Mystery

I think this is a rather pretty photo, but I'm not sure what it is... LOL! It looks like some sort of plants (cacti? grass?) in a basket (laundry basket?). I'm not sure where Don made this shot, when Don made this shot, or why Don made this shot. If anyone knows, please fill me in, okay?!?!?

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Venus & the Moon

And then, Don zoomed-in with his phone and snapped Venus and the Moon again on 12-29-08... wow! Cool!

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Bright objects

The two bright objects in the sky are Venus (above left) and the Moon (below right), shot by Don on 12-29-08.

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Mycia

Don's portrait of Mycia, Dawn's beautiful kitty, 11-21-08

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Transfusion

After undergoing chemotherapy for cancer back in the 1980s and again in the early 2000s, Don had trouble with his hemoglobin. He went to the oncologist's office every few weeks for an injection of Procrit® or Aranesp® to help his body boost hemoglobin production. Usually, that was sufficient. One time, however, his hemoglobin fell so low that he had to spend the night in the hospital, receiving a blood transfusion. This was his remembrance of it, 11-02-09.

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Fall color

Fall color in the Tri-Cities, snapped by Don 10-28-09.

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Don's "Old Barn" photo

Don loved my "Old Barn" photos. While he was driving around the Tri-Cities one day, 10-28-09, he saw an old barn and decided to snap it. I wish I knew where it is!

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Multi-tasker

Asilinn is a true multi-tasker... sitting on the bed, eating, talking on the phone, watching television, smiling for Don's photo, and probably cooking-up a diabolical plan in the back of her mind, too... LOL

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Inventory

Asilinn & Marci, looking at inventory items for Asilinn's retail business at the house on Wateree Street.

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Plastic containers

The plastic containers that Don enjoyed so much, drying in the dish drainer. He put EVERYTHING in those containers. And kept coming home with more when they were on sale. LOL

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Cocula

Sadly, I was not with Don on this visit to Cocula, one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in Kingsport, so he sent me this shot of his chips & salsa so I could be with him in spirit. :)

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Bus stops

The lovely "bus stop" stations that were installed in Kingsport a few years ago. These protect people waiting for the city buses dry and out of the wind.

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Stewie

While shopping in Savannah, Don found these boxers with the inimitable Stewie Griffin, from the "Family Guy" television show (which Don and I, both, enjoyed). LOL

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Beer

Don didn't drink alcohol very often because of his diabetes, but he did treat himself to a beer every so often.

©2012 Tiffany Reed

One Woof

Don liked puns, and so did I, so he sent me this pic of a store he found in Savannah... LOL

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Waffle House

Don loved the coffee, and the coffee cups, at Waffle House

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Bus Pit

Don checked out several local bands while he was in Savannah. One of them performed at a venue called the "Bus Pit." He said the band might have been okay, but it was hard to be sure because the acoustics in the place were horrid. He didn't stay long before he left for something better. Fortunately, all of his other experiences in Savannah were better than this one!

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Salad

Don sent me this photo while he was in Savannah, to prove that he was eating in a healthy manner, even while on 'vacation' away from home! :)

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Blowin' Smoke!

Photo by Don of one of the restaurants he visited while he was in Savannah.

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Cute shop

A cute shop Don saw while he was in Savannah. He snapped this pic and sent it to me immediately because he thought I'd like the architecture.

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Black-and-white

Jim's cat really took to Don while he was visiting in Savannah for the Savannah Music Festival

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Ravi Shankar, reprise

Another shot of Ravi Shankar, in concert

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Ravi Shankar

Don was able to see several good musical acts at the Savannah Music Festival. Of them all, though, he was the most excited about being there for Ravi Shankar's performance. Photo by Don on 31-Mar-2009.

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Drummer

Photo by Don, of drummer at the Savannah Music Festival, 30-Mar-2009

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Hat

Don, trying on a hat in Savannah, 27-Mar-2009

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Saxaphonist

One of the musicians (I forget the name) that Don saw at the Savannah Music Festival, 26-Mar-2009

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Self-Portrait

Self-portrait by Don, from across the bedroom, 08-Mar-2009. I'm not sure why he made the photo there instead of at the full-length mirror behind the door, but his choice nicely shows-off the wonderful, old dresser in the bedroom!

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Don's shoe

Photo made by Don, of his shoe, 22-Feb-2009. I remember those, so well! :)

©2012 Tiffany Reed

One pepper, one pound

I found these really big peppers one time, so Don wanted to weigh them on his handy-dandy scale. They weighed about ONE POUND each! In the lower left of the photo, you can see Don's hand sneaking in to get his own photo of the pepper on the scale! We did the goofiest things together! LOL!

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Quan-Yin

One of my statues of Quan-Yin. She is maybe a foot tall and was always on a special, small "altar table" in the edge of the Sitting Room. Quan-Yin is the Chinese concept of the embodiment of Compassion into a feminine form. I think Don rather liked having Her around, since she is prevalent in Buddhist tradition, which was close to Don's spiritual leanings. I have no idea where she is at the moment. I am sure she must be in one of the boxes in the storage building behind my parents' house, but I have been unable to find Her since I moved my things down here. Perhaps She is away from home, helping other sentient beings at the moment...? LOL

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Robert Siegel, NPR

I have always loved National Public Radio (NPR). I was listening to them, avidly, from my teenage years onward. In fact, I still have a cassette tape that I recorded off NPR back in the early 1970s! LOL! Their broadcasting contains pertinent news, educational programming, classical music, and items of heartwarming interest. There are many impressive people at NPR. One that always stood-out in my mind was Robert Siegel. He has a very polished, professional attitude and a fabulous voice for radio. It reminds me greatly of Don's great "radio voice," and I see some similarities in their appearance, too. Each week, I download stories from the NPR website for my father and me to hear when nothing interesting is on television. I could read the stories aloud for us (and sometimes do, when audio is not available for a particular story), but I think Dad might enjoy hearing the varied voices that read the stories, rather than my single voice droning on and on. It is always nice when it is Robert Siegel that is reporting a story. :)

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Snowy night

My car and Don's car in our back yard on a snowy night.

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Snowy day

Looking out the back door on a snowy day. There's my car up there; Don was either at work or parked on the street. The other car visible beyond my car is an old BMW which Don and Steve stripped for parts, to fix other cars. It took a while, but we finally found someone interested in hauling it away for us in exchange to all the extra parts they could get from it. :)

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Clawfoot

This is NOT the "Clawfoot Chest" that was in the house on Wateree Street. Sadly, I do not have a photo of that one. But this photo, found online, reminds me of it. Ours had THREE drawers across the top, not two. And there were TWO deep drawers beneath the three smaller ones. We kept candles in one drawer, old keys & such in another drawer, our spare light bulbs in another, and I kept some of my book jackets and such in there, too. It was a lovely, old piece of furniture! :)

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Beech Trees

These beautiful beech trees lived happily in a vacant lot at the corner of West Market Street and State of Franklin Road for over a century. I think the property was actually part of a homestead before the city expanded all around it. Plans were made to use the property for the expansion of the "Medical Corridor" associated with the hospital, and the trees were somehow "in the way" of the proposed progress. Many of us could not understand how the property could not be developed in a judicious manner so as to save the trees. I signed a petition to save the trees, and many others actually picketed the site. We lost the protest, though, and the trees were cut down. Then, the proposed project fell through and was never even started. Last I heard, a chain-drugstore was being built there. So much for "progress" and living harmoniously with Mother Earth. :(

photo by Johnson City Press

Friendship Garden

The "Friendship Garden" at Metro-Kiwanis Park on Knob Creek Road, part of the International "Sister Cities" program.

photo by Johnson City Press

Nostalgic

Decades ago, this is what Main Street in downtown Johnson City looked like on a snowy day in winter. I love this nostalgic view!

photo by Johnson City Press

Johnson City Public Library

photo by Johnson City Press

Sophisticated Otter

I spent quite a few happy hours at the Sophisticated Otter. A great group of people interested in "alternative spirituality" held their "munches" (casual gatherings of like-minded folk to dine & chat) there until it closed. It was such a great place, with good food and good atmosphere! When the Otter closed, we started going to the Acoustic Coffeehouse until it grew a little too noisy — even outside! — for conversation. Then, we moved to Numan's and another little place downtown. After I met Don, he went along with me to some of the munches, too.

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Lightnin' Charlie

©2006 Lightnin' Charlie

Reagan Boggs

©2010 Reagan Boggs

Rhythm & Roots Reunion

Each year, as Kingsport begins to go into withdrawal when the Twilight Alive series has ended for the year, the city of Bristol comes to the rescue with the Rhythm & Roots Reunion! Held in the old downtown area of Bristol, attendees can enjoy great music, food, and browsing many of the shops that remain open during the event. Some of the live music that was scheduled when Don and I attended were (clicking on the names will link to their websites, if available): ♫ Marty Stuart ♫ Darrell Scott ♫ Royal Pine ♫ Adolphus Bell ♫ Carolina Chocolate Drops ♫ Sigean ♫ Reagan Boggs

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Twilight Alive

Every summer, downtown Kingsport has live music on Thursday and Friday evenings. On Thursdays, artists from the Blues & Jazz genres are more prominent. On Fridays, the fare is usually geared towards the Bluegrass & Zedeco genres. All concerts are FREE and always entertaining! Here are some of the acts Don and I were able to see (clicking on the names will link to their websites, if available): ♫ Robinella ♫ Sonny Landreth ♫ Drivin' 'N' Cryin' ♫ Dash Riprock ♫ Marcia Ball ♫ Johnny Winter ♫ the Lee Boys ♫ the Subdudes

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Blue Plum Festival

The Blue Plum Festival which is held in Johnson City every year always has good music! Don and I were only able to attend one year together, but it was lovely! The following musicians performed that day we went (clicking on the names will link to their websites, if available): ♫ Hector Qirko ♫ Martha Scanlan ♫ the Waybacks ♫ Railroad Earth

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Little Chicago Blues Festival

Johnson City has been nicknamed "Little Chicago" because it was a major "bootlegging" center during the Prohibition Era, and also because gangster Al Capone reportedly frequented the town (probably because of the bootlegging activity). Also, northeastern Tennessee and southwestern Virgina was the birthplace of country music, and is home to many good musicians (Johnny Cash and June Carter, just to name two). So, each year, the multi-day "Little Chicago Blues Festival" is held at a music venue called "Down Home" in Johnson City. Don and his sister, Dawn, went to the festival several times over the years, and I was able to join them in 2006. Thank you, Dawn, for making that possible! It was so fabulous! Here are some of the musical acts we were able to see that year (clicking on the names will link to their websites, if available): ♫ Bleu Jackson ♫ Blue Mother Tupelo ♫ Blue Rapture ♫ Bobby Knight ♫ Brim Leal ♫ The Hoodoos ♫ Jenna & the Jonses ♫ Lightnin' Charlie ♫ Marley's Ghost ♫ The Nightcrawlers ♫ The Nomadz ♫ Paul Rishell & Annie Raines

©2012 Tiffany Reed

Statesmen of Jazz

Milligan College's 21-piece jazz ensemble performs to the public every year, under the direction of Rick Simerly, Milligan associate professor of music. Don and I attended the concert on the evening of 04/05/2006, when three jazz musicians from eastern Tennessee were honored with the title "Statesmen of Jazz" — Jimmy Fleenor on clarinet, Bill Gamble on saxophone, and Charles Goodwin on piano. It was a marvelous evening, hearing those accomplished musicians perform along with Milligan's jazz ensemble!

©2012 Tiffany Reed