Roving Reports by Doug P: 2016-29 Norris Dam Tennessee (2nd week)

2016-29

Norris Dam Tennessee, 2nd week

Norris Dam, even a couple floating houses

Campground: See previous week

“Have a Blessed Day”

That’s a phrase you will hear most often when traveling throughout the south. After conversing with so many folks throughout Kentucky and Tennessee they almost always end by saying, “Have a Blessed Day”. What a warm and kind way to end a conversation.

Museum of Appalachia,
celebrating the people

Museum of the Appalachia

Having traveled through this area in the past, I’d almost forgotten that I’d already visited the Museum of Appalachia. I’m glad I went back for a second tour and took a bit more time reading many of the stories that went with each object on display. I loved the story of how the song “Tennessee Waltz” was written and then sung by numerous singers including the songs writers, Redd Stewart and Pee Wee King written in 1946. They were touring with their band the Golden West Cowboys heading to the Grand Ole Opry. Bill Monroe had just come out with the song The Kentucky Waltz and it gave Stewart and King the idea to write the Tennessee Waltz. When they brought it to their publisher, he made only one change, "O the Tennessee waltz, O the Tennessee Waltz," to "I remember the night and the Tennessee Waltz." The song did well on the country charts but when Patti Page released the song on the B side of a record with a Christmas song, “Boogie Woogie Santa Clause” it went through the roof. Patti’s version had a full orchestra and became the number one seller on the Country, R&B, and Pop charts. So to be able to view the displays on the writer, singer and learn it’s history brings it to life once again. It’s been recorded by over 500 artists. And it even became a number one song in Sweden. How about that

lots of historic buildings on the museum grounds
check out the pictures link at the bottom of this blog

Entrance to Museum of Appalachia

Indian Stone Head, very rare find

how Dolly got her start

Another story buried in one of the displays about Cas Walker, a colorful entrepreneur who among many other professions had a radio show. Dolly Parton gives Cas credit for introducing her to his audience. He said, “ I put her on one of my radio programs when she was 9 years old to see how she would do, and she went over like a house-a-fire.”

One of the most unusual and rarest of Indian artifacts was tucked in a corner of one of the museums multi-story buildings. It’s of a carved stone head found near the courthouse in Sevierville Tennessee in the 1970’s. It’s believed to be 1400-1500 AD. Unusual in that only a few other artifacts are similar in design and come only from the Tennessee area.

A wonderful display of dulcimers and other folk music instruments are one display. I particularly like the sound of a dulcimer. My good friend Deloris plays one so beautifully. And my friend Nancy in Kentucky invited me one time a while back to hear her group play the dulcimer. Quite an experience to hear 20+ people in perfect harmony.

Reflections on a Low Carb Diet

I was reflecting back on my Low-carb journey that I’ve now been on for about two years now. As you may know, I had to go on it due to a diagnosis of pre-diabetes. After being placed on the medication “metformin” for a year, I was able to get off of it by following a fairly strict low carb diet. Now I could have remained on the medication and continued to eat a fairly normal diet, but instead decided to go with the low carb regiment.

That has included the elimination of most all pasta, bread, potatoes, cereals and sugary deserts. Not necessarily an easy thing to do for the average person. I have found a few substitutes that permit me to have some items on occasion that are lower carb like some breads and an oatmeal both made with flaxseed added. I even found an ice-cream that is actually called “Smart-Carb” and tastes really rich and creamy.

new low carb breads are
available at most big Grocery stores

These all in one salads are available in
both the deli section and produce section
they make a great dinner for me

I don’t read the food labels for fat content or calories anymore, just how many carbs are in each serving. I try to limit it to less than 20 grams of carbs per serving. You would think that one would watch their fat intake to loose weight, but I’ve discovered that actually it’s carbs that turn into sugar that is then stored as fat in our bodies if it’s not used right away. Even though I may have a salad dressing or such with lots of calories, if it has no carbs I’m good with it. To the point that I’ve lost close to 30 lbs over the past two years, lowered by blood pressure and now take much less medication to keep it under control along with getting off of the diabetes medication .

I read an article that derided the medical profession for not encouraging more people with weight problems and diabetes to go on a low carb diet. Most all the studies now show that a low carb diet is very beneficial for most folks. I’m sure glad It has worked for me.

this is my favorite low carb desert

One note to the reader. It was not all that easy to give up all those food groups that have lots of carbs. I can tell you though it’s a lot faster going through a grocery store. You can’t imagine the number of isles I’m able to bypass because everything in them is carb city. And I still read all the labels hoping to find that perfect new food item that will fit my low carb lifestyle.

My morning River Walk:

Of course part of a good healthy regiment includes exercise and today I took a wonderful 2 mile loop trail along the Clinch River below the Norris Dam. The fog was thick over the river when I started out my walk and I wasn’t sure I’d get any good pictures. As it turned out, there were many wildflowers in bloom and the trail had a magical quality to it with the fog and mist surrounding me. As it began to burn off with the sun, streams of light created wonderful shafts of light through the tall Walnut trees along the river. I even got a few nice shots of the fog along the river. So I not only had a great walk, I think I got some great pictures to remember it by. What do you think?