Free Fun-filled Friday

Having been in Nashville 11 years and working downtown the first 3 myself, I am shocked by the little amount of ground I have covered in getting to know our wonderful city. I've always called myself more a small town girl, having grown up in Suffield, Ct with population approx 12,000. I've also said I want outta here- to move out West for many years, for many reasons , but I've got to admit that for being stuck somewhere that I don't consider my ideal, Nashville is a pretty cool place to live. I like all the free family-oriented stuff to do and love being close to the water, even though Percy Priest is not MY kind of lake. I still find it beautiful to drive by and have enjoyed its beach when in desperation.

So Friday, having a need to go downtown (details after), I succumbed to acting like someone who likes Nashville and decided to take Jayson to enjoy some of its offerings. We started with the Main public library to see Wishing Chair Productions there present a puppet theatre version of "Cinderella", featuring original Tom Tichenor puppets from the 1950's. This is where being in a music oriented, talented city was fantastic. What a production!!! for FREE!!! Everyone (even without kids) needs to take advantage and go see these guys. I was going to post a clip to whet your appetite but my camera makes mov files and this doesn't accept them so I have to figure out how to convert them. Anyone know how? Here's a pic instead

We then walked by the Ryman Theater(a beautiful building) to the Sommet Center to turn in vouchers for FREE tickets to this Thursday's Predators hockey game (pre-season vs Atlanta Thrashers). Section 120- not too shabby for free. Anyone else want to do the same- print this and redeem by Wed 9/16 5 pm at Sommet center http://bit.ly/jewi5. First come, first serve on ticket seating.

While we were there, the visitors center had some singer/songwriters performing for FREE (catching the pattern here?), so we sat down and enjoyed them for about 30 min. Jayson was hungry then and I didn't want to run up my parking charge too much (library validates 1st hr free, not too much for add'l hour or two- cost me 1.50- ok, not everything was free today). Across from the Sommet is a little place called Wild Bill's Beignets and Bikes so I treated him to beignets stuffed with Granny Smith and the other banana, covered in choc syrup and powdered sugar. And I can't eat any of it (special restrictive diet I've changed to). They had some cool bike (motorcycle) decor in there-fancy hubcap glass tables, awesome real bikes over doors and on walls.

Back to the car and a short drive to the Farmers Market (free downtown parking), I found food I could eat at the Jamaicaway restaurant in there and then walked the produce aisles. Jayson was getting a little cranky and impatient as it was probably 3 and he hadn't napped so we walked over to the park across the street and found an ampitheatre where he got on stage and... entertained me.

Then, I surprised him around the corner where the dancing fountains are and let him get wet in his jeans. I wanted to go in too but not so much to finish my day in soggy pants. I did get my toesies cool.

With Jayson now refreshed and happy, we headed back to the farmers market to purchase my desired sundries and I find a bit of a slowdown. Earlier, I had seen signs posted that Gretchen Wilson would be taping there today and if you were there, you gave consent, etc... I didn't care either way, but didn't see anything going on so I had figured they were done. But this time we went through, there were people standing around and a few cameramen right in the section I wanted to buy at. So what did I do- signed their release for Jayson and I in case we wound up in a scene and tried to find someone to pay for my squash (she had run off because she didn't want to be caught on camera). Finally getting my booty (yes, not free but great prices and stuff I can't get at Kroger), I take Jayson for his long-promised if you are patient and behave treat- a snowball from Fleur De Lis and hopefully miss the rest of the hubbub since I have one more thing I want to try to get from right where they were- farm fresh eggs. I guess it's some documentary she's doing because I didn't even see her (wasn't looking to) and the crews were just filming people shopping- "Look busy, people". I did take the poster offered up to Jayson from a production guy as a souvenir though.

On our way home, there's a house on Smith Springs Road that has goats and a cow, and sells veggies from a stand. They were outside for a change so we dropped in. Although I needed no more veggies, I was curious if they had goat's milk because I'm not able to have cow's milk right now. They said you can't sell it here, and if people do, they have to sell it as milk for other animals. Theirs are all male anyways. They let us pet them, and gave Jayson a tomato to feed to the cow, Oprah (she's big, black and sassy).

Arriving home at dark, we quickly had some dinner, unpacked and admired my bountiful harvest and got my guy to bed.

What an exciting, exhausting ending to a free fun Friday!