Plaasabilities

Not all those who wander are lost.  J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973); Writer, Poet, Philologist, University Professor I inherited my wanderlust tendencies from my father. I consider it to be one of the greatest attributes he has given me. I am rarely content to be stuck indoors -- be it work, school, or at home. After a while I have to get out and get into nature. Living in East Tennessee, that often means heading to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park or one of many state or local parks. But really, any road or path that piques my curiosity will do as long as I am exploring. Daddy used to call it "getting lost."  He'd pile all us kids into our big Plymouth station wagon and say, "Let's go get lost." Translated, this means let's go to an area that we sort of know, drive down roads we've never been on before, and see what we can discover. We rarely ever got truly lost, but we saw things we might have missed had we opted to not go down the roa...

Caney Fork Sunset, Blue Ridge Parkway October 2012 Copyright 2012 Kristina Plaas A few weeks ago I expressed my feelings about watching a beautiful sunrise, but I feel the same way about a gorgeous sunset. I was reminded of this while driving home from Kingsport on Saturday afternoon. As I rolled down I-81 the sun descended from the clear blue sky above into the low-level clouds and smoky haze (from wildfires) near the horizon. It was a cold, low humidity day making conditions perfect for a colorful sunset -- and colorful it was! My only regret was that I was not in a position to get off the interstate and snap some photos of the glorious scene. A stunning sunset always reminds me of the blessing of adversity in life. Watching a sunset when the sky is clear is nice, but not especially beautiful. The right combination of clouds and sky are required for a spectacular sunset, one filled with a rainbow of yellows, oranges, reds, and purples. Similarly, it is the challenging times ...

I was in high school the first time I participated in a performance of George Frideric Handel's immortal work, the Messiah . I vividly remember the rehearsals in the auditorium of the old University of Tennessee Music Building. The conductor wore a lavender dress shirt. The university choir was on stage. I was behind a cello in the orchestra pit while my sister was on the opposite side playing the violin. The cello part was easy compared to what the violins were playing. My next experience came after college. In those days the Knoxville Oratorio Society sponsored an annual Messiah sing-in at the Bijou theater. The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra was on stage and members of the choir were scattered throughout the hall by section. Patrons were encouraged to bring their own scores and sing along as they wished. I was an alto in those days and having never sung the Messiah before, I wandered aimlessly and butchered things royally in my attempt to sight-read the music. It was fun, but ...

What do bunnies and goats, alpaca and sheep all have in common? The answer is one of my favorite things and something I'm very grateful for -- yarn. Yes, yarn! I started knitting a new hat this afternoon using a hand-dyed yarn from a Tennessee artisan, Miss Babs. The yarn was so soft and the colors so rich, I just had to smile at what was moving through my fingers. I can't wait to tug the finished hat over my ears on a cold day in the mountains. It will make me happy and warm. There are more breeds of sheep than I can count, but there is nothing more wonderful to knit with or to wear next to your skin than a finely spun merino wool. Ditto for cashmere, which comes from a special breed of goat, or baby alpaca, or soft angora from a fluffy rabbit. The gift of fiber from these animals is well-represented in my yarn stash. My drawers are filled with hand-knit socks, hats, mittens, and shawls. They were a joy to knit; they are joy to wear. There's nothing better than knitt...

"Water Colors III" Autumn Reflections on Byrd Lake, Cumberland Mountain State Park Copyright 2012 Kristina Plaas, All Rights Reserved I've been watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this morning and reflecting back on all the things that I've experienced this year. To say that it has been a year filled with abundance would be an understatement at best. I am overwhelmed by my many blessings and am truly grateful to a loving Heavenly Father for his merciful care. "Reflecting on Byrd" Byrd Creek Dam at Cumberland Mountain State Park Copyright 2012 Kristina Plaas, All Rights Reserved After a long healing journey, this has been the year I started to come back to life. It's been a miracle to feel the essence of who I am reemerge. I have been able to go places and do things I've never done before or  wasn't sure I'd ever do again. I've made countless new friends and deepened connections with old friends. How wonderful it is t...

I've shared many of the little things I'm grateful for over the course of the month, but today I want to talk about a big thing -- my family. As I have gotten older, I have become increasingly aware of just how blessed am I to be a part of the Plaas family. My parents have been married for 55 years and have been devoted to each other my entire life. My brother and sisters and I were loved, cared for, and taught well by both parents. I always knew my family would be there for me no matter what happened in my life -- and they have been. Being a part of an eternal family is a special thing and I am grateful for mine. Mother and Daddy on their 55th Anniversary August 2012

When I think about being grateful, what comes to mind first are the big things in life -- family, health, education, a home, my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I think about the big things all the time and routinely express my gratitude for those things to my Heavenly Father in prayer. Over the course of this month I've tried to focus on the not-so-big things that I have been blessed with. My life is so full that it would be easy to overlook something small unless experience reminds me that I need to be thankful for that which is small. A recent experience by my neighbor reminded me I should be thankful for hot water. My neighbor had an issue with her central heat/air unit which required installing a new unit. When the utility company came to inspect the work, they found a natural gas leak and immediately shut down all gas to the home. My neighbor had no heat and no hot water for days until corrections could be made. Blessed with a functioning heating...