A couple of weekends ago, David and I had the chance to get out of town for a few days, and oh my gosh, it was just what the doctor ordered! My brother, Hal, and his wife, Mary Jane, invited us to stay with them in a home on Lake Burton owned by one of Hal's close friends. As some of you know, we had been kicking around ideas for a getaway for several weeks and had asked Hal and Mary Jane to accompany us, but we just couldn't come up with the right fit for traveling distance, time, and lodging. In an "aha" moment, while they were visiting their friend, they asked if his home was an option, and graciously, he agreed. What an amazing friend!
I deliberately didn't call the house a cabin as it is so much more than that! It is beautifully located right on the lake with an amazing boathouse with an upper deck and a wrap-around dock AND a separate connecting dock! The home itself was absolutely gorgeous - six bedrooms, five and a half baths, two television sitting areas, a fantastic kitchen, screened porch with fireplace, and 100% beautiful! It was more than we could have ever imagined!
We rode with Hal and Mary Jane on the drive up on Thursday, and that in itself was a wonderful way to start our adventure. We got to spend the ride "catching up" and listening to our "tour guide" (AKA, my brother.) Because he's made the trip so often, he's very familiar with the area and its uniqueness. We made a couple of stops - one to pick up some fresh tomatoes at a roadside stand and one at the most incredible grocery store I've ever seen, an Ingles in Cleveland, Georgia! After our shopping adventure, we stopped at Mark of the Potter in Clarksville before heading to the cabin. We had actually been to Mark of the Potter once before, but I honestly don't think I appreciated it for the natural beauty surrounding it.
We have so many memories of times spent at my grandparents' home outside Clayton, and it was truly a unique experience to get to visit those old "stomping grounds." Mary Jane even reminded me of the two of us "sneaking a smoke" in the basement when we were teens! Moi? Oops! I'm pretty sure I was the PERFECT child! :) Okay, well maybe my parents wouldn't agree, but I'm SURE my brothers would! LOL! Our oldest was the only one of our children who got to visit the house, although I'm sure he doesn't remember it; he was only about two years old at the time.
Being able to pick up and go is something I think many of us take for granted; however, when a curveball like cancer and the unexpected setbacks it often brings hits you, you begin to look at everything differently. The opportunities to travel become limited, a "day" trip becomes a luxury, and an "overnight" trip seems unimaginable. We are so grateful to have moved beyond the limitations we felt just a few short months ago. God has been faithful, He has been present, and He has made a way when there seemed no way.
September 2022 |
November 2022 |
Does DC look amazing, or what? God IS good, ya'll! Believe it; He IS faithful!