day three and four: tennessee landscape

tennessee landscape, originally uploaded by isabelle gr.

Basically, Tennessee is great. Dolly's from here, Loretta's from here, Isabelle's dad is from here. Gillian Welch isn't from here but she had the sense to move here. And so did the King. Nashville is here, which is just the coolest town, and it's where Isabelle's family has lived for a long long long time. We had so much fun running all over town with her Uncle Charles and Aunt Juanita Fentress and their daughter Karen. There is never enough time to hear all their stories that take place here, so we may just have to move here for awhile.

We stopped by our favorite print shop, Hatch Show Print! The printers inside were hard at work, sort of, and totally inspiring and welcoming, as always. The city was in mourning for Grand Ol Opry star Porter Wagoner (see the sign below Ernest Tubb's guitar).

Uncle Charles was on the Nashville City Council for many years, but with his encyclopedic knowledge of the place, you would think he was the mayor. We had a great time learning all about what Nashville used to be one time, and looking at all the new life sprouting up all over the city. Here he is with Sam Jones Fentress, named after Isabelle's great grandfather.

We visited Karen's work, where she is an assistant DA. If you have ever seen Law and Order, it's just like that, Fred Thompson even comes around from time to time. Aunt Juanita fortified us with a meal usually reserved for Christmas morning: her special casserole, delicious cheese grits (cheese grits!!!), and fresh baked Amish Friendship bread.

We were sad to go, but we had to forge ahead to Memphis. The gates of Graceland were closed for a private party, but we were welcome to stay in the parking lot "long as yall like". Even the security is hospitable in the volunteer state. We arrived at the banks of Old Muddy at sunset and crossed over that beautiful river into unknown territory: Arkansas.

day two: baltimore, md to bristol, tn

nice rig, originally uploaded by isabelle gr.

We chose the very best time of year to travel through the Shenandoah Valley alongside the Blue Ridge Mountains. The leaves are just beginning to change and they are amazing.

We stopped for luncheon in old-timey Staunton, Virginia (pronounced Stanton). The Staunton Railroad Station in tucked up on the hillside. Trains still run through the beautifully restored station, and they have a nice restaurant called The Pullman.

We hated to leave the Victorian gobbledy gook of Staunton, but the siren song of the highway called us . . . or maybe it was the travelling cd that Katy made us. (Katy, we sang along very loudly to the whole thing. Your cd confirms that you and Isabelle have identical musical taste.) Then we had miles ahead of the hard drivin. The life we love is singing music from our friends. We can't wait to be on the road again!

Bristol, Tee Enn a see, was a respite from the heavy strumming of that ole road song. We relaxed, watched Tee Vee and ate at Out Back Steak House. Yall whant more sweet tea?

TRAVEL STATS
walmart count: 7
plants in the front seat: 2 (maple ate one in baltimore)
hours on the road: um, nine or something

road trip day one: baltimore

After one long day of packing we said goodbye to our friends and neighbors in Brooklyn and headed south toward Baltimore. Eva was part of our caravan, too! Our big yellow truck rolled into Balti at 3 am . Thanks so very much to all of our wonderful friends who helped celebrate Isabelle's birthday and make this big move fun.

Today in Baltimore we had the pleasure of watching our favorite musician, Delia, practicing her cello.

my town

my town, originally uploaded by isabelle gr.

Here I am in my town. I am standing outside my favorite bookstore, The Strand. Tomorrow is my 27th birthday.

In the midst of all of our packing and preparing to move, I am thinking about my past eight birthdays here in New York: at John's on 12th Street, Frank on 2nd Avenue, at our house on Bedford, the little french place on 13th, Little Frankie's on 1st Ave, at The Frick, in Central Park; and at my favorite place in the city, the Met. Here I am in my town.

another day, another latte VI

This lovely specimen was obtained at a crucial moment in packing up the apartment yesterday. Crucial!

I know we are moving to the coffee-obsessed culture that gave our nation the Bucks, but I have been cutting way back on the caffeine. Why? I can't even remember anymore.

homemade brooklyn slice

homemade pizza, originally uploaded by isabelle gr.

We've been on a bit of a pizza-making rampage these days. Pizza is so easy to make, incorporating whatever fresh ingredients you haphazardly chose at the farmer's market with some mozzarella and presto! Pizza!

Besides, it is so cheap and quick and less greasy to make it at home. Our secret weapon is Whole Foods' frozen pizza dough, which costs practically nothing and takes all of the work out of the process.

This pizza stars bell peppers and tomatoes (and artichoke hearts? I can't remember).

the best month of the year

pumpkin pile, originally uploaded by isabelle gr.

Happy October everyone! It truly is the best month of all. I know it will be an especially good month because of two auspicious - and hefty - appearances. The first is this mammoth pile of pumpkins that materialized like Cinderella's coach down the block from our house. The pumpkins in the front weigh about 75 pounds, so it's unlikely that they will be stolen.

The second good sign was tromping around Dumbo yesterday (DUMBO is the acronym for a neighborhood in Brooklyn. It stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.). I drove the car all the way down under the Manhattan Bridge O. and there met this unlikely Brooklynite:

He was in the hood to celebrate the Dumbo Arts Festival, but it looked more like he was having a lunch festival.

By the way, did I emphasize the fact that I drove the car? Like, drove? A car? On Flushing Ave! Talk about unlikely! It was my biggest excursion to date; the totally exhausting 9 minute drive even included parallel parking. Thank you Nick!