These are a few of our favorite things

  Part of being in a new city is getting to know it. Introducing yourself to it, getting aquatinted, becoming friends.
 Slowly, little by little we are becoming friends. We are starting to discover some neat pockets, and corners, going slowly, taking our time, and enjoying ourselves.
 I would like to introduce you to some of our favorite places and things so far:

The rocking chairs. I love these chairs. I sit on them every day. We listen to the crickets, and cicadas, eat popsicles, and feel the warm suffocating humidity from these chairs (the humidity isn't feeling so suffocating anymore).

The swimming pool. I don't know how we would handle this heat without this community pool. We visited this place everyday before school, now we come every weekend.

Broadway. I think my last post explained this one. We love a Sunday afternoon on Broadway.

Jack's Bar-B-Que. The BEST BBQ I have ever eaten in my life. This is the real deal folks. It's not steaks cooked on a grill, it is brisket and ribs, smoked and cooked for hours and hours, it's real bbq, and it is awesome. It's a small place, it's got little to no air-conditioning, and it's always full. It's awesome.

McDougalls. It's a place that serves chicken finger, fries, wings, and beer. We love this place, it's cheap and it's good. It's casual and relaxing. We always have good time here.

The Tennessee State Museum. It's downtown by all the government buildings, and it's full of information about the South, and Tennessee's role in the civil war. It was such a surprise to see such an extensive collection of historical pieces, in this place. We also paid nothing to get in. It is free, every day, all the time.

Tonight, we will end our tour at Sweet Ce Ce's. We go here about once a week. It's a frozen yogurt shop where you pick your flavor of yogurt, and then you choose the toppings you want to put on.  A large buffet  is set with a  selection of treats, like marshmallows, sprinkles, whipping cream, hot fudge, caramel, and many, many, many more items. It's so fun, There is live music on the patio, and it's bustling with people of all ages. You can find us here Friday evenings, and if we've all eaten our veggies, maybe just maybe we will go on a Monday or a Tuesday, or a Wednesday..... 

Welcome to Broadway

    Let me introduce you to Broadway. This is one of the areas that makes Nashville well, Nashville.
It is a street in downtown that runs about 4 or five blocks long and is filled with people, restaurants, gift shops, buskers, a life-size statue of Elvis, and of course the music in the bars.
 Music is Nashville. It blasts in the cars, the parks, at farmers markets, the Grand ole Opry, and  of course Broadway.

  The music coming from these bars is unlike anything else. These people are AMAZING. upright bass players, slide guitars, electric guitars, acoustic guitars, fiddles, and singers. They are of course, playing country music, old country, new country, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and their own creations. I am not kidding when I say they are amazing. They are, There is no production, no voice tuners, no fancy costumes or glitzy lights, just sheer talent on a stage the size of a shoe box.

  They play for free, and take requests and pass around a pickle jar every once in a while for tips. It costs you nothing, absolutely nothing to go into these bars, and listen, if you like what you hear you stay a while grab a beer, and listen. You leave when you're done and head down the sidewalk until you hear something else you like. If you stop long on the sidewalk and happen to be in front of the window where the band is playing the drummer might tap on the glass and invite you in.
  The band acknowledge almost every single person as they enter the door, and tip their hat at you as you leave. You walk out wondering how these people aren't rich and famous, and how some of the artists out there actually are rich and famous.

  The great thing about hanging out here is you can also take the kids until 6:00pm. The kids get the chance to hear these people and see the possibilities, see what people are capable of, without MTV airbrushing and auto tuning.

They dance, they get so excited when the band plays a song they know, or when the lead singer comes up and talks to us. It's such an experience for them, and us. We can't wait to take people and show them Broadway when they visit.

 So whenever you're ready, Don't be bashful.

Getting Acquainted

Mover supervision

  I realize it has been some time since my last post. Still working out the kinks of setting up house. Still unpacking boxes. So many boxes. So much stuff. Stuff, I really don't need.

 The movers set up all the furniture, which was so great. The beds were all set up and mattresses placed by the time  bedtime rolled around. Except for the boys who had no beds and spent the next two weeks on their mattresses on the floor (they didn't seem to mind all that much)

 I'm still trying to figure out the best placement for everything. The best spot for the dishes, and the beds, and the couch, and the dressers. I won't leave the rooms alone until everything "feels" right. I keep sliding stuff an inch to the left then to the right.

The cat doesn't have that problem. She has found her spot, and every morning I know exactly where she will be. In the sun on the stairs. she makes it look so easy. I think I need to lighten up.

every single morning she sleeps here.

 We had no kitchen table until last week, and we ate in various places around the house or outside. The kids loved eating outside until it got too hot, and we were all soaked in sweat within about 2 minutes.

Popsicles every afternoon to help cope with the heat!

waiting for food, sipping sweet tea on a "cooler" afternoon.

 We are starting to find some neat pockets of the city that are not so mainstream. We really enjoy this little place to eat that is down by the Vanderbilt University. It's not fancy it's benches and beer and homemade chicken fingers and fries, and it is awesome. If you've managed to still have room somewhere in your stomach when your basket is clean, there is free cups of ice cream. It's not fancy ice cream, and the cups are small but the kids love it! (and so does Russell). Little things like this, are helping to make Nashville feel a little more like home.

Ice Cream!

  I can now drive around without getting totally lost. I know where the school is, my house, and about 5 grocery stores. I know where Russell works, and I can successfully get there and back in a reasonable amount of time.
 I'm still working on getting acquainted with the city, and we are becoming friends.