Good 'Ole Athens

The sleepy little town of Athens, TN served as our place of retreat this weekend. Jon was born and raised in this little town and I moved there to be with my dad when I was 12. Over the weekend I attended the DPA Bridal Fair at Springbrook Country Club. I was reminded that although it's a small city, it does have a lot to offer if you know where to look.
For example, Mayfield Dairy Farms. Yep, it's the home of Moose Tracks. My husband worked at the Mayfield Visitor Center during summer vacations dipping icecream and giving tours. You can go to Mayfield and get a free tour of the plant and stop off at the icecream shoppe for your favorite scoop or novelty item. On the way out you can even get your picture taken with the famous cow, Maggie!
Athens' downtown area is quaint and very charming. There are several boutiques located there. My favorite places to browse are the antique stores where you can find vintage jewelry (my favorite), furniture, and china. Other great finds include The Prissy Closet and Greeks Bearing Gifts. And if you want some of the best cupcakes you've ever tasted, The Bakery on N. Jackson would be happy to oblige. Their strawberry icing is to die for! My mom gets all her cakes from them and they do an awesome job with themes. Also on N. Jackson St. is The Gallery hair salon where my husband's family has gotten their hair cut by owner and operator Rose Farr for over a decade.
You will also find several locally owned restaraunts in Athens. My personal favorite is Mexi Wing! Yes, it's mexican cusine and they have wings! You can choose from several flavors. I always get five mild and five bbq. Delicious! I've been told the lemon pepper wings are great too. And Mexi Wing has done so well that they have two locations. If you want mexican food, Athens is where to get it. As if two Mexi Wing restaraunts wasn't enough, Athens is also home to Monterreys. And guess what? There are two of them also! I usually get either the chicken chimichanga or a chicken quesadilla. If you were lucky enough to have a pass to leave campus as I was in highschool, you know the jealousy the scent Monterray's provoked in your peers when you came to back for fifth period. Now, If mexican isn't your thing, you can also find great American flavor at Jenkins Grille & Market. (Townsfolk just call it Jenkins) They have great chicken salad and I usually go for the Super Club Sandwich. YUM. Another favorite I have to mention is The Country Patch. It's a served buffet of good old fashion southern soul food. Can you say mac 'n cheese, please?
But, Athens isn't just about locally owned restaraunts and boutiques. Like any town, they have their politics and gossip. The big fish, little pond symdrome is rampant. And as with most small towns, people keep record of "who's who." You can't go to Wal-Mart without running into at least two people you know and you can be sure that if you get stopped on Depot Hill for speeding, the cop giving you a ticket will be one of your best childhood friends. Community plays a big part in the charm of Athens. If you look at the 2010 Parks and Rec calendar you will see family appropriate activities such as: Kite Day, the Soap Box Derby, Relay for Life, School's out Pool Bash, Bark in the Park, Pumpkintown, and Old Fashion Christmas. Also, there are several area churches which plan a lot of activities for the community and reach out to those in need. For example, when living in Athens, we attended Woodward Church of God which was known for it's Women at the Well Ministry along with other various missions works.
As I said, Athens served as our weekend retreat. Outside of contemplating on the city itself, I came back to Knoxville thinking about how glad I am to be a southern woman. This weekend I was treated to several things southern that normally wouldn't strike my attention but for some reason I recognized these ordinary rituals for what they are, special. Upon entering my in-laws home I was welcomed with homemade pecan pie and chocolate chip cookies. At breakfast the table was overflowing with biscuits and gravy, bacon, and eggs. Saturday brought a sunny day of tossing football and swinging on the porch and an evening game of checkers, in which I lost twice. Sunday my sister and I went to the Bridal Fair with our soon to be sister-in-law. I had the chance to catch up with several old friends in the space where I attended school dances and dinners almost a decade ago. Where else but a small town do you get the chance to do this?
After highschool I followed my sweetheart to college at The University of Tennessee. We earned degrees and my husband has a promising career. We were married five years ago and now have a one year old son. Knoxville has treated us well, it's where we live our life. I have actually now lived here longer than I lived in Athens. But when we are visiting Athens for the weekend and our friends ask where we are going, I tell them we are going home.

Little Blue Box

I had a wonderful Valentines! Jon brought me flowers at lunch and at dinner we exchanged cards and gifts. He got us a new camera. He told me that he had already taken a picture with it. When I turned on the display it was a picture of a Tiffany box and when I looked up he had it in his hand. It was very sweet. He got me the prettiest bracelet! Then we had sushi and watched "Letters to Juliet." It was perfect. He did very good!