Eating In

An evening at home with Domino's Pizza.

NEVER wear a Vanderbilt shirt to Dollywood!

Note to the reader: I bought a Vanderbilt shirt from Steve and Barry's for $4 when they were going out of business earlier this year. I am not a huge Vanderbilt fan and I have no connection to the school. I really bought the shirt because you don't see a lot of Vanderbilt stuff in our area and I do have a tender place in my heart for them just because they are always an underdog in the SEC.

I went to Dollywood today wearing the Vanderbilt shirt. I got dirty looks all day. Two old ladies stopped me and made snide remarks about my shirt. One said, "What's with the Vanderbilt shirt? This is Vols country!" The other said, "Where did you get that shirt? A yard sale?" Then I began to study the what others in the park were wearing. Probably 50% were sporting some type of Tennessee Volunteer gear. They are hard core UT up in Dollywood! Even though most of the people in the park were prime targets for the next episode of What Not To Wear, I was singled out as having the most absurd outfit. I went into the gift shop and everything was Tennessee Volunteer orange. No Vanderbilt stuff in sight. Nashville is not THAT far away from Pigeon Forge! Anyway, I learned a very valuable lesson: Never wear a Vanderbilt shirt to Dollywood!

Christmas in July?

Many of us may have a nativity scene set up in our house during the Christmas season, but I took this picture in my friends house tonight (July 29)! Christmas in July! Did they just forget to pack it up after Christmas? Nope, they leave it out year round. They are either great Christian people, or they are just really odd.

Summer Smoothies!

This summer I have been on a smoothie kick. We make them using fresh fruit, vanilla flavored coconut milk, and ice. Today I made a peach smoothie. Yummy!

Golf

Played golf at Links O' Tryon today with Travis and Dad. Travis won but I beat Dad by one stroke! Travis got an eagle on hole 16 (a 2 on a par 4)! We had lots of fun.

My Latest Read: The Cosgrove Report

I just finished reading The Cosgrove Report: The Private Inquiry of a Pinkerton Detective into the Death of President Lincoln an annotated novel presented by G.J.A O'Toole. It is a very interesting historical fiction novel, or more like what I like to call a historical "faction" novel. It is a fiction book based completely on fact. Being a history buff, I love these types of books. This book was quite possibly the neatest "faction" book I have ever read. I love Abraham Lincoln and I have read a few books about him and the capture of John Wilkes Booth. This book really brings the story to life. The way the book is written is what makes it so interesting. Here is a quick synopsis of how the book is written: Raymond Lawson just died. Mr. Lawson's grandfather, Nicholas Cosgrove, was a private detective in the Pinkerton Detective Agency just after the Civil War. In his will Mr. Lawson left instructions for Michael Croft, also a private detective, to investigate his grandfather's memoirs to see if there is any historical evidence to prove they are true. After his investigation he must publish his findings, thus the book. The memoirs are an exciting tale dealing with the assassination of President Lincoln and the capture of John Wilkes Booth. It is a fun book and the ending is great! Caution: I must say that if you are not interested in Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, or the capture of John Wilkes Booth you may get bored.

Strong and Sweet

Tryon, NC is known as steeplechase country and they have a famous wooden horse in downtown Tryon named, Morris. I guess Morris is kind of the town mascot. However, when I think of Tryon, NC I don't think of Morris, I think of a dear friend of mine who lives there and calls herself my "adopted grandmother". Today I visited her in a nursing home in Tryon. She was involved in a car accident earlier this week and broke one of the vertebra in her neck. She has to wear one of those neck braces that start at her chest, and then split into four bars that form a cage around her head, and end in the shape of a halo around her forehead. She may be very uncomfortable for the next couple of months, but overall she is doing well. Especially considering her age - she is 90! That's right! Nine decades old and she is still going strong! She truly is an amazing lady. In some strange way her new headgear symbolizes her spirit. The bars symbolize strength and toughness while the halo of course makes me think of angels. It reminded me of how she is tough, but also very sweet. Please keep her in your prayers.