Livin' in Music City

Jason and Melody and their four kids moved from Las Vegas to Nashville about a year ago.  They've all sacrificed a lot for Melody to come to Nashville to pursue her singing dreams.  They're learning about the music business as they go and they've experienced lots of miracles along the way.  This is Melody's first music video.  Did I mention that her last name is Nash - Melody Nash, a country singer in Nashville.  That's her real name - I promise.  You can find out more about her at her website.

Popcorn x 3

Spring here is CRAZY!  Today it reminded me of this song - in more ways than one.  By the way, these photos were taken about 4-5 hours apart.

Last year I went crazy over these trees.  I learned from the guy at the nursery that the "trees with little purple flowers all over the branches" are Red Buds.  I have anxiously awaited their arrival this year.

Last year I didn't notice the funky mini bouquets on their trunks.  They remind me of sea urchins.

I also found out from the guy at the nursery that "those trees with all the pink tulip-looking flowers" are Black Tulip Magnolias.

He warned me against having one in my yard because the blooms don't last very long and they're a mess to clean up.  He told me they're called 'black' because a frost will turn the flowers black.  I'm still not sure if all the cons out-weigh the pros.  They are gorgeous!

I thought this was going to be my post for the day until I heard weird sounds on my garage door this afternoon and thought someone was trying to break in.  I looked out the window and what did I see?  Hail!

I'm so disappointed that I didn't have a movie camera.  There were all kinds of little hail balls dancing on our lawn.  It looked like popcorn popping.

It looks like we have diamonds in our bushes!  By the way, we're thinking about planting a Red Bud in the middle there.

Here's the hail collection on the deck.  So, I can't figure out why I craved and 'just had to have' popcorn tonight.  Can you?

Got Religion?

Everybody talks about church and religion around here.  It's assumed that everyone is a "believer".  Along with a few other cities, Nashville is considered the Buckle of the Bible Belt. 

Today I went to Hobby Lobby to return some things.  If you don't already know, Hobby Lobby is closed on Sundays to allow employees time for worship and family.  It's posted on the front door.  There's an older gentleman who works as a cashier there.  Every time I'm there, I hear him end each transaction with these words: Lord bless your day.  Those would be fighting words in a Northeastern city where I used to live.

Tomorrow I will help babysit a bazillion kids from church while their parents go to the temple.  Today it was my job to buy snacks and supplies.  My Costco cart was full of animal crackers, grapes, already-sliced apples, goldfish, sanitizing wipes, etc.  The woman behind me asked if I was buying stuff for church or for a daycare, in that order.  First, it's amazing that she even talked to me.  Second, she managed to mention church.

Costco didn't have pretzels so I went to GFS, a great find by the way.  (It's a restaurant supply store that we discovered when preparing for girls' camp last summer.)  The cashier asked if my purchase (only two bags of pretzels mind you) was for a church or some other organization.  She wasn't just making conversation - lots of churches and other organizations have accounts there.

I wonder how much I'll allow the culture here to shape and mold me.  I reckon it's bound to happen.  It's happened in the other places that I've lived.  Heck, I already drive a truck.  Next time I see y'all, you'll have to tell me if you notice any differences.

Flash Floods and Hail and Tornadoes, Oh My!

It didn't take us very long to figure out that a 75-degree forecast in winter is NOT a happy thing in Nashville.  Today it's supposed to get up to 79.  Wonderfully warm winter days are usually the opening act for Severe Weather, a 'group' that makes a lot of noise and can potentially wreak havoc in your neighborhood.

I don't think we realized that we lived in 'tornado alley' until our first spring here.  We heard a loud siren and wondered if we were under attack.  We had to call some friends to find out that it was the tornado warning siren.  I think Howard did a quick google search to find out that we should hide in a small, windowless, first floor, interior room.  We ended up in the powder room - that's what they call the guest bathroom around here.  It was a better choice than the closet or the laundry room.  In the bathroom there's one built in seat and room for a folding chair, there's water, and there are other important facilities.  Go here for more information on tornado safety.

We're much better prepared this year thanks to Howard, who very carefully keeps track of severe weather.  He got a Twitter account JUST so he could follow this guy.  He also bought a weather radio to wake us up in the middle of the night if necessary.  I hope he doesn't turn into one of those tornado chaser guys.

Operation Smile

In January 2011, I got to sew some little kid hospital gowns at an event at church called Operation Smile.  (Sure wish I had taken some pictures.)  What I thought was a service project organized by the church turned out to be an event coordinated by a couple of women from the Brentwood Women's Club (BWC).  Because one of the organizers happened to be a church member, she got permission to use the church building and recruited lots of women from church to help sew.  I was still pretty new to the area and hardly knew anyone.  I remember lugging my sewing machine into the gym feeling a little shy and awkward.

Around May of last year, I joined the BWC after visiting a few more of their meetings.  I started to meet (and continue to meet) lots of amazing women.  About that same time I was called to serve in the Stake Relief Society at church, which meant I got to (and continue to) meet even more amazing women.  (Not more amazing than the BWC women, just there are more of them.  Get it?)

Fast forward to a few weeks ago in January.  I got to sew little kid hospital gowns again. (Still wishing I had taken some pictures.  I just never learn!)  I lugged my sewing machine into the gym with anticipation, knowing that I would be sewing with lots of friends this time.

Today at our monthly BWC meeting, the soon-to-be president approached me and asked if I would be willing to head up Operation Smile next year.  I think I agreed to it.  I didn't realize that my two BWC mentors/advisers, Linda and Liz, were grooming me for the task.  Yikes! 

At our meeting today Linda and Liz showed us the dolls that were sewn and stuffed at last month's event.  Aren't they cute?  And the dolls too, right?

These dolls go to the Operation Smile patients who are children born with cleft palates.  They draw their face on one side of the head before their surgery and after the surgery, they draw their new face on the other side of the head.

Liz reported the final tally of stuff sewn during the 4-hour event (over 210 service hours): 95 dolls, 50 gowns, and 43 smile bags to hold the doll, gown, and other goodies for each patient.