favorite

Coming Home

/ The WheatandTares / 8 Comments

Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?

My two favorite books from my childhood were Homecoming and Dicey’s Song by Cynthia Voigt. I had to choose two because these are a set, and well. I’m a bit indecisive.

These books captured my attention and took me away into a heartwarming, albeit sometimes heartbreaking, story about family.

Dicey is the main protagonist , and she is a beautiful young girl, not necessarily in appearance but rather in spirit. She and her three siblings are abandoned in a mall parking lot in Connecticut by their mother who has simply gone insane, and the novels follow the journey of their survival on foot and their surprise arrival at their grandmother’s rundown farm in Maryland.

I became lost in Dicey’s world, imagining I was a mixture of her spunk and tenacity along with a bit loner but very smart personality of her oldest younger brother. I loved every minute of these novels and even picked them up a few more times before the end of my school days.

Even as I reread some of the plot tonight to refresh my memory from all those many moons ago, I noticed there’s another several in the set. I may just have to pick a few back up and read a while…

A sweet and pretty realistic series to be enjoyed by one and all. If you’ve got some time over the summer and want to enjoy a little young adult reading, take a minute to check it out. You might just like it.

Tuesday’s Treats #15

/ The WheatandTares

Rico’s World Kitchen

Location: Buford, Ga

Rico’s is a cool little eclectic restaurant in the heart of Historic Buford. Buford is the town famous for The Mall of Georgia, but sometimes the downtown can get missed, because it’s a few Mike’s away from the mall. Rico’s has been listed in several magazines and articles as one of the best places to eat in Georgia, and I completely understand why. Their food is unique, and it tastes incredible!

Pictured above is their sandwich called, “The Chicken Cuban.” I promise you, when you first bite into it, you will think it is a wonderful pork Cuban. It’s all in the marinade. The first time my husband orders it, he called the waitress over and she knew before he even asked what he was going to say. She assured him it was chicken, and it was due to the marinade and cooking process. He thinks it’s the best chicken sandwich on the planet.

I do think it’s wonderful; however, I’d have to say their “Royal Rooster” is my all time favorite. They (now – it used to be just one) take TWO chicken breast, marinate them in a habanero sauce and fry them, place them on a bun with tomato, lettuce, and mayo. Now, I switch mine up just a little, because I sub in smoked Gouda for the Swiss, and I only have it with lettuce and the bun.

You have a choice of inside dining and outside patio, both are nice. If you time your meal just right, you’ll also get the treat of watching the train run through downtown. I always love that..I guess, I’m still a kid at heart. 😊

They always have the best sweet tea (yes, this is the South! 😉), a creative and delicious daily special and beautiful desserts on display. If you haven’t been to Rico’s, you’ll want to try it! Here is their website for more information.

For Pure Fun

/ The WheatandTares / 16 Comments

Ok, so, I saw this picture the other day, and I proceeded to set this to post, and I completely forgot to finish it! Ugh. I’m so sorry to you guys who opened this this morning and thought, “Um, ok…?”

Now, I will complete this…

Source: @PatsyClairmont

 

A movie I have watched more than five times and would watch again and again would have to be my favorite movie, While You Were Sleeping. This movie is over-the-top-romantic, and as my husband says, I am a “sucka for love;” so, I suppose it totally fits. 😊

If you haven’t seen it yet, pull it off Netflix, snuggle up to your loved one and watch it tonight…or if you have to work early in the morning, plan it for Friday night.😉  This movie is so sweet, so practical, and so realistic. The extremity of circumstances is definitely “movie worthy,” but the thought that you could actually fall in love with someone else when your ‘first love’ is a complete fantasy is totally realistic. I won’t give you the spoilers; so, you can watch and enjoy, but you’ll see what I mean when you follow the story.

I’m also a big fan of Sandra Bullock’s delightful personality and Bill Pullman’s charming smile. These two are great together on the screen. The movie has a couple of other actors who are not so small in name, and they work together to make this one of the best romantic comedies.

There are a few other movies I can watch over and over, too. These would have to include… The Lord of the Rings trilogy, White Christmas, Sleepless in Seattle, Little Women (Katherine Hepburn), Tombstone (edited 😉), El Dorado, Jeremiah Johnson, … Yeah, you could say I’m pretty much a “classic, eclectic, hopeless romantic cowgirl!” 😂😂

I’ve also seen almost every animated movie there is at least twice, and some I can even quote verbatim; however, I might have to say these lend themselves more to my sons’ choosings at various stages. Lol!

So, what about you? What’s a favorite movie of yours? Is there one you’ve seen a gazillion times and would still watch it again? Feel free to share. I’d love to know! 😊

Wednesday’s Ode #49

/ The WheatandTares / 3 Comments

Welcome to my Wednesday’s Ode. This is where I tell of something I absolutely love and why. It has been fun doing these over the (almost) past year; however, these are coming to a close next week. I believe they have run their course, and I’d like to start something new with you. Thank you so much for being here with me, for reading, and for all your lovely comments and wonderful support. I am so thankful for you, and I hope you will continue with me on this journey of writing and discovering! 😉

So, today, I’d like to repost one of my favorite Wednesday’s Ode, and maybe, one of the longest, as well. (I hope you don’t mind!) It’s about one of my very favorite towns, and I do hope you enjoy it! 🙂


I absolutely love Highlands, NC! At over 4,000 feet in elevation, it is the second highest town on the East Coast, and it is simply a wonderful little town. If you’ve ever visited Gatlinburg, Tn, we always say Highlands is everything Gatlinburg should be…without all the Tshirt shops and commercializations. It is simply beautiful, and if you’ve never been, I encourage you to make a trip! It is a definite favorite for me and my husband, as we spent our first and second honeymoons here, and due to the cooler temperature year-round, we come here at least 4-6 times a year, if not a good many more.


It’s not a big city. It’s a quaint little mountain town with a little bit of “high society” living. They’ve got wonderful accommodations, restaurants and shops. One of my favorites is The Old Edwards Inn; the character of this place is incredible. They have a library, in which, you can actually find a book to sit and enjoy, high vaulted ceilings and even a hidden butler pantry where the staff may come to serve the guests. Their restaurant, Madison’s, has some of the best shrimp and grits I’ve ever put in my mouth…and being a Southern girl, that’s quite a bit! They have inside seating, a wine garden with outside seating, and even a rooftop terrace where you can choose to have your meal.   Now just imagine: a lovely rooftop terrace, with beautiful shutters, table settings and cushioned seating, overlooking the little town, and a gentle summer breeze blowing in the “heat” of summer with ceiling fans gently rolling. The temperature gauge rising no more than about 70-72 degrees, because you’re at such a high elevation! The waiter brings you a pleasant cheese and cracker tray for an appetizer, “just right” sweet Southern tea, mini biscuits and cornbread made fresh daily, and your meal consists of fish and chips and the best shrimp and grits you’ve ever tasted. They even serve the shrimp and grits in a mini iron crock; so, they stay warm throughout the duration of the meal. It is a fine Southern meal to remember! 😉


   Doesn’t that look just awesome?! …It tastes even better!!

For dessert, you’ll want to walk down the street to Kilwin’s, where you can choose homemade fudge and chocolates, or you can choose from a mass variety of Mayfield ice cream. The pralines and chocolate dipped Nutter Butters, PB cups and Oreos are some of my family’s faves; however, my personal favorite is the turtle caramel apple! They take a Granny Smith Apple, dip it in caramel, roll it in pecans and, then, drizzle it with chocolate, and they will slice it right there for you; so, you don’t have to try to bite into that monstrosity! It is divine!!  If you’d like a wonderful cup of coffee with your dessert, you can also find it there; however, I prefer a cup of Buck’s Coffee, preferably a cup of white chocolate mocha, just across the street. Outside Kilwin’s is a brick patio with lots of umbrella tables and chairs where you can enjoy your coffee and yummy desserts, and on Friday and Saturday evenings, often times, they will have a live bluegrass, country (or other Southern genre) band playing. It’s simply a delightful ending for a great day.

These things have just got to be in heaven!

Now, if you’d like to work off some of those delicious calories you’ve added to your waistline during your stay, they have a ton of shops for you to find any number of items, and they have a numerous amount of hikes for you to explore. You can stop by the Highland Hiker and pick up a local booklet of all the Day Hikes Of Highlands, and explore till your heart is content. You can check the local weather and head out for a delightful, cool climat-ed, adventure.

We, personally, love Dry Falls, Glenn Falls, Sunset Rock and Whiteside Mountain. Dry Falls had recently had a remodeling of the parking lot and walkway, and it’s an incredibly easy walk to a beautiful waterfall which you can walk behind. When it has had a lot of recent waterfall, the roar can be so loud that you can barely hear each other talk while standing behind it. Glenn Falls is a little bit longer of a hiker but definitely an easy one. Many people who go to this one say they’ve always ended up at the bottom of the falls, but haven’t ever been to the top. Upon starting out, there is a sign to the falls on the left, and to another location on the right. Choose the left; then, a little bit further down the trail, there is a fork in the road where you must choose the right side path in order to get to the top of the falls. The left path takes you to the bottom. We always choose the top of the falls, because we like to put out feet in the water, but please, please be careful here! There are no boundaries once you cross over the overlook area. You can get as close to the edge as you’d like, and if you have adventurous boys like mine, your mother’s heart can very easily suffer about three heart attacks during your enjoyment of the view and the cool waters!!

 …WAY too close, JGrizz!!

If you are visiting the area with your significant other, Sunset Rock is a must! You drive to it, and walk just a tiny path that opens up to an incredible sheer-faced rock that overlooks the town of Highlands. The view from here at sunset definitely earns its name! If you’d prefer to just drive to the many water falls, you can pick up a map, head out and literally drive under Bridal Falls and drive around to see many others. Just beware of the very curvy, and often, very narrow highway you must travel to see these. You might want to have a designated driver who doesn’t want to sightsee and drive! Haha.

If you’d prefer a bit longer hike, Whiteside  Mountain is a great choice. We hiked here during our honeymoon week and saw our first Peregrine Falcon face to face. The little snapshot camera I had (these were the days before iPhones and digitals!) didn’t really do it justice, but he was about 3-4 feet from us and just seemed to sit there and simile for the camera. The hike is pleasant, and the views are simply breathtaking!

If you are on the East Coast and have never been to Highlands, it is well worth the trip!! It is a beautiful town that is surrounded with breathtaking sights, and the weather, especially in the summertime, is a very welcome delight! If shopping, hiking and sightseeing is your kind of thing, this is definitely a must-see!