Yet another all-too-quick weekend has come and gone and an exciting work week awaits us….hope your weekend was a great one from start to finish.  Mine was special for many reasons including some rare, beautiful hours cruising solo along the glorious Blueridge Parkway which we’re lucky to have almost in our backyard.  I spent several hours just sitting, contemplating this ‘n that and gazing at our beautiful NC Blue Ridge mountains…also got in a few laps around glorious Bass Lake in Blowing Rock – one of NC’s treasures for everyone to enjoy thanks to the generous entrepreneur and conservationist, Moses H. Cone.  Soon I hope to go back to Price Lake (yet another Parkway lake that lured me to its’ peaceful banks today).  Next time, I hope to take my bright banana-yellow keowee kayak which has sat neglected in a dusty ol’ hay barn for far too many years now.  That is going to change soon too due to the joyful memories that resurfaced as I watched the paddlers “cruising” the lake and heard their muffled faraway laughter and happy chattering.

What treasures lie in your “backyard” that like me, you may take for granted as you busily come and go in your community?  Have you visited them lately and acted: (1) as if you were a first-time curious and excited tourist visiting your area; and (2) as if you had nothing — absolutely nothing — else to do except to be still and enjoy the moment at hand in all its glory?  I’ve lived in our incredible NC northwestern mountains for 10 years now and while I’m always reminding clients, friends and faraway family members about all this area of the world has to offer, I am extremely guilty of not totally (and without being on a tight schedule!) immersing myself in the fun, joy and sheer delight of our mountains’ endless treasures.  Yes, I do visit the various attractions from time to time (too many to list, but places like Grandfather Mountain, Linville Gorge, etc., etc…the treasures are truly endless) when family, clients or out-of-town friends ask me to go with them…and that’s certainly fun.  With, however, all the visiting and talking going on, I can’t totally connect with the true essence of these places or certainly not in the way I can when I’m not running my mouth as much or when I’m alone or just with one other person (e.g. a significant other with whom you can be still/quiet with if you know what I mean).  I love doing for and being around our horses and donkeys, but I was reminded this weekend that even the wonderful things in our lives should not be allowed to utilize all our free time….just as we are far better at our jobs and other activities when we live balanced lives and take healthy breaks from our work, we are also wise to seek a wide diversity in our recreational/free-time activities.  Once again, our Moms were so right when they told us…too much of a good thing is ….well, TOO much!  I love and cherish the moments shared with family, friends, our horses and other 4-legged family members.  I’ve been clearly reminded this weekend, however, of how much can be gained from enjoying other activities as well and to do so in as leisurely and quiet a way as possible (e.g.  as my Granddaddy used to say….”Nance, never miss a good opportunity to just shut up!”)……redundancy can be a blessed thing and the lessons re-learned this weekend will serve me well for a long time to come!

Hope you get the chance to do the same in your community sooner rather than later…when you do, I hope you’ll have a few minutes to share your experience on this blog w/our readers…look forward to it!  Have a super week ahead…onward!