Mimi

The Big Girls

2009-10-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

These girls have been such a blessing for us. They were abandonned at a closed furniture factory and lived there for at least a year that we know of. They had no human contact for most of their lives and the puppies that they gave birth to were killed by coyotes. Yet, they are loving and smart and well-behaved. They are so glad to have a forever home that they obey every command given to them. They are very loving and soooo glad to be in our home. Please pray for these beautiful blessings from God's creature's. Remember that whatsover you do for the least of these, that you do unto Jesus.

My Mom's Birthday

2009-08-28T00:17:00.002-07:00

I recently had the joy and blessings of celebrating my Mother's 97th birthday with her. I am so blessed to still have my beautiful, intelligent and spiritual mother in my life. She is so wise and sweet and humorous and I enjoy every moment with her. Please join with me in wishing her a very happy birthday. Her body may be giving out but her mind and spirit is very much alive. Love you, Mom!

The James Grandbabies Update

2009-07-03T14:42:00.001-07:00

Erik and Jen James now have 4 children. The first picture is of the twins, Naomi and Eliza. The second picture is of Maya and Owen. They are trying to sell their condo and buy a bigger home as they are bursting at the seams in their current home. We are hoping that all 6 of them will be able to visit us in August before the school year begins. We cannot wait to take Maya and Owen berrypicking and boating and we also can't wait to hold Naomi and Eliza. Grandbabies are the greatest blessing!

Humane Society Adoptathon and Wellness Clinic

2009-06-20T15:20:00.001-07:00

On June 20th the Grainger County Humane Society held a combination adoptathon and wellness clinic at a local store. Free food (great barbeque pork and hot dogs as well as snacks and drinks) was included as well as great country gospel music. This was a great opportunity for community citizens to get low cost inoculations, heart worm testing and preventative medicine and county registration for their pets. The lines for the wellness clinic were long all day as our community took advantage of this great service. The second picture features my handsome hubby chowing down on the vittles. We did not bring our foster girls as we did not feel they were ready yet, but many adorable dogs were available for adoption. This is such a rewarding volunteer opportunity and I am proud to be a part of it. I am including one picture of OUR foster girls-two Great Dane/Masiff mix girls with great personalities and loving natures (first picture).

Angelina Jolie responds to "Give Refugees a Hand"

2009-06-15T14:37:00.001-07:00

Please watch this video and remember those who have lost everything.

The Mower Strikes Again

2009-06-12T11:46:00.001-07:00

The angry and evil mower has struck again. Don was coming down the hill and realized he was going to hit the house. He bravely turned the mower to the left which threw him into the steps. Yikes. I am telling you that this mower is as evil as the vacuum cleaner (see previous post). The wounded soldier is Ok but in pain as you can see. All I can say is don't give me any shit about previous incidents with the mower LOL. Sorry for that but I couldn't resist the impulse. Maybe I am evil too! Anyways, Don was a brave soldier to save the house at the expense of his face, butt, leg and arm. He is my hero and I love him. The birds, however, are a bit pissed that he knocked over the (really hard iron) bird bath. Well Poo to them. And hurray to Don for saving the house from a massive break down.

THE GIRLS

2009-06-07T10:50:00.001-07:00

Don and I have decided to be foster parents for two abandoned dogs. We are working with the Grainger County Humane Society and hope that these sisters can be adopted together. These appear to be a mix of Great Dane and Mastiff but we will never know for sure. They have only been here for 3 days, but we can already see that they are intelligent and gentle. Babe is the smaller of the two, but she is definitely the "alpha" sister. Belle waits to see what Babe will do before she decides to go along with the plan. Babe has mastered the sit command and is working on come. Belle has just about mastered the come command. They are definitely starved for human interaction and there is a whole lotta tail wagging and rolling over for tummy rubs. They were initially not sure what the leash was all about, but they adjusted really quickly. These dogs are a bit afraid of being hit. For example, if you pick up a stick or raise your arms they cower. We know that they have been on their own for at least 6 months at an abandoned furniture factory on a lonely stretch of country road. There were originally alot of other dogs there. One was shot and dumped in a field and another was hit by a car. We do not know what happened to the others. There is one left there, but that dog is very skittish and avoids human contact. Please find it in your hearts to donate to the Grainger County Humane Society as they do not receive any county funding and survive on donations and grants to provide veterinary services, food, kennels, shots and worming. Because Grainger County is sparsely populated there is no shelter available for unwanted pets. This means that unwanted pets are dumped in the county and must fend for themselves. Sadly, many die of starvation or illness. And of course there is the danger of the spread of rabies with so many uninoculated dogs wandering about.

Misaki Adventure

2009-06-04T01:53:00.000-07:00

We were trying to find a reason to dine at our favorite restaurant and all we could come up with was "Yay Spring". Usually it is a birthday or anniversary,but heck, spring is as good of an excuse that we could come up with. And a great time was had by all anyway so who cares? At least no one had to dance on the table! We were spared that embarrassment. And we had a great dinner in celebration of Spring returning to Tennessee. Dinner was great and the bartender remembered how to make Lynne's special Kioki coffee (with whipped cream and a cherrie of course). And we listened to oldies all the way home on the radio. What more can you hope for when dining out with friends!

The REAL Reason Dogs Hate Vacuum Cleaners

2009-05-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

I always thought dogs hate vacuum cleaners because the noise hurts their ears. Wrong! Dogs have senses beyond any humans have ever had. They inherently sense the true evil of these demonic machines. I should have listened to Rocky and Lady Jane when they tried to warn me.

Yesterday I decided to spring clean our fireplace. This involves using the shop vac to remove all the remaining soot and such. Then I use a scrub brush and 409 and finish up by placing a flower arrangement where the logs reside in winter. Sounds like a great plan, doesn't it?

Well! The filter slipped while I was diligently cleaning. The fireplace was spotless but, when I turned around, the entire dining room was full of soot and floating debris. Apparently while I was vacuuming, the ding blasted machine was shooting everything out the other end. It was like a foggy morning over the mountains but without any redeeming beauty. Needless-to-say, I now have some major spring cleaning to do, including, but not limited to, washing and ironing the curtains, washing the windows and walls and more deeply appreciating the wisdom of my dogs.

(George, no snarky comments about wood burning fireplaces!).

Visit to Pennsylvania (the Home Place)

2009-05-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

The first picture is of me standing in front of the home in Ambler in which I grew up. I am amazed that the woods behind the house are still there. The woods were advertised as a bird sanctuary when my parents bought the house and, apparently, this was true as they are still there 40 years later. The huge tree in the front of the lot started out as a sapling that I insisted we bring from my Mom and I's previous house. WOW. It really grew.

The second picture is from a lunch that my friend, Sue, and I arranged to meet with high school friends. It ended up as a 4 hour lunch. From the left front is Joan and Susan. From the right front is Kay, Loretta, Anne and a friend of Anne's from childhood that happened to be a waitress at the restaurant. How cool is that?

The third picture is of the summer home my parents had in Ship Bottom New Jersey on Long Beach Island. I was awestruck that the house is not only STILL THERE but looks the same. There are so many memories there that I was seriously tempted to break in, but Susan stopped me. Susan and her husband, Ritchie, spent their honeymoon in this house for goodness sake. I'm surprised she didn't want to break in!

Our trip included a hike on the Appalachian Trail and a visit to Sue and Richie's cabin in the Poconos. I must add that Susan was my dear friend in high school, my roommate in college and my maid of honor at my wedding. This was an awesome trip back to my roots and I cannot thank Susan enough for making sure the whole experience was memorable. I am so blessed to have had this experience.

Don's New Playhouse

2009-04-16T12:58:00.001-07:00

We are adding an addition to the garage (aka Don's playhouse) so that we will have room for Don to create new woodworking projects as well as being able to store our boat, riding mower and other miscellaneous toys. Our dear friend, Greg Levron is the builder and is doing such a great job of making sure this is a seamless addition. (Yay Greg!l). It really does look as if it belongs as part of the house. I will try to restrain myself from junking up this area with "stuff" from the house so that Don can truly enjoy the new space. We are also changing the configuration of the driveway to make turnarounds easier and are adding motion detector lights so that our guests can walk safely to our home. We are really excited about the possibilities this addition provides for projects and entertaining.

Mimi's Birthday Party

2009-03-13T18:59:00.001-07:00

On Friday the 13th of March (yes! Friday the 13th whoooo) we celebrated my birthday at our favorite Japanese restaurant, Misaki. Don and I had lobster and filet mignon (mmmmmm) and shared the event with Greg, Alice, Pat and Chuck. We had a fantastic chef named Willy (is that a Japanese name???). He ended up cooking for two tables because one of the grills would not light. Thus we named him "Willy the Wonder Chef". He managed to keep the orders straight and entertained two tables. When the cake came I was forced to dance on my chair. Thankfully no one got a picture of this horrific display. I am sure that my children are especially grateful for that. We had a really memorable time and I am thankful for good friends and good food on this special occasion. On the way home we rocked out to classic oldies, singing along and remembering the good old days. Our other waiter, Mark is a Navy man and Don had a great time talking to him as you can imagine. This was a landmark birthday for me, as I am now eligible for Medicare, Yay! Birthdays get better every year. Happy days wished for all of our dear friends.

Wild Night in Tennesse

2009-02-13T22:29:00.000-08:00

Don and I went out with our friends, Alice and Greg and Pat and Chuck on Saturday night. We ate at the Outback (yummm) and then somehow ended up at a kareoke bar where Alice and Greg displayed their dancing style and Greg belted out a great song. And some of you guys think there is no nightlife here. Well, there! Tennessee rocks!

January Visit to My Mom

2009-02-11T22:58:00.000-08:00

During the last week of January I visited with my Mom in Sarasota. She is as keen as ever, if not able to move around as she would like. The mind is willing but the body balks. I so enjoy visiting with her and discussing current events. She has an amazing mind and her opinions regarding the economic downturn we are experiencing are spot on. I still have so much to learn from her and I am so glad that she is still here to teach me. She really loves the stuffed fox that her great granchild, Jeremy, sewed for her. She sleeps with it every night. Unfortunately some of the pictures with her and her great granchildren did not turn out, so I am including some old pictures of them together.

Third Annual Wassail Party

2008-12-28T16:27:00.001-08:00

Each Christmas we have a tradition of hosting a wassail party for our friends and neighbors. This consists of hoisting mugs of mulled cider and yelling "wassail" followed by eating ourselves into a coma. The first picture clearly demonstrates that Santa has arrived on our roof. Our apologies to anyone whose picture was not included, but space on my blog prevents too many pictures being uploaded. We hope to continue this tradition for many years to come as we love sharing these moments with dear friends.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-03T17:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays to all of our blog friends. And a very Happy New Year too! May God bless you and your family during the holidays and in 2009.

Mimi's Smash Hit

2008-11-15T08:08:00.000-08:00

On Thursday I was on my way home from the hairdresser when I met up with a steaming pile of wet leaves on a curvy country rode. We duked it out but the leaves won. The results are "painfully" obvious. I said a prayer of thanks to God that my only injuries were broken ribs. I think I had an angel riding on my shoulder. Right now I really don't feel like driving again any time soon, but my granddaughter, Taylor, said that when you fall off a horse you get right back on. It's a moot question right now as I am sort of down for the count for a week or so until the ding blasted ribs heal.

On a lighter note, coming soon will be a video of Taylor winning awards in a horse riding competition. Yay, Taylor!

October Visit to Florida

2008-10-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of visiting my family in Florida in October of this year. We were treated to a visit to a trail in the middle of downtown Tampa that was absolutely awesome. It is hard to imagine that this exists in the center of downtown. It is a boyscout trail that circles a lake and the scenery is outstanding. We walked the trail for quite some time and I have to say that I was amazed and the beauty of this area. Thank you, David, for this insight into the beauty that can be found in the middle of a big city. We had such a great family time and made many memories. This just proves to me that we can find beauty right here at home without spending a penny. This is what America means to me.

Weird Coincidence

2008-10-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

The first picture was taken at the retreat I attended at the end of September. Isn't that a lovely antique couch? The second picture is of the couch my mother reupholstered that now resides in my house. Neither my mother nor I can think of any explanation for the eerie similarity. Mom says that at the estate sale where she bought the couch there were two straight chairs as well. The two straight chairs were at the hotel where I attended the retreat. Mom was a member of an antique club (The Sally Wisters) and all we can think of is that a picture of Mom's couch was published in the newsletter and picked up by whoever reupholsted the couch at the hotel. Any other ideas folks?

Women's Christian Retreat

2008-09-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate to attend a Women's Retreat this past weekend. It was sponsored by our Corryton Baptist Church. We stayed in an old-fashioned hotel in Ashville North Carolina on the shores of Lake Junaluska. The theme was "Learning to Dance in the Rain". In addition to the planned events of the retreat, we had many pajama parties where we fellowshipped and got to know each other as well as making many new friends. Retreats are intended to refresh the soul and we definitely came away refreshed (as well as a few pounds heavier due the large amounts of medicinal chocolate that were circulated!). We used up many containers of tissues, but we also laughed and hugged and praised the Lord. I hope to attend many more of these events in the future.

The pictures are as follows: My dear friends Terrie and Lisa (sisters);dinner;the view (awesome) and the hotel. Hope you enjoy.

Our Newest Additions

2008-09-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

Naomi and Eliza are the newest additions to our growing family. As Erik says, Eliza looks very much like Maya and Owen and Naomi looks like "herself". Welcome sweet babies to the family. We love you already dear ones. We are so blessed to have two new members of our family. God bless our family and keep everyone safe and healthy.

The Sloopy Memorial Fence

2008-09-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

In honor of Sloopy we are having an invisable fence installed. This fence will forever be the Sloopy Memorial Fence. We had hoped that moving to the country meant our pets would be free to run, but, alas, this was not to be. Too late for our dear Sloopy, we will have installed a fence to contain our remaining pets. Too bad that this is necessary in the country, but we love our pets and will honor our dear Sloopy by ensuring that this can never happen again. We will have to make sure that the fence is no where near the road as some idiots don't seem to be able to differntiate our property line from their drag strip. We do what we have to do. God Bless all of you who have responded to my email with kind thoughts. We love you all.

Sloopy

2008-09-10T00:17:00.000-07:00

I am finally able to post my thoughts about our dear Sloopy who left our lives just a few days ago. She was a big puppy who thought she was a little girl. She outweighed our other dogs but she never did anything to disrespect them. She expected to do what they did, including sleeping in our bed. She did all the puppy things, like running about with abandom and skidding about on the floor. All she ever wanted was to be loved and petted. She had been abandoned in our neighborhood and she was so very happy to find a home. She had a great personality and was majorly happy to have a home. She was easy to train and learned all of her commands quickly. Her favorite thing to do was to wait for the mail person to arrive and give her a treat. While waiting for her treat she was killed by a racing construction manager. Her last act was to wag her tail. That is who she was and is. I am sure she is now in heaven, getting treats. Rest in Peace my dear friend. I will love you forever/

Visiting My Mom

2008-08-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

For the last few days I have been visiting my Mom in Sarasota. She has improved so much that she is back home. What a blessing for all of us. In the accompanying picture she is wearing the outfit I purchased for her at Steinmart. Doesn't she look awesome? We are currently being threatened by a hurricane and await further news to see if we will have to evacuate. One of the thrills of being in Florida LOL. Mom is in great spirits and truly glad to be home with her family. Many praises here! It is so great to be able to visit with her and share memories.

Bye Bye My Dear Miata

2008-08-12T16:54:00.000-07:00

I have sold my Miata (sob) but it was a good thing. I didn't drive her enough and I sold her to someone who will love her and drive her alot. With the proceeds we will be able to build a 2 car garage and enable the existing garage to be utilized more effeciently as a woodworking shop. And we will be able to house our farming equipment inside instead of on our patio. Our needs have changed and the Miata did not fit in. I sold her to a woman who will love her like I did, so it is all good. Rest in peace, Mimi Miata, and know that you will have a great new life. Love you, Mimi Miata and wish you all the best.

Family Days Continued

2008-08-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to have a large family and to be able to host them at our home during the summer holidays. The second installment featured our daughter Susan, our son David and their kiddlings. We only had three days to fit in all we planned, but we managed to do most everything we hoped to do. The children played on the 5 person hammock (actually made it into a carnival ride-yikes!), hiked the Smoky Mountains, boated on the Holston River, visited Gatlinberg and enjoyed fireworks. They also played in the splash pool, alternating it with the hot tub, and drove the electric cart. It was wonderful, if too short (isn't it always too short?). We feasted on big breakfasts of pancakes, eggs and bacon and laid around watching videos. We swam in Lake Cherokee and just had fun. The children managed to capture a few fireflies in a jar to keep them company while they slept. Isn't this what life is all about? I can't think of anything that could match family time together in the summer. And the girlie girls really enjoyed the "Princess Room" (thanks Terrie for the idea). As Cindy said, we are making memories.

More Pics From the James Family Visit

2008-07-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

We had such a lovely visit but it ended to soon darn it! Maya had a ball with the doggies, but I think she loves Lady Jane the most (shh don't tell Rocket and Sloopy). Erik was really taken by the mist on the river. It truly is beautiful, especially when it's rolling in during sunrise. We never get tired of looking at it. Poor little Owen came down with an ear infection, but we caught it in time and, after one day on antibiotics, he was back to his cheerful self and safe to fly on an airplane. I will post the pics from the Indian Cave when I receive them from either Erik or Michael. I didn't go but got to babysit with sweet little Owen. Not a hard choice guys! The picture of the whole family turned out great didn't it? I don't think we took any pics of the fireworks but wish we had gotten one of Michael's surprise when one blew up in the tube. Yikes, what a conflagration that was but no one was injured thank goodness. On the last day we invaded O'Charlie's for dinner. I am sure they have recovered by now. It was a lovely family dinner and a fitting end to a wonderful visit. Next up are Dave, Susan and children. I am hoping to fly in Meg, Hannah and Dom as well. The more, the merrier.
Update: Please click on the comments and follow the link from MJ to see many great pics from the James Visit.

James Family Visit

2008-07-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

We are in the midst of a wonderful visit from Erik, Jen, Maya, Owen and Michael James. (also upcoming twin girls!). We've had alot of fun. Maya, Jen and I went to see Kung Foo Panda at the local Imax. What a cute movie and not too scary for little ones. Maya got to drive the golf cart and the family collected wild blackberries too. Jen made some delicious jam from the berries. Maya, Erik, Jen and Michael explored the Indian Cave (2 mile walk in) and got some great pictures which I will upload later. They were accompanied through the cave by a tame wolf named Blaze. Today we are planning a boat ride and major fireworks. We have our fingers crossed that it won't rain. It has been a real joy to have the family here. Maya has been designing houses and families with me using the SIMS program. She designed really cute rooms for her and Owen. Since the family is planning on purchasing a new home, this is great practice (if sometimes unrealistic - for example a huge pool!). It's fun to pretend though and Maya understands that it is just pretend fun. Lady Jane has been sleeping with Maya every night in "The Princess Room". Michael is sleeping there as well but I am not sure he is into the princess motif. I will post more pictures as they become available.

Don's New Toy

2008-06-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

After 6 months of searching online, Don finally found his dream Range Rover. It is a 1998 SE and has all the bells and whistles. The interior needs some work and Don needs to replace some hoses. This will keep him busy and out of trouble for awhile. We will sell the Ford pickup as we cannot afford three cars and there is no way that I can part with my sweet little Miata. The engine is a V8 so, when Don is at "Defdon 1", stay off Indian Ridge Road. It is, of course, 4 wheel drive and should be fun to take offroad.

All kidding aside, we needed a car with room for more than two so we can actually carry some friends and family, rather than hitching rides with others for outings. It seats 8 so lots of room for growing families to be picked up at the airport (this means you guys Erik and Jen and Dave and Meg).

I really like the color and the roof racks. Next order of business will be to check out the back seat. Hee Hee.

Lap Full of Critters

2008-06-07T04:49:00.000-07:00

Well I sure am in my glory. Our newest pet is settling in and detente with the cat appears to be a success. Sloopy has mastered sit, stay and come but we are still working on down and leave it. As an aside, I don't think there is room in that chair for a goat and a donkey. Need a bigger chair? On the downside looks like we are in for another HOT summer (darn) so I bought a kiddie pool to soak in after working in the yard. I am thinking of filling it with ice cubes and water, Ahhhhh. So far (crossed fingers) we are still getting rain though.

We bought two apple trees and I want to plant them in such a way that someday before I'm pushing daisies we can hang a hammock between them. They are red apples and, apparently, one needs to plant two for cross pollination. The peaches are doing really good and we await the harvest! Our thornless blackberries are majorly in bloom as well. Tomatoes and cukes lookin good too. Don's ground cover project for the hill is doing nicely and all my lily bulbs are doing great.

We will be having a visit from Erik and Jen and family as well as Michael in the last week of June through the 6th of July, then in July Dave and Susan and children will be here. My grandma's heart is bursting with happiness. We are planning a fireworks display for the 4th of July along with hot dogs and all the standard 4th of July vittles. Can't wait.

Humane Society Event

2008-05-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

The Grainger County Humane Society hosted an adoptathon combined with a motorcycle poker run on Saturday May 24th. The event was to benefit both the Humane Society and War Dogs. There was huge turnout and much money was raised to benefit both organizations. Hopes are high that many animals will be adopted and donations will benefit soldiers and the Humane Society. The cart in the last picture was built by a member. The sign on the cart reads "Grainger County Dog Catcher" (note the net LOL). If interested please ask me about the white german shepherd.

Remember Hollyhocks?

2008-05-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

I'd forgotten how beautiful these old-fashioned flowers are. These have just begun to bloom and they are awesome. I will probably have to transplant some of them later as they are blocking Don's view of the river from his office window. I don't have to worry about that because my view is of the ground! I also apologize for being late in moderating comments from my last post, so page down to see the snarky comments from my family. I do agree with Michael that we "might as well get a goat" now. Thank you Michael for your support.

This spring weather has been ideal, lots of rain and cool breezes. The whole house smells fresh except where Sloopy has been, ROFL.

We had Sloopy spayed and microchipped a couple of days ago. We don't need no stinking puppies and neither does she. She has learned to come, sit and stay and is learning down which is a hard one to teach dogs. Rocky and Lady join in to show her how to do it. Kiki and Sloopy are still in the early stages of detente but I am certain they will bond as time goes on.

Hang on Sloopy

2008-05-15T23:35:00.000-07:00

This wonderful Basset Hound was "dumped" in our neighborhood and immediately adopted us as her new family. She is between 6 months and 1 year old and is sooo sweet. She gets along with our pets (actually majorly afraid of the cat). I have already been able to train her and she is so loving and grateful that it makes my heart hurt. So please give a shout out to Sloopy for overcoming the trauma of being dumped off like trash. Yay Sloopy! We are looking forward to a long and loving relationship with this sweet girl.

Visiting the Grandbabies

2008-05-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed my visit with my grandchildren last week. Dave's girls visited with my Mom and were so sweet it made my heart go pitter patter. The children enjoyed a day in the park and were just little monkeys like I was when I was a child. I can't do those things anymore because I am a bit older now, but enjoyed seeing them do it.

Mommy And Me

2008-04-25T05:45:00.001-07:00

I've been in Sarasota visiting with my Mom. We had a great time eating Coldstone Creamery ice cream and drinking Frappacino's. Mom had two teeth pulled but didn't let that stop her from eating pretzels (with mustard) and peanuts. She's 96 and as sharp as a tack. She does crossword puzzles, scoots around the halls in her wheelchair and plays a mean game of Bingo. You go, girl!

Spring Has Sprung!

2008-03-28T12:07:00.001-07:00

Spring has arrived in Tennessee and we are enjoying the heck out of it. Don is planting perriwinkle on the hill we can't mow and can't grow grass. When it fills in and starts blooming we will be able to see it through our dining room windows. The peach tree is in bloom too (see picture of the day). The weather is in the lower seventies and we have been getting lots of rain thank goodness. The daffodils are blooming, and the tulips are getting ready to bloom. The trees are starting to get that pale green spray that we love. We hope and pray that the rain will continue and ease the drought. Happy spring everyone!

Lobster Fest!

2008-03-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a fabulous birthday celebration for yours truly at Red Lobster last week. It was also Patty's birthday and the one year anniversary of David catching the largest trout ever in the Holston River. Mulitple celebrations with good friends and the added enjoyment of lobster, lobster, lobster as it was the annual lobster fest at the restaurant. We also made two new friends (Pat and Chuck). A wonderful time was had for all and everyone had a "happy plate". I think we closed the restaurant! It is so nice to celebrate with good friends and good food. Thank you everyone for a memorable night.

Lady Jane's Embarassment

2008-03-07T08:09:00.000-08:00

Poor Lady Jane is hiding her head because the vet has officially pronounced her overweight. As if that isn't enough, Kiki and Rocket were listed as very fit. What is a southern lady to do but bury her face in a blanket and cry? She is now on a strict diet and will soon be svelte and healthy, but she can't see that far in advance. I know how she feels as I had to do the same thing (lost 50 pounds), so I am hanging out with her and encouraging as best I can. She is lucky in one way, she can't open the darn food bin herself and has a personal trainer (mommy!). I had to suffer with temptation LOL. I will update as she progresses to her goal of 15 pounds.

New Carpet

2008-02-21T12:38:00.000-08:00

We got our new carpet installed and it looks great. If you missed my previous post, the reason for the new carpet is that I fell and bled on the carpet, then the dogs chewed where the blood was (ick). The previous carpet was low grade and white and needed to be replaced anyway as it was unravelling and stained. We are happy with the carpet that my friend, Terrie, helped us select. She has a great sense of style and color so we were grateful for her assistance.

My wound has healed very nicely with no infection thank God. We put padding only on the stairs so the pool table will stay level. We hired a company to put the table up on rollers and reinstall it thanks to the advice of our friend Cindy. She advised that, if we tried to move it ourselves, we could damage the slate. Thanks Cindy!

Cultural Insurrection Convention: Bella Ciao jam

2008-02-10T13:30:00.001-08:00

This is a video of our son, Erik James, playing the sax with a band. You can definitely see that he looks like Don. He plays several musical instruments and recently obtained his masters degree in music. This video makes me want to dance the mazurka!

OUCH!

2008-02-04T20:58:00.000-08:00

Well, I've done it again. There I was traipsing up the stairs with an armload of stuff, including a new crystal goblet and, oopsy, tripped and crashed landing on the stem of the goblet with my arm. The stem nicely sliced my arm, resulting in a trip to the ER and multiple stitches inside and outside of the slash. To have more fun than this I would have to have a root canal without novacaine. The wound is healing nicely as you can see because I am typing, but I was down for the count for several days and Don had to play doctor and do my chores. I got alot of blood on the WHITE carpet downstairs and the dogs chewed the carpet up (I guess because they actually like blood). We are going out tomorrow to price new carpet as a result. I had planned a trip to Tampa, but ended up spending 5 hours in the ER instead. I've learned my lesson, no more trying to bring the all of the debris from the day upstairs in one trip. Oh, now there's a pun!

I guess one can say that I will go to any lengths to get new carpet and spend alot of time in the easy chair watching soap operas. Hey, ya do what ya gotta do.

Blast From the Past

2008-01-25T03:45:00.000-08:00

I found an old video of Maya and Emily swinging and I just could not resist putting it out here for all to see. I couldn't send it as an email so here it is on my blog. These guys will enjoy seeing this when they grow up or even now. WOW. This is great archival stuff and why I use this blog.This is the best way to share video that is too big to send in an email. Enjoy!

The Ladies Who Lunch January Edition

2008-01-19T06:12:00.000-08:00

This month we decided to try something different and went out to a 50's themed restaurant. It was really a fun outing so we decided to continue and drive to some interesting spots. We first drove to the newly renovated downtown Knoxville area. It is really beautiful with gas lights and lovely historical buildings. Next was a trip to Clinton where we hit some shops. I purchased a new GPS (my 10 year old one can no longer be updated). It was on sale for $119 and does much more than my antiquated one. Thanks to Patty for keeping the flyer from the store! Now I can explore without anxiety attacks from getting lost! We hit a couple of General Dollar stores (wow, they have groceries and the hardback books are $1). Woo Hoo. The attached video is not edited because I haven't received my Quicktime editing software yet, so hang in there if you watch it.

Firestarter

2008-01-08T23:03:00.000-08:00

Don loves to build a fire in our fireplace. I don't think we could ever consider a gas fireplace, because he has so much fun building the fire, and the crackling wood is so different everytime. We also have a device Don discovered that involves placing a piece of garden hose in a copper pipe and placing it in the fire. I don't understand the chemistry, but it makes beautiful green and blue flames. Don says the green comes from the copper and the blue from the hose. We have a "heatolater" that ensures that the warmth from the blazing fire doesn't all go up the chimney, but blows warm air like a furnace. We rarely have to put the heat on upstairs as the heat stays in because of the wonderful log home insulation. It sure is nice to get a good book and sit by the fire sipping tea (or sometimes Grand Marnier). What a wonderful life this is here in Tennessee guys. Every season is a blessing. Don't forget to leave a comment if you so desire. We enjoy your comments. Instructions for leaving a comment are on the right of the web page. You don't have to log in to post if you want to be anonymous but keep it clean as this is a family blog.

My Grandaughter: The Jumper

2007-12-27T00:30:00.000-08:00

My grandaughter is a great horsewoman. Please enjoy the video of her jumping her pony. She has worked very hard to learn how to do this and I am very proud of her accomplishments.

Happy Holidays to Friends and Family

2007-12-17T18:40:00.001-08:00

We hope that you have a wonderful Christmas and a fabulous New Year. We also hope that our Jewish friends had a wonderful Hanukah. We are so very blessed to be living in this serene and beautiful environment. There is a chance that we will have a white Christmas this year as we have already had flurries and more moisture is heading our way. We've been enjoying warm fires in our fireplace with all of our candles lit, just reading and holding the pets in our lap. I guess it doesn't sound very exciting, but it is! We are hosting our second annual Wassail party on December 21st and I am making three different kinds of cookies this year. We will also be serving sandwiches and friends are planning on bringing cheese balls and Swedish meat balls. Yum! But it's really all about fellowship with the dear friends we have made since moving here.

Our daughter and her family are planning a visit for New Years and there is a possibility that our son David and his soulmate, Meg, may be able to visit as well. We are looking forward to sharing our home with them once again. I've decorated a special room for the grandchilden, including a television and DVD player, as per special request. We will have a fireworks display as well (Boom, Flash!).

We are looking forward to another year in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains and the changing seasons. Each season is a blessing, even the deep winter. I feel so spiritual and close to God here. We know it's just geography, but it has become a dream come true for both of us (and the rotten pups and the spoiled cat).

Love to you all,
The Tennessee Hillbillies

The Ladies Who Lunch December 2007 Edition

2007-12-10T14:03:00.000-08:00

Our little group enjoyed the December edition of our monthly luncheons today. It was a lovely winter day and the views of the river were stunning. It's so nice when the Christmas decorations are up and all are in the holiday spirit. As usual our discussions were lively as we shared family celebrations and upcoming plans. We had a delicious dinner of salad, chicken and (my favorite!) brussels sprouts. For dessert we were served red velvet cake. Then we just hung out and nattered. How blessed we are to have at least one "girls only" day each month.

The Christmas Cat

2007-12-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

Our cat, Kiki, really loves the Christmas tree. I think she likes to play with the ornaments as I frequently find them lying about the living room. This year I really got into decorating our log home. Log homes just seem to cry out for Christmas decorations, don't you think? I spent way to much money but, heck, it's the holidays! I can't wait (yuk) to see our electric bill for all the lights I put up. TVA may shut us down.

My Brother the Author

2007-11-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

My brother, George Flavell, has had an exemplory career as a pilot. Having said this, you must realize that he started out as a high school drop out and was able, through focus and ambition, to reach unbelievable heights in his chosen career even when it seemed unreachable. Nothing is impossible if you truly belileve. All of you who have dreams should realize that all it takes is acting on your ambition. He has written a book about the path he took to reach this goal. This book, and his career, should be an inspiration to all who have goals that think they are unreachable, read this book and realize that all dreams are possible if you have a goal . Anyone interested in purchasing this inspirational book need only to contact me at my email address for further information: davesmomster@gmail.com.

Mimi's Got A Gun

2007-11-18T10:41:00.000-08:00

Saturday I graduated from a weapons' permit training seminar. In Tennessee you have to qualify at marksmanship with your gun as well as pass a test. I am proud to say that I got a 47 out of 48 on my marksmanship and a 93% on my test. Now I can apply for the permit, thus earning the right to say "Go ahead, make my day punk." Only kidding folks, pistol-packin' grandmas are gentle folk. I qualified with the Smith and Wesson 357 magnum using 38 sp ammo. It was really fun to target shoot and our teacher has nerves of steel, so all went well. I would like to find an indoor range where I could practice as this is a fun sport. Today Don showed me how to clean the gun and it is now all nice and shiny. Even that was fun, at least the first time. Then, in true Tom Sawyer fashion, he gave me the 22 to clean. It's all good though. If I ever do (and I hope I never do) have to defend myself from imminent harm, I will be confident.

Aprons R US

2007-11-16T00:20:00.000-08:00

To all of you out there who think I am just a banker-wonk, I want to say that way before I was a disgusting banker-wonk I was actually creative and sewed many creations for my children. Now I am branching out into the wonderful world of APRONS, Yes, frilly and girly aprons. I can also make very manly aprons if needed. Manly aprons will not have the ruffles. An example of my wonderful creations appears above. Please let me know if you would like one of these lovely creations for yourself. Order now before the Christmas rush.

Fall Cookouts and Other Cold Weather Fun

2007-11-10T06:12:00.000-08:00

We've discovered the joy of crispy weather and fall cookouts. We purchased a really nice brass fire pot at a year end closeout at Lowes and we're burning all our scrap wood (broken tree limbs, etc.) in it. Then we pop in the hot tub while the steaks cook on the grill. When the steaks are done, we throw on robes and coats and chow down by the fire. We agree that this is way more fun than cooking out in the heat of summer and sweating while we eat, not to mention swatting flies. And a warm pup in your lap just adds to the joy.

By the way, Rocket's new name is Shithead, as he has discovered that the perfect eau de parfume for the dog about town is a dash of cow manure behind each ear. Well it's better than skunk oil!!!

I put some corn shells out for the deer as they will have a hard time finding food after this summer drought. I've seen some hoof prints in the corn, so they have discovered my gift I guess.

New Haircut

2007-11-02T22:44:00.000-07:00

I was adventurous and had my hair cut really short. I am just tired of trying to style my hair. Please vote and let me know if this was a mistake, or a really rad choice.

Major Computer Crash!

2007-10-27T02:35:00.000-07:00

I've had a horrific two days (and nights) pulling files off of a failing hard drive, learning a new operating system (Vista) and dealing with backward compatibility software issues. If I've learned one thing from all of this it is what an idiot I was not backing up files regularly. The good news is, FINALLY everything seems to be working (fingers crossed) and I am happy with the new operating system and my new computer. It was actually cheaper to buy a new tower than to try and fix the old computer with it's many hardware issues. Another lesson learned: only use professionals to build computers. The Firedog folks at Circuit City were very professional and worked with me on pricing. I highly recommend these folks if you are ever looking for a new computer system.

Anniversary Celebration 2007

2007-10-22T08:50:00.000-07:00

Don and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary with Alice and Greg at Misaki Japanese Steakhouse in Knoxville. We splurged and had the lobster, filet mignon and scallop dinner. My goodness, was that ever yummy. We toasted with warm sake (which I definitely did not like, yuch) and had a wonderful time. After dinner we were treated to a special song to which we stood up and danced. Don did great, but yours truly (the klutz) was just a train wreck. We made a wish and blew out a candle and got our picture taken. Those of you who know me well will note that I am wearing my signature hair decor (this one a pumpkin in honor of the fall season). A marvelous and memorable night with the love of my life.

Parrot Dancing and Singing (Snowball the Cockatoo)

2007-10-18T11:48:00.001-07:00

This is a video of a medium sulphur crested Eleanora cockatoo named Snowball living at the Bird Lovers Only Rescue in Schererville, Indiana.

Snowball loves the Back Street boys and has taught himself to dance to their song "Everybody." There is an African Grey in the cage behind him that is sort of dancing along. To read more about rescue birds go to http://birdloversonly.blogspot.com.

Ladies Who Lunch October Edition

2007-10-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

Well, we met again for a lady's (hen's) luncheon. Don was very scared and stayed downstairs in his cave. He still heard the hysterical laughter though. He said he didn't want to know what was going on, but I just know he had a glass to the wall. LOL. You will have to ask him what he heard.....

Seriously, we really enjoy our monthly luncheons. So great to get together and share our interests and concerns. Really a nice group of "girls". And we have great meals and good times. And I am learning new recipes so beware! I will be trying them out (oh no!).

Blog Action Day 2007

2007-10-15T08:38:00.000-07:00

Today is the annual blog action day. The theme this year is the environment. The following is an an article from the National Geographic on the subject of global warming. I've also included a link to a video from National Geographic.

Follow this link to watch a video:
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/global-warming-environment/global-warming-101.html

Ten Cool Tips for Saving the Arctic

Turn off the lights every time you leave a room. Bright lights use energy, and using energy releases greenhouse gases into the air, where they warm the planet.
Shut the door! Whether you’re using the refrigerator or running out to play in the summer, shut the door behind you to keep cold air in. Using less energy to cool your world will help keep the temperature from rising where polar bears live.
Carpool, ride your bike, or walk to school. When you ditch the car for old-fashioned pedal power, you’re stopping Arctic-warming greenhouse gases from leaving your car’s tailpipe.
Recycle, recycle, recycle. Every time you buy or use recycled paper, you’re keeping trees in the forests, where they can clean the air and keep global-warming gases from building up.
Reduce and reuse. Every little thing you can do helps stop global warming, even if it’s switching from disposable paper cups in your bathroom to a reusable one.
Plant a tree. Just like recycling paper, planting trees keeps the air clean. Talk to your science teachers or employer about organizing tree planting days at your school or office, or turn your own front yard into a forest!
Buy food from local farmers. You'll help save energy and animals if you buy fresh, local food instead of frozen food.
Wash clothes in cold water. You'll use 80% less energy and will keep the water where polar bears live from getting warmer.
Shorten your shower by 2 minutes. This will save enough water to fill up a swimming pool in a year.
Buy a hybrid car. It will make it easier for polar bears to get around.

Visit The Green Guide for more cool tips and tools!

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

2007-10-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

Birds of a feather are flocking together here at our house. Hundreds of them are circling from our woods to the sky. They are probably getting ready to migrate. The noise is deafening. Rocket went on a rampage against them. They are too high in the sky to tell what kind of birds they are. At first I thought they were swallows heading for Capistrano, but the wings are not quite angled enough. They show up pretty good against the clouds in these two pictures. They sort of look like dirt on the computer monitor, but they are truly birds. Enjoy!

Miss Maude

2007-10-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

This wonderful woman, Miss Maude, hand sewed the quilt that I bought for our bedroom. She is an amazing person, 93 years young. She hand sewed this "log cabin" pattern quilt. She lives alone, having lost her only son to cancer at age 55, but has the most positive outlook I have seen in many years. The hand sewing on this quilt is magnificent. She made her own yard sale signs and made change like an expert. I feel honored to have known this beautiful person and will treasure this quilt for the rest of my life. God bless Miss Maude.

2007 Children's Crusade

2007-10-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

Tuesday and Wednesday of this week I had the pleasure to be a chaperon for a group of 7th graders from Rutledge Middle School during the 2007 children's crusade. Participation included a great Christian rock band and an inspired preacher from a local church. On the first day alone 46 students pledged their lives to Jesus. There must have been 500 children there from Grainger County schools, yet all were polite and well-behaved. I never cease to be amazed at the maturity and good manners of these children from Tennessee. The band leader was great. He had everyone convulsed with laughter when he sang a song he wrote about how ugly he was as a kid (parakeet on steroids). All of the songs had audience participation, and, despite the fact that we were in the hot sun, everybody jumped, spun and conga-lined on cue. I forgot how much fun religion can be when it's not all uptight and cold. I will definitely participate next year!

Olympic Sleep Team

2007-09-27T19:52:00.001-07:00

One of the great aspects of being retired is the ability to nap. I am honored to have the assistance of the Olympic sleep team in this endeavor. The team consists of Rocket, Lady Jane and Kiki. This team has played a major part in my ability to nap major big time. The nap involves having lunch and then taking a nap. Scoring involves the quality and length of the nap. Thanks to my team I have been able to reach new highs in all aspects of napping. Kudos to my team. And I must give awards to my husband, Don, for his support in this endeavor. I would go on but zzzzzzzzzz.

Crazy Poll

2007-09-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

Well, the poll is officially closed and yours truly was voted the craziest. No surprise here. Ho Ho.

The equinoxes have proceeded according to precedent and it is now officially fall. Temperatures are falling in East Tennessee, thank goodness and I have my fall mums and pansies out. Interesting to note that pansies are EDIBLE. I will be searching the internet for recipes. Any of you folks who have pansy recipes, please add to comments and I will try them. These recipes may be added to my killer cookbook, whaaa haa haa.

I just completed the official last mowing of the season. If the grass grows anymore it will just have to be a meadow. The mower has been retired for the season.

Don is working on completing my faux window for the downstairs "girly" bedroom. It will feature a "stained glass" window featuring Disney's littlest mermaid (hope they don't find out and arrest me) complete with curtains (frilly of course) and a backlight that is supposed to look like outside light. We have also purchased a TV and DVD player for those children who simply must have television to sleep. Now all we need are the children to visit. Hint, hint, hint.

I am diligently working on Christmas aprons, so get your orders in soon. I am saving one especially frilly one for David and Meg, something about dress up and turn-ons. Hmmm.

Turkeys!

2007-09-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

This group of turkeys was in our yard yesterday. I wonder if they realize that Thanksgiving is coming soon? Hmmmm. The wildlife is hungry because of the drought so we are seeing alot more. Patty was coming down the road to her house and a deer was walking beside her golf cart. One of our neighbors swears they saw a young bear in the fields yesterday. I think is was probably a dog, but who knows? A flock of bluebirds has been washing up in our bird bath every day. They are a hoot to watch. We also saw two new birds that we haven't been able to identify. They look like conures but with the wrong type of beak. They are rather large and are pea green all over. They were at the birdbath too, probably thirsty. The woodpeckers are munching like crazy on the suet feeder.

Patty and Freddie sold their home in Knoxville and are moving back to their house here, yay! We had them to dinner tonight as they have been working so hard to move their stuff back. It's really nice to have them back full time.

It's skunk mating season again, so we are keeping an eye on Rocket and Lady. I bought a big bottle of tomato juice just in case.

We finally got two good days of rain, but none is forecast for the next 7 days. It's amazing how just two days of rain revives everything. We still need alot more though.

UPDATE: Just found out there is a bear den near here with a momma bear. I think they have their cubs while they are hibernating during the winter, so the baby our neighbor saw has to be a spring cub from this year.

Visiting My Mom

2007-09-13T07:40:00.000-07:00

This past week I visited my family in Florida. My daughter drove over to Tampa with Zak and Taylor. I had a great time with Dave, Meg, Peggy, Hannah, Dom, Chloe, Chyanne, Emily, Susan, Taylor and Zak. I took a bunch of pictures but I lost them all when my camera smart card bit the dust. Drat!

I then drove to Sarasota and visited with my brother and his wife and my Mom. My brother is doing well after open heart surgery. Thank you to all of my friends and family for their prayers for George. Lane is working hard to ensure that George is well taken care of and that he performs all of his therapy tasks. She's tired but happy! My Mom and I had 2 days together. We ate dinner together, just talked up a storm and then we invited her friend, Marilyn, over to Mom's room to watch the movie "Monster-in-Law". All in all, a great visit.

Little Miss Muffet's Worst Nightmare

2007-09-05T06:46:00.000-07:00

We have a new critter "hanging out" at our house. This has to be the biggest spider Don and I have ever seen. There are actually two of them, possibly husband and wife. I am trying to find out what kind of spiders they are by researching online, but so far no answers. If any of you happen to have any ideas about what kind they may be, please leave a comment. Even their webs are quite different from others. They have feathery strips running down the middle of their webs. The webs are strung out by our air conditioner units. They have large yellow thoraxes with black spots. Very interesting to watch so we hate to kill them. Also, with their large size, I bet they will eat a whole buncha nasty bugs!

UPDATE: This is an "orb" spider called yellow garden spider and is harmless to humans but eats lots of bugs. YAY.

NEW UPDATE: (9/6/07): There is a large eggsack next to the web. There will be baby yellow garden spiders. Guess who do have a male and female out there.

Another update, Hannah and Meg have found a site for spiders that describes our spider. Hannah has named our spider Stella! Here is the link: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.spiderzrule.com/spider052/Yellow%2520Spider%2520121_2145.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.spiderzrule.com/stand05.htm&h=325&w=337&sz=61&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=FN-wtXCG8UcmqM:&tbnh=133&tbnw=138&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dyellow%2BSPIDERS%2Bin%2Btennessee%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX

Pictures From the Cave

2007-09-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

Maria and Jimmy sent us a bunch of pictures from Indian Cave and I am happily sharing some of the best of them with you. We had such a good time exploring this cave and Elizabeth has an excellent camera that captured some of the great elements of the cave. Now I want a new camera! Look at them and enjoy the experience along with us. Think what fun we could have exploring this cave together.

Labor Day

2007-09-02T22:11:00.000-07:00

Best wishes for a blessed Labor Day celebration. Let's take a moment to honor all of those whose labor makes our lives easier. Hopefully all of you have the day off to picnic or go boating or just laze about. We plan to take our boat out on the river and explore.

Great news! Michael has been promoted to lieutenant commander. He certainly deserves it as he has volunteered for hazardous duty many times and exemplifies all that our country expects from an officer and a gentleman. We are so very proud of him!! Please let him know that you are proud of him as well. He has worked hard to obtain this promotion and has served his country well. Huzzah to Michael.

More great news, our son, Erik, recently completed his masters degree in music from the Boston Conservatory. He has obtained a position teaching elementary music in the Boston School District. Erik has always excelled in every aspect of music and sure has taught me alot about music that I didn't know. I listen to music differently now thanks to him!

The Ladies Who Lunch

2007-09-01T07:45:00.000-07:00

For several months now a group of ladies from our area have been hosting lunches at their homes. We try to do it once a month and we rotate the hosting duties. This month we had a great lunch of pinto beans and ham, beef vegetable soup, sandwiches and black forest cake for dessert. Everything was delicious and it was great to get together with good friends. These ladies are a joy to be around! And the food is yummy. I'm posting pictures from last month and this month.

Everyone please say a prayer for David and Meg's daughter Hannah who is having an EEG today to determine the cause of some neurological symptoms. Also please pray for our son Erik who will be having additional chemotherapy treatments.

Next Friday I will be heading to Tampa and Sarasota for my monthly visit with the Florida branch of our family. I try to see my Mom once a month and it's an added benefit that David lives on that coast and Susan and the kids usually try to hop over there when I come. Now that there is a discount airline flying from Knoxville to both St. Petersburg and Ft. Lauderdale the whole family will have more travel options. If booked far enough ahead the flights are only $39.00 each way. That's cheaper than driving!

Don't forget to place your Christmas apron orders folks!!!

Oh No! She's Cooking Again

2007-08-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. And there have been no frantic 911 calls either. Last night I actually made a home made pizza. You can see the mess I made in the picture, but Don said it was really good so it was worth it. I made a shrimp meal a few months ago that made Don break out in hives, but that was some ingredient in the frozen shrimp I'm sure. Really.......

I am going to have to plow under what is left of my garden because we are experiencing a severe drought and everything is drying out. There is no point in watering and it would be irresponsible when Lake Cherokee is down 5 feet. We did get lots of tomatoes, corn and green beans before the drought, so it wasn't a total loss.

We bought an inflatable boat and a 3.5 horsepower motor for exploring the river. We took the Romero family out in it when they were visiting and had a great time. There is very little development along the river, so it is peaceful and quiet. We didn't have a motor at that time, so we paddled the whole way to Indian Cave. We decided to explore the cave, which is 2 miles deep and has lights only at the beginning. The people who give tours of the cave gave us flashlights and warned us that it is only 58 degrees in there. Oh, just great! We had been swimming in the river and were soaked! We wrapped ourselves in blankets and set out bravely. It was really amazing. There is a river that snakes it's way through the cave and there are many weird rock formations (stalagmites and stalagtites). It was really eerie to look back the way we came and see nothing but black. Little Juan was very brave and seemed to enjoy himself. We were worried that he would panic but he was a little trooper.

Don is building a storage box for the back deck. It will hold mainly charcoal. It has casters and I purchased a cushion for the top. We only grill with charcoal now as we were disenchanted with the whole gas grill experience. Not only do you have to haul those heavy propane tanks around, but it just doesn't seem like grilling without that charcoal taste and smell.

Don't forget to take my poll! And Dubya is George W Bush in case you were wondering.

First Post

2007-08-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

I have been real busy these past 2 weeks with major projects. The first one is making frilly aprons on my new sewing machine. Any of you who would like one for Christmas let me know. I have a manly pattern for those of you who don't like ruffles (David, Erik and Michael, I know you will want the ruffles!).

The second project is decorating the downstairs guest bedroom (what I am calling the "girls' room" as I am making it very girly girly. Since when the boys visit they usually sleep on the floor in front of the TV, I'm sure this will be OK with them (boo yah!) The large picture on the wall is one that Maya James painted while she was here. I will frame all pictures painted by grandchildren here so come on and visit so your art will be displayed in this world famous art gallery.

I also got baptized in the Holston River last week. There must have been fifty people there from church and my friend sang "Shall We Gather at the River". Then one of the teens from the church played "Amazing Grace" on his guitar. My friend Freddy said that he saw the old Lynne floating down the river and the new Lynne coming up from the water.

Don and I went to see the Bourne Ultimatum. It was really intense and had the spirit of the Ludlum books, but it sure wasn't like the book of the same name. In the book Marie is David Webb's wife and they have 2 children. In the movie she was shot and they never got married. That's a pretty major difference. Why in the world do they do that? I guess they think that nobody reads books anymore. Since I haven't seen any commentary on the movie that even mentions that it doesn't follow the book, I have to think that the critics never read the book. EEEK.