Rack by the Tracks

Sat. May 17

I had the opportunity to go to Racks by the Tracks in Bristol, TN. It's a music/barbeque/craft beer festival in their downtown area. I went with my good friend Casey and we had a blast!

Since I don't eat meat, the barbeque wasn't exactly a draw, but the craft beer and music were! Most of the breweries were set up in the farmers market pavilion. There were vendors from all over, Tennessee, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Illinois, and more. I was very impressed with the selection and diversity. The creativity of craft beer is always so exciting. It's like walking through an art exhibit, seeing what new twist the artists have put on their work. I had a tangerine beer that was fantastic!

There was also a high gravity area. One of the most interesting beers I tried was called Dragon's Milk. I don't know how they bottled that, but it honestly tasted like dragon's milk. It started of smooth and thick then had this smoky and fiery aftertaste that can only be described as dragon's milk! I was impressed with the naming of the beer, but couldn't handle more than a sip. 

I had the pleasure of running into a girl I went to college with. I love how the world is so small, turns out she lives in Bristol now! We had worked on a service project our freshman year together, it was nice to see her again. 

Folk Soul Revival was the headlining entertainment and played a tremendous show. The beautiful and joyful sounds of banjos and fiddles rang through the streets of Bristol igniting everyone's spirit. We soaked up the sounds till the sun went down then headed back into town!

After all that yummy beer we decided to go to Mellow Mushroom and had a delicious dinner. 

I can't wait to go back next year!

Casey Hendrix and I

Adventure awaits, 

Jillian 

A Dirty New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve is a night for fun, friends and fantastic music. I was lucky enough to have the best of all three categories as I rang in 2013 in Knoxville, Tennessee. 

The evening began with a great meal at Barley's Taproom with 11 of my friends. Barley's is primarily a pizza and beer joint with locations in Knoxville, TN, Asheville, NC, Greenville, SC, and Spindale, NC. I had a barbecue chicken pizza along with sharing a queso cheese dip appetizer. The atmosphere is very cool, with a lot of wood, high ceilings and an upstairs bar. I would definitely recommend anyone to stop in for a drink or bite to eat. 

After our meal we headed over to the fabulous Tennessee Theater. This theater first opened in 1928 and still maintains an incredible historic feel with its decor and architecture. 

The Dirty Guv'nahs headlined the evening and as they have every time I have seen them, completely rocked. The lead singer, James Trimble, has incredible energy and brings a smile to your face simply by how much he enjoys what he does on stage. The pianist, Chris Doody, won over the hearts of the crowd by informing us that his grandmother was in the crowd watching him perform for the first time since their very first gig six years ago. 

As the clock neared midnight, you could sense the anticipation in the crowd. Finally James announced that it was close to midnight and gave a very inspiring speech about not giving up on people and chasing your dreams in the new year. He then counted down from 10 and the much anticipated 2013 was suddenly the present. All over the theater kisses were given and hugs were passed around freely. 

What a great way to ring in the new year; singing and dancing with friends.

Happy New Year! 

-Jillian

Lindsey Townsend, me, Liz Jordan, and Brittany Craig 

in the lobby of the theater.

The NYE crew eating at Barley's. 

The Guvs tearin' up the stage at Tennessee Theater.

The Dirty Guv'nahs

Photo Credit: 

http://www.thedirtyguvnahs.com/photos/the-dirty-guvnahs-at-the-bleak-house-in-knoxville-tn-on-april-1-2012-15/

Links: 
http://www.barleystaproom.com/ 
http://www.thedirtyguvnahs.com/ 

Turkey Trot!

Thanksgiving is typically a day to lay around with no ambition but to press your stomach to the absolute limit and watch as many football games as possible. However, in Johnson City, Tenn, there is a beautiful opportunity to do just a little bit more. 

The Turkey Trot. This 5k race on Thanksgiving morning is a way for area citizens to get 'up and at 'em' and earn the right to have a big meal. Over 4,000 locals braved the chilly weather this year for the 8 am race. 

A large number of the participants were representing an area school. The school with the most people won a cash prize. There were different size categories but in the large school category, David Crockett High School, which I represent as a substitute teacher, won the prize! So proud of the willingness of the students and staff of DCHS to participate. 

It is an amazing thing to look up and down a main street in Johnson City and see a sea of people ready to be active and healthy. Even cooler than that was hearing over 4,000 people say the Pledge of Allegiance in unison. It was a very proud moment for this 'Merican girl. 

One of my favorite aspects of the race is the costumes that people show up in. I saw a giant turkey, 80's looking football player, pilgrims, and indians. There is also a large dog population that participates. 

Turkey Trot is an impressive event that brings so many people together to give thanks for health and happiness! I'm already excited for next year! 

-Jillian 

Meagan Sparks and me showing off our medals for completing the race!

Megan Sparks, Joe Story and me before the race. 

Links: 

http://www.jcturkeytrot.org/

E-Book Bandwagon

                                        E-Book Bandwagon
                                                             
     There is a certain appeal to browsing the shelves of a bookstore, but these days, most people don’t have time. Fortunately, these are also the days of electronic everything. The ability to hold 3,500 books in the palm of your hand is now a reality. The wonderful people at Amazon have brought the Kindle to the world of book lovers.          
     Using a Kindle is a convenient, affordable and fun way to manage books. Sharon Verble, a middle school teacher from Jonesborough, Tenn has a Kindle.      
     “I love the convenience of not having to go to the library and get a book, I can get it immediately,” Verble said. “Another thing about the convenience of the Kindle, it’s not filling up my bookcases. Now, the only drawback is if I buy a book and don’t like it, there’s no way to take it back, like to Mr. Kay’s or something like that. But the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.”       
      She likes the economic advantages of being able to get books online. There are websites where users can sign up to receive an email of free books daily. Verble uses the site and said that even if she decides to buy a book, it’s sometimes cheaper on the Kindle. Another economic advantage is not having to drive to a library or book store.          
     Verble also has a Sony e-reader that offers a different advantage for her.        
     “I like the kindle, but my Sony e-reader is much better when I go outside to read in the summer,” Verble said. “So the Sony would probably be my favorite in the summer, and the Kindle is probably my favorite.”                
     Kindles have become much easier to use, and in more ways, over the years. Amazon now has five different versions which offer different selling points, the Kindle Touch for example would be more appealing to someone who prefers a touch screen. The Kindle Fire is more like a tablet with an e-reader, which might appeal to a teen for the games and internet access.       
      Annette Boreing is a librarian at David Crockett High School and uses e-readers in the school and personal setting. Personally, she uses a Kindle.
       “I use a Kindle because it’s extremely convenient to add content,” Boreing said. “Amazon makes it really easy to use it now, they finally began to play well with others and have allowed libraries to use Kindle content. So now I can download my books wirelessly. 
     “The first e-readers I had, I had to hook them up to my computer,” Boreing said. “I had to side-load all my content and I chose that e-reader because I could check out books from the library. That’s why I didn't get a Kindle to start with, but now that Kindle has opened up to the libraries, it’s easier because I can literally download content from my phone to my phone if I need to. Also if I’m at a computer and I see a book I want on the library then it can download wirelessly to my Kindle, which I really like.”
     Having an e-reader such as a Kindle is great. For avid readers who may not like to haul books around, it’s the perfect way to be able to read wherever, whenever and whatever they like. Since the Kindle can hold thousands of books, a user can switch from book to book with a few clicks.
     “It’s very convenient to have one small device and carry that around instead of dozens of heavy books,” Boreing said. “I like just the dedicated Kindle e-reader better because your able to read outside in any conditions so unless you just need a tablet and you want all the games and the videos and things, really, a dedicated e-reader, for readers, is the best device.”
     There are arguments against e-readers.
     “A lot of people say, they just miss the feel of the book and curling up with a book in bed,” Boreing said. “I’d really rather curl up in bed with my Kindle because its a lot less cumbersome than books because with a book its really a two-handed affair, whereas with my Kindle, I can just sit there with my thumb and read. In certain circumstances, if you’re studying and you want to go back and forth its a little inconvenient on an e-reader.”      
     The Kindle is, according to Boreing, tremendously economical.
     “Content is now very affordable, I like that,” Boreing said. “I have close to 500 books in my kindle library and I’ve bought maybe three or four of them. If your a best-seller person and gotta have it now, then you might not be quite as satisfied, but I’m cheap and I read what’s available more so than what’s on the best seller list.”  
     In the school setting Boreing uses Nook Colors. E-readers can be very helpful in the classroom in a number of ways.
     “We have a classroom set of Nook Colors at school,” Boreing said. “We use them as readers in english departments, I’ve used them in the math department as calculators with math games, I use them as a language lab for our spanish classes, we’ve used them as video devices with special needs students, so they are certainly multiple use tablets.”
     The convenience of having multiple books in your hands, the economic advantage of free book offers and saved gas money and the fun ways of using an e-reader for reading, games and more, should convince anyone to get an e-reader. People say jumping on the bandwagon is a bad thing, but bandwagons can be pretty fun.

The Woman behind the Wizard

The Woman behind the Wizard
Countless children have been anxiously awaiting their letter from Hogwarts for over a decade. I, too, have checked the mailbox on more than one occasion. The name Harry Potter is one of the most recognizable in the world. His fame exceeds that of the woman who created him. The reality is however, without author JK Rowling, the captivating fantasy world of Harry Potter would not exist.

Rowling, though immensely successful, has not always been so. The single mother found herself divorced and surviving on welfare while living in Scotland in the mid-90s. She began writing a book based on an idea she had in 1990. Rowling was turned down many times by publishers, who I’m sure are kicking themselves now, before finally selling the book in 1999. That book was the now iconic “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” The price was a mere $4,000.

“I just think it shows how much that one moment can change your entire life,” student Garrett Payne said. “She didn't know writing the HP series would change her life, but her determination lead her to success. The situation just shows how one moment can change your life in an instant, especially seeing that her inspiration was based on her life being a depressed, under privileged child.”

I respect Rowling’s persistence to overcome circumstances and dedication to finish the book. Finishing a literary work can be very tiresome, tedious and frustrating. She not only finished one book, but a series of seven books. This is a feat that few authors can boast. Being a writer myself, I admire Rowling’s ability and creativity.

I not only respect Rowling as an author, but also as a person. In 2005, Rowling joined with Baroness Emma Nicholson to address the problem of institutionalized and disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe. They created an organization that is now known as Lumos. Her past circumstances of being a single parent and on welfare have led her to give back to those who find themselves in similar situations.
Rowling was the first female author billionaire on the Forbes Billionaire list, but as of March 2012, that title has been stripped. I don’t see that as a bad thing since her slip back into the millionaire title is because of high tax rates in Britain and an estimated $160 million in charitable donations.
Knowing what Rowling had to go through inspires me to keep pushing through hard times in my life. The success of her personal story gives me hope that anything is possible if you work for it. If she had given up after writer’s block or rejection from publishers I would not have been able to experience the magic of Harry Potter.

“She changed my childhood completely,” Payne said. “She affected my childhood in a tremendous way, along with many others. She brought happiness to everyone by writing a book, and many people do not understand the obsession people have with the HP series. Once they read it and understand her background they will.”

Rowling wrote her books in a way that everyone can relate to. Her meager beginning makes her life story relatable too.

“I think if she can do it, so can I,” Jessica Overbay said of Rowling’s rags-to-riches story.

“Harry Potter was the first full chapter book I read as a dyslexic kid,” Overbay said. “It has a permanent place in my heart, and on my skin.”
Overbay has a tattoo of Hermoine Granger’s signature on her arm that symbolizes the impact that Rowling’s books have had on her life.
“I admire how she can tap into every person’s inner child,” Overbay said.  
Rowling allowed my childhood to not only be great, but to be magical. I was able to live in a world of wonder, if only for a few pages. I still treasure those moments of being completely lost in the Dark Forest or flying high above everyone at a Quidditch match.
The book series has impacted my life and vicariously, Rowling has too. I grew up with Harry, Ron and Hermoine. I learned a lot about courage, intellect and loyalty from all the characters in the books and as a child, I looked up to those fictional characters. Now, I see that I actually look up to Rowling.
In a June 2003 interview with Jeremy Paxman, a BBC Newsnight reporter, Rowling said she does feel success has changed her in a way that she doesn’t feel like a waste of space anymore.
“You didn't really feel a waste of space?” Paxman said.
“I totally felt a waste of space,” Rowling said. “I was lousy. Yeah I did, yeah. And now I feel that, it turns out there was one thing I was good at, and I'd always expected I could tell a story, and I suppose it's rather sad that I needed confirmation by being published.”
Her humility in fame and ability to rise above circumstances and create something great make Rowling someone to praise. I hope to create a magnificent work of literature and impact as many lives as she has someday. Harry Potter may be many people’s hero, but JK Rowling is my heroine.

 photo from:   http://www.digitopoly.org/2012/03/27/jk-rowling-blows-up-the-ebookstore-business/

Thicker than Blood

Thicker than Blood

In the near constant Guatemalan rain, children in out-of-date, worn-out clothes played with rocks and sticks and a group of teen-aged boys kicked a soccer ball against a cracked wall. The view was sad and depressing for us high and mighty Americans.  

I immediately judged the situation as one of need. These kids needed clothes, toys, love, attention, and every other convenience I had in America. But I was wrong.

Casa Para Ninos Aleluya is an orphanage 30 minutes outside of Guatemala City, Guatemala. They care for and raise 381 orphaned, abused, and mistreated children. Under the direction of Mike and Dotty Clark, the kids are housed in a Christian founded orphanage. The obedience of the Clark’s has led to an amazing story that includes zero debt and complete provision for all the children.

When I arrived at the orphanage I didn’t know what to expect, but I sure got a reality check.

The kids, from infants to college and career-aged students, have a system of support that is uncommon in American society. They take care of each other and love one another like family even though they are not related.

The kids are used to American do-gooders coming and going from the orphanage and while they crave attention and love being held and played with, they really connect with each other and take care of one another without any of our help.

Megan Strickland has been to the orphanage many times for missions and also to visit her parents. Her mother and step-father live there as dorm parents to young boys. She has observed the culture of the orphanage during her time spent there.

“The first time I went to Guatemala I was thinking that these kids just need love but if you watch the kids just hug each other, like they’re that support for each other.” Strickland said. “I mean I just love that. I was just watching the teenagers and they took that motherly role, and what teenagers would do that here? They just have so much love for each other and instantly one of them will have a piece of candy and just give it to one of their friends.”

I saw this support role that she spoke of as I spent more time there. I saw a group of girls picking lice out of each other’s hair, a common occurrence in the culture and conditions. They are very self-less and conscious of others needs because most of them long for loving relationships.

We got to speak with the Clarks, the founders, and heard several children’s stories. Eighty percent of the older girls have been raped and abused by male family members, which has caused a lot of mental and emotional issues. The community bond the girls create helps with the healing process and gives them an understanding of healthy love.

Seeing this love and simplicity really affected how I view my relationships and desires. American society tells us to look out for ourselves and get the latest stuff, but the laid back society in Guatemala places importance on investing in people and enjoying life.

Abby Allen also went on the trip with me. She was impacted by the community in the younger kids.

“Even the babies and toddlers take care of each other,” Allen said.

The older toddlers that know some English will notice Americans trying to communicate with a child and will come up and translate. The camaraderie is inspiring.

They unfortunately are used to change as well. Kids come and go all the time. So, while they do grow close and take care of one another, they are not affected much by loss. Over her many visits, Strickland has seen kids leave and the reaction of the kids left behind.

“They have that relationship with each other, but they are also willing to be like, ok, something better, and let them go,” Strickland said.  

Overall, the experience of going to the orphanage and seeing the love these kids have for one another was inspiring. They don’t need a lot to be happy and they form relationships that prove that love is thicker than blood.  

“They may not have a whole lot, but they are content,” Allen said “You go there expecting to be a blessing to someone, you know, help someone out, but you come away just so filled up, so blessed.”

Read more athttp://casaontherock.org/index.asp

Casa kids playing in the courtyard. 

Me, Abby Allen and four of the Casa boys hanging out in the living room of their dorm.

The entire Los Vencedores dorm along with the mission team from The River church.  

The Sane Side of Crazy

It was difficult to choose any feature story over they Whitney Houston article in Entertainment Weekly, but I settled on an artist that I don't know a lot about. You learn something new every day!

Sinead O'Connor is a name that has long been tied to drugs and being crazy. An article by Melissa Maerz in EW however discusses her path to a new album and life, and how she feels about her past labels.

Maerz opens up with a quote from O'Connor, "You're treated like shit if you're perceived as crazy."

The unmistakably Irish, 45 year-old singer has had a tough time, to say the least.  An 18 day marriage, an accidental crack deal and a suicide attempt are just the highlights of the past few months in her life. Despite the bad circumstances, the article gets the point across that O'Connor is moving on and moving towards happiness.

Maerz portrays O'Connor as a very open artist who is connected with her fans. She even references O'Connor's personal tweets, including a tweet about trying to kill herself the previous week and asking for doctors that could see her that day. She quotes, "I'm really unwell and in danger. And I desperately need to get back on meds today."

I took a look at her website and it is true, her blogs and tweets are very blunt, harsh, sometimes vulgar, and completely open. It is intimidating and risky for a celebrity to open up so much. If anyone can do it and withstand the response, it's the outspoken and strong O'Connor.

While there were obviously hardships to cover, Maerz moves quickly through the mess and gets to the music. The article is mostly a breakdown of her newly-released album, How About I Be Me (And You Be You.)

O'Connor's music is self-described as a diary. "There were one or two songs that I wrote hoping they might come true." O'Connnor said

There is a melancholy feel to the article. Maerz captures the blunt, somber, funny, and dark sides of the singer which is hard to do in one article.

The article wasn't that long and I would have liked to read a bit more detail about the situations that lead O'Connor to write the songs. Even more, I would like to know how she got past her point of being suicidal and emerged with what is called her best album yet.

I like the ending quote Maerz uses from O'Connor about her album, "If you listen to this record from the beginning thorough, hopefully you will hear it end joyfully. It was a journey towards happiness."

As for happiness, O'Connor says, "I'll get there."

Besides a few unanswered questions, the article was well written and taught me a lot about Sinead.


Here are some links to articles about her suicide attempt and divorce, along with the link to her website were you can read recent entries. Warning! She has a very Irish mouth!

O'Connor 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/29/sinead-oconnor-divorce_n_1174538.html


http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-01-12/news/30621260_1_suicide-attempt-downward-spiral-twitter-followers

http://www.sineadoconnor.com/index.html




Entertainment Weekly, February 24, 2012