Thursday Three:

 

1. Craig's mother was with us overnight for an early morning doctor's visit... I made our favorite ground pork / apple burgers* + sweet potato fries for dinner.
2. Enjoyed a couple of days scrapbooking and visiting with friends over the weekend. Love friends who can talk and cry and laugh together in one continuous conversation...
3. And, lo and behold - we made the effort to get to swim class this week [it's been a while] and enjoyed it so much!
* Christy Jordan, thinking this was originally your recipe?

SIX MONTHS

 of my Common Place Book - and I've gotta say,

 

 it's making me re-think my [NUMEROUS] scrapbooking pages a bit, 

because I'm LOVING this simple weekly memory keeping book -  

[Above - a print out that I  enhanced with a bit more paint and fireflies - I really meant to add scripture writing to it... but all my scripture writing went into my summer camp book -oops.]

 

Intentions for the month -

Filled with memes... 

 

I'm loving the bits of memory I put on these pages each week --> 

First  week of June - and so sorry the photo didn't get cropped. lol.

WE LOVED THE FIREFLIES!!!

 

These are in no particular order -  

This is a pen and ink drawing I did while living without electricity -

 I'll probable continuing adding a bit of water color here and there... 

 

Go ahead and laugh at my blackbird - I know it's a little too plump! 

But they really are one of God's great miracles!

 

Added in a summer travel map... 

And I don't know... it may end up documenting ALL the travel for 2025...

 

Enjoying our summer days here at home...

 

Continued on with the Sisterhood of the Traveling Journal - even if we DID do it VIRTUALLY. Love sharing ideas of what to put on a page - 

and it's so much fun to visit together each month...

 

One of my favorite things I'm doing each week is my little spot for 'what God is telling me this week'  - it's keeping me in tune to His voice...

Also - I had to document one of my favorite summertime treats - 

omgoodness - SO GOOD.

So that's THAT.

Onward to another month.... 

 

Thursday Three -->

 

1. Enjoyed the early open hours at The [HSV ] Garden... so peaceful -

2. Spent The Longest Day scrapbooking via an on-line challenge that raised $50,000 for the Alzheimer's Association - [wow.]

3. And this photo was taken while I was assisting Craig with one of our summer bucket list projects in the 107* heat index... [sitting in the bed of Craig Hardwick 's truck...]

HELLO SUMMER.

#HardwickAdventures

Aishling the AIrstream Update No. 040

 Elkmont 

in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

 

From the internets:  Located eight miles from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Elkmont Campground is the largest and busiest campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. At an elevation of 2,150 feet, the area enjoys a moderate climate. Elkmont Campground has 200 tent / RV campsites with paved driveways, gravel tent pads, fire rings, and picnic tables.

 Restrooms at Elkmont Campground have flush toilets, cold running water, and utility sinks. Potable water is available at spigots near each restroom; use of hoses is not allowed. Elkmont Campground does NOT have electric, water, or sewer hook-ups. 

Elkmont is strictly an overnight campground; there are no day-use facilities. The nearest picnic area is Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area, west of Elkmont on Little River Road. Due to its central location and variety of amenities, Elkmont Campground tends to be heavily used during the summer vacation months and in October. Generations of campers have returned to Elkmont year after year, drawn by the sounds of the river, the tranquility of the forest, and the variety of recreational activities in the Elkmont area. Little River and Jakes Creek run through the campground, offering easy access for fishing or cool summertime splashing. Trailheads for Little River Trail, Jakes Creek Trail, and Elkmont Nature Trail are located adjacent to the campground. Historic remnants of Little River Lumber Company's logging camp and old buildings from the Elkmont resort community offer campers a glimpse of life at Elkmont nearly a century ago."

 

[ #AishlingtheAirstream ]

Thanks to some sweet friends, we were able to get a campsite during the firefly rendezvous - something we've wanted to do for ages! 

 - Several years ago we 'won' the lottery and had a parking space for one night [drive-in] to see them - AND IT RAINED... And in 2020 we had a campsite [yay!] but of course the campground was closed due to the pandemic...

So WE LOVED BEING IN THE CAMPGROUND for a few nights where we could walk up the trail [hike?] and see these beautiful fireflies twinkle their lights all together and then go completely dark before lighting up in synchrony over and over again. 

[NOT MY PHOTO - we tried, but decided it was better to just stand in awe of God's creation and enjoy the show each night...]

 

 Y'all know I was concerned about the zero electricity thing, right?

And I'm please to say we did alright.  

C-paps worked wonderfully with our little bluetties!

 

Here's some highlights in no particular order  -  

We drove through Townsend and the curvy road around little river on our way in... ALWAYS a beautiful drive, but it was our first time to pull Aishling on these curvy [tight] roads - but of course, Craig did a great job with it!

 Surprisingly, Elkmont was nice and quiet while we were there - 

It's difficult to get a spot during these two weeks each year - but, turns out - many of the campers are one nighters who come in, have a picnic, hike up to see the fireflies and head out without even pitching a tent... 

 

As I said earlier - no electricity -  but Craig had us nice and prepared with lots of little lights to use [and our generator, which he turned on once...] He even downloaded the show we've been watching each night so we could watch an episode or two at night...#ROUGHINGIT

 

The weather was PERFECT - 

and it was so relaxing and quiet in the campground!

We enjoyed just hanging out and listening to nature...

 

We weren't on a creek site, but we could hear its 

relaxing sound every time were outside...  

 

We enjoyed the little hike up to the firefly area each night, and also stopped to do a couple of the little trails marked 'quiet walks' - something I've wanted to do when we've been in the Smokys in the past....

 

And it always surprises me how we can be so very close to a busy road and yet, once we immerse ourselves in nature [Forest Bathing -?] it just all melts away...

 

We also took a morning to walk around Daisy Town - an 'abandoned' resort area for wealthy Knoxville families in the early 1900s... 

 

A neat little area... the houses reminded me of my gr-mothers [not in size, of course... but the plain plank walls - no insulation...

 

And of course we drove into town each day to get our internet 'fix' and enjoy a meal or two... oddly - we did not shop those 'standard' souvenir shops at all... 

But we DID enjoy the beautiful mountain views! 

THROWBACK: Craig and I attended a youth conference at that big round hotel to the left  - our first time to travel together when we'd just started dating...

 

We have a little one-burner butane stove that came in handy each morning - and I found that I kinda enjoy a good PERKED coffee from the stove top - lol 8-10 minutes is perfect for us.

 

And our one skillet breakfast worked well too! 

My new pan from aldi worked perfectly!

 

Pro Tip - Go up to the Parkway by-pass to take your photo with the National Park sign - less people... Plus they've got a little stand for you to prop your cell phone on for the perfect shot! 

 

To wrap things up - WE LOVED CAMPING AT ELKMONT.

We'll definitely be back -  

ELECTRICITY - ZERO... Internet - ZERO... WATER - you have to tote it from a spigot [we had plenty on-board] Bath Houses - yes - but we never went in one... [NO SHOWERS. Again - we love having everything we need in our little home away from home.] Dish washing station - not the tidiest - but doable...

 

Bears?

THEY ARE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS - and will confiscate anything left outside of your camper [think grills, coolers, etc.]

 

But sadly... we never saw a bear the whole time we were there.  

AND I WANTED TO!

 

Side Note: The curvy road was closed when we left the campground... so we went around by Sugarlands Visitor Center and took the by-pass... then through Knoxville -- Wheee - but really not so terrible... Still, give me the curvy [pretty] road anytime!

Thursday Three:

 

1. I enjoyed a couple of days scrapbooking with friends last weekend - so good to visit with some I've not seen for A WHILE.

2. Craig and I had a productive day for upcoming camping events - we both said it felt like we'd been 'at work' all day - lol.

 

3. I visited Mama Zelda this week - I'm a Troll Tender - (of COURSE I am!) And I love how things are ever-changing around her maze...

#HardwickAdventures

Today would have been

 

our Mama’s 90th birthday…

Wow.

 I'm re-posting this post from a previous year --- 
Just to share and reminisce a bit....

Maybe some things you know, or didn’t know – or have forgotten…
Just for us - or me - you can skip, if you want...

 Mama was #9 of ten girls

[bless her mama's and daddy’s hearts…]

She had a niece that is the same age as her…
thus, I have second cousins my age...

She was a junior high cheerleader, 
in the homecoming court,

and salutatorian of her Senior Class

She grew up in the country and picked cotton to earn spending money…

They would ride in the back of a truck to go the North Alabama Fair each year…

Mama worked as a telephone operator before meeting and marrying our father…

She was blessed to be home with us…
 She enjoyed creating beautifully wrapped gifts,
and loved setting a pretty table...

She also loved to talk on the phone...
[but I'm sure we ALL knew that - ]

 She canned everything from jelly, to tomatoes, to beans, 
apples, peaches, and peas
-- for us to eat all winter long… 

And she made the best biscuits and blackberry jam I’ve ever eaten.

[Matt's first biscuit lesson -] 

She enjoyed gardening and cooking fresh veggies, 
Southern Style – fried or with lots of bacon. Yum.

She loved having flowers in her yard and in her home.

Mama miscarried a couple of years after I was born and

her life was complete when she finally had her baby boy 10 years later…
[This photo is not 'shopped' - it's soc 
with slide film from one of our dad's old cameras -]

 She was terrified of storms and we somehow [ha] always ended up
out at my gr-mother’s house [and in her storm cellar]

whenever a storm was brewing- lol.

She played softball at Robbins’ Field when we were kids –

And apparently wasn’t afraid to swing from the rafters on occasion – ha.

She loved to read and could easily devour a few 400 page books a week –

Some of my earliest memories are of our weekly trips to the library in Sheffield…
[Tough Enough was one of my favorite series...]

She also loved studying her Bible

and reading commentaries for theological insights

[I think she owned at least two different sets – of the BIG ONES – ha.]

She had the [spiritual] gift of teaching

and taught Sunday School most of her life –

She so enjoyed seeing her Sunday School members grow in the Lord…

She wasn’t perfect – but was perfectly forgiven, and

taught us that this forgiveness was available to all of us as well.

She loved butter pecan ice cream, or was it peach? 
Or strawberry? Or orange-pineapple? Ha.

She also loved visiting and taking little gifties to ‘her shut-ins’ [as she called them]

and I really believe that’s where my love for the elderly and disabled first started…

I can remember weekly visits to Ms. Gas’ house

and also to people in nursing homes when I was a kid…
She loved her grandsons --  

 Oh how she loved them -  

and was generous to the point of Lorna and me having to

tell them that they couldn’t give them money 
every time they walked in the door – lol.
She was an excellent seamstress too - 
and made us many, many beautiful outfits - 
and fun things like ET, bugs bunny, clowns,
and ninja turtle outfits for Halloween costumes...

But she was overcome with joy when little MK was born!

There hadn’t been a baby girl in our family since I was born…
So she was beyond thrilled!!! 
[I can't imagine how thrilled she'd be with Baby B!]

And oh how she loved her sisters and many nieces and nephews

and she had the ability to make everyone who knew her feel special and loved.
[Is that Ruby or Lorna peeping out of the back bedroom?]

Each one of us believed that we were her ‘favorite’ –

And truly, we were –

because she could see something special and wonderful in each of us
and would encourage us in just the way we needed it. Always.

Saudade…
[always]   

Oh. How I miss her -