Random Tuesday Thoughts - Tennessee Pearls and Rural WV

Several years ago, my DH bought me an adorable Tennessee pearl ring.  Are you familiar with Tennessee pearls? This freshwater mussel creation was designated as Tennessee's state gem in 1979. Our very own local Pardon's Jewelers is fairly exclusive in in harboring from the wild freshwater pearls from the Tennessee River.

My darling little Tennessee pearl ring needed repaired.  Last week, while my husband and I were sharing some quality together time, we decided to take my ring to Pardon's to be fixed.  Yesterday, my wonderful husband picked my ring up. Tah-dah! It's so good to have it back where it belongs...the fourth finger on my right hand.

For some reason, Blogger wanted to flip this photo sideways when I uploaded it. Incidentally, this is actually my hand - a non-professional model's hand for sure! Also, you can tell a very amateur (bad)photographer took such a crumby shot using the camera in her phone here.

To glean a little history on Tennessee pearl farming, then visit Tennessee History for Kids to learn more. There's a lot of really cool stuff you can learn from this site regardless if you have children or not and you don't have to live in Tennessee to enjoy it. 

While my husband and I had together time, our son spent those blissful 16 days with his grandparents in WV.  Don't underscore the significance of our son's time away from us.  He absolutely loves having his grandparents all to himself!  My wonderful in-laws have a nice piece of property where a young fellow can do a lot of things, he isn't otherwise isn't privy to do. There are limitations with city life.

In the hills of rural WV, he's able to ride the go-kart his mamaw and papaw bought for the whole family (mainly for the grandkids) for hours on end, undertake buidling projects, hands-on experience from the jack-of-all-trades(his papaw), shoot his BB gun, spot wild life, play countless games of Dominoes, or watch old movies recorded on VHS (yeah, some people still don't record on DVD medium). 

Thinking about what fun our children have always had with their grandparents reminds me of the time when I was a young kiddo.  My uncle and his wife invited me to spend a week with them a couple summers before they became parents.  They always made me to feel special while staying with them in their cozy home in situated in Panther State Forest.

Neal and Sharon lived not far from the heart of every kid's most beloved recreation, the swimming pool!  We often would walk to the pool.  This seemed like a forever trekk for someone so young, but in actuality I'd say it was only a couple of miles from their home.  It wasn't uncommon for kids in rural WV to get around on foot.  It seemed like the days stretched on forever and night was slow to come. Those were the good old days, right?
Life in the country is different from the city, as you would imagine, but in those days I didn't know otherwise.  The quietness is almost deafening, except for the sounds the crickets and frogs make, then it seems these noise scream at you.  I loved catching fireflies and placing these little glowing insects into a Mason jar.  Watching their bellys switch on and off always mesmerized me.  How on earth did they do this?  You can learn some interesting facts about these tiny creatures by clicking HERE.

I know remembering something from my youth is like a sweet aroma to be savored for a long time and I don't want to let go of it  These images will be locked away inside my mind for as long as I live. Making the most of every moment is priceless. Capitalize on your scared time with your kiddos or grandkids. It's never too late to create memories of your own with someone you love to last a lifetime!

Interested in participating in this fun Tuesday meme?  Then, click on the button below to link up with Stacy Uncorked - our lovely hostess.

For more Tuesday fun, you visit these...
  


Have a terrific day!