I DESERVE IT, RIGHT?  by Cynthia Thomason

So are we in the doldrums yet? It’s August 15, the summer is still here and the humidity in South Florida is no doubt stifling. Usually about this time of year I’d be staying inside, cranking the air conditioning down to about 68 and pointing a portable fan in my direction. But not this year. This August I’m basking in the cool breezes of my beloved Blue Ridge Mountains. If you’ve read any of my Heartwarming books, like the last one, A Soldier's Promise, then you know I feel more at home in these mountains than I do at… well, home.

I’ve visited this part of the country several  times but I’ve always left too soon, with too much unseen and undiscovered. This year I decided to treat myself – heck, I deserve it, right?  So I arranged for a relatively affordable two month rental of a condo overlooking Grandfather Mountain, put my gear, a few snacks, and my sweet little Sparky in the car and headed north. Two days later I’m enjoying leafy green trees and bluegrass music.  And did I mention a good book read in a gently rocking swing? Ah, heaven.

I’ve never run away from home for so long a time but I’m relishing every day. These two months will be the guilty pleasure that will sustain me through October, when it’s still hot in Florida and I’ll only have my memories of the mountains.

What about you? Have you ever run away to your special paradise or treated yourself in a manner you never thought you would? I’d love to hear about it. You deserve it too!

Happy almost end of summer everyone.

Cynthia (Showing Sparky and I saying Hi)




Comments

  1. First of all, thank you for sharing the picture of you with Sparky. As I absolutely love dogs, any post with a pic of a dog in it will draw my attention. He's very cute.

    I've commented about our cottage previously. It has been my retreat for over thirteen years now. It's not a traditional Ontario cottage. It is more of a sanctuary, with no other cottages in sight, our own private lake and our property backs onto thousands of acres of Crown land. The house itself is on a knoll, in a valley, overlooking the lake.

    When we purchased our principal residence, which also has some land associated with it, my friends anticipated that the cottage would be sold because they thought our home would satisfy my need for wide, open spaces. Not so.

    The cottage, to me, is much like the Blue Ridge Mountains are to you. I love to sit on our deck with a mug of coffee, a good book and our pups, Harley and Logan, stretched out at my feet.

    I hope you and Sparky have a wonderful time!

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    1. Kate, your cottage sounds wonderful. It's nice that we both share our favorite places with our four-legged loves.
      Cynthia

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    2. It wouldn't be the same without them!

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    3. I'm with you, Kate, love the Sparky photo. Boy are you both lucky to have escape destinations!!!

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  2. Sounds wonderful! I love the Blue Ridge. You and Sparky enjoy!

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  3. I tried to apply for that Amtrak writer's getaway thingy but I didn't win. My getaway happens when the kiddos are at school! I guess that's my "staycation." :)

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    1. fair enough, Dana. I remember those staycations!
      Cynthia

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  4. Oh! I would love to win the Amtrak writer's getaway! Once my daughter told me they were going to St. Louis for a few days and would I like to....come take care of the horses. (they had 5 in stalls that had to be led back and forth to a pasture every day). It actually turned out to be a great writing weekend. Just me and the horses and their 3 cats and 4 dogs. :-)

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  5. Cindy, I've made 2 trips through the Blue Ridge Mountains---both times as a wide-eyed tourist. I love the area. I set a Superromance in the area, a book Heartwarming reprinted as Hearts Entwined in the early days of Heartwarming. I've had a retreat I loved in my past life--Orcas Island off state of Washington. To unwind from a hectic job a treat for me was to drive to Anacortes and take the ferry ride to the island. We'd poke in shops, eat lunch and take the ferry back at the end of the day and my well for life was refilled. Thanks for helping me just go back there in my mind today.

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    1. Roz, I'll have to find your Blue Ridge book! The island sounds great too. Next to mountains, I love islands!
      Cynthai

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  6. That selfie with you and Sparky is great!! I live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge in VA and I love it. But it's home...kids, pets and all...so it's not exactly a getaway. However, it's rural and beautiful enough that even a little time spent outside on our property (by myself lol) is relaxing. The closest I've come recently to getting away for a 'me' trip was going to Nationals. It's a busy trip by the only dedicated 'me' trip I do once a year. I would really love (and I need) to take a totally relaxing trip away from it all...to a cabin or a quiet beach. That would be nice:).

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    1. Nice meeting you at nationals, Rula. See you next year.Cynthia

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  7. You look so happy and Sparky is adorable! Your getaway sounds like a wise business decision for a writers, actually, and could be considered a tax write-off (ahem). I live in the Adirondack Mountains and I know what you mean about loving that kind of wild beauty and the coolness you can find in no other place... except it gets artic up here come December... sigh... My getaway place has been a trip to Disney my family takes every five years with our daughter Danielle. She loves it and we love it, too. Sadly, I bring her to her freshman year in college in a little over a week and I don't imagine she'll want to keep going back... maybe she will... of course there's always grandchildren someday :)

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    1. Karen, don't count on it. Disney is forever! My son went to Disney World for his honeymoon! Once my granddaughter was born, it was an instant excuse to go every other year. I bet you find yourself standing in line before you know it!!!

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  8. Our temp in Phoenix is only 103 today (relatively cool) but the humidity is up there, thanks to some welcome monsoon rain. I'd love to be able to run away to a cooler local. Soak up as much of that mountain air as you can.

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  9. I'm with Marion in Phoenix and we're the fifth largest city in the U.S. From my house I can walk to McDonalds (2 of them) Arbys, Subway, Taco Bell (2 of them)... need I go on. But, my family loves the outdoors. We camp! 20 miles in to the Cocanino forest. We talk of a cabin, but then we pay the bills and buy a new lego and we're out of money LOL

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  10. Cynthia - how nice to see you and Sparky having what sounds like such a wonderful time. Our vacations have always been to visit family or to go to conferences, so not much real getting away for us. Of course, we live in one of our country's most beautiful spots, and the view of the Columbia River has never gotten old for me. I notice it every single day and think - wow. We're so lucky to be here. I guess my getting away would be in writing my books. Sometimes I use this familiar location, but the world is different, so that works. Do continue to soak up that renewing atmosphere!

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    1. I agree, Muriel. Our books can be vacations.
      Cynthia

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  11. What a great getaway! I live in the mountains now, but I'm city girl at heart so I schedule trips for shopping and restaurants and traffic noise. I do like to take a week, pack up my dog Jack, and head for a condo on a lake somewhere. We walk until we nap. It's a good setup! And it's also as close to camping/roughing it as I like to be.

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    1. Cheryl I remember you telling me about your rural area at dinner at nationals. It sound like a vacation spot too me!
      Cynthia

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  12. All the places you other authors write about just sound so amazing to me.the kind of places I only see in films.please keep on writing about The Blue Ridge mountains.they sound so romantic and totally awesome.

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  13. Cynthia, how lovely! You DO deserve it--enjoy. I live very close to both the Cascade Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, so either of those places make a great get-away for me. I'd love to do what you're doing though and take off for a couple months!!

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    1. I know, right? Two months. I can hardly believe it myself.
      Cynthia

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  14. Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the mountains!! I have never run away for more than a week, but rather we take short trips to Asheville and its surrounding towns, as well as Tennessee (Gatlinburg, Seveirville, Pigeon Forge) a few times a year. Every two or three months I tell my husband I'm yearning to see the Great Smokies and we plan a short trip there. I'm always in awe of that smoky blue haze surrounding those massive mountains. The Great Smoky National Park and the Blue Ridge Pkwy. are my favorites. I'm so fortunate to live in N.C. where we can be in Asheville in less than two hours. Have a GREAT time. ( :

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    1. I know all those places. Yes, you are very lucky Laurie. Takes me two days.
      Cynthia

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  15. Cynthia, I envy your running away. I so want to do that--but my extended family is actually in Laurie's favorite places, and I was brought up on a beach, so I'm going to have to split my escape into two jaunts! I've been loving your photos on FB! Glad you've had such a wonderful time!

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