I can't even begin to tell you about all the shops we visited. Each and every one has some things the same, some things different. We found a lot of interesting little cookbooks with *authentic* southern recipes. There were several different recipes for the same thing....just a little difference in the ingredients or spices used. There are lots of the Jeff Foxworthy books and calendars around. You have to admit, Dolly has a big heart and will promote all things clean and lovely. Lots of different types of honey are also available. For someone used to orange blossom honey, I wanted to buy them all but settled for just a few. Honey is a subjective taste so you have to try them for yourselves and make your own decisions.

There were all kinds of *rubs* for meats, also very interesting for someone who is only now trying them out. I don't like meats that are soaked in various spices and juices because too many take over the flavor of the meat. But the rubs...ahhhh, that's different. I saw one that advertised itself as *Road Kill Rub* that was *also good for chicken, steak and chops*. I want to get some of that for my niece when next we go to Pigeon Forge because I think she will get a real kick out of it. I know her boyfriend will because he loves to try different things when he cooks.

After a while, your head starts reeling while you try to figure out what you want to do next. When we DO go next time, we are going with a plan. I think we can get more things done and see more shows if we do it that way. I'm pretty sure if you write to the C of C in Pigeon Forge and in Gatlinburg, they could send you lots of their brochures for the exhibits and shows. That would help you plan YOUR time there, too. Most have websites so you can decide if they really interest you. If you are lucky, they will also send you a coupon book. Take the time to look it over and try to match the coupons with things you definitely want to see and do. There are also ones that off money off at some of the many restaurants in the area. Remember that Dollywood needs to be at the top of your list. If you worry about getting around for some reason, you can rent an electric cart for $30 for the day. You can read all about it on the website. It's a simple www.dollywood.com

They even will give you a list of motels and hotels in the area with the addresses and phone numbers so you can check on rates for those. If you want WiFi, be sure to ask. Not all have it available. Some offer more than you will possibly need...like fireplaces (in the summer?)

When we got home on Saturday, we were greeted by phone calls. One was from my sister (who was shocked to see me when I logged onto YIM) and the other was from friends that came in from Savannah, GA. They were prepared to just leave a message that they were in town. These are the ones that bought (and live in) a custom made RV that cost them big $$$$. You don't want to know how much. Suffice it to say that Dee is a psychiatrist and makes great money. They decided to try RV living out for a few years. Dee just recently turned in her notice that she was retiring to her partners and is using up a lot of UNused sick time she had coming to her. They are spending the next couple weeks here to be with us. They are one of the couples that we have known for more years than I want to count but my kids were young when we met Dennis (the husband) and became friends with him. We remember when he met Dee and introduced us to her. They are both nutty and strange in their own ways but we love them for that difference. And, we are all a bit strange in our own ways, don't you think?

The dog was thrilled beyond belief that we were home and so was he. He had to inspect every inch of the house and the yard like he didn't expect to see it again. It WAS the longest we have ever left him even if it was at the vets. He also had to inspect the neighborhood when the Beast took him out for his run. He was more interested in taking a *trot* around the circle. It gave him time to veer off and inspect each house briefly. I knew he would be a velcro dog for several days afterwards and he has been.

Since we have been home, we had our friends over for a barbeque twice now. Food was excellent and Dennis almost couldn't fill up on my potato salad. Dee doesn't make her own but buys the ones they have in various deli's. Those all have pickle relish in them and is a totally different taste than mine. I haven't found any even close to mine that any deli carries.

Oh, I have to tell you what WE bought at the Golden Eagle store we stopped at in Sieverville, TN. It was the Beast that wanted to stop there because it said *Items as seen on TV*. He wanted to know if it really did have all those *$19.95* specials in it. Folks....it did! I kid you not. It also had the ones for $9.95 and even included the special *extras* they said would be included if you call in the next 10 minutes.

What did we buy? Let me see...I bought those potato peeling gloves but I haven't tried them yet. I will report on them. We bought those special green bags for produce and those seem to actually be working. I got that special knife set with cleaver included and six steak knives as a bonus for only $9.95. Seems like those didn't go over real big so they were discounted. My hubby bought one of those two burner griddles that has a flat side for stuff like pancakes and french toast and the other side you can use for a grill for steaks and chops. We tried the griddle side already and it works great. I selected a nice wood carousel for my kitchen table. It has a section for napkins and a little fence type decoration to keep whatever you put on it from falling off. I just love it. That's all we got but I think it showed a lot of restraint on both our parts.

Later on that same day, we found a smaller store advertising the same thing except they also advertised they had the JEWELRY advertised on TV for $19.95 with values up to $99. He kept me away from that one.....LOL

That kind of brings you up to speed to where we are today. Dennis and Dee invited us over for dinner tonight but neither of us were up to it so we begged off. We will probably go and spend Sunday afternoon with them and take the boat out, too. THAT I am looking forward to since it's been a while since we test drove it after getting the new water pump on the outboard.

Next week I have to get ready for my company and the barbeque on the 4th. I have to remember to get some of those non-meat burgers (I forget the name of them but recognize it when I see it) for my daughter-in-law who is a vegan now for a couple years. Everyone else is a carnivore, thankfully.

Love you all and take care of yourselves. No one else can do that for you. Love well. Laugh often. Dance like no one is watching.

I'm sorry I didn't get back to you with this yesterday but I had forgotten we were having company for dinner. I got busy making potato salad fixings on Monday night and had to clean up the house, finish up the potato salad and other things to prepare for our friends. It was just too hectic for me to take the time out with so much to do. I apologize and here is another episode in our little *vacation* to NE Tennessee.

Almost everywhere you go in Pigeon Forge, you find those tourist target stands with brochures on everything there is to see in both Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and even Seiverville. We found that Seiverville was not quite as commercialized as either of the other two but still has places to go and things to see. It just doesn't seem to spur the excitement of Pigeon Forge.

Before I tell you about Dollywood and what we saw, let me tell you about Gatlinburg. What struck me first was it's atmosphere. It reminds me of pictures I have seen of both Switzerland and parts of Germany. Even though you know that many of the businesses and buildings are new, they have tried to carry on the basic atmosphere in the design of the business district. That is also where you can take a skyway tour of the Smokies (which is like a ski lift with secure seat belts) or take a more confined tour on the enclosed cable car. They also offer helicopter rides (which can also be found in Pigeon Forge). I chickened out on the day we first went to Gatlinburg but will definitely take the skyway when we return next time. I was just waaaaaay too eager to walk up and down window shopping. I was also in a bit of pain and feeling like I didn't want to take any chances of NOT being on solid ground....just in case. The idea of being out in the open and looking down 1800+ feet to the bottom of some of the areas we were going to traverse just scared me a bit. I promise though that I WILL take the ride next time and let you know how it was.

Dollywood. Now that is quite a place. It is much more commercial than even Disney World, if you can believe that but it's definitely different. Many of the rides warn you that you might or you WILL get wet. There are some spectacular roller coasters that we saw from our Dollywood train ride but didn't get the chance to ride. In fact, we probably WONT ride many of them due to the fact that we are old people....*insert laughing here*. The Beast gets dizzy too easily and I am on the fragile side with my thoracic disk problem. I can't be jerked and plunged around. But, you will like the tube boat ride. You don't get tooooo wet on it but it sure did feel good on a hot day. We explored just a small part of the park because we ARE old and there is a lot of walking up and down hilly areas. Luckily, there were also a lot of benches. Smoking areas are marked so that people are not offended by us smokers and we don't pollute the air around any children that might be standing in lines or just resting on NON-smoking benches.

I think we all are getting used to having our freedoms restricted but somehow it didn't irritate me at Dollywood. Maybe because I now have grandchildren and a great-grandchild. To me, they are precious. So I can understand why Dolly would want to protect whenever she can. That is why all of the shows are kid friendly and many allow children in free. A godsend to many families because nothing is cheap there.

Dollywood offers a glass-blowing *show* that I really enjoyed. I saw him making a champagne glass. It was going to be one of a set he was making as a special order for a woman that had been there earlier in the day. It was fascinating and he was very good explaining each step. It wasn't just put some of the hot glass on a pipe and blow. The steps he took were incredible and the final product was absolutely beautiful. The shop attached to his work area carries all the glass products he has made and they are surprisingly inexpensive. Well, relatively inexpensive. I was taken by some of the vases he made that were variegated and reminded me of a tiger lily. Fantastic and available in several different colors. If I had a place to put one of them on display, I would have bought one. Alas, that is the problem with having a small house. For me it was a choice between a lamp and a vase. The lamp won hands down. I already own the lamp.

The train ride (which is free) was a nice, pleasant experience and you got to see many of the other areas in the park. They have a little *entertainment* the conductors provide and there are photo ops of some old-time looking things primarily on the right side of the train benches. Just a little info for your use if and when you get to take it for yourself.

We ended up buying the season pass so that we could return a few more times before January 2 (when it expires) and get in for free. Since the Beast won't spend money needlessly, I know we will return just for that reason. There is a replica of the cabin that Dolly grew up in (including the size) and my mouth dropped. I won't tell you about it all but, suffice it to say, it really would make me crazy with just the Beast and I in a cabin that size. Our house looked huge in comparison. Plus, we have indoor plumbing and running water here. I also don't think that having guests visiting in the room with the only couch would be comfortable for me. You have to see it for yourself to believe it.

The food court is fantastic. What a selection of different foods. From individual pizzas to the most tempting sausages with onions and green peppers and....well, you can imagine what you want. They also have funnel cakes there and normal hot dogs and hamburgers. Nothing is cheap but it's very tasty. I brought my own sprite zero because I knew they wouldn't have it. They do have diet coke but I am off cokes with my irritable bowel syndrome. It makes it worse for whatever reason. In fact, I am surprised that coffee doesn't have the same effect.

I spent a LOT of time in the shops. There is one shop there that carries quilts and lots of lace items for your home. I found a 53" round lace tablecloth that was so inexpensive (to my way of thinking) that my mouth dropped. It also had some nice quilts that included matching shams that were reasonably priced. BUT...if you want a hand-made quilt that is one-of-a-kind, be prepared to pay up the yin-yang for it. They have those available there too in any size you could possibly want. They even had baby quilts that fit a crib.

A few shops carried the most adorable baby country outfits. If I had known the size of my great-granddaughter now that she is one year old, I would have bought a couple of them for her. They were so cute and feminine. The little boys clothes were adorable too and I haven't seen anything like them either. There are also the usual t-shirts and caps and hats you find in any tourist trap but these just say different things because it's Pigeon Forge and Dollywood!

They had one section that was a replica of some of the places we had in the 50's and 60's and had a lot of the old cars that my husband loved. There was a 57 Chevy there that hadn't been restored but was actually in pretty good shape. A little rust and a tear in the upholstery by the back window but otherwise not bad. An old Ford Fairlane reminded me of my sister Cee's first car she bought in her Senior year in high school. It's also where you will find one of those shows that make you feel like part of the action. I know you've heard of them. The seats move and some other effects. We didn't make it into that one but the Beast wants to try that one and the Earthquake one in Pigeon Forge. I think the one in Dollywood was a Nascar racing film. There are dozens of those around and they all offer different effects and movies. They really look like fun and I am looking forward to hitting a few of those.

Magic Shows? Did I mention those? Also scads of those around between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. The Chinese Circus is in Pigeon Forge. Most of the shows are dinner/show offerings so remember that when you get pricing. A lot of the brochures do NOT mention pricing but figure about $40 if it includes dinner. About half of that if it doesn't. I saw lots of different miniature golf places and they have different themes and obstacles. There are places for laser tag, skating rinks, you name it...it's there. The same with restaurants. Although, good lord, I have never seen so many pancake restaurants in my life! It's like it must be the favorite food in the area. We have more barbeque restaurants here in Albertville than we saw in Pigeon Forge and that was a surprise to me. I always figured a southern tourist area would surely have lots and lots of those around. Don't misunderstand me. The steak houses all offer barbeque but I think there were more steak restaurants that have a sideline of pulled bbq pork and ribs than specialized barbeque places. My hubby is crazy about pulled pork bbq sandwiches so HE noticed that immediately. I could care less because if *I* want bbq ribs, I want a Sonny's restaurant. My mouth waters at the thought.

Okay. Enuff. We only saw a small section of Dollywood due to the heat, the hilly terrain and our age and infirmity. Well, the Beast was infirm from all the walking and the heat. I really was amazed he stood up to it as long as he did. We headed back to the trolley and thence to our car. The cabin never looked so good as it did to me that day. We both headed for the bed and a nap before I got up and made us something light to eat. I looked at all the food we brought with us and thought we would never be IN the cabin long enough to use it all. I have to remember that for our return visit. However, due to the cost of the cabin versus the cost of a motel room, I don't think we will be doing the cabin again. It's great to get away from it all or for a honeymoon but hardly worth it if you are going to be sight-seeing or spending days doing shows, museums and other attractions. Get a motel room. It's less than half the price from Sunday through Thursday.

Love ya all. Take care of yourselves. Tell those you love that you do as often as you can. Don't take life for granted. There are no guarantees and too many nuts out on the road. Love well. Laugh often. Dance like no one is watching.

The town of Pigeon Forge is both interesting and overwhelming because of all the shows, museums, attractions and commercial shops. Or Shoppes as some are called. One place you have to visit is The Old Mill and the *shoppes* around it. I even found a shop there that had the dulcimers I love ranging in price from $110 to $500 for the regular ones (the $500 one was made of cherry wood and both the looks and sound were incredible) and they also carried the *hammer* dulcimers which are bigger, more complex and come with soft hammers to evoke their sounds. If you have never heard or seen one, you need to look for some of the various festivals in any of the southern states and look to see if they mention dulcimers. Some festivals even have contests for the artisans and musicians that make/play them.

The dulcimers have a variety of shapes and sizes. All have slightly different sounds. I first saw and heard them at the Knotts Berry Park in California. I was entranced and still am by the different sounds they make for a stringed instrument that is played by hand (but laid on a lap or on a stand). I intend to own and learn to play my own one day. I tried very hard to get the Beast to buy me one for my (soon to be) birthday or even our anniversary but we knew this trip was going to be very expensive for us. Our next one we will be able to book a less expensive room and, having seen the two most expensive shows/places already, what we see next will be some of the shows we haven't seen yet.

There are several comedy shows and magic shows. All are fit for children and many of them allow children in for free. Where were these things back when we had our four kids? You can see Dolly's hand in almost everything in Pigeon Forge. The *clean* comedy for one. She absolutely insists on that and, trust me, even the comedy at the Dixie Stampede was *clean* and I laughed so hard, I thought I might have to hit the bathroom to keep from embarrassing myself.

BTW, speaking of the Dixie Stampede (a MUST SEE for all), be forewarned, you get a great meal (Blackened Cornish Hen,a nice slice of roast pork loin, half a baked and seasoned potato, a cheese biscuit and a great apple turnover). Oh, and the meal starts off with one of the tastiest cups of creamed vegetable soup that I have ever eaten. BUT.... you get NO silverware. None. Nada. Zip. So, if you are finicky, bring your own. You get plenty of napkins and the host for your *table* does give you a warm, wet towelette that is thicker and larger than those in the tiny packets you get at rib places. If you are bringing an unwarned guest, don't inform them of the fact that this is a *fingers* meal. It should be fun to watch their faces. You also get your choice of water, Pepsi, sweet tea and/or coffee to go with your meal. It is served while the show is going on and foot stomping instead of clapping is acceptable. The soup is served in a bowl with a handle so no worries about that part of the meal. It's amazing how easily you can get into tearing apart your fowl. We also were given a doggy bag if you wanted to bring home the leftover hen. I saved it for adding to our dog's meals (after I skinned off the blackened seasoning). He enjoyed it, too.

Do NOT order coconut shrimp at any restaurant if you love the one that the Outback Restaurant serves. We tried it at a couple different ones and they were O.K. but usually overdone and dry tasting. Tony Roma's ribs, although the same chain, were different than the ones we ate at in Florida. It was still very tasty (we had the baby back ribs and theirs came with a sauce already on it, unlike what we were used to getting). They did still bring the four different sauces to the table but the joy was lost in not being able to really taste the various ones on individual ribs. Maybe we are too fussy that way but it's just a warning to make sure you tell the waiter/waitress the sauce you enjoy most. If we had known, we might have thought to tell them *no sauce* and that we would put our own on.

Right next door to Tony Roma's is the most incredible looking place and it took me by surprise. It looked like a building that had been snatched up and pulled out of the ground (complete with concrete foundation attached) and turned upside down and slightly tilted on it's rooftop. It's called *Wonder Works* and it's an interactive museum. I realized that my niece, Tara, had told us about it because she had taken her boys there on one of her *jaunts* for the day. It's a 4-1/2 hour drive there so, by leaving early, they could go and visit it and return home the same day. I won't tell you about it because we didn't make it this trip but we will. My niece told me about some of the things you can do once inside but it's better not to relate those things third-hand. It's for a future blog.

We spent the remainder of the day on another auto tour of an area of the Smoky Mountains that also had old cabins that you could see and walk through. It was fun to listen to the kids reactions to the homes (where is the bathroom? how come there's no kitchen? Didn't they have lights?). We were shocked to read that this one home we walked through had housed a husband, wife and NINE children. It's a good thing they had a working farm because you couldn't have gotten that many kids into the house EXCEPT to sleep. I would bet they ate outside during good weather since it did have an extensive covered porch. I think many chores (churning butter as an example for those lucky enough to have cows or even goats), peeling potatoes for meals, etc., etc.

We decided to return to the cabin before it got dark (not sure if our GPS would get us back) so that we could shower, perhaps watch a little TV and try out the spa if it were hot. We had neglected at the time we first got there to check on the water temp. Alas, it was actually too damn hot and we had to find the shutoff to turn it off so it would cool down for us since there was no temperature control visible. Since we have owned multiple ones, we knew it was probably behind one of the screwed in panels underneath. So, we did the only thing we could. Now it was a matter of hope and waiting for another night.

We had found out that the best way to get to Dollywood was to actually park just down the street from The Old Mill (it's municipal parking and free) and hitch a ride on the trolley to Dollywood. The cost is just .50 each both ways and they take $1.00 bills if your party is two or more and you don't have change. Just remember where it lets you off when you get there because that is also where you catch it to return to the parking lot. It's not well marked when you exit the park.

Tomorrow I will tell you about all we saw and enjoyed at Dollywood. Be prepared to do a lot of walking and, remember, it's built on the mountain and you do a lot of up and down walking. For those who can't do much of that, you can rent an electric cart for $30. for the day. I was almost sorry we hadn't done that because I found out (and so did the Beast who already has a problem with his left leg) that we are not as young as we once were.

Love you all. May you live long, love well and dance like there's nobody watching.

Well, we are home. We are actually home a couple days earlier than we had thought because we didn't think about the fact that with school out, the town might get fuller than it was when we arrived on Tuesday. Not only that but the motel prices increase on Friday and Saturday just because of all the three day weekenders that hit the town. The ONLY time to visit that area during the summer (when the kids are out of school) is Sunday through Thursday. Then...get the HELL out of Dodge because the traffic is incredible!

I'm going to break this up over a couple of days so be patient. It was a whole new area to us and I actually wrote down my impressions. I find I can remind myself better with little notes like that.

We left fairly early on Tuesday morning after dropping off the dog at the vet's for boarding. He was so excited because he knew he was going to be able to visit with other dogs for a while. He just had no idea HOW long a time it would be for him. It was the longest time we both were away from our *son*, so-to-speak (albeit I am a reluctant mother to the beast jr.) We didn't rush. I crocheted and enjoyed the scenery once we got to Chattanooga since our route was a different one than the one we took to the aunt's house in NC. I have always loved the Smokies although the Rockies will remain my favorite mountains for a variety of reasons. The incredible challenge of our forebears in crossing them struck me from the first time I saw them. Rugged, rocky and formidable is a weak description of the challenges they endured. I feel a strange kind of love and kinship with those people although I don't really believe I would have been able to live up to the challenge. I would like to think I had that kind of strength and endurance but, alas, the truth is I don't think so. It saddens me.

However, even those people that settled in the Smokies were not weak. Just clearing the land for a home was a formidable challenge. Then there was having to build the cabin you would live in, a barn for the animals, a pig pen if you could afford a pig and a plot for a garden since, lord knows, you didn't have a convenient grocery store to get food for your family from when you needed it.

Once we checked in with the people that were in charge of our rental cabin and got our key and instructions, we set out to find the place. I was navigator because the cabin didn't have an actual address. Thank goodness the instructions were written by a woman because we know how to give directions that make sense (at least to us). If there is a landmark, we note it. The Beast drove past the final turnoff because he didn't believe me. Of course, we had to turn around and then, twice, he tried to turn incorrectly. But, we finally arrived at Sunflower Cabin (oh, that was a joke except for some of the decorating touches). It was clear out in hell-and-gone but was everything we really expected in a getaway cabin. It also reminded me greatly of how cabins were back in the 1800's except for the indoor plumbing, sink and water readily available....oh, and the GAS fireplace. We also had a jacuzzi on the rear deck but couldn't use it two of the days because it was too freaking HOT to get into. It only had two settings...on and off. Unfortunately, the ON position kept the water heating hotter and hotter because there was no thermostat on it and no one knew how to turn the temperature to a reasonable one. If I could have knocked the Beast into it, I could have had Beast soup! LOL!!!

The landlord did have someone come by to take care of the problem so we did get into it on the last night there. Felt good to me but the Beast still has a problem with the heat since his stroke so he had to get out after about 10 minutes.

After bringing in our luggage and the food we brought with us, we set off to explore the town. The Beast marked the driveway up to the cabin as our *home* and we never had a problem getting back after that. Love those GPS's.

When we got to Pigeon Forge, we stopped for a late lunch and went through all the touristy stuff that is displayed and available everywhere in that town (and in Gatlinburg). We decided to take one of the auto tours through a historic area in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. This one was the Cade Loop. The most notable thing about it was that it included a working grist mill that still made corn meal (and it was available for sale, too). The homes and churches that were open and available to walk through were actually in use when the area became a national park and the people had to move out (they were bought out so don't concern yourself with that). The only thing the park service did was to tear down and fill in the outhouses in use. This was in 1930. One home was occupied until 1940 because the old lady made that a part of her deal. She could live there until she died and she was already old. What is amazing is the house she lived in did NOT have electricity, no running water, no indoor plumbing and no heat except for a fireplace AND a cast iron heating stove she added. You know the ones I mean....a Ben Franklin type. Not even a cast iron cooking stove.

The tour actually took us about two hours because we stopped at all the stops (we picked up an inexpensive tour guide and the sites were marked for you). Parking for the sites sucked but, what the heck, we got a lot of exercise. The churches were also interesting because they all had graveyards attached to them and reading the gravestones (the ones that weren't too worn away to read) was sad. So many babies died. One poor man had actually had triplet boys born and died the same day and he buried them plus provided a headstone for them. Of the three churches on this *loop*, you could see that something divided the families because many of the same surnames were in all three cemeteries. The booklet we bought for $1.00 talked about how the Civil War divided many families and it was obvious during the walk.

After that, we went back into Pigeon Forge to try to acquaint ourselves with some of the many shows, museums, exhibits and such and to find a place to eat. After stopping at Tony Roma's (we had a real taste for their baby back ribs but found out it's not the same as we were used to having in this part of the south...but it was still good!), we headed back to the cabin for a hot shower and to watch a little TV and get some sleep. We were overwhelmed by all the shows and shops we saw but looking forward to an early start to look them over the next day.

With that, I am done for tonight. Love you all and will continue this tomorrow. Live well, love often and dance like no one is watching. If we expire when we die, then we should INspire while we live.

The bbq went extremely well. The food was excellent and everyone ate to their hearts (and stomach's) content. Tara brought over the makings for the hamburgers (her insistence) and mixed them up with chopped onions and secret seasonings plus she brought brats. The Beast wanted me to pre-boil them so they wouldn't flame up on him but our new barbeque has a second shelf on it and I told him to use that instead and it would be fine. He had that doubtful face on him but gave it a try and they were perfect.

We had cole slaw, an Italian style pasta salad, baked beans, my winter fruit salad (found the recipe in an old cookbook and the dressing sounded especially interesting) and the normal condiments (onions, non-Mexican tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, pickle relish, mayonnaise). For dessert we had strawberry shortcake served over pound cake instead of those teeny little puffy cups. I'm not fond of them anyway.

Tara and her boyfriend had been busy loading up boxes and stuff to take over to the new house and her boyfriend tried to sand the taping on the tray ceilings but the plaster wasn't ready yet so it has to wait for another day. Tara was beat since they had been busy all day Saturday at the new house and she didn't sleep well so she was ready for a nap. So was the Beast and even I admitted a nap sounded good. So, I sent her off with some of the split pea soup I made yesterday (she can use it for her lunch at work one day this week) and the left over hamburger and brats plus some other stuff so they could have something to eat later at home. It was nice and she even helped clean up the kitchen which wasn't all that messy so it went quickly.

After taking a short nap, the Beast went online to find us some lodging close to Dollywood. He found a place that has cabins up in the mountains in Pigeon Forge. They really looked interesting and were about as expensive as we had figured they would be during the summer months (which is the *season* most everywhere except Florida and Las Vegas). It's called *Secret Hideaway* and they have several different types of cabins with different features. The one we rented has a nice, covered porch with a view and a hot tub on it, too. It's pretty much one room laid out with a heart shaped tub next to the couch . I hope the toilet is at least not out in the open. The nice thing is the tub and the couch face the tv which is up on the wall like you see in hospitals. It has cable and we are bringing the Mac with us (which we can try to find a WiFi link in the area to latch onto) so we can get online if possible.

We are bringing my card reader with us so we can view our pictures we take and delete those we don't want plus upload them and send them to our email addresses. Knowing the Beast, he really means that for me since I have the smaller card and I take pics I like, not just SI's (significant images) like he does. I take snapshot, he takes professional grade stuff (landscapes, portraits, etc.) He also like to take his shots in what is called *raw images* and I won't bother to explain that to you but they are HUGE compared to what I take. That is why he has the larger capacity card in his camera. He will probably bring his spare, too, since we are going to hit the Smoky Mountain Trail and Gatlinburg. Gatlinburg is really going to be where we do some shopping. His aunt goes there from time-to-time when she is at her NC house and has bought some really interesting stuff there. She gave us a couple places to go and I just want to LOOK AROUND.

One of my few readers was in Pigeon Forge and left me a comment on my last blog about places to see while we are there. She and her other half were there in the fall and she has some vivid memories about what they saw and did. Thank you, Beth. I made notes and am taking them with me. I will let you know how we enjoyed them when we return. It would be neat if we got to see a bear, too, but I am not going to hold my breath.

I spent today packing up our suitcase. I packed like we were actually going to be gone until Sunday in case we really do have fun and enjoy ourselves like we hope. I am also praying that the Beast doesn't have his leg bother him too much although we discussed renting one of those motorized carts at Dollywood for both of us. We both are not young any more and it's very hilly there, I understand.

The Beast cleaned out our cooler and then ran up to Walmart to get some food to take with us since the cabin DOES have a kitchen and fridge. He even bought a coffee pot they had for only $10. (a Kitchenaid one with a permanent filter) so I packed some coffee, creamer, sugar and my Splenda. They probably have a coffee pot there but we are taking no chances. We NEED our coffee in the morning or our blood doesn't circulate.

We are leaving in the morning after we drop off the dog at our vet's (she also boards dogs) then it's *on the road again* for us. It's only a four and a half hour drive for us according to the Garmin GPS. The gal at Secret Hideaway, when I told her we had our GPS to get us to their office as long as we had an address, told us the GPS's some of her guests had brought them a really funky way so she included how to get to the office once we get off Hwy. 40 and into Pigeon Forge. Thank you, Julie. I'm sure your way will be much simpler.

I spent today doing wash, vacuuming, folding clothes and making a last minute packing list for things I can't pack until morning. I also made sure I put the phone number of Secret Hideaway into my cell phone as well as the one for a friend that is having cancer surgery on Thursday. I put both her home and cell phone numbers in because I am really concerned about her. She can't be put under general anesthesia so they are going to remove a tumor in her breast with a local. Say a prayer for her that it hasn't spread because that will be a problem of a whole different sort and doesn't carry a good prognosis.

I also got to play a few games on Pogo (yes, I AM addicted to several of the games on there) and remind some of my buddies about my being gone. They know I am bringing a computer with us and hope I find a WiFi link so I can at least work on this one badge for a game I just love. I can also share with them some of the fun things we have seen and done. I might be presuming that but, what the heck.

Time to finish cleaning up (why do we want to leave our homes spotless and looking ready for company when we go away?). Love you all and will share with you when we return. I am also looking forward to traveling without the dog for a while. The Beast found out there is actually a Doggywood that Dollywood operates (but he thinks it's only for service dogs so I didn't correct him). Otherwise, I will just bet you he would want to take his *son* with him. Thank God for small favors.

Love you all and remember to tell those you love that you do every time you talk to them or see them. Life is too short, precious and unpredictable. Say a prayer that we have a safe trip and return home safely.

The Beast came home on Sunday instead of Monday. He was so anxious that he left Ft Lauderdale at about 3 am and drove straight through. Well, he did make one stop at a rest stop and took a short nap but it was busy and noisy so it wasn't for long. He drove mainly on adrenaline and called me when he hit Anniston. I almost fainted because I knew it was only about an hour and a half away. He also had to be speeding whenever he felt he could get away with it because he was home by about 5:30 pm. He was exhausted and, after playing a short time with the dog (who had the most astonished look on his face when the Beast showed up), he went straight to bed to sleep for a few hours. Beast Jr. curled up right beside him, put his head on his shoulder, and the two of them slept happily and peacefully for a couple hours.

The next few days were filled with mowing the lawn on both properties, thinning out more of the plums to save the tree from breakage and doing some better staking of the branches than I had been able to do. Between both the Beast and I we had to have thinned off about 200 plums in various stages of growth. And we still have lots on the tree. The online site we read said to thin the plums to a fist length between them and we did that. WE did, however, lose one branch. We cut it back properly and it will be fine next year. In the three weeks since that was done, it is already showing signs of new growth.

I can't remember if I mentioned we bought an investment house that we put under contract to my niece, Tara. Her divorce is final now but it will take her 3-5 years to restore her credit. She has a great job and, if past experience can be a guide, she will still be there for many years. I know she loves what she is doing.

Anyway, we will be making 6% on our money, which is better than we can get with any CD out now. It works out for my niece also since she will be paying down a nice sum of the selling price each month which is unlike a normal bank loan. She will have paid off over $9000 in five years and who knows how much the house will be worth by then. Alabama hasn't had the serious depreciation of other areas but it also hasn't had the artificial appreciation of those same areas either. She will do fine when she has to get her bank loan.

Anyway, we finally closed on the house and the former owners rented back from us for a week until they closed on their new house in another city. My niece haunted the house and knew exactly when they had moved out so she was ready this weekend with keeping the utilities turned on in her name and to do some of the minor work that needs doing. I gave her my carpet cleaner so that, when she actually moves in, it will all be clean for her. When we did our walk-thru after the former owners had finally moved, I checked every cabinet and drawer to make sure that it was clean and ready. The Beast and I were going to go help her clean but she poo-poo-ed that...unless we really WANTED to....

The Beast went over early to clean the windows for her. We have all the stuff professionals use on windows and he learned how to do it when he worked for his uncle (who owned a business doing it). He had a bit of a problem with the windows....they are the kind that you can clean the outside from the inside, if you know what I mean. They tilt inward and down. Well, he couldn't get them back in right and they wouldn't close or go up or down either. Tara had them at her old house so she said...let me take a look at them...but the Beast wouldn't let her saying....*Tara, I've been working on these two for two hours now. I think I would have found the trick, don't you? They just need some silicon spray on the tracks* With that, he left to come home to get the silicon spray and to get his spare pair of glasses since he broke his somehow (rolling eyes here).

After he left, Tara called to tell me to convey the fact that they didn't need the silicon spray. She checked out the windows after he left and got them both working Needless-to-say, the Beast was pissed and didn't believe it. I won't repeat what he had to say but its typical of a man with too much pride and too little patience. He didn't even go back he was so pissed. And, his little *accident* to his glasses is going to cost us $376. to replace.

Tomorrow is Father's Day and Tara wanted to spend it with us so I said lets have a barbeque. She wants to cook everything and said she would even clean up my kitchen afterwards. I told her that I had more time than she did so *I* would make beans, slaw and a few other things for dessert and told her what meats I already had here. We also already have the charcoal for grilling. She wants to bring the burgers and some brats, which is fine with me. The Beast loves brats cooked darn near any way imaginable. I have all the condiments including non-salmonella tomatoes (if you keep up on the news, you understand that reference). I am looking forward to a relaxing day. Tara is bringing over her puppy so she will keep Baron occupied and, hopefully, tire him out with her playing. Puppies have a heck of a lot of energy.

As far as my health goes, I am having more good days than bad. It's going to take time for this Irritable Bowel Syndrome to stop but I have, apparently, had it for a long time so it won't go away like magic. It will take time. I am having enough good days though that we are going to Dollywood!!! I know that's not the real name of it but it's what everyone calls it. We will be heading out to Pigeon Forge, TN next week for a few days. There are several attractions but the Beast already knows that Dollywood is going to be expensive. I don't begrudge her that, though, because the profits all go to her book program that she established in Tennessee and is now spreading to other states. Every month, every child in TN receives a new, age-appropriate book. I forget what the cut-off date is but I know that my grandson, who is in high school, no longer receives one but the two younger girls still do. Bless her heart for doing that and I never knew about it until I saw her biography on A&E one Sunday. Goodness knows, Dolly doesn't make a big deal out of all her charitable works and she does a LOT of them. I always loved Dolly Parton's singing but now I also love her huge heart.

We are going to board Baron while we are gone. Right now that is supposed to be from Tuesday (we won't leave until Wednesday but our vet isn't open then) and we will pick him up on Monday. I don't really believe we will be gone that long since the Beast really hates eating out all the time and motel living is boring. If the weather is good, how long can we actually stay in the pool? So, after we see the attractions we want to, I am sure we will be headed home. It's only about a five hour drive from Pigeon Forge back here to Albertville.

So, I will close for now. I promise one more entry before we leave to let you know how Father's Day was and anything else that might come up. Sorry my life is so boring but, hey, it happens to all of us from time-to-time. There is more that actually happened in-between all this but that's for another time.

Live, love, be happy and tell family and friends you love them whenever you see or talk to them. I love you all.