A Quick Trip...

William and I just returned from a quick trip South to take care of some business and visit with family.  We started our journey to the Durham area.  According to the GPS and our directions, the trip wasn't supposed to take that long... but we got snared up in traffic and it added several hours to our travels.  It was a beautiful day though and we were listening to Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris, so the extra time spent in the car wasn't so bad.

Our stay in Durham was really short, but we got to see a good friend and talk business.  We also got a chance to visit Scratch and had some tasty treats.  I ordered a slice of sorghum shoofly pie and some cheesy grits.  Durham seems to be a really cool town with a lot of interesting businesses and a lot of potential.

Once we finished up a quick tour of Durham, we headed across the state to Asheville.  Of course, we got caught up in traffic again and it put us way behind schedule.  But we arrived and it was good to see my sister and her family.

It's a little heartbreaking to see the kids.  They're growing up so fast.  I remember when Azalea was a baby and I was afraid to hold her, because I was worried that I'd break her.  Now she's on the verge of being a teenager and is a little person with her own thoughts and ideas.  I know she was a "person" before, but it just seems so much more real now.  Above, she was showing us one of her costumes for a school project.  She was emperor Hadrian and was sporting a wig/beard combo that Cynthia made for her.

Here's another picture of Azalea.  She had just finished baking a butter cake!  She made it all by herself and was so proud!

We weren't supposed to stay in Asheville as long as we did, but we were fortunate enough to stay a few more days.  We wanted to stay and she Azalea in a play she was in, so we extended by a few days.  Above is a picture of Max observing Cynthia crocheting while waiting for food at the Sonic.

I really enjoy my time with my family.  Not only do we get to catch up and spend time with each other, but we also get to make things.  Above is a picture of a collaborative project that I worked on with Cynthia.  Cynthia and I came up with the concept, Cynthia sculpted the wax master, Greg molded it and cast it, and I bezel set the stones.  All of us worked on the finishing.  I love them.  Each one is different and unique.  I also love the heft of each of the pendants.  They solid sterling silver and a have a comforting weight to each of the pieces.  If you're interested in taking a look at them, CLICK HERE.

Here's a snapshot of Azalea on stage in As You Like It.  She did great!  She played Jacques and performed the "all the world's a stage" monologue.  I'm really proud of her!

I'm really glad that we got to stay.  William and I probably won't have our own children, so these moments that we get to spend with our nieces and nephews are gold.   It's weird.  Before the kids were born, it was hard for me to imagine children or wanting to be a parent.  When I was little, I remember play acting as a father, but after that, I couldn't really picture being in that role.  I guess my complicated relationship with my own father and my self-absorption with my career put a damper on all that.  Now I've reached a point where I could see myself being a nurturer, but know that it is unlikely that we'll go down that road.  I guess the world really is a stage, "and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances..."

Before we departed, we stopped at the Moose Cafe for lunch.  It never ceases to hit the spot, filling that hunger for home cooking and sweet tea.  

On the way back, we listened to Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin.  It was nice to listen to the interconnected lives of the characters, as we wove our way through the mountains and along the highways headed home.