mike's mom and pap pap came to visit.

we headed up to asheville and had some of the best sweet potato pancakes around...so worth the 50 minute drive and the intense sugar high that followed.

tupelo honey might be our favorite restaurant...first you are served an appetizer of fresh biscuits with black raspberry preserves; washing it down with hot coffee...followed by an entree of fluffy pancakes, smeared with peach butter and topped candied pecans....ahhh, it makes make my  mouth water just thinking about them.

after breakfast we drove across town to the biltmore.  it is massive, detailed and sorta makes me wish i could go back in time and live there, even if i  had to work as a servant, it would so be worth it.  the biltmore was crafted more than 100 years ago, and still had an indoor pool, bowling alley and over 8,000 acres of gardens. it is unbelievable.

and when we got home, we lounged...exhausted from the heat, the crowds, the ales at jack of the wood.
we spent the rest of the night breaking in the living room...playing rummy, reading and loving on the dogs....and, of course, pap pap watched the news.

 pap pap had a tour of greenville... paris mountain, falls park, simpsonville, furman.... it may seem boring to some, but more than once he touched that special place in my heart... 

 he would step outside and look up at the sky and sigh - a happy sigh, and comment on the sun or the light breeze that brushed his face.  he loved the straight trees in the state park and the fact that peach stands occupy most of country corners around here.  

 

 he complimented the farmer's market and couldn't believe the size of our black raspberries.

we ate lunch outside at the park and went for a walk.

i love that they almost have matching shirts on!

 we witnessed an enormous dog drinking out of the fountain

after the park, we cooled off with some blueberry frog... aka the best fro-yo in greenville.

it was a good weekend.  pap pap was a constant reminder not to take life too seriously and to enjoy the simple things that are so often taken for granted. and it makes me smile that i married into his family, and knowing  that if my husband grows old and wise like his grandfather, i will continue to be a proud and happy wife.