The Lodger

Lake Junaluska is in North Carolina. It’s a place where you can stay in a lodge (Ruth & Ted’s Lagoalinda Lodge) where we sing [practice] Christmas music. And, some people from all over Charleston (from the church, including us as well) will come up in the morning and others will come later. We put our stuff in different rooms (some upstairs, downstairs, in the back room, etc.) where we stay in the house and we gather together in the living room to practice our Christmas songs. 

Sometimes we start at 2 or 3 in the afternoon [Friday] and like in the morning 9 ‘til lunch then have lunch and then sing until dinner[time] and head out for dinner. And, Saturday’s the same thing—breakfast, rehearsal, lunch, free time, and then sing in the evening; in the morning we have yellow cheese grits, sing a little, and then we take a break and go different places... we don’t all go together, but go do things separate for free time and have a bite for lunch and then head back to the lodge to sing. On Sundays, we have a church service. (We [my family] normally leave on Sundays right before to head to Dollywood.) I’m never sad to be home, just get to be home. And then I rest until we go to our family reunion. 

Sometimes I like to stay outside to rock in the rocking chair on the front porch [at the lodge]. I look at all the cars going by, the mountains in front of me and clear my thoughts. I don’t really get to see the lake from there though because they have a tennis court. There’re just trees in the back, so I enjoy the front because there’s more to look at. It’s called Lake Junaluska, but I don’t see the lake all the time. Only sometimes do I go down and walk around it. 

When we go out for free time, we get a little bite and explore the surrounding areas. Sometimes we grab fast food or eat at the lodge when there’re no restaurants open. When the restaurants are open, sometimes I get the chicken and mac n cheese, but I can’t remember the name of the restaurant (I think it’s Bogart’s)—the place on the mountain—it tastes like our local restaurant, Harvest Moon. I like to go to the different stores and see what they have. We go to Cabbage Rose [and the General Store] to look around and see what they have; they have a lot of Western stuff and Christmas Ornaments. Sometimes we go on adventures, like to a bamboo jungle and the casino in Cherokee. 

One time when we went [to Harrah’s in Cherokee], I was given $20 from my mom and I gambled at a church retreat. And I wonder who made me do that? I won’t mention any names (points to Brandon). But I was the only one who came back with more money than I started. Everyone else lost. But, again... I wonder whose fault that was (not mine... someone I don’t know, you believe me, right? Who’s was it then? ME! Hahah Gotcha!). I don’t put things in the slot, no... [through laughs] oh, I can tell you more about gamblin’ or I can let Kenny Rogers tell you... I wasn’t born a gamblin’ man... I wish, but that ain’t true. 

Why do I go every year? It has to do with Christmas music. Christmas music is fun and joyful. I listen to it all year round. It makes me feel joy and happiness, that’s why I like singing it too.  We [as a choir] try something different when it comes to Christmas music... you hear all the old music, but we add something new and make it different.  

You can do all kinds of fun stuff at Junaluska—boating, tennis, shopping, going out to eat and being surrounded by the mountains. It helps me relax, clear my thoughts and mind. And when I’m on the front porch in the rocking chair I think about my life. It helps refocus and calm down the chaos inside. It helps me wind down, relax and calm the loud thoughts in my head.