My sister and I decided sometime last year that we needed to take our seven-year-old niece Lorna to the Big Apple. Since Kim and I are huge New York City fans, primarily because of Broadway, we felt quite sure we could pass our interest down to our niece. Not only did we manage to do that — we created a monster. She loved it!
So, after almost a year of planning, we left Crossville early Monday with our niece and sister-in-law, Shona, in tow. This was Lorna's first plane trip and quite frankly, I think she loved the plane as much as anything else we did while there. As we boarded our American flight in Nashville, the pilot was standing outside the cockpit. I told him it was Lorna's first flight. "That's funny," he joked. "It's mine too."
As we taxied down the runway, I kept watching her for any signs of anxiety or nervousness. She loved it. She even told me on the flight back that she wished we could dive toward the ground and pull straight up!
I always call NYC the city with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is always so very loud and busy. When I go, I am too, because we always have a lot to do in just a few short days. This time was no exception, and since Lorna was with us, we did a lot of the touristy things that we haven't done in a while, such as the Statue of Liberty water tour, Chinatown, the Empire State Building and Top of the Rock. One of our favorite things which we would have never done had she not been with us was Madame Roussad's Wax Museum. What a hoot that was. As soon as we walked in, we saw a Paris Hilton statue, in the jail costume of black-and-white stripes. There were hundreds of wax figures, including the good looking "The Rock," as well as Jennifer Aniston, Harrison Ford, Presidents Lincoln, Reagan and Clinton, and even Matt Lauer of the Today show.
We saw Wicked, the musical about all the things that happened before Dorothy dropped in, when the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West were roommates in college. My sister and I have seen it three times, much to the chagrin of my friends Mara and Suzzane who didn't care for it all when they recently saw it.
We flew up to the Big Apple with a bunch of people who had come to Tennessee for the annual Fan Fest in Nashville. The flight attendants were calling the flight back the "Bonaroo Plane" because literally everyone on the flight, with the exception of my sister Kim, Shona, Lorna and I, were going to the Bonaroo music festival. The flight included an editor for Rolling Stone, radio executive and publishing company workers.
A young New York student, who was sitting next to me in the airport, said, "I can't believe you live in Tennessee and aren't going to Bonaroo. Have you ever been?" he asked.
"No," I said. "I never have. It's too hot for me."
"I just can't believe you live that close and you've never been," he said.
"Well," I asked him, "have you ever seen Wicked on Broadway?"
"No, never have," he replied.
"And yet you live so close!" I said.
"Touche," he said.
***
Congratulations to the Lake Tansi Exchange Club who picked up two awards at the recent state convention in Nashville. The club won the growth award for large clubs and the scrapbook award. The scrapbook was created by Exchange member Mary Lou Houlton. Outgoing Exchange Club President Dr. John Lyon also presented financial awards to three local non-profit organizations: KIDS on the Rise, Imagination Library and the TAD Center.
***
Jennifer Cecil, Miss Cumberland Celebration, will represent this area in this weekend's Miss Tennessee Pageant. The contest will be held in Jackson, TN, Saturday night at the civic center.
Lifestyles
AROUND THE TOWN: Broadway has created another monster
- Lifestyles
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Widows Sons support TAD
The Widows Sons Masonic Riding Association, Dry Bones Chapter, held a benefit motorcycle ride May 19 to benefit the Teens Against Drugs (TAD) Center in Crossville.
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New Corvette Club shares love for flair, design
If you were reaching maturity during the 1950s through '60s, you were probably either a Chevy guy or a Ford guy. While Chevy guys had reason to admire Ford Thunderbirds and Mustangs, the Chevy sports car enthusiasts have had an ace-in-the hole with the advent of the first production Corvette in 1953 — only six months after it debuted as a GM prototype.
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Arts festival coming in September
Mark on your calendar the dates of September 14-15 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) for the Plateau Arts Festival at the Plateau Creative Arts Center, 451 Lakeview Drive (off Peavine) in Fairfield Glade.
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PLEASANT HILL RAMBLINGS: Award-winning artist shares talent with community
Not everyone has the pleasure of living next door to a “real live artist” – not just a Sunday painter as many of us are, but an award-winning career artist who has had 20 solo exhibitions, been accepted into various juried shows and garnered numerous awards.
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2012 Tennessee Senior Chess Tournament winners honored
The chess tournament was a great success, with a total of 18 players representing Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia and Kentucky. They took home many prizes, plaques and cash playing open section.
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PLATEAU GARDENING: Photographing plants and blossoms
I keep a monthly photographic plant journal. With a digital camera, photography enthusiasts like myself can take lots of pictures at little cost. Not surprised plants are my favorite photo subjects, are you?
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Celebrating Tennessee state parks
Come celebrate National Trails Day and the 75th anniversary of Tennessee State Parks, Saturday, June 2.
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GIVING BACK: Take a look at state of our waste
The county recently submitted its solid waste report to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. In the past year, the county collected and landfilled 52,462 tons of waste. Another 6,067 tons of materials were collected and recycled. A total of 58,829 tons of waste were collected by the county.
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The River WILD!
The Big South Fork of the Cumberland River winds its way through the 125,000 acres of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area before flowing into the Cumberland River and Lake Cumberland in Kentucky. It’s a free-flowing river, with no dams to control release of the water, but the scenery and the magnificent rock formations make it a favorite of paddling enthusiasts who watch the weather to see if they can get out and explore areas that are hard to reach by foot.
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Farmer's Market opens for business June 2
The Cumberland County Farmer’s Market will officially open the growing season as it has every year since 1978. This year’s “opening” will be Saturday, June 2, at the traditional location on Livingston Rd., next to the fairgrounds. Selling will begin early (6:30 a.m. or so), although some vendors may set up a few hours later in order to provide the freshest vegetables picked just that morning. There is usually a good selection until well after noon.
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