Rocking Chair Heaven

I am back in the Land of Enchantment, but I will miss the heavenly land of rocking chairs.

My first visit to North Carolina was not the typical road trip/Holiday Inn trek across a state. I was privileged to spend 4 days at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville.

This amazing resort is all about ambiance and a comfortable, home-away-from home feeling. The rooms are filled with antiques; two-story high fireplaces roar at night and fill the 16' wide face with dancing flames as visitors sit (and rock, and talk) in a long line of rocking chairs as they enjoy the crackling fire.

Paned windows look out over Asheville and the colorful autumn trees creating a patchwork quilt over rolling hills, and carefully positioned two-at-a-time with a small table in-between are rocking chairs. Guests can sit and work, or make a call, or just look at the truly amazing scenery.

Various wings of the gigantic U-shaped main building have small meeting rooms tucked into and tacked onto corners. These rooms have comfortable over-stuffed couches, leather chairs and more rocking chairs.

As I was flying out earlier today, wishing I had more time to explore North Carolina, I wandered through the Charlotte Airport, and lo and behold, casually placed along over 150' of window looking out at the runways - rocking chairs again.

I love North Carolina. And I love the South. It's a beautiful place of gentile people, manners, khaki pants, yummy bbq, grits, bread pudding and lots and lots of rocking chairs.

What could be more comforting?  I am so glad I was able to visit.

And now that I am home, I think I will rock a bit in my own antique rocker.

The Jackson 5 "Rockin Robin"

So many pages, so little time

I am at the State Policy Network (SPN) Annual Conference in Asheville, North Carolina. This is my first time in the South and I am in love (again), but this time it's for real. Or at least it feels like it is. What a beautiful state North Carolina is...

Part of this conference is networking between state policy think tanks from around the nation and many of the organizations have collateral displayed on tables for us to grab. (I always have to UPS my "take" home after a conference).

Today I was perusing the tables and found a list books to read on what was called a Lifetime Reading Plan and included books such as 1984, Orwell, Atlas Shrugged, Rand, Dynamics of World History, Dawson, The Closing of the American Mind, Bloom, books on Reagan, Lincoln and more. After looking through the list of 100 books, I have decided that if I started reading tonight I might finish the list on my death bed.

I am 55 and I am still hungry for knowledge. I love the experience of learning, exploring, discovering and understanding. I love to learn. I am curious. I am like a sponge. I hunger for it, I always have.

So, to read or not to read is not even a question.

So many pages, so little time.

But I am in a beautiful place to start the journey...

North Carolina Song