Fun Adventures Going Off the Grid

My recent travels took me down to Galax, Virginia to feature the area for our ongoing series.   I have never been there before, but heard a lot about it from a friend of mine who is from this area.  She often talked about small town living and the limited shopping that's available.  But see, she's really a city girl at heart, and you can't blame the gal for wanting to go somewhere that has an Ann Taylor's LOFT and a Gap close by. And this is not the place to go if you want the latest in women's fashions.   However, she neglected to describe how steeped this place is in its music history - and it's a must-visit if you're into old time mountain music. Galax is now known as the World's Capital of Old Time Mountain Music. It used to be an area known for its furniture and textile industry, however,  after much of that industry went overseas, it had to reinvent itself.  And it has.  It has now become a music mecca along the Crooked Road and visitors c

My husband and I are trying to get through this summer.  It's been going fast and slow at the same time.  See, he's a stay-at-home dad during the summer months.  And the kids are bored.  Time is going way too fast for me, and way too slow for him.  While he enjoys time with the kids, he is ready for them to go back to school.  And while he's home, I've got the easy part.  I go to work.  I hate to admit it, but I find myself taking him for granted.  I'm ashamed to write this because I know I shouldn't. But just like I need reminding to put my phone away from time to time, I also need reminding that my husband needs attention too.  He's such a huge help and I lean on him constantly, but I forget sometimes that he also needs someone to lean on - and I need to remember to be there for him more often.  I was reminded of that fact just recently, and it got me thinking-  can I do more to keep our marriage strong? What exactly does make a marriage strong? I'm g