Friday, August 19, 2022
Terry ferried me to the Gallatin exit this morning were we met up with Dad. I was to be his co-pilot as we made our way to Elizabethton to bring Grandmother Ginny and Phyllis to Gallatin so they can see and experience Edith’s Farm Airbnb before it is officially open and they begin booking guests.
It was so exciting to be back in Elizabethton. We kept our overnight visit easy, grabbing dinner at Applebee’s then treated to ice cream at Dairy Queen while we watched the high school football stadium fill with Cyclone fans. Unfortunately, the Cyclones lost to Science Hill 14-7.
After a little last minute packing we settled in and watched “Shawshank Redemption” before calling it a night.
Saturday, August 20, 2022
On road by 10am and after a quick detour through Hardee’s for breakfast we were on our way. We made a stop just outside of Knoxville at the Petro’s station to refuel on snacks: Coca-Cola, Cheetos, nuts, jerky, pretzels and a Heath Bar couple of stops. Allowing for a smidge of rain, we arrived at Edith’s Farm around 3pm where Janice and Levi were ready to give the grand tour. Grandmother and Phyllis were simply blown away by the massive renovation, the attention to detail and beautiful amenities.
Terry drove in from Franklin to get in on the fun followed by Josh and Jill. For dinner that night, we went to Sapporo’s for a Japanese inspired dinner. It had been a long day so, Terry and I headed home around 7pm and left everybody to stretch out in the living room to watch a movie.
At bedtime, Phyllis and Grandmother each took one of the bedrooms upstairs as their home away from home.
Sunday, August 21, 2022
Terry and I were up and out of the house early to arrive at Edith’s by 9:30am for a family breakfast. Dad got the ball rolling while Roy and Levi jumped in to help. It was a marvelous breakfast of sausage, scrambled eggs, sausage gravy, homemade biscuits, farm honey, and sliced homegrown tomatoes.
Today was a day to play and relax which included ping pong, pool and just sitting on the patio talking and enjoying the quiet and serenity of the Farm.
Later that afternoon, Dad took us over to the detached garage so we could see Bill’s fabulous vintage cars he had collected over the years. They are really stunning.
Terry and I walked down to see Chris’ new camper. He’s finally moved back to the Farm and he’s working on getting settled including landscaping and eventually adding a deck for outdoor living space. He’s also beautifying the pond with some grading, removal of trees and eventually would like to add a small pier for fishing.
We had such a big breakfast that no one was really up for more than snacking but Dad and Janice had an avocado salad kit that they served with a side of Greek pasta salad along with an open-faced tomato sandwich, on toasted sourdough bread and slathered with mayo and salt that was out of this world.
Terry headed home early to check on Shirley as we had been away most of the day while I stayed and visited a little bit more and rode back to Franklin with Roy and Elijah later that evening. What a glorious day!
Yucking it up with Phyllis Ann.
Chris has returned to the family farm and he showed us around his new abode.
Lots of landscaping around the camper and pond.
Snapping a photo for the wall of famous Chevy drivers.
Monday, August 22, 2022
Sadly, the weekend came to a close and it was time for Grandmother and Phyllis to head back to East Tennessee. Dad chauffeured them safely back to Elizabethton making a stop at the “world-famous” Buc-ee’s travel center in Crossville for a fill-up and a nibble before getting back on the road. Dad made the return trip the same day and was home by nightfall, tucked into his own bed.
