They weren’t kidding about changeable, nay, volatile weather in E. TN.  Today it was in the 30s and snowing!  Remember the other day when it was 80?  Never a dull moment.

Yesterday E outdid, if possible, her bread-baking prowess again.  This is a dutch oven parmesan bread, crusty on the outside, to die for on the inside.  Seriously, this is some kind of yeast alchemy.  If only I could convey perfection in words.  Instead, I just eat it, haha!

Thanks to my son and kids, we had several “firsts” yesterday.  First we climbed up Look Rock and viewed an amazing panorama of mountains.  It was 80 degrees, with strong winds up at that height.  The kids love rock climbing.  It was our first TN park.  Here are flowers at their house, and climbing up to the tower at Look Rock.

Then we checked out the Rossini Festival in the center of Knoxville, a European-style street fair sponsored by the opera company, and a first for all of us.  Avdi pointed out a few of the many iconic sights and popular places, for future reference.  This visit we concentrated on keeping an eye on the kids as they enjoyed all the children’s activities.  It was challenging in that huge crowd, but the kids have been trained well.  The visitors were extremely diverse and friendly.  Typical of the red south, there were Christian fringe cults on street corners shrieking dire threats and judgement at the crowd, who were mostly ignoring them.  It was disturbing for the kids, but we told them not to let it bother them.

We would have continued on to another first, the Dragon Lights Festival, but between the threatening weather and the exhaustion of everyone, we postponed it.  It was quite enough stimulation for us old people, but worth it.

Now I think I know where “ravenous” comes from.  There appear to be a couple of ravens who gobble up the bones I always set out for them.  Within five or ten minutes, they’ve cleaned up.  My evil scheme is working.  I’m determined to make friends with a raven.  Coolest, smartest birds ever.

Which reminds me, the other night we had a mysterious power outage.  The next day, some other locals mentioned they had, too.  They claimed a raccoon had a disagreement with a power transformer, which makes no sense, but you know them pesky varmints!?

Erev cheers.

Transitions of any kind are scary.  Moving to a new state is no exception.

No matter how nice a place it is, we each have our fears and apprehensions, moving forward.  Whether it’s feeling like a stranger in a strange land, the finality of what will probably be our final home, the distance from familiar things and people, the fear of aging without family around, or just culture shock (and sticker shock!), there are many factors to adjust to all at once.  No matter how well you’ve planned and anticipated, there are always unknowns.  And if you’re coming from a long history of difficult transitions and losses, it can be overwhelming.

I’m generalizing here, not to get into specifics, because transitions are a universal human challenge.  Each of us is going through some form of it as we speak.  We are not unique.

The bottom line is, you can feel very alone and isolated, unsure of what the future may hold, especially when your clock is ticking.  All you can do is proceed forward, seize the opportunity you’ve been given, and accept that there are no easy directions to follow.  You do your best with the limited resources you have, and try to find the balance between retreating and reaching out.  You treasure and make the most of what human connections you’ve been granted, however briefly, while also being honest about your limits and boundaries.  You admit you haven’t found the answer to life-the-universe-and-everything, and probably won’t, but you try not to just resign yourself to giving up.

I’m not going anywhere with this, in case you were hoping for something deep.  Just talking to myself, as one is wont to do.  To lighten up, here are some pretty flowers.

I wish I could have photographed the large beautiful hawk who was just sitting on the fence watching me mow the lawn yesterday.  It’s amazing how many fascinating species of birds there are here.  I keep myself going by planting things and observing wildlife in our own backyard.  It’s the best therapy I’ve found to take my mind off things.

I was out gardening, when I looked up and noticed the little baby wrens climbing up out of the nest, onto the porch, and flying off.  Each one paused as I reassured it all was well, then off it went.  They grow up so fast!  Just yesterday, literally, they were just mouths waiting to be fed.

It’s so wonderful to see the kids immersed in reading books with their Dad.  We met them at the beautiful Maryville Library, overlooking the Greenway and bridge over the stream, where large ducks were getting very, uh, frisky.  We all read books together for a while, then adjourned to Southland Bookstore for more books!  I love how Avdi is encouraging his kids to be literate, intelligent people.

Then we headed to their house for the tradition of pizza-and-a-movie.  It’s a good excuse to pile on top of each other and be a close family, while we can.  I can’t stop marveling at how well my son is managing a very challenging situation, and how resilient and well-adjusted the kids are, all things considered.

Here are some glimpses, starting with the wren chicks in our window clamoring for food, then Maryville.

I got so distracted by our little pony, I neglected to post the obligatory Shabbat scenes.  Azaleas and dogwoods are in full bloom.  The yard is full of violets and other wildflowers in all colors.  The first of many irises is about to bloom.  Erev cheers.

Here’s our new little pony (Troybilt, that is), safely in its stall for the night, and did we ever pony up for that!  We rednecks do what we gotta do to git’er done.  (I guess the hat is next.)  It does have a cup holder!

Now to name it.  Poky?

Shabbat Shalom.

Today we joined the ranks of those armies of people who ride around in mindless circles all season.  We bought our first rider mower.  It’s official: we’re rednecks.

It’s a big scary investment for us, just after buying a house, but it’s necessary with this vast lawn we found ourselves on.  Our goal is to mow it in ever-shrinking sections, and replace pointless turf with native plants and trees, but that will be a while.  Our work is cut out.  Keeps us off the streets.

Meanwhile, grass grows, flowers bloom, birds fledge, and life goes on.  At least we hope to leave our little corner of the world better and more sustainable than we found it.

Today was a good day.  We got to meet my son for lunch at one of our #1 destinations in Knoxville, Yassin’s Falafel House, the new second location.

Yassin’s family fled Syria as refugees, relocated to Knoxville with virtually nothing, and started a Middle Eastern restaurant that has been enthusiastically embraced by his new home.  It’s become a sort of Mecca for people and orgs who work for inclusiveness and progress in an otherwise conservative state.  In turn, Yassin has returned the favor and reached out to the community who adopted him.  It’s a real American success story and says a lot about the welcoming attitude of Knoxville.  We were happy to do our little part to support his work, and just to be there together.  Here’s the famous sign:

After that, Avdi showed us an Asian/international market, and an Indian grocery, both of which were awesome.  I finally found items that have been on my list for ages.  These are only two of many such diverse cultural markets and restaurants in this area.  There is a growing population of Asians (Vietnamese, etc.), Middle Easterners, Hispanics, and many others here, with thriving businesses, which is a good sign.  And Knoxville for the most part has gone out of its way to welcome and support them.

All in all, Knoxville was a good choice.  We welcome whatever time we get to spend here with my family.