Honky Tonk Girl

Last night around midnight I got home from my week in Nashville, where I visited from Tuesday-Friday for the NAGAP conference. What a fun trip! I had the opportunity to spend time with my old college roommate, Linda, whom I had not seen since I was pregnant with Annalisse (as happens with good friends, we picked up right where we left off!). She lives about 45 minutes outside of Nashville, and came for the afternoon and spent the evening with me so she would not have to drive home late at night. I got in around 1pm, and we connected around 3pm and walked around a bit, going in and out of the honky tonks, had a nice dinner, and went to listen to some more music. Wow, were there great bands in the bars, and there is music literally everywhere you go in Nashville. So much talent. I was especially mesmerized by "Slick Joe Fick," a very well know "slap" bassist who had a role in the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line.

Here's a sample of amazing and entertaining Joe Fisk playing with Harry Fontana:

Now, I think I've mentioned in this blog before that I'm not super crazy about country music, except for the classic stuff I grew up with. I also like rockability and old fashioned blue grass. But, I couldn't deny the engaging qualities of the musicians along Broadway, which was just two blocks from my hotel. On Wednesday morning, before the conference I visited the Johnny Cash Museum, which was also awesome and had tons of authentic items in it.

Once the conference began I was busy attending sessions, networking, and visiting with old friends. It was a great week!! ~ and of course I ate too much...

Another notable milestone this week: Mom and Dad's 60th wedding anniversary. I just love having Mom's beautiful wedding dress hanging from the guest bedroom door. It's so special to look at, I find myself gazing at it a lot.

Things are winding down for the kids' spring term. Cam has his masters thesis defense this Thursday, then he'll need to focus on finishing off his incomplete from the fall term and wrap up his academic career at RIT. Then, of course, it would be nice if he could find a job!

Annalisse is a little stressed. She has one course in which she's not doing as well as she would like, and she found out late last week that there was a chance she might have a take home exam in that class (good news), but that the professor changed her mind and it will be an in-class exam (bad news). Her professor also threw in a last minute video project. Keep going, 'Lisse. Just a little longer and you'll be on your way to Italy (May 24)!!

Speaking of countries that begin with "I," last Sunday we booked our plane tickets to Ireland for early June. YAYYYYY! In the next week or two I have to finish up booking our accommodations, then we will be ON OUR WAY! We're very excited!!

Today has been a beautiful, warm and sunny spring day. Mark and I did a bit of yardwork and cleaned out the garage. A real gift of a day!

Check back for a fun Thursday celebration of Jasper's 9th birthday! I see a nice vanilla custard in his future...