in the POD - winding our way through Tennessee

somewhere in Tennessee.

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Heading south out of Knoxville this morning we decided to stay far off the well traveled highways on our way through Georgia and into Florida. We traveled mostly on State Highway 411 through Tennessee skirting the foothills of the Smokey Mountains and the Cherokee National Forest. Early morning was beautiful as we passed through thickly shaded rural areas nestled deep in small, damp valleys. The morning fog was just lifting as the sun, peeking over the hill, lit the air. These rural areas were both spectacular in their remoteness and beauty and yet - a bit sad at the same time. The area was populated by small wooden houses that really were like shacks, seemingly held up by sheer will alone, and then just a few turns in the road later - acres, of what used to be farmland, filled with brick trophy homes. For the most part - most of our drive through the small towns and communities was very pleasant - and I for one always relish the opportunity to get off the highway and take in what is offered up to us - visually. Tim was much more upset by it than I was - probably the myriad of Trump signs that we saw. I have yet to process it - but my optimist self tells me that I need to understand all the stories and stay strong.

So.... on a lighter note..... last night in Knoxville - which is yet another city that is definitely worth a second look! NOT that we were hungry or even needed to eat another thing till maybe-  next week...... We did, however, have three BBQ places on our option list that we needed to explore.
I picked Sweet P's Downtown Dive, based on reading a combo of Yelp and Trip Advisor reviews.....

Sweet P's - right by the train tracks.

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Sweet P's combo plate with three sides

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Order and pick up at the self serve counter, find a table or a high top in the small bar area and order a few beers. Friendly atmosphere, mid 80's funk playing on the sound system and the young people at the bar were great fun to talk to. We split a combo plate of pulled pork, 1/2 rack of ribs, 2 slices of brisket, and three sides; cole slaw, mac and cheese and green beans. The brisket was not perfect - we still had the burnt ends from the other night in our minds and this was definitely not even close. The pulled pork was good - dry and tender -  but less than memorable. The ribs, however, were fantastic! Really flavorful, smokey and quite tasty. First ribs we had sampled so it was nice to have them be so good. Sides were all fine - with a stand out mac and cheese.

And because serendipity always seems to work in our favor... there was a distillery just up the block from the BBQ joint! Crazy!  Knox Whiskey Works is a small batch distillery that makes ALL of their product out of 100% Tennessee corn. We sampled 2 flights in order to try all of their offerings and they were all, surprisingly, really good. Unfortunately, they were all out of their first batch of bourbon - which had sold out in 4 days!!!  

Knox Whiskey Works

a few of the offerings

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We ended the day in  Jasper, FL eating all our BBQ leftovers from the last few days. Still delicious and allowing us to relive the moments and the places. 

Makes me smile.

We head to Pine Island, FL tomorrow. 

Friends. 

in the POD - BBQ for breakfast?

Bonnie Blue Southern Market and Bakery

Winchester, VA

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Only 24 hours into this drive I shouldn't say that we found our favorite place already .... but I will say that we have decided to make this restaurant a stop on our return north just so we can eat here again!! Besides the fact that this place is AMAZINGLY adorable ( - a redone old gas station!), the interior was charming and quirky, and all the people were friendly and pleasant - our breakfast was truly DELICIOUS!
No, we did not have BBQ for breakfast (insert semi-sad face here) which is one of the reasons we want to come back. As we arrived this morning at 9 a.m. they were just getting the large smokers out back heated up - and they were already smelling great!

one of the smokers on the side of the restaurant

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Inside there were large farm tables to share and counters lining the walls. The BBQ menu was written high above the bakery counter and although it looked great we did feel that we should stay on the morning side of eating - besides, good BBQ deserves a beer and even I could not give us a dispensation this early with 7 hours of driving ahead of us!!

Bonnie Blue Homemade pickles and locally made "Cheerwine" 

for sale.

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Front counter and bakery

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I opted for the "Happy Sailor" - House smoked kielbasa, 2 eggs, biscuit and fried local apples. The kielbasa was drop dead awesome deliciousness. Peppery, rich and complex! (so wish I had a beer ....) The fried apples were perfectly cooked on the inside and just crunchy enough on the outside - what a great idea! 

....and of course a red feather Christmas tree!

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Tim had the "Amazing Buttermilk Biscuits and Gravy". Two biscuits covered in housemade sausage gravy with an overly generous side of cheese grits. Tim loved his breakfast choice noting that the sweet sausage had just enough pepper and the biscuits were, in fact, amazing. The grits were delicious and seemed to be a mix of both white and yellow corn.


Winchester, VA is a beautiful little city! Established @ 1750 the historic Old Town area is filled with large and small Georgian, Italianate, and Victorian style architecture. We are already looking forward to our return for a little more exploring, what we expect to be great BBQ, stocking up on those pickles, and trying some of the great looking bakery that was offered!

Next stop - Knoxville, TN

in the POD - on the road again!

 somewhere on the road

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Today's sky is reflecting the slate grey pavement in front of us,

white lines point out our direction.

Enclosed within this quiet world

we look to each other for the color of adventure.

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Yes. We are finally back in the POD! Our refuge, our escape. Looking forward to 4 weeks on the road visiting both new and familiar places. Planning to take our time, eat lots of BBQ along the way, unwind and unplug, and mix in just enough history to keep it interesting! Recharge.

We will be making our routine stop at Dietrich's Meats and Country Store in Pennsylvania to pick up a special treat - bone in pork loin - to cook on the spit for New Years Eve. And then .... our first (of many) stops for BBQ along our month long route. The plan is to sample all the regional varieties, compare, enjoy and wash it down with great local beer!

And thus, we begin. Dinner at Hempen Hill BBQ in Hagerstown, MD. A relatively large establishment - maybe 100 seats - located @ 2 miles off of Interstate 81. The place was very busy (on a tuesday eve after xmas!) and we sat at the almost full bar. Great selections of beers on tap, BBQ, and other pub style items. I had a Barley and Hops Winter Lager, a microbrewery out of Frederick, MD. Terrific! Great barley flavor with a modicum of hops - a rich and full bodied seasonal brew. Tim had the Flying Fish Baltic Porter, from a brewery in New Jersey. Very dark, creamy with a flavor of roasted malts and a hint of chocolate. Yum!

For dinner, Tim had the Tuesday night special - "burnt ends" of smoked brisket. He was quite the happy camper! Large chunks, crispy, smokey and flavorful!!

I had the 2 meat plate - smoked sausage and "pit" beef, which is smoked prime rib done rare, sliced thin, and then tossed into an au jus just before serving. Never had anything like that before in the BBQ world .... and it was really, really delicious.

Of course we shared it all and there were ample leftovers for us to take with us.... in case we can't find another BBQ stop between here and Florida! ;)

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FYI - The sun did eventually come out as we drove south ........ blue skies ahead! 

in the studio - and needing to remain here

 the mothership at home in Franklin

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Oh my! Has it really been 5 months since I actually sat down to write a post? Seems like only yesterday. The days have been so busy and so much has happened.....I barely noticed that we actually had a change of season - TWICE!

So - here's whats been happening........

We bought the "mothership" Airstream - end of February
To Kill A Mockingbird and Blues for Mister Charlie opened - March 7th
Rosemarie Josephine came into our world!!! - March 26th

RJ - 3 months later

Tim goes to Florida to take stock and gut the Airstream - April 1st

cutting and sewing begins in earnest for rose : joe - April 1st

the Airstream is moved into place in Franklin - April 30th

Oklahoma opened - May 2nd

Tim begins working on the gutted Airstream - May 10th

you gotta have a vision

Providence home quietly on the market - May 15th

invited to have a solo exhibit at Cotuit Center for the Arts in May 2017!! - June 5th

rose : joe has its first craft fair event - June 11th

it's a family affair

Providence home under contract ...... June 22nd

Yikes.

Careful what you wish for!

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My studio has officially been moved and althou the space has a bit less natural light than my last one, it does have more space. I'm beginning to feel settled and happy here. 

need to get some new art up on the walls!

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I get to have Rosemarie visit on the days that she does not go to day care and decides she actually wants to live her role as CEO of rose : joe.

RJ questions the Fall color palette...

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I'm also close enough to the mothership that I can help Tim when requested and I even have a new office assistant! 

I'm hoping to train her to do shipping and receiving!

Penny on the job.

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This is where we are - right now. Lots ahead. All good.

3 more upcoming craft fairs for rose : joe and I need to focus on creating some new art work. I need somewhere between 20 - 30 pieces for the show!

Maybe Penny would rather learn to collage......

in the studio - untethered and casting sails

Oklahoma!

starting a new show....and more

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I will not say that I am feeling overwhelmed. I am feeling a bit out of control - but in a good way. 

If that's possible? 

To Kill a Mockingbird and Blues for Mister Charlie will head into tech rehearsals this weekend at Trinity Rep. Other than the, hopefully, minor changes that always happen during tech - my work is basically completed on these shows. 

And so begins the next series of adventures.

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The costumes for Oklahoma!, opening on May 9th, will need to be sketched, sourced and ready for the costume shop to begin patterns on April 1st. (April Fools Day...... hope that's not a sign)

Starting a new show is always a bit scary, always a puzzle to be solved and - always really exhilarating! I'm probably more nervous about this show than most. I've never worked  with either this director or choreographer before, so understanding that dynamic will be a BIG learning curve in itself. And, like Christmas Carol, it is a big show and most of the costumes will need to be built from scratch.

But, it is the creative along side the challenge that keeps it exciting for me and I am really looking forward to this new one!

rose : joe

starting a new business......

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And then - there is this new business that I've started. 

rose : joe 

is a line of gender neutral baby and toddler clothes created from upcycled cashmere, wool, and cotton knits. I've been thinking about this concept for a few years now and I finally gave voice to it last fall. Once I actually heard that voice - I had to listen. 

And so here I am.

I'm focusing on Fall '16. I have a palette, a graphic direction and the line is laid out on a board. All of this research and designing has been a lot of fun! (A big thanks to my years in the fashion world for teaching me how to plan a line)

Currently I'm in the process of making all the patterns. (the totally NOT fun part of the process)

Then on to fittings - need to find me some 6mos - 24mos kids. Then more cutting, more sewing and hopefully by May I'll have @ 100+ pieces completed. At least thats my current goal.

I've hired someone to help me with all the sewing so maybe its all doable.....?

And then the really hard part - showing it and selling it. Like any art form, at some point you have to present it to the public and let them weigh in on it.

Like it? Need it? Value? Worthiness? Anything?

patterns, cashmere, wool and cotton leftovers, 

and style packages waiting to be sewn.

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And then..... I have also thrown my collage art work into another possible ring. I applied to have an art show at the Cotuit Center for the Arts gallery. If accepted it will be for some time in 2017. 

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I have cast a lot of sails out into the universe right now. 

Maybe one will catch a bit of air? 

It's all about faith. It's all about engaging, every day.

Create. Communicate. Accept. Prosper.

in the POD - looking for the mothership

Tiny Red - 24' long x 7.5' wide x 8.6' high at peak

East Nashville, TN

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For us, the POD is an escape vehicle. And, in terms of cultural references, as in .... " open the POD bay doors Hal", Dave needed to flee the mother ship. Therefore it makes sense that our POD needs a "mother ship". 

Currently our mother ship is brick and mortar, attached to the earth, and approximately 1,000 sq ft. We have been trying to figure out if that is the best fit for us and, if not, what the best might look like.

Part of this road trip was designed to have some time together without distraction to discuss everything we have researched/learned over the past year and to reflect on all options.

We want our mother ship to be small, manageable, little maintenance, and easy to walk away from for months at a time so we can travel..... in the POD.

So - What is this home base? How big is it? Where is it located? 

In the effort of exploring all options and trying on all the hats necessary to make this decision over the past few years we have been:

Downsizing. A lot! Having sold or given away countless pieces of furniture, accessories, art, etc - we are now pretty much down to essentials! And if feels great!!

In the past 5 years we have lived in smallish condos and apartments @ 800 - 900 sq ft. and been very comfortable. And happy!

Truthfully, our current base, is really more space than we need. We feel we can go smaller - much smaller. 

Which brings us first to tiny houses! And why we are  staying in one for a few days. We have been researching them a lot over the last year and Tim attended a Tumbleweed Tiny Home Workshop for a few days last fall. In earnest we began working on layouts and system needs but other than  

laying tape on our home floor and imagining what living in 200 sq ft. would be ...... It was hard to get a real sense of the space. We decided we needed to stay in one!

Hence - Tiny Red, an Airbnb offering. Truthfully, this particular one was not our first choice. We actually rented a tiny house in Orlando - which was very modern and cool looking - but that fell through a week before we were to be there. Ugh! (That listing has since been removed from the site). So I scrambled to find us another and Nashville was the closest place with tiny homes on Airbnb and Tiny Red was the only one with open days that fit our schedule. 

Tiny Red is located in the back yard of a modest home in East Nashville, a neighborhood that is in the midst of growth and some gentrification. 

We were very excited about our stay and were ready to lock ourselves in there - tape measures, pencils and paper in hand  - and ready to start dreaming!

Open the door and......

1. Whoa....... It felt so tiny!

2. The wood paneling and dark colors were definitely not our aesthetic and it made the small space even more claustrophobic. 

3. It was freezing in Nashville and the 2 small oil space heaters were doing a bang up job with heating the house but they were in the middle of the room leaving @ zero space on either side to move around.

4. There was too much stuff!

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We needed to re-boot. Quickly.

We decided to take a walk and find an oasis of calm, a warm place we could relax and take the 30,000 ft view on the info we had at hand.

Thank God for excellent beer! And a very cool establishment.

The Hop Stop

East Nashville, TN

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We immediately began to feel better! And we started tossing around ideas about the space. Ours wouldn't look like that - we kept reminding ourselves of the ones we saw as we researched!

View from the living area to the bedroom end. Kitchen on left, bathroom on right.

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The Kitchen here was totally non functional - too much stuff, lack of organization, dark tiles. The Bathroom would need to be relocated. The bedroom was ALL bed - we would use a form of a Murphy bed so that the room had use options. Trusses and higher ceiling was a nice effect - but all the heat rose up there and a loft at each end would provide storage.

Tim in the "living" area

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So we settled back in. And truthfully, except for the extremely uncomfortable bed, the minuscule water heater that did not allow a proper shower, the lack of anything useful to cook dinner with ( we ended up cooking and eating our dinner in the POD because it was easier and more comfortable!) and all the other slights mentioned previously...... It wasn't so bad.

Here is the Airbnb listing for Tiny Red.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4137788

Here is another tiny house listing, also in Nashville, that was not available on our dates but one whose aesthetic is more along the lines with ours.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/3207994

Ultimately we realized that it wasn't the size that was the issue - it was the use of the space and the total lack of creativity in making it work efficiently!!!!!

Having done the small space/make it work arrangement before - a 26' yellow GMC motor home that was our residence for 2 years - and we shared it with an infant Tyler and 2 good size dogs! we know we can make this work. Tim rebuilt the entire interior of that coach to accommodate our lifestyle at the time and it worked brilliantly!

Which brings us to our newest option - one which we only began to consider recently. Remember I mentioned a stop in Ocala? 31' of endless possibilities!!

1990 Airstream

Ocala, FL

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The size of the interior space in the Airstream was great! We could imagine creating a very livable floor plan in it.

And, of course, then we had a bit of a detour to Mississippi on our way to Nashville to see another.

1994 Airstream

Meridian, MS

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And so here we are - about to head back to our current "mother ship" and a solid 4 months worth of commitments (for me)  - and now two options are on the table. 

It's a good place to be actually. We will work it out because ..... We LOVE challenges.

Our aesthetic - simplicity, color, flow, light

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Make it happen.

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in the POD - planets align

Ospreys at the end of the lane

Pine Island, FL

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We left Pine Island before dawn and were fortunate enough to have a perfectly clear morning sky - which had not been the case for most of our stay. It allowed us to finally see the spectacular line up of planets now visible in the southern sky. 

Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter  were brilliant with Mercury, just above the horizon, starting off this ascending parade. And- if you catch it at the right time - the Moon ( full when we saw it) will top it all off right next to Jupiter! 

If you have not seen this yet you have until @ Feb 6th to find yourself a clear view of the southern horizon approximately 30-40 minutes before sunrise ...... It is worth it!

Daryl, Bill, Kim and Tim

Kim and Claudia had been terrific hosts and we all had a great time together - lots of shared cooking fun! Good talks and lots of laughs. And two of their friends from Arkansas - Bill and Daryl -  visited for a week as well. (The yard was beginning to look like a pop-up RV resort!!) Tim had met them before but they were new to me. Interesting people!! So nice to meet new friends and share so much immediately. Thank you! Looking forward to our paths crossing again.

But - It was definitely time to move on. We headed back up 75 toward Ocala. I hate using BIG, annoyingly FAST highways but we wanted to get to Ocala quickly for a very specific stop - more on that in a later post.......

With the Ocala mission accomplished we headed west on smaller county roads into the panhandle. The panhandle is really pretty. Having been through there last year we wanted to return and explore some new roads and new camp spots. The coast of the panhandle is mostly small, older beach towns. The interior is much more rural and filled with lots of old growth cedar and pine.  The area was over logged in the early last century and now most of the Pecky Cypress and Yellow Pine are gone. Logging is still a big thing here but luckily it is now done with sustainability in mind. 

We drove along the coast heading to the state park on St Georges Island, a barrier  island in the Gulf. Connected to the mainland by a 4 mile bridge, the island is around 16 miles long and maybe 1 mile wide at its widest. A sand spit! We wanted to check out a state park there.

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Miles of beach on St. George Island

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WOW! 

St George State Park is almost 2,000 acres at the eastern end of the island. There are 9 miles of pristine, undeveloped beach and dunes, along with salt marshes, small ponds and sloughs. It was spectacular! We have added it to our "need to return to" list possibly for next year - and hoping to stay at least a week.

State parks are really the best deals for camping. Extremely well kept, tending toward people who really enjoy and respect the outdoors, friendly park rangers, and much cheaper than commercial parks!

The beach was perfect for shelling - huge sea scallop ang oyster shells, sand dollars, and tons of sponges! I however had to pretty much refrain as there is only so much one can acquire in the POD. I did add one small piece of perfectly worn driftwood and a sand dollar to my dashboard gallery.

Dunes separated the wooded campground from the beach. 

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Fish cakes and salad

Dinner in the POD

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just a Hi to our friends....

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Once again we woke early hoping to catch the morning parade of planets. But unfortunately we could see there were clouds on the horizon. We walked to the beach anyway knowing full well the beauty that we would find with or without the help of the atmosphere. 

Sunrise

St George Island State Park, FL

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in the POD - working at relaxing

Morning fog

South end of Pine Island

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 It's not easy for me but I've been trying to relax. Really relax - to not do anything. Just look, ponder, imagine ..... open my self up to whatever takes hold, allow my mind to wander, discover.

It sounds kind of silly having to "work" at relaxing but I think it's important - especially for me! Sometimes I act like I'm relaxing  - gardening or reading - but each of these "relaxing" activities are actually done with their own specific outcome in mind. Each demands a conclusion, a finish. 

Something accomplished.

But what about doing nothing, ambling along with the chance of discovering something that you aren't looking for?

I believe that can only happen when you can put all external forces aside. Shut out the noise and, more importantly, shut off the pressure to accomplish something.

Let it go!

Anyway, I've been thinking about that ever since we began this month's sojourn. And, I have been trying to not fill my days with "things that I need to accomplish"! And - uggh - that is hard for me!

So it was comforting to find this article in the NY Times..... It seemed almost ..... serendipitous.

"How to Cultivate the Art of Serendipity"

By PAGAN KENNEDYJAN. 2, 2016

Galt Preserve

Pine Island, FL

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"As people dredge the unknown, they are engaging in a highly creative act. What an inventor “finds” is always an expression of him- or herself." 

Yellow Crowned Night Heron

Pine Island, FL

The world around us is full of these strings - each potentially planting a seed - growing and waiting for us to explore. 

I need to be open to that.

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View from Pine Island Sound

St James City, Pine Island

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in the POD - Heading South and New Years on Pine Island

overlooking the canal and fire pit at Kim and Claudia's

Pine Island, FL

(note the lamb on the spit)

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Pine Island has a lot of advantages - abundant sunshine, lush landscapes, some very dear friends, and really great boating - all with the added bonus that I can literally go anywhere dressed in tired yoga capris and a messy t-shirt and still be overdressed!

 As we biked around our old streets this morning there was, in fact, that tiny tug we felt the first time we visited the island in 2000......
But relax...... we both agreed that ultimately Pine Island is deceptively seductive. It is really relaxing and fun to be here - and an extended visit is just fine! 

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Our drive down was mostly uneventful althou we did stop in rural Pennsylvania at our new favorite store... 

Dietrich's Meats !

........and smoked everything!

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OMG! it is a meat lover's, smoked lover's ultimate destination. We happened upon it on our trek to D.C. last month and knew we had to return - as soon as possible. Dietrich's is a Pennsylvania Dutch country store that has been operating, under the same family, for over 60 years. With a butchery and smoke house right on the premises they specialize in  traditional and hard to find cuts of meat and game. AND... they give free samples!

I was intrigued by the sweet buffalo bologna in the shape of a football!

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One can kind of go crazy in here - smoked baby back ribs right out of the smoker, home made cheeses, pickled everything, smoked bologna and salami .... the place smells so good you want to try it all!  And if you do choose not to buy those amazing smoked ribs ..... guaranteed that 6 hours later, when you stop for the night, you will dearly wish you had made that extra indulgence!!!

And even without the ribs on board... the POD smelled like a smokehouse as we headed south through West Virginia and the Carolinas. One of the things I like best is driving on the smaller U.S. HWYs and county roads and trying to stay off the interstates whenever possible. So many interesting things to see and learn about! Thank goodness for that handy data source in our hand!
Between Virginia and N.C we happened to travel on U.S. 52 - rural, winding and quite beautiful until it got dark and it began to rain like we were in the tropics. The names of towns can excite me and I was really looking forward to driving thru "Fancy Gap, Virginia"..... population @ 260. It sounded like it must be - well - fancy!
But, like I said, it was raining hard. So between that, the darkness, the 45 degree incline we were going down and the relative smallness of the town - I missed it! Obviously it will forever be a beautiful imaginary place for me.
This route also took us thru Mount Airy, N.C which was the birthplace of Andy Griffith. That fact helped make sense of the Mayberry Inn, Goober's Auto Repair, and Aunt Bea's Pie Shoppe that we passed !
And, then just to make this foray off the Interstate even better ...... we stumbled thru the town of Toast, N.C.!!!! What a great, comforting name for a town! It is right up there with Pie, N.M.!
I can see an entire road trip built around visiting towns that are named after food. And then you must find the best of that particular food in the town!
Who serves the best toast in Toast?
The best sandwich in Sandwich?
Whoa..... starting work on that plan right now.

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New Year's Eve on Pine Island was a quiet affair with a few close friends and a delicious dinner - exactly as we had hoped for. The celebratory fireworks actually woke me up just after midnight - but I rolled over and fell quickly back to sleep in anticipation of the morning's sunshine and early bike ride we would have today.
It's just what a vacation should be.

Happy New Year.

 Among the goodies bought at Dietrich's was a whole, bone in leg of lamb 
- rubbed, marinated and ready for the spit!

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