"If you don't see the real me, you won't see what love has won..." Vota

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Happy Birthday Freedom!

Today we went to town for the Jonesborough Days festival. We walked around for a while before the parade then found a great spot on the curb to park ourselves for the hour long parade. This is one of two festivals Jonesborough does to the extreme. The other is the International Storytelling Festival, but comparing the two is not fair-- one is international and one is well, the Fourth of July-- totally national! Anyhow we watched the parade and it brought me to tears more than once watching the girls get so excited -- I am just glad I was wearing sunglasses! There were a half dozen Queens or Misses of something or other... Miss Appalachian Fair, Miss Jonesborough days, Miss Johnson City... and every time one of these beauties rode past sitting on their convertable Sarah would look at me all wide eyed and say, "Mommy, I just saw a princess in a car," or "Mommy, I just saw another princess in a car." It was adorable. Olivia just kept smiling and waving. They were impressed with the giant eagle on one of the floats and of course loved the plethera of American Flags.

After the parade, Ernie had to go to work, but he gave us $20 to spend. The first thing the girls wanted was this wierd, yet ok tasting candy. It was sort of like a licorice whip except it was fatter, longer and in sour flavors and filled with gooey pink sour stuff and sugar coated. It was rainbow colored too. It was very interesting to find out it was a European candy and not one found readily in the US.

We spent a lot of time just wandering the town and then we went on the antique rail car tour. We toured a dining car and a coach. This was fabulously fun. The girls pretended to be beautiful, well-to-do ladies on their way on some important trip. Olivia was on her way to her Aunt Mary Alice's house and Sarah said she was taking her sick daughter to a hospital far away (I am thinking this came from the Pollyanna movie where the paralized Pollyanna rides a train to the hospital). They pretended to eat a fancy meal complete with dessert in the dining car and then made sure they took their plates to the kitchen. At least my ladies are helpful! They pretended to cook and do the dishes in the kitchen and just all around had a blast. Sarah was a little disappointed when we got off and did not really get to ride the train. She really wanted to. As a matter of fact they both really wanted to. I told them someday we would get to ride a train.

The only way our time would have been better was if Ernie did not have to leave us just as the day was gettting started.

Oh yeah, and just on a side note: Take a look at the photos and guess what REALLY got on my nerves? Kudos to whomever comments and gets it right!!




6 comments:

  1. sounds like a fun day! the only annoying thing i see is maybe two kids, one conductor's hat?

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  2. Sarah has clothes on what could go wrong?
    Love R

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  3. Two LOUD whistles?
    Love R

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  4. YES! The train whistles were a huge hit with the girls, not so much with me, but I let them have their fun.

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  5. Yes We have one. Trains rule around here well you know that you have been to my house. Thanks Nanny for that whistle some two years ago he still loves it BUT it is an outside toy!!!!
    Love R

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