Elves Spreading Joy Be Entertained In Mt Juliet Community Features Local Events News Uncategorized by Livi West - November 30, 2021November 30, 20210 I grew up rather poor, but we called my Dad “Father Christmas.” He could handcraft a holiday better than any of the other elves I have ever known, which is really saying something because I know a lot of elves. I am one. Admittedly, I am rather tall to be an elf, but elfing is a culture as well as a race. This is my 10th Christmas working for Santa as co-director of Give A Little Christmas (GAL for short). Everybody knows that Santa’s North Pole elves make and deliver toys to all of the good girls and boys. A fact that is less well known is that population growth has caused a lot of necessary cutbacks. Santa can no longer
Local Teacher Becomes Steinway Celeb Be Entertained In Mt Juliet Community Features News by Livi West - November 30, 2021November 30, 20210 Teachers don’t become educators for the recognition, red carpets, and fame. Not that teaching is without its own little rewards. There will always be the students who excel and give you credit for enriching their lives. There are little thank you gifts for Teacher’s Appreciation Day or Christmas. Imagine the shock Karen Hedges felt when she was nominated for the Steinway Teacher Hall of Fame. Karen had never even heard of the Teacher Hall of Fame before, so she couldn’t see it coming.According to the folks at Steinway of Nashville, however, it had been coming for some time. “With her professionalism, volunteer support in numerous educational music organizations, and with the compassion she has for her students, she was a natural
Straight From Kentucky Be Entertained In Mt Juliet Community Features News by Livi West - October 18, 2021October 18, 20210 Showing up and smiling has taken JD pretty far, though. He was named Texas Roadhouse Artist of the Month in May of 2020, his single “Church Pew Bar Stool” debuted at #1 on the CMT 12-Pack Count-down, he’s been featured on Great American Country Network & TNN Top Country Countdown. He’s even performed the National Anthem for NASCAR, NBA, NCAA, SEC & even MLB stadium games.
Taxes & Sympathy Community Features Local Business Spotlight News by Livi West - April 1, 2020April 1, 20200 With everything that we have been dealing with lately, taxes are probably the last thing on your mind. Fortunately, the government has taken pity on us and has given Davidson, Wilson and Putnam counties an extension on our tax deadlines. So, while you’re dealing with repairs and avoiding viruses, at least you have a little more time to get your tax act together. I sat down with Donna Blackwell to have a little tax talk. She seemed like the obvious best choice to ask, since her company, Personalized Bookkeeping and Tax Services, Inc, has been named the best accountant in Mount Juliet for three years in a row!Donna specializes in small businesses, personal income taxes, and rental properties, so she and
Tales from Tate’s Lane Uncategorized by Livi West - October 11, 2019October 11, 20190 photo by Scott Robertson What is a Sept/Oct issue without a few ghost stories and some goosebumps? When I was a young Girl Scout eating s’mores around the campfire, we’d pass a flashlight to shine on our faces and try to get the hair on each other’s necks to stand up. My mother, whose camp name is Mama Bear, never failed to tell the best story. Usually, we’d force her to retell our favorite, which she called “The Cemetery Rat.” She should have won a Campfire Emmy the way she delivered it, with facial expressions and various animated voices (but I just invented Campfire Emmys…you’re welcome, Scouts.) By the time the funeral director was trapped in the coffin of the man
Nothing Better Than Soup News Recipes by Livi West - October 11, 2019October 11, 20190 It’s that time of year again! School has started, Target is selling sweaters and everything is coming up pumpkin spice. Despite the hype, we’re in the South and it was still 90 degrees outside today, but at least it dropped dramatically when the sun went down. Soon, it will be chilly after dark and we’ll get to wear all of our adorable flannels and boots without looking naively optimistic. When colder weather comes, we’re going to need chicken soup. Nothing warms the heart, soul and body like chicken soup. As prevalent as it is in our kitchens, there are a million variations of this simple recipe. Amber Hamilton has been a friend of mine for a decade or more and has
Keto Korrection: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Let's Get Healthy Recipes Uncategorized by Livi West - August 19, 2019August 19, 20190 I have been living the Keto lifestyle for over a year now and it has revolutionized my world. Before Keto, I had serious health issues with my autoimmune disorders, asthma and even anaphylaxis, but with Keto all of the symptoms disappear. It has literally saved my life. It hasn’t been easy, I admit. I have had to learn how to cook dramatically differently in order to cut the carbohydrates out of my diet. It has been a bit of a challenge, but I have loved the adventurous fun of being creative in my kitchen. I invented so many new favorite dishes and I actually prefer many of them to the original foods that inspired them. When Krys and I decided to
Staycation Destinations Be Entertained In Mt Juliet Community Features News Uncategorized by Livi West - August 19, 2019August 19, 20190 Music City Rollin' Jamboree It’s summer and that means vacations! I love to go to the beach, hike in the mountains, go camping, jump in a lake, float down a river or soak in hot tubs whenever I can go on a vacation, but sometimes I stay right here at home. Fortunately, I live in one of the most beautiful and exciting parts of America and I can enjoy most of those activities without even spending a tank of gas. In Mount Juliet, we’re one short (though admittedly congested) trip down I-40 to one of the top five most popular vacation destinations in America according to most published polls. This usually means that our visiting family and friends inevitably want to go
Keto Kuisine – Autumn Squash Soup Let's Get Healthy Recipes by Livi West - May 1, 2019May 1, 20190 It’s time for Valentine’s, and I’m craving my love: the delectable, succulent, fulfilling treat that is called Autumn Squash Soup. If you’re as addicted to this nectar of the gods as I am, you are probably experiencing withdrawals, too. The only thing I do NOT love about Autumn Squash Soup at that bread restaurant (besides the tempting smell of bread) is the amount of carbohydrates per serving. It turns out that it tastes like dessert because it’s full of sugars. Since I switched to a Keto lifestyle last spring, I only allowed myself two bowls at the restaurant this last fall. Yes, I am told I was very difficult to be around, until I decided to take my cravings into
Love Between The Lakes Community Features News by Livi West - May 1, 2019May 1, 20190 In a town that shares its name with one half of the world’s most iconic romantic tragedy, our relationships still thrive. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we thought we’d ask some of Mount Juliet’s most successful couples how they have managed to keep the romance alive for so many decades. It’s the month of love, and we all deserve some real-life love stories. Young Love - Max & Flossie We met with Max and Flossie Anderson to hear how they first fell in love and to learn all of their secrets. As soon as they walked into the room, we could see the main ingredient. Love. It glowed on Max’s face as he put his arm around his wife, who cozied into