North Carolina went “blue,” as did Virginia, the first time in a very long time.

I found an interesting website involving the election, a teacher and her students. Read this and make your own conclusions.

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008811070349

If you’re interested about election results in NC, check out these websites:

http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NC/1875/4822/en/summary.html#

Obama: 49%, McCain: 50% http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/

The county of Buncombe voted “blue” with 57% supporting Obama

A team called Mars of Asheville, made up by a married couple, Audie and Bob Bayer, created a fashion fade in the 1960s. Their “Waste Basket Boutique” caught everyone’s attention, and for good reason- everything was made out of paper. You could find their “disposable paper couture” in everything from floor length gowns to bikinis. The Asheville Art Museum houses examples that anyone can take a peek at.
Audie and Bob had perfect timing. People loved the idea of wearing an outfit and throwing it out. After the years of not wasting, only saving, paper dresses were a dream. Soon, they were placing orders of 100,000 and recovering from complete shock. But, with the Vietnam War, death of Martin Luther King Jr. and other national disasters, the excitement wore off in 1969.

Something new sprang up though. Those silly frocks you wear at the doctor’s office and the sometimes cool scrubs the nurses and other medical personnel sport. Vogue showed off these fashions, which is a little hard to believe.

You can find paper dresses on ebay, and they continue to pop up. I guess it’s something no one wants to toss anymore.

Check out Our State. Website one more time: http://www.ourstate.com

Have fun!

After researching, I found some interesting bands that would be worth a music lover’s time to look up.

Here’s the site for my info: http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=ENT

There seems to be something for everything with the colorful arrangement of rock, pop, funk, jazz and everything else.

Bee&Boo’s profile caught my attention, and they are next on my list of tune experiments. First of all, I love the name. It’s endearing and fun. And their mix of influences tempts me to listen to their deep, chill songs. Check out their blurb:

I just found a great site. It’s packed full of options for family gatherings.

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880828037

I was impressed to see so many events on the agenda this weekend. Everything from food to music to shows. I would definite check some of it out. There are activities to keep the kids occupied, too.

Have fun with the family this weekend. Kick back, relax, lounge, whatever. Listen to music, shop around at crafts tables, watch scenes from Shakespeare pieces, and/or  have a picnic. There certainly isn’t a shortage of stuff to keep everyone pleased.

Have a good weekend!

Website, one more time!    http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880828037

I was impressed when I researched the community and found that Red Wolf Run Foundation supports the effort to build a new habitat for the red wolf at Western North Carolina Nature Center. A portion of all proceeds goes towards this goal.

Not only does Red Wolf Run look out for the environment, it supplies homeowners with a breathtaking view of the mountains. Waking up to the sun’s golden shine peeking over a grassy hilltop or glancing over from reading a book in bed to see the different colors painting the night sky would be like vacation without leaving home.

The premier builder, Cornerstone Builders, is a family run business. This is an endearing touch, and they take building your home personally.

Check out the website: http://local.southerncommunityguide.com/asheville/wp-login.php

It could be an awesome place to live.

Out the door and around the corner, I hear acoustic music and a mellow voice. He strums his instrument gently, as if out of respect for its power to make him the smile the way he is while I watch. Eyes closed, singing towards the sky, he gives the random passers a taste of what they could experience at one of the many downtown establishments for music lovers.

My stomach grumbles, jerks me out of the peaceful moment, and I’m on my way to discover something delicious in one of the downtown restaurants.

Not interested by my daydream? Create your own and satisfy it.

Go here:

http://www.exploreasheville.com/what-to-do/the-arts/index.aspx

Enjoy!

I just read an article about Lydia Odell. She’s a tour guide for Western NC cascades. I’m not a huge outdoor person, and the article convinced me to take a walk outside. Just through the few quotes from Odell, you can feel her passion for waterfalls, and it will infect you.

She researched everything possible–books, internet, local brains–and discovered 80 waterfalls on her own, some that are relatively unknown.

She conducts tours in the spring, summer, and fall in Transylvania County, so there’s a huge window to jump into something new and join in on the fun.

Here’s a taste of the article:

And while she enjoys the sights and sounds of rushing water, Odell’s greatest satisfaction comes from students’ reactions when encountering an unexpected cascade. “When I see the awe-inspired looks on their faces, that’s enough for me.”

If I lived in NC, I think I’d be planning a trip!

More info, call Brevard College CreekSide at (828) 884-8256

Hey! You have an awesome chance awaiting you…..

When? 11:30pm, August 6th

Where? Mike’s Side Pocket

Address: 375 Haywood Road

Asheville, NC 28806

Who? THE BROOMS with Cinnamon Band and Tony Waln and The Payne

Why? The Brooms are fantastic. Two of my good friends rock out majorly- Chris on guitar and vocals and Zac on drums. Don’t take my word for it though. Here are THE BROOMS on myspace!

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=91033090

My cherry Icee (that I was thrilled to discover) sadly was reduced to condensation and juice in the sun while I watched bison heave violently in the warmth. I was afraid they would pass out but have no fear!

There was a giraffe eating from a treetop. With his (or her) wobbly, long neck, I couldn’t help but fall in love. I kept thinking about how horrible it would be if a giraffe was afraid of heights. Scary.

While my family and I were looking at all the plants, one of the most endearing things happened. An employee stopped and told us about how chocolate comes from a tree and how tall certain plants (that I can’t recall right now. hey, it was vacation!) grow. She was super nice, and it was great.

My family and I enjoyed ourselves, and i think it’s a fun place for tiny tots. They danced around and screamed with excitement even when the animal slept. One little girl sang happy birthday to the fish as she stood beside the tank and waved her arms around. “Happy Birthday to the FFIIISSSHHHH!” It made my day. My favorite moment was when I made a friend—an energetic turtle. I named him Mr. Turtle, and I’m sure we’ll be friends for life.

Go visit!

Asheville’s choices of private golf clubs not located in communities are limited to just three, but they are of the highest quality. All three courses bear the legendary stamp of Donald Ross, the famed Scottish born architect who was drawn to the area in the 1920s. You will have to make good friends with club members to get admitted to two of them, but according to those who have played the courses, the effort will pay off in great golf and pampered service.

The Country Club of Asheville

Country Club of Asheville, located just a few miles north of the city, opened for play in 1928 although the club was formed in 1898. From the back tees, the Donald Ross layout plays to 6,676 yards with a rating of 72.2 and slope of 133, which translates to a fair challenge, if not a pushover. (Note: Some web sites indicate a rating of just 71.4 and slope of just 120.) This course features modest changes in elevation with some tees perched above the fairways and uphill approaches to the greens. The club has a full-service tennis program, with eight clay courts and two new indoor courts. The modern fitness center comes along with a trainer. Current full-family membership, which includes golf, tennis, pool, the fitness center and access to the dining facilities, is $25,000 (non-reimbursable), with dues of $375 per month and required food purchases of $195 per quarter. A $300 “stock purchase” provides the member with full voting rights and is refundable at resignation from the club. There is no waiting list currently to join the club. For more information, contact Membership Manager Debbie Ponder at 828-258-9183 (ext. 13).

Hendersonville Country Club

Hendersonville Country Club’s history has been marked by stops and starts, but for the last 60 years, the private club has been full steam ahead. Donald Ross designed the layout in the late 1920s but during the Depression, construction was halted. It resumed as a public works project in the mid 1930s, was taken over by the city of Hendersonville, sold to the local Rotary Club and then sold back to the city. In 1945, club members purchased the club, which is located just southwest of the city of Hendersonville. Today, the course plays to 6,550 yards from the back tees with a par of 70. The course rating is 69 and the slope rating 125. Full family membership for Henderson County residents is $20,000 with dues of just $1,900 per year; a member with whom you are friendly, as opposed to a business contact (like your real estate agent) must nominate you for consideration. The annual required purchase of $200 in food is low compared with many other private clubs. Hendersonville counts residents of the nearby Champion Hills community among its own membership. For more information, contact General Manager Anthony Chelena at (828) 692-2261, (ext. 11).

Biltmore Forest Country Club

Biltmore Forest rounds out the trifecta of Donald Ross courses in the Asheville area. Opened in 1925, the course features 27 bunkers, seven well-placed water hazards and the impressive views you expect to find in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The quality of the course was good enough to have hosted the Women’s Amateur Championship in 1999.

The Biltmore name, of course, is associated with one of the wealthiest families to ever walk American soil, the Vanderbilts, and it was Mrs. George Vanderbilt who conceived Biltmore Forest to approximate her husband’s adjacent Biltmore Estate as a place to live for “persons of means”. The result was one of the country’s first, and certainly premier, residential developments. Today, it is not easy to find a home for sale in the enclave for under $2 million…when they are for sale.

Like most Ross designed courses, Biltmore Forest is not long, just 6,600 yards from the back tees. The fairways are tree-lined and the greens are reputed to be fast. The rating of 72.2 and slope of 135 translate into a significant challenge for those well schooled in the game of golf, as well as well-heeled in the game of life. Becoming a member may be the biggest challenge of all; it “could take years,” according to the club’s general manager, for a newcomer to the area to make enough good contacts within the club to be considered for membership. However, a local real estate agent says it helps to buy a home in Biltmore Forest, get to know your neighbors who are members, and then wait out the process of being proposed, seconded and then supported by letters from six other members. The minimum wait time is six-months, she indicated. The club guards its initiation fees and dues charges like a state secret; an employee at another area club told us “they charge whatever they feel like at the time.” Biltmore Forest’s main number is (828) 274-1261.

Larry Gavrich is the founder of HomeOnTheCourse LLC, an advisory service for people considering purchase of real estate in a golf community or membership in a private club; and the editor of the online GolfCommunityReviews.com, where he provides objective, unbiased reviews of golf courses and communities and observations about golf and real estate.