"Happy Easter, Egg!"

That's what Aunt Leona used to say to us every year.  How corny.  But that was Aunt Leona.  I always think of her at Easter time...as well as many other times throughout the year.  When I think about Easter I also think of new clothes.  I've never been a big shopper, but my mother was and always liked to dress us very well.  But Easter was something special.  New dresses, hats and maybe even gloves or a new purse...and always new shoes. 

     I think it's a little sad that we don't dress up much any more for anything.  I know it's not about appearances, but still -- it was nice. 

     I do love springtime and so it seems fitting to deck ourselves out in something bright, fresh and new and join nature in celebrating new birth.  The earth with it's showing off -- especially here in Georgia -- seems to welcome us to join in the festive spirit of the season of resurrection and joy. 

   So it is in that spirit that I have taken the grand kids shopping for new Easter clothes the last few years.  Jodi and I find a time when we can get together and I take us all for lunch and then a little shopping.  In 2010, I bought Emery his first tie...and he LOVED it!  Girls are easier...so many pretty dresses to chose from and Savannah is good to go. 

    I was surprised and tickled when in 2011, Emery was more excited to get a new outfit than Savannah was.  She was looking at the dresses and he dragged mom and me over to the boys' department.  "This is what I want!", he said triumphantly as he pointed to a 4-piece outfit.  Jodi said, "Oh.  You want that color shirt and a new tie?"  But he said, "No.  I want all this." and indicated with his hand the whole outfit.  It was a shirt, tie, pants and sport coat and he was quite excited.  So that's what he got.  He told me one time later that he looked like a "newscaster" when he put that coat on.  He wore it every chance he got.  Savannah settled on a pretty little sundress in coral colors with a matching jacket.  

 By 2012, Savannah was getting more into the new dress idea.  She was trying on a number of pretty spring dresses and Emery just decided he wanted a new shirt and tie and some nice shorts for wearing to church all summer long.  Savannah had picked a very pretty and "flowy" pink dress.  But by the time Easter came, she was also sporting a bright green cast on her broken arm!  But she looked lovely just the same. 

   So this year we did it again.  After lunch at Rafferty's -- one of my favorite places -- we went to the Athens Mall.  Emery didn't seem all that interested this year.  I asked if he wanted a new tie again this year and he said he didn't think so.  But while Savannah was trying on quite a few pretty dresses he was getting bored.  So I suggested we go over and look at something for him.  His mom said he could use a nice pair of khaki shorts for church and maybe something to go with them.  So I asked if that was what he wanted to go look at.  He said, "No.  Come here, I'll show you" and he took me by the hand.  Again...he spotted what he wanted and was quite sure about it.  For a boy that has trouble sometimes making a decision, he doesn't hesitate when he decides on fashion.  He took me right to the suits, again, and said, "Here.  This is what I want."  And it's a good thing they had it in his size, because he was adamant.  He wanted the red shirt, black pin-stripe vest, black pants and matching tie.  Savannah chose another pink dress this year.  A very pretty springtime pink -- the color of azaleas.  It had pretty ruffles down the front and the look wasn't spoiled by a cast on her arm. :)

Road Trip 2013

Last year when we got together with our good friends the Thompsons and McNelises from Sheridan we went back to Paris Landing State Park in Tennessee, which has been our favorite place for many years.  We discovered a new winery in the town of Paris and enjoyed lunch at the Bistro there out in the beautiful, warm spring sunshine.  And, as always, we enjoyed our time together.  But the cabins at the state park have aged a bit (good thing we haven't!!) in the 13 years since we've "discovered" it and, sadly, many of the antique stores that we loved browsing in have either gone out of business or are much smaller.

     So this year we decided to mix it up a bit and go to Nashville for our get-away time together.  We rented a house together in Gallatin, Tennessee, which is about 30 minutes northeast of Nashville.  It wasn't available on the first night of our trip, so we met in Clarksville, TN, for the first night.  After checking in and visiting for a while, we went to the Beachaven Winery to sample some of their wares...and then for a nice dinner at Rafferty's.  After that we had to make a brief stop at the pharmacy department at Target.  Don needed some cough meds, Ken needed bandages for his thumb and I needed a bottle of Metamucil.  (Like I say...it's a good thing we're not getting older!)  Then we went back to our respective motel rooms and enjoyed the whirlpool tubs.  Ahhhh...   Especially relaxing because Jerry and I had driven in heavy rain and traffic most of the way.

The next day we set out to find the house and check out that area.  We were all very happy with the place we'd rented.  It was very nicely furnished and was warm and cozy.  Warm and cozy was great because we had horrible weather the whole time.  It was cold and windy and snow was flitting around ... but not sticking ...for the whole 3 days.  I took this picture of the place the morning we had to leave.  The sun was shining brightly. :(

On our first full day there, we went into Nashville to see the sights.  We started out by going just a little out of the way to the Long Hollow winery in Goodlettsville to sample their wares.  Then we had to go check out the American Pickers' store downtown.  From there we went down to "lower Broad" just around the corner from the Reiman Auditorium.  The weather was too miserable to walk around that area, but we drove around a little and then went to have lunch at the Big River Brewery and Restaurant.  After that we went in search of the Bluebird Cafe.  We've been watching the show "Nashville" and it's a place where they go to play their songs.  We wanted to see if it was a real place.  It is... and it is VERY small...and these fools were standing out in the cold waiting for it to open -- in 2 HOURS!!

     After that we went to the Opryland Hotel and walked around enjoying the beauty of that place.  This was the 3rd trip there for Jerry and me and I am always in awe of it.  Ken and Shirley had been there many, many years ago and Don and Jean had never been.  We walked around enjoying the plants, etc...Shirley used pretty much every bathroom they have...and then we took the riverboat ride in the Delta.  I was disappointed that because of a private party we couldn't walk around the Delta riverwalk and go into the shops.  (Stupid Aaron's.)

   Tuesday was Shirley's birthday, so we had to do whatever she wanted all day.  Sheesh.  You'd think that after as many of them as she has had, they wouldn't be that big of a deal.  We went into a couple of antique shops and then drove from Gallatin to nearby Hendersonville and had a nice lunch at Calhoun's.  Also checked out a Goodwill store and scored a couple of bargains.  Then we went back to the house to make a fire in the fireplace to take the chill off and watch a movie.  Later we had birthday cake.  That warmed us, too. :) 

   Wednesday was time to head home already.  The time always goes too fast and I miss these precious people as soon as we all drive away in our separate directions.  But to numb the pain, Jerry and I stopped at the Beans Creek Winery in Mansfield, Tennessee, on the way home to, you know...sample their wares.  You can't say there wasn't a lot of "wining" on this trip! :)