Weekend Happenings

A sampling of weekend goings-on to keep your eyes shining, your toes tapping and your ears happy:

* “National Performance Network: Live and On Stage” is a performance showcase in support of the NPN’s annual arts conference, which Knoxville is hosting this year. NPN is also celebrating the 40th anniversary of their only Tennessee member, The Carpetbag Theatre. The multimedia show will be 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 11 and 12, at the Bijou Theatre. National and regional performers in the areas of storytelling, poetry, music, dance and African drumming will entertain the public and conference attendees. For tickets, call the Tennessee Theatre box office, 684-1200, ext 2.

* Broadway Sound will host the rescheduled appearance of world-renowned “gypsy-jazz” guitarist Frank Vignola 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at their store at 2830 North Broadway in Knoxville. Vignola is the real deal. He’s been awarded Les Paul’s regular NYC Iridium club gig since Paul’s death back in August, and it’s a good bet Vignola will be knocking the socks off of all the folks lucky enough to snag a ticket at Broadway Sound’s intimate event by calling them at 637-1644. Vignola will also be holding a guitar clinic earlier on Saturday at 1 p.m. for those students of swing who’d like to get an up-close-and-personal lesson with the master, so bring your Gibson.

* The Fountain City Art Center is having an open house and sale for their Parkside Open Door Gallery. The open house will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12, and will kick off their Christmas sale which will be running through Dec. 23. The work of many local artists will be available at 10 to 20 percent discounts. Come by for some free popcorn and hot chocolate!

* Rounding out your musical options for Saturday, Dec. 12, is Tennessee Schmaltz, Knoxville’s favorite klezmer band. Rob Heller and the folks in Tennessee Schmaltz will be at the Laurel Theatre at 8 p.m. for a show that’s sure to please. After all, they’ve got tour stories and a Bonnaroo show under their belts since they last appeared at the Laurel in 2007. Get tickets at www.knoxtix.com or call 523-7521. Like their poster says, there’ll be “something oldish, something newish, something borrowed, something Jewish.” You can’t go wrong with that!
Playlist:
1. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite — The Beatles
2. Born in a Trunk — Judy Garland
3. Turn the Beat Around — Vicki Sue Robinson
4. Guitar Man — Bread, Cake, or Elvis Presley
5. Minor Swing — Stephane Grappelli
6. Color Him Father — The Winstons
7. Open House — Bombay Bicycle Club
8. Drink Me Hot — Chris Joss
9. Don’t Let the Schmaltz Get in Your Eyes — Mickey Katz
10. Mazel Tov Cocktail — Meshugga Beach Party

Cuckoo for Culture

If you go cuckoo for culture in K-town, you’ll have an excellent chance to see and hear tons of it this weekend. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4-5, the Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville will host its fifth annual Emporium Holiday Extravaganza. At the beautiful Emporium Center at 100 S. Gay Street (corner of Jackson Avenue and Gay Street), the Extravaganza will feature loads of great holiday ideas from area artists and museums. Handmade items will include home accessories, ornaments, stationery, jewelry, paintings, drawings and more.

9"x9" giclee prints of "Fish on a Leash" by Knoxville Illustrator Lesley Eaton are available at the Extravaganza. Lesley is an accomplished children's book illustrator who works with painted paper collage and mixed media. To see more of her fanciful artwork, visit her website at www.pepperedpaper.com.
Here’s a great way to kick-start your Christmas spirit this year: check out all the fantastic artwork at the Extravaganza while awaiting the downtown WIVK Christmas parade, which begins at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Browsing is free, and there just might be some yummy holiday goodies on hand to help you get in a festive mood.

As if this feast for the eyes (and tummy!) weren’t enough, the Extravaganza is also a great way to catch live performances by some of Knoxville’s most popular groups like the Knoxville Children’s Choir, Circle Modern Dance and Smoky Mountain Harmony A Capella Show Chorus. Log onto www.knoxalliance.com for more info, schedule of performances, directions, parking, etc., or call the Alliance at 523-7543. Extravaganza hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
On the off chance that the Extravaganza can’t provide the unique present you’re looking for, you can always get that special someone a Culture Cash gift certificate good at more than 40 of Knoxville’s local arts and culture organizations. Have fun playing Santa and supporting Knoxville artists.

Playlist:
1. Arts and Crafts — Maceo Parker
2. See Me, Feel Me — The Who
3. Downtown — Petula Clark
4. Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied) — B.T. Express
5. Get Up and Go — The Rutles
6. Right Here Right Now — Jesus Jones
7. Suddenly I See — KT Tunstall
8. It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year — Andy Williams
9. Because — The Beatles
10. The City is Here for You to Use — The Futureheads

Craft Fair a Fall Tradition

The prestigious Foothills Craft Guild will host its 43rd annual Fine Craft Fair this Friday through Sunday at the Jacob building in Chilhowee Park. The amazing original artwork of more than 140 artisans and craftspersons will be featured.
A partial list of media includes woodwork, pottery, stained glass, basketry, printmaking and jewelry.

I caught up with Guild member and woodturner Bob Klassen of Farragut, who will be working booth No. 129 at the show this weekend. He’s a happy part-time retiree who enjoys mastering the fine art of the wood lathe. His woodturnings are also on display at the Art Gallery of Farragut.
Leilla White has worked with beveled glass for almost two decades and enjoys the Fine Craft Fair as an opportunity to see old friends and meet new ones looking for that special holiday gift. She makes candleholders, sun-catchers, window pieces and even tables. Her work is currently showing at the Highland Craft Gallery in Gatlinburg.
The Fine Craft Fair is a great place to learn about a huge variety of arts and the local artists who create them. There will be a fun hands-on booth for kids, and everyone can enjoy demonstrations of basket making, whittling, chair caning and corn shuckery. I didn’t know it was called shuckery. There – I’ve learned something new already!
So if you haven’t yet treated yourself to this autumn tradition, bring the kids and make a day of it. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Cost is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and students, and free for children 6 and under. Visit www.foothillscraftguild.org for more info. See you there!

Playlist:
1. Autumn Almanac — The Kinks
2. Tradition — Fiddler on the Roof
3. Art in Me — Jars of Clay
4. Sugar Craft — Medeski, Martin & Wood
5. Mona Lisa — Nat “King” Cole
6. Scarborough Fair — Simon & Garfunkle
7. Pictures at an Exhibition — Ravel/Mussorgsky
8. Portrait of my Love — Steve Lawrence
9. Turbulent Indigo — Joni Mitchell
10. Harvest Festival — XTC

KSO Gives Tuneful Treat to Area Kids

Last week, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra treated kids from Knox County and surrounding schools to a wonderful program of music with a “Musical Superheroes” theme as part of the KSO’s popular Young People’s Concerts.
KSO Resident Conductor James Fellenbaum was in control and at ease with the skill of a master storyteller. He provided lively, concise introductions noting each composer’s “super power,” hamming it up for the delighted audience.
The “Star-Spangled Banner” kicked off the concert of selections familiar and not-so-familiar. The Civic Auditorium was full of the sound of thousands of toes tapping during the second movement of Haydn’s “Surprise” Symphony.
Seventeen-year-old flutist Laura Kappa joined 14-year-old harpist Naomi Falconnier as soloists on a concerto by Mozart. Both are members of the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra.
There were squeals of recognition as the first strains of Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony” came from the stage. Dancers from Go! Contemporary Dance Works provided a beautiful, moving tableau to illustrate Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.”
For the percussive blast of an excerpt from Stravinsky’s “The Firebird,” Maestro Fellenbaum encouraged the children to use their imagination to picture themselves triumphing against evil in their own scary adventure.
Rounding out the show was the “Theme from Superman” by John Williams, for which the conductor donned a Superman shirt and cape. At the risk of having an English teacher admonish me for ending a sentence with a preposition … the kids ate it up!
KSO Director of Education and Community Partnerships Jennifer Barnett works closely with the Knox County Public School System to make exciting live musical performances part of kids’ learning experience. For more info on the KSO’s educational outreach program, call Jennifer at 521-2305 or visit www.knoxvillesymphony.com
Playlist:
1. Heroes - David Bowie
2. Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy - The Tams
3. American Tune - Paul Simon
4. Little Child - The Beatles
5. Leader of the Band - Dan Fogelberg
6. Mr. Brightside - The Killers
7. Talk about the Passion - R.E.M.
8. I've Got to use my Imagination - Gladys Knight & the Pips
9. Superman - The Kinks
10. That's Really Super, Supergirl - XTC

Beating the Odds

For Central High grads Ashley and Chris Ward, the birth of their daughter Josslyn Rose Ward has been a long and bumpy ride, and scarier than most.
 
The trouble began when Ashley, a stylist at City Salon, experienced abdominal pain during her 23rd week of pregnancy. She was diagnosed with HELLP syndrome, a severe type of preeclampsia in which Ashley's life-giving placenta became toxic to her own system.
Babies aren't normally born until around the 40th week, so Ashley and Chris knew that a tough decision had to be made quickly. They opted to admit Ashley to U.T. Medical Center, where the top-notch team at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was in place and ready to give the baby a good fighting chance at survival.

Turns out the Wards made a very good decision. Josslyn Rose was born May 5th, and last Friday she left the U.T. Medical Center's NICU at a healthy 7 pounds, 13 ounces.
Babies born this premature are referred to as "micro-preemies," but that hardly conveys the living miracle of modern science that is Josslyn Rose. Consider this: at her birth back in May, she weighed a mere 390 grams, which is only an ounce or so more than your basic 12-oz. can of soda.

With the optimism and expertise of the caregivers at U.T. Medical Center, and a whole lot of praying by the Wards, their family, church, and friends, Josslyn was able to beat the "5% chance of survival" odds that the doctors had given her. In fact, Ashley and Chris credit much of Josslyn's success story to that extended circle of support that they relied on throughout the nerve-wracking period since the devastating diagnosis.

Faith is a powerful thing. It can give you strength you never knew you had. In the middle of their ordeal, the Wards even found time to help out other premature babies at U.T. by donating their time to help with a recent blanket drive sponsored by Central Baptist of Fountain City, where the Wards are active members.
Against all odds, Josslyn is now relatively healthy and has been breathing on her own for roughly two months.

So faith and science came together to save a miracle baby, only the third-most-premature ever to survive out of U.T. Medical Center. These days some folks are bent on convincing us that one or the other is in charge. Inspiring stories like the Wards' convince me that the two aren't mutually exclusive.
Playlist:
1. A Little Good News — Anne Murray
2. B-A-B-Y — Carla Thomas
3. Isn’t She Lovely — Stevie Wonder
4. Baby It’s You — The Beatles
5. Chances Are — Johnny Mathis
6. You Better Pray — Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
7. Long Time Gone — Crosby, Stills & Nash
8. I’m Comin’ Home Baby — Mel Tormé
9. Tiny Dancer — Elton John
10. We Three — Frank Sinatra

A Day at the Fair

What a time I had at the Tennessee Valley Fair! It’s such a visceral experience. In this age of “virtual reality” (ironically meaning just the opposite), it’s nice to participate up close and in person, using all your five senses. Some highlights I couldn’t have enjoyed near as much if I’d had to rely on YouTube:
* The serious and determined look of a small child trying to pick out which merry-go-round horse he was going to ride. This was a big decision!

* Livestock exhibitions. For a city gal like me, it’s a thrill to see live animals besides cats or dogs. You can even get close enough to touch some of them. The odors just remind me of the real, backbreaking work involved in caring for these creatures! From the complacent cattle to the achingly adorable bunnies, it’s a labor of love. And oh, I never knew roosters had such a varied and interesting repertoire of crows!

* It was a feast for the eyes as I drank in exhibits by skilled artists and crafters young and old: photography, book-making, quilting, carving, watercolors and so much more.
* The sound of music. With a nice variety of different kinds of live music entertainment, there’s always something going on so you can rest a spell, have a listen, tap your toes, get up and dance or sing along!
* The mouth-watering smell of a dizzying array of food choices: hot dogs, corn dogs, hamburgers, barbecue, Philly cheese steaks, chicken kebabs, tacos, egg rolls, gyros, fries, onion rings. What you need to do is come to the fair hungry, that’s for sure.
* I finally settled on the good ol’ reliable funnel cake. It tasted as comfortingly good as the first one I ever had.
Maybe that’s the real and enduring draw of the fair. It’s a window to our past, a time to stop and say howdy to neighbors and to appreciate the way things used to be. Many East Tennesseans remember the Tennessee Valley Fair from decades ago, and there’s a lot that hasn’t changed since then. It’s still makes a great family outing. And there’s nothing like it for down-home fun. I had a blast!
Playlist:
1. A Most Unusual Day — June Christy
2. State Fair — Los Straitjackets
3. Got To Be There — Michael Jackson
4. Little Red Rooster — Howlin’ Wolf
5. Moving Pictures — The Kinks
6. Sideshow — Blue Magic
7. Let’s Take an Old-Fashioned Walk — Frank Sinatra
8. Deep Fried Twinkies — Terry Hanck
9. Old Folks — Lou Rawls
10. The Good Life — Tony Bennett

Calling All Smarties

Are you one of those people who can spot a real bargain? Do you prefer preowned cars? Maybe to save money you clip coupons, go to matinees or drink wine by the box.
Have I got a deal for you!
Are you ready? My hot tip takes just two words: give blood. You’re probably saying to yourself, “How can a phrase containing the word ‘give’ possibly mean anything but coming away with less than you had before? How can I come out ahead in this?”
It’s like a pot-luck. You bring a bag of potato chips to the family reunion. For that tiny investment, you can eat barbecue, slaw and, most importantly, chocolate cake!

Giving blood is like that. You get your donation back 10 times over. Here’s how it works.
You go down to the Medic office. For most Knox Countians, that’s a drive of a half-hour or less. Then you answer some medical questions, sit back and relax for about 10 minutes. You leave with a T-shirt, beverage and snack, and the warm feeling you get knowing you made a life-saving donation to the area’s vital blood supply. Most people think that’s all there is to it, but they’re leaving out the best part!
Now, I realize that the above scenario omitted a significant technicality. You have to part with a pint of yourself. I understand the uneasy feeling you get thinking of the process itself. Yes, needles, arm soreness and queasiness all come to mind when people think of excuses not to give blood.

But I think mostly folks think it’s just one more annoying thing to remember to do on top of everything else. So I’m here to tell you, the payoff is so worth it!
What You Really Get
OK, let’s talk about the barbecue, slaw and cake.
This is such a steal I don’t know why the workers at Medic aren’t constantly inundated with people. For that one pint of blood you donate, you get free blood for a year. Let me repeat that. Free blood for a year! How amazing is that? You could crash your car next month, end up in the hospital and need 10 pints just the first day! And blood’s not cheap – we’re talking hundreds of dollars here, and most insurance companies don’t pay for it. No worries if you’ve given blood at Medic and have that sweet year-long “insurance policy.” It works at any hospital in the country, too.
Side note: the government says you can’t charge money for blood products, so technically we’re talking about the cost of the fees that go into safely processing that pint you donated. But you get the idea.
And now, back to the infomercial. “Call now. But wait, there’s more!” That deal’s not only for you, but also for your dependents. You heard right. Countless grateful parents throughout East Tennessee have protected their families by donating blood themselves. There’s even a program covering everyone in your business if you can get just 30 percent of your fellow-employees to pony up some of that liquid gold. Talk about bang for the buck!
So don’t worry if being magnanimous isn’t your bag. Think of giving blood more as, well, all about you! For the deal of a lifetime, get yourself on down to Medic or talk to your group leader or boss about a mobile drive. Tell them I sent you!

Medic Regional Blood Center can be reached at 865-524-3074.
Playlist:
1. My Way of Giving — Rod Stewart
2. With Arms Wide Open — Creed
3. Gimme Some Lovin’ — Spencer Davis Group
4. Give It Away — George Strait
5. Giving You the Best That I Got — Anita Baker
6. Man With the Golden Arm — Billy May
7. You Can Have It — Ike & Tina Turner
8. These Arms of Mine — Otis Redding
9. What Do I Get? — The Buzzcocks
10. It’s All About Me — Bratz Soundtrack

Good Deed-Doers

I can tell you any number of places I’d want to be on a sunny, unexpectedly warm February afternoon, but sitting inside hashing out the future needs of aging East Tennesseans wouldn’t be one of them.
Yet there they were last Thursday. A group of close to 100 kind souls who cared enough to… well, care.
That day the John T. O’Connor Senior Center hosted a formal “needs assessment” process, where volunteers gave their input as to what Governor Bredesen and the bright minds over in Nashville could do to improve the quality of life for seniors all over East Tennessee.
It isn’t often that “the powers that be” take the time to listen to what we locals have to say. It was the state’s way of asking “How am I doin’?” as well as “Where do we go from here?”

Of course, no good deed goes unpunished – the volunteers had to sit through a few speeches before they could get down to business.
The first was from Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale, who cited recent successes with new senior centers in Halls, South Knoxville and Corryton. He bragged on the $6 million county-donated land for the new veterans nursing home and ongoing efforts to prosecute harshly those criminals preying on seniors.
Using private sector money, new state programs will be in put in place, like the Health Department’s “Dispensary of Hope,” a $1 million program providing prescription drugs to low-income folks. Ragsdale praised Thursday’s session, saying it would “create a roadmap to the future to ensure that senior needs are taken care of.”
Keynote speaker John Arriola, chair of the Tennessee Commission on Aging & Disability, reported that Bredesen will submit legislation to improve seniors’ independence, especially those with disabilities. Arriola said the bill enjoys support from state representatives and senators, partly because it utilizes a global budget including funding for nursing homes as well as all other state-funded senior needs. Less paperwork, more results!
Arriola reported that Bredesen’s goals for the passing of the legislation include a target of July 1, 2009, to have all the “major players” in place and that the needs assessment process will be a great first step in determining the direction of the bill.

Finally, the brainstorming began. Small groups, each with a facilitator, discussed their issues and priorities for local seniors, and then knocked around some solutions to these challenges. It’s important stuff: affordable medicine, transportation, volunteer services, home hospice. Stuff that may not affect you right now, but you never know – someday you might enjoy the fruits of their labor!
So now the hurdle is to transcribe, categorize, and otherwise make head or tail of the all their great ideas. The resulting report will be released in about seven weeks.
Participants will receive a copy of the report. To view a comprehensive summary of the report, check www.knoxcac.org or call 524-2786 to request a copy. You can help save the county some postage by requesting the report via e-mail at knoxooa@knoxcac.org.
And if you’re feeling guilty about missing this event, plan to attend the Roll-out Party for the new Knox County Senior Service Directory on Monday, March 12, at 8 a.m. at the O’Connor Center. It’s never too late to get out there and get involved!

Playlist:
1. Help Me – Joni Mitchell
2. Talk to me – Frank Sinatra
3. Take A Giant Step – The Monkees
4. The Right Thing To Do – Carly Simon
5. I Want to Hear What You Have Got To Say – The Subways
6. Hello It's Me – Todd Rundgren
7. Listen to Her Heart – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
8. Tell Him – The Exciters
9. He Ain't Heavy... He's My Brother – The Holllies
10. When I Write The Book – Rockpile