Friday, September 7
After a week of delays due to unforeseen auto repairs, I was finally on the road to Grandmother Ginny’s house. I arrived late afternoon and was just beyond thrilled to finally be here. Grandmother was in the kitchen as I came in the back door and we laughed and hugged and caught up and it was marvelous. We called Phyllis who arrived shortly after and right behind her strolled in DJ and Olivia. Oh the joy!
By the time we hugged it all out it was time to figure out what to do for dinner. A never ending conundrum. It was Primo’s by a unanimous vote. We loaded into Grandmother’s car and DJ chauffeured us to our destination. As we were getting our menus, Andi and her boyfriend Ellis joined us as we prepared to do some heavy carb loading.
Back at Grandmother’s, we sat around the kitchen table and visited and satiated our sweet tooth with a delicious blueberry, gelatin dessert with a sweetened cream cheese topping that a friend of Grandmothers had made for her that was just divine. Phyllis, Grandmother, Olivia and I couldn’t resist and we dug right in.
As it inched towards 9pm, Andi and Ellis headed out and volunteered to drop Olivia off at Milligan on their way back to Johnson City. In the morning, both girls were getting up bright and early so they could attend the Trees Streets Yard Sale in Johnson City. This annual sale and fundraiser takes place in a historic neighborhood in Johnson City where all the streets have been named after, you guessed it, a tree. Think, Elm, Oak, Maple, etc. In its 29th year, this sale has grown from a small neighborhood yard sale to an an annual event with the expectation of some 15,000 shoppers.
After the girls left, DJ, Grandmother, Phyllis and I retired to the living room and as always our conversation turned to movies. We talked about films we had recently seen, “Bombshell” about the Hollywood starlet, Hedy Lamarr, “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”, “Tab Hunter Confidential” a documentary about 50’s heartthrob, Tab Hunter and a movie DJ and I are both anxious to see this fall, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, the biographical film about the iconic British rock band Queen. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.
So after Phyllis decided to call it a night and headed home, I went to the kitchen and cobbled together a hot toddy for DJ with hot water, lemon and honey, minus the whiskey, to hopefully give him a respite from his lingering cold. You see, DJ arrived in Elizabethton with a wicked sounding voice having been sick since Tuesday. He said that he was much improved and didn’t feel as bad as he sounded but he was quiet throughout the evening and you could tell he was probably hanging on by a thread. It was either that or he just couldn’t get a word in edgewise being statistically outnumbered by five women.
With all that being said, he had the “hello doll” voice. That’s what Terry and I jokingly call the two-pack a day smokers voice you get when you’re sick. Do you remember the gravel-voiced Daphne from the Andy Griffith Show? She is our muse.
DJ drank his holistic “medicine” and we called it a night. As DJ and I stood in the narrow hallway saying our goodnights to Grandmother Ginny, it was as if time had stood still and for a brief moment I felt as if I was back at the house on Pine Hill Road. We were all young again and Grandmother was sending us upstairs to our beds. It all felt so familiar it filled my heart with a fullness of emotion and sweet memories.
Saturday, September 8
Phyllis walked over this morning around 10am and we headed downtown for an artery clogging breakfast at The Southern. The parking gods were with us as I was able to find a parking spot right in front of the restaurant. Cue angelic music. We found an empty four top, ordered and settled in when Phyllis looked over my shoulder and said, “Is that Pat Goddard?”. I turned around and by golly, amidst a trio of cammo clad men was Patrick. He and his buds had been out scouting for an upcoming duck hunt. Pat sauntered over to say howdy. Grandmother asked about Grayson. She’s recently graduated from college and is nursing at the VA and loving it. It was so good to see him and to hear that Goddard cadence that I love.
We all had a marvelous breakfast. Grandmother had country ham, biscuit and apples, Phyllis had country ham as well, DJ had a big bowl with potatoes, bacon, with two over easy eggs on top with gravy while I had two eggs over easy, toast, bacon and a side of French toast. My golly that was some good eating.
Breakfast at the Southern in downtown Elizabethton.
What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than at the movies. We decided on “Operation Finale”. I just love going to the movies! We picked up Olivia at her dorm at Milligan and made our way to the theater in Johnson City where we met up with Phyllis and Andi. “Operation Finale” is the retelling of the Israeli intelligence officers who in 1960, traveled to Buenos Aries to capture Adolf Eichmann, the WWII German war criminal known as the “architect of the final solution”, and deliver him to Israel to stand trial for his atrocities. I would highly recommend checking it out.
Back at Grandmother’s, we decide to have a bite to eat, no surprise there. So for our late afternoon lunch/dinner we had sandwiches with thinly sliced deli ham and cheese on rye with Kosher dill pickles and crispy, salty Lay’s potato chips before we headed out for our next adventure, to see the production of “Much Ado About Nothing” for the Shakespeare in the Park series.
“Much Ado About Nothing”is a romantic comedy about a couple who seemingly despise each other and vocalize their disdain with verbal sparring using daggered words but are in reality desperately in love. This 400 year old play is the basis for many movies including “The Philadelphia Story” with Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart and Katherine Hepburn to “Addams Rib”, “4 Weddings and a Funeral” and “You’ve Got Mail”.
The production was scheduled to take place in Founders Park but due to threatening weather they relocated the show to the covered train shed where they hold their Farmers Market. Also unexpected was the soul/R & B band that was playing on a stage a stones throw away which provided a groovy soundtrack for our thespians and the trains that would blare their lonesome whistle as they roared through town. When a train would barrel through, seriously close by the way, the stage action would freeze until the train passed and then would continue as if nothing occurred.
On a side note, being with Grandmother is akin to being with a movie star. During a short intermission, four people came up to say “hello” including one of the Sammons hot dog daughters. I shared with her how Sammons has provided a lifetime of memories for our family. If you would like to read more about the history of Sammons, click this link: http://www.cartercountyhistory.com/sammons-hot-dogs.html
At the conclusion of the show, DJ and the girls graciously loaded our lawn chairs into the trunk of Grandmothers car and then DJ treated the girls and Ellis to a late dinner at the Mid-Century Grill which was just across the parking lot while Phyllis, Grandmother Ginny and I headed for home.
Waiting for the Shakespeare in the Park production of “Much Ado About Nthing” to begin.
Sunday, September 9
Late last night, Grandmother Ginny was asked if she would teach the Sunday school class this morning. When DJ returned from dinner, she asked if he would mind teaching and he graciously agreed. If she had asked me I would have had to make a run for it. Whew, catastrophe averted.
So after the church service, we made our way to Grandmother’s Sunday school class. DJ’s lesson was about the names of God, specifically Yahweh. DJ did such a wonderful job. He was engaging, relatable and well versed using personal insights and observations. He asked if we had ever wondered why God chose Moses to convey to the enslaved Hebrews that they would be led out of Egypt. Moses was deeply flawed. He had murdered a man, fled Egypt and had become a shepherd. Moses not only wanted to know why he had been chosen but also what he could possibly say that would make anyone believe he was a messenger of God. To answer this, God shared with Moses his most intimate name, Yahweh.
“Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His Name?’ What should I say to them?”
“God answered Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” Then He said, “You are to say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM’ has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses: “You are to say to the sons of Israel, Adonai (YHWH) the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My Name forever, and the Name by which I should be remembered from generation to generation.” ~ (OneforIsrael.org)
Jehovah or Yahweh is the most intensely sacred name to Jewish scribes and many will not even pronounce the name. ~ (Life Worth Finding.com)
DJ explained the significance by asking a question. He asked if any of us had a name that only those who knew us intimately would use. I volunteered that only those who have known me since childhood called me “Shellie”.
Another example DJ proffered was that unless you knew Donald Trump on a personal level, you would never approach him and say, “Hey Donny”. You would address him formally as President Trump or Mr. President.
In that vein, God sharing the intimate name, Yahweh was his way of creating a special bond between himself and his chosen people.
For lunch, we all gathered at Olive Garden in Johnson City. I was starving so everything was just delicious, the breadsticks, the bottomless salad and our entrees. DJ, Olivia and Andi all ordered the Chicken Gnocchi soup and while DJ had a salad for his entree, Andi had the Five Cheese Zitti, while Olivia and I both had the Portobello Mushroom Ravioli. Phyllis and Grandmother split a sizzling sirloin that came with a side of creamy fettuccini with slices of grilled zucchini. On a side note, if I am ever feeling puny, the Chicken Gnocchi soup is what I want. It is straight up comfort food.
I asked the girls what their plans were for the rest of the day. Andi was going home to wile away the afternoon relaxing and Olivia, who recently took on the role of a copy editor for the Milligan newspaper, was attending an orientation on campus.
While Grandmother attended a funeral, DJ, Phyllis and I headed back to her house and visited before DJ had to get on the road toward home. Grandmother arrived just as DJ was preparing to leave. Phyllis had to head out as well. She volunteered to feed a pair of cats for a friend who was on vacation and she was on a quest to find something to wear to a charity golf tournament tomorrow.
For the rest of the afternoon, Grandmother and I stretched out, turned on Turner Classic Movies and watched the conclusion of “Kiss Me Kate”. Really….more Shakespeare? We both gloriously drifted off to awaken to Phyllis coming in the back door. It was such a tiring day that Grandmother decided not to attend the evening church service. Instead we pulled out all the sandwich makings and had a light dinner. Grandmother and Phyllis both had chicken salad while I again had a ham and cheese on rye. We just sat around the table and talked and laughed while we ate which is my all time favorite thing to do. After Phyllis headed home to prepare for her big outing tomorrow, Grandmother and I again stretched out in her room and watched “The Guernsey Potato Peel Pie and Literary Society” which we both just adored.
Monday, September 10
This morning Grandmother Ginny and I sat in our jammies at the kitchen table and enjoyed a cup of Berry Infusion tea for her and a cup of coffee for me. We lingered and admired the beauty of the back yard until it was time for us to get ready for the day.
As soon as Grandmother headed to her mani/pedi appointment, I headed to Target in Johnson City to get a SIM card for Grandmother’s smart phone. Dad and Janice had graciously gifted her an iPhone for Christmas last year but it had not been activated as of yet. Terry somehow managed to finesse the password so we could gain access to the phone to reset it to factory settings and get it all ready for her to use.
With SIM card in hand, I sat at the kitchen table and anchored my phone between three books so it would stand upright, FaceTimed Terry reversing the image so I could hold Grandmother’s phone in front of the camera and he would be able to view all the messages and prompts as we reset the phone. First we had to call Apple Care to make sure we wouldn’t be deleting any of Janice’s iCloud apps, emails, texts, passwords, photos, etc. before we reset the phone to factory settings. That took two phone calls. Next we had to call Consumer Cellular to let them know we were adding a phone to our family plan and needed to port a number over from Verizon and to find out what information we would need to do that. Once Grandmother returned, we called Verizon. She had to authorize and reset her pin number and then they were able to verify and complete the porting. All this took almost three hours. Whenever Terry was on hold with a vendor, I had to repeatedly plug my phone in as FaceTiming is a power sucker. As Terry likes to say, it was like landing a 747 from the ground but we managed it in the end and Grandmother is now is officially a smart phone user.
While all this was happening, Phyllis had the opportunity to attend a charity golf event for the Mountain Mission School, a place for children in need in Grundy, Virginia. Her friends, Joe and Cindy Gregory, generously gifted Phyllis and her boss Randy with two tickets to the event. The golf tournament featured a few names I recognized including Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino but the highlight for Phyllis was seeing Peyton Manning. Be still her beating heart. She didn’t accost him or embarrass herself by trying to sneak home in his luggage. I’m so proud. The event raised $56.6 million dollars which set the single-day charitable PGA tour record.
After getting up at 5:30am to be at Cindy Gregory’s house in Piney Flats by 7:30am and then spending the day walking a golf course and drooling over Peyton, Phyllis was exhausted and starving. Grandmother and I were hungry as well having missed lunch. So when Phyllis arrived around 2:30pm, I was still on the phone with Terry sorting out phone logistics and they decided to grill up pimento cheese sandwiches as a late afternoon repast. Phyllis had stopped by Ingles and picked up iceberg lettuce and a Mrs. Smith blueberry cobbler for dessert that we popped in the oven after topping it with dabs of butter and lightly sprinkling the crust with sugar. Extra happiness.
In the midst of all this, Tammy had texted us to ask if we would like to join her and the girls for dinner. Heck yeah! We settled on Cheddar’s in Johnson City at 6pm and met her Andi, Molly and Ellis. Due to scholastic obligations Olivia wasn’t able to join us.
Grandmother ordered two orders of spinach dip for the table for everyone to share. Yum! I can’t remember what everyone had to eat but I do recall that Andi had fish and chips, Phyllis had a crispy house salad, Tammy ordered a veggie plate, so healthy, while I had a small bowl of hearty potato soup. It was stormy and cool out so a bowl of soup was quite satisfying.
It was great catching up with Tammy and Molly. They were super excited that they were getting ready to begin a three week fall break. Since their school is year round, they have these mini-breaks staggered throughout the year. How wonderful!
Thankfully they deluge of rain abated while we were eating. As we were leaving, Grandmother invited everyone back to her house for a dish of blueberry cobbler for dessert. Phyllis was just plum worn out so we dropped her off at her apartment while Tammy and Molly took her up on her offer. We scooped and heated each bowl of cobbler and topped them with creamy, vanilla ice cream. It was quite dreamy.
We sat in the kitchen and continued to catch up. I shared with them how much I loved their “Bob Ross” paintings I had seen posted on Facebook and Tammy laughed hysterically and said that it took the girls three hours to paint along with Bob’s one hour broadcast. They had to continually pause the broadcast to catch up and didn’t finish painting until 1am. Bob makes it look deceptively simple so by the end of the evening the girls were terribly frustrated.
Painted barns à la Bob Ross. Aren’t they great?
Tuesday, September 11
Tuesday arrived bright and clear and after our morning cup of tea and coffee, we pulled ourselves together and headed to downtown Elizabethton to meet Olivia and Andi at The Coffee Company for an early lunch. Olivia happened to have a break in her class schedule today and Andi would be leaving form our lunch to her next appointment so the timing couldn’t have been better.
The food at The Coffee Company is outstanding. Olivia and Andi both ordered panini’s, ham with everything (lettuce, tomato, clover with a dill shallot spread) for Olivia with a side of fruit, a cup of poblano white cheddar soup and a blueberry latte while Andi had a plain turkey panini with a side of pasta salad and Grandmother and I both had egg salad sandwiches. She chose a croissant with a cup of fruit while I had half a sandwich on sourdough with a fresh, side salad. It was all delicious.
The girls are just great. Olivia is doing so great at Milligan and Andi seems to really enjoy her work.
Lunch with the girls at The Coffee Company.
Grandmother had a scheduled hair appointment in Colonial Heights at 1pm so we had to get on the road. We arrived with time to spare so, while we waited we pulled out her flip phone and started entering her contacts into her iPhone. Challenging to say the least.
As we were driving to Colonial Heights, an indicator light appeared on the dash and we determined it was low tire inflation. Since we were so close to the dealership we decided to have it checked out. After her appointment, we headed over to the Lexus dealership. We checked the car in and while we were waiting, they informed us that when they went to move her car, it wouldn’t start. Well, doesn’t that just figure. They asked if we wanted them to replace her battery and since we were already there and couldn’t get home without it, we agreed but Grandmother said that AAA had just replaced the battery in May. Hmmm.
We finally got back to the house after 4pm and called Phyllis. We decided we were still full from lunch so agreed to get together later in the evening for dinner. We went to her bedroom, she grabbed the recliner while I grabbed the bed and we both fell asleep for a bit. We regrouped, picked up Phyllis and headed to Longhorn in Johnson City for my last supper.
Phyllis and I both ordered the six ounce sirloin while Grandmother had the chopped steak with mushrooms. We all had baked potatoes with mounds of butter and sour cream and crisp house salads. For dessert, we couldn’t resist splitting the key lime pie in a jar with three spoons. Delightful!
We headed to Phyllis’ apartment to drop her off and to share hugs and goodbyes. Back at Grandmother’s, we spent the next couple of hours working with her iPhone. We practiced turning on the phone, making and receiving calls and texting 101. Grandmother decided that she wanted her first call to be to Dad and Janice to thank them for her phone. Grandmother relayed her profound thank you’s and told them that she couldn’t be more thrilled.
Wednesday, September 12
Today I headed home to Franklin. I had a wonderful five day visit and I hated for it to end. Thanks and love to all who took time out of their busy lives to share a little time with me.
