alone…able to accomplish what needs to be done. Is there a nap on that list? Funny, I always want a nap but never have the time for one. I will need to keep moving this morning to avoid stiffening up like a suit of armor in the castle halls. I moved the wrong way yesterday and twisted when I should have bobbed. The pain will fade…”I hope!”…as I continue my Royal Itinerary.
I should add a visit to the Royal Baker to my list…(the local Panera Bread) for my free Mocha refreshment! This will be a pleasant addition to my retail exploration. I peeked at the bride’s list of treasures and have a idea of a wonderful gift. “I received a very large oversized bowl when I got married and use it all the time.”

My stomach growls increasingly as I wonder if the Royal Cook has any brown sugar oats. Wait…I am the Royal cook…time to fix my breakfast. Do you want to escape? Where Would You Rather Be? For the time being…this Queen will continue on the path in front of her…until the King gives her some funds from the overflowing Royal Treasury. Ah! There lies the rub! The Royal Treasury is lacking and has not been overflowing for quite a while. Oh well! Have a great day!

Peach State