Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Museum of Appalachia

Have you been to the Museum of Appalachia?  We never had until last week - oh, my - it is wonderful!  Being a little over 400 miles south of us, the trees were in bloom, the grass was green and it felt like spring!
Our older son just finished studying Mark Twain - and the museum has the Twain family cabin on the premises.  

I just loved every cabin: the handhewn logs, the extremely primitive furniture and the make-do accessories the people of Appalachia created. 
 Maybe you can tell it was drizzling slightly while we were there, but it dampen our enjoyment of the Museum.
 How surprised I was upon entering one cabin - a guitar player.  Do you know who this is?  Once she started to talk to us I knew I'd heard her before.  Do you get the magazine A Simple Life?  Eliza Jane Alexander was featured on a disc that was sent out with the Christmas 2011 issue.  

Before long, Eliza Jane was joined by Curly Cottrell (also featured on the disc) and their friend Mandolin playing Randall. 

They played several songs for us and we enjoyed all of them immensely.  
Curly learned to play the fiddle by ear and doesn't read "a lick of music".  Two of our children play the violin and one the bass so this was pretty cool to them.  Curly asked the kids if they knew the difference between his fiddle and their violins.  He said his fiddle has "strangs" and their violins have "strings"!  

If you are ever in Knoxville, Tennessee stop by and see if Eliza Jane and Curly are there - they'll play a song for you.
~Ann

13 comments:

  1. How wonderful! What a special trip! I've really enjoyed that disc as well. It was such a wonderful gift to find in my favorite magazine :)
    Blessings, Patti

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  2. Been needing to get down that away for quite a spell, maybe soon! Thanks for sharing!

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  3. How fun! I would love to check it out sometime soon.Thanks so much for sharing.Hugs,Jen

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  4. That was cool and great for the kids too.
    Carol

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  5. Sounds like a day spent doing something memorable. Good for you!

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  6. Hi!I like your blog!
    Have a nice day.
    Maddalena from Italy.

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  7. Every time spent in VA, KY, TN and NC is absolutely beautiful! We used to travel that area every Summer... maybe we'll visit here next time around!

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  8. hi, Ann~ What a wonderful place to visit, oh, I can feel the history,thanks for sharing this~ oh, this will be on my hit list~
    have a wonderful day
    smiles
    Teresa

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  9. This looks like a wonderful place to visit. How so much fun:) I am glad you got to take your family. What a beautiful cabin. Thanks for sharing.
    -Steph-

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  10. Ann thank you for the compliments on the museum. It is seven miles from my house and I am happy my great,great aunts corn crib is there. Being this close doesn't make us take it for granted. It is a treasure.

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  11. Ann ~
    What fun!!!
    Hugs & Happy Easter :)
    Lauren

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  12. Hi Ann,
    What an interesting post - I will make it a point to hopefully get there the next time we head that direction - we are in the area now and then.
    HAPPY EASTER
    Karen

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  13. Oh Ann, I know this place so well!! My brother's bluegrass band used to play at the fall homecoming and my cousin's bluegrass band still plays there every year! We travel all the way from Oklahoma just to go there, it is a treasure!! How wonderful to hear Eliza and her friends play, what a treat that would be!

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Thank you for visiting my blog. I'm so happy to "meet" you through blog land. ~Ann