Our week-end get-away to Mountain Song Festival in NC

Jim and I experienced something new this week-end when we traveled to Brevard, NC to attend an open-air music festival at the Brevard Music Center. We've taken picnic baskets and spread our dinner on the ground and listened to orchestras in several cities where we have lived but we've never gone to a music festival that goes on and on....

First we drove to Charlotte, NC and spent the night with one of my younger sisters (Alice) and her husband Jerry. Then Sat. morning we left Charl0tte and drove to Brevard in the NC mountains for Mountain Song Festival. They love attending bluegrass festivals in N. Wilkesboro, NC every year and thought we might enjoy going to an "indoor" festival with them.

The music center is a large covered facility with beautiful stage and lighting, but no sides on the building - it's open for the nice mountain air to flow through. The padded seats are very comfortable and the acoustics very good.

We met our granddaughter Nerissa who drove up from nearby Clemson and parted around 1 pm for us to go to the music center and find good seats for the concert. She stayed behind to study all afternoon.

I never saw so many people and so many cars, and not very many parking spaces. I am glad we went early.

The music started at 2 p.m. and different groups performed every hour. We had never heard of the any of the entertainers except for actor Steve Martin who can really play the banjo. He played with a group from Asheville, NC called the Steep Canyon Rangers. They received standing ovations and had to keep coming back for encores.

The 2009 Mountain Song Festival kicked off Friday September 11 with a Pre-Party program featuring local favorites, Moon Shine Babies, Town Mountain and Steep Canyon Rangers. Shannon Whitworth and the Refugees, The Seldom Scene, Steep Canyon Rangers, Steve Martin and the David Grisman Quintet.


We enjoyed walking around outside the auditorium to check out the arts and crafts, as well as the food vendors. You could smell the barbecue cooking outside while the music was being made inside.

We left the festival around 6 pm to take our granddaughter and her boy friend out to dinner and later we returned to the music center to hear the last performers of the day. It was a quintet made up of these instruments: flute, mandolin, bass fiddle, drums and guitar. After listening to them for a hour, we decided we had heard enough and decided to try to find our way out of the park. It was so dark outside. We got back to our hotel and I was so tired and had breathed so much fresh mountain air, smelled so many good "smells", and listened to so much pretty music, that I hit the bed and don't remember anything else until this morning.

Watching the sea of faces filled with delight as they listened to their favoritemusic groups was a great experience. Something I will treasure for a long time. While we enjoyed this experience, I think we will settle for one concert, one group at the time. Maybe we're getting too advanced in years to sit still that long. I'm just thankful we didn't have to sit on the lawn on a blanket or folding chair like many of the people were doing. It was certainly worth the extra money to have a ticket for the inside cushioned chairs!

By the way, I observed that the crowd was mostly over 50, including a lot of gray hair or bald heads, and people with canes to help them get around. Maybe this was the grown-up Woodstock crowd??

Lunch at Frazer Methodist Church in Montgomery today

Frazer United Methodist Church, Montgomery, AL


Today I traveled to Montgomery along with 6 friends from Elba United Methodist Church to the monthly salad luncheon at Frazer, and listened to Dr. Don Hill talk about Building Character.


This beautiful church has so many area ministries in the Montgomery area. They have a large TV audience, and our son James loved to watch Frazer Road Church. I took him there one Sunday to church and he got to meet his friend, John Ed Mathison, the long time pastor who has now retired.


The luncheon is held in the big dining area and there were lots of people there today. So many salads you couldn't get one of each on your plate.


I thought it was interesting that there was such a diverse group, other religions, and all kinds of organized groups who come to the luncheons. They come from all around the area. One city brings a city recreation bus filled with people. I guess they come for the food, fellowship and the good messages. The cost of the meal is $5 so they aren't coming for a free meal. I enjoyed the trip and got to visit with ladies I only see on Sunday at church.


A bus from our church goes every month and after lunch, the ladies go shopping before coming back to Elba. We went to Eastdale Mall today and I couldn't find a thing to buy! I had hoped to go to a book store but they didn't have one at that mall.


I got home, took a short nap, fixed a quick dinner using leftovers, and then Jim and I went to our church to a special called Church Conference with our District Supt. attending. As chairman of the Trustees, Jim and some others presented a resolution to purchase a new church parsonage. It was a good meeting - no one voted against it! Our old parsonage has mold growing in it from an underground spring under the house. The pastor and family have already moved out and staying in an apartment temporarily. I know they will be glad to be settled in a house again soon.  We have found the perfect house for a parsonage- the old Sam Collier home.

Tiger Town Park entrance - Before and After

TIGER TOWN PARK - to be finished this week. Here are some "before" and "after" photos taken of the old high school entrance way that was left when the school was demolished to make way for a playground/park. The old school facade looked like this for 4 years while waiting to be restored and turned into the park entrance. 

The roof was removed and a new roof put in place. Then a new sign was painted and put on top of the roof. The old doors were opened up and glass removed from windows and doors, leaving the openings for air to flow through, and to maintain the design of the building. Bricks had to be replaced at each side and on the back. A new ceiling was added and the interior painted. Original columns are intact and the steps were giving a new coat of paint.


Restrooms on the west side and a pavilion with round columns on the right side.

Back view with amphitheater attached to the back of the school. A small raised concrete stage is between the steps and the playground.

Check out the new flagpole in front of the school (on left side of photo) - same location as old flagpole during school days.

My Heart Still Bleeds Black and Gold!

Tonight was the first football game of the season for Elba High School, and they played Opp. James loved going to the Elba home games and I felt we should go tonight just for him. It wasn't the same of course.


The weather was nice with a cool breeze blowing across the football stadium. We didn't buy reserved seats this year, thinking we probably wouldn't go to many games. Those metal/cement seats in the general admission section are really hard (and so cold in the winter).


It was fun scanning the crowd to see if there was anybody there "our age" and we saw a few. They were grandparents I am sure.


I had fun remembering how it was 56 years ago when Opp was beat by Elba and we had a year of being undefeated. The games were played in the old stadium by the Pea River - now called Foggy Bottom. The stadium is still being use for special events and the recreation dept. uses it for football and soccer.


The 1989 Elba High School Championship football team, coaches, managers and cheerleaders were recognized at the Elba-Opp game tonight at 6:45 p.m. Everyone welcomed the ’89 Champions in celebration of their 20th Anniversary.

Before the game, among those players being recognized was Ron McKinnon who was an outstanding player for Elba. He played for Univ. of North Ala and later spent 10 years playing for the Arizona Cardinals and one year for New Orleans Saints. He has retired and lives in Bessemer, AL.


The Elba band looked great in their black and gold uniforms. Missing this year are majorettes. I guess nobody wanted to twirl the baton this year. The band selected music by John Williams tonight and it was great.


I remember playing a clarinet in the band and our music consisted of marches. Nobody played show tunes, etc. We didn't need a big truck to transport our instuments. We went to the games via big yellow school buses and took our instruments with us on the buses.


While we enjoyed the football fever and got all caught up in cheering for the home team, we sat there with heavy hearts because we were both missing James. He loved Elba football. So much that a few years ago he was honored at their spring game and presented a jersey and cap and sat in a special section. It was at this game that he met "Miss America" who was at the school that day talking to the students about not taking drugs, etc. and she was also honored at the game. The picture of James and Miss America still hangs on the wall in our den near his TV and recliner. He was so proud of that picture.


We won't have to go to all the local Friday night ball games this year but we will definitely go back for Homecoming. I have a great niece cheering (Bethany Wilson) and a cousin (Chace Sauls) playing on the Elba Varsity team this year. We have to support them.

Oh, Say Can You See??

Last Friday I had my eyelids "lifted" by Dr. Bryant, a plastic surgeon so that I can see better. This came about when I went to Dr. Purvis, my eye Dr., to ask if he would check to see if I had cataracts since I was having problems with vision, especially late in the day or when reading.


During blepharoplasty, the surgeon cuts inside the creases of your eyelids to trim sagging skin and muscle and remove excess fat. After the excess tissue is removed, your surgeon joins the skin with tiny stitches.


I go to Dr. Purvis for an eye exam every year since he checks my "freckles" on the back of my eye balls (little pre-cancers). Last spring he didn't mention cataracts but he checked again and said no cataracts, but that my problem was droopy eyelids that cut out light and that I needed to have them tacked. He sent me to Eye South in Dothan to a plastic surgeon who performed the necessary surgery last Friday afternoon.

He numbed my eyes and they gave me a relaxant in an IV and I was awake during the surgery. There was music playing in the operating room and the young nurses and the Dr. were humming and singing! I remember telling the Dr. to stop singing and concentrate on what he was doing!


They sent me home with instructions to keep ice packs on my eyes every 20 min. for 20 min. at the time except when sleeping. The Dr. called me at 8:30 pm that night to see if I was ok and reminded me to use the ice packs and pain medicine as needed. I took one tylenol tablet before going to bed just in case I might need it. I slept all night.


When I woke up Sat. morning, I couldn't see!! My eyelids were bright red and swollen and all I could see was a thin line of light. That's scary - not to be able to see. It's been a day and 1/2 now since my surgery and I can now see enough to watch TV, read my email, and cook.


I love my 20 minute breaks; get so much done during this time. I even made a pound cake for lunch - thought Jim deserved something for his attentive care. I'm not sure how it will taste but it looks good; almost finished cooking and hasn't "caved in" on top yet.


Have you ever tried listening to TV (without seeing the picture)? Not so good. The only programs I could listen to were music or talk shows. They soon got old so I just sit in the recliner and relax. I really look forward to the ice packs. Makes my eyes feel so good. I might try doing this for my short afternoon naps occasionally.


I return to the Dr. in Dothan next Friday to have the many stitches removed. I will post an after picture later this week. You would not want to see what my face looks like right now!

Katie goes to college!

Tuesday, August 18, was a "red letter day" for Katie. She was
leaving for college. She and her dad worked hard to get all her "stuff" into the car. I thought that since she was going to be living in a dorm that she wouldn't have too much to pack. Not so if you just look at all the boxes in the car.


Once the car was packed, Bill had to fasten Katie's bicycle on a rack on the back of the car. She wouldn't be driving her car to Charleston. Freshmen cannot have a car on campus; thus the new beach bike! Upperclassmen find the parking rates very expensive so cars are not "must have" items on campus.



Katie applied for a 3-day Preview of Charleston, something they started last year to acquaint newcomers to Charleston life before school begins. After arriving at 6 pm (crazy time to check in time the dorm), we realized that Bill was very smart to sign her up for Preview. There's no place to park on the narrow streets of historic Charleston, where the College of Charleston is located. We unloaded her boxes on the sidewalk and then Bill had to take the car to a public parking lot, where we had already parked our car, not far from the dorm.


Volunteer students helped to cart her belongings up to the 4th floor to her new home, which she shares with 3 other girls in the Coed Dorm. We walked into the dorm and I could not imagine how 2 girls could live in such a tiny space, with one bathroom to be shared with 2 other suite mates on the other side of the bathroom.
She decided to move her bed up high so she could put her desk and chests, etc. underneath the bed. I hope she will ask for a ladder. We left her there feeling very uncomfortable about the way she chose to get into her bed!


Bill had ordered her a futon which we picked up at WalMart at Charleston. A church friend and mother of one of Caroline's friends volunteered her son, a Jr at the college who has a truck, to help get the futon from WalMart to the dorm. Then Caroline and I put it together while Jim, Bill and Katie worked on moving furniture around, emptying boxes, etc. Bill had to buy extra cable wire to hook up the small TV in the sitting area, another cable for the computer to be located in her bedroom and not in the sitting area, and stuff like that.


Around 9 pm we all began to get hungry, and were very tired, and walked a couple of blocks to Mellow Mushroom and I never had such good pizza. We were all starving!


After eating, we walked to the parking lot to get our car, and Caroline, Jim and I left to go back to Florence, SC. Bill stayed an extra 30 minutes to make sure Katie's laptop computer was hooked up properly with a wireless connection.


We all got back to Florence around midnight - tired but happy and pleased that we left Katie in a very happy mood. We tried not to cry when we drove off, leaving her behind. I think everybody wiped a few tears. Here you see Katie giving Caroline a good-bye kiss before leaving. Also notice the red pillows Caroline and I made for Katie's dorm.


The next day, Wednesday, was Caroline's first day back at school and she is in the 8th grade this year. We had our picture made with her in her school uniform. We left to come back home after she left for school with her dad.


Sunday was a special day and a special meal as we celebrated Nerissa and Katie going away to school. After lunch Sunday, we helped Nerissa, a Jr. nursing student at Clemson, get her belongings in her car to head back to Clemson. She and her roommate Megan had to enlist the help of Paine, Nerissa's friend, to drive his car and take their extra things that they couldn't get in their cars! Clemson is about 3 hrs in the opposite direction from Charleston.


We are so pleased to be a part of our granddaughter's personal lives. We have enjoyed watching them grow up into "Little Women" .....before we know it they will all be graduating from college and out on their own. 


The two granddaughters in Austin, TX are seniors in college and Liz will graduate in Dec. but plans to go to Graduate School, the Allison will graduate next year.


It will be 5 more years before the youngest, Caroline, starts to college, and we will be turning 80 that year. I wonder if we will be able to help her move into her dorm. We'll just have to wait and see (and keep exercising and keeping in condition for the big day!)

A Lesson in Government

Yesterday Caroline, almost 14 and an upcoming 8th grader at St Anthony's Catholic School in Florence, SC, went with me to the bi-monthly Elba City Council Meeting at 5:30 P.M. at City Hall.


When we arrived at 5:25 P.M., the 6 councilmen (notice  men, no women) were already seated behind the long table at the front of the room. The Mayor was walking around greeting the few people in the audience, which included the Police Chief, local newspaper editor, radio station owner & manager, head of the water board, a concerned African American citizen who attends every council meeting to "learn", and Caroline, me and the person we were honoring. Not a very large audience.


At exactly 5:30 P.M., the Mayor welcomed everybody to the meeting and then said a prayer. I didn't know they opened their meetings with a prayer. I was impressed. Next he welcomed visitors and asked me to introduce my guest, Caroline. They all welcomed her to Elba. She liked being recognized.


The order of business was very routine with the Mayor asking the Police Chief for a report, which was not very detailed. Then the Mayor telling them about expenses, revenues, bills to be paid and a list for them to review before paying the bills.


He then recognized me and I stood before the group and explained why I was there and asked my guest Mr. Charlie Walker to please stand with me at the front of the room. I told the council members of how Mr. Walker had helped with the bricks needed for the completion of phase 2 of the playground; total number of old high school bricks used in the project and how many of those he donated, and I then presented him with a check for $899 from the Kiwanis Club (which was a donation to the city to pay for the bricks and they in turn gave me the money to present to Mr. Walker). I thought the public should know where the bricks came from and of his generosity. The newspaper editor took a picture of the presentation for the Elba Clipper this week. 


The meeting adjourned at 6 P.M.. and several stopped to talk to Caroline to ask where she was from, etc. and welcomed her to Elba. In turn, we went with the Radio Station Manager (owner) to tour the playground and new buildings. He had never taken time to check it out and it was built in 2006!!! He plans to talk about it on his morning program at 6:30 A.M.. and encourage people go check it out.



Caroline's comments: How boring! I didn't have a clue as to what they were talking about! The Mayor just read something, the clerk called the roll and they all said "I do" (agree). She wanted to know why they had all men at the meeting. Didn't they allow women to have a part?
(young people are beginning to notice these things, YEAH)


She said, "Grandma, you were the only person who said anything meaningful!"