Jan 20, 2010

In My Tennessee Mountain Home

So the results are in!  Finally- I apologize for the amount of time it took me, but the honor system did not prevail.  Boo! It took me forever to check everybody thanks to the "sweepers" which are apparently professional contest enterers.  The contest is for readers, so the rest of this month's happy prizes will not have giveaway in the title.  I was madder than a wet hen reading some of the entries.  The Bealls are family friends, but I purchased the happy prize in full for my readers.  Lesson learned, moving on.

 And the winner is-  Summer is a Verb! E-mail your address and your goodies will be shipped onward.


However, please checkout Blackberry's website for some delicious East Tennessee goodies, so please peruse at your leisure.
 
 I have been very appreciative of my home lately after devouring Amy Greene's Bloodroot Mountain.  The author is from nearby Morristown, Tennessee, and her debut novel is set around these parts.  It's an excellent book, and reminded me of many of Lee Smith's wonderful novels set in Appalachia.
 


Tonight as I cleaned the kitchen, I listened to another East Tennessee girl- Dolly, who grew up in neighboring Sevier county and got her start on Knoxville's Cas Walker show.  I feel like Dolly and I would get on like a house on fire if we ever had the chance to meet in person.
 

Sevier County loves Dolly so much that her statue sits outside the Sevierville courthouse.
 


I get a lot of hell sometimes (especially during my years at the University of Georgia) for my East Tennessee roots, but I'm proud to be a seventeenth generation Appalachian.  Albeit one who made a B+ in Appalachian studies.  A class taught by a Canadian.  Hmmmppphh. I bet she's never been to a dirt track race (along with its fancier spawn, stock car racing was brought to the world by whiskey running Appalachians).


 So, what's your home's or region's claim to fame?

P.S. My bridal portrait at the top is done by another one of my favorite East Tennessee girls- A.K. Vogel.  Check out her amazinf work here- http://www.akvogel.com/

10 comments:

  1. Ugh! I know what you mean about "sweepers", I had no idea they existed until I posted my jewelry giveaway. Suddenly people are finding my site by googling giveaway. Um, no. Not ok.

    Gorgeous wedding portrait!

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  2. Can you believe there are people that just sit around looking for giveaways? Weird.

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  3. Loooooove your bridal portrait!

    My parents were both semi transplants to the place I grew up in, so, no real "roots" there to speak. No one famous (that I can think of) is from my little hometown area. Although, it is where James Dean died.

    However, my great grandparents were Tennessee moonshiners. Yep.

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  4. I agree with the sweepers too! I've never had more than 14 or 15 comments and then all of the sudden, 75 popped out of the woodworks, none of them have come back!
    Summer is a Verb is so lucky! She is in for a tweet!

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  5. Yeaaaa...and I'm only an amateur! Thank you so much for hosting such a fabulous giveaway...XXOO

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  6. That sucks about the sweepers. Remind me if I ever do a contest not to put it in the title!

    I love, love, love the bridal portrait!

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  7. Sweepers - unbelievable.

    I love Dolly, too. She's honest about who she is and has never forgotten her roots. I feel the same way about our Eastern Kentucky girl, Loretta Lynn.

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  8. Hello, I'm new to your blog. I love Tennessee and Dolly. Although sadly I do not live in Tennessee. I have been on many wonderful visits though. I am from Eugene, Oregon. There are 5 things Eugene is famous for. 1. Nike, 2. Steve Prefontain (famous track star from the 70's who died really young) 3. Ken Kesey 4. Hippies 5. Spotted Owl Movement

    None are all that exciting though. Not as exciting as Dolly.

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  9. I'm from a little tiny town (population 700) in South Carolina- Elloree, to be exact. We don't have much to claim, but a hell of a lot of cotton and a two-time Kentucky Derby winner- Chris Antley (now deceased). He was headed for the Triple Crown when his horse, Charismatic, pulled up lame and he jumped off and risked being trampled to save the horse's leg, and his life.
    Other than that, there's nothing really famous to have come out of Elloree!

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  10. YOur bridal portrait is STUNNING. Love the dress, girl!

    Sorry about the giveaway/sweepers sich - that sucks!

    I grew up in Enterprise, Ala. - home of the bowl weevil. Yes... haha

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