Missing Jonesborough

Hey, Y'all,
The bright blue October skies in Jonesborough, TN call out to me, but I won't be there today or tomorrow, but two of my very dear friends< Gene and Judy, will be enjoying hearing the storytellers share wonderful stories with the thousands of enthusiasts who come each year.

I guess I have attended the storytelling there for at least 25 or 26 years. One never tires of hearing great yarns...funny, sad, endearing, rib-tickling, scary, all kinds of stories - that is, if they like hearing stories - and who doesn't? Many of the years, I went with my husband, Dubby, and he really enjoyed the stories, especially those of Kathryn Wyndham, Donald Davis, and others who tell the "down home" stories. Sometimes, I took my sister, Margaret, my sisters-in-law, Mae and Imazo, my friend, Judy, and many years I took my friend, Ina Ray, on a Saturday when she didn't have to work on that day.

I always buy a pair of tickets for the whole weekend, because, well, I just love spending the weekend listening and enjoying the time with friends. There is nothing like getting out early on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday morning to hear wonderful tales with a friend. There is the joy of just smelling autumn in the air, seeing all the people who come from everywhere to listen, and sometimes seeing those whom you have met previously there. There are always very interesting people that you meet for the first time as well, and carrying on a conversation with them. I never meet a stranger.

The people who arrange the whole thing (International Storytellers Association) set up five or six huge tents (like circus tents) in various places in the little town of Jonesborough which is known as being the oldest town in Tennessee, where the first full weekend of October is the time for the storytelling to take place. It is in those tents that the professional storytellers spin their yarns for us to hear. They also have Ghost Stories in the park on Friday and Saturday nights, and people bring blankets and quilts to sit upon after dark time, and may be literally scared out of their wits. I have gone to that one time, and enjoyed it thoroughly, too.

On Fridays many schoolchildren come to hear stories, brought on "field trips" to get a sampling of stories, and there is always a "youthful voices" session where young story tellers get to share. It is through competition that they get to do a story and there are only six, I believe, who get to do one. It is quite an honor to be chosen.

There are food tents where vendors can sell their wares, and downtown restaurants do a brisk business as well as little ice cream shops and antique stores. Being a small town, it can be covered in just a few minutes and on storytelling weekend, there are crowds of people anxious to spend money.

Sometimes I have been and it has rained for all three days, but does that stop people? I reckon not! We just don our ponchos and open the little umbrellas, put on the rain hats and go!

Well, do I miss not going? You bet your boots (rainboots even) that I do. My friend, Judy, told me yesterday that the weather is perfect this year. Hooray! I am so glad for them that they can go. They both celebrate their birthdays this weekend. Happy birthday, Gene and Judy! I love you guys!

My good friend, Ina Ray, and I will both be missing the event this year. I miss you and all my friends back there in Tennessee, but I am hoping to drive in next spring. It gives me something to look forward to!

Well, folks, that is about it for today. Much love to each of you. My supper is cooking right now, baked chicken, sweet potatoes, and we'll be having baked beans to go with the baked sweet potatoes and chicken. Also the baked apricot pies. I cooked the dried apricots, drained them, added sugar and spices, mashed them up good. I did that yesterday.

This morning, I took 2 whopping cans of crescent roll dough (whopping cans are those that you buy and have to unroll the outer wrap and then whop them against the counter to finish opening them) and then took each one and rolled it a little thinner and put filling in it, and added another to the top as the top crust of the pie. Hence, there were 3 triangular pies that I got from each can of dough. Not difficult to do at all.

Well, that is about it for today. This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for today. Much love to each of you. More later. Bye for now.