Dr. Wallen

I had a mental health appointment on Friday afternoon in Knoxville with Dr. Wallen. 

Traffic was horrible getting into Knox. Eighty thousand people were trying to see the same doctor. I finally made it to the house to find we rented a total sketch three bedroom dump. 

But I got to spend the night with this guy. Nothing’s better than partying with your 21 year old. Evan saw a side of his mama he’s never seen before. He giggled at me during the first three songs and then just accepted my crazy. 

I was super excited to see my guy Tony (and his players) were chosen to walk out with Morgan - complete with the trophy, the flag, and the home run fur coat. Perfection!

We had great seats for the Eric Church and MW song! 

The orange fireworks. The Tennessee fan gear. 79,998 people (everybody but Vikki and Mal) singing Rocky Top. The chants of “It’s great. I say it’s great to be a Tennessee Vol.” The energy and solidarity cannot be matched. 

This was my fourth show and the best yet. I’m not sure the Tampa show can beat this! 

And the show ended with a date for his next new song. 

Make that Another W

Last night in pictures. My number 4 played CB the first half and RB the second half; he was smoked after 75 minutes on the pitch.

This is totally worth sleep deprivation.

That’s a W

My boy. 

My college athlete.

My team captain. 

Got his first W of the season! The good guys came out on top 3-2. 

Girls’ Weekend

It’s September and that means it’s time for my annual girls’ trip. This year, on a whim, we decided to do coastal Massachusetts with our home base in Salem. We all flew into Boston and then rented a car. We drove along the coast and soaked up the beautiful water views and colonial homes. 

We stocked up with wine and cheese at the corner store and then had happy hour in our VRBO. We had dinner at a downtown restaurant rumored to be haunted. We were told by the waitress that guests took pics earlier in the evening and ghosts were seen in the photos. 

Tomorrow will bring us history, wine, and hopefully really good food. 

We are Quick Afoot

We are quick afoot walking the streets of Salem, but we drove the rental car like grandmas today along the coast. There were so many things to see - architecture, sailboats, flower gardens, the beautiful water. Our day was spent stopping at various coastal towns exploring each community’s highlight. 

Our first stop was Dansvers to see Rebecca Nurse’s homestead. 

She was one of the women accused of being a witch and was hanged in 1792. Let’s be clear. I wouldn’t have made it living within the Puritan community in the 1700s. The harsh living conditions, the isolation, and the strict rules would have been too oppressive.  The stories from the homestead tour confirmed all of this. 

From here we drove to Hammond Castle in Gloucester, a beautiful European castle built in Massachusetts to showcase Hammond’s eccentric collections of European art and antiques; it also served as a gift to his wife. Her controversial story confirms my sharp opinions and beliefs would serve me only trouble in the 1800s. It’s safe to say I wasn’t meant to live in the 1800s either. 

The views of the water from the top floor were spectacular! 

Ten miles down the road we stopped at Rockport for lunch and shopping. 

The lobster roll and fried clams were delicious.  I washed it all down with the perfect pale ale. 

I love the flower gardens that dot the coast, the window boxes, and the yards of all of the historical homes. 

We will be up until midnight talking music, pop culture, travel, and anything else we can think of. We have known each other since birth, we have been friends since preschool, and fifty years later our friendship is still going strong! To another 50 years!

Let’s Go Witches

We slept in this morning,  and now we are ready for all things witches. The witch theme is pervasive all through the cute city. Some people are dressed in black, some are wearing black witches’ hats, and every store caters to the theme. Even TV witches are represented.

After brunch, we toured The Witch House, the home of the judge responsible for The Salem Witch Trials. 

Then we toured the beautiful English gardens of the Ropes House. 

Every building in the city has a story. Most are hundreds of years old, bursting with character, and painted in beautiful color schemes. Churches are no exceptions. 

The hour long trolley tour took us on a big loop around the city. 

Midafternoon we toured the House of Seven Gables, the setting for Nathaniel Hawthorne’s book, 

his birth place, 

and historical buildings that overlook the harbor. 

We had a delicious dinner downtown and drank more wine. Now it’s time to rest our feet before we continue tomorrow’s adventure. 

Labor Day

I love a three day weekend - I mean LOVE it. Who wouldn’t when you get to sleep in an extra day and do the things that bring you joy? But Labor Day is a mixed bag. I love summer, lazy days, and reading books by the pool. And this holiday marks an unofficial end to it. I soaked up every last ray of sun I could today before my skin told me to give it a rest. 

This guy stopped by to do laundry, take a dip, and grab lunch. 

I hope to get three to four more weekends of this before fall arrives. 

Let’s Celebrate

We celebrated the girls’ birthdays today with brunch in Nashville. It’s early but our schedules are crazy this month with soccer, cheer, and softball. We didn’t know when we would be able to all get together again. 

The food and drinks were fantastic. 

It was the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.