Rossini Festival

Two festivals in two weekends. This time it was an Italian opera festival. I guess it's an annual thing. Tosca was playing at the Tennessee theater and another opera was playing at the Bijou theater. On saturday the city closed of Gay St. downtown and had an Italian street fair replete with opera singers, Italian food and crafts (no country music this time).

It was great and packed with people. We all went to see Tosca; it was great, man what a pretty theater. I am really suprised the girls love opera but they begged to see it (I think partly due to fact they can dress up). -Tina

Dogwood Arts Festival

I must first start off by saying a shout out to our Lady Vols who won the championship in women's bastketball (they are on the cover of Sports Illustrated).

One more thing......you know you are from the south when
Dolly Parton does PSAs about major road closures.
Okay, Knoxville has kicked off their annual Dogwood Arts Festival. When I have inquired about what this was, I get puzzled looks and the 'you-aren't-from-around-here-are-you?' statement. Right now Knoxville is peppered with beautiful blossoms and
there are over seventy miles of trails dedicated to the viewing of the dogwoods. We have been on some of them. Plus they have begun sundown in the city, a larger but similar thing Red Bluff has like on Wednesday night. It's focus, though, is on local artists and each Thursday the stores stay open a little later. The farmers market starts April 26th and I can't wait. -Tina

Where's Miley?

Because this is Hannah Montana country, we, along with about 6,000 other hopefuls went to an open call for the new Hannah Montana Movie in Nashville. I love Nashville, it's like Knoxville but bigger and a littler soggier right now. The open call started at 11am so being seasoned Hollywood people, we got in line after spending the night in town, at 7am. We were by no means first in line but not too bad. As the day grew on, we would check out the growing line. They decided to take people early, so it went quicker than expected. By the time we (Hope) were finished, the line had went all the way around the convention center and was doubling.

We decided to walk around downtown; very cute; more country hopefuls than you could shake a stick at. We met up with Grace and Norm and had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe (saw a Dolly Parton's dress!) Then we began our way home. It was a great experience and we had a good time.

Oh, and spring has sprung here. It's beautiful. The Dogwood Arts Festival has kicked off featuring local artists, musicians and of course, the blooming dogwoods. Every morning I am struck by the sound of birds. We find cardinals, robin red breasts and morning doves just cooing through the day, its so pretty to hear. It sound like a jungle (sans the monkeys).

And another thing I am shocked to admit. I follow sports. Never in my life have I cared about football, basketball or any other ball for that matter. Now, I have succumbed to the sport fever everyone has here. Everything the UT Vols do is followed. I chatted with a coworker today (who also has never followed sports until moving here) about the Ladys Vols and their being in the final four. Once I found myself in the lobby of Grace's school surrounded by staff, parents and children huddled around the flat screen located in the lobby watching the Vols make it to the sweet sixteen. We didn't leave to pick up Hope until it was over. When I picked up Hope from school, I apologized for being late only to find out each class had watched the game in their classrooms forgoing the lessons. Go VOLS!

-Tina