We've always been told 'our roots run deep', but really- how deep do they run? Ask yourself, first hand- are you able to list out suggestions on a favorite coffee shop, hair stylist, gym, etc? If so, then your roots are growing.
My experience is one of a woman who was born in a small town in South Carolina. Tina and Kevin, my lovely parents, are originally from the midwest and their parents from immigrant families. Life with an interesting twist! I have a southern accent, but my parents don't sound like me, and there is no fried chicken or sweet tea in the home. Growing up, my friends and I called dirt roads our hangout spot, drove four wheelers like bandits, and built tree houses. Things were simple. For instance, I didn't drive on anything bigger than a three lane highway/interstate until college- it was a memorable experience… To this day, I still feel the same way- less lanes are more comfortable and I. Hate. Driv...

We've all seen the decorative signs in homes …
Sure, my husband, daughter, and I vacationed for many years at Smith Mountain Lake and we thoroughly loved the long boat rides, the glassy early morning water that reflected the sky and trees, the creaking sound of the dock slowly rising and falling as a boat went speeding by,
the sunrises over the mountain and the sunsets at the end of a fun-filled day. However, what I could not totally appreciate until we moved here full time was the sense of belonging that my husband and I would experience almo...

I am an animal lover. In fact, the real reason I decided to move across the county to Roanoke in the first place was to fulfill my dream to start an animal rescue specifically designed to work with "misunderstood" animal breeds.
What's a Misunderstood Breed? Firstly, one that gets a bad rap based on the media (think pit bulls). Secondly, ones that are portrayed in television and film, often highly trained (think Belgian Malinois, which we have two of).
We bought a farm! A beautiful little slice of safety and sanity for my family and our animal friends.
Donkeys, pigs, goats, mini horses, a Haflinger, dogs and cats. (I did NOT see that coming!) It was a wild ride at first, but sometimes the best plans take you slightly off course. Embrace it!
If you ar...
Did you know we have both a Greenway AND Blueway in Roanoke? We do!
But what do the colors mean anyway?

The Roanoke Greenway is the path that runs parallel to the Roanoke River (which is the Blueway). In the Blueway you can enjoy fishing, tubing, swimming and all things water.
The Roanoke Valley Greenway system has over 30 miles of space spanning all the way from Salem to Botetourt and is used for outdoor recreational activities like walking, biking, rollerblading and skateboarding.
Personally, I enjoy the walking part. You can see beautiful sites, talk with great friends, people watch or just get your time in exercising.
A group of friends and I were walking along the Greenway last week after stopping at Blue Cow Ice Cream