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Into the Great Wide Open
As if I could kick off this year’s blog series with any other title. Last Fall, trying to pick a theme for this year’s blog, I ended up doing some crowd-sourcing. My friend, Sean Carpenter, suggested Tom Petty songs. As Realtors, who -presumably- write blogs about real estate, this makes perfect sense. Or not. Direct relevance aside, I loved the idea and, coincidentally, I’d already named our upcoming summer vacation, “IGWO 2020.” The line, “Into the great wide open,” seemed the perfect way to describe our plans for a roadtrip out west. It was all coming together… >>> Jumping back to the present, there is a real-estate-related point here and…
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Prayer on a Plate
It’s finally here. The last blog post of 2019. In keeping with the Food-Holiday Theme, I’ve got the arguable best saved for last. Ladies and Gentlemen: It is my distinct pleasure to announce to the unaware, that Saturday, the 14th of December, is National Biscuits and Gravy Day! More words seem really unnecessary, in the wake of such an announcement, and yet, I’ll continue. Biscuits and Gravy isn’t just a food, I would argue it’s a culture. A feeling. It’s an old reliable meal; the answer when you’ve gotta feed a crowd, quick! It’s what you can pull together out of the couple things left in the pantry and it’s…
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Food Focus
As I began searching for a theme for this year’s blogs, I remembered a fun little calendar that the good folks at Bite Squad sent me. Each month has a clever food pun and the food-related national holidays are listed in the squares. This seemed great, at first blush: I like food, I like blogging and I like Bite Squad. A Realtor, building a year’s worth of blogging on a foundation of obscure, foodie holidays? I could be on to something. Speaking of Bite Squad, have you used the service yet? They bring you food from restaurants that don’t deliver and you can do the whole thing online. If…
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Hashtags and Happiness
When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around. -Willie Nelson So, it’s November. It’s undeniably Autumn. The last thing I would want to do is shoot out one of those cliche “Thankful” missives, just because this month happens to include Thanksgiving. That’s exactly what this is, though. Only, not just because it’s seasonally appropriate, but because it is such an important thing to discuss. How often do you pause, with the sole intent of appreciating something? I have to tell you, I ended up on a gratitude journey a few years ago, very much by accident. Had someone tried to tell me, I never would have…
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How to Fall
Being a kid and growing up is such a cool part of life. -Devon Werkheiser Despite my valiant efforts to convince myself otherwise, Summer is gone and Fall has arrived. Even though it’s not my favorite, there is something really amazing about the changing of seasons. It’s going to happen, regardless of how much I’d rather it didn’t, so I might as well embrace it. Pumpkin Spice Everything!! Just kidding, that’s gross. But Bath & Body Works makes a candle called “Sweater Weather” and it is absolute Autumn perfection. It’s nice to be able to open the windows on the sunny days and cozy up with a blanket and a…
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What Then is Freedom?
What then is freedom? The power to live as one wishes. -Cicero It’s July. This month is, like, peak summer and I am savoring every minute of it. It’s hot, there are fireworks, the pool water is finally warm enough to jump in, gardens are beginning to produce awesome tastiness and vacations are happening or creeping closer! Also? ‘Merica. This is the month where we celebrate our nation’s independence, so, let’s talk about freedom and living as you wish… Where and how do you live? Do you own, rent, couch surf? Are you a rolling stone with no designated landing point on which to grow moss? There are no wrong…
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Seasons
Thinking about coming for a visit? Maybe even staying awhile? Then let’s talk about weather, so you’ll know what to expect and what to pack. SUMMER With a gorgeous average temperature of 85 degrees, the third quarter of the year does not lack in the expected seasonal feeling. As evening approaches, that new Vols tshirt will be plenty comfortable for relaxing in the night air. Be sure to head down to Market Square to enjoy the outdoor concerts on Tuesday and Thursday nights! www.KnoxvilleTN.gov/concerts FALL As summer fades away, focus turns to the absolute beauty of the Knoxville area in the Fall. Average highs in the last quarter…
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Three Great Places To Visit With Your Dog
For the outdoor enthusiast, there is no shortage of parks, recreation and nature-filled activities in the Knoxville area. If you have a canine companion, you’ll be pleased to know that there are some great places for you and your pupper to enjoy, together! First on the list is PetSafe Downtown Dog Park, right in the heart of Knoxville! Depending on the time of day you visit, you may have to scramble for parking, but this location always seems to have an opportunity to make a new furry friend! There is a separate area for larger dogs and bags are provided to clean up after your pet. (Please do!) A little…
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It’s Spring! Now What?
Flowers and Bunnies and Sunshine, Oh My! We’ve been waiting for this since October: It’s Spring. The weather is improving and we’re already adding eggshells and coffee grounds to our derelict compost bins, whilst planning out our organic, raised-bed, backyard kale gardens, made from reclaimed barn wood and spruced up with chalk paint that was sourced from sustainable chalk fields in well-paying, sub-industrial countries. This year, we’ll master the pepper jelly recipe that looked so simple in the magazine we thumbed through while waiting for 37 minutes for a kid with pink eye to be triaged at the urgent care. (Psht, urgent, my two-toned duck boot bottoms.) We’ll pop that…
