gwgf_spring_fling

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Girls With Grandmother Faces

Spring Fling ~ 1999
Helen's home ~ Jefferson City, Tennessee
(Playing ~ "Girl Talk")

We began arriving on Monday afternoon at Helen's home. Staying at her home were, besides Helen, Mattie (who couldn't come until Tuesday afternoon because of a commitment in Brentwood at the
TBC), Kitty (who couldn't come until Tuesday either), Anna Joyce, Ann, LaVerne, Marian, Barbara, Earlene and Carolyn. Wanda and Yolanda stayed at Jama's. Imogene went to her own home at night.
Dale, who graciously hosted us at her vacation home at Hilton Head last year, came Tuesday afternoon.
She stayed at the home of her brother-in-law. Emily met us for dinner on Tuesday evening.
Henrietta also met us for dinner that night and then came Wednesday and spent the morning with us. Everyone else spent all their time with us during the day. There was a grand total of 17.
It was truly a special joy to be able to get together with everyone who lives in
Jefferson City, home of our alma mater, Carson-Newman College.

Everyone brought some type of food to share, as usual, and Helen, Imogene, Jama, Anna Joyce and Kitty prepared scrumptious fare for us. Monday night at Helen's was barbecue and all the trimmings. (I must mention now, at no meal was it possible for this crowd to consume everything offered!) We did not go out Monday at all, spending our time just enjoying each other, trying to "catch up," laughing so hard the neighbors could hear and just getting "settled in" for the week. There was a little "moisture" in the air that night, and we learned the next day there had been an actual storm late. We heard nothing so had to assume it came during one of our outbursts of laughter!

The weather man did indeed end up cooperating nicely. The week before, we had a cold spell, high winds, very unsettled. We all had to end up bringing too many clothes "just in case."

Tuesday, the weather was so nice that we were able to go on with plans to have a picnic at
Cherokee Lake. It was absolutely perfect. I had not been on an honest-to-goodness picnic
in a long time. It's amazing what an outing like that can do for your spirit! Anna Joyce and I
even picked violets (about my favorite) for Helen. (When was the last time I did something
like that!) Beautiful scenery ~ the lake, the dogwood trees!

Back at Helen's Tuesday afternoon, I noticed I was not the only one who began to get "heavy eyelids" in the afternoon during our stay. Of course, we "played hard" and took advantage of every waking moment. (Remember "quiet hours" at C-N?)

That evening we went to the college cafeteria for our evening meal. Afterwards, there was a concert in the Music Building ~ the Women Singers (led by Ann Jones) and the Men's Chorus. Wonderful and enjoyable program! Ann had been so tied up in preparations at school that she had simply forgotten to tell Fessor that we were coming. We spotted him as we entered the back of the building. He was greatly surprised, and we were so very happy to be able to spend time with him and to talk with him for awhile.

That night, Helen overwhelmed us with a big surprise. For each of us, she had a tee shirt ~ navy blue with the emblem shown above. Actually, the colors are not a good representation here of the logo, but you can get the idea. All the lettering is bright orange with a good-looking eagle.
Mattie's son Andy did this for Helen.

~ Wearing our GWGF shirts and holding our eagles ~
first row ~ Henrietta, LaVerne, Mattie, Earlene
second row ~ Imogene, Marian, Carolyn, Helen
third row ~ Wanda
fourth row ~ Anna Joyce, Jama, Barbara, Ann, Kitty, Yolanda

Now for the story of the invasion of the Carson-Newman eagles!! This brings us to Wednesday morn. Suzanne Matheny, new director of alumni affairs at C-N, had learned about our eagles, and she asked that we bring them to Jefferson City with us. She told us about a new alumni publication that would be coming out in the future, and she decided to take pictures to use with a story in this new magazine. Around 9:30 Wednesday morn, she and Jackie Chafin and a photographer came. Honestly, it was just hilarious to see all those eagles!! One poor little gal (her mama will not be named for fear of revealing the name of the little eagle, a minor) got left at home ! She missed that experience of seeing all her "siblings!" For the pictures, and all that day, we wore our GWGF shirts for the first time.

Later Wednesday morn, we caravaned to Knoxville where we enjoyed some of the festivities
of the Dogwood Festival. Around 1:00, we ended up at Kitty's for the most delightful and
restful lunch! (After lunch, Ann had to head back home. She and Harrell were to leave May 7
for a six-months' mission stay in Hong Kong.) By mid-afternoon we had originally planned to
head for Pigeon Forge to shop, look around and then eat dinner. That never happened.
We had such an enjoyable and relaxing time at Kitty's that we just stayed on. Some went out
walking in the neighborhood and some rested/napped! We did finally leave around 5:00 after
deciding to go to the Dandridge Seafood Restaurant to eat. At this point, the groups lost each other.

LaVerne became quite ill on the way back. Earlene, LaVerne, Anna Joyce and I were in Helen's van. When it became obvious just how sick LaVerne was, we headed back for Helen's, called to let the others know not to expect us at the restaurant and then got LaVerne to bed. Ed was in Knoxville with relatives and Earlene called him. At that point, there was hope that LaVerne would be all right by morning, but around 5:00 or so (Thursday), Mattie ran downstairs to wake Earlene to get in touch with Ed. I ran upstairs also and found she had been pretty sick during the night. Ed's eyes are so much better that he gets along fine now driving in the daytime, but he really needed to wait for daylight to get on the road. He arrived around 6:00 and then got her to the emergency room, the hospital being not far from Helen's home. LaVerne was dehydrated, and they started her on an IV immediately. When we went by, Ed said they would be keeping her overnight and maybe two nights. (However, when we went by Friday morn on our way out of town, Ed was packing the car to leave. They went first to her sister's home in Cleveland, and she entered the hospital there for more treatment and care before
they could travel home.)

Thursday morn we all wore our GWGF shirts again to go over to the Samaritan House
(a homeless shelter), part of the Appalachian Outreach, started by Carson-Newman students
in 1984 and now also supported by other organizations and many of the local churches of all denominations. We were led on a tour of the S. H., but our assignment turned out to be at
another of the A. O. houses, Hope House, where they store clothing of all kinds, furniture,
toys, furnishings for people who have been burned out, etc. Our job was to go through many boxes
of items and sort them by category to get them ready for a yard "sale," no cost to people
who need anything they see. With so many of us, we accomplished quite a bit ~ a rewarding experience!

After going back to Helen's for lunch, we settled in for a short afternoon of rest, talking and relaxing out back on her wonderful sheltered patio. We really needed to conserve our "strength" for the next task ~ the progressive dinner ! About 5:00 or so, everyone started showing up at Helen's for the first course ~ appetizers. We could have eaten the whole evening's fare right there and would have been satisfied. So good! Next, we went to Imogene's for our salad course ~ wonderful mixed fruit. (Paul was off with grandchildren's sports activities.) It must have been 7:00 or 7:30 by the time we got to Jama's for the main course ~ to-die-for lasagna. Finally, very late in the evening, we arrived for dessert at Anna Joyce's. Dessert was sinfully rich and delicious chocolate pie.

Well, it did indeed seem that we ate ourselves right through the entire week. Friday morn we sat around with our usual coffee and "whatever we wanted for breakfast," finished packing, loaded the cars and bade our fond good-byes "till we meet again."

It was truly an inspiration and a joy to share the week with Yo. We were so thankful she was able to come and, believe me, she did keep up with us! Of course, she needed some rest, but then lots of us succumbed to heavy eyelids. The week came at just the right time in her schedule of getting chemo treatments. She wore the cutest hats you ever did see!

Another special privilege was getting to be with Leon and Tommy at their homes during the progressive dinner and with John at the concert Tuesday evening.

No account of this year's "fling" would be complete without mentioning the one who "stole the show" (and my heart) all week ~ Angel, Helen and Joe's adorable and precious little six-month-old toy poodle. Of course, having been "mother" to my own four little toy poodles in the past, I admit
to being prejudiced. Angel's a lively one ~ I think Ann lost her slippers the day she came,
and they didn't show up again till the day she left!

We do so much appreciate Joe's letting us take over house and home for our "fling." He retreated
to North Carolina for a great week with cousins. Helen was truly the "hostess with the mostest"
and made us all feel comfortable and right "at home." How we do appreciate her giving us
the gift of that wonderful week!

Well, I've talked a lot about the food and what we did, but the best part, as always,
was just being together ~ the beauty of our friendship !!

"The Lord Bless You and Keep You"

~~~

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