This 'n That

ALMOST FAMOUS
Tonight when I was reading the Mountains Times online (a weekly publication of the NC High Country where I'm originally from), I came across something that practically knocked me off my chair: "They are about 3,000 miles from Paramount Pictures studio, but Todd and West Jefferson will serve as stage and setting for a major motion picture this year." (Whoa! I about had a heart attack.)

“MileStone Entertainment is planning an autumn shoot in the High Country for the movie “Edgewater,” which producer John W. Beach describes as a blend of “The Sixth Sense,” “Of Mice & Men,” and “Slingblade.” Now things like this just don't happen there every day! Maybe in NYC, but not in West Jefferson!

Ashe County was the stage for a movie in the past, Where the Lillies Bloom, but that was back in the 1970s and it was a pretty obscure film. I remember my English class went on a field trip to see it because it was filmed in Ashe and Watauga counties. It was pretty cool watching places you saw every day right up there on the big screen. And coming from such a small place I felt famous if even just for minute.

Nothing like this hardly ever happens up there. I mean, Ashe County is a pretty out-of-the-way place. We get excited when the Charlotte weatherman mentions us! However, my little piece of heaven keeps attracting more and more people from the nether regions all the time due to its pristine and natural setting. But that, too, is changing for the worse as more and more people move there. (I'm talking about the price of land and the cutting down of the trees. Very hot topic so I won't get started.)

Well, I suppose if this movie does film there and has any sort of success, you can count on even MORE people moving there because of its beauty and laid back atmosphere. The thing that gets me about the people swarming to live there is they come because it's very laid back, out of the way, slow paced, hardly any major crime, everybody knows everybody else, beautiful, and not a lot of traffic; and then once they move there and started paying taxes, they try to change the place to make it more like what it was they left in the first place! (Oops, there I go again. I'll hush.)

Congratulations, Ashe County, for better or worse. I hope it brings only good things.

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Dancing Moon

Made this pair of earrings using hammered sterling silver circles (hand forged and hammered by me), and attached beautiful little rainbow moonstone briolettes to them. I called them "Dancing Moon." I listed them last night and by golly they sold today!!! I hadn't even gotten a chance to upload them to Flickr yet!

I'm so thrilled with every sale. It really makes my day and makes me happy that folks like my pieces. (Little steps, I keep telling myself. Little steps.) These earrings get to travel to Pennsylvania. I hope they are worn in good health!

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RACE DAY IN THE LIVING ROOM

Today Kevin was a race car driver. He got in his car seat which he carefully positioned in the center of the couch. Then, using the Xbox steering wheel to drive, he began racing. He had so much fun. Winnie the Pooh was on TV while he was racing. I don't know if the two were related in his mind but I thought it very interesting that he was watching Pooh while driving! I wonder what he was thinking. His driving was like Tigger's bouncin'--all over the place!

Oh, how I do so dread the day when he does learn to drive. He is going to be just like his mother was... a leadfoot! Hopefully I have a quite a few more years before that happens though!

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FESTIVAL TIME

Only 29 days until MerleFest! I doubt I'll get to go it's gotten so expensive anymore. But I'll be there in spirit. If you're not a bluegrass fan then you might not know what MerleFest is. It's one of the best bluegrass fesitvals in the country. It's held each year on the campus of Wilkes Community College in North Wilkesboro, NC in honor of Merle Watson who died several years ago. Merle was the son of Doc Watson who is a legendary bluegrass artist born and raised in the NC High Country. Check out the link. It's a great place to get to know bluegrass.

Every kind of person you can think of attends Merlefest. It's a family event as well as a hippie sort of event. It draws people from all over the country and North America. It's time well spent. I've only been three times but I had a ball each time. I would love to one day become a vendor at Merlefest. Someday I will. There are so many wonderful crafts there!

This year the artists performing include Bela Fleck, AKUS (Alison Kraus and Union Station), Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Del McCoury Band, Doyle Lawon and Quicksilver, Doc Watson, and Tony Rice to just name a few. Bela, Sam, Jerry and Tony are my favorites. I saw them perform together at the Birchmere in D.C. calling themselves the 'Superpickers'. I was blown away. That was in the 1980s. Now they are 'supreme' pickers!

There was one performer I saw on the schedule that I thought was extremely odd to be at a bluegrass festival and that was Elvis Costello! How cool is that?! I wonder what the heck he'll be doing there! It's fantastic that he's appearing though. He will bring in a different demographic than usual. I'd love to see him. He's an all-time favorite.

If you ever get a chance to listen to Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, AKUS, or Tony Rice you should do so. They are not just ordinary bluegrass musicians. Bela plays jazz banjo as well as classical. He can play any style of music out there. Jerry Douglas is mainly bluegrass but does play different types as well. They are both on MySpace too, so you can look them up there. AKUS is just fantastic and Sam Bush is a wild and crazy guy. Tony Rice, well he's sophisticated bluegrass but just about anything goes with him too. Check 'em out, you might like 'em!

Got to go to bed. My eyes have just about had it for one day!

Until next time....