The House

If you have been following along with the Hump Day Bump Day posts, you may have caught on to the fact that we are also currently in the middle of a remodel of our home to be!  A little background… my hubs inherited this 1940’s mountain home when his ‘granny’ passed away.  When he moved to TN from TX about the same time I moved to TN from MI, he moved into her home with his stuff and basically left everything the way she had it when she was living there.  We have been working on paring down (both at the house and in our townhouse), clearing out, refinishing and making the space work for us and baby.  I thought I would post a few before and during the process pics.. after pics will be coming much later because we aren’t moving in until after Miss Madeline makes her appearance.

We aren’t planning to do much to the outside this year as most of our cash flow is tied up on the inside and with buying the necessary baby gear. This was taken a few months ago when the trees were still in full on winter mode and we have a bag of bathroom remodel trash on the porch!

Bathroom before, demo, during remodel. There was no existing shower so we had that added and had the tub surround tile done. Not pictured are the new vanity and toilet and we still need to paint and add the light fixtures but we are *almost* done in here!

The last pics I will post are of the living area/front entry.  We have the dreaded wood paneling in the living room, dining room, kitchen and part of the hallway currently.  I scoured Pinterest and found that it is possible to paint the darn stuff and update the look of the house without having to rip it all out and re-drywall the whole thing.  The results so far have been worth the effort for sure!

The above pic still has the painters tape but you can get the idea.  It went from crazy paneling color to a khaki color with white trim.  Still to do in here: touch up the trim, change out the ceiling fan, clean the blinds (& figure out window coverings), and replace the carpeting.

Still to do: paint the bathroom, paint the 3 bedrooms, paint the kitchen, replace the linoleum in the kitchen, replace light fixtures/ceiling fans throughout, and get the carpet replaced throughout. I know it sounds like a lot – and it is!  But this will be our first family home together not just my townhouse that he moved into after we got married.  More importantly, it will be the first home for Madeline.  A place for her firsts and a place for us to grow together as a family.  The work is more than worth it!

Lucky Me

Lucky me!  I received a blogging award!  Now I really can say I don’t think this award is deserved as of late because… well because I haven’t been blogging… but I would like to send out a big Thank You to Jen over at Blenifer Uncorked for the award! She won the award and passed it along to 15 of her favorite blogs and as the rules of the award go…

The rules for accepting The Versatile Blogger award are:
1. Thank the person who gave the award and link back to them in your post.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass this award along to 15 recently discovered/favorite blogs.

Here are your 7 fabulous Friday facts about yours truly…

1. I have been a very bad blogger as of late because of 3 reasons… the first being the NEW job!  I fly in or out every Wednesday and between flights I work 80 hours and go back to the terribly slow hotel internet and then have a glorious 6 days off between to fit in time for the other 2 things…

2. One of which is training for the Tampa 3-Day!  I am so far behind on training because of travel it’s futile at this point to try and make up all the miles BUT I will train all I can in the next 10 weeks and have a smile on my face through every blister because kicking cancer’s a$$ is so worth it! (fun little factoid of the day… the first 4 3-Day events in 2011 have raised over $15 Million towards finding a cure and there are still 10 events to go!)

3. Which leads me to the other fabulous thing that has been taking up my blogging time… a certain Southern Gentleman.  He’s sweet, caring, thoughtful, supportive, generous… and most importantly… he makes me happy. :) (yup, just went public with that one)

4. I am getting very close to having to purchase peanut butter and laundry detergent for the very fist time in my life.  Yes you read that right… I am used to a fully stocked shelf at the “Grandpa Store” that is open anytime I need to replenish my emotional or peanut butter needs!  Love you and miss you Grandpa!  I need to plan a trip home soon!

5. I have 2 “kiddens” named Gilbert Sullivan (aka:Goose the Moose, Gilly Goo) and Moses Jean (aka: Chloe, Mokes) 

6. I was raised in The Mitten but am now a transplant living down in the Appalachian mountains of The Volunteer State!

7. I am a cancer survivor of a little over 2 years now.  I’m doing everything I can to fight back and am just waiting for the magical 5 year mark where I can say I am 100% cancer free and cured!

So there you have it – my 7 fabulous facts!  And here are some of my favo

rite bloggers for you to check out…

Coconutter Strutters	Dr. Grumpy	Dream Big. Stamp Often
DUTCHbeingME	Filling Our Bucket	Following Him
iHeartOrganizing	Hines-Sight Blog	In This Wonderful Life
Meanderings of a 3-Day Mom	My Big Girl Pants	Not Quite Legally Blonde
On Joyful Wings	Starving, Insatiable	Soaring on Wings

Appalachian Lite?

So remember this post and this post a while back on some of the cultural differences I’ve encountered down here? 

I no longer find them so different or strange.  In fact…

I say “Appa-latch-ian” instead of “appa-lay-shun”.  I have caught myself saying the phrases “I don’t care to…” and “I appreciate ya!” more times than I care to admit.  I have even said something like “I’m going to THE Wal-Mart.”  And many, many times I have use the word “y’all.”  I’ve blessed people’s hearts and I’ve tried fried green tomatoes and soup beans.  I’ve even gone to music on the square and listened to some bluegrass.  And more times than I can count I have been accused of having a southern accent by my Yankee friends and family. {I still think I don’t have one}

Things I haven’t done… yet…

• said “the Interstate” or “the four lane” – it’s still the highway to me!

• attempted to make good ole southern biscuits, white gravy or fried chicken in my home

• eaten anything pickled {ex: pickled pigs feet}

After just 6 short months of living here I realize that I am somewhat adapting.

But..

I still miss Meijer!

Hey There Cupcake

My mom, aunt and cousin were down visiting for the weekend and it was non-stop action from the moment they arrived.  We hit the town - or should I say the mountains - and I gained a few nuggets of knowledge along the way…

1. You are never too young to own a gun…
2. An extra quart of oil won’t hurt… but 2?  That just might require some extra attention.
3. ASAP stands for “As Southern As Possible” and..
4. “The South” is the place where tea is sweet and accents are sweeter, summer starts in April, Mac & Cheese is a vegetable, front porches are wide and words are long, pecan pie is a staple, y’all is the only proper noun, chicken is fried and biscuits come with gravy, everything is darlin’, and someone’s heart is always being blessed.
5. Bad Southern accents with a hint of Canadian/Minnesotan are very quickly acquired by my family members.  I’m curious to know if the accents left as quickly as they came on?
6. Shopping is always more fun with a group, however, the Wal-Mart chip aisle can be dangerous
7. The Crazy Cupcake Peanut Butter Dream cupcakes require a “moment.”  Seriously. They are omgtodieforscrumptious!
8. Even I can hike the AT {Appalachian Trail for those not local} although it may have only been a quarter of a mile stretch up the mountain.
9. You never lose the ability to squeeze into a tiny kitchen to make breakfast for the bunch!  And.. to fry an egg without mastering the art of flipping it, just push the bacon grease over the top. It works just mahvelous dahling!
10. That sometimes the only ones who can understand are family and they can make you laugh like no one else can.  Love you ladies!

Color Your World

The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.
Marcus Aurelius

I was wandering through Wally-World to pick up cat litter about a week ago and found myself in the health and beauty aids (read: cosmetics) because there is always something you need. 

I had happily filled up my “buggy” (Appalachianism) with all natural, organic shampoo & conditioner, a clay face mask, and tea tree oil based foot massage lotion when I wandered past the Nicole by OPI nail polish. 

I’m a sucker for nail polish. And I got rid of a bunch of it when I moved. Bingo!  I have PLENTY of need for more nail polish!  I grabbed a few colors and decided I could allow myself one new one, but just one.  It was narrowed down to two… the deciding factor?  What were their names? (fyi for the males, all the good nail polishes have names)

I can’t recall the one I didn’t buy… but the one I did?

Name: Change The World.  Color: Pink

Sold!

You Know You’re a Yankee When…

I was sitting at lunch with some coworkers today when the topic of Soup Beans came up.  When I said that I haven’t ever had Soup Beans they all looked shocked.  It was at that point I decided I wouldn’t tell them I didn’t even know what Soup Beans were in fear they would fall off their chairs! (although some may read this and my secret will be out!) I was then asked “how do you fry your chicken? With flour or cornmeal?”  to which my response was “I’ve never fried chicken.”  The table was in an uproar and I was asked “What do you eat up there in the North?!”

If they only knew that my mom pretty much only cooks by way of microwave with the exception of a casserole or two.  And my dad is a master of the grill. My chicken was pretty much always baked or grilled and the fried kind came from KFC.

I have watched enough Food Network to know that you use flour to fry chicken (this was confirmed by the coworkers) and the key is to add spices to the flour before frying for flavor.

And the Soup Beans…?

When I got home today, I Googled “Soup Beans” and this is what the almighty Wikipedia has to say on that subject:

Soup beans is a term common in the Southern United States, particularly the regions around the Appalachian Mountains. It refers to pinto or other brown dried beans cooked with smoked pork as flavoring. Soup beans are usually served with cornbread, greens (such as boiled cabbage, cauliflower, or fried sauerkraut and weenies), corn (whole or sweet), and potatoes (stewed or fried) and may be topped with raw chopped onions. The meal is often topped with pickle relish. Soup beans are considered a main course, but also serve as a side dish. In rural areas, where food was scarce during the winter, these dried beans were a staple food.

Too Fast…

Well the ‘rents were in town this weekend for a short… very short visit. They arrived about 5:30p on Friday and headed back to the snow later Sunday night.  It was nice to see them even if it was too short a visit.

On Saturday we hit the Outlets in Pigeon Forge and the weather was absolutely beautiful!  Sometimes I have a hard time remembering it’s only February when I’m walking around in the sunshine without a coat on.  On Sunday it was raining in the morning but we were able to get out and wander around my town for some pics.  Here is the weekend through the lens…

Almost to Gatlinburg & the Great Smokey Mountains	Proof that winter doesn’t suck everywhere!
Rain + the Appalachians = “smoke”	A look down Main Street
Jonesborough – Est. 1779 – Tennessee’s Oldest Town	The Parson’s Table
The International Storytelling Center	The Chester Inn built 1797
Christopher Taylor House – built 1778	Another look down Main Street
Washington County Court House	Driving through town…

Blame It On The Rain

I woke up about 4am to the sound of rain hitting the window in my bedroom. I was hoping for some thunderstorms but I’m told those are coming tomorrow morning. 

It’s been raining nearly all day and its really mellowed out my mood.  Well that and maybe a few pieces of news that aren’t the best. I won’t say I’m down but I could have easily just curled up with a blanket and a book and just escaped from things for the day.

But then on my drive home from work, I noticed the changes around me.  Creek beds that were dry contained flowing water, the dust coatings were washed from rocks and roads, and best of all… the grass was greener than it was this morning.

It is amazing how taking a moment to notice the small things can change your perspective, isn’t it? 

I Wonder…

I took a little driving trip to le outlet mall today and as I was driving, I had the privilege of seeing some absolutely amazing views of the mountains.  And it made me wonder…

Do they only make me stop in awe because I haven’t seen them daily for months or years on end?

Do the people who have always lived here appreciate the natural beauty they are surrounded with everyday?

I truly hope they never become something routine for me.

Things That Feel Odd

There are a few things that feel weird to me and remind me that I’m not in Michigan anymore …

• The southern accents all around me.  Yes I’m in the south and I should expect it but somehow it still takes me by surprise.  And there are some people I still struggle to understand because its really strong.
• Having a 2 level home. I’m just not used to it and I feel like I’m not using the 2nd floor enough… even though I sleep there for hours every night!
• Paying sales tax on food. It’s 5.5% instead of 0%.
• BUT there is no state income tax so my paycheck is a little bigger than it would have been in MI.
• The fact that its light outside when I leave the house at 7am… and actually sunshine at all this time of year feels foreign!  Its funny to listen to coworkers complain after 2 or 3 cloudy days when I haven’t really noticed except for the fact I don’t have to use my sunglasses.
• Using my parking brake all the time.
• People openly talking about God and their faith. Almost daily this takes me by surprise.  It’s definitely not a bad thing.
• The grocery store… there are plenty of options, just no Meijer which means I haven’t been able to find certain things I used to buy all the time.
• Throwing away soda cans… there is no $0.10 refund on these and although you can bring them in for recycling, I’m getting the feeling its not the norm.  If you are in a meeting and they have cans there, the trash can is just full of them.
• No Faygo pop but seeing something called Dr. Enuf.
•  

 

 

 

• Also on a side note: calling it soda instead of pop is just wrong!

Appalachianisms

As it is my 8th day here and I’m still getting used to the culture, I feel I should share with you some of the interesting things I’ve learned over the last few days. 

First and most importantly, you don’t say “Appa-lay-shiun” you pronounce it “Appa-latch-ian” as any good local would.  If you say it wrong they immediately know you aren’t from around these parts.  You may even be corrected, very politely of course.

Which leads into the next thing… if you are correcting someone or speaking about them without their knowledge (not gossiping of course because as we all know, Southern ladies don’t gossip, they just share information) you are required to say “bless her/his heart.”  Oh boy, I’m sure I will get a lot of blessings until I learn my way around!

I was also informed that I must start adding a “the” in front of things.  For example, “I am going to THE Wal-mart”, or “I’m going to watch THE TV”, or “I’m going to THE bed now.”  Its not a particular idiom that I’ve noticed yet but they tell me it’s true. They also told me that if I’m at the Wal-Mart I am required to talk to everyone I see or fear being branded rude.  This includes the cashier to whom its only polite to discuss anything and everything with, bless her heart.

Perhaps the most interesting phrase I’ve heard… “I don’t care to.”  Ok so for all my Michigan friends and family, what exactly do you think that phrase is supposed to mean?  If you said “I’d love to!” you would be exactly correct.  Now I have no idea how you are supposed to get that out of that but I know I better watch what I say and really pay attention to what they say and clarify if needed!

All in all its been an interesting 3 days on the job, that’s for sure!  I’m a little overwhelmed with information but I’m sure it will get better.  It will also help when I finally get rid of these Tennessee germs that my body is soooo not used to yet!  I’m officially at a week now fighting this I think?  Yesterday I came home from work and slept the rest of the day and night away and woke up feeling better finally.  I’m hoping for a repeat performance tonight (especially since its snowing and I’m terrified of the TN drivers) so I’m completely better tomorrow. Maybe I can catch up on a few things then… we shall see!