Snowbound with 17+ inches this holiday season, a power outage that lasted 8 days, our Levine greeting of the season is delayed. Huddled together at the old wood stove, staring at the beauty of this winter wonderland, we thought of our family and friends, hoping all of you were enjoying a warm and toasty time!
This time last year we were beginning plans for the expansion here to our cabin. In March, "Gram's Studio" was completed and Ron's mom moved here from Rhode Island to her little cabin in the woods.
Mat, as you can see, is uplifted in mind body and spirit with his work as Plant Ecologist along the Blue Ridge Parkway. His work involves monitoring rare plant species, treating hemlock trees for the woolly adelgid, cutting hazardous branches and lots of tree climbing.
Amie was happy to share her knowledge with the National Park Service again and worked for the Blue Ridge Parkway this summer at the visitors center, campfire programs and educational programs for community youth groups.
Setting out to pick blueberries, Amie captures the breathtaking views of Craggy Gardens, and the spectacular sunsets.
Remodeling projects bring us to Mat's famous performace of the "ceiling dance", where you can see his latest steps in the "acoustic tile attack".
W
hen the project was finished, the new ceiling added several inches of height for tall friends and family. And with the dishwasher and new kitchen sink and cabinets Mat installed, they were ready to head out again on their mountain bikes.
Travels this year to Ocracoke Island, to Utah at Thanksgiving with Amie's family and then to the Pacific Northwest to Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula and then down the Oregon and northern California coast to see the beautiful Redwood trees.
Sara and Mark began the year by exploring the other side of the world. They went to South Korea, taught English, ate all kinds of delicious dishes and travelled the country in the bitter cold wintertime. Mark returned in the summer to teach English again and then to research the age old question..."if you dig far enough through the earth's core will you get to China?". The answer is a big YES, and Mark was thrilled to live his dream.
(napping cubbie at day spa)
Sara followed her dream to become a doula and then became practice manager at an integrative family health practice. But aside from the working world, the simple joys of life come from "meows that massage the heart". They became foster parents for several felines, until they called to tell us we were grandparents for real, when they made the decision to adopt Mike and Ike. Yard sales here in Asheville, can open up treasure chests of surprises. At a friend's yard sale, Sara had the good fortune to personally meet a favorite author, Barbara Kingsolver, and then hear her speak at a local high school and get a signed copy of her most recent book, the Lacuna.
Ron spent the first several months of 2009 planning and designing the studio for his mom, along with working at HomeGauge Mon-Wed. in sales and support.
Naomi returned to the world of caregiving, this time as family caregiver for Marcia. Also enjoying a bit of gardening, reading, walks and talks with friends and hopefully a return to jewelry or some creative crafts.
As for wandering from the Asheville area, we missed the shore. "I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky"(John Masefield)....We ventured to the Outer Banks in June and then to Charleston, SC in Nov.
As you begin this year of 2010 with a new start on old habits, we send our wishes for beautiful tomorrows, abundant joy, a healthy body, and a heart full of love.
Peace and hugs to all,
Amie, Mat and Maddy
Sara and Mark
Ike and Mike
Shelby the dog and Tillie the cat
Grandpa Ron is still with the same home inspection software company, working three days a week, and dreaming of finding gold in those mountain streams in his spare time. As you can see, he did find his treasure this year...a "bundle of Brie" 
