Adapt, Revise, Change, Repeat

“Every success story is a tale of constant adaption, revision and change.”

Richard Branson

If there’s something you really want, you don’t get to just announce that you want it and then attain your goal without working for it. That means following Mr Branson’s plan to constantly adapt, revise and change.

I’ve somehow gotten off the road toward my goal of being healthy and strong. That was the focus of 2018 – to challenge myself, to stretch and grow and to be as strong and healthy as I can be.

It took about a week of convalescing with a dumb sinus infection to realize how far off mark I have been for the last few months. I’ve lost my drive and am grasping at straws seeking meaning.

So, here I am, regrouping again and trying to determine if I need new goals. I think I’ll stick with healthy and strong and see where it takes me for the remainder of this year.

Here’s hoping I can regain some of the excitement and genuine interest in the world that I used to have.

Make it a good day, my friends.

Athena And The Parthenon

Just a couple of miles from the hubbub of downtown Nashville you’ll find Centennial Park. Originally farmland, it was developed as the site of the Tennessee Centennial and International Exhibition in 1897. When the Centennial celebration ended, many of the temporary expo buildings were dismantled but a life size replica of the Parthenon was left.

A few years later, the grounds were transformed into a city park and that temporary replica of the Parthenon was eventually rebuilt using permanent materials.

Today, the Parthenon remains a major attraction and the park is used by both tourists and locals alike, It’s well over a hundred acres with a rec center, walking paths, beautiful landscaping, outdoor recreational activities, a band shell and a beautiful pond.

A quick stroll around the park revealed all sorts of interesting things – people playing Pokemon, high school kids having prom pictures taken, little kids learning to ride their bikes – I even witnessed a wedding. That’s without mentioning the hordes gathered to take selfies in front of the Parthenon.

Venture inside and you’ll find a very nice art museum as well as something quite unexpected – an enormous statue of the goddess Athena. When I say enormous, I really mean ginormous. It took years to fund and to create and was originally plain white clay. In 2002, part of the statue was gilded while details were also added in paint,

Friends, the word gaudy was created to describe this statue but I had an absolute ball studying and photographing it.

Want to visit the Parthenon? You can walk around the outside and explore the park for free. If you wish to go inside to tour the gallery or to see the Athena, it’ll cost you $6. Learn more at their website.

Grandview Cemtery In Spring

I have a thing for old cemeteries. They feel sacred, peaceful and welcoming to me. I took these photos at one of my favorites – Grandview Cemetery in Portsmouth –  a few years ago. I was involved in a lengthy relationship with a guy who used to live nearby and we sometimes walked in this cemetery. I loved it here. I haven’t been back to Portsmouth since we broke up over a year ago but imagine the cemetery looks like this right now.

There are a number of old graves here and interesting statuary. I always loved these two.

I have a number of photos from here. Maybe I’ll dig them out and share more with you someday.

Patsy Cline Museum

Let’s go back to Nashville, shall we?

One of the best decisions I made during my last visit to Nashville was to check out the Patsy Cline Museum. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing to go there. My original plan to tour the Ryman was impeded by a matinee interfering with afternoon tours. There are  many museums in town but I couldn’t get out of my head the idea that I needed to see the Patsy Cline Museum.

It’s on the second floor of the Johnny Cash Museum. By the way, that one was a madhouse – noisy and with people standing everywhere. In comparison, the Patsy museum was a bastion of quiet, sophistication and the smooth sounds of Patsy’s voice.

This isn’t a large museum but it’s extremely well done and there appears to be room for growth as they acquire more pieces for the collection. They have some stage costumes (made by her mother and beautifully done), furnishings from her her home and even a booth from the soda fountain where she worked as a young woman. Costume jewelry, the watch she was wearing when she died and lots of music can be found here.

A jukebox plays “Crazy” on a loop and a video tells her life story.

It’s all very well done and tells her story, which is quite old now, in a way that feels timeless – much like her music.

I was torn because the experience was so pleasant with only a handful of other visitors in the museum during my visit while other attractions like the Cash museum downstairs, had lines out the door. I hope their attendance picks up and that they’re able to survive. The thought of a Patsy Cline museum not surviving in Nasvhille is shameful.

Want to go? Get more details here.

 

 

Slowing Down The Wanderer

It’s hard to be a backroads wanderer when you have a nasty sinus infection. Turns out my trip to Nashville exposed me to all kinds of fun pollens and crud that left me vulnerable.

This isn’t unusual since I tend to have two sinus infections a year – one in fall and one in spring. So I know the drill: Rest, citrus, fluids, meds, repeat.

This week’s goal simply is to get better. I’ve got a fistful of antibiotics, a mountain of fresh oranges and a desire to simply be well again. Wish me luck, friends. I am a terrible patient.

 

Variety

One of the neatest things about Nashville is the variety in architecture. So much old and new, mixed together create a feast for the eyes. Here’s just one example of that.

If I ever go back, I want to focus more on the architecture. My trip was super quick and the weather wasn’t great so it wasn’t ideal for picture taking anyway.

Another day, another trip!