Dolly Pardon on the Sevier County Courthouse Lawn

Welcome Kittens & Dawgs! My post title might be a slight stretch and even a down right sneaky trick to get ya stop by but it’s true…sorta anyhow. Sevierville is Dolly Pardon’s hometown and we pass through every time we go to the Smoky’s. I snapped today’s pictures a couple of years ago. DH and I were in downtown Sevierville. A new donut shop opened so naturally he had to investigate. It turned out to be a bit of  a disappointment but just around the corner from the donut shop there was a little gift shop with a small bakery which had excellent cinnamon rolls called The Bees Knees.

I snapped all images in this photo collage with my iPhone

It was a generally a cloudy September day. There’s just a little blue sky in the first photo but otherwise not extremely interesting. I had a difficult time getting my exposure and angle right. I really wanted to ge the courthouse clock tower in the picture in a hozitonal format but there were not good vintage points, so I did a vertical capture. The exposure was too dark so I increased the light and converted the original to a B&W photo.  I hate wasting a purrfectly good picture with photo editing turning these types of images into a half-way decent picture.

 

 

Next is my Wednesday Hodgepodge segment hosted by Joyce. This is an excellent way to get to know your fellow blogger and you’re invited to play alone.

1. Are you currently operating at 100% capacity? If not, what % are you? What’s keeping you there?  I think I’m running about 90%. Right now, there are a lot of loose ends with DH’s eye health,  an uncertain future for a family member, and other circumstances that keep piling up making life more complicated that feel like leg irons.  I’m ready to have these unseen shackles removed to run freely!

2. Have you done your taxes? Yes, we did them last week. We’re getting a whomping $44 back from the IRS. 🙂  At least, we don’t owe them anything, right? Planned/booked a summer holiday? No but hopefully before the year is up we can plan a trip to Maine to see our youngest daughter. Everything hinges on DH’s two remaining eye surgeries which we will know more about next week.  Thought about or started your ‘spring cleaning’? Yes and I’m trying to get some of it started now but then of course I’ll have to do it again as the weather warms up. Besides what’s listed here, tell us one task that needs doing before spring rolls around. Nothing specific comes to mind. There’s just so much that needs my attention that it’ll take a few all spring to get done I’m afraid. lol

3. What’s a favorite food from your part of the country? Hmmm, grits. I know there are other parts of the country that serve them but every time I think of grits I remember the time when my youngest daughter told her sister’s friend who planned to visit the area to be sure to order a ‘grit’. Yes, single a grit because she knew that was ridiculous to do and he didn’t have a clue what grits were. She quick witted like her daddy and a bit of prankster.

4. This isn’t a leap year, but let’s run with it anyway…look before you leap, a leap of faith, grow by leaps and bounds, leap to conclusions, leap at the opportunity…which phrase might best be applied to your life currently (or recently)? Explain. Leap of faith best describes how I feel. This is a stage I’ve been in since last March on a family issue. I can’t talk about this but I found I had to take a leap of faith that everything will be okay on this matter. Hopefully this chapter will have a happy ending soon.

5. As the month draws to a close list five fun and/or fabulous things (large or small) you noticed or experienced in February.  iPad sketching, light organzing, staying on task, music, and generally being happy.

6. Insert your own random thought here. Last week, I mentioned that I would share the recipe for my White Chili and keeping true to my word here it is. Mine turned out good with the changes noted on the recipe.  Hopefully,  you’ll enjoy it, too.

Thanks for dropping by. I hope you’ll come back tomorrow to vote in my newest Battle of the Bands showdown (BoTB)!

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46 comments

  1. I will be happy to accept a refund. Ours are still with the accountant so we shall see. We normally come out about even between state and federal. Hope you have a great weekend!

    1. Jo,

      Oh, I’m indeed glad that we got a small refund. It’s better than having to pay the government. I hope y’all come out okay after the smoke settles with your accountant. 🙂 Thanks for the revisit, my friend.

  2. That Dolly photo is excellent! I’ve just been fussing with a black and white and can’t get it right, but posted it anyway. And today I also found a good little bakery and am finishing off a molasses cookie right now.

  4. I’ve seen the Dolly Statue. The courthouse is nice too. I haven’t been through Sevierville in several years since Wears Valley road has become like a more main route to Gatlinburg from Maryville. Dolly deserves the tribute because she’s done a lot for that area.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

    1. Thanks for the return visit. Please allow me to point out that you Gravatar profile does not have your blog address associated with it, so the only way I found your URL was to Google ‘buckeroomama1’. I took the liberity to fix your info when you left a comment for others to find you since it appears you didn’t join my linky party. Have a good day and again, thanks for popping by. I hope you get a chance to try the recipe. It’s purrfect on cool winter evenings.

  6. Your bakery looks like a great place to visit. Now I want a sweet treat.
    Dolly did away with Dixie.
    That was a difficult questionnaire. Well done, Cathy.

    1. Myke,

      Yeah, I hated that Dolly removed ‘Dixie’ and now calls it Dolly Pardon’s Stampede. I’m not sure the reason behind such a decision but I can guess why the change. This PC stuff is ruining everything! Thanks for visiting. I’m sorry for tempting you with the sweets. 🙂

  8. Dolly is quite an amazing lady. She once noted that she doesn’t mind dumb blonde jokes because she knows she’s not dumb and she knows she’s not a blonde!

    That chili recipe looks so good!

    1. Mimi,

      LOL Dolly has quite the humor. She never takes herself seriously and is always quick to laugh at herself. She’s an amazing lady, indeed!

    1. Mary,

      I used my iPhone for the shots inside the shop. The photos of Sevier County Courthouse I used my big girl camera (Nikon D7000).

  10. I always wait until the first weekend in March to do the taxes, so I’ll be doing them this weekend. There’s always that one document that doesn’t get there until the end of February.

    1. John,

      Life was made easy with online banking, direct deposit, employer electronic communications, … which allows us to get our taxes done early. Why we even got our $44 already! I was surprised that it showed up in our account this week. Hooray!!

  11. Hey Cat, you know what I think I left a comment, but I’m not sure….. sooooooooooooooo HI AGAIN!!!! Luvin’ Dolly out and front… I guess it would be kinda weird seeing yourself in stone huh? Wonder how Dolly feels when she sees it? hahahaha

  12. Awesome statue. The black and white looks really nice too. That white chili recipe looks delicious. It would be a good variation to all of our soups and such that we’ve been trying during these cold, winter months.

    1. Amanda,

      Thanks for visiting and compliment. Yes, the white chili is a nice addition to one’s soup collection. I prefer red chili but this is a nice variation.

  15. Love the little shop Bees Knees. I want a cinnamon roll.

    Our taxes are done too, but we won’t file them until the first week of April. We owe. As usual.

    The white chili sounds really good.

    Have a fabulous Wordless Wednesday, Cathy. ♥

    1. Sandee,

      Good for you on having that hairy tax job done. I’m thankful we didn’t have to pay. I always worry about that a little since DH changed his W2 status. We prefer keeping our money throughout the year instead of seeing if the government will give some of our money back. It looks like he has it about right since our return is small. 🙂

  16. I am impressed that you got your taxes done already. When you got to Maine, if you have time, I would love to get together. I am in Massachusetts and as I recall your daughter isn’t to far up in Maine so my hubby and I could drive there to meet you for lunch somewhere. XO

    1. Ellen,

      That sounds nice. We’ll see what we can do about making that happen. Hopefully, I can remember to let you know of our plans when the time comes.

  17. I now have Islands In The Stream in my head now Cathy LOL

    That white chilli sounds good

    Have a chillitastic week Cathy and hope all is well 🙂

  21. Hi Cathy… I just sent your link to the Mister with the note “how about some white chili this weekend?” It sounds so good. I have a question for you… what is ipad sketching? What am I missing? Have a wonderful week, Cathy.

    1. Katie,

      I use my iPad to sketch art drawings. DH got me an Apple pencil (stylus) for my birthday to use with my iPad. I have an app called Procreate (art drawing app) that I use to sketch my designs. It’s like using a drawing pad and pencil, except it’s all electronic. Does that make sense? Please let me know if you need further clarification. The white chili is yummy. I think y’all will like it.

    1. Lisa,

      The recipe I borrowed off the net is pretty forgiving with substitutions and ingredients left out. We still have plenty to warm up on these chilly evenings for awhile. 🙂 Thanks for visiting.

  23. Hi, Cathy!

    That little gift shop/bakery you found is The Bees Knees! :). The black & white image you came up with makes it look like you visited Dolly Parton’s hometown 50 or more years ago.

    I can relate to your answer to question #1. I am always waiting for the other shoe to drop, a feeling of uneasiness as Mrs. Shady and I continue to deal with multiple family issues. That’s life, I suppose.

    That’s right. February is coming to en end. This year is off to a lightning fast start. Every year seems to pass more quickly than the previous. Thanks for posting the recipe for white chili. I mentioned it to Mrs. Shady the other day and asked if she had ever made it. She said no but told me she would give it a try when she sees your recipe. I will show it to her!

    Thank you, dear friend Cathy, and enjoy the rest of your day and week!

    1. Tom,

      I think just about everyone can relate to #1. It seems there is always some uncertainty going on in folks’ lives. It can be all-consuming if you allow it to manifest but it helps to turn everything over to God. Sometimes feelings of doubt creep in but I quickly let Jesus sweep them away. I don’t want to give room for such things. It’s emotionally draining and totally out of my care anyhow. I hope Mrs. Shady fixes the recipe for you. It’s easy and totally forgiving to leave out or add to with whatever on hand. Thanks for dropping by, dear friend.

  24. We got our taxes done already too. First time in a long time we’ve done them this early but I wanted to see where we stood. I was glad to get some money back too. Doesn’t the iPhone take some great pictures? Those treats look delish and I could spend a lot of time in that little shop! Thanks for sharing, Cathy!

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