Kennesaw, Georgia: Flowers and Butterflies

Nine days…nine glorious, peaceful days in Kennesaw, Georgia with my son, my daughter-in-law (my webmaster…thank you, Melissa!), and my charming granddaughter. I did no sight-seeing, unless you count the drive to Alpharetta to buy a new computer battery.  No, I spent every available moment with the family.  

Random Fish Picture

I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who said, "Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days." I generally try to be aware of this sentiment when traveling, so while I desired a longer visit, I strived to take notice of any hints that suggested I might be stinking and needed to move along. 

 

But something else happened:  A pleasing aroma germinated, reminding me of flowers and butterflies, springtime and high school graduation--a time many years ago when I provided a home for this son, the setting for the courtship of his young bride.  Yes, familiarity blossomed and there was no foul odor, because families accept and love one another.

Thank you, Kennesaw family, for a most pleasant visit.  From the food to the gaming (Did you delete my character, Lynzey?), to playing with Jorja, to working on the blog with Melissa (Thank you!)--I had a most relaxing stay.

And how educated I have become from my Georgia family!  First, Melissa gave me blogging lessons---adding links, pictures, etc. to my posts; she helped set up my PayPal account (yes, you can donate money to me!), and she formatted pictures in order that my YouTube page would reflect the Tripping Julie theme.  

And while I am still a novice, she handles all of my mistakes and requests so that you, dear friend, will have a pleasant experience on my blog page.

Next, my son supervised me as I set up my tent for the first time.  It took me about twenty minutes, but one would have thought I had been hiking ten miles before setting up camp.  Perspiration was dripping off of my nose, my face had turned a bright red, and I was breathing quite heavily as I stood proudly, "Ta dah!"  Yes, I had completed the test, but I could see doubt in his eyes…

Finally, after spending awhile poring over the US map with me, circling "must see" locations, and discussing roads, my son plotted a path to my next stop, Gatlinburg.  I have to point out that I have had my Prius for 18 months, and yes, it is equipped with a navigation system, but I have been simply picking one of the three routes offered, occasionally venturing off the path, confident that the kind lady inside the dash will sweetly adjust my route with no harsh words. I really thought I knew how to use the navigation system, but I discovered that I had been faking it.

Well, fake no more, Milli Vanilli, because before heading out of Georgia, my son sat in the car with me and programmed my navigator to take me on the best drive ever from his house to Gatlinburg, the tale of which you will find in my next blog.

In the meantime,  thank you, Lynzey, Melissa, and Jorja, for your fine, Southern hospitality.  Until next time, I'll be tripping…

julie