What to do in Roanoke?

Roanoke is a small city in the South, so for me a Midwesterner I have some things to learn about the South. For those of you in Phoenix, I have already shared with you some of the differences.

This is the land of sweet tea and butter. Every restaurant and every convienent store sells sweet tea (ice tea with lots of sugar that is added when the tea is still hot). McDonalds even advertises their gallon of sweet tea on billboards. Lucky for me I love sweet tea! Similar to the Midwest all foods are prepared with incredible amounts of butter. Butter and salt are the seasonings of choice here. Food just doesn't have the heat or spice like in Phoenix. Luckily, several Mexican restaurants have opened in Roanoke. Jamey and I have yet to visit them.

I will also have to increase my vocabulary in order to understand the locals and their unique sayings. I have heard some unusual ones but unfortunately none of them come to mind at the moment. Most everyone here blesses the hearts of others. It is very common to hear someone say, "bless his/her heart." Also, anything that is run by electricity is cut on or off instead of turned on or off. For examplle, one might say, "cut on the tv" or "cut off the light." I feel sorry for my ESL students who are trying to learn English!

Roanoke is a beautiful city with green mountains surrounding it. Jamey's parent's house is a bit outside of the city so I have been able to enjoy nature and some quiet time. It has provided me the opportunity to enjoy God's creation. We enjoy being entertained and we always are looking for different forms of entertainment. But I don't think we take enough to enjoy the simple and enjoyable entertainment nature provides for us. I have been thankful for this time. I will also share with you some more nature stories in the next post.