Saturday, July 23
I have been looking forward to this day for weeks. Dad, Janice, Jill, Josh and Levi have worked tirelessly for almost a year renovating Bill’s home to convert it to an Airbnb. Just a few weeks shy from launching, big kids and little kids alike were invited to stay overnight at Edith’s Farm for a soft opening. We were willing guinea pigs asked to critique our experience and provide feedback so they could fine tune the accommodations.
Pulling into the driveway late Saturday afternoon, we were greeted by Dad and Janice who were waiting for us under the carport. As we were “guests”, Terry and I pretended to follow the check-in instructions that will be provided to all guests as they book their stay. Entering the house via the garage, we were astounded at the transformation. During our last visit, the garage was slammed full of tools, furniture, construction detritus and other garagey stuff and now it was a grand, temperature controlled game room with a ping pong table, overstuffed arm chairs and a magnificent electric blue, 1928 Chevrolet AB Touring Phaeton. What a gorgeous piece of history and perfect centerpiece for fun photos.
Entering the house, we immediately veered to our left to see the metamorphosis of the kitchen and dining room. What a reveal! The wall between the two rooms had been removed and the pantry and refrigerator relocated to reveal a jaw dropping view of the farm. On the kitchen counter, a felt letter sign board, customized for each family, welcomed our arrival next to which was a gift box full of microwave popcorn, Goo Goo Clusters and small jars of Edith’s Farm honey with tiny honey dippers in golden, organza bags for each of us take home as a parting gift.
The eat-in table and chairs had also been removed from the kitchen which created an open space full of opportunity. Repurposing the bottom cabinet of Bill’s china hutch, they created a coffee bar with every configuration of coffee and teas you could conjure up: ground bean, whole bean, pods or select from a variety of flavored tea bags. And for every hot beverage brewing aficionado, you had your choice of every imaginable appliance for brewing said coffee or tea: French press, drip brewed, single serve, even an electric kettle. The pièce de résistance was the cake stand with a towering stack of fresh bakery doughnuts. Be still my heart!
The pantry, cabinets and all the drawers were stocked with everything you could possibly need for entertaining: cookware, bakeware, cutlery, linens, serving dishes, cups, glasses, fine china, stand mixer, toaster, cutting boards, etc. They had literally thought of everything.
Gorgeous galley kitchen and coffee bar.
Before the tour proceeded any further, Roy the kiddos and Karma arrived so we waited for them to catch up with us. Next stop was the living room which was phenomenal. It had been transformed as well and was open, spacious and airy. A section of the towering bookcase had been removed and custom lighting added which highlighted the shelving, the stained glass cabinet doors and the framed artwork that sat atop the bookcase. The shelves were layered with books, baskets, artwork, Bill’s decorative porcelain figurines and a bouquet of fresh cut flowers all beautifully showcasing the collectibles.
A basket of cozy throws sat on the hearth waiting for cooler days and chilly nights while above the fireplace hung an enormous, crystal clear TV. On the other corner of the hearth was a stack of board games just waiting for hours of play.
Just off the living room was the sunroom which had been converted into another game room with a billiards table, dart board and the antique, dime operated Coca-Cola machine. This is the same pool table that we have been playing on for over 30 years and has been given new life by being re-felted and moved from the basement over to Edith’s. It has been out-of-sight and out-of-mind for many years and it was fantastic to rack ’em once again.
The bar stools from Bill’s kitchen island provided seating while waiting in between turns. A pair of low slung chairs with wide wooden armrests were repurposed as well. While stationed with the army in Germany, Bill bought these chairs with a matching sofa and shipped them home. With the addition of a cute throw pillow, these chairs provide great extra seating while the armrests were perfect for holding frosty beverages.
As we were checking out the flex office/guest room Josh, Jill and Levi joined us. This room just off the main hall, has a desk and is a quiet retreat for folks who have to work while on vacation. The day bed/sofa with trundle make a cozy place to read, grab a nap as well as a fun place for kiddos to sleep. Bill also used this room as an office but the vertical blinds always remained closed so it was quite gloomy and I never noticed the leafy shade trees and the long, peaceful view just outside the floor to ceiling windows.
Flex office/guest space.
Onto the master bedroom en suite. All I can say is wow, I mean wow. The change is staggering. A high-end, modern room has emerged like a Phoenix from a dark and depressing space. A king sized bed with crisp white linens and layers of bohemian throw pillows beckons you to sleep. Freshly painted night stands and dresser, alarm clocks, flat screen TV, remote controlled ceiling fan, throws, another coffee bar and a private screened-in patio to enjoy the bucolic mornings or a night cap before bed enhance the experience.
The master bath was straight out of a luxurious, five-star hotel from the glass enclosed walk-in shower with pebbled floor and rainfall shower head, gorgeous marble topped vanity, free-standing soaker tub, fluffy towels and all the amenities for pampering yourself.
Upstairs, we checked out the two remaining bedrooms. Like the rest of the home, both rooms had been painted and renovated with all new flooring, furniture, bedding, throw pillows, dressers, side tables, blinds, lamps, rugs, side chairs, art, accessories and televisions. The shared hall bath had also been updated with thoughtful details. The mezzanine, which overlooks the living room, becomes a great place to hang out and read a book on Bill’s Bavarian mid-century sofa or play checkers on the game table.
The mezzanine makes a great gathering space.
At the basement level, a kids corner was created with books, toys, pint sized chairs, a turntable with records and stuffed animals. It is a cozy and charming hideaway nook that kids of all ages will adore.
Framed Peter Max prints and and Bugs Bunny animation cells line the stairway to the basement to the kids corner.
In the backyard just off of the billiard’s room, Josh created a fantastic fire pit that they surrounded with red Adirondack chairs for stargazing, hot dog roasting or old fashioned S’more making. Corn hole stands close by waiting for a pick-up game.
With the grand tour complete, let the fun begin! The adults gathered in the kitchen and raised a toast to Edith’s Farm and new beginnings and then everyone ran amuck playing to their hearts content, ping pong, darts, Connect 4, corn hole and pool.
Roy and I played a friendly game of ping pong volleying while grooving to tunes on his iPhone. Dad and I played next and he trounced me. In between games, we all took a moment to grab a family photo in front of the Phaeton which will be framed and hung on the wall. Janice is hoping that other families will take similar photos and send them to her so she can display them on the “Wall of Famous Chevy Drivers”.
Jill and Dad go head to head.
Although it was terribly hot, Janice and Chris gathered on the patio under the shade of an umbrella to relax and enjoy the fresh air. I followed suit as did Jill. While we were lounging, Jill and I decided now would be a great time to present Dad and Janice their housewarming gift for Edith’s Farm from all the kids. Most people choose champagne to celebrate and christen a new endeavor but we instead chose a basketball goal. You heard me right, a basketball goal. It so happens, they really wanted one for their grand opening because they wanted other families to have the same experience we all did growing up hanging out together and shooting hoops. I have so many wonderful memories of doing just that. So to say they were surprised and thrilled was an under statement.
Little did I know what was involved in setting up the goal. Silly me. I thought you would just pop it out of the box, put a couple of poles together, stick it in the base, add the hoop and voilà. That was so not the case. First of all, remember I said it was hot? It was sweltering so the ensuing purgatory was quite fitting. The infernal directions added another level of heat-stroke inducing agony. It took Roy, Josh and Terry hours in the blazing hot sun to put it together and by the time they were finished they were all thirsty, soaking wet and drained. Surely my name is mud.
Dad got to have the celebratory first shot followed by Elijah. Unbeknownst to us, Elijah is a ringer. We all cheered and whooped as he made shot after shot then everyone got in on the action. A little one-on-one with a little game of Horse thrown in to mix it up.
Dad takes the first shot.
Elijah’s a ringer!
Twilight game of corn hole.
As the sun began to set, Roy and I snuck in a game of pool while listening to hits from the 80’s. We sang along to our teenage and pre-teen favorites that shaped our childhood. When the song, “Every Breath You Take” by the Police started playing, it immediately transported us to the summer of 1983 and Center Hill Lake.
Dad and Janice planned a great menu for dinner tonight and we were starving from a hard afternoon of play: grilled hamburgers with crisp lettuce, tomato and onion, deviled eggs, chips, a pasta salad with cabbage and a buttermilk dressing that was spectacular, a Mediterranean inspired potato salad and a North Carolina favorite, Atlantic Beach Pie with a dense lemony filling atop a saltine cracker crust…sweet, tangy and salty.
After the kitchen was clean and tidy once again, we all splintered off for more play time. Roy and the kiddos played pool and ping pong, while Dad, Janice, Jill, Josh and I commandeered the dining room table to play Mexican Train. As they were explaining the concept and rules of the game, I thought that this was much too complicated and there is no way this weird rendition of dominoes could be fun. Well as is my per usual, I was proven wrong. It is a blast! There’s definitely strategy involved and moves at a fast pace. Elijah joined us for a game and then after he peeled off to play ping pong, Terry took his place.
We all played hard today and eventually we began to wind down and head to our respective abodes. As I was locking up the house, turning off lights and making the mosey to bed, I found Roy and Elijah chilling in the living room watching the movie, “The Meg”. Having not seen it before, I sat down for a minute and found myself drawn into the plot of the deep sea, giant shark movie. It hit all the high points of an awesome B movie and I just couldn’t look away. Finally, I was off to bed to dream about our spectacular day at Edith’s Farm.
Sunday, July 24
Imagine waking up from a blissful slumber and seeing the farm slowly awaken by the golden rays of the sun. Terry and I reveled in the peacefulness and made a cup of coffee at the coffee bar in our bedroom and then savored it while sitting on our private screened-in porch to enjoy the quiet of the morning.
Dad made his way across the field and joined us on the porch as did Roy before we gathered in the kitchen to begin prepping breakfast. All the stops were pulled out for a morning feast: fried potatoes with onion, sausage, the obligatory sausage gravy, scrambled eggs with cheese, grilled bacon, Nanny’s biscuits, fresh fruit salad, yogurt and granola. As we were pulling everything together, Josh’s father Phil and a friend stopped by briefly and joined the wonderful chaos.
Dad tutors us on perfecting breakfast potatoes and sausage gravy.
Chris whipping up a batch of homemade biscuits using his grandmother’s recipe.
Jill visits Terry while he grills bacon.
After breakfast, Levi challenged me to a game of Nine Ball in the billiards room. The rules are simple; balls numbered one through nine are placed on the table and after the break, the goal is to pocket the balls starting with ball 1 and proceed in succession to number 9. You continue playing until you miss giving your competitor, a.k.a. your nemesis a turn. In the end, the person who sinks the nine ball is the winner regardless of how many balls they have sunk. Somehow I managed to sink the 1 ball and Levi proceeded to pocket 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 but missed the 9 leaving it for me which I summarily pocketed. Yes, I won by sinking two balls. He was gobsmacked and we all laughed at the absurdity, the blind luck and the fickle finger of fate. Afterwards, they started calling that pulling a “Michelle”.
Levi and I also played doubles ping pong against Roy and Elijah. By the way, it is quite challenging. I also joined in a game of corn hole with Jill as my partner against Josh and Chris’ friend Bill before Terry and I headed back to Franklin.
What a marvelous weekend of family fun. My happiness runneth over at being able to spend so much time with everyone. Having now experienced Edith’s Farm first hand, I can truly say that those fortunate enough to visit will create memories they will cherish and hold dear for a lifetime.
And in the midst of all the excitement of the weekend, it was also important to take a moment to think of those who have come before. When Curtis and Edith Driver took a leap of faith and settled this farm, they created a legacy for their family. Their future was here and they set down roots and raised their family. Unfortunately, their home and their dreams were lost to a devastating fire and the land sat dormant for years. When Bill returned to Gallatin after having served and lived all over the world, he built upon what their parents had begun. Today, we honor that legacy by sharing our love for one another and consecrating the foundation of their hopes and dreams with joy and laughter.
