Fairy Crosses -- A 2,000 year-old legend... - 03/30/08 08:32 PM
Two thousand years ago, so the Cherokee legend of Fairy Crosses begins, the "Yunwi Tsunsdi," or Little People, lived in the beautiful mountains of what is now North Georgia and Western North Carolina.  Shy and elusive creatures, the Little People were revered throughout the Cherokee Nation for their ability to find people lost in the thickly forested mountains of the region.
One evening, while the Little People were enjoying an enchanted celebration of dance, music and song, a foreign messenger arrived bearing the sad news of the Crucifixion of the Son of the Great Creator.  So moved were the Little People … (14 comments)

Sunrise Valley Dr., Blue Ridge, GA -- Sweet Deal on Sugar Creek! - 03/24/08 04:53 PM
Sunrise Valley Drive, Blue Ridge, GA--Sweet Deal on Sugar Creek!Location: Sunrise ValleyCreekfront lodge on beautiful Sugar Creek...Enjoy over 500' of creek frontage and a beautifully crafted three-bedroom, three-bath log cabin. A spacious interior boasts a large Great Room with exposed beams; french doors to the expansive decks and two-levels of screened porches; a rock fireplace; and many unique upgrades. The elegant master suite has a private porch and sitting loft to enjoy the lovely mountain, pasture and creek views. A full finished basement boasts a family room; full bath; two more rooms for guests or an office; plus a workshop/utility room!Convenient … (4 comments)

Show of hands...Who loves Waffle House? - 03/24/08 09:54 AM
"Welcome to Waffle House!!" That's what the combined chorus of voices greets you with as you walk through the door of what may be the most iconic restaurant in the South.
The Waffle House chain began its storied journey in 1955 when the first restaurant opened in Avondale Estates, a suburb of Atlanta. Since then, the chain has grown to over 1,500 restaurants in 25 states (pity the other 25 states!).
Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the restaurant has served presidents, celebrities and "common folk" alike. It was even the site of a much publicized dust-up Kid Rock … (21 comments)

Hi, Honeys...I'm home! - 03/23/08 08:54 AM
Whew...I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Florida. The trip served a dual purpose--I took my teenage daughter down there for Spring Break, and I visited some Florida agents to try to encourage referral business. 
As far as being in close proximity to my teenage daughter for five days...I really should get combat pay!! Don't get me wrong, she's a good kid...but she's still a teenage girl and--like all teenage girls--she seems to be genetically hard-wired to find every possible "hot button" in her mom and push it!! 
First of all, finding a neutral radio station was an exhausting task by … (15 comments)

Running, Biking and Paddling...The Blue Ridge Mountain Adventure Race - 03/16/08 09:01 AM
BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE RACE
April 12, 2008 -- 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Running, biking and paddling for 35 miles is definitely NOT my idea of a good time! Yet, for some hardy souls, the Blue Ridge Mountain Adventure Race is an event that draws them back to the North Georgia mountains year after year. 
I would, however, LOVE to come up with a team name!  Here are some that others have used in years past that are hilarious:
3 Jews in a Boat
Coach Says it's Okay to Bleed from the Ears
Two Bitches & One Lucky Dog
For Those About to Bonk, We Salute You
No, … (3 comments)

L18 Major Ridge Rd., Blue Ridge, GA - Fightingtown Creek Frontage! - 03/15/08 03:30 PM
L18 Major Ridge Rd., Blue Ridge--Fightingtown Creek Frontage!Location: GoleegaFightingtown Creek Frontage -- ON BOTH SIDES of the creek!! Casa Bella Vista...Refined 3-bedroom, 2-bath log cabin w/ detached 2-car garage on over 4 acres.Split floor plan with spacious living room & fireplace; roomy eat-in kitchen; game loft w/ pool table; laundry on main. Watch the shimmering waters of Fightingtown Creek from the 2-level screened porch. Access to the creek is gentle & offers many great fishing or swimming spots!Cabin on successful rental program. InformationContact Information Kim Southernkimsouthern@tds.net404-435-6470Contact Reply FormForward to a FriendView Other FlyersPricingAsking Price: $399,000Additional Pricing Information: May be purchased fully-furnished … (10 comments)

Major Ridge Rd., Blue Ridge, GA -- Fightingtown Creek Frontage!! - 03/15/08 03:23 PM
L19 Major Ridge Rd., Blue Ridge, GA -- Fightingtown Creek FrontageLocation: GoleegaFightingtown Creek Frontage!!! Over 250' of FRONTAGE ON BOTH SIDES!! Split floor plan: 2 bedroom, 2-bath on main; living room w/ fireplace; roomy eat-in kitchen w/ unique rustic wood center island; laundry on main; game loft w/ pool table. Outdoor living is easy on the spacious screened porch w/ hot tub & cast-iron stove overlooking the exuberant waters of Fightingtown Creek. Access to the creek is gentle, and w/ 500' of frontage, you're sure to find just the right spot for fishing or swimming. On over 4 acres; detached 2-car … (0 comments)

Major Ridge Rd., Blue Ridge, GA -- Fightingtown Creek Frontage!! - 03/15/08 03:18 PM
L20 Major Ridge Rd., Blue Ridge, GA -- Fightingtown Creek FrontageLocation: GoleegaFightingtown Creek frontage ON BOTH sides of the creek! Rustic elegance is your in this 3-bedroom, 2-bath log cabin on over 4 acres. Spacious floor plan: All wood interior; open living room w/ fireplace; large eat-in kitchen; game loft; laundry on main.Enjoy the pasture views from the screened porch in the front, and of beautiful Fightingtown Creek on the back screened porch. Gentle access to Fightingtown Creek for your recreational pleasure! Propery is on successful rental program & can be purchased fully-furnished for $393,000.InformationContact Information Kim Southernkimsouthern@tds.net404-435-6470Contact Reply FormForward to … (0 comments)

Hell HAS frozen over...I agree with President Bush! - 03/15/08 09:32 AM
Speaking to members of the Economic Club of New York yesterday, President Bush had this to say:
"I'm coming to you as an optimistic fellow, I've seen what happens when America deals with difficulty. I believe that we're a resilient economy. And I believe that the ingenuity and resolve of the American people is what helps us deal with these issues, and it's going to happen again."
Heaven help me, I never thought I'd hear these words coming out of my mouth, but I couldn't agree with President Bush more!
Born of a legitimate concern over the current downturn in the nation's economy--and particularly, in … (20 comments)

There's Art in Them Thar Hills!--Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Association - 03/13/08 11:16 PM
Towards the middle of Spring, the mountains of North Georgia are positively boisterous--awash in a riot of color and sound.  This is the Spring that gets all the attention, that garners all the accolades. 
Yet, for me, it is early Spring that I find most beautiful.  The daffodils--those early risers--are in bloom, but most of the other flowers and blooming trees are still asleep, still getting their beauty rest. 
It is now that the trees covering the mountain sides begin their journey from barren boughs to life-filled branches.  They begin to take on almost imperceptible hues of reds and greens. Each passing day brings an ever-so-slightly heightened intensity of … (4 comments)

Fannin Tobacco and Candy Company--A Unique Building With a Unique History - 03/09/08 12:26 PM
Fannin Tobacco and Candy Company
Visitors strolling down the charming main street of downtown Blue Ridge will encounter a red brick building that would have been far more at home in the 1930's or 1940's. Most of the buildings in downtown Blue Ridge are equally as old and equally as quaint.  What makes this particular building so unique are the Red Man tobacco murals plastered on either side of the building and the King Edward Cigar sign just under the name of the company that still operates a business here: Fannin Tob. & Candy Co.
The building, and the business itself, seem to … (4 comments)

Food for Thought Article of the Day -- Let the Bankruptcy Courts Untangle the Mortgage Mess? - 03/08/08 07:50 AM
My Today's Food for Thought article appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/2008/03/05/mortgageed_0306.html
I think this is a well-reasoned approach to solution to a very complex problem -- solving the current mortgage crisis. The article suggests letting bankruptcy courts be the ultimate arbiters of mortgage relief, just as they are with other types of loan obligations.
 
… (2 comments)

It's the End of the World as We Know It ... And I Feel Fine! - 03/06/08 04:10 PM
I am a total news junkie!  I check three newspapers every morning on-line: The New York Times & Washington Post for world/national news & the political columnists, and The Atlanta-Journal Constitution for local news, plus they have some very fine columnists, as well.  (Then, of course, I move on to my new favorite on-line site--Active Rain!)
That means that every single day I start my morning reading what to most would seem like very depressing stories about the woes of the housing market.  And every time I read one, I think the same thing: Good! Hopefully there are agents out there who will … (14 comments)

"The Housing Fix" -- Do you agree? - 03/05/08 10:23 AM
I like this well-reasoned op-ed that ran in today's Washington  Post.  It is a good counter-balance to most of what we're hearing these days.  Let me know if you agree.
The Housing Fix
By Robert J. Samuelson - Washington PostWednesday, March 5, 2008; A21
"Decline in Home Prices Accelerates"
-- Page One headline, the Wall Street Journal, Feb. 27
Gloom. Doom. Calamity. Home prices are tumbling. We're bombarded by somber reports. But wait. This is actually good news, because lower home prices are the only real solution to the housing collapse. The sooner prices fall, the better. The longer the adjustment takes, the longer the housing slump … (4 comments)

Lake Blue Ridge - Crown Jewel of Georgia's Lakes - 03/04/08 09:57 AM
Lake Blue Ridge
The crystal clear aquamarine waters of Lake Blue Ridge make it one of Georgia's most picturesque mountain lakes. The 3,290-acre lake and surrounding area boast over 90 national forest campsites, several boat ramps, a full-service marina and public swimming and picnic areas. 80 percent of the shoreline on Lake Blue Ridge is in the Chattahoochee National Forest, managed by the USDA Forest Service.
Morganton Point Campground, in Morganton, features a public swimming area, along with 43 campsites, picnic tables and pavilion and a boat ramp. Another boat ramp is available at Lakewood Landing near Morganton. The Lake Blue Ridge Marina … (2 comments)

10,000 by Friday...You In? - 03/03/08 07:21 AM
 
I've resolved to hit the 10,000 points mark by Friday. 
Here are the goals I have set:
A post a day - 200 points a day, 1000 points by Friday10 comments a day - 250 points per day, 1250 points by Friday If I stick to these goals, I will actually exceed 10,000 points on Thursday, but I'm leaving myself some wiggle room in case I'm a slacker one day this week (Me? A slacker? You bet! Why do you think I have to set these goals?). 
I'm hoping to get others to join me.  Set a point goal for Friday--for me it's 10,000, for … (32 comments)