14 Memphis Tennessee
Memphis
We’ve crossed the line into Tennessee. My families home state… my mom and dad and generations before them were all born in Tennessee. Since both families came west to San Francisco my mom and dad met at church, married and had my brother and I… so we’re native San Franciscans. It’s always nice to return ‘home’ to ‘the volunteer state’.
Every town has it’s ‘claim to fame’. Memphis has signs on buildings as we crossed the Mississippi River saying it is the home of Rock n roll and Birthplace of the Blues. Elvis lived here so guess it’s true. We won’t get to Graceland but the city was quite nice as we entered from the bridge across the river.
In OKC besides having the awful bombing at the federal bldg., the little town of Edmond, next door, is famous for the post office where ‘going postal’ was coined. A disgruntaled worker who was fired, came back to this post office and shot and killed several people. Not good things to be remembered for but then reminders to live better are always good. ‘Lest we forget’.
Interstate 40 has been green and lush all the way from Oklahoma City.. the humidity is up so it feels hotter than OKC right now. It’s 115 there and we register only 95 here. We talk of ‘dry heat’ or ‘hot and humid’… all in all hot is hot.. a pizza over is dry heat! right?
Will, a very nice worker with the Johnson family, suggested we stop 108 miles from the Tennessee/ Arkansas border for dinner at his aunt Evelyn’s diner. Bailey’s Restaurant at Parkers Crossroads will be where we eat then hole up for the night near his Auntie’s house. Sounds like fun to us!!
Tomorrow we’ll be going on into Nashville, Triune which is just south really, and stay with cousins. More tomorrow.
Filed under: Uncategorized on July 3rd, 2009
I love reading about your travels and all the wonderful pics you have been posting. I hope I can tour around like the two of you have been doing when I reach my retirement years. Until then, I’ll live vicarioulsy through your posts.
Hope you make it back home before October!
May the rest of your trip be problem free. Looks like you’re really enjoying yourselves.
Cindy
Hi, glad you are coming along. Where is it that you live? Will we be passing through your area?
Hi from Oak Ridge TN
We were adopted into the Jesse Johnson family 40 years ago. They took in my mom and sister when my dad left for Vietnam and 2 weeks later I was born. They are a wonderful family and do so much good in the world like you said. We have often watched Matt and his family and laughed when we saw ourselves in them. Raising a large family is not always easy. God bless you in your travels.
Nichole
What a wonderful story. We met the Johnson’s back in the 60’s in Walnut Creek California. We were part of their ministry to asian military who came for training across the US. Then with the fall of VN we took in a family of 8 for almost a year. they are still part of our family.
Then we lived just a few blocks away from them when we lived in San Bruno California. We purchased the cabin in Mt. Hermon from them so our lives kept entwining.
We love the whole family.. know you do too.
thanks for sharing your story…
I met you and Ron at Matt’s farm last October. I’m in Vancouver, WA, across the river. That’s why I mentioned that I hope you’re back home by October, so we can say hello again this fall. That is, if you plan on still helping out with pumpkin season.
I also have family in OKC, Edmond to be exact, yeah infamous for the “going postal” episode. I also have toured the OKC memorial, very touching. My sister in-law had a co-worker who’s sister perished in that awful tragedy, leaving 2 small kids behind.