Christmas 2013 in Charlotte…
For Christmas Jan and I joined the Hocketts in Charlotte. The Grandkids, Grace and David, supplied plenty of entertainment. Danny smoked a turkey for the first time. It turned out scrumptious! We ate like royalty. In the afternoon Diane, Amy and Eric joined us bring more culinary delights. It was a grand day.
Thanksgiving at the Ely’s House in Atlanta…
For Thanksgiving the Hocketts, Elys and Smiths convened in Atlanta. The Hocketts stayed in Amy’s new digs while Nonna and I lodged at the Emory Conference Center Hotel. The Conference Center’s architecture was Frank Lloyd Wright like and all the furniture was ‘Arts and Crafts’ (Mission) style. Jan and I fell in love again with that look. So much so that we refurnished our family room with Stickley Furniture for our joint Christmas gift.
Labor Day and Florida Camp…
Over Labor Day the Elys came for Florida Camp. We packed a lot of activity into the short visit. Much time was spent around the the pool. Fritz and Heather Leibler were with Bob and Rita next door so their kids, Vivian and Beatrix, spent time in the pool too. Skye was beside herself with all the playmates. We also went boating on Lake Harris. Each of the kids got to be Skipper and pilot the boat. Since boating can be an adventure we ended the day coming home in a rainstorm. No lightening. Thank God. We had fun. I guess Papa will always be a Camp Counselor at heart no matter how old I get. I never do want to fully mature, you know!
Family Trip to Fripp Island in June…
In the middle of June the crews from Atlanta, Charlotte and Leesburg loaded everything but the kitchen sink in their cars and headed for a family vacation on Fripp Island, South Carolina. Since selling the mountain house this was our first adventure to a new place. Erin researched and found a beautiful house to rent right on the gorgeous beach. The house and setting were perfect! We celebrated Amy’s 40th birthday. We presented her with a ‘Book of Memories’ made from many photos and letters from friends. (Erin and Nonna did a wonderful job.) We also celebrated Danny’s birthday.
The adults and five grandkids enjoyed the ocean, exploring the island, catching crabs, building sandcastles, watching shrimpers in the moonlight and deer visiting. Every evening and morning deer came to feed in our yard. They live on the island and are abundant. The sunsets and full moon were breathtaking.
Good time with our family!
Thanks, Jimmy Buffett for the music!
The Story of Our ‘Mountain House’…
We SOLD the house in North Carolina.
March 1 marked the end of an era for the Smith family. It all began with the New Smyrna Beach condominium. Many wonderful years were spent on that beach, in that pool, on those golf courses, fishing, boating and sailing those waters. Then Mom and Dad sold the beach place and bought a house in Holly Forrest near Cashiers, North Carolina. Within a year they decided to build a house up there. They got an architect (Allen Brown) who helped to design a home that would accommodate the whole family. It had four bathrooms and bedrooms with essentially five sleeping areas if you include the basement that had two sleeping sofas. They had already found a lot. The lot had it’s own creek and it overlooked the second green of Sapphire Country Club. Several of the friends from The Country Club of Orlando had purchased lots. Some were building homes. They loved the place. Soon their home was under construction.
They had found their place. It would evolve into spending seven or eight months in North Carolina and three or four in Florida. There were a few occasions when both Debbie’s family and ours came to see them at the same time. Having visitors was their ultimate pleasure. Mom especially looked forward to ‘having company.’ Eventually Mom and Dad were entertaining their Great Grandchildren. In 2006 they both passed away here in Florida. Both sides of the family continued to use the house which I am sure would have made them happy.
Our family began to make regular trips to the house from the beginning. For us it was a welcome change from sub tropical Florida to the cool mountains. After Mom and Dad’s passing and our retirements, Jan and I began to spend more time between April and November up there. Amy and Erin’s families met us there as often as they could. Debbie’s kids also made good use of the house. Here are some of our highlights over the years.
The Fourth of July celebration at Lake Fairfield on the grassy banks of the lake watching spectacular fireworks with a symphony orchestra playing patriotic music. We brought our blankets, snacks and drinks, found a spot and waited for sundown. Then there were countless hikes to waterfalls that are so numerous in this part of North Carolina (supposedly more waterfall here than anywhere in the eastern US). These hikes were rock throwing opportunities for the kids. There were annual golf trips with David’s buddies which began with Mom and Dad as hosts and continued after they were gone. Then there were trips to the Cashiers Playground with the grandkids, lunches at the Cornucopia with family and friends. Of course there was antiquing in Highlands, Cashiers and Brevard. Back at the house there were fires in the fireplace which was a real treat for Floridians. Down at our creek the kids searched for rubies, sapphires and other gems. Golf cart rides all around the development was a hit with the kids. Skye (our golden retriever) loved to get in the cart and go to the river to fetch the ball from the cool water. Of course each year ended with a “leafing trip” in October to enjoy the spectacular colors which we Floridians don’t otherwise see. Then we closed the house for the winter to be taken care of by our friend Bruce Hutchinson.
For me it was an opportunity to fly fish which I had begun when we lived in Atlanta while I attended Emory. My love of fly fishing intensified when we lived in New Mexico where I had the opportunity to fish most of our western states. At the house on Staircase Falls Road I was a short five minute golf cart ride to be fishing the Horsepasture River. Or in just a few minutes in the car I could be fishing other western North Caroline creeks and rivers. I was hooked. Danny soon was hooked also. By the end most of the grandkids got a taste of the joys of fishing.
It became a place for reunions, visits and even a wedding since Erin and Danny were married there. SO many wonderful memories. It is a bitter sweet passing of an era. We were Blessed. I am Grateful.