Just at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, a single lane, dirt road leads to my sister’s retreat from life in Atlanta, her cabin in the woods.  It is here were she and my two beautiful nieces, six and four, escape to nature.  There are no neighbors, no wifi, no tv, and no makeup.  I spent the first weekend of December loving every second of this little getaway, a small timeout from the rest of the world, and a nice reminder of just how wonderful it is to live simply.

Located in Franklin, NC, the cabin is a fifteen minute drive from the quaint and quiet mountain town, where there is one coffee shop and a sporting goods store that holds beer tastings, which of course I found amazing, duh.  But not much else, and it seems as though that this is exactly how the friendly locals like it.  There was a hat in that sporting goods store with the words, “Live Simple,” written on the bill.  It struck me.

It struck me because, I realized just how far I had veered from owning that statement.  There was a time when I really had no choice but to live simple, as I hadn’t the means to really acquire anything to complicate my livelihood, and no doubt I probably took some pride in that.  Now, though, my life is far from simple, and I know that I am not alone – how did this happen?!  I’ve come to terms with it and have forgiven myself.  At the same time, I have congratulated myself for having come such a long way, damn it!  However, I do think that it is extremely important to touch base every once in awhile, to come down, to realize what matters and what doesn’t, and what truly makes for a beautiful life.  And what better a time of year to really be conscious of it, right?

My favorite part of the cabin is the screened in porch that looks out upon my sister’s five acres of woods and hillside, where in the morning you can sit with your coffee and watch the natural world wake up.  Quite something.  Or, you can spend a cold and rainy December evening, sipping a glass of red zin, listening to the wind in the trees and the rain falling down upon an untouched piece of forest, while a little blonde miracle wanders in and out, along with her little brown eyed miracle sister to chat with you, like I did.  This was a moment where I just could not imagine it getting any better.  How blessed?!  How grateful?!  How – simple.

I am proud of my sister for so many reasons, too many to chat about here.  I find it so amazing that she has given her two little ones this gift.  Their days here are spent exploring the woods, hills, and streams – playing OUTSIDE!  My sister and I were lucky enough to have spent most of our childhood in the country building tree houses, playing in the mud, running wild and free until the sun went down.  It is a different world we live in now, and my two nieces are more tech savvy than I, but get them to that cabin and there are more important things than iPads – there are dry twigs needed for the fire pit!  Oh, did I mention, there is a fire pit?  I die.  There are marshmallows to be roasted and artifacts to uncover!  Streams to cross and treasures along trails to be collected!  There are outdoor adventures to be had and stories around the fire to be told.  This. This is what matters.  This is what makes life so beautiful… Simply. This.

So maybe this holiday season, we take some time to allow all of the illusions that cloud our consciousness to drop away, so that we may see what truly connects us to a higher existence where we are all aware of just what IS responsible for our cup running over.  Much love and light and blessings to all.

Cheers,

Vino Bambina

*A few towns before Franklin, we stopped in at what my sister called “the last decent grocery store”  for provisions.  Obviously my priorities led me straight to the wine section, which I must say, was not what I had expected!  A lovely and substantial selection of mostly well known labels and larger producers.  I grabbed Bogle’s Old Vine Zinfandel, which I had only heard was pretty rockin’.  Zin, my friends, is my winter wine.  It is big and bold and will warm your cold to the bone, winter nights like no other vino out there.  It also boasts the highest of alcohol percentages, which we are all not mad at let’s be honest.  Coming in at around twelve bucks you can bet your bottom dollar that this is THE best zin that you can find at this price.  It is intense and spicy with aromas of roasting raspberries and toasty oak.  I mean, if this isn’t the best damn wine for snow falling outside, while you sit fireside then my name isn’t Vino Bambina!  Do yourself and your loved ones a favor this holiday and pop this top!