Mountains and Friends

SO MY WEEKEND!   Last weekend-  November 10-13, I flew to South Carolina to surprise my longtime bestie, Melba Pulliam.

We laughed over this picture, after I dug it up to surprise her, because we had our pics made by a professional photographer (she had moved out of state and was visiting) and we totally look like we coordinated outfits and are posed like we are dating.  Man, pics have come a looooong way  (praise be to GOD). 

Anyway, her little sister Michele texted me in July to see if I would head to the mountains with them in November on Melba's 50th bday, and of COURSE I said,  You betcha. 

Melba has an uncanny knack of, even though it might be months between visits on the phone  (facebook has helped this dilemna) she would instinctively know when something was going down and never FAIL to call me during a crisis.   And weirdly enough, it worked that way for me to her too.  Always had that inner sense of something being up....  deep, soul sisters to the core... that is us.

SO, I flew in on Thursday and she and her girls drove up from Georgia to meet Michele and her fiance' for a weekend away.  I was the surprise guest.  What a BLAST.

Michele picked out paradise in the mountains and I was delighted with the view all the way, screaming to the girls  "GIRLS, are you LOOKING AT THIS... you better look at THIS, you may never see it again!"  The same crap my grandpa yelled at me, anytime we drove ANYWHERE!  "Laurie, are you looking?  You may never see this tree again".... so there I am spouting the same stuff to them...  But here's why....

Just beauty everywhere you look.



You know I freaked out over this one.

Our cabin was fantastic....up windy hills that would make a less stomach car sick.... we were all too enthralled with the view and each other to give it much thought....

But this was our home for the weekend...

and here was our view......

from this cool deck...

in these super cool chairs.

So you can see why I was so pumped about the whole thing.....

We caught up on Thursday night, found our way around the cabin and on Friday, set out for Asheville, North Carolina to see the beautiful Biltmore House.

Aren't they the sweetest cutie patooties you have ever laid eyes on?? Amanda and Holly, Melba's pride and joys...... Kinda look like their mama. 

WOW.   It was utterly spectacular.   As I walked through the house, I was taken into the novels I have read over the years of the 1900's and how royalty lived.  It really was just ding dang double donged amazing.

I couldn't even get the whole house in one frame to take a picture of it.   Notice the fountain in each picture (same fountain) and you'll get a small understanding how magnificent it is. 

I was speechless.  Beyond anything I had ever seen, I think this is even bigger than Oprah's pad.  It is just spectacular.

A good pic of all of us in the conservatory or plant aquarium...my brochure is at my mom's.  Short term memory blanks, what can I say.

This is my favorite though.  I think we could become a girl band and this could be our cover.

Melba's baby, Amanda and I attempted to do our best statue pose and I think we cracked a few people up, but no more than we cracked ourselves up. 

Here is a picture in the "Croquet" garden to get an understanding how massive it is, compare to our tiny little selves.  Holy Smokes.  And it looks warm... don't be fooled for a minute. 

Except for the "Snookie of the Carolinas" who got married that day.  Doesn't she just scream "Low Maintenance?"  (Ok, hear the sarcasm)  Check out some of her "Lovely" set up.... (just get ready)

Now she had the perfect setting.... absolute paradise.... BUT.....

Holly and Amanda admire the feather railing and sculptures.

Every wedding needs glass dealies and pink feathers... right?

And to borrow from Steel Magnolias  "It looked like the room threw up Pepto Bismol". 

And no wedding is complete without a white feather tree looking dealy. 

Now there's a marriage that is off to a good start.  (oh, i'm so bad)

My favorite picture that day was one I least suspected.  We were walking up and I snapped this picture.  Sometimes I amaze myself.    Kip would be proud of this one. 

We stayed in the mountains on Saturday and just relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful weather.  We were just lazin' around, having a perfectly great day, when someone suggested We take a "walk" in the mountains. Just about killed ourselves.  They ain't called "Mountains" for nothing.

Melba takes a rest, even before we got started....

Amanda has to show off her guns and Non- tired self...

Then leads me up into the rocks for the "perfect shot" (I came out of this alive, with no broken bones...)

While Holly warms up her ears, and Michele poses on a rock.

Yep that's me in the purple.  Does it look like I might hurl at any moment?  That's work right there.

That's about as far as Michele got.  We were rolling.

Then Michele and Amanda decided it would be way fun to slide down the hills on trashcan lids.

It sounded fun... it really did.

But it was an epic fail.   Funny as crap, though.

We finished the evening with John Travolta in Saturday Night Live and Mamma Mia.    John Travolta was one fine young looking specimen, was he not??  Too bad the movie was soooooo lame.  And to think I LOVED that movie.  It was porn!  LOL.  I had no discretion button when I was 18, obviously.  WHOA.  And we all sat there and watched it.  For. The. Love.   Of course I thought Rocky was a masterpiece at that age, too.  Like I said... no discretion.

But Mamma Mia was fantastic, even though Pierce Brosnan can not sing one lick.  But we decided he's hot enough to pull it off. . .  Barely.   

Then unfortunately it was time to go home, but not before we ran by these sights....

I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to live there.

And the GORGEOUS site where "Dirty Dancing" was filmed.  WoW.

There is nothing like good friends, good food, good sangria (still need that recipe, Renee), good movies (somewhat), good football, good conversation, good weather, good mountain views and dandy wedding parties to spice up a good weekend.

If you haven't surprised an old friend in a while, I suggest you do it. 

 It is balm for the soul.