Travel – Page 2 – Karla's Cottage

A holiday surprise

By Karla Nathan / December 16, 2023

Yesterday I returned from another quick trip to Indiana.

This time it was to surprise my family at their annual ornament exchange party.

It has been too long since I’ve been to one. The last Christmas I remember being there was when it was held at my mom’s. And that was before Sugarwings was born.

Holidays with grand babies took over any free time I would have during busy Decembers. I had lots of weekend craft fairs to set up back then too.

Then not too much later, my sisters and started our Sister Trip traditions and we’d typically get time in Florida together each fall. My drives to Indiana came to be made for other occasions, not the holiday party.

I’d missed Christmas time with my extended family and was so glad I made this trip. The weather was ideal for driving, and for making lots of antiquing stops along the way, I got to see Sissy’s new house all prettied up for the season, and had a week full of hugs from people I love.

Also, I’d hoped to be of help in getting Bobbie to some of her medical appointments while I was there.

Bobbie’s health had some hiccups and instead of helping with the drives, I was keeping her company in the ER and ICU. Since I’d driven, I was able to have my car filled with craft supplies, and I could bead and sit quietly while she slept. I didn’t want her to make efforts to talk, she needed her rest, so I sat with her and made bracelets.

Lots of bracelets. With mostly genuine stones, along with vintage crystals. With only two visitors allowed at a time, I also made a work station for myself in the lounge and crafted there while others had their turns in her room.
All of us wanted to be there for her, she is so loved.

During her Thanksgiving hospital stay, doctors would always be surprised to see such a large entourage in the room. She was in a different (and closer to Pendleton) hospital this time and that made it even easier for guests, two of her kiddos work at this one and could drop in throughout the day.

But we mostly had to gather in the waiting rooms because of the two at a time limit.

Overall, it was such a pleasant hospital to spend time at. Great people, excellent care, comfortable surroundings, tasty food. I liked the spacious rooms they put Bobbie in, and how attentive they were to her.

Is it wrong to say how much I enjoyed being there with her, even though she felt so miserable? That sounds wrong.

Of course, I’d rather be anywhere else with her, healthy and strong, anywhere at all!

I guess I mean that even though I’m devastated, worried, and terrified about her health, I loved my time there with family and being able to be part of their holiday tradition, and to sit with everyone while Bobbie was getting the treatments she needed to feel more comfortable.

Instead of flying, I drove out, leaving my time open ended. Once she was moved out of ICU, I needed to force myself to head back to my own holiday traditions and be with my grandfairies, no matter how much I hated to tear away. Oh my gosh, it was so hard to leave. I wish I wasn’t so far away, and could be one of those daily visitors that pop in to hold her hand and ask her about her appetite or tell her a story about their day.

She has a big crew of loving people around her. I also wish I could be helping them out, with all of the extra jobs they have taken on to be of service and get our Bobbie feeling better.

Now, I am hitting the ground running, getting things ready for our own Kansas Christmas, looking forward to seeing the grandfairies open gifts, play reindeer games, and decorate cookies.

But I’ve left a chunk of my heart back home in Indiana.

Pretty Pendleton for Thanksgiving

family, Travel

By Karla Nathan / December 10, 2023

Last year my home town, Pendleton, IN, had a fun FB trend of people photographing their cars, tractors, mowers, etc in the lights of this beautifully lit bridge. The joke started as serious pics of cool cars shining under the lights and turned into photoshopping weird, silly things.

I enjoyed every post and had to drive by and see this pretty backdrop in person when I visited over Thanksgiving. Maybe (if I ever get a free moment) I’ll do some photo magic with it myself.

We had hospital cafeteria food in the guest lounge for Thanksgiving dinner. While I felt bad leaving my husband and out of town guests back at my house to turkey wrangle, and the reason for my visit was not a happy one, I still had a wonderful time with my sister’s family while eating grilled cheese instead of a more traditional meal.

My sweet boy hadn’t seen his aunt Bobbie in a while and hadn’t been able to drive all the way to Kansas from North Carolina for the holiday, so he took the opportunity to meet me in Indianapolis. Much closer!

I rarely get time with my son, this was precious to me. It’s been a good year for spending days with him. In August, Rich and I saw Adam in NC and I got to go rock and mushroom hunting with him. Then in September, he came to KS to put in a studio floor for me. Now, an Indy trip too.

And soon, he will bring Dewdrop for Christmas!

He and I weren’t Bobbie’s only visitors, by far. Every time a doctor came into the room, he’d do a double take at the size of her entourage.

The room was always so full, that seating was scarce. You know that Netflix show, “Is it Cake?” I was always playing, “Is it a Chair?” in the hospital room. We sat on many non seats for seating. Bobbie one time mentioned we could use the beeping from her machinery to switch seats in a musical chair game.

My witty, kind hearted sister is keeping good spirits through her illness. I admire her for that, just as I have always looked up to her and learned so much from her all of my life.

I adore my sissies, what wonderful friends they are to me.

Magic time with family

family, Travel

By Karla Nathan / November 14, 2023

My Florida trip was a week long, divided into three separate adventures that each went by too quickly.

After a spectacular Guncle evening, Terry and Holly picked me up in Jax to drive to Orlando. And you know what happens there, right?

Disney Magic!

They treated me to the Grand Floridian, and its reputation is well deserved. So many subtle, understated and sweet nods to Disney classic movies while keeping its Grand and classy ambiance.

A grown up trip to the parks can be very laid back and comfy. I had two mornings on the balcony with my coffee to relax and simply enjoy being there. Very different than my typical trip, trying to squeeze in as much as I possibly can from the crack of dawn til I fall in bed after midnight.

Although, our first night did go pretty late, but we didn’t get started til evening, and once arriving at Mickey’s Halloween party, we ambled about and took our time. We managed to eat some of the special goodies, do some trick or treating, and practically walk on to every ride we wanted to go on. Lines were minimal, the weather was perfect, friends were delightful, it could the most ideal night at Disney that I could have. (Even though I missed the grandfairies.)

We had discussed Halloween costumes, but that frizzled out, Terry was moving into a new home, I was redoing my studio. Then I thought I’d order Sleeping Beauty Fairy shirts with our names, but instead of Merriweather, Terryweather.

Ran out of time, though. So I looked around town the day before leaving to find Hocus Pocus matching shirts, no luck.

When Terry arrived, I was happily surprised to see that she’d found a trio of cute Sanderson shirts for us!

Terry and Holly are ideal partners at the parks, both love the place as much as I do. They’ve been multiple (zillions) of times, so aren’t rushed, or worried about missing anything. We can check out attractions we’d like to see, or just snack at Epcot Food and Wine and chill out.

I got to see the new, Moana area, and can’t wait to take Sugarwings to it.

And we lucked into a walk up reservation at the new space station restaurant.

We were seated in the lounge, which I discover was another lucky break. There, you have a view of the entire room, and the astronauts working outside the windows. Plus the menu options are better, no set choices.

Holly and I were able to split a meal. And look- a Mickey shaped fillet!

Our time together was as wonderful as the dessert. Thank you, Terryweather and Holly for such a treat of a visit. You guys bring the magic with you!

Venice Beach seashell fairy

fairies, family, sea shell fairies, Travel

By Karla Nathan / November 8, 2023

My trip to Florida was just the best. It was broken up into segments, a Guncle visit with crafting, Disney with Terry and Holly, then beach time with Sissies, Aunties, and sweet nieces.

We stayed at Turtle Beach on Siesta Key, and while I loved the company, I wasn’t thrilled with the beach, my shelling was limited until we took a day trip to Venice to hunt for shark teeth.

Hey, I do not mean to sound down on Turtle Beach, it is a lovely spot. I had just never stayed there, and expected a similar experience from further north on the island where we usually stay. It was so nice to be directly on the water and to walk right out on the sand.

Venice just happened to have more shells. And Shark Teeth, too! I found a couple but was more interested in making my beach fairy there.

And I found a treasure trove of broken shells to use. I think the wings are some of the nicest I have ever found. I was tempted to pocket them, but I like to leave my Faye behind as a thank you to nature, and pulling off her wings did not feel right at all.

Lots of shells do come home with me, but those haven’t been used to create my little friends yet. I did gather up a lot of potential fairy shells last year to make resin shell fairies at home, but they are still packed away, waiting their turn to get Pinocchio-ed into being.

Stopping along the way- the journey is an important part of getting there

antiques/junking, family, Food and Drink, Travel

By Karla Nathan / August 4, 2023

Asheville is about 13 hours from our house and Paducah, KY is halfway. We often stop there when traveling with our camper, but don’t get out to explore since the trailer is hooked up and it’s a hassle for a temporary stop to undo the hitch.

This time, we didn’t have the trailer so with two drivers wouldn’t need the break. But since we were taking two vehicles, we thought an overnight stay at the half point was a good idea.

This was a place I’d been wanting to spend time in, not just because it’s such a pretty place but because on of my favorite Top Chef contestants has a restaurant there!

Sara Bradley took second in World Allstars this summer and I was perplexed as to how or why such an acclaimed chef would be in a small, rural area. Once we settled into our hotel and took a walk through this Kentucky village, it dawned on me that this was a tourist town. That explained a lot. Her eatery wasn’t just dependent upon the locals, she had people from all over wanting a break from cabins and campers on the lake, who’d come into the little city for some night life.

Even with the traffic from the tourists and locals, we had no issue getting a reservation. The place was full, but with the week’s notice we had, we were golden.

The food was spectacular! I pretended to be at the judges table and had a blast, not just with the meal, but with my imaginary status.

I felt like I was dressed the part too. I’d just bought this from Angie at the last Good Juju sale for $8, and loved the dress. I love most clothes from Sundance catalog, but rarely can afford them even in the 40% off clearance area, so was thrilled to get this one for less than a Goodwill priced dress.

Here is a version in the current catalog.

Yep, I was feeling The Gail Simmons, Top Chef vibe in this outfit. There was no need to tell anyone to pack their knives and go, the meal was great, the price about what we’d pay on any normal dinner out, and the ambience was inviting. The staff was friendly and down home, no pretensions there at all.

My other stops were Midway Antique Mall and Artichoke Annie’s on I70 for some shopping in Missouri. I didn’t have much luck with any other antiquing across Kentucky or Tennessee, though. Durn it.

I made a pit stop at a legendary Buckee’s in TN, my first time at one of these out of this world gas stations.

Impressive.

But way too much for me. Crossing the parking lot was like the Thunderdome. I felt as if I was running the gauntlet while walking across it, and the line to even turn into the lot was crazy, as was the one for the pumps. Not to mention trying to leave and get back on the road.

But I have to admit, the bathrooms were some of the best I’ve ever seen. Not good enough to tempt me to go again, it took a big chunk of time away from the road. When I stop at junk shops, I can zoom through, in and out, seeing if there is anything I want. There is no zooming at Buckees.

While stops are needed to breakup my drive, I’m in a hurry to get to this.

I had loved ones waiting for me to explore the mountains with!

(Please ignore the sour face, my son is a sweetie, he just hates photos)

We had such a good time, and I got so many lessons in mushroom hunting. And how often does a mama get to wear matching shirts with a grown up son? ( My friend, Sam, is the artist who sells these at Juju).

The best found heart, ever

family, Hearts, Travel

By Karla Nathan / August 1, 2023

This could be the best heart I have ever come across.

I’d walked on this road across from the Hawk and Hawthorn a few times and never noticed this pothole.

On my last evening, after a rainstorm, I took another stroll, and found this perfectly formed heart reflecting the clearing clouds above it. It is large, too, at least a foot across

Perfect timing, perfect heart shape! At that moment in time, I was just where I needed to be. A little less rain, or a single car driving over it, and the best found heart would never have been found.

There were a few more finds during the week. My boy took us up to Mineral Springs to look for garnets. See the polka dots in this heart?

Garnets!

These two are mica and garnet in granite.

And this one has some shiny quartz.

We parked ourselves at a little waterfall in the stream, then sorted and sifted through the water and stones to find treasures. I could spend hours looking at pretty rocks, and we did.

The first few times, I gathered lovelies to take home. I wanted some for my garden and also larger ones to add my mushrooms to as well as smaller ones to put in the moss at the base of my schroomies.

But then, there was the accident.

We had driven two cars across country to get one to my son. He had been driving Ryan’s Jeep and it needed a transmission. So, we were to haul the Jeep back to KS for repairs.

But, oops. We were also in NC to help Rich’s mom after a fall. He had just left her side and pretty wrecked himself, so when the truck also got wrecked mere blocks from the hospital, it was very understandable. It left us with no vehicle at all, so my 2-3 tons of rock souvenirs needed to be left behind.

We bought a suitcase, booked a flight, and rented a car in KC. Now, I’m in the process of car shopping while hoping the truck isn’t totaled and that I won’t be shopping for a replacement for that too.

So our truck and my rocks are out east. We are home safely, Rich is fine. Rich’s mom is in her rehabilitation center and he will be heading back to see her when he is no longer truck-less. Then he’ll haul the Jeep and my mountain of shiny stones back to Kansas.

The reasons for being there, as well as the accident did not make for what you’d call an ideal vacation.

But we managed to have lots of family time and a peaceful visit to the retreat at Hawk and Hawthorn. Throw in a few hikes and spectacular dinners with the fam and we decided that it was going to work out fine.

Setting up for Good Juju’s August Event

antiques/junking, Good JuJu, Travel

By Karla Nathan / July 28, 2023

We had less than a week after July’s sale before we left to go on our North Carolina adventure.

I knew I would be fretting about the state of my space if I left it in its post sale shambles.

In my opinion, the spot needs a total flip-a-roo for a new look each new month. And that takes about two eight hour days for me plus touch ups.

I knew I needed to at least pack up stuff, bring in some new and rearrange the set up before I went out of town. As well as having to demolish the auxiliary booth that I’d been using to sell vintage clothing.

All of that got done, plus more. I was pleased to get it to a spot that would be just about fine as is for sale day.

Except the jewelry cabinet. Since there is silver on display, I need to keep it covered to prevent tarnish. But that’s a quick turnaround, mostly just hanging a few necklaces. Every other month, I take home the silver for a spiffing up to keep it shiny, too.

My nervous Nellie soul was pacified by getting so much done ahead of time. With the travails of our trip, I was sure glad that I’d been prepared too.

Since I returned, I have spent my days and evenings car shopping and haven’t had much time to finish my Juju set up.

After about 8 dealership visits, 10 other dealership phone calls, and countless online searches, I finally found exactly what I needed to replace the car we gave to my son. (If you think you’ll be needing a car in the next year, I suggest you start looking now! It’s nearly impossible to get a new one, and used cars cost just about as much as the new ones)

See how pretty the paint is when the sun hits it!?! Now- to keep it that clean, so I can enjoy my sparkles……hmm. Garage door openers are among the many things we had to store in NC since we were flying home, not driving a truck. Including a boxful of funky finds from antique stores across the country that I stopped at on the way there.

My quest to replace my 2017 RAV4 wasn’t supposed to be that imperative. But Rich’s truck got smooshed up on a curvy mountain road (he is fine). We don’t have rental car coverage on our insurance policy, so after flying home and picking up a car at the airport, we are trying to keep that rental down to just one week.

We had also planned on pulling our son’s car home for some repairs for me to use it until I found a car in a couple months. Without a truck, that wasn’t happening.

With that time frame changing from months to a few days, I was extra relieved that I wasn’t required to do a booth flip.

Now that car shopping is settled, and we have looked around to get replacement ideas and possible budgets for a new truck (still waiting to hear if it is gone forever) I have had time to add to and tweak the booth, then get the silver polished.

I even had time to make FALL banners, crowns, and a few more mushrooms. These photos are from the first go-round and don’t show the additions. It might not look like there is room, but I squeezed more in. I might even make more little mushroom paintings, there are only a couple left.

It is nice to be back in Kansas, especially after an emotional rollercoaster of a trip. I am not a fan of any rollercoaster. At all. The visit was a juxtaposition of pure bliss and worries. Yep, good to be home! As Dorothy likes to say, there is no place like it.

Magic at the Hawk and Hawthorn

family, flowers, Food and Drink, Garden, guncles, Travel

By Karla Nathan / July 24, 2023

Hawk and Hawthorn (about 20 min north of Asheville on top of a scenic mountain) is my new favorite vacation spot.

The Airbnb is set upstairs of a newly renovated, charming old house and the patio over looks the farm.

Bonus- the view includes the barn/event center.

Double bonus for me- my son lives there.

He is their onsite trim carpenter.

He and his buddy just built this outdoor kitchen for tent campers. Spaces are available through Hipcamp, and campers have access to the barn for yoga, bathrooms, cooking, and more.

I think how much you can hang out in the barn depends on scheduled events. They had just held one, and this mushroom display from it was still set up. I spy a couple of my schroomies in there too!

They host workshops, festivals, retreats, music, etc. Our visit was Sunday thru Friday, so it was pretty low key.

We had full use of the facilities and after harvesting our food to fix in the apartment kitchen, we walked it across the field and up the hill to dine in the beautiful barn.

It had just started to rain and was getting dark. We ate while listening to the drops on the metal roof and the curtains swayed in the breeze.

I am not sure how many times I used the word “magical”, probably way too many, but it was justified.

Our meal was trout that the kids caught with their grandfather that day and deliciousness we gathered from the vast gardens.

I would say that the term, “magical”, had to be correct. There had to be some magic in the head grower’s touch. Look at the size of this corn! All the veggies were lush and vibrant, over the top with health and vitality.

It made me think that my Kansas garden back home was a sad comparison.

We picked fresh produce daily. And had flowers in our salads, and even cooked into chewy brownies.

And I got to forage for chanterelles! It was my first successful mushroom hunt.

We walked through what felt like an enchanted land of moss and streams to find them. While on the hunt, my boy taught me tricks about different types and what to look for.

He is always on the lookout and you never know when he will abruptly pull over the car to spring out and return with a handful of berries to share. He spots tasty treats everywhere he goes.

At the farm, there are baby bunnies to hold and goats to visit. There is a fresh mountain spring set up with pipes to fill your containers.

Pretty and rustic areas to enjoy, trails to explore, and vistas so lovely, all you want to do is sit back, sip a glass of wine and take it all in.

Plus-NO CHIGGERS! It felt oddly uncomfortable to walk through tall grass without bug spray. In the back of my mind, I kept worrying that I’d be up all night itchy and miserable.

But I got used to not needing a thorough spritz before going outside. And I was not homesick for any midwestern bugs that typically torture me all summer long.

There is cool art everywhere, including on these shirts.

The dragon was by our front door.

I don’t know why I didn’t get any photos inside our cozy studio apartment, maybe because there was so much to see and do outside.

The tranquility was just what we needed, the rest of the trip was so stressful. Serious family illnesses, an auto wreck, all were overwhelming.

Thank goodness for the peace and welcome we found at the Hawk and Hawthorn.

It was MAGICAL.

Celebrating a friend’s accomplishment

Books, friends, Travel

By Karla Nathan / June 28, 2023

One of my book club buds, Dr. Margie Carr, has spent the last ten years researching a couple block stretch of a neighborhood in Kansas City that housed many successful and influential people over a 100 year period. And now, the book is complete. A bunch of us from the group went to the KC library to hear her first (of many, I hope) talk about her story.

Local residents mentioned inside the covers attended, including this woman who is one of the girls featured on the outside of the cover.

I had not preordered my copy, but was able to pick one up that night. Just in time for a signature from the author!

Not only was it impressive to hear a friend speak about the Kansas City history she’d written about in her book, it was lovely to experience a part of the city I’d never been to. Funny, I travel to other parts of the country to explore them, but rarely get out and look into what my own area has to offer.

This is a parking garage?! Yep.

Where I live in Lawrence isn’t far from KC. And heck, I’m in town all the time to shop, eat, see shows, or work at Good Juju. What I need to is act like a tourist and see some of what I’ve missed.

There is a lot to be seen.

A quick an unexpected getaway

family, Travel

By Karla Nathan / June 8, 2023

I really should’ve gotten more pictures, I was just so relaxed and carefree, I rarely had my camera out.

Plus, it was a very short trip. And a very last minute trip. My sissies had been planning for months, but I didn’t even think about joining in, I knew it wasn’t good timing for me.

Instead, I filled my yard with a flock of flamingos (from a friend) and wished Bobbie and Sissy well on their vacation.

I was fine with not going on this trip, because I’ll be meeting up with them and their daughters in Sarasota next October. I enjoyed listening to all of the planning and was excited for them to be headed to Indian Shores now, but I was fine about not being a part of this jaunt.

Then, I started to feel like I was just missing out too much. Between six months of struggling with getting the Grandfairy’s grades up, with so much of my free time being Homework Police instead of getting to do the fun stuff the kiddo and I typically did together and with drawn out recovery time from my concussion, I was feeling like a shut in.

My husband and I had planned to take a quick trip in the camper with the dogs to see family in North Carolina, but my headaches, Grandfairy requirements, and work needed to get ready for Good Juju made me cancel. (I still need to hang out in a dark room sometimes for Post Concussion Syndrome and a camper full of dogs doesn’t offer that kind of space)

Plus it’s prime garage sale season, the time of year I pick up a majority of my inventory for the year.

So Rich left most of the dogs with me and went without the camper, and took some extra time to see even more people we’d been missing. The day before he was due back I was feeling pretty down, from so many headaches and even worse over the 3 year mark of Ryan’s death. That period between Mother’s Day and May 24th is brutal.

That’s when I decided that I needed a change. Sophomore finals were over. Rich would be back to watch dogs. There aren’t good garage sales over Memorial Day. My booth was set up. The Florida condo had dark, quiet spaces if I needed one. I had points on Southwest and my sisters had an empty room at the beach.

I was gone at 6am the next day.

And I was so glad that I went! I think that a few days of zero stress, lots of sleep, and no work or responsibilities was just the ticket I needed to help break that cycle of headaches.

Not to mention the relaxation of laughing with my sissies, splashing, watching dolphins, and eating seafood.

I didn’t even need the dark room while there.