October 2007: Third Visitors

This weekend we had Uncle Richard and Aunt Diane here for a few days. They enjoyed the drive South, stopping over night with their long time friends, the Quick's , who live outside of Detroit. Uncle Richard and Robert Quick have been friends since, well forever.

We took them to the football game up in Whitehouse where the Bison continued their winning ways; 12 to 10 over the Whitehouse Blue devils. It was a nail biter, exciting game. Uncle Rich and Aunt Diane were amazed, impressed, astounded by the dedication to perfection of the Thundering Herd band and commitment by the coaches and band teachers and students and parents to Friday Night Lights here in Tennessee. Being a former teacher, Uncle Richard really appreciated all that goes into these programs.

On Saturday we took them to visit another Civil War site in Franklin. This home was mainly a hospital for the Confederate soldiers after the Battle of Franklin in the Civil War. The McGavock's who owned the plantation at the time set aside 2 acres of their land near their family cemetery and dug up from the battle fields and reburied over 1, 400 Confederate soldiers. They placed small stones with just the initials of each fallen soldier and a number on each stone. They kept a hand written log book of the entire cemetery which exists today inside the home in a glass display case. The graves were arranged in order of states, with a larger stone marker with the number of dead buried from that particular state in that section.

We also attended the Opry on Saturday evening and heard Vince Gill and Josh Turner. It was a wonderful evening. Vince sang one of our favourites "These Days" to his mother who was there as it was her birthday weekend. Josh has this deep rich voice and is very charismatic (read: hot). The Opry is always just a great evening.

Ya-Ya went to another band competition back in Chattanooga. They placed 3rd in their division. This coming week they will be entered in the Tennessee State championships south of Nashville at Independence High School. This coming weekend our friends Dean and Barb will be here for a visit also.

What a great month we are having. Thank you to everyone who ventures South! And puts up with our travelogues.

Grandma