Rush to get to the Levy Lions, quick detour to the North Carolina Arboretum

NC Arboretum, up with the dog walkers

Rushing as fast as we could to hopefully end the quest to find the missing pair of Levy Lions, we were thwarted once again. Attempting to get to our destination before sunset we still had another 30 miles to go. We were not going to make it and after a horribly exhausting day getting stuck in traffic for hours, we were forced to grab a hotel room at 9 pm in Asheville, North Carolina.

Lovely yellow Magnolia tree

I blindly booked a room on my phone based on good reviews. I had no idea where it was located - just somewhere in Asheville. Missteps snowballed as we attempted to check into the wrong hotel but miraculously the right hotel was conveniently 4 miles from the North Carolina Arboretum! Exhaustion was not going to keep me in bed the next morning and we arrived when the Arboretum doors opened at 8 am!

NC Arboretum Visitors Center lined with tulips & ranunculus

We were scheduled to see the lion statues at noon so we had a few hours to roam the tranquil forests and landscaped grounds! I'm not sure which I was more excited about, lions or trees. After all this is the NC Arboretum, this is not a forest you just drive-by without stopping. I can't believe that I had originally planned our trip to do such a ghastly thing!

It was a tad bit early in the season as many plants were only thinking about unfurling leaves and bursting open blossoms. But no matter the time of year, there is always something interesting to see; mountain views, majestic trees, thick forests, babbling brooks, stonework, and even bonsai plantings.

Frederick Olmsted,father of American Landscape Architecture

The Arboretum is located at the end of the road after leaving fits of traffic and shopping malls which makes this peaceful place even more special. Each day our protected forests are being walled in by roads and businesses, or just plain greed. In Virginia we have protesters camping out in equally as majestic trees to stop pipelines from destroying privately owned land and our national forests. Imminent domain is used to seize ANY property for "justifiable public good". These last three words can be construed to suit business interests and PROFITS.

Prominent sculpture of butterfly wings and chrysalis

I wonder if those in the business of tree destruction have a soul? The feeling one gets in quiet places among spring ephemerals, walls of trees, and trickling brooks is worth fighting to preserve. Even 20 years ago I thought it unimaginable that our national forests would fall prey to corporate greed. Times have changed and people are nearly going to war to save what soon could all be trashed. Make note, the door has OPENED WIDER.

Tiered gardens guarded by Levy Lions, designed by F. Olmsted

I was sad to leave the magical forest environ but a short drive took us to an amazing spot where the Levy Lions have stood waiting to be found for all to read about. Sunday I will reveal the amazing details about the lions!

~Rebecca 

What's the Plan, It's a New Year

A cool Leo the Lion pin Brooch for sale in my Etsy Shop.

As a new year begins it's time for reflection and future plans. It's the perfect time for me to cozy up beside the wood stove and tie up loose ends for my online business. Tax submission is always last minute for me and I enjoy it like a root canal but at least I have a jump on it with all income and expenses logged online in my accounting software, outright.com.  I would die without this free online software, it has really made tax preparation a breeze. 

TV Room before painting.

TV Room after painting.

Now that we have been settled into our home for 4 years, I anticipate 2014 to be the year for tweaking. We've checked off many of the major home repair projects but there are a few small jobs still on the list.  Several rooms need paint touch ups, our little shed needs to be painted, our kitchen still needs decent flooring, and we need to lay some tile in front of the wood stove. This past Fall while I was in New York City my husband painted the dark paneling in our TV room a bright neutral color.  It seemed like a project that would never be completed since it's the most used room in the house and room deconstruction seemed improbable. That was a major undertaking as was installing a liner for our wood stove, the prior year, but thankfully both are behind us now. 

Annual patch of Cosmos we grow from seed each year.

This gardening season, I'm going to try and not to add new plants or beds and simply tweak what I have and grow my usual tomatoes, peppers, and herbs from seed. Last year I found a wonderful seedling lamp at a yard sale that I'll put to good use. I hope to visit more gardens this year and my husband and I even talked about a trip to Nashville to check in on the Levy Lions at Cheekwood Gardens. That all depends on if we can find a chicken sitter that wants to rise at the crack of dawn to let the girls out!

NEW cute patent leather black shoes I'm selling for a friend.

In reflecting on last year, my online business continues to grow. I have 5 online shops now, 2 on Etsy, and shops on Storenvy, Bonanza, and Ebay. I have three consignment clients which makes it all the more interesting and it's fun to see who buys what and where it ships. We now have a tablet that cha-chings whenever I make a sale - how fun is that! So far, each year I sell 100 more items than the prior year so I hope to continue down that path as momentum and experience sets in.

Dear Simba

Sweet Sally

We experienced several losses last year in the pet department. Our dear old doggie, Simba, finally passed at 16 years and we lost several sweet chickens of natural causes. My favorite chicken, Sally the Comet died a week after Simba, most chickens only live 5 - 6 years. 

As far as saving money, I did a fast tally on what I saved last year by couponing and buying on sale.  I was happy to discover savings of over $1,300. This year I am going to try and do more crockpot cooking, and of course continue to seek out organic and non-GMO foods.  It's my own personal protest again what is happening to our seed diversity and purity! I've found that vegetables really DO taste better organic (compare some bananas or potatoes for starters). We eat mainly vegetarian and non-prepared foods so will continue down that path as well. 

Ivy Creek Natural Area where River meets Reservoir.

To welcome in the New Year, my husband and I hiked along the Peninsula Trail at Ivy Creek Natural Area. It's a hard time of year to find something green to photograph but I always seem to snag that perfect unexpected shot. The only wildlife we spotted was one lone deer, some Chickadees, and across the Reservoir the green heads of several male Mallard Ducks. I hope to exercise in some manner each day but that continues to always be difficult, it's only day 3 in 2014 and I couldn't manage to get off the computer yesterday to meet that goal.

My favorite photo I took last year, Kevin Floodlight Dahlia

Wishing you a Happy New Year and find something meaningful to submerge yourself into during 2014 but only tweak not twerk... you wouldn't want to hurt yourself!

-Rebecca