Hi everybody!

I am still basking in the memories of our wonderful family reunion in Nashville!  Our immediate family were guests of Dr. and Mrs. Derry Magee, known to most of us as Miss Dora and Dr. Derry.  They were very gracious and shared their accommodations with Art and Andy and their families, along with Bill and me, at the Wyndham Resort in Nashville.  Located very near the Opryland complex, we had an excellent location to enjoy a lot of wonderful family time and it was a great place to launch our daily "jaunts" around Nashville.  Art and Andy and their crews each had separate, lovely units of their own.  We were all very well "accommodated" for sure!  We were thrilled to share Dora and Derry's unit with them.  Lots of memories and old war stories were recalled during the week!

On Friday June 26 we all converged on Nashville and the fun began!  Dora and Derry had traveled from Texas and they came laden -literally - with all kinds of wonderful prepared foods!  Smoked pork loins, chickens, cream cheese pound cakes (I needed something to blame for the extra pounds, right?), and all sorts of things. So our first night did not even require a visit to the grocery!   We had come with a cooler full of "stuff" too.  If you know me well at all, you know that I'm never far from food!  That night everyone just settled in and we all agreed that we would just take it easy and make up our agenda as the week progressed. 

Also joining us at the condo the first night were Bill, Kellye and Mia Johnson, who live in the Nashville area.  Of course, Mia stole the show, and continued to steal the show the entire time we were there!  We were so glad that they made time to share in all of the crazy goings-on and joined us for several meals.  (By the way, Kellye makes a mean spinach artichoke dip! and for some who may not know, Bill is Dora and Derry's grandson and he works at Gaylord, which is part of the massive Opryland complex.)  On Saturday morning part of our crew joined us for a big breakfast at our place which we officially dubbed "The Hub".  It became the central gathering place and worked just great.  Several "big breakfasts" ensued and I was in my element, of course.

Our only "fixed" event was the Grand Old Opry on Saturday night.  Bill had bought the tickets well in advance, so after an interesting dinner (food served on tin pie plates and beverages in tin cups!) at Cock of the Walk Restaurant we drove a short distance to the real deal!  Little Jimmy Dickens is still kickin', let me tell you.  At age 88 he is still going strong and is still telling his almost-over-the-edge jokes!  I think all of our faces turned a little pink if not downright red!  But it was very enjoyable and created some memories for the grandchildren who had probably never heard of any of the entertainers ... well, with the exception of the star, Wynona Judd, who was saved till the end, of course.  Some of the entertainers were Steve Warner, Jim Ed Brown, Connie Smith, Jeannie Seely, and a few other "oldies" as well as a few newer ones.  The old, hard, country sounds are waning, much to the dismay of those who are country die-hards, but there was a fair mix I'd say .  As always, the Opry is broadcast live over WSM radio, so we were also "treated" to the live commercials at the beginning of each new segment.  It was a packed out performance and following the one we attended, another one began shortly.

It had been two years since our immediate family had been together all at once.  That was our trip Outwest when we met in Jackson Hole, WY.  Two years might not sound like very long, but a lot can happen in two years and grandchildren can grow a lot in two short years.  So, one of the neat things about our get-together in Nashville was seeing the cousins interact and catch up with each other on everything going on in their busy lives.  It was fun hearing Anna share about her fiance, Justn Beam, and their wedding plans for next Spring, as well as her summer job, anticipated college graduation, etc.  Also, Hannah, Andy and Karen spent one day at Vanderbilt University looking around and having an official tour of the campus.  They found it lovely and rich in history, but terribly expensive.  Hannah will be entering college next fall and the "where" is a big topic right now.  She is considering several, but right now it probably won't be Vanderbilt.  In addition to the cost, it is a LONG way from Springdale, Arkansas!  Max had just returned from a mission strip to Barbados with a group from our church, so there was lots of news and sharing about that.  Just having them together was a huge blessing to Bill and me.  We just wish everyone could live closer to each other; we cherish any time that can be spent together. 

Art and Andy enjoyed just being brothers and catching up on the past two years!  They are sitll as close as ever, even though they might not communicate frequently, and that warms my heart.  Andy recently had a job change within Wal-Mart and we were all glad to have more insight into his new responsibilities there.

I won't bore you with everything we did, but suffice it to say that in one word it was WONDERFUL.  During the week various ones took in the Belle Meade and Cheekwood Plantations; also the Hermitage, home of Andrew Jackson.  We enjoyed the unbelievable beauty of the Gaylord Hotel with its three atriums and the most incredible foliage and waterfalls that I've ever witnessed.  I remarked that, as beautiful and breath-taking as all of this is, it does not compare to the beauty that we will enjoy in Heaven!  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. II Corinthians 2:9.

Another highlight of the week was the entire family visiting the Parthenon, which is a replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece.  It is quite an impressive, massive structure, and neither Bill nor I realized that it actually housed an art museum inside.  I'll share a bit from its website in case you'd like to know a bit more about the Parthenon in Nashville.  (Just skip the next paragraph if you are not interested.)  Here goes:

"The Parthenon stands proudly as the centerpiece of Centennial Park, Nashville's premier urban park. The re-creation of the 42-foot statue Athena is the focus of the Parthenon just as it was in ancient Greece. The building and the Athena statue are both full-scale replicas of the Athenian originals.

Originally built for Tennessee's 1897 Centennial Exposition, this replica of the original Parthenon in Athens serves as a monument to what is considered the pinnacle of classical architecture. The plaster replicas of the Parthenon Marbles found in the Naos are direct casts of the original sculptures which adorned the pediments of the Athenian Parthenon, dating back to 438 B.C. The originals of these powerful fragments are housed in the British Museum in London.

The Parthenon also serves as the city of Nashville's art museum. The focus of the Parthenon's permanent collection is a group of 63 paintings by 19th and 20th century American artists donated by James M. Cowan. Additional gallery spaces provide a venue for a variety of temporary shows and exhibits."

I will add that the 42-foot statue of the goddess Athena was shocking!  Entirely gilded in gold!

Following our visit to the museum we enjoyed some fine Italian food at Maggiano's Little Italy.  Absolutely delicious and bountiful!  Served in courses, it was long, drawn out in a fun way, and so, so good!  Thank you, Art and Andy! 

So, this is a mini-version of our family vacation.  I'm leaving out lots of "stuff", like details of who won the Monopoly games or the Texas 42 domino games, the other board games (Anna had a new one: "What's Yours Like?"  Fun, fun!).  Or, the early birthday bash held in honor of Dr. Derry's birthday!  Dora had a lovely cake inscribed just for him!  It was like old times, for sure!  We all got our pennies together and "gifted" him with a McDonald's gift card so that he and his buddies can eat, drink and be merry for a few coffee sessions back in College Station!    I will add that the tradition of Texas 42 dominoes is being passed on!  The grands held their own, for sure, in learning this one!

We said goodbye to Dora and Derry on Thursday evening when they left to go spend a few days with Bill, Kellye and Mia.  We finished packing up our things and got as much done as we could before leaving for our respective homes early on Friday morning.  Why is it never as much fun re-packing as it is packing? I think I know the answer.  We had our last gathering at the local Cracker Barrel and of course, we all love the CB's food.  Then it was final hugs and maybe a few tears!  We were so thankful for the great week; we are thankful for our family, our blessings, our friends, and how God allowed us to come together and love on each other one more time! God is good!

I will try to post a few pictures of our week.  I hope they come through ok.  I love you all!

Velta




A Texas-sized chair, for sure!




Derry and Bill enjoying conversation and birthday cake







Art and Andy and their families while visiting at the Hermitage





Dora and great granddaughter, Mia, enjoying meal time!



Anna inside the Gaylord

 
Hannah, visiting the gardens at Cheekwood Plantation




Max and Luke enjoying the moment