When I was in middle school, my parents came into possession of a giant blue sedan that had been orphaned upon the death of an octogenarian friend. The car, which probably hadn't been driven for a decade, was a vehicle that only a bootlegger could love. The trunk was higher than the nose, and the … Continue reading Life is a Glorious Patchwork
Remember when you were a kid and you drew pictures of houses? Each house had a triangular roof, square windows and a rectangular door—until some predictable spurt of brain development prompted you to add shutters to the windows and your parents declared you a savant. I'm guessing you probably never thought much more about shutters … Continue reading What’s It Gonna Take to Shutter Up?
On a dreary day of fall break staycation, I took the boys to the new Tennessee State Museum, which opened this month. Despite constant drizzle and overcast skies outside the massive windows, the museum itself was anything but dreary, enlivened by sweeping views of the Capitol, Bicentennial Mall and Nashville Farmers' Market and by soaring … Continue reading Tennessee State Museum Musings
I'm almost too tired to type this. After a day on a Habitat for Humanity build in Nashville, every fiber of my being aches. But I feel awesome. The day started with coffee, doughnuts, and a prayer for "mercies of safety and productivity," administered by a volunteer from First Presbyterian Church, which coordinated the build. … Continue reading Happy Day With Habitat for Humanity
File this in the column of Sweetest Things Ever: On a wedding weekend where no detail went unimagined or unexecuted, an adorable blue-and-white wooden cart rolled onto the dance floor during a break in the music. "It's the gelato cart the groom's brother made," a bridesmaid explained, pointing toward the twee vehicle adorned with laser-cut … Continue reading Gelato Love in The Room
People make fun of my driving. I drive slow. I have a Walking District Pace Car bumper sticker. In the event that, say, a Bird runs into a Lime runs into a Pedal Tavern in front of me, I plan to minimize potential harm by driving 30 to 35 miles an hour. Honk if you … Continue reading A Bridge Too Far
For a third year in a row, Nelson's Green Brier Distillery honors women of vision, achievement and inspiration, with the Louisa Nelson Awards. Brothers Andy and Charlie Nelson, who resurrected the Green Brier brand—dormant for more than a century after Prohibition—created the award to honor their triple-great grandmother. Louisa Nelson was an unlikely woman of … Continue reading Green Brier Distillery Toasts Women of Vision, Inspiration, Achievement
For those occasions when my needlepoint flats and other girly shoes won't to do in the field, I carry a pair of pink-stitched-leather steel-toe work boots in the car. They're great against mud, poison ivy and chiggers, and recently they performed an unexpected function. I stopped to visit a client who was working in his … Continue reading Garden Booty
Last fall, my friend Pat McFadden and I ginned up her home workshop to make wooden games to sell at Artclectic at University School of Nashville. Over the course of the year, Pat has ridden that creative momentum to make several pieces of beautiful outdoor furniture, including two custom garden benches and my beloved Chippendale … Continue reading Swing Time Special
Sunday is the day my neighbors, family and friends fling garbage at my front door. Actually, I'm making the situation sound trashier than it really is. The truth is I've invited them to bring me the wretched refuse of their kitchens teeming with spent coffee grounds, vegetable peelings, and leftover casseroles, because my chickens will … Continue reading Sunday Supper is for the Birds
Building Up Buttercup 