Just weeks into dating, Michael gave me a gift: a ceramic journey boat filled not with people or goods but with a scene. An old church sits upon a green hill, a river flows in front of it, a small stone bridge connects the churchyard to another tree-dotted hill. It was one of many precious…
Tag: Asheville
When Worlds Collide
Michael and I arrived in Asheville 48 hours ago. And ever since then, the universe has been gently saying, “This is still your place, kid.” The morning walkers took me back into their fold like I’d never left. On that walk, I was delighted to see a new Little Free Library in the neighborhood —…
A Place of Her Own
While unpacking, I came across a picture I’d drawn a few months ago. A small house. A garden beside it. Two chairs facing each other, outside under a tree. I stared at the picture. I’m in that house. Around the drawing I’d written phrases. As I read them, I couldn’t believe it. People will see…
Life: A Labyrinth or a Maze?
I punched a zip code into the labyrinth locater. Jackpot! The search returned two labyrinths in Asheville, North Carolina. The first was at a Catholic church, but I wasn’t ready to step foot in one of those at this point in my life. The second was an outdoor labyrinth at theUniversity of North Carolina at Asheville. It was…
A Lesson in Moonshine
“This place has quite the decor,” my friend told me, as we walked into the restaurant. “I thought you’d appreciate it. It covers three things that are most important to the people here: NASCAR, Merlefest, and moonshine.” My friend filled me in on what Merlefest was – a music festival whose greatness was up for…
A Random Tuesday Night Conversation
We were the only two patrons. “We don’t technically open until 9,” the bartender told us. It was 8:45. We asked if we should come back. She said she was ready, so we sat down and had a drink. My friend knew the bartender, and she served our food and drinks in between prepping for…
Rocky Road
I rushed through the front door with a carton of Rocky Road ice cream in my hand. “I know you all don’t really like chocolate, but I wanted Rocky Road,” I told my hosts who were sitting in the living room. They looked at me in dismay. “Did we say we didn’t like chocolate? Are…
The First of the Month
The air was too cold. The pillows were too fluffy. Really Rebecca? I just spent forty days sleeping in a different bed each night – each with a different pillow. Some with no pillow. And now here I was in a huge house overlooking the Western North Carolina mountains, sleeping in the Master Bedroom which…
The Community Cup
I wandered over to the demonstration area just in time to see a woman slicing up a chocolate tart. This being a Wine and Food Festival, I figured she was giving out slices. Before I could ask for one, however, another woman slid in beside me and reached for a plate. She was immediately, but…
The Joys of Living in Asheville
As I turned a corner in the grocery store, I saw a gentleman standing beside a table of wines. In the second it took for me to register what was happening, he asked, “Would you like to try some wine?” Oh – that’s right, I thought, I now live in a state that sells wine in…
RenaissanceRebecca 