Celebration after a touchdown
The Santa Train started in the early 1940's rambling through eastern Kentucky, Southwest Virginia and ending in Kingsport, Tennessee. It was a way to thank people for shopping in Kingsport. It happens the Saturday before Thanksgiving every year. The train starts in Shelby, KY and works its way to Kingsport, TN to bring Santa to the start of the Christmas Parade in Kingsport. On the way Santa and his helpers throw out things like candy, toys, and other little things. Here is a link to the train schedule: Santa Train Route
My friend, Em, had recently taken a picture of Otter at her house where her hair was covered in bows. Em had labeled her the Hairbow Queen. Well, today we learned that she is willing to have a Hairbow Princess! She was unselfish and wanted to share the bows with her friend. So here they are!
My cousin shared some new pictures with me today. This is one of my favorites! This is my great-great-grandfather on a boat. Of the few pictures I have seen of him, this is the most relaxed and casual. He is not even wearing a coat! Shocking!
This is for Joe: I really like bearded men. Well, I also like men with a mustache, but I prefer more facial hair. I have a picture that shows one of my favorite beards on one of my favorite men, too (aka Daddy). If I find a picture of another good beard I will post it as well.
I am sure that this will surprise you, but Joe collects political pins. He can tell you how it started, but I know that he has continued to collect since we were married. Every presidential election he buys campaign pins from both sides.
Today we prepared for another UT game day. I got Otter all decked out in her cheerleader outfit and Butch wore his UT outfit. When we stopped by my parents' house my dad insisted on getting his camera to take pictures as soon as he saw them. He was disappointed not to get all three kids in UT colors, but we had just picked Bubba up from a hike with the Boy Scouts.
Today I finally got out and harvested my sweet potatoes. I was very eager to see how they did. The above ground vines were growing like weeds! I was so glad to see that I had a pretty good crop. I left some of the smaller ones to see if they would grow some more, but I completely filled a plastic grocery bag full of the others. I think it was at least 10-12 pounds all together. Here is a picture of my dirty sweet potatoes! That is one crop I know I will do again. Oh, my Blue Lake green beans are doing so much better this time around. It looks like the frost barely touched them.
It has been two years since I have been able to attend a UT game. I was very excited when a couple of days ago my Dad offered me a ticket to the UT/Bama game. It was absolutely wonderful to be back there! I have really missed that time with my Dad (and of course my favorite football team!). I was able to also see a lady that has been sitting behind us as long as I have been going. She has known me since middle school and she is great to cheer and talk with.
Today I completed something that I have been "working on" for the past year. I had decided to grow my hair out for Locks of Love. They look for people to send a minimum of 10 inches of hair so that they can provide realistic hairpieces for children with medical hair loss. I had strangely enjoyed the longer hair which I had not had in many years, especially when we went biking and I did my "biking hair." The biking hair made it's last appearance on the Virginia Creeper last weekend and will not be seen for many months from now. 
I am now wishing I had a picture of it! :( 
Good morning: Bore da
I heard on the news last night that a section of the Foothills Parkway will be open to the public next weekend October 18th & 19th. Hopefully this time we can get a chance to go! Here is a link for more information: WATE 6
This is the annual popcorn sale time for the Boy Scouts. In a time when we should be rolling in popcorn, carrying the scent of popcorn on our clothing constantly, it seems the unthinkable has happened...
Last night Bubba had his first concert with the band at his new school. As well as preforming all together, several students preformed solos and also a quartet. Bubba was one of the soloist. He played a small section of Ode to Joy. He did amazingly well for one who had never played a clarinet before a month ago. Defiantly not a Squidward Tentacles! 
Yesterday I spent a lovely day with a friend, Em, looking at baby stuff among other things. It was a fun day that ended all too quickly. Boy, time flies when you are having fun! I so enjoy shopping for babies. Well, I just love babies period! It is always exciting to prepare for a new little one to begin it's journey through this life. It is also good to spend time with friends face to face, just hanging out and having fun together. 
Otter found a house that was just her size. She knocked but no one answered!
Learning how to go around parked cars
There are so many traditions that have been lost through the passing of time. I found this about Welsh Wedding traditions and thought it was very interesting.
For the past several months we have taken to evening bicycling in our household. We have all loved our new hobby. We were driving around in Oak Ridge the other day and noticed a greenway there. I looked it up online and thought I would add a link here for anyone interested.
I only recall having two bicycles growing up. We did not have a good place to ride bikes around our house, so I mainly rode in the yard or the gravel driveway. My first bike was a small Strawberry Shortcake Bike. So far this is the only picture I can find of it. I have not seen one of my second bike. It actually had my name on the cover for the chain. Now I ride Joe's tie dye bike and I have "biking hair"!
The Tennessee Theater has been having some movie showings again. This weekend is Grease. Sunday is the last of the two showings. In August they will be showing It Happened One Night and Gone With The Wind. To learn more visit the events page at the Tennessee Theater website.
I received a comment on my Merry Christmas post, which I used a picture of the Knaffl Madonna in, that has asked about the people in the picture. I thought that I would post a bit of information about the picture. There is a book by Betsey Beeler Creekmore called Knox County Tennessee: A History In Pictures. It has information on the Knaffl Madonna.At the end of the nineteenth century, when "Art Photography" was all the rage, this tasteful composition by Knoxville's Joseph Knaffl received worldwide acclaim. A copy of the famous "Knaffl Madonna" is prominently displayed at Hopecote* because, before her marriage to Albert Hope, Miss Emma Fanz posed for the photograph holding baby Josephine Knaffl who, in later life, was Mrs. David Baker, Sr.*Hopecote was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Hope. It is currently owned by the University of Tennessee and is used as a guesthouse.
Courtesy of Sam Knaffl, Jr.
Tonight we were blessed with a rare occurrence. We saw a barred owl sitting in a tree across the street. We have only seen an owl one other time. I got my camera out and tried to get a shot so we could get a better look at it. It never moved other than his head turning. He just watched us from time to time as he listened for his prey.
We all got up and looked and not only were there two flying around, but three! It was amazing to see three when in my life I had only rarely seen one at any time. It was too dark at that time to even attempt a picture. That would have been marvelous!
I was looking through trailers of current movies in theaters and I was astounded at the lack of interesting movies (well actually not really). I enjoy watching movies, but so many just do not seem to interest me. I have several movies that I love to watch over and over again. I thought I would list some of my favorites:
The Mummy Returns (2001)
When you are in the midst of hard times it is difficult to look at the hard decisions that are necessary and be excited. Looking back on many of the hard times we have had I remember that there were several times I made a decision that was the right choice, but still very difficult and painful to me. I was reminded of these recently when we had some people in our church family facing hard times themselves. A quote from Anne of Green Gables came to mind:"It's all very well to read about sorrows and imagine yourself living through them heroically, but it's not so nice when you really come to have them, is it?"Job also went through some of the worst imaginable hard times. He lost his family, his wealth, some of his health, and through all that he was faithful to the Lord. He was probably not all optimistic and happy through those hard times, but he trusted that the Lord was with him and that He loved him. Through all the changes happening around him, Job knew that God was there and that He never changes.
I was looking at a website with some information on cemetery surveying and transcribing. There were several funny ones that I just had to share! You can also go and check out the Transcribing Monumental Inscriptions site.
