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By Hayley Benton

Contributing Writer

As the lush green hues of summer fade, yielding to the crisp crimson colors of autumn, the Great Smoky Mountains undergo a breathtaking transformation. Under the canopy, golden sunlight filters through a kaleidoscope of leaves, casting a warm, ethereal glow on the landscape. Small animals ‘shuffle-crunch-snap’ through the leaf litter, gathering fallen nuts and overripe berries in preparation for the long winter ahead.

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"First the huffin’, then the stuffin’” is the motto for the Waynesville Sunrise Rotary Club’s 3rd Annual 5k Turkey Trot being held at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 23, at Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center.

Funds raised at the Haywood Healthcare Foundation’s annual golf tournament will go toward food insecurity among children and the elderly in Haywood County.

Here's a roundup of things to do in WNC this weekend.

Question:  I’ve been reading about JACKFRUIT and notice that there are many products with jackfruit at Ingles that look like meat – is this a good alternative to eating meat?

By Frances Figart • Contributing writer | Although the word “spider” may elicit a “yuck” or an “ew” from many readers, the true nature of these oft-feared critters is not as icky as one might suppose. Arachnids provide essential services for humans and play key roles in balancing our ecosystems by keeping herbivorous insects in check.

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HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. – The newest trail in the Blue Ridge Mountains churns out tasty adventure on a daily basis.

Chill-seekers follow the Hendersonville Ice Cream Trail to 12 locations serving homemade and brand-name ice creams, frozen custards, frozen yogurts, banana splits, milkshakes and sundaes, as well as authentic Mexican sorbets and paletas (ice pops).

Givens Great Laurels, located at 80 Candler Street in Waynesville, invites community members to attend the 2nd annual Givens Great Laurels Craft Show & Sale on Fri., July 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will feature pieces from five residents including jewelry, photography, wreaths and holiday décor. This cash only event will take place in the Givens Great Laurel Community Room. There will be limited parking and an attendant on site to help direct visitors. 

Get ready for the holiday weekend!

A new exhibit on the history of weaving in Haywood County will open Friday, June 16 at Shelton House — History, Heritage and Crafts (The Museum of NC Handicrafts) during the “Blue Ridge Heritage Weekend” Arts and Crafts Festival. 

What's going on this weekend?

By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | Watching a bevy of kite surfers today inspired me to contemplate new and exciting adventures to add to my life!

I recently watched a video of Carolyn Myss discussing how guidance works. She shared how she returned from teaching overseas and walked into her New Hampshire farmhouse only to feel that she could no longer live there. This house had been her home for ten years. Without taking her coat off, in twenty-two minutes flat, she had arranged for a neighbor to help her pack, her brother to fly down and drive a moving van, and asked her mother if she could stay with her until she decided where her next home would be.

Lately I’ve been seeing recipes listing different sweeteners as “healthier” and less processed alternatives to sugar.  

By Stefanee Sherman • Rumble Writer |Getting to work with, learn from and befriend incredible women has been an inspiration in my life. Ashton Nelson is one of those women.

On May 12, North Carolina-based musician Libby Rodenbough released her sophomore solo album, Between the Blades, via Sleepy Cat Records.

What's going on this weekend?

By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | We all have music that inspires us or gives us a time and place to reconcile our feelings around our pain. I am usually transported back in time through lyrics that speak my heart’s language granting me grace as I feel my sadness. When I heard Ashokan Farewell, I was driven to my knees. This instrumental piece tells the story of the soul’s journey on earth.

We have the potential for growth with every person that crosses our path. Those people that actually make it past our barriers and into our inner circle are the ones we choose to learn with in this lifetime. What we grasp and internalize is up to both parties but make no mistake about it… from a soul perspective, these encounters are our destiny.

By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | I discovered a disadvantage to belonging to a third-party phone network that was impacting me negatively, so I headed to my nearest Verizon store to remedy the situation. I arrived at ten thirty a.m. and due to unforeseen circumstances by one thirty p.m. I was reaching my breaking point. It was a Friday, and I was racing against the clock to secure a good parking spot in my garage before the influx of people arrived for our town’s long-anticipated wine festival. Defeated, I left the store waving my white flag. I then noticed a nearby Staples and felt the urge to get a few office supplies. I was hoping somewhere in their inventory I might find a new perspective to put into my basket.

By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | As we were getting ready to find a good breakfast place this morning my partner had a fleeting image in his head of his long underwear. He stepped out onto our patio and decided he only needed a light jacket to stay warm. As we made our way down the tree lined streets towards the restaurant, the grey clouds overtook the sun and the small amount of warmth it was offering. Feeling a chill, he then said to me that he had had an inkling earlier that he should wear more layers and wished he had listened.

Each year on Mother's Day Weekend, the “Whole Bloomin Thing” Spring Festival brings flowery fun to Waynesville. This year the festival will take place 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 13, on Commerce and Depot streets in Frog Level. 

Question: I would rather not take any medication…are there foods that can help lower my blood pressure and cholesterol?

All residents, businesses, agencies, students and school personnel are invited to participate in the sexual assault awareness/prevention campaign on April 26 called “Denim Day” by wearing jeans or denim “with a purpose” on that day to support the “NOMORE” (excuses for sexual assault) campaign.

By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | How do you know where your soul wants to take you in this lifetime? I’ve mentioned before that understanding your north node in your astrological chart can give you that information. But what if you have no desire to explore your astrological chart? Are there any other clues as to the soul journey you are on?

By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | I like to take what I call run/walks. These are fast paced walks with sprints mixed in at key intervals. Most of the times these “key” intervals coincide with traffic lights. I have studied the patterns of lights enough to know about how long I have before the green light turns to yellow. I typically am listening to rap music because I can set my pace to its rhythm and take it up a notch when the bridge plays giving me that extra umph to cross the traffic lanes safely.

This recipe doesn’t come close to an authentic curry, but it is delicious, healthy and easy. It’s a great option for weeknight dinners and will provide yummy leftovers for lunches. Serve with rice or warm pita bread. 

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By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | When we are born into this world we are total perfection. Everything about us is in perfect alignment with divine energy. Once we draw our first breath, we start feeling the influence of the people around us. Their energy is not more important than ours. It does, however, begin our descent down the path of disempowerment. Our fragile beings are now at the mercy of the people in our lives for better or for worse.

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By Stefanee Sherman • Rumble Contributor | If you’re looking for comfort food, give this recipe a try. It’s the perfect combination of carbs and a little touch of lemon to make you feel warm and cozy. This wasn’t a meal I used to eat, because I never liked mushrooms. But this recipe has absolutely changed my feelings on mushrooms and now I could eat this every day. 

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By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | Feng Shui consultants know that major life changing events affect the energy of a home. These houses should come with warning labels that read: side effects include possibility of bankruptcy, terminal illness anddivorce. The energy experienced during traumatic events gets absorbed into the space. I am not referring to a temporary setback such as a job loss, an argument, or the flu. I means repeated low vibrational emotions that accumulate in a space until it has a consciousness of its own.

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Many people are fond of throwing around fearmongering words like: “poisonous”, “toxic”, and “dangerous” when it comes to certain foods, beverages, or ingredients – especially if it is something they don’t like or approve of.

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By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble contributor | One Saturday morning my parents called me and my sister down to the kitchen to have a fire safety lesson. I was about sixteen at the time. They explained that we were never to throw water on a grease fire. It had to be smothered with a lid or baking soda. Seriously?Why are we talking about this stuff? They finished up their spiel and left us to run errands together. Later that day they called to say they were stopping off at the Pizza Hut (a real treat for us) to pick up dinner and my mother asked my sister to make iced tea.

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By Stefanee Sherman • Rumble Contributor | Ava & Arden is a small, women-owned boutique on Main Street in Waynesville. The boutique's doors officially opened in September of 2021 and it has continued to grow over the years. Their collection of beautiful, elegant and unique items make for the perfect gift or addition to your own home! The merchandise ranges from affordable to high end, but is all the best quality. Their beautifully curated window is an eye catcher and one of my favorites to check out when I pass by. 

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By Stefanee Sherman • Rumble Contributor | This recipe is another favorite in our house for a couple of reasons. One reason being, we’re always looking to change up how we make our chicken. The other reason is that for a house of three girls, we manage to make it look like an explosion went off in our kitchen after literally every meal. Between using every pan and having ingredients on every countertop, you would think we were feeding a family of ten. But this recipe essentially takes one baking sheet and about 35 minutes to make. 

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Question: I’ve recently moved to NC and just started shopping at a nearby Ingles Markets. Who is “Laura Lynn” and who makes these products?

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By Stefanee Sherman • Rumble Contributor | The only thing that can hold you back in life is yourself and the things you allow to control your mindset. The only one telling you that you can’t do something is you. Fear is one of those things that we all have and we all face. Regardless of if your fear is failure, heights or even sharks, you have to overcome that fear or it forever prevents you from doing the amazing things in life. Your fear of heights keeps you from the best views, your fear of sharks keeps you from playing in the waves, your fear of embarrassing yourself keeps you from dancing at the bars with your friends.

By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | The north node in your astrological chart points to what your soul wants to experience in this lifetime. I consider this information to be invaluable! We tend to repeat our patterns, not realizing that we are relying on our old responses instead of making the effort to learn new ways to approach our lives. All of us come into the world with skills we have perfected in other lifetimes. The north node points to which of those skills will continue to serve us, how to utilize them and which ones are preventing us from meeting our spiritual goals.

There’s no easy answer to this one because there’s no hard definition of “local”.  For some, local may mean:

Erythritol is a classified as a polyol or sugar alcohol and is a type of carbohydrate. It is found naturally in some foods like pears, melons, and grapes and can be manufactured.

By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor | A couple of weeks ago I awoke to loud music playing. I mean dance party, throw down loud! I thought one of my neighbor’s was having a party. I looked at the clock, 4am. #%@*!!!!!  What was happening?

Join neighbors, friends, family and co-workers for the annual Plateau Pickup on Saturday, April 15. Volunteers will begin at Kelsey- Hutchinson Founders Park on Pine Street at 8:30 a.m., where they will receive their geographic assignment. Stretches of U.S. 64, N.C. 28, N.C. 106 parts of downtown Highlands will be covered. Groups, families and individuals are welcome.

Different forms of “fasting” seem to be in the news a lot lately from “time-restricted eating” (TRE), to intermittent fasting (IF) and circadian rhythm eating (CRE).

By Sabrina Matheny • Remember Highlights’ hidden pictures? These are pictures of common scenes that have images hidden within them. For example, a moving day scene could have a picture of a domino hidden on the side of stacked boxes. This puzzle develops a child’s ability to recognize a figure in a different context. As adults, I propose we use everyday life as our puzzle and transform our current experience by locating our hidden limiting belief. Our interactions with others are our common scenes. We participate in these scenes by enacting patterns that are shaped by our life experiences and reflect our ongoing beliefs.

How creative are you in the kitchen? What staples do you keep on hand to make quick meals? 

By Sabrina Matheny • I’ve written on how to use a pendulum in the past: Pendulum: Yes or No. That article describes the mechanics of using the pendulum along with choosing a pendulum. Lately, I’ve been using the pendulum to help me navigate big projects.

Often we may see or hear people proclaim that certain products, treatments, foods or ingredients in foods are “natural” and therefore better.

By Sabrina Matheny • Rumble Contributor |

You may have seen ads on social media or articles about collagen powder (peptides) helping with everything from removing wrinkles to reducing knee and joint pain and even improving gut health.

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