Now in Knoxville

I don't know what I was expecting with the scenery, but it's been dull, dull, dull. I guess almost any other month would be prettier. No signs of green. No signs of spring. Drove through, near, close to Blue Ridge Mountains, which aren't really mountainous, and all I could think of was the bad high school memory when we would have that one co-ed class in gym where we'd square dance. Yeah, in New York. I remember the gym teacher, Miss Hoyle, telling us how wonderful it will be as adults that we'll know how to square dance. Well, at age 65, I haven't used that particular skill as yet. Maybe in the old ladies home.

But what reminded me is that Miss Hoyle took the square dancing unit as her chance for show biz ad she was the caller... (the one who tells the dancers what to do) and of the songs that I can still hear in my head was her crooning..."In the blue ridge mountains of Virginia, on the trail of the lonesome pine."

They would match us up at random -- the boys and the girls -- which I guess was a good way to go, and I remember being tall, of course, 5'10" in high school (grew an inch more in college) and I got paired once with this guy who was like 5'2" but what was worse is that he had had polio (wow, talk about being ancient) so his one arm and hand was withered... and I had to hold that withered hand. Maybe it was more painful for him than for me, but it was a bit traumatic. There was one other girl, a year ahead of me, who had had polio, but hers affected her legs and she limped and was really a sad creature who would valiantly try out for cheerleading every year and every year get rejected because there were no "special" exceptions in those days.

So these were my thoughts as I drove through the uneventful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, listening to my Rhett Butler book. Scarlet and Rhett are now married, but she is still in love with Ashley and Rhett knows it. I think I have four more CDs.

Mary has seen more spring than I have... hence these crocuses... tomorrow is Opryland in Nashville.