Happy Holidays Y’all!!!
Glad to
still be around to send out this our 32nd edition of my ramblings to
update you on the goins on from here in
the hills of North Georgia. Hope all of
y’all are doin well and managing our new version of everyday life…take your
mask with you everywhere, size up the crowds around you and decide if it’s
worth it to mingle. Also the new norm seems to be LOTS of out of state tags
that use to come up for the change of leaves and the apples are now staying
year round…….Hmmmmmm. Seems Ellijay is the new Ft. Lauderdale with noted Northern accents heard at Ingles
while grocery shopping. Oh well….after a life of moving around the country and
infiltrating the other folks domains all these years and entertaining locals
with my supposed southern mountain accent I guess payback is due. As I
say……..just glad to still be around to muse on the changes.
Took
annual trip to Dollywood and associated rental cabin again this Christmas Season
after sitting out last year and was GREAT to get to share time and experiences
with the other 14 of our immediate family. Also Susan and I took quite a few
camping trips this year to mountains, lakes and beaches and even got to visit a
couple of Buc-ee’s (destination place) along the way. Side note, saw that W.H.
Bass built one of these……sure miss that….the cold, rain, heat…maybe not so
much! Do miss my co-workers though.
Melissa
and Keith are supposed empty nesters, but their grandkids keep them entertained
a good bit with regular visits and sleep-overs and we enjoy the regular posts
of their enjoyment with being grandparents to two kids with shall we say unique
personalities. I was very entertained at the cabin in Pigeon Forge watching our
two year old Maverick and 3 year old Lilly push each others buttons……very
amusing from a great grandparents perspective. We just supply some toys and let
the fun begin…..then we let the parents or grandparents try and put them to
bed……..HEHEHEHEHEHE…….PAYBACK!!!!!
Carrie and
Daniel are about to take the plunge back into indebtedness by having a house
built just down the hill from us on the Tidwell compound. That will be a total
of 6 homes built by family on my parents property and adjacent lot. So proud
and happy to have so many of the kinfolk close by and have hopes for more in
the future. Carrie’s virtual assistant job is still going strong and keeping
Susan employed and busy. Daniel joined the postal workforce this year and now
is ambidextrous, driving both right and left handed vehicles. I still struggle
with riding a bike. Speaking of which Susan and I got e-bikes recently as we
have found a geographic anomaly that hills we use to bike at in campgrounds
have gained elevation and the air must be thinner also, hence all the huffing
and having to walk the bikes….interesting…
All of the
grandkids are spread out and doing their things….Madison and Alex finished
college this year and are working up in D.C where it is so cheap to live….uh
huh……but they do get to mingle with a diverse set of folks up there and
accents…………wait a minute they can do that HERE!!
Sarah and Matt had
a house built in Jasper...(just over the hill and down the next holler for
those that don’t know) and are doing great! Sarah has her own company she runs
from home and Matt works where Keith does.
Kyle and Alison live just down the hill (on their own
hill) looking back on the rear mountain ridges on the property. Let’s you feel
close to family when I hear Kyle hollering out at night…..HAZEL!!!!!! HAZEL!!!!
Calling for their dog…..side story…..Susan, Carrie, and I were out after dusk
just the other night watching Star link satellites fly over in a line (no we
didn’t have guns betting who could hit them!) and we heard Kyle hollering for
Hazel……….so one at a time we all hollered for Kyle to come home……this is what
we do for entertainment in our secluded life. He never did come home….
Racheal and Koby live just down in Canton………that’s two
hills and two hollers farther south….and they and Lilly are living a young
couples typical life of passing each other in the hall and hurrying out to work
while raising a 3 year old. They got engaged up at Dollywood during our
Christmas trip the other day, just to add a little more dazzle to the trip.
My sister Sue and her husband Alan live just up the hill
and have a crew of their own including
great grandkids. All total I think the Tidwell tree has about 46 branches
sprouted out with possibilities of more buds next year. Think I will start
making swings to hang on some of those branches.
Life
is Good!!!!!
Just so ya know…..we think about all y’all during the
year…..your ears are probably burning at times……….but know it is always with
the warmest thoughts and memories………..that we cherish more with each passing
year.
Love ya…………Susan and Buddy
