Ramblin Woman #4

Butterbean likes me — it’s the camera she’s leery of.

What says Tennessee better than

This?

Crossville has a beautiful new library.  That’s Crab Orchard stone.

Gary & Pam gave me a personal tour

The craftsmanship is stunning

There’s comfort in every nook

And just off the Tennessee Reading room is a front porch replete with rockers

But my favorite part was

story hour  in the Children’s Library

There was even dancing

Well, I just loved it. Everything about it. When a community invests in its library it’s making a statement about what it wants to be recognized for — books, art, music.

The fun continued up the road in Lebanon where Brent was preparing bananna, peanut butter and honey sandwiches — grilled, Elvis style.

And Maggie was literally climbing the walls

While Anna & Jack showed off their hula skills

Jack did read us one of my favorite stories

There was even brief history & geography lessons from the girls

And lunch with the entire crew

After lunch and cups of Barista Brent’s brew

There was a trip out back to see the playhouse Brent is building, but then we said goodbye.  There was one more stop to make.

Sweet Miz Campbell. “I don’t believe I would have recognized you,” she said.  Since I last saw her, Miz Campbell lost her husband and her son. In fact, she’s outlived all three of her children. “He was never sick a day in his life,” Miz Campbell said of her son Richard, who died recently of a massive heart attack.  “My mind ain’t much,” she added, “but I’d like to keep what little I got.”  She’s sharp enough to tell me the steps to making her famous fried apple pies: “I make a biscuit dough and roll it out to the thickness I want. I use self-rising flour. I cut me a square about yea-big. I put me a cup of dried apples, seasoned with sugar and cinnamon. Then I fold it over. Some people use a fork to squeeze it off but I always use my hands. Get the grease real hot. I just use Crisco and fry them up in a Teflon pan.”

Miz Campbell told me one more thing: “I haven’t put my teeth in since the last time you was here. My granddaughter told me to be sure and wear my teeth when you came to visit.”