On the Mountain . . . Again

We're home, so to speak, on Monteagle Mountain, again, spending the Thanskgiving holiday in Sewanee.  This time of year or, really, any time of year, there's no place I would rather be.  Strange, too, since I am not an alumnus of the University of the South nor do I have a familial connection to this area of the state.  Still, I love it up her, on the Mountain.  It's the perfect getaway for me.

Yesterday, I started with coffee at Walnut Hill Coffee in Winchester, a coffee shop I discovered in August.  It's twenty minutes from Sewanee but well worth the drive.  Located in an old, renovated building downtown, the coffee is good and the atmosphere is nice.  This morning, I'm sitting in a chair by the front door, listening to Christmas music as I drink my coffee.  

I took Jude and the boys for breakfast at the Dutch Maid Bakery in Tracy City.  It's the oldest, continuously run independent bakery in Tennessee.  It's a treasure, really.  An undiscovered gem.  Tracy City is a tiny town on the other side of Monteagle with not even a main drag to speak of.  A couple of restaurants, a gas station or two, and that's about it.  The Dutch Maid Baker is in an old building, two stories, with a storefront to display all of the bakery items - and there are many - and a diner downstairs.  Upstairs, is an art gallery in a large room with open windows and beautiful natural sunlight streaming through.  

Back at the house on Tennessee Avenue, the boys and I watched football - Ole Miss vs. Miss. State - while Jude when for a hike at Fiery Gizzard.  Later, JP went for a run, then I followed shortly thereafter.  We passed each other on University Avenue as he was nearing the end of his six mile run.  We slapped five as we passed each other, in a moment I would like to preserve forever.  Two runner, father and son, getting it done on a chilly November afternoon.

More football, some studying by the boys, and some work for me followed in the afternoon.  Jude and the boys went to the Fowler Center late in the afternoon, while I continued to catch up on work at the house.  When they got back, we watched Texas upset undefeated Texas A & M (and MBA's Marcel Reed), while Jude cooked an amazing turkey gumbo with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving.  It was a new recipe she found in Southern Living and it was exquisite.  An absolute keeper.  

After the boys went to bed, I watched the end of the Lakers - Mavericks game (a Lakers win!), then read a Susan Orleans' debut book, Saturday Night (2011), that Bryan Curtis turned me on to when he interviewed her on the Press Box podcast.  She's a fantastic writer, so much so that I can't put it down.  I'm always reading several books at once, so I love it when one grabs me by the lapels and insists I read it, then and there.