Booming and Blooming

We recently returned from a visit to our home on Fort Myers Beach. It is so strange to get in the car in the cold, dreary north and get out of the car in sunny and colorful Florida. And I’ve got to say … it was booming down there. The streets were packed with vacationers and spring breakers. The restaurants and shops were full. There’s construction and remodeling going on. People are spending money. It was a great sight to see.
Then we travel back to North Carolina to find spring is blooming. It’s rained quite a bit lately...thankfully, so the trees had started to leaf out of their new buds. The daffodils in their showy yellow dresses have faded, but tulips, irises and lilies are blooming out to take their place soon. Moving back to seasonal weather after living in Florida, the land of eternal green, for over 20 years makes the spring and fall especially exciting. Every new flower, tree or weed that blooms really does it for me.

And the babies I've seen lately are adorable. There are so many baby cows and colts here and through the hills of Georgia. I saw a young red fox on the ridge behind our house the other morning concentrating on chewing up some breakfast it found. I saw two small Red-bellied (and red headed) woodpeckers chasing each other through the forest. What I'm really looking forward to is May, which brings the glorious pink tinted blooms of the mountain laurel. The recent couple years of drought really contribute to a great show from the laurel, which likes to grow on top of rock anyway. I guess part of the joy of spring is that it's fleeting like a colorful blur that leads to the deep green of summertime. Come to the mountains and catch it while you can!

The 1st Swain County Community Garden

In March I attended my first Swain County Community Garden workday to prep our plot. The Southwest Community College is allowing the Swain County Extension office and volunteer gardeners to plant the garden in a flat spot out back that I heard used to be a baseball field years back when it was the Almond School. Being a city girl, I had no idea what to expect, but I put on my raggediest jeans, boots and sunscreen, filled my water jug and headed over to the garden.

It was a warm sunny day and the smell of the manure was surprisingly fresh and earthy, not unpleasant at all like I kind of expected. I decided to participate, since my dream home on top of the mountain is a nightmare in gardening terms, built on rock surrounded by trees, which allow for little sun. And I want to have more control over what I'm putting on the table. I eat a spinach salad most days. So when they took spinach off the shelves for months, I knew I needed to take matters into my own hands for many reasons. The fresher the vegetables you eat, the more nutrients you're getting. The average produce travels 1,500 miles from dirt to grocery, which greatly contributes to global warming. Not to mention over 50% of our household garbage is food packaging, which can be avoided altogether when picking veggies from your own garden.

There are many proven benefits to community gardens. I'm thrilled to be a part of this trend. And imagine, producing your own food. What a concept! If anyone is interested in being a part of the garden in the future, feel free to email me and I’ll make sure Renee Cassidy and Christine Bredencamp from the extension office put you on the list.

Life in the Slow Lane

I'm blessed to live in the Great Smoky Mountains after vacationing in Nantahala Gorge for almost 10 years. I thought this blog could reach many people who vacation in these hills wishing they could live here and experience the serenity of the Smokies in their daily lives. There's something about the energy from these ancient, tree-covered mountains that have always called to my soul and inspired me. Once the kids left home, we bought property here thinking we’d come part time to get away from the Florida heat, but we quickly found our hearts had moved permanently. Living here is as wonderful as we imagined.

I named this blog "The Appalachian Artisan" referring to a passion I’ve rediscovered with my newly found free time. A few years back my daughter made me a gorgeous bracelet of glass & silver beads & I was hooked. As more & more people complimented my jewelry when I wore it, I decided to start selling in local galleries. After taking some classes at Southwestern Community College, just a few minutes away, I also found I enjoy working with clay & glass. I met my new best friends in class, who were also inspired creatively by the beauty we're surrounded with living in the Smokies.

You know…dreams really can come true. Come visit and start your Smoky Mountain life. What are you waiting for?