Mountain Mama

CSP’s Mom’s (MIL) birthday was September 18. We had planned on being in the mountains for the week so we invited her along. She was really excited to get away from work and get some mountain pug love! MIL & I are both interested in old churches so I made sure to take her to see two of Valle Crucis’ oldest churches- St. John’s Episcopal est. 1862 & the Church of the Holy Cross est. 1842. We went to St. John’s first and found it all locked up. So we climbed over the gate and were looking at the church when a man pulled up in his truck.

“Are y’all trying to get in the church?”

Uh…No? Please don’t arrest us! I’m SURE committing a church crime will get you sent straight to hell! – this was going through my head as he yelled to us:

“Cause I’ve got the key & can let you in.” Score! Such a sweet, charming church! CSP wouldn’t come in. I think he was convinced we were still going to hell even though we had permission. It backfired on him though because while he stood outside enjoying the view, the church dude let me ring the church bell by pulling on the rope. You really have to put your weight behind it to get it to ring. Scared CSP’s pants off! ha! Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor??

While we were there a couple pulled up. MIL immediately made friends. They were visiting from Indiana for their anniversary. So I took some pics of them for them. I know how it is to travel as a couple and not be able to get pics together. All our vacations look like CSP went traveling with a hired photographer.

While MIL chatted with the Indiana couple CSP & I explored the cemetery. There were graves there from the 1800s. Such beautiful script carved on their grave stones.

We weren’t able to get into the Church of the Holy Cross as there was an event going on. But MIL still liked seeing the outside of it.

On her birthday night we took MIL to Vidalia in Boone for dinner. It was SO good! She & I got a little tipsy on martinis. Mine was a pomegranate martini and her’s was a vidalia onion martini. I’m not a fan of onion cocktails but mine was delish! I had yummy shrimp & grits, she had trout & CSP had beef with bleu cheese. For dessert she had a basil blueberry ice cream cake with chocolate crust & raspberry sauce. Odd combo but fabulous flavor!

She really enjoyed her birthday and we were glad to be able to have her with us. So were the pugs! Kiki especially got spoiled with Grandmama lap naps!