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Twas the night before Christmas, Cherry Valley

Thursday, November 29, 2012

The actors from the Children's Theater at the Arkansas Arts
Center were absolutely fabulous...they kept the audience
engaged and they loved the story....of course!

When Santa came down the chimney, yes SHE did, the kids
went wild and they loved the music.  They even rapped some
of it...it was great.  The actors took questions afterward from
the audience and after telling them that a question starts with
Who, What, Where, When and How, they had 6 statements
and one question that was, "how did you make that fireplace?"
Well done Children's Theater!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012

What a treat it was to get to organize the Children's Theater from the Arkansas Arts Center's Touring Production of Twas the Night Before Christmas for Cross County Elementary. I have been on and off the Cross County Arts Council board since we moved to town and it's been a ton of fun to help with.  School Programming is the main focus of the arts council for the two school districts we have in the county.  I have loved the Tellatale Troupe which is now the touring Children's Theater of the Arkansas Arts Center for many, many years.

Today's actors were very talented and were really funny in this wonderful musical play.  The children loved it and were engaged in the program from start to finish.  The troupe rapped a song, sang songs, did lots of comedy and traditional verse on the poem of Twas the Night Before Christmas.  As I went to the actors after the show, I heard many children say how much they liked the show.  That was really nice to hear.  The actors are Aleigha Morton, Cassandra Nary, and Jeremy Matthey.  Morton serves as tour manager.

This show will be at the Wynne High School Auditorium Dec. 20 at 9 and 1:30 for the K-5 grade students.  I think all will love this show!

Turkey Trot 5K, Edmond

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

CoCo and Jackie

Chloe wore that hat most of the
race...she cracks me up!
Chloe took this picture of mom's dog Jack...he's a pistol!

Coco and Jackie had some time for a wrestling
match in the living room Thanksgiving night...

Mother gave us tickets to see the OKC Thunder play the
LA Clippers...these guys were behind the goal, a shirtless
guy, a Sasquatch and another shirtless guy in a cape...They
were running up and down the isle cracking us up!

That game went into overtime and the Thunder won!

Barbie Barton Greer and her husband
Bill went with us to the game.  Barbie
and I were BFF's in high school, it
was great catching up!

The Friday after Thanksgiving we went to Weatherford
to see my Grandfather Glenn who's 85 and my grandmother
Melva who's 83...they are busy, busy on the farm and made
an excellent lunch for everyone.  It's always great to see them!

Again Blogger is crazy, here is a
photo of some people dressed
up at the Turkey Trot 5K with
their pets...Chloe wanted to bring
her dogs but they don't travel well...:)
Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving Ya'll!  Jackie and I had Chloe entered in our 3rd Turkey Trot 5K in Edmond that gives its proceeds to the local food bank.  I'd say they had 3,000 runners.  I haven't been running and barely finished that thing in 30 minutes.  Chloe and Jackie hung together this year during the race. I added some other photos of the week in Edmond.  We went out to eat at Lottinville's in Edmond for Thanksgiving lunch and it was great.  Mom and Gary made dinner for us that night then I got some Black Friday shopping in before going to Weatherford.  The night before the 5K, mother gave us tickets to the OKC Thunder game that was packed.  I haven't been to very many NBA games (I'd say just to the Phoenix Suns back in 1995) but I can say that OKC has really rallied behind the Thunder (and they are the defending NBA champs).  The Chesapeake Arena was packed and loud, start to finish.  I'm excited that the city has the team (they also have a minor league baseball team the OKC Redhawks (Houston Astros)).

The Turkey Trot 5K is a great family event.  I'd give a suggestion to the race director about marking off the finish line, we all had to dodge strollers, dogs and spectators to get to the finish line.  I think it's a great way to start Thanksgiving... a little exercise before a lot of turkey makes for a great day!

Cafe 7, Oklahoma City


Angelia is trying to get out of another photo....
She picked Cafe 7 and it was delicious!

My John Marshall High School classmates and I have a
tradition during Thanksgiving break of meeting for
lunch and catching up...Leslie Johnson Williams, me,
 Angelia Pope Johnston and Lori Leiser Manning

I headed for Owen Field at Norman after lunch
with the girls....it was packed as always for the annual
Bedlam game...OU/OSU

CoCo and I had a great time!  She made it to the half!
OU won in Overtime 52-48

The Sooner Schooner had an accident a few years back so
they don't take the carriage past the 25 yard mark anymore

Saturday, November 25, 2012

My good friends from Oklahoma City picked Cafe 7 as our lunch spot for our annual get together and lemme tell you it was divine!  Cafe 7 is new to the OKC restaurant scene opening in 2009.  Owners Paul Sorrentino, Chris Kana and Jay Mays coin Cafe 7 as "a fast, casual restaurant with full service restaurant appeal."

 That's what we got at Cafe 7, everything is $7 or less and you can make whatever salad, sandwich or pizza for that price.  The concept offers value and fresh, flavorful food.  You order off of slips of paper where you can substitute and customize anything on their menu.  I ordered the Turkey and Guacamole sandwich without the cheese (duh, the guac has a ton of fat and calories already).  I skipped the chips and substituted the fresh fruit and added a side of mac and cheese.  It was very good and that mac was creamy penne mac and cheese that we all shared.  Leslie ordered the Pasta Primavera but scooted about a pound of pepperocini off to the side and said it made the whole dish taste that way.  When owner Chris Kana came by and she told him it had way, way too many peppers on it, he offered to make her a new one to go.  I couldn't believe that gesture and I was quite impressed by it.  He was also in his OSU shirt proudly serving his customers.

Everyone at our table kept commenting on how much they eat at Cafe 7 across the city and they said there is a location in Tulsa now too.  I loved my experience at Cafe 7, that sandwich was the perfect size and fresh.  Another thing about cafe 7 is that all the food is to come to your table within 7 minutes and that was just about right at our table.  Cafe 7 was a clean and neat, fast food restaurant that made for a great time catching up with my high school friends. I think there's a plan for them to head to Cross County soon and I cannot wait to show them around!

Cafe 7 (watch your GPS on your phone, if I hadn't looked up at the right moment, my phone had taken me to Quail Springs Mall with a u-turn and double back) 11014 N. May, Oklahoma City 405-748-3354

Brussels Sprouts, Birdeye

Monday, November 19, 2012

Just into the pan....I love, love some Brussels Sprouts

Every fall I clean out the garden and get some major
composting on....here's what I got today!

Because our girls love to dig, nest and
fluff up the dirt, I decided to cover my newly
planted turnip greens, spinach, onions and
lettuce..and for Gumball's sake.  Jackie
and Chloe's horrible, horrible dog eats
trash, couches, anything stacked, bibles,
boxes, straps etc, etc.  Gumball
is truly a horrible Birdeye dog...that's a fact!

We got a good rain recently....

Winnie Bob had a burning bush planted in the
front, it turns this red every fall....
Friday, November 16, 2012

No, I didn't grow these...Paleease!  I give a shout out to all the farmers around us that do grow these little, delicate deliciousness cabbages....Becca Jackson made these a year ago or so after a bike ride and they were SO good that I got hooked on them.  I found this recipe off My Recipes.com:

6 slices center cut bacon chopped (I used 3 slices regular bacon)
1/2 C. sliced shallot (don't dice like me, they get too small)
1-1/2 lbs. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
6 garlic cloves, sliced
3/4 C. chicken broth
1/8 t. salt and pepper (this is key, I'm telling you)

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat and add bacon and saute for 5 minutes (I did 10 so it was crisp).  Add garlic for 4 minutes stirring frequently add the chicken broth and bring to a boil and then cook 2 minutes or until the broth evaporates and the sprouts are crisp tender, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and add the most important things the salt and pepper to taste of course.

I will say that these sprouts are also delicious left over, don't be afraid to reheat the deliciousness....:)

Navy Beans, Birdeye

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Again, if there was a scratch-n-sniff ya'll would love it...

Ingredients....

Cornbread in a mini pan..perfect for a family of 4-6

Look at this shot of Doctor Calico....always being a cat and
constantly complaining that his breakfast, lunch AND dinner
buffet aren't up to his standards.....


Thursday, November 15, 2012

Another faux pas of mine is that I haven't blogged a recipe of MY OWN in a while...I forget when I get all fired up about something new and I want to share but I haven't told you about a recipe that I've come up with from my mother and my mother-in-law's recommendations.  Here it is...heavy on the sage and you can give or take any of my ingredients but one thing I've learned while living in Arkansas is that you CANNOT, ever, I mean EVER, serve Jiffy Cornbread. I've tried this approach and have been talked down upon on for using a mix.  Well, I never really thought I could make homemade cornbread without a mix but you can and it's a must with these easy, homemade beans that will have the whole family coming back for more.  So I'll give you the beans recipe and the cornbread will follow with my own requirements.

And for the sake of telling how I figured out how to make these beans, here goes....we were newlyweds and Jackie was tired in law school of me making summer-like dishes in the winter months and said, "what about some beans?", I think it went that way...well, I called up my mother, the best cook ever and asked her how to make them and what in the world I should season them with, they looked so BLAND in the package.  She said, "oh probably some sage, onion powder, garlic salt, salt and pepper or whatever you figure out.  Just try it and write it down".  What great advice as I have made these now for 20 years and have made too salty beans, too hot beans with pepper (not my homegrown jalapeno peppers), too dry beans and too soupy beans.  Finally, I think I've figured it out but every once in a while, and I think this is true of all cooks, you follow the recipe but somehow it stinks....here is a fool proof way to serve a very inexpensive meal that is full of protein, fiber and vitamins.  You can Google that.

Navy Beans, from my kitchen, Birdeye

1 lb. navy beans (great northern beans or cannellini are good substitutes and I've done this before)
6 C. water, twice
3/4 t. salt
1-1/2 onion powder
1 t. pepper, I like course ground
3/4 t. garlic salt
1 t. rubbed sage, you can do ground but use less
6 slices bacon, cooked in microwave not crispy, saving all the juices for flavor

Soak beans overnight with water.  Drain and add to crock pot with 5 cups fresh water and all remaining ingredients and cook all day long, anywhere from 6-12 hours on low is fine.  I love that we have that many hours to get it done.  Serve only with homemade cornbread (skip the Jiffy).

Homemade Cornbread (for a small cast iron skillet, double for a 10 inch skillet)

2 C. self rising corn meal mix
1-1/2 C. buttermilk, whole or 2% works, but I love buttermilk
1/4 t. baking soda
1 t. sugar
2 eggs, I use our farm fresh eggs
1/4 C. pork drippings, I use olive oil heating in the pan during preheat...a great way to season that cast iron skillet

Preheat oven to 450 (only do 400, this is off the back of the mix package, it'll get soupy in the middle and dark on top).  Grease the pan, I use Pam or nonstick cooking spray.  Combine corn meal, sugar and soda and set aside.  Add eggs, milk and oil in separate bowl mixing well and add to dry ingredients.  Pour into hot pan and cook 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy peeps!  Lemme know what you think! :)

Rowan Oak, Oxford, MS

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Rowan Oak...

One of the bookcases in the front room of the house...

It was an absolute beautiful day....
Saturday, November 10, 2012

Jackie wanted us to tour the Faulkner House at Oxford while we were there for the Ole Miss/Vanderbilt game.  So we took the couple block trip over to it from the square in Oxford.  It was just beautiful Saturday.  Lots of leaves turning and the temperature was about 75, a perfect fall afternoon.

Here's an excerpt from the Rowan Oak listing with wikipedia:

Rowan Oak, also known as William Faulkner House, is William Faulkner's former home in Oxford, Mississippi. It is a primitive Greek Revival house built in the 1840s by Robert Sheegog. Faulkner purchased the house when it was in disrepair in the 1930s and did many of the renovations himself. Other renovations were done in the 1950s. The house sits on 4 landscaped and twenty nine acres of largely wooded property known as Bailey's Woods. One of its more famous features is the outline of Faulkner's Pulitzer-prize winning novel A Fable, penciled in graphite and red on the plaster wall of his study. Though the "rowan oak" is a mythical tree, the grounds and surrounding woods of Rowan Oak contain hundreds of species of native Mississippi plants, most of which date back to antebellum times. The alley of cedars that lines the driveway was common in the 19th century. The studs of the house are 4"x4" square cypress; they were hand-hewn. Faulkner drew much inspiration for his treatment of multi-layered Time from Rowan Oak, where past and future seemed to inhabit the present.
In 1972, his daughter, Jill Faulkner Summers, sold the house to the University of Mississippi. The University maintains the home in order to promote Faulkner's literary heritage. Tours are available. The home has been visited by such writers as John Updike,CzesÅ‚aw MiÅ‚oszCharles SimicRichard FordJames Lee BurkeBei DaoCharles WrightCharles FrazierAlice Walker, the Coen brothersBobbie Ann MasonSalman Rushdie, and others. Writer Mark Richard once repaired a faulty doorknob on the French door to Faulkner's study.

I loved learning that Faulkner renamed the property Rowan Oak, a tree that is a symbol of peace and security.  There were lots of interesting tidbits throughout the property.  A case with an empty bottle Jack Daniels in it and this quote, "I have found that the only tools I need for my trade are paper, tobacco, food and a little whiskey".  He had a writing room, guest bedroom for his two step children and a grand piano in living room that his only daughter Jill would play.  And it had a piano book on it that she played from.

A lot of the furnishings of Rowan Oak reminded us of Bill Shaver's love of Faulkner.  He had a ton of Antebellum furniture like that at Rowan Oak.  If you visit, be sure to tour outside and around the grounds.  Faulkner was an avid rider and lover of the outdoors.  The grounds were quite impressive and I think the whole property is about 30 acres.

It's $5 to tour the house and it's really something to see.  Be sure to read all the info cards about each room etc.  You'll have to go outside to view the kitchen that was added later and I think updated in the 1950's.

http://www.rowanoak.com
Rowan Oak 662-234-3284

City Grocery, Oxford, MS

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

The balcony at City Grocery

By the time we left the streets were packed...

A view from the Square Bookstore on a
corner of the square....

I know you have seen this book of a Pomeranian
Boo, the World's Cutest Dog...
Chloe's now HOOKED...:)

The bookstore has 3 levels....it had more signed
copies of books than I've ever seen in a bookstore

When City Grocery tried to deliver CoCo a good lunch (and
it was delicious to me) she had to have some frozen yogurt
from Zaza's on the square...yep she had some gummy worms
to top it off...and yes she's related to this diabetic...I'm thankful
that research has shown that type 1 is insulin dependant which
means my pancreas doesn't work and type 2 is from lack of diet
and exercise....Chloe does have my innate sweet tooth...
that's for real....and that Tart Yogurt was delicious I will say!
Saturday, November 10, 2012

I googled City Grocery when Chloe and I got to talking about what they'd have on their children's menu for lunch.  I suggested that she could just get a Lunchable, which is a favorite at Memaw and Grandad's house, if there wasn't anything she'd like.  I assumed we could get that at a grocery/diner which I expected from its name.  You'd think that too right?  Well, City Grocery opened in 1992 in "a Reconstruction-era livery stable on the Courthouse Square, City Grocery began serving north Mississippi’s most innovative faire with Chef John Currence at the helm of his first restaurant venture."   Chloe and I were immediately bashed by our tour guide, AKA Jackie, who told us he wasn't taking us to a grocery store for lunch but "City Grocery".  It kinda reminded me of "this isn't just lunch, it's FRIDAY LUNCH AT GALATOIRE'S!" from last December when I didn't understand the importance of the restaurant.  If you haven't read my blog about Galatoire's, you should.  Chloe and I didn't take it personally because this was our first trip to the college town.  We were running a few minutes late for our 11:30 lunch reservation for an afternoon in the old college town and before the Vanderbilt vs. Ole Miss football game.  I tell Chloe all the time about the importance of college and getting mulitple degrees and told her that this could be a campus she might want to consider since two Wynne High School graduates are freshmen this year.  We'll see about that, I had my worries after seeing the fashion, the sunglasses and the garb in the Grove before the game.

Reservations are a must at City Grocery, the place was packed when we got there and even more so when we left.

We were promptly seated in the middle of the restaurant.  It was very, very bright with a huge glare from the sun in the front windows.  It needed to be tamed somewhat, I couldn't see the faces on anyone at the door or nearby.  I know the time had just changed but it was a little much and got no better during our lunch.  The menu was very interesting.  I loved that they "source all vegetables, proteins, fruits and other food products locally as often as we can".  And there's nothing better than a Mark Twain quote too on the menu as this one, "Go to heaven for the climate, hell for the company".

I totally enjoyed trying to decide between the Grilled Goat Cheese sandwich, yes Kara, there is such a thing and I'm going to have to try and make it at Birdeye, or the Adobo Rubbed Pork Belly Cuban.  I don't like to brag, but I can make a really good Cuban at home.  I usually try and pull this style sandwich out on Jackie when he's in a pork low.  Our waitress recommended the goat cheese as the pork belly would be "too fatty".  That deliciousness Goat cheese sandwich was served on homemade wheat bread with basil pesto and roasted tomatoes.  Yes, I did.  I licked the plate clean.  Not a scrap of bread was left to take to my chickens.  Hmmm...just thinking about it makes me wanna try and replicate it.  So I will try.

There is no children's menu at City Grocery but I knew that the kitchen, like most in the south, would be able to offer Chloe something in her department, even if it would be reminiscent of a Lunchable.  She ordered fried catfish with ketchup and homemade potato chips.  It was really good, well seasoned catfish and the chips were crispy and light.

Jackie ordered the Green Chili and Avocado soup, it's a cold soup but very creamy and had an underlying kick to it.  It must have been pablano chiles and maybe a little adobe paste in there too.  It was good and fit with his spicy Bloody Mary.  He ordered the obvious for a Jackster, the Eggplant and Oyster Gratin.  It was petite but "great" he said.  It looked good from my angle too.

Oh I forgot to mention the salad I ordered to share but I had no takers.  I got the Asparagus Ceviche with pickled asparagus, crab meat, cucumber, romaine, roasted red peppers, avocado and citrus vinaigrette.  It was really good, small and very light.  All three qualities I like in a lunch salad, or appetizer I expected from a ceviche, which is a Peruvian appetizer.

We enjoyed City Grocery Saturday among the restaurant full of Ole Miss students and Alumni.  I think we were the only Vanderbilt alums in the place.  Great service, great food and a ladies room in tip top shape gets a gold star from me even though our lunch bill was $96.95 before tip.

City Grocery,152 Courthouse Square, Oxford, MS 38655 (662) 232-8080.  Check out their website: http://citygroceryonline.com/

Dexcom G4 Sensor, Birdeye

Monday, November 12, 2012

Happy Veterans Day

The fall leaves are amazing
Update: November 30, 2012

I took that thing off and I'm saving the rest of the sensors for training for the Little Rock Half Marathon in March.  I'm pumped about getting the training on!! Fire up BBC peeps!  It's my 6th Little Rock race yippee!
Six different colors in the carport...
Look at those models' fingers....it does show the thin-ness
of the needle in the sensor but who has nails like this?

I cannot STAND this photo but for some reason I
think it shows what it is to wear this thing..Chloe
took 25 pictures tonight blurry, dark, blurry and then
finally she got this one...I hate my shirt showing like
this....

The tape is peeling as it's gettin close to 7 days...
Sunday, November 11, 2012

My new endocrinologist Dr. Lisa Myers went on and on about me getting this new sensor at my last visit.  I got the Minimed crappy sensor 3 years ago when I wanted Jackie to be off the hook on having my glucometer at the half way point of an upcoming race.  So after that long and expensive journey in 1998, I have only worn a sensor on the local triathlons, Big Dam Bridge 50 mile bike rides and the few half marathons I've attempted.  And it's worked fine by the way.  I've made it just fine with my A1C's ranging in the upper 6's or lower 7's and somehow have kept my weight in my BMI range.  Well, honestly, I'm on the edge of the scale and I cannot gain one pound because then I'd have to lose weight.  Luckily Dr. Myers loves that I work out like I do and so far so good, she hasn't slapped me around for my waist size, yet.

Here's the transmitter...see I've had it in the car while
preparing dinner, hence the lack of bleeps on it and
had some wok, which is eggplant and chicken with
rice and probably didn't bolus enough plus I had a cookie
from the cookie preparing I did for the arts council for
tomorrow night...cookies are always good if it's only ONE...:)
She talked me into gettin this thing and I've had it on now for almost a week.  It's a large son of a gun and you have to have the transmitter device in your pocket or in your purse so it can communicate with the sensor.  You can turn off the sound so it'll vibrate instead which is good.  You can wear the sensor for a week instead of 3 days like the crappy Minimed one.  Dr. Myers wants to see trends so that's one thing I think I can report to her at my January visit.  I think a trend will help overall blood sugar control just like the benefits from exercise.  I've always said exercise is free insulin and cheaper too...:)

As in most everything, I like a pro, con, pro approach....

Pro: it can be on vibrate
Con: They are still $75 per week per sensor
Pro: not sure yet
Con: The sensor is huge, it protrudes on my waist at least 1-1/2 inches, the crappy Minimed one was flush with my body
Pro: not sure yet

So the jury's still out on the new part of my routine.  Here's what I found on the web about the Dexcom G4 Platinum:

And for some reason, the models on their website and in the "how to" video are models, skinny and beautiful.  Whatever and luckily my blog has deleted them, just sayin!
















Because You Rule.

A good product is only as good as its application.
At Dexcom, we believe that the best CGM is the one patients will use which is why the Dexcom G4 PLATINUM was designed with you in mind. Check it out:

Color

Life is colorful. Shouldn't you see your glucose in the same way?
For an added splash of color, our receivers now come in Classic black, Tickled Pink, and Ocean Blue - vibrant colors for the vibrant personality in you!

Discretion

Designed for today's modern lifestyle, the Dexcom G4 PLATINUM Receiver is sleak and small and slips easily into a coin pocket.
And at 2.4 ounces, it's the lightest CGM around.

Lifestyle Conveniences

Comfort
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Distance
- Transmission distance of up to 20 feet!
Tones/ Melodies
- Setting high or low ear-pleasing alerts!







Ryman Auditorium, Nashville

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

We rode past this new building, we thought it was a new
country music museum but we forgot to stop and ask...
Saturday, October 27, 2012

I love the Ryman Auditorium...Jackie and I went in 2009 to see Sheryl Crow.  That was the year she was engaged to Lance Armstrong.  At the concert, Sheryl wore a white slip dress and had a beautiful diamond ring on and she made a comment that Lance was there and they were getting married that night.  I wasn't sure she was joking or not.  It was a great concert that promoted her Wildflower album that was dedicated to him.  Well, 3 days after that February concert, they split.  I was so sad for her!  And just months after that she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  We were able to see her again that same year at the Orpheum in Memphis after her lumpectomy and radiation.  Another excellent concert we had at yet another splendid venue near our home.  So the Ryman...what a lovely place to hear music, to be with history, to be, really.  And so on my second concert in the music city we brought our bikes and toured around before the concert then on Sunday morning before returning.

The Ryman housed the Grand Ole Opry and first opened as the Union Gospel Tabernacle.  It seats 2,362.  I would say Alanis had the place sold out.  It is a very intimate setting and I would guess the seats in the balcony, that come way over the floor seats (see my photo), are pretty good seats. Here's a wikipedia description of the Ryman:


The auditorium first opened as the Union Gospel Tabernacle in 1892. It was built by Thomas Ryman (1843–1904), a riverboatcaptain and Nashville businessman who owned several saloons. Ryman conceived of the auditorium as a tabernacle for the influential revivalist Samuel Porter Jones.[3] After Ryman's death, the Tabernacle was renamed Ryman Auditorium in his honor. Architect Hugh Cathcart Thompson designed the structure.
It was used for Grand Ole Opry broadcasts from 1943 until 1974, when the Opry built a larger venue just outside Nashville at theOpryland USA theme park. (In an effort to maintain continuity with the Opry's storied past, a large circle was cut from the floor of the Ryman stage and inlaid into the center of the new Opry stage.) The Ryman then sat mostly vacant and fell into disrepair until 1992 when Emmylou Harris and her band, the Nash Ramblers, performed a series of concerts there (the results of which appeared on her album At the Ryman). The Harris concerts renewed interest in restoring the Ryman, and it was reopened as an intimate performance venue and museum in 1994. Audiences at the Ryman find themselves sitting in pews, the 1994 renovation notwithstanding. The seating is a reminder of the auditorium's origins as a house of worship, hence giving it the nickname "The Mother Church of Country Music".
The Ryman Auditorium was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, and was further designated a National Historic Landmark in 2001.[2][4] In 1980 parts of Coal Miner's Daughter were filmed there, including a part where Patsy Cline comes onstage after being absent following a car wreck and a part where Ernest Tubb asks Loretta Lynn to come out and play for the good folks.


The Ryman is such a wonderful venue for a concert and being in the building that has seen Vince Gill, K.D. Lang, Allison Krause, Beck, Erasure, Bob Dylan, Trisha Yearwood and the list goes on and on and on....
There are a ton of hotels near the Ryman as it sits right behind Broadway.  We didn't visit any of the neat spots like Tootsie's this trip.  We love Nashville and its history, food and music.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryman_Auditorium
The wonderful bike lanes from
downtown Nashville to Vanderbilt.
This is on music row
The Ryman was packed for the concert

This is her husband Mario Treadway, who rapped for an hour
while we waited for Alanis to come out....

This is a  bronze statue of Minnie Pearl and Roy Acuff
I thought it was a little much that this lady sat on Roy's lap...
just sayin....:)

Chloe surprised me with this self portrait....I love her grin!

The hall behind the auditorium is filled with
posters of the musicians that have played there.
Look at those mustard tights under short denim shorts....

A neat view of the hall

I love Sheryl Crow....

Jackie couldn't take it when I was taking photos during the
concert but it was allowed, tons of smart phones were lit
up all across the place.  All the flashes didn't seem to bother her

The lights on inbetween Mario and Alanis

I loved the concert!