Charm of the Carolines

Spittin' Sunflower Seeds

When I was in kindergarten my mom grew sunflowers along a privacy fence on the side of our yard. It didn’t take too long before they were peeping over the 7 foot high fence over at the neighbors. I remember the day we harvested the seeds. I sat on the edge of our patio and held the big bloom in my hands rubbing the seeds until they popped off.

Occasionally now I’ll get the notion to grow sunflowers. I love them because they are so bright and beautiful, but I’ve never had the success of that first attempt. The second time I planted sunflower seeds was in a bed in my parents’ yard on the other side of the house. You should have seen the birds crowding the bed, digging up the seeds. It was a feathered smorgasbord!

The next time I attempted to root the seeds indoors in winter in little peat pots in the tiny, old apartment I shared with my younger brother. The plan was to transplant them later thereby protecting them in the seed stage from the birds. This was not successful either. Sunflowers need, well, sun.

My brothers make fun of me because if I want to learn something, I go buy a book. Well, here is the book’s version on growing sunflowers:

1. Obtain sunflower seeds.

2. Ensure that the last frost has passed.

3. Select a part of the garden where there is full sun all day long.

4. Plant the seeds in the soil 2 inches deep and about 1 foot apart. (And this is my added piece of wisdom: Lay a mesh screen over the bed to allow sun and moisture in but to keep the birds out. I have a screen door insert ready for just an occasion. And, by the way, transplanting sunflower plants is not recommended.)

5. Water generously.

6. Watch. Sunflower sprouts will pop up about 2-3 weeks after planting.

7. Enjoy the beauty of your sunflowers.

And for an added bonus, here is the book’s version on how to eat sunflower seeds:

1. Purchase a bag of sunflower seeds.

2. Place one or two sunflower seeds in your mouth.

3. With your tongue, move one over to your cheek and place the other seed vertically or horizontally between your teeth, depending on your preference.

4. Apply firm and steady pressure on the seed until it cracks.

5. Release the seed from your teeth.

6. Spit out all of the shell pieces and eat the seed.

However, if you are lazy like me, you will either purchase seeds that are already shelled or develop a taste for the crunchy goodness and fiber that is the salted sunflower shell.

And just so you know, in a vegetable gardening class I took in graduate school we learned there are two plants indigenous to north America, corn and sunflowers.

The Bell Witch

Middle Tennessee is enchanted with the spirits of dead friends and relatives and brave soldiers who fought for the cause they believed in so much they sacrificed their lives for it. I feel very safe and guarded living here. But I must share with you at least one story of a ghost that was not so protective and peaceful. This ghost is known as the Bell Witch.

I first learned of the Bell Witch in the first grade from the other kids. It was rumored that if you go into a dark room and turn around three times and repeat three times, “ I don’t believe in the Bell Witch” that she would appear. I never did this because I don’t know whether or not I believe she is a witch, but I do know she is a ghost, and a sinister one at that.

The Bell Witch is so named because she haunted the Bell family of Adams, Tenn, just northwest of Nashville in Robertson County, beginning in 1817. John Bell, Sr, a farmer, encountered an apparition in his cornfield that was described as a dog with a rabbit head. Bell shot at it several times and it disappeared. This bizarre event was followed by frequent and forceful beating and gnawing sounds emanating in and around the Bell house and farm. Bell and his sons Richard and Joel would run outside the house to identify and stop the responsible party, but with no luck. They found nothing.

Soon thereafter the residents of the house started experiencing the feeling of rats gnawing at their feet while they slept and bedcovers pulled off their bodies and pillows tossed about. These events continued until Betsy Bell, the family’s younger daughter claimed to have been assaulted by an invisible entity. Betsy’s assaults escalated from slaps and hair pulling to events that left her bruised and leaving hand prints and welts on her face and body. Accompanying the strange events were soft, whispering voices, too faint to interpret but sounded like an old woman singing hymns.

The Bells were devout Baptists with John Bell, Sr, serving as a deacon at the local Baptist church. He encouraged his family to keep these events secret, but the frequency and intensity escalated to the point they confided in a family friend James Johnston.

Johnston and his wife spent the night in the Bell’s home to see if they could make sense of the story their friend shared. Without discrimination the ghost subjected the Johnston’s to the same abuse. It is documented that after having his bedcovers removed and being slapped repeatedly, Johnston jumped out of bed and exclaimed, “In the name of the Lord, who are you and what do you want?!” But there was no response.

Over time the ghost’s voice became stronger and louder and enunciated unmistakable hymns, scripture, and even once quoted word-for-word two sermons that were preached on the same day at the same time in two different churches 13 miles apart. The Bell Witch was an intelligent haunting and could carry on a conversation when engaged to do so.

According to Pat Fitzhugh, noted historian, “Word of this supernatural phenomenon soon spread outside the settlement, even to Nashville, where then-Major General Andrew Jackson took a keen interest. John Bell, Jr, Drewry Bell, and Jesse Bell, John Sr’s eldest sons, had fought under General Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans. In 1819, Jackson decided to visit the Bell farm. His entourage consisted of several men, some well-groomed horses, and a wagon. As they approached the Bell property, the wagon stopped suddenly because the horses could no longer pull it. A disembodied woman’s voice told Jackson they could proceed but that she would see them again later that evening.”

That evening one of Jackson’s men, after several uneventful hours, pulled out his gun and said his silver bullet would kill any evil spirit. Immediately the screamed and began jerking, complaining that he was being stuck with pins and being beaten severely, until he was thrown out the front door. Jackson’s men were terrified and begged to leave, but Jackson refused. It is uncertain what happened next because early the next morning Jackson and his men were seen in Springfield, Tenn, on their way back to Nashville.”

The appearance of the Bell Witch diminished after John, Sr’s death, but there are documented accounts of her reappearance numerous times over the past 200 years. Kate Batts, who is suspected to be the Bell Witch, claimed responsibility for John's death, even laughing, cursing and singing at his funeral.

For more information on the Bell Witch accounts can be found in Goodspeed History of Tennessee, published in 1887, the 1894 An Authenticated History of the Bell Witch of Tennessee by Martin Van Buren Ingram (also known as the Red Book), and in Richard William Bell's Diary: Our Family Trouble. The Black Book was written much later, and published in 1934 by Dr. Charles Bailey Bell, great-grandson of John Bell. Thirteen Tennessee Ghosts by Kathryn Windham includes the story of the Bell Witch. The Guidebook for Tennessee, published by the Works Project Administration in 1939, also contains an account.

Dinner with the Kernal

Everywhere you look corn is growing sky high in middle Tennessee. Just around the corner my neighbors have room for a tiny garden beside their house and I would not imagine there would be room for corn, but don’t you know they are growing 2 stalks! And why not, just picked corn on the cob is one of the most delicious foods on the planet.

As a graduate assistant at Middle Tennessee State University I worked 20 hours a week in the International Student Services office for a small stipend and paid tuition. The beauty of the arrangement was that I could take any and as many classes as I wanted. In addition to my graduate classes, I also took German and Vegetable Gardening. In the VG class I learned corn is one of the few plants indigenous to North America. It’s more native then we are. And unlike it’s derivatives like high fructose corn syrup, fresh corn straight off the cob is very nutritious and good for you. And did I mention delicious?

Sweet corn is different than field corn harvested later for commercial use as grain and silage when the kernels are hard and dry. Sweet corn is harvested during the immature “milk stage” and eaten as a vegetable, not a grain. I’m still looking for my grandmother’s fried corn recipe where she “milked” the cob for the recipe. Until I find it we’ll have to make do with other excellent recipes handed down from other wonderful southern cooks located in middle Tennessee.

In the recipe book Flaunting our Finest from Historic Franklin, we have Baked Corn Pudding that looks delicious.

4 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups whole milk
½ teaspoon pepper
4 well beaten eggs
2 ½ cups fresh corn, right off the cob with juices

Melt butter, add flour, mixing well. Add milk gradually and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add corn, sugar, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat, add eggs and pour into a greased 3 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees until firm, about 45 minutes.

Yield: 12 servings.

Variations: Add ¼ cup diced onion and ¼ cup green bell pepper.

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Fountains of Crepe-myrtle

Middle Tennessee has exploded with the vibrant beauty of Crepe-myrtles.

I don’t know when I’ve seen them this magnificent. Maybe it’s been the moist spring we’ve experienced or the recent hot temperatures, but the Crepe-myrtles are in glorious full bloom.

A member of the Loosestrife family, Crepe-myrtles are an evergreen shrub/tree with graceful and sinewy stems bowing heavy with bunches of crepe-like flowers appearing first in July and continuing until autumn. Crepe-myrtle colors range from purple to red to vivid pink to pale pink to white. And in some parts of the south, they are known as a Cuddle Tree and they were first introduced to this country through South Carolina in 1747.

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service, a part of Clemson University in South Carolina, offers a program on the cultivation and care of Crepe-myrtles.

Today you can find large, old Crepe-myrtles growing near historic homes and in historic neighborhoods reaching 30 feet tall. However there are varieties in dwarf, semi-dwarf, small, medium, and large sizes.

The Japanese Crepe-myrtle was introduced to the US in the 1950s. The Japanese Crepe-myrtle is mildew resistant and can thrive in colder climes.

If you are interested in planting a Crepe-myrtle of your own they are easy to root. Simply find a beautiful example of the bush/tree you’d like to have in your yard. It might be advisable to ask the owner of the property if you can have a “cutting” as a courtesy, but most Crepe-myrtle lovers will happily welcome you and your request. Simply cut the end of one of the branches and dip it in rooting hormone powder found at Lowe’s or Home Depot or your local nursery. Plant the cutting in a sand/peat mix (50/50) and keep moist. The cutting should root in 4-5 weeks and will soon be ready to transplant.

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G-G-Grandfather Goins, G-G-Grandfather Holcomb and the Battle of Shiloh

The other day I was cleaning out a closet in the studio behind my garage and ran across a scrapbook my maternal grandmother had put together 30 years ago. Mostly the pages were filled with brochures and ticket stubs and other treasures collected along her journey, but I did run across a few fascinating pictures. One was of a thin, old man with a beard and wearing a suit that was entirely too big for him. On the back of the picture in my grandmother’s distinctive handwriting it read, “Grandpaw Goins, Died at 78 years, July 1923, Fought in the Battle of Shiloh, Mother’s father.” This must be my grandmother’s grandfather.

It’s a shame I don’t know any more about this man, so out of curiosity I researched the Battle of Shiloh for some insight. Just over the Tennessee River, this battle was fought on the eastern edge of west Tennessee in hopes to keep Gen. Grant’s Union troops, Army of the Tennessee, from advancing to join forces with Maj. Gen. Buell’s Army of the Ohio. On April 6, 1862, Generals Johnston and Beauregard launched a surprise attack and believed they had a complete victory the first day. In fact, Beauregard sent President Jefferson Davis a telegram communicating complete victory, knowing he was going to have to finish the job the next morning.

However the battle lines became blurred during the fight and Gen Johnston was killed. Beauregard, now in command, decided not to fight into the night, allowing for reinforcements from Buell’s army to join Grant’s in the cover of darkness. Launching a counter attack on the morning of April 7, the Confederates were forced to retreat in what was up until that time the bloodiest battle in the history of the United States. More than 23,000 men from both sides were either killed, wounded, missing, or taken prisoner. That number represents more casualties than the American casualties in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and the Mexican-American War combined. Both sides were shocked at the carnage, dashing hopes that one big battle would bring this war to a close.

Only days later after discussing this with my Dad did I learn that on my father’s side my great-great-grandfather William Marion Holcomb from Missouri also fought in the Battle of Shiloh. Dad did have an interesting tidbit to share with me regarding the battle. His grandmother told him that her dad was wounded in the battle when a bullet was shot through his heel. He survived, but the incident killed the horse he was riding.

Other relatives Joshua Floyd Jones and his brother Benjamin Franklin Jones enlisted in the Civil War together after the Battle of Shiloh, served identical duty, and left together. They fought in the battles of Franklin and Nashville, among others. My dad had the good fortune to hold their Civil War pension applications at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. Today these documents are scanned on to microfiche and the original documents are no longer accessible by the public.

Time for Tea

I grew up with brothers so I got to enjoy toys and games my friends might not have access to, such as Matchbox cars or Stretch Armstrong or pong, but I did have a friend who grew up with her sister and they had a ritual I had never known…tea parties. These were not impromptu tea parties with dolls. They were parties scheduled like clockwork every Thursday at 4pm. The first Thursday of the month was the Grand Tea Party and it involved games with prizes. I loved prizes.

No wonder I love tea today. This isn’t the sweet ice tea I was raised on, this is loose leaves ceremoniously steeped and served in a warmed, decorative porcelain teapot, strained through a vintage, silver tea strainer, and served in beautiful china cups with saucers. My favorite is green tea infused with Jasmine. The Nashville Tea Company, actually located in Bell Buckle, Tenn, sells one of the best. The loose tea is beautifully packaged in silver tins. And it tastes like pure nectar!

Collecting implements to accompany tea is fun. I love the little silver tongs for serving sugar cubes. (Mom has one of these and she never uses it. Wonder where it is?) I love the variety of tea strainers and infusers, some in whimsical shapes like houses or hearts. Oh, and I love, love, love vintage china. China is the best reason to stop at a yard sale, flea market, or estate sale. Why buy a whole set of china when you can get a variety of previously loved teacups for about a quarter each?

What I don’t own is a tea cozy. Never really understood the purpose. To keep tea hot? If it’s hot you can’t drink it and it has to cool down anyway. Besides tea cozies hide the beautiful teapot underneath, and that’s a shame.

When planning to host or to attend your next tea party, keep in mind the simple rules of tea party etiquette:

Tea party foods are to be eaten in order. First, scones or muffins, then sandwiches, and lastly, sweets.

Take small bites. Never stuff the whole sandwich or dessert in your mouth even though it seems small enough.

Do not dine with gloves on.

When seated at a table, raise only the teacup to drink, not the saucer. Place the teacup gently back on the saucer. If you are not seated at a table, simply hold the saucer in your lap with your left hand and raise the teacup with your right hand. Return the cup to the saucer between sips.

Never dip a scone in jam or cream. Pretend it is a dinner roll. Break off bite size pieces and add the jam or cream in your own plate. Scones are not to be eaten with a fork.

If serving on a 3-tiered server, place the scones on the top tier, savories and sandwiches on the middle tier, and desserts on the bottom.

Now you are ready to dazzle your guests or your host and enjoy your tea!

It’s all good

Middle Tennessee State University boasts many successful alumni, one of which is Matt Mahaffey. Matt moved to Murfreesboro in the mid-nineties to attend MTSU where he thrived, co-founding Spongebath Records and the band sElf with his brother Mike. In 2001 Matt followed his dream to LA, to be closer to his work, his record label Universal Records, and to produce. The band’s single “Stay Home” was featured in the movie Shrek and Matt went on to create music for addition Shrek projects including the two surprise endings to Shrek 2, Madagascar, and Shark's Tale.

On television, you’ve heard Matt without even knowing it. He and his brother Mike produced the infamous jingle for Expedia.com and also composed jingles for Pedigree, Jumbone, Medicare, and Lexus. His music has been featured on CSI Miami, Dirty Sexy Money, and 60 Minutes. He is beginning to work with Nickelodeon.

Besides working with his own band, Matt played various instruments with Beck throughout his tours during 2005 and 2006. He has also performed with and produced many other artists including Mandy Moore, Pink, Beyonce and Smashmouth.

Matt lost his brother in May 2005 when he died unexpectedly in his sleep. Mike was 38. He is survived by his wife and three children. Matt organized several benefit concerts to raise money for the education of Mike’s children. It’s reported the wristbands indicating a purchased ticket to the benefit read, “It’s all good,” Mike’s favorite expression.

Matt and his wife are now living in Murfreesboro again and looking for a house to purchase in the area. Middle Tennessee is their home.

To learn more about this talented middle Tennessean, check out the website www.self-centered.org.

Dad's Solo

My parents always developed their pictures into slides, and growing up we'd get the notion every so often to pull out the projector and screen, pop some Jiffy-Pop, dim the lights and look at old pictures of birthdays and Christmases past. This past weekend I spent some time scanning the old slides into my computer and was delighted to see pictures I've either never seen before or haven't seen in ages. One picture caught my attention more than the others. It's a picture of our home on Christmas morning when I was just a month or so shy of my second birthday, and what do you think Santa brought me? Among other things, a toy airplane.

Now I never knew Santa liked airplanes, too. I thought he just flew a sleigh with reindeer. But I've always known my Dad loved airplanes. He can tell you what kind of airplane just flew overhead by reading it's trail. Maybe Santa brought that airplane toy for me to share with my Dad. He was just a youngun' when he learned to fly. But I'll let him tell you the story...

Airplanes have always been a fascination of mine. To this day, I feel compelled to look up whenever a plane flies overhead. I have a silent anger at the stupidity of a TV newsman who reports on the crash of a "Piper Cub" when it was actually a Cessna 172, or when he emphasizes that the unfortunate pilot "failed to file a flight plan" as if that explains everything!

My favorite movies revolve around flying. I got sleepy right along with Charles Lindbergh (Jimmy Stewart) in THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS. I flew missions over Germany in a B-17 with Gen. Savage (Gregory Peck) in the classic TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH. Some of the best scenes of aerial combat were displayed in THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN. Who can forget the tension in the cockpit between Robert Stack and John Wayne as they struggle to save the airliner in THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY. (This movie was based on the book Fate is the Hunter by my favorite author Ernie Gann, himself a American Airlines captain back in the days of the DC-3.)

I was a child during World War II and disappointed that I had been born too late to be a fighter pilot. I remember requesting (and getting) a little Army Air Force officer's uniform complete with a "fifty mission crush" officers cap. My aunt had a round, stainless steel kitchen stool which made me, at the age of three, a perfect fighter cockpit. I would lay it over on its side and crawl inside from the bottom, and I could bank and turn all over the kitchen floor as I chased the evil German ME-109's or Japanese Zero's through the sky!

My first taste of real flying came at age seven. I had an older cousin named Stone who was a vagabond pilot (more legend than cousin) who would dust cotton in Arkansas, or patrol pipelines out west, or give flight instruction in Montana. One Thanksgiving, he dropped in "out of the blue" to visit family and told my Dad that he was leaving early the next morning, but if he would get me to the airport early, he would give me a ride! I was so excited that I hardly slept that night. Dad got me up early and I was so afraid he would leave before we could get to the little country airport. I'll never forget cousin Stone's little maroon and yellow Aeronica Chief airplane and the ride we took over Milan, my home town! Like I'd always heard, the cars and houses looked like toys! Stone let me take the wheel and make some gentle turns! I was flying! I was in another world!

At the age of twelve, my parents let me ride my bicycle anywhere "except on the highway." Fortunately, our little country airport, Boen Field was several miles from town but on a lightly traveled asphalt farm road, not a highway, so it was fair game. Most every weekend or summer day included a bicycle trip to the airport, hoping to see some activity. Me and my similarly inclined friends practiced our "Squatly Stare" (looking pitiful) hoping to score a ride in an empty seat. In those days liability was not a big concern and we often got rides.

At the age of thirteen, I talked to Mr. Boen about flight instruction. Of course, you had to be sixteen years old to solo in a powered aircraft but there was no minimum age for dual instruction. He advised that dual instruction cost $11 per hour (plane rental and instructor) and thirty minutes was the minimum for a lesson. At the time I had a $10 per week salary/allowance so I could take a lesson and still take in a movie or two!

On July 29, 1954, I took my first official flying lesson at Boen Field in a real Piper Cub (Model J-3 with a Continental 65 hp engine.) In a J-3 Cub, you flew solo from the rear seat and being a "tail dragger," the nose pointed toward the sky! Your forward view was the sky and the back of your instructor's head! It was so noisy, communication with your instructor was largely gestures and hand signals. Before each lesson, he would explain generally what you would be doing and why. Maneuvering on the ground was accomplished by gentle S-turns for views out the side window. Takeoff's involved aligning best you could, full throttle and raise the tail ASAP so you could have some forward view of where you were going. With all these handicaps, it was still worth it! I was FLYING!

About a month later, I was moved to the "Knocker," an Aeronica 0-58B! What made this move so significant was that this aircraft was "front seat solo" which meant I would sit in the front seat and the instructor was in the rear. I could see where I was going! Also, it looked cooler. The pilot should sit up front.

This routine, lessons and rides, continued for what seemed like an eternity as I crawled toward my sixteenth birthday. I felt that I was ready to "solo" long before time, but the law was the law. As luck would have it, the big birthday finally arrived and the rain had set in! I was able to go to Jackson and get my driver's license, but what I really wanted to do was solo. I had waited so long! Four days later, on October 23, 1956, the skies cleared and I drove to the airport after school. Mr. Boen knew why I was there and rode around the pattern once with me, got out, smiled and waved! Now, it was just me! The little Knocker jumped quickly into the air with just one occupant! I WAS FLYING! Now, I'm really a pilot! As instructed, I just made one trip around the pattern and made one of my best landings ever! Following tradition, my shirt-tail was torn off, my name and the date was inscribed and it went on the airport bulletin board for all to see. I had finally soloed!

My flying continued on and off for the next forty years, interrupted by college, new job, marriage, babies, and life in general. In 1966, I earned a Private license which allowed me to carry passengers. In 1968, I added a glider rating to my pilot's certificate. In 1984, I renewed my medical and started flying again when my oldest son Rob started flight instruction. Of all these experiences, none can compare to the first solo flight many years ago.

Staggerwings

My father grew up loving airplanes. He learned to fly at a field near his home when he was 13 years old, and both of his younger brothers followed in his footsteps. It wasn’t a surprise when both of my brothers inherited his passion and each took flying lessons at an early age.

Middle Tennessee offers an advantage for pilots. We have many, many small county airports and even smaller air “strips” where future pilots can take lessons and get licensed. Middle Tennessee State University offers several excellent degrees in Aeronautics- Professional Pilot, A&E Mechanic, and FBO Management. And middle Tennessee is home to a fascinating airplane museum dedicated to my favorites, Staggerwings.

For Father’s Day a couple of years ago, we treated Dad to an afternoon at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum. It is a distinctly original aviation museum dedicated to tracing the lineage of the Beechcraft family of airplanes from 1932 to present.

The museum consists of authentically restored early American log structures juxtaposed against modern museum-quality display hangers and is located next to the Tullahoma Regional Airport. It currently houses more than two-dozen aircraft, plus many aviation artifacts and memorabilia.

The museum’s history begins in middle Tennessee, early in the evolution of aviation in this country. Walter H. Beech was born in 1891 and raised in nearby Pulaski,Tenn. Prior to founding the Beech Aircraft Company, he and Clyde Cessna and Lloyd Stearman became principals in the Travel Air Manufacturing Company founded in 1924 and located in Wichita, Kansas. Each of these legendary aviation pioneers soon founded successful aircraft companies of their own. However, today the museum proudly displays several of Travel Air’s earliest productions in addition to the Beechcraft models.

My favorite airplane is the first aircraft built by the Beech Aircraft Company, model 17R-1, affectionately known as the Staggerwing. It is beautiful! And although I can appreciate its sleek style, the “pilot” gene completely missed me in the family. I was proud to see other women embraced aviation early on and the museum spotlights several of them. From the museum’s brochure, “The initial inspiration for the 1973 founding of the Museum by the Staggerwing Club came from famed pioneer aviatrix Louise Thaden. Flying a stock 1936 C17R Staggerwing, she and co-pilot Blanche Noyes won first place in the 1936 Bendix Trophy Race, besting racing professionals and military aircraft in a one-day flight from New York to Los Angeles. The Louise Thaden Library, housed in an authentically restored log structure, displays the prestigious 1936 Bendix trophy, her 1929 Women’s Air Derby trophy, and many other artifacts honoring her aerial accomplishments.”

I cannot begin to share with you all the wonderful stories and planes and historical exhibits I was exposed to at the museum and can only recommend you take an afternoon to explore it for yourself. For more information, hours of operation and directions, visit www.beechcraftheritagemuseum.org.

Toast of Middle Tennessee

Last month a long-time friend hosted a picnic at Arrington Vineyards to introduce her new beau. It never occurred to me a vineyard or winery would be a location for hosting such an event, but now I know. Arrington Vineyards is nestled in the rolling hills between Franklin and Murfreesboro in the community of Arrington. The grounds are lovely, with a beautiful view of the surrounding landscape and rows of arbors. Acoustic music from local musicians enhanced our picnic which we packed and brought ourselves. However the vineyard has made arrangements with Hen Peck Market in Franklin to have picnic hampers available for purchase.

During the late 1800's, vineyards flourished in Tennessee. In the 19th century grapes became one of Tennessee's most important cash crops. However, Prohibition ended this promise in 1919, but within the past few years, grape growing (and wine making) have seen a remarkable recovery.

According to the "Pick Tennessee" website, "the Tennessee Viticultural and Oenological Society (TVOS) was founded in 1973 by seven individuals. From this small beginning, TVOS membership has grown by leaps and bounds to include both amateur and commercial grape growers and winemakers. By 1982, several commercial grower and winery members of TVOS organized the Tennessee Farm Winegrowers Association (TFWA) to encourage and support this new agribusiness development in Tennessee. The two organizations work together to coordinate and advance the efforts of all Tennessee grape interests."

During the past decade, many Tennessee wineries have taken gold, silver and bronze regional and international awards for their fine wines. Tennessee wineries have a wine for every taste and occasion, from sparkling wines to dry or sweet table varieties to dessert wines.

Most Tennessee wineries offer samples and provide tours, however you may want to call in advance to verify and make reservations. Just last month Arrington Vineyards hosted an Etta James concert and tickets were required for admission; tickets that could only be purchased through TicketMaster.