Vibrant Gray - Winter At Home In East Tennessee

Winter is on the way and the wind is crisp and cool. The holiday season is fast approaching with all of the hustle and bustle that comes with it. Thanksgiving with all the trimmings is in the planning along with Christmas lists beginning to be penned. The holidays are a wonderful part of the winter season, the part that brings us vivid and bright colors, warm rememberances of family and friends and opportunities to share with those we love and cherish. We don't have snow here in East Tennesse very often any more and the winter's landscape can appear to be gray and colorless. I happen to be one who enjoys the colors of winter. The stark contrast of leafless trees reaching up into a deep blue sky speaks to me of hope and courage, strength and endurance.

Every time we drive away from our home we must travel over a small old bridge that crosses over a lake surrounded by hills and trees. This little bridge is ordinary to most around here in this neck of the woods. Bridges like this one can be found all around East Tennesse and rarely get mentioned and get even less notice. The little bridge that we cross each day says a lot more to me than it does to others I guess. The little bridge says "you are almost home" to me. This little bridge has always been dependable, strong, welcoming and has always led me safely in the right direction no matter how stormy life has been.

I seem to appreciate the little bridge more during the winter months. After all the colorful leaves of fall have fallen and the landscape's stark cold grays have taken their place I continue to cross over the little bridge. It is a place where the deep blue sky with feathery white clouds reflects from the glistening water surrounding it and the shadowed reflection of the trees around the lake's shore reach out across the water's surface as if to lovingly embrace all who pass by. A vivid reminder that home is where your family and friends are, no matter where that may be. A place where you are always welcomed with outreached arms to embrace you, no matter what circumstances may be passing through your life. Home is the place where warmth, hope, strength and endurance abide. The place to share warm rememberances of family and friends and a place that gives us opportunities to share with those we love and cherish. The cold gray landscapes of winter in East Tennessee are merely doors that open into the bright and vibrant warmth and celebration of family and friends and the celebration of where home truly exists.

Beauty

I find that beauty can be found; no matter what life is throwing at us, if we only look for it. It is my joy to look, find, photograph and create as much beauty as possible. As I continue my quest for the beauty around us I would like to keep a record, share and create from what I find.

I love where I live. It is odd the way things have gone full circle in my life. I never thought about how nice it was to grow up in a little southern town in the middle of ;what I then thought was, nowhere. It took having to move away and watch my family grow in a town I did not know for me to realize what I had left behind. Of course the most obvious was being away from family and friends. A closer look would lead me to realize much more.

It is beautiful here, where we live. We have hills, valleys, mountains, lakes, streams and rivers. We are within a days drive to a favorite ocean side get-away. Our winters are rarely too cold to enjoy nature and our summers are hot enough to enjoy an almost lackadaisical and whimsical atmosphere, perfect to reflect on life around us, books to read and creativity.

Yes, our little circle in life is now completed as we begin a new circle. We are, once again, at home. Litterally back at home. We built this little house 28 years ago. We lived away for 20 years as we watched our children grow into adulthood. Now we have moved back into the same little house we built in what seems like a lifetime ago. We are back to our roots and ready to begin sprouting again. Our first grandchild is on his or her way this year!

I love to walk around the farm and take pictures of the landscapes and the lake, the park near by, the mountain trails in the Tennessee Valley. I enjoy making jewelry from what I can only call inspiration by nature. I truly feel inspired by my favorite happy places.