Home is Where You Hang Your Hat

Every March I become a little homesick.  When Madness strikes, I can't help but long for the Hoosier state.  I make cakes decorated like basketballs.  I keep my kids up eating said cakes and watching games and screaming at the television until hours some might call abuse.  I am not a die hard college basketball fan but this is my heritage, in Indiana some would say it's a religion.

IU plays tonight and preparations have begun.  Alex is singing "Indiana, Our Indiana..." (please recall, he is in fact a Hoosier even in he speaks with the accent of a Wahoo).   My grandma and I are planning bath times around the tip off.

This has started my mind working on the things that I will soon miss from Virginia.  We have been here for almost three years now so I have become attached to some of the features Charlottesville has to offer.  Here is a short list of what I expect to miss.  I have LOTS of friends who have spent years here and have already moved on, I would LOVE to hear from them on what they ACTUALLY miss about this sweet little city.

First and foremost I will miss the Blue Jays.  I don't like birds in general but I fully enjoy the Jays that take over our yard twice a year.  These aggressive birds chase the others away as they swoop down regally.  They remind me of my Grandpa Jay and bring a smile to my face and of course a story to mind to share with the boys.

I will miss the trail.  The amount of time that I have spent at the Saunders-Monticello Trail is probably only second to the amount of time I have spent at my home here in Charlottesville.  You can learn more about the trail here http://www.monticello.org/site/visit/overview-saunders-monticello-trail.  If you ever have the opportunity to visit Jefferson's Monticello, you must hit the trail too.  I like to think it gives you a glimpse of what enticed Jefferson himself to the site.

My bakery.  The first time I saw the man who works behind the counter at his "other job" and he knew my ENTIRE name and my preferred method of payment, I was a little bit freaked but now it's kind of a comfort when I see him out and he calls me by my full name, middle initial and all.  Bread Works is a fabulous bakery committed to amazing work.  I highly recommend them.  http://www.breadworks.org/  They provide job training and employment to persons with disabilities.

I am sure as time goes on I will think of a thousand more things I will miss and will probably share more.  Please bear with me, I am not too good at goodbye.  Soon, we will hang our proverbial hats in a new location and find new things to miss someday but I will relay them to you as new adventures!