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Monthly Archives: April 2016
It’s National Library week, & I’m ashamed I haven’t posted anything before now. Some people find solace in church. Some are most comfortable outside. And some of us would rather be in a library than anywhere else. Because, within a library, you can be anyone. You can be anywhere. There’s SO MUCH more to the library than just books. Contrary to popular belief they are not stuffy & hushed—anyone who’s been inside King Family in Sevierville afterschool can attest to that. (Although it can be quite tranquil of the morning or late afternoon). Serving on the board has opened my eyes to all the things we offer to the public AT NO CHARGE. There’s always something going on. There are computer classes for all ages & abilities, craft programs, book signings, even dance classes! They host many activities like movie night, stargazing, planting by the signs, all kinds of stuff! You can rent a classroom for your meeting needs, or research your family tree. You can make a commercial in their green room or print something on their 3-D printer. The library is a refuge. Many children, myself included, never had the option of going to a summer camp. The library offers a summer reading program, complete with snacks, crafts, & group activities. You meet people from all over the county, so you’re bound to make new friends. Through the school year, the library offers storytelling &…
About halfway through making stuffed shells, I remember why I rarely make stuffed shells. The massive pile of dirty dishes. It starts with chopping an onion & garlic. This is where Johnny is lured by the captivating smell & has to investigate what dish is underway. He leans around me & inspects the proceedings. “Got yourself a smelly little pile there, dontcha?” Meaning the onion & garlic skins. I’m more worried about draining all this spinach & note that some has managed to stick to my forearm, giving me the appearance of Sprout, the Jolly Green Giant’s sidekick. Toss onions into the oil, which spatters because I’m in a hurry & have the electric skillet up too high. The stockpot water is boiling away, so I try to add three jumbo shells at a time, as per package instructions, but quickly lose patience & dump the whole box in. Need to dig out the colander before I forget & then I’ve got a pot of noodles al dente with no place to go. Become distracted by grating cheese. Remember to add basil. Check basil plant. It’s been eaten by an unseen pest. Drag dining room chair over to cabinet to peer into the depths for dried variety. Looks a little old…oh well, better than nothing. Mix spinach, cheeses, egg, bread crumbs, & spices in mixer. Retrieve 9×13…
Growing up in the South, you will frequently hear the phrase: “Shit hit the fan.” I don’t think I ever truly understood the meaning until I went to work for Sevier County 911 dispatch. And yesterday, shit definitely hit the fan in Sevier County. Y’all all know Ruby’s burned to a crisp in Pigeon Forge on Sunday, which is hard enough to deal with. It’s terrible when it’s a home out in the county, but when it’s high profile business in the middle of town, you have to deal with all the media, too. And then the helicopter crash yesterday afternoon. You think about that. Phone rings, more than likely it’s someone ABSOLUTELY HYSTERICAL because they’ve watched a helicopter fall from the sky & burst into flames. You can’t believe your ears, you hope it’s someone off their meds but then all the phone lines light up at once as the calls pour in from hundreds of eyewitnesses. You might hear screaming from the victims. The trunk lines fill (that’s 7 phone lines with twelve calls apiece for six dispatchers to answer, if I remember correctly) & roll to the Sherriff’s department. Your first dispatcher starts doing what they do- methodically mashing buttons & maintaining a calm demeanor while in a monotone voice delivers the worst news the EMS world will probably hear all day. And from there, it all goes downhill. And by downhill, I actually mean…
