Assuming practicality can be cast aside, my ideal environment would be a small period cottage in downtown Franklin, Tennessee. The richest county in Tennessee, it also has a wealth of historical significance. The Battle of Franklin was one of (if not the) bloodiest battles of the Civil War and remnants of that event lie everywhere. Preservation is a constant theme and many antebellum homes survive, either in far-flung acreage, or smack on busy streets of the town. Small cottages abound, many probably originally belonging to middle class and laborer class families. One of these smaller houses would be my choice.
Probably of frame construction, there is a front porch large enough for sitting and watching the world go by. There is a small patch of manageable lawn and some easily tended flower beds. Since it's springtime (in my vision) there are blue iris (Tennessee's state flower) and blue and white pansies, and small boxwoods flank the front steps. A white dogwood tree and low fence complete the front. In the rear there is a small yard or courtyard with birdhouses and feeders and redbud trees. Tall shrubs around the perimeter create privacy.
Inside the house there are hardwood floors, except for the Art Deco kitchen that sits at the rear of the house, overlooking the rear yard. The kitchen has red-and-cream checkerboard vinyl tile and stainless steel countertops. White cabinets have glass knobs. Some of my collection of red & white Staffordshire china will be displayed, as well as some green jadite pieces and antique kitchen paraphernalia. There is a restored 40's-vintage stove. An old service porch behind the kitchen has been converted to a tiny sunroom where I have my morning coffee, read the paper, and watch the birds from my chintz chaise, which is flanked by a tea table and my childhood roll-top desk.
There are two bedrooms downstairs, one for me and one for my grandchildren when they visit. A small living room on the front of the house has a gas fireplace and bookcases. It adjoins a dining room that is open enough that the two rooms work well for entertaining. A large attic room upstairs with dormer windows and skylights makes a large light-filled sewing studio.
When I am dressed and ready for the day, I can step out the front door and walk to Main Street. There I will find the Post Office, the library, the oldest Episcopal parish in Tennessee, The Stitcher's Garden (LQS), Puckett's Grocery for lunches and dinners with live music, and Merridee's Breadbasket. I can browse dozens of junk and antique shops, small tearooms, Baskin-Robbins, the county courthouse fronted by a genuine old-time roundabout complete with Confederate monument, or just prowl the many streets of quaint cottages and grand Federal and Victorian manors.
It is always springtime in my vision, sunny days warm enough to send a soft breeze skittering across my arms, just before the sticky Southern curtain of humidity falls over us like a tent.
This task became my Artist Date this week. It's a fantasy I've always kicked around in my head, and in writing about it I thought why not take some pictures to illustrate. The weather cooperated and off I went. (Winter literally blew autumn away last week, if you can call Saturday's mid-60's temps winter.)
(Note: I'm sorry if you can't see my links. I took so many pictures it was the only way I knew to let you choose how many you wanted to look at. I redid the links, but if they still don't work you might try going directly to the album:
http://community.webshots.com/user/jettstream
The album name is "Perfect Environment." Someone let me know if this works. Thanks. JA)
9 comments:
You would have enjoyed the Heritage Park visit in Corpus Christi too. Some of the older houses were moved to this site and although they were closed at the time I was there, you could still imagine.
I don't know if it's just me, but I can't see any of the pictures you linked in your post. It just sends me to a generic webshots on each one. I'd love to see in particular the art deco kitchen.
It's not you, Hilda. I wrote Jane Ann an email so maybe she will fix it later.
It sounds beautiful Jane Ann. Very relaxing. I love the pic of the house...looks very cozy and comfy. :o)
what a wonderful description!
Gemia, Franklin is in Williamson County, an adjacent county just southwest of Nashville/Davidson County. I live in Brentwood, which straddles Davidson and Williamson Counties, so downtown Franklin is probably less than 10 miles away from my home, but decades away in time. I can't describe the beauty of Williamson County--rolling horse farm country. (We're due south of Kentucky's Bluegrass region, so we're very similar geographically.) Many very wealthy music people (and it's the writers not the performers who are the richest) have large farms/estates in the county, and there is a very arty atmosphere as well as an effort to maintain a down-home flavor (sorta funny considering the expense of everything in the county).
Your photo links now work! yes!
(but your AW link needs to be embedded in the text--do a create link--you can't just write it as HTML)
Jane Ann, you really have learned alot more than you bargained for with this AW course! See what your suggestion on the forum has done to broaden your web skills? amazing!
And you got a lot more than YOU bargained for when you took a dunce like me under your wing!
Gemia, you don't know how much I would love that! Spring Hill is not far south of me--maybe 20 minutes? If that. Are they with GM? You know, the Saturn plant is closing; just heard last week. They were in a real boom and the mayor swears the closing won't affect their growth. Yes, Jackson would be a good 2 hours, maybe a bit longer (there's a new interchange now that makes the trip much easier than it used to be). You would get a KICK out of Franklin, and I would get a kick out of meeting YOU! Put Franklin on your to-do list, even if you don't put ME there!
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