Where has the year gone by?

Yogi Berra, the famous NY Yankees catcher said, “It ain’t over until it’s over!” The COVID pandemic is not over, but we’re both lucky to be fully vaccinated (and “boostered”), and we’ve cautiously gone back out into the world. 

Family Picnic at the Beach

For our first airplane flight, we visited southern California to see Irene’s mom and aunties, son Travis and Abby, and son Jason and Maria and grandson Levi. Connecting with family is the best way to make up for a couple of years of isolation, and actually putting our feet into the Pacific Ocean’s surf was a wonderful celebration of hope for more freedom. 

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated in the Mexican culture to remember and reconnect with family who have passed. Irene created ofrendas (offerings) with pictures and mementos significant to the lives of her dad and other of our family. It is believed that even the aroma of their familiar foods (Irene made chicken mole) will help their spirits find their way to connect with the living on this day. 

We’ve stayed safer by opting for outdoor adventures. The Noeton Area hiking trail along Cherokee Lake is only 10 minutes from our house. Irene designed and built a fire-pit in our backyard for quiet evenings and roasting marshmallows. 

To celebrate Irene’s birthday, we went to the Picasso exhibit in Nashville. We stayed in Germantown, went to the Grand Ole Opry, enjoyed many of the capitol sights, and of course, some great dining.

Breakfast at the Germantown Inn

Nashville - where the action is

After a year’s delay, Steve and his Community Host Group successfully brought a FREE Medical, Dental, and Vision weekend RAM (Remote Area Medical) clinic to serve the diverse needs of more than 250 people of Appalachia. 

There were many outdoor events during the year – the Iris festival in Greeneville, the Craft Beer festival (20+ craft beers and lots of food trucks), and Juneteenth at the new expansive Fulton-Hill Park which was once the site of a slave market, and then became one the first Black colleges (HBCUs) in the south. 

International Festival

Jerk Chicken from the Jamaica Food Truck

Micronesian Community at HOLA Lakeway

Juneteenth at Fulton-Hill Park

Beer Festival at the Farmers' Market

Of course we found both new and familiar restaurants as we continue to explore east Tennessee.

Red Meze Turkish Food in Johnson City

Homecooked Paella by Steve

Etch in Nashville

Off the Hook on cherokee Lake

Fin-Two in Knoxville

Fox and Parrot Pigeon Forge

Boyd's Jig and Reel Knoxville

Appalachian Sevierville

Irene’s business is 1-year old, and “booming”. She has a waiting list referred by her many happy clients and through the great social media & website she designed herself; and she topped her first year business plan projections with ease and confidence. 

Along with Steve’s college classes about American Government and Political Science, he was asked to teach an Education course – The College Experience, for newly entering college students. He also won a Faculty Fellowship (CE2 – Community Engagement for Civics Education) to teach free classes for citizens in the community about their government.

Steve's "Teaching Desk" for virtual classes from home

In January he was appointed as a County Election Commissioner by the Secretary of State of Tennessee. And, he’s continued with virtual English teaching for more than 12 students in Mexico, Brazil, Japan, India and international expats around the US.

Our Christmas Gnomes will be welcoming our neighbors and wishing all our friends around the world Happy Holidays. If your travels include Tennessee - come on down and visit you'all.

There's No Place Like "Gnome"

...at Jubilee Day in Morristown

Hannah says, "Come visit us in TN!"