Diamonds and Firewood

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Nope, not ebony and ivory, but rather diamonds and firewood. That describes Doc. B. and me this weekend (and most days?). Doc. B. is off on a camping trip today while I’m meeting my social worker friend at Solomon Brothers to have my ring and Doc. B.’s grandmother’s ring checked and cleaned. While I’m doing that, social worker will be taking in the view from the 17th floor of Tower Place in Buckhead. Oh, and she’ll be looking for an engagement ring to which she hopes to direct her boyfriend.

Doc. B. is checking out campsites and fly-fishing opportunities just outside of Asheville, NC in the Pisgah National Forest. If she finds some good places, I may actually leave my diamonds at home and go sit round’ the campfire with her. We both love Asheville and could even see ourselves living and/or retiring there some day. It’s like a small, combined version of all of the cool places in and around Atlanta (Little Five Points, Decatur, Emory Village, etc…). You may recall that one of my very first blog entries referenced the Grove Park Inn. If you’ve never been to Asheville, visiting the Grove Park is reason enough to go. It was built in 1913, during the heyday of the Arts and Crafts movement. And I’m not talking about finger painting and scrap booking. I’m talking about bungalows, natural colors, Morris chairs, inglenooks, Elbert Hubbard and fine craftsmanship. In fact, the Grove Park Inn hosts the Annual Arts and Crafts Conference every February and 2007 will mark the 20th year. What about the Biltmore Estate you ask? Yes, it too is in Asheville and is of course beyond amazingly beautiful. But the comfortable feeling of the arts and crafts era is more my speed and perhaps more my nature.

So, while I’m hanging out at the jewelry joint, Doc. B. will be collecting her firewood for the evening. Hope she’s able to relax and enjoy her communing with nature knowing that I’ll be amid millions of dollars of diamonds with a credit card in my purse.