Easter 2014 ... family, food, fellowship

 We didn't have our entire crew this year so it was a small gathering for dinner.

What's Easter without jelly beans?

This bright scarlet cardinal was in my sister's back yard.

The red buds blooming in Mom's back yard.

Mom's garden gate.

The very unusual trunk of this flowering plum that has finished blooming.

The Easter Eve sunset from Mom's back yard.

It's a riot of spring color as seen from this view out Mom's door at the flowering dogwood and red bud trees.

A package arrived at my Richmond sister's house from SWAC Daughter and Son-in-Law in Nashville that was to be shared over dinner. Since they couldn't be with us this year, they sent goodies for the crew. The box was addressed to "The Easter Peeps." LOL.

Lots of varieties of chocolates from Nashville chocolate companies including these Mexican Style Chocolate and Buttermilk White Chocolate bars from Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Company ...

... GooGoo Clusters (peanut and pecan) from Standard Candy Company ...

... and toffee from Nashville Toffee Company.

Card and candy bars from SWAC Daughter ... flowers from Texas sister.

Beautiful Easter flowers from Texas sister Gail and husband Bill.

On the sideboard ... spiral ham, roasted turkey, deviled eggs, yeast rolls, macaroni and cheese, very veggie garden salad, steamed broccoli, and roasted carrots. Chocolate pies. Assorted Easter candies.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
Easter 2014
April 20, 2014

Nooks and crannies of SWAC Daughter's Tennessee home

 Decorated for Christmas, SWAC Daughter had lots of little seasonal touches throughout her new home in Tennessee.

 We weren't in Virginia anymore and, knowing my love of history and exploring new places, SWAC Daughter had picked up a number of maps and brochures of the Nashville area from the Tennessee Visitors Center.

 The Santa came from her Mammaw in Richmond. He's holding kittens ... of course!

 Also from Mammaw....

 It's always fun to see SWAC Son-in-Law's Charlie Brown Christmas tree from his bachelor days set up and enjoying the holidays ...

 ... even though he has competition from a real live Frasier Fir.

 SIL's advent calendar ... yum!

 You can take the girl out of Virginia but she still needs a touch of Colonial Virginia. This swag is from Monticello.

 SWAC Daughter made burlap wreaths last year, and it still looks good as new. She asked for greenery from our Shenandoah Valley yard so we took some evergreen, magnolia, and nandina berries that she used to make her place look even more Christmasy.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
December 2013

Shenandoah Valley greenery in Nashville

 We visited SWAC Daughter and SWAC Son-in-Law last week in Franklin, their new home outside Nashville. She had asked for greenery from our Shenandoah Valley yard for use in her Christmas decorating so we took a variety of what was available including magnolia and nandina berries. This was the result of her decorative side. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ... fa-la-la-la-la!

 

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
December 2013

1982 World's Fair is remembered in Knoxville's Sunsphere

The Sunsphere, Knoxville, Tennessee

The World's Fair came to Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1982, and one of the reminders is the Sunsphere, a gold-colored ball that overlooks the downtown area and is located in the World's Fair Park. SWAC Husband and I were dating that year and traveled with friends to enjoy this worldwide event because it was something we knew would probably never again be easily within our reach.

Recently as we drove to Nashville, the Sunsphere which is part of the Knoxville skyline was easily visible from I-40. There wasn't time to visit this time but we hope to stop at World's Fair Park on a later trip and visit the observation deck in the Sunsphere. Good memories....

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
December 2013