Take Me To The Mountains

Good Monday morning friends. I hope you had a nice weekend and feel rested and ready for the week ahead. I'm linking with Holly (Pink Lady Blog) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books) today for their regular Hello Monday hop. 

I had a really lovely weekend. Time spent with friends who've known you since you were eighteen is so good for the heart, mind, and soul. 

And that's what I had. 

Friday I drove to a friend's house in the nearby city, then we drove about two hours further into North Carolina, eventually making our way to her brother's mountain house. He generously lets us use this gorgeous home with a spectacular view for our reunions. 

We've had a few through the years, and three of them have been in this house, but it's been a number of years since our last mountain retreat. Our get togethers have been different combinations of girls and numbers, and this year there were ten of us staying in the house. 

We were all in the same sorority in college and whenever we're together it's like no time at all has passed. People ask what we do at the mountain house and the answer is talk. We talk. And we laugh a lot. A few tears are usually shed too, because we're all at an age where we're dealing with things and some of those things are hard. 

Being together is such a gift. 

Everyone trickled in on Friday and one of the girls brought BBQ from a place she likes near her Kentucky home. Others brought side dishes and cake because it's not a party without cake. I wish I had a picture but you should know (and are likely not surprised to learn) most of my pictures are of the view from the back deck. 

In fact we sat right there and had appetizers before dinner and it was hard to peel away from this beautiful spot. 

One friend also brought her college yearbooks, photo albums, and the scrapbook she made when she was a pledge which was really fun to see. We laughed and laughed at the memories some of the photos stirred up and we searched the internet for a few friends whose names came to mind who we haven't seen in a long long time. 

We stayed up way too late but we don't care. 

Saturday we woke to another gorgeous day. We had the pumpkin french toast I'd prepped the night before, along with quiche, fruit, yogurt, muffins, basically a breakfast buffet. It was delish. 

We eventually got ready for the day and loaded up into a couple of cars and made the drive down the mountain and in to Tennessee to meet a few more friends for lunch near our old university. When we were looking at dates for this get together one friend said she couldn't make the weekend because she had two weddings to attend. Then she surprised us by walking into the restaurant while we were having lunch. 

It turns out the route they were taking to the wedding brought them right past our dining spot so we all got to hug her neck and briefly catch up. So nice! 

After lunch we went over to campus and walked around. The campus is still so beautiful and we all agreed the weather was glorious. An absolutely picture perfect East Tennessee Day. 

College kids 4 decades later. 

Everyone made their way back to the mountain house, with our car making a quick pitstop on the way up  to grab some chicken and veggies from the market for the grill that night. We enjoyed more porch sitting before a delicious meal and then more cake, more laughter, more late night conversation. 

Sunday morning we awoke to yet another beautiful day. We enjoyed coffee and a very leisurely breakfast because nobody wanted to leave. We all agreed a couple more days on the mountain would be nice, but life calls and we answer. We finally packed up and with full hearts headed our separate ways.

I got home about four, unpacked, took a long shower, then blogged. Hubs made an omelet for dinner and we caught up on the weekend happenings. 

A lot of life has been lived since we girls first met. I'm not sure I could have imagined back when I was a fresh faced college student that more than 40 years later we'd still be drinking coffee together, sharing our burdens and our blessings face to face, laughing at our own hijinks, and supporting one another through every season of our lives. 

What a gift these girls have been. Continue to be. Will always be. 

"There is no greater remedy for the heart, nor sweeter comedy for the soul, 

than the company of an old friend." Bhuwan Thapaliya