I miss dancing…. sold my tap shoes in a yard sale 12 years ago and gave all the other dance shoes to Goodwill. I watch the ballroom dancers through the window of the dance studio in Christiansburg but haven’t been able to dig up the courage to walk in and enroll. I seldom knit anymore either…. although I’m more likely to commit to knitting again at this point in my life as opposed to dancing.

As for soul soothing…. the walk up to The Cascades over in Giles County does the trick. If it has to be in the Roanoke vicinity, however, I would opt to pack food and a chair and find a spot (or several) with a clear view along the southbound Blue Ridge Parkway between Roanoke and Hillsville.

This is so simple, I almost feel foolish writing it, but here goes…..I love to just go out and be with friends. To just sit, have a glass of wine or a latte and chat about anything and everything. Being a Mom who works full-time with a very busy teenager, who doesn’t drive yet, leaves very little time for going out with people. I did do this other night with a friend who I don’t get to see often, and had such a nice time, I wondered why I don’t do this more.

For soul soothing, the anywhere on the parkway with a view, will work for me. A picnic basket, a blanket and a book……ahhhhhh

The answers are one and the same. Go to the Roanoke Weiner Stand.

I love to curl up in a cozy armchair with a stack of paperback novels (I prefer mysteries or regional fiction, but do dabble in SF or fantasy) and read until my eyes cross. I do get to read until my eyes cross, but these days it’s usually dense, heavily-footnoted volumes with words like “society” or “authority” or “construct” and at least one colon in the title.

There are few things more soul-soothing than the sight of the Star lit up at night as you’re returning to the Valley from a long trip away. That said, I would often get in my car and “get lost” in the wilds of Craig County when I needed to extinguish my inner inferno or just get away from it all for a couple of hours.

Now since I am divorced after 20 years of marriage, I can do anything I want to. But I don’t. I am still in a rut. I still go out with friends for dinner and movies, but I would like to go on a picnic close to a waterfall. I also used to go dancing, thought about taking that up. Sometimes I like going to the airport to do some soul searching. I need to get away from TV and get back to nature.

Soul soothing is a glass of wine, candles and a bubble bath listening to some good music….Jim Brickman, Josh Groban, Tim Janis, Eyna and sometimes praise music…and a drive on the parkway in the fall with a good book and something yummy to eat…desert food.Just talking about it I think I will go eat some Dairy Queen birthday cake from my grandsons 16 birthday celebrated last night…soooo good.Wish you all could have a piece.

Listening to good, live music does it for me, but I don’t do it often enough.

Riding the parkway, Roaring Run falls, a walk around Carvin’s Cove, or a drive along back roads are all rejuvenating especially in the fall. In winter months, there is nothing like a glass of wine and quiet conversation in front of a fireplace.

Ok Joe it is your time
And, where do you go in the Roanoke Valley when you need to soothe your soul?

That’s hard to answer, Annette. Places I have gone for respites include Carvins Cove in my jonboat, various hikes, off to see my kids, maybe have dinner with them, um, um. In general I’m a seeker, not easily satisfied unless I’m being too easily satisfied. No mercy on myself. My brother John and I were were telling our kids prior to the Tech game last Saturday that we grew up with a Too Much Fun rule. One of the kids said, “Whenever I have a lot of fun, I feel guilty.” We told her the tradition lives on.

Simple things,.. so much, actually too much. I love to make last minute plans and just take off anywhere outside when the weather is nice, I don’t do enough of it. Sitting outside among the trees.. listening to the birds, the wind blowing, enjoying the beauty of the stars and the moon at night & laying back on a beautiful breezy sunny day filled with white puffy clouds and seeing everything you can make of them, changing constantly but slowly into something else. I want to stand in the rain more, it’s so refreshing to look up and let the rain fall against your face with mouth open to catch those fresh raindrops. Sitting on a beach & waiting for the tide to finally reach your feet & watching the waves roll over & over. Going for a ride in the country, seeing the beautiful horses, cows, deers in the fields, all the wildlife and mountains. Sitting in front of the fireplace, watching the flames, no TV, no lights, some candles & oil lamps on a cool night or even a very cold day at home with snow falling outside. I love to spend time in the play room at the SPCA with the cats , old & young who only want to be loved & have a home. Sit in the middle of the floor & play with 6 or more at the same time. And put a homeless puppy/dog on a leash & take them outside to spend time with them, making them feel loved. It makes me feel so good knowing I helped them be happy for awhile but it’s so hard to leave them. Driving fast, slippin & sliding in a mud hole or snow, shifting gears & holding on to nothing but the wheel … so refreshing! And of course, some good music every now & then but we miss so much sometimes. The sounds of the nature is the greatest gift we have sometimes.

Soothing my soul, pretty much the same as drives in the country, the parkway and enjoying the outdoors. A boat ride on Smith Mtn Lake, especially a pontoon.. looking at the water, the ripples, the way the sun beams down on it, feeling a sense of peace, boating to places where there’s still plenty of land & looking at the beauty of it all and watching the kids jump off docks, swimming, knowing they are so happy. Alot of places here, going where you see happy people, family & friends, to their homes & enjoying the time we may never get back one day.

What a beautiful day out today! I would encourage all of you who aren’t tied down to an office or work schedule, (unlike myself) to take advantage of this glorious day in a self-soothing or simple pleasure activity! That Parkway is calling……

Speaking of self-soothing activites, has anyone ever been to The Inn at Riverbend? It is a beautiful B&B in Pearisburg right on the New River. It is such a beautiful location. And talk about a view….wow…fantastic! The owners are nice people. And there is a great resturant called The Bank in town , at least it was there two years ago. The chef and his wife are the owners of the resturant and they worked at some big fancy hotel in Las Vegas. The chef is really a local guy who decided to come back home and open a business. I hope they are still in business, they were really nice folks, too. They had converted an old bank in town into the resturant. Talk about a diamond in the rough! I would be interested if anyone else has been to either of those places.

Thank you, MM, for these two tips. I had no idea that either place existed. Very cool, very cool.

A fun day that my friends and I enjoy is a beautiful drive to Bath County, West Virginia. Visit the Jefferson Pools, near the Homestead, for a mineral springs soak. It’s very relaxing and one can partake for $15.00/hour dip. There are separate bath houses for men and women and one can wear their own swimsuit, a facilities provided garment or go ‘au naturel’! Your call.

Bath County is in VA, Pammy, but otherwise I agree with everything you say, and I’ve never even done the waters. Back when I used to roam western Virginia, I always found it hard not to go up that way, because it’s SO pretty.

You are right, thanks for the correction. You must try it some day. I heartily recommend the Jefferson Pools!

http://www.thebankfoodanddrink.com/
http://www.innatriverbend.com/

Joe, Here are the links the the two places I mentioned.

Joe,
can I ask a question here for anyone to answer & you also, as you mentioned buying a new digital not long ago? And please remember the “book” that always comes with it, figuring out & understanding and the TIME involved !

If so, here goes…
Okay, you bought a camera 2 years ago, you know everything about it & you love it. You bought an xtra battery also that works if you have your other on the charger and only the charger & card is for this camera. (and your other battery is still new, unused) A total of $420.00 to round it off. You especially liked the highest zoom you could get at the time, with no lens cover to mess with. It accidently falls off a table while it’s still on and you have a lens error, and it has to be fixed. Nikon, but it doesn’t really matter.. it’s a very good camera.

No matter how simple this is to fix, it will cost $175.00.
They show you other cameras with better mega pizels, a bigger zoom with no lens cover .. your other card will fit but you use AA batteries instead. And the camera itself is only $50.00 more (225.00), on sale right now. (they’ve come a long way & of course prices drop on these) only 50., but of couse you need another case, etc. I liked it alot “but” it comes with a BOOK to figure out everything again.

Sooo, please… (I’m lost without my camera!)
“What would you do?”

Julie mentioned Roaring Run falls. Have you ever been there? We’re almost at the perfect time of year to do so.

Fitz
I have been there several times. This is beautiful. Good hiking to the water falls. Good place to fish if you are in to that. Good place for a picnic and then hike to the falls. Not a bad hike. Even a old woman who is not in shape could do this(like me). This is close to Eagle Rock. Nice drive. This would be a good place for everybody to meet everybody.

I’ve been in the area but not near the falls, sounds beautiful. Do they have beautiful bathrooms too if we’re gonna have a Beer Feast & hear the water falls?

Katherine,

I would get the new camera, it can’t be that much different, can it? However, I’m certainly FAR from being an expert! :)

Good luck with your decision!