Kathiey's World

My Visit to Divine Llama and Vineyards in East Bend, NC.  This is a repost from 2020.   It was so much fun I wanted to post it again I have been talking about visiting Divine Llama Vineyards for years.  I knew there were llamas and wine, so it had to be a fun place for a new adventure.  The vineyard is located in East Bend, NC.  This was about a two-hour drive from where I live, so I decided it was close enough for a day trip.  The vineyard was started in 2007. It is Yadkin Valley had they have award-winning wines.  They are situated on 91 acres.   I enjoyed two glasses of Chardonel wine. I had to look up what this was, which I found on Wikipedia. "Chardonel is a late-ripening white wine hybrid grape which can produce a high-quality wine with varietal character. ... It is distinguished by its superior wine quality combined with high productivity and cold hardiness superior to its acclaimed parent Chardonnay." You could see Pilot Mountain from the...

 Life throws many things our way that can spark fear. Fear has a way of catching us off guard, plunging us into a state of dread and uncertainty, often leaving us unprepared to face the challenge ahead. It can be truly paralyzing, leading us to deny reality and hide instead of moving forward. But hiding only prolongs the difficulty and doesn’t help us overcome it. I recently came across a quote by Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant that really resonated with me during my divorce: “Bravery is not about the absence of fear. Bravery is taking action in the face of fear.” Inspired by this, I’ve gathered eight ideas to help us take action despite fear. Let’s dive in… Eight Steps To Help Us Face Our Fears Eight Steps To Help Us Face Our Fears Recognize your fear and allow yourself to feel it without judgment. Identify the root causes of your fear. Break it down into specific concerns rather than vague anxiety so you can address it effectively. Without understanding what’s causing your fear,...

    Life can get stressful, and sometimes we all need to hit the pause button and find a little fun or peace—even if only for a moment. I like to call this a mindful, positive distraction. That’s why I set aside Fridays to share something enjoyable, whether it’s a fun activity, a cherished memory, or just a little inspiration to spark joy. My hope is to give you fresh ideas that you can weave into your own life for a bit of extra happiness. I thoroughly enjoy watching cooking shows, competitions, and baking series—they’re not only fun but also spark my curiosity and inspire me to try new flavors and techniques. Recently, I watched   Chopped , a cooking competition hosted by Ted Allen, where four chefs face the challenge of creating extraordinary three-course meals from mystery ingredient baskets. With only seconds to plan and 30 minutes to cook, the pressure is on as contestants are gradually “chopped” until a single winner emerges. It’s always exciting to see skill, spee...

 Today is a travel day.  Let's take a look at an off-the-beaten-track adventure.  Shangri-Li Stone Village in Prospect Hill, North Carolina The stone village is located between Hillsborough and Yanceyville in Prospect Hill NC Visitors are welcome anytime at no charge. Click  here  for directions The first thing you see as you enter the stone village is the large welcome sign and a quote... "A retired tobacco farmer's pet project turned into a sturdy miniature city." Atlas Obscura The structures are made out of concrete, stone, and arrowheads. Henry Warren, a retired tobacco farmer, started his village in 1968. He worked on the village for 9 years.  He was working on a hospital for his village when he died in 1977. By the time Henry died, he had 27 structures, including a gym, bank, gas station, library, theater, and a hotel.  His wife is quoted as saying... "As long as he had a cigarette and a Coca-Cola, he'd keep building." If you walk through th...

I recently finished reading Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney, and one quote particularly struck a chord with me: “If you can’t find your way back to happy, navigate to the place you know as less sad.”  For anyone who has endured trauma that pulls them away from happiness, these words resonate deeply. It’s like being suddenly cast into an unfamiliar emotional landscape where the path back to joy seems lost. But while returning to the happiness we once knew may not always be possible, this quote encourages us to set a new goal—to seek a place that feels less heavy, less painful, and ultimately, a different but still valid form of happiness. I know this is possible because I lived it. When my husband unexpectedly left, I was left confused and in despair. What once brought me joy—cooking, reading, photography, and so much more—suddenly felt empty. It held no meaning or pleasure. I understood that returning to the happiness of a marriage and an intact family was no longer possible, but I wa...

Being relatively new to the world of wine, I realize there’s so much to learn about the art of wine tasting. I’ve visited a few wine shops and wineries for tastings, but I hadn’t really been taught the proper steps involved. So, I took matters into my own hands and Googled “how to taste wine.” With endless information out there, I decided to keep it simple—for now. Based on the basic wine tasting tips I found, I realized I needed to focus on key elements like the wine’s clarity, color, aroma, flavor, and finish. The wine I chose from our local shop was New Age Rosé from Argentina—a perfect pick for my first real wine tasting experience. Sitting down at my computer with a glass in hand and guided by a “How To” wine tasting site, I began my tasting journey. I carefully noted all my observations, then consulted expert wine reviews to compare their findings with mine. I’ll share my impressions first, followed by the experts’ notes in parentheses. Clarity and Color-  A lovely blush or ...