Thoughts and Issues at the Moment

Thankfully our lives aren't always filled with high drama and emotional extremes. For the most part, we all have our routines and lifestyles down pat and deal with the, hopefully, minor highs and lows that frequently come our way. Every once and a while, those bumps can be pretty big and the potholes pretty deep. Our road here in Dixie right now is fairly smooth. Anne took a bad tumble yesterday while I was at a routine doctor's visit. She overlooked the last step going downstairs and took a very bad fall. Knees and shins banged up and some serious rug burns, twisted ankle, sore legs, and lots of bruises. I told her I was only gone for an hour and a half and she must have gone to the stairway right after I left and just took a flying leap! She is better today than we expected but still very "banged up." (Oops, I guess that phrase takes on a different meaning when you are our age than what it meant when we were younger, eh?) My health issues are quiet. I was given this little electric "box" or machine that sits on the nightstand and is always on and always monitoring my heart (as long as I am in the house). If we are gone or take vacation, it doesn't matter -- it simply doesn't monitor at those times. On a schedule established by the cardiology people in Nashville, or if it detects something unusual ,it then REPORTS what it "sees" periodically. Make sense? Well, maybe not too much to me neither.... The point being, amazing medical marvels - a little wireless box that can tell someone anywhere in the country the status of my heartbeat!

I have spent more time than I will admit to reading Internet news stories about the saga of the University of Kentucky's recent hiring of John Calipari as their new basketball coach. I think all UK fans have a few doubts about previous little "missteps" pertaining to his ethics in recruiting, but the NCAA insists there are no bad reports or problems. SO, we welcome him and look forward to UK playing exciting basketball and competing at a higher level than we have in the past ten years or so. The intriguing thing about this is that he may bring some of the incoming recruits he had at Memphis (His recruiting class for this year was rated the BEST in the country!) with him. Keep an eye on this developing story....

Reports of our granddaughters in Philadelphia continue to just amaze us. We miss so much being so far away. Katy is now sixteen months old and Bayla was born February 20th. Katy is accepting a new center of attention quite well but not without an occasional moment. They have separate rooms and the other night, Bayla was CRYING and Katy woke up and stood in her crib just repeating over and over "Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh."

I have mentioned before what a great writer I think Sharon Kay Penman is - particularly her series on medieval European history, about the English Plantagenet line of kings. I have been reading "The Devil's Brood" about the children of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitane. I will finish it tonight and do not know where to turn after so many different books abou that time period. A wonderful author. My mother's side of the family (as are thousands of other families) is directly descended from Henry and Eleanor through their son, King John, of Magna Carta fame and other substantial notoriety.

For those who are interested in some of our local culinary delights, here are a few places with wonderful, LOCAL flavor:

The first is Aretha Frankenstein's. Also check this link.

Next is the Acropolis Grill

Then, Wally's Restaurant

And don't forget Bea's Fried Chicken -- GREAT chicken and a must do at least ONCE on your way through Tennessee.

The BEST Italian food is at Provino's

And for dessert, this place probably had a lot to do with my recent health issues -- Rembrandt's.

But the absolute best place to dine in the Chattanooga area is "Anne's Kitchen". Very exclusive -- call for details and a special package deal!



Frances Anna is remembered in our hearts EVERY single day.