Livingston, TN

We're in northern TN, not too far from the Kentucky border. Yesterday afternoon was spent at the Sgt. Alvin C. York historic site. What an amazing man he was. It made me think about what kind of a legacy are we going to leave behind. Here was a man from the hills of TN who was destined to become not only one of the greatest heros of WWI but also to change the lives of so many when he chose to use his hero fame for the betterment of his community. And years later, the choices he made still impact people. (The York institute is a school that is still in operation, to name one thing.) Pretty amazing stuff.The other thing that impacted me was the jaw-dropping beauty of the state of Tennessee. Being a Montana girl...I do not say this lightly. I've been blessed to travel much of the country and this is truly some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen. What local treasures are around your neck of the woods that you've yet to explore?

Buddy Burgers and other Tennessee treasures

If you're heading over to Montgomery Bell State Park---there's a few must-do's. One requires a good appetite.

MB sits nearly equidistant between the town of Dickson and the smaller town of White Bluff.

In White Bluff, check out Tennessee Sourdough for a great loaf of bread and then head across the street to Elements Antique and Art Gallery. We love antiquing and this store was one of those unexpected treasures found in an unlikely place. (That's their photo up above.)

The store was spacious and didn't have any of those musty odors that sometimes drive me from a store. (Ah-CHOOOOO!) The owner is friendly and the prices reasonable. Their website is:http://www.elementsantiques.com/

When you head back to Dickson stop in at Buddy's. Home of the gut-bomb, grease-dripping, Buddy Burger. Nearly a POUND of meat in a burger for $3.25. Daniel snarfed one of those done while the rest of us had dessert. All very reasonably priced. Just be sure and wear elastic pants and for crying out loud---not before a cholesterol check!

So many wonderful treasures in this great state!

Sorting out the "stuff"

Yep- I'm going to write about stuff again. Can't help it---I'm waiting for Jay as he picks through the storage unit finding some items that will be useful.

It's quite the deal figuring out what you really need and what you don't think you'll need...but really do need. These past few weeks have been spent sifting through things. For instance---I didn't bring my griddle, thought it would be too bulky. But- we have pancakes a time or two during the week. (And boy can THAT be a disastrous mess cooked in a cast iron skillet over a gas stove.) Ditto for quesadillas.

Other things---like a big bottle of skin cleanser that, while I like it, it takes up precious space in our tiny bathroom. I tossed it. I tossed a small tube of something else. For a frugal gal, this was more difficult than it sounds.

I decided that I needed to classify things into two camps: Replaceable and Irreplaceable. Does it pass the WalMart test---Can this be purchased at WalMart?

WalMart gets a lot of guff in this day and age but the bottom line is this. WalMart allows one to purchase many things for rock bottom prices. Which means there's a lot of stuff that's pretty darn replaceable. The other side is it's easy to fill your life with stuff.

Do I really need an extra soap dish? Or the box of things that I might need one day?

Stuff can crowds out the irreplaceable. Instead of spending time with the kids I'm busy organizing stuff...and cleaning stuff...and shopping for more....

Instead of enjoying the Tutfted Titmouse who visits us each morning, and brings a smile to our face and a reminder of our Creator's care we could be off at Lowe's looking for outdoor landscaping.

As I was walking past a fellow in the campground, I complimented him on his rig. He sighed, said "Thanks" and told me that tomorrow he'd have to go back to work.

I sure hope he didn't finance that fancy rig but my guess....he probably did. And it made me sad because most people continue plodding away at jobs they hate to pay for STUFF.

PS Nope---I didn't take picture of the bird. Stock photo from the net.

Why should you consider RVing?

I recently asked my fellow Escapees (an RV club full of delightful folks) the question: How has RVing changed your life?

Their responses were so rich and thoughtful, I wanted to post the link so that if you're toying with the idea of hitting the road...this will give you a lot of food for thought. I especially liked what Kirk and RV had to say so if you're limited on time, prioritize those.

http://escapees.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/147607461/m/5491053013

Coming along!

Until I get "moved in" to here....you can check out my blog at: www.homeschoolblogger.com/theresa.

In the meanwhile I'm getting familiar with the tools here. :)

Welcome to my new home!

After several years of posting at homeschoolblogger I've decided to move my blog to Blogger.

Why? More exposure and more intuitive features. Over the next month, I'll be transitioning things over to here.

I'm looking forward to making this blog a lot more fun!

In the meanwhile, you can still find me at www.homeschoolblogger.com/theresa