Homecoming and Platform Heels at Antique Archaeology in Nashville

While visiting Antique Archaeology in Nashville, TN, this weekend, I learned several things:

1.     Mike and Frank show up about twice a month. They bring new picks and display them  just as they were found. The showroom in Nashville does not occupy the entire warehouse, but only a 50x50 space. Many items, but not nearly what you'd expect from watching American Pickers.

  A specialty framed calendar with the original artwork and original January, 1923, was beyond my pocketbook.  Oh, I wanted to buy it – a beautiful custom framed photo of a  NEKKID Woman – Mother was born January 12, 1923.

   

An Indian motorcycle was ready to ride, also a Coca-Cola

machine,charging a dime. Do you remember the Coke for 5 5 cents? And then 6 cents with a side box for the penny?

Photo-bomber was quite fun and funny!

 TSU is located close to this area. The fans were in Memphis a while back for the Delta Heritage Classic.  Friday they were in the streets of Nashville.  It was Homecoming.  I was pitifully under-dressed.  My shoes did not sport a 6” high platform heel with straps.  My slacks were not stretchy leopard print.  And my sashay was not sassy enough nor my hair big enough.

The area around S.12th street in Nashville is just south of the downtown area, off Church Street.  1300 Clinton is the address.  Mike and Frank and Danielle have made this site the #2 tourist spot in Nashville.  Can you believe that?

What Could Cut That Kind of Pain

      Today, as I played gopher (Go-Fer the hammer) during our Paint the Fence escapade, I thought of two books:  Tom Sawyer and Gone With the Wind.  What could these two classics have in common, you ponder.

   

       Marvin was having a great deal of fun with the new paint-spray rig.  I was holding the clean-up rags: not fun. While I could have taken a turn at the super-duty paint gun with some cute maneuvers, I determined my skill level was at its max with my current job (holding the clean-up rags).

Tom Sawyer’s crafty ability to get his fence painted (whitewashed) with no sweat on his brow and extra change in his pocket has captured millions of imaginations through the years.

       

     Capturing my imagination today was Prissy’s return trip from her quest for Dr. Meade. Melly was having her baby and Scarlett sent Prissy down to the hospital to “fetch Dr. Meade.” After being rebuffed by Dr. Meade with a dose of reality, Prissy saunters up the sidewalk, clicking a stick along the short neighborhood fence. 

    She swishes her dress as she sings in a high, falsetto voice, “Papa totes a heavy load.” Prissy is not in a hurry. She is taking her own sweet time to deliver the message that Dr. Meade would not be coming to deliver any baby, not coming to save the day.

         As I was walking down the back deck steps with a huge glass of lemonade and the hose nozzle for the spray rig. I sauntered along the fence; I slowed my pace and was transported with a smile to the GWTW scene and I began to hum.  

           Slowly I walked and mentally twirled, thinking how I might covey the news that I was all the help there would be to get the job done. The message I had to deliver was that Mike Holmes (Holmes Makes It Right and Holmes on Homes) was not coming to help paint.
          Only Prissy would be available and “she don’t know nuthin’ about paintin’ no fences.”

        Frankly, My Dear, I don’t know anything that will cut that kind of pain.

75th Anniversary - Gone With the Wind. Gather your friends and Watch it once again - 

Watch it for Rhett. Watch it for Prissy.

Fruitful Fall

Fall.
That means Apples.
Like Apple, Inc.  and  Apple I-Phone.
An apple a day and Gwyneth's daughter.
Apple core - Baltimore!
Pies and cakes.
But, what I saw in the store this week
 makes Fall all the more special.
The Apple of my Eye: Honey Crisp Apple
Compare Apples to Apples: Best tasting apple in the world.
Enjoy by itself or with your yogurt.
Once you bite into the fruit and hear the snap, feel the juice,
Taste the flavor, you'll be hooked.

Three Days with a Three-Year Old

Game Show Hostess. Air Traffic Controller. Test Kitchen Diner. Sous Chef. Sidewalk Artists.

Identity of grandparents during a visit from a highly creative, energy-filled, animated 3-year old.

Audrey visited Pawpaw and Nana for several days and brought her parents with her.

Every minute was packed with activity.

She cooked in her Minnie Mouse kitchen.  She ate macaroni and cheese that flew into the hangar.  

She sifted flour and creamed butter and sugar for cookies.  

We all used sidewalk chalk and laughed ourselves silly at how poorly we draw…except for her daddy, who is a great artist.

Then, we played Hop-Scotch!  

And went to Downtown Rector, swinging and climbing and sliding.

Pawpaw and Aubrey fed the goldfish and Koi and we finally went swimming.

Oh, yes we did.  Burrrrr.  The Alligator named Jaws was active and she jumped off the side often.

As she and her parents drove off to Arlington, TN and the next showing of Disney on Ice on Saturday morning, Pawpaw and Nana waved good-bye and went inside.  

And took a nap.

"Confused. Who is E.J. Gordon?"

          When an author uses a pen name, many reasons for doing so surface. Usually, it's for privacy.  If not for the author, for those whose story is part of the memoir, as it all plays out.

          In my memoir, no names are used, yet the stories are candid and highly personal, the voice authentic. The memoir is a testimony to God's action in the lives of His children. Specifically, His action in my life.  I do not wish to deny any of that or keep that story a secret.

          But, I had wished to shelter those who might have desired a form of privacy. That may not be possible.

          Book signings and book talks are scheduled.  Local writers club members have asked, "How are you going to handle that? Are you going to wear a disguise?"

"No, I'm going to be there and invite others to buy the book and be encouraged by it.  I don't know exactly how that will work, but I will handle that when it comes."

            It will be interesting. Many friends both local and far-flung have commented, "You must share that YOU have written this book. It's wonderful. Such a story."

            I recall the scene in Moonstruck.  It's in the kitchen, with all gathered around the breakfast table. Loretta says that she loves Johnny, her fiance shows up from visiting his dying mother in Italy, her mother and father agree that he will stop seeing his floosy. The poor grandfather covers his face and weeps, saying,  "I'm so confused."

 

Sunrise in a Lemon Sky available NOW

            Maybe that's me.  Am I confused, or are you confused?  

            Who is E.J. Gordon? She's my muse.

             She is my great grandmother (Ella Jane Gordon, one of the women for whom I am named.) 

            I have a professional press release forthcoming. Those who have read the book have liked it.  I will still use the pen name E. J. Gordon; however,  I will not shy away from sharing the book and its story as mine.

             All things come together at the right time, it seems.  

             Are you still confused?

E. J. Gordon is on Facebook. (EJ Gordon)

Email  for E.J.Gordon is ellajane.jg@gmail.com

E.J. Gordon writes a Blog to promote Sunrise in a Lemon Sky. It's located at www.goodnessgraciousgirl.wordpress.com

One Thing Leads to Another: I need a Tylenol

Isn't it funny-strange how one cleaning task leads to a headache?

It started out simply enough. Our carpet in the MBR needed restretching. Seems the tack strip by the toe-kick on the built-ins was not completely built in. In order to fix and restretch, the room had to be emptied. Read: The Great Wall of China had to be deconstructed.

Drawers were removed from my dresser and from the upright chest. My jewelry chest was moved and the Sleep-Number Bed had to be taken apart and sorted into...30 or more pieces,it seemed. Move it all out - into the living room, both bedrooms, and the hallway.

After a couple of hours and a lot of whapping and whamming, the carpet man left with our thanks and a check. Once the room's carpet was nicely restretched, the furniture had to go back into the MBR. But not before the carpet was vacuumed. In the middle of vacuuming, the Dirt Devil whirling tornado with two roomy chambers and whirlwind technology stopped. Just quit. Did not say, "I'm tired."  It gave up the ghost. The End,

After that fiasco, we used the Shop Vac. Probably needed to, anyway.

Since the drawers were on the bed and floor of the Green Room, I determined to go through the drawers of the chest and clean them out. I made a box for things I'd keep:  Mother's electric curlers suitable for travel and other things I had held onto. I threw into the Go to Goodwill bag sets of novelty sox with pumpkins, jingle bells, and Santa's beard, colorful combs from Estee Lauder gifts, and a full-length black slip that I probably wore in my Pilgrim Era. Trouser socks to match my work slacks, etc were discarded.  I have 1 large empty drawer and much less crammed full smaller drawers.

That ordeal of cleaning spilled over to the closet.  If I could recall the slacks or tops being in a closet 2 houses-ago, they went to the Goodwill stack.  High-heel boots that also worked well with work suits just don't fit with the retired lifestyle. I took 4 black bags full to Goodwill.

Back to the Vacuum Cleaner that Died.  Marvin resurrected it.  By cleaning. How embarrassing. It was so stopped up with (that which I will not name), it stopped rather than burn up. I had emptied it regularly, but these clogs were way up into the workings of the thing. I think my housekeeper in Bartlett would have recognized some of the carpet fibers, Now, I have a new, working vacuum cleaner. Am I excited, or what?

After two days, the MBR is put back together, the closets are cleaned out and changed for the season, the drawers of the chest and dresser are relieved of seldom worn items.And I've dusted and vacuumed.

I do need a Tylenol, though.

The 1920's in Paris: A Night of Fun

Buddy, Karen, Adam, Johnna: The Educational Center crew

              The Lost Generation.  Paris. Scott and Zelda. Dos Passos. Ernest and Hadley and Pauline. Hemingway.
              Saturday evening, at the Hemingway-Pfieffer House and Educational Center a group of like-minded individuals with connections to the Education center attended a party.             Beginning with a reception at the house, small groups of people mingled through the rooms and around the lawn.

Rob Lamm -writing prof

             

Just Earnest and me

       
                Ernest, himself, made an appearance, also speaking of his life, writings, and acquaintances.
                Approximately 50 guests enjoyed a lovely dinner outside under a party tent.  A wonderful breeze kept the mosquitoes at bay, but then the breeze stopped. My feet served as a feast until I covered them with my linen napkin!
             
Did I fail to mention that it was a costume party?

Jane and Cathy, Charleston teacher

             

The Cow's Tale (sic)

               A dog beat my time on the 5K. Not the two legged kind, who did the same and got a Red Ribbon, but the actual four-legged kind.

              The Rector Helping Hands Annual 5K was held Saturday morning. Over 300 walker/runners participated. Marvin and I were 2 of that group. We are in the middle of the back group in this photo. Marvin's long strides helped him motor on up this incline and down the other side.

             Not long after that, at the turn, he said, "Come on!  Let's pick it up a bit."  Well, I know I was doing my best walking, so I said, "You go ahead."  So, he did.
             Gradually, more and more people passed me.
             Then, the dog passed me.

                 A friend was pushing her grand son in a stroller and had to give him a bottle while they walked.  I was not going to let a baby taking a bottle pass me!  So, I increased my stride.

                 I finished, and in the true parlance of an athlete, "I accomplished a Personal Best!"
                 Under 58 minutes!
                 In fact, I finished the 3.1 miles in 54 minutes, thus shaving 4 minutes off my time.