Roger and Danny decided they were going to try their hand at cooking dinner. They watched several episodes of Chef Jaque Pepin and decided on a menu. They started with potato pancakes, made homemade chili, and finished with a lovely pear dessert. To make the potato pancakes, Danny had to use a food processor. I didn't have one, so Roger bought one at Costco! Dinner was fantastic!!!!
I was watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay this summer. He challanged a chef in New York to see who could make the better meatball. Great episode! The chef, Mike Maroni, won the throwdown. I had to try it! His meat balls are the best I have ever tried! Click here for the recipe. Enjoy!!!
Danny was plinking in the backyard with his airsoft gun. He hit one of the soda cans - it's flying off the box!! Nice way to spend a hot July afternoon.
We put about 1,000 miles on our rental car. We traveled across the state twice! So much driving here and there and everywhere! It's good to be home!!
What kind of visit would it be to Nashville without going to the Grand Ole Opry? Here we are in front of the Opry prior to taking the tour.
The tour was fun. We saw various dressing rooms, the green room, and the backstage. The highlight, of course, was getting to go on stage. We even got to stand on the same spot where all the country great stand when they perform!!
We stopped at the National Civil Rights Museum. It was pretty interesting. The tour takes you through the Lorraine Motel. You see the rooms that Martin Luther King, Jr. and his group occupied the days before his assassination. Then the tour takes you to the boarding home where James Earl Ray lived and the bathroom where he was when he fired the shot that killed MLK. It was interesting and eerie at the same time.
Welcome to Graceland!!! We took the tour of the mansion as well as other exhibits. Going through the mansion was like going back in time - back to the 70's! It was interesting to go through the rooms and learn more about Elvis. He accomplished so much in his short life.
We also went to Beale St. - home of the blues and rock and roll. These are some of the interesting signs on the street.
One of the best things we did at Kentucky Lake was to go boating on Uncle Larry's pontoon and then swim in the lake. That was so much fun and so very relaxing!!
After spending a few days in Gatlinburg, TN, we drove about six hours west to Paris Landing, on Kentucky Lake. We visited my Tita Pat and Uncle Larry. These were the best two days of our trip. Uncle Larry fried up lots of catfish that he caught - yummy!! Then he cooked up some BBQ ribs - best ribs anywhere!!! Mom and Tita Pat spent every moment catching up with each other. We also lit lot of firecrackers. The kids enjoyed doing this - but not as much as the adults did!! 
This little guy was just "hangin'" around just outside our condo. He was about 40 or 45 feet up in the tree. I was on the 5th floor when I took this photo. (We are in Gatlinburg, TN.)
We went hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains. These mountains are so lush and green. We hiked through the forest, enjoying the greenery and the rushing streams. We even walked over a few log bridges and up into a cave. We had so much fun. 
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Anyone who know me, knows that I have a black thumb! When students give me flowers or plants as gifts, I rush them home to give to Roger. They have a better chance with him caring for them!! Anyway, my aide, Anne gave me a Purple Cherokee Tomato plant for my birthday way back in April. I eventually planted it in one of those Topsy Turvey things. I have been diligent about watering this plant. Today I spied my first tomato!!
I'm off to run errands this afternoon. Right next to me in the car: my shopping list, the store ad, my reusable grocery bags (more in the back), and my purse... If Danny were with me, then he would be in the seat instead. :)
