Categories:

Recent Entries

Kratt Brothers At Kidsfest

Nancy’s Angel Garden

Beck Mountain Kids Kamp

Coco The Golf Dog

Lake Lure Tour

Wheels Through Time

Zorb!

Cable Country Goes To The Big City-Part 3

Cable Country Goes To The Big City-Part 2

Cable Country Goes To The Big City-Part 1

Monthly Archives

• June 2008
• May 2008
• April 2008
• March 2008
• February 2008
• January 2008
• December 2007
• November 2007
• October 2007
• September 2007
• August 2007
• July 2007
• June 2007
• May 2007
• April 2007
• March 2007
• February 2007
• January 2007
• December 2006
• November 2006
• October 2006
• September 2006
• August 2006

RSS Feeds

• 

12

During the 1930’s, John Harvey became choir director at Watauga Christian Church. He fell in love and married the church organist there. And now, decades later, what Mr. and Mrs. Harvey started has become a gospel tradition. 

It’s a chorus that commenced at Lick Creek Christian Church.

“My father and his 11 brothers and sisters they sang in the choir here back in the 20’s”, says Peggy Harvey Street. “That’s where the tradition of the Harvey Family Singers started”.

Christmas night, 1940..the tradition really took off..a milestone for the Harveys as first cousin Tommy Andrews joined the group at the age of 8.

“What we traveled in when we started really was an old A Model Ford Coupe”, laughs Tommy.

66 Christmases later, Tommy’s still singing with the group.

“The style of singing that we do today is the style that they started at Watauga Christian Church on Christmas night in 1940”, Peggy says.

Peggy and her sister, Theresa, joined the group in 1945.

“We had to go cause Daddy said we had to go”, Theresa laughs. “Now I’m awful glad Daddy had us do it. I enjoy it more now than I ever did”.

“We’re kind of torn between being proud of the fact that we’ve been able to sing all these years and just not wanting to tell how old we are”, adds Peggy.
“We still enjoy singing just as much as ever”.

“We always try to present the gospel in song”, says Theresa.

“We have a style similar to the old Chuckwagon Gang style”, Tommy says.

“We meet the best people in the world of any community we go in because we meet them in church”, says Peggy.

“Wherever we’ve gone people seem like they enjoy it”, Tommy adds. “And we get a great enjoyment out of it ourselves”.

“It’s through the Lord that we’ve been able to sing all these years”, continues Peggy. “It’s hard for us to believe”.

“It’s a miracle it is really a miracle”, Theresa says proudly. “66 years of continuous gospel music”.

And every Christmas night, they celebrate the miracle by gathering on the front steps of Watauga Christian Church and singing the song that started it all in 1940: “Give the World a Smile”.

“It’s like Jacob that goes back and renews his covenant with The Lord”, Theresa says. “And we go back to Watauga and we renew our covenant year by year by year”.

And year by year, The Harvey Family Singers continue to leave a legacy for southern gospel music in this region.

“I hope so, yes”, says Theresa. “I do hope we’re leaving a legacy. It’s engrained, it’s engrained in you”.

“It has become so much a part of our lives now that I don’t know what we would do if we didn’t sing”, Peggy says. “It’s been a real blessing”.

Posted by Tim Cable

It’s a tiny town within the community of Limestone. In fact, it’s a tiny town formed within one living room. And oh, what a peaceful place it is.

Catherine Butler doesn’t have far to go to walk to town.

“My town”, she says proudly.

She lives out in the country in Washington County but she’s set up her own little town in her living room.

“Right, and if the world was that quiet and peaceful we’d have it made”, says Catherine.

And that inspired the name for her tiny town.

“Well, I thought about calling it, Peaceful”, Catherine says. “That’s about the way it makes me feel”.

Now when it came to incorporating the Peaceful Christmas Village, Butler did it a few decades ago.

“About 30 years ago I guess, I started collecting”, she says. “I just enjoyed looking at it, it was something to do for the kids”.

Nowadays, it takes her about three days to set it up. There’s no real method to the way the town is laid out.

“However my imagination comes along”, Catherine says.

She imagines she has her favorite features of her town.

“Well, I like my pond over here and my Christmas tree little salesman”, says Catherine. “And the farm, I like the farm”.

Farm felines, a chicken house and wild deer in the woods. A clock tower, a campfire and Santa searching through his bag for goods. There’s Walton’s Five and Dime and ice skaters whirling up a good time. And over on the outskirts of Peaceful..she’s painted the town blue.

“I found it at a ceramic shop and decided I’d paint me one”, she says.

And just over from the blue village, a towering green Christmas tree with multi-colored ornaments.

“Well, my granddaughter, Michelle Ricker, picked that out for me”, says Catherine. “But, she knows I like a big tree”.

Some of the ornaments are over 50 years old..she had them when she was a kid.

“I just keep hanging on to them”, she adds.

Catherine says, she guesses she never outgrew Christmas.

“No, I’m gonna be a kid as long as I can”, she laughs.

Exciting, yet still, peaceful.

“It’s just relaxing to sit and look at”, says Catherine. “It’s pretty”.

And the Mayor of this pretty, Peaceful village is also the town planner..and she plans to keep overseeing this town every Christmas.

“As long as I can get down and put it together”, she says. “I guess I will”. 

Posted by Tim Cable

The Land of Oz theme park enjoyed a ten year run from 1970 to 1980. Remnants of the park remain today and it’s still a magical place.

She’s not the wizard.

“I am the Keeper of Oz”, Cindy Keller says.

And way up high on Beech Mountain, on the site of the old Land of Oz theme park, Cindy Keller feels like she’s living somewhere over the rainbow.

“Most days I feel very blessed to be living in the highest barn east of the Rockies”, laughs Cindy.

She turned the back room of Uncle Henry’s barn into a Wizard of Oz museum.

“The story The Wizard of Oz or whatever, The Land of Oz is America’s classic fairy tale”, says Cindy.

Park visitors first followed the yellow brick road here in 1970. Grover Robbins was the driving force to getting it open.

“He was the developer of Beech Mountain and he was an imagineer”, says Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce President, Jim Brooks. “Grover knew that he needed from his experiences at Tweetsie Railroad, needed to do a theme park around the top of the mountain. And he said, this is the enchanted forest this is going to be The Land of Oz”.

And despite closing to the public in 1980, it’s still The Land of Oz.

“The vast majority of the park is still here with the exception of Emerald City, the grand finale”, Cindy says. “But Dorothy’s house, the yellow brick road, the farm is all still here so the essence of the park is still here”.

The Keeper of Oz is clicking her heels to help keep the dream alive. From the twister room to the Tin Man’s house..and the witch’s castle to faces on trees. Even Munchkin Land lives on. And once a year here, the first weekend of October, Ozies gather in hoards for the Autumn at Oz Party.

“I try to tell people this is not an Oz festival it’s an Oz party”, says Cindy. “There is an Oz cult that’s bigger than Star Trek. It’s more fun than going to the mall to see what comes through here”.

Some real Dorothy diehards follow the yellow brick road.

“Well, I think the most extreme case I’ve seen so far is a man that flew all the way from England to come over and dress as Dorothy for two days and wear his ruby slippers down the yellow brick road”, Cindy laughs.

That’s life..living in the merry old Land of Oz. The license plate on Cindy’s car proves it..it says, “we’re off”. Maybe there is no place like home. For more on the Land of Oz, pick up a copy of tomorrow morning’s edition of the Bristol Herald Courier and read Joe Tennis’ article in the Empire Section

Posted by Tim Cable

Santa has taken up permanent residence at this Jonesborough woman’s home. 

Santa Claus came to town..and I think he stayed at Kathy Horton’s house.

“I BELIEVE HE DID”, LAUGHS KATHY. “I THINK THAT HE’S FOUND A HOME HERE”.

She’s rolled out the welcome mat alright. Kathy’s crazy about her collection of Kris Kringles.

“I LOVE MY SANTAS I NEVER GET TIRED OF THEM”, SHE SAYS.

She’s quick as a wink to credit her love for Santa to her Dad. She still remembers a talk she had with him when she was a child.

“AND HE SAID, WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS UP TO YOU”, SAYS KATHY. “IF YOU BELIEVE IN SANTA CLAUS, THERE’LL ALWAYS BE A SANTA CLAUS. SO ONE DAY, I JUST DECIDED WELL, IF I CAN DECIDE I DON’T BELIEVE IN HIM, I CAN DECIDE I DO BELIEVE IN HIM”.

So yes, Virginia..uh Tennessee, North Carolina there is a Santa Claus, she believes.

“SURE. BELIEVING IN HIM KIND OF PUT A MYSTERY IN THE AIR”, KATHY SAYS. “THE JOY..THE MYSTIQUE OF IT ALL..THE EXCITEMENT”.

Her excitement for St. Nick led to this collection starting almost 15 years ago.

“THE VERY FIRST ONE THAT I GOT IS SANTA CLAUS TELLING THE STORY OF THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS”, SAYS KATHY.

She’d still have to list it as her favorite..and she doesn’t have to check her list twice to say that. She starts unpacking them from storage around the first of November and puts them on display around her house.

“I HAVE SO MANY THAT DO SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS”, SHE SAYS.

In the living room, Santas that dance..and bounce..and decorate the tree. Cycle Santa and Santas that salute U-T.

“WHAT KIND OF TENNESSEE PERSON WOULD I BE IF I DIDN’T HAVE A U-T SANTA”, LAUGHS KATHY.

In the kitchen, Santas everywhere..even on the chair. In the bedroom, snuggle up with Santa. In the bathroom, Santa in the shower..and, in the bathtub.
Yep, Kathy’s definitely flipped her lid for old Santa. You could probably just label Kathy’s house: North Pole South. Around here, the jolly old elf is jolly old magic.

“SANTA’S MAGIC TO ME”, KATHY BEAMS. “IT REMINDS ME OF A HAPPIER TIME. SO I GUESS IT TAKES ME BACK TO MY CHILDHOOD. MOM AND DAD ALWAYS MADE SUCH A BIG PRODUCTION OUT OF CHRISTMAS THIS IS MY WAY OF CARRYING ON THE TRADITION”. 

Posted by Tim Cable

Bristolian Blake Lunsford says he got inspired to start carving five years ago after watching a craftsman at Dollywood. He ended up taking classes from that craftsman and now Blake has a hobby that’s anything but ho ho humdrum. 

Blake Lunsford would have to say, he believes in Santa Claus.

“Absolutely, I think Santa’s in every one of us”, he says. “I feel like I want to try to spread that to my family and to other people that I meet”.

And here’s how he spreads the spirit of Saint Nick..he creatively carves Kris Kringle figurines.

“I think creativity was born into me but I don’t necessarily know if carving was”, laughs Blake. “It’s a learning process it’s something I enjoy doing and my Mom actually collects Santas. That actually stirred my interest when I first began noticing that she collected those because a lot of what you see on the shelf doesn’t have near the detail as ones that you can actually carve in wood”.

While he thanks his Mom for kind of inspiring him to get started with Santas..he now thanks his 19 month old daughter for giving him the inspiration to continue the craft.

“She’s kind of gotten involved and she’s always looking for Ho Ho”, says Blake. “She always wants to know what Ho Ho Daddy is working on and..I’ve kind of continued to do those just because she likes them”.

In his free time, he tries to spend a couple of hours a night carving. While other folks are sitting in front of the TV, he’s sitting in front of a trash can, letting the chips fall.

“Most of the wood I carve is basswood”, adds Blake. “It’s a hard wood but it holds detail real well”.

And detail’s important when whipping up these whimsical wooden wonders.

“I do carve what they call caricatures”, Blake explains. “Which are just people with big noses, big hands, usually big ears but they’re realistic looking they have realistic eyes..usually they’re in funny sceneries”.

And after closely examining Blake’s creations, I’ve decided that old Santa must have delivered to Blake a whole sleigh full of patience”.

“That’s the thing that most people comment about is it takes a huge amount of patience”, he says. “The average piece probably about 10 hours from start to finish. A lot of the details are very intricate there’s a lot of different cuts and angles that you have to take. The patience is really important”.

And patience keeps paying off. Blake plans to keep cuttin’ it with his carving tools. He says he feels like he’s whittling out a lasting legacy for his kids and grandkids to enjoy for years to come.

“It allows me to relax”, says Blake. “It allows me to clear my mind of all the things that are going on and the every day hustle and bustle and things that go on with work and allows me to be creative and have something to show for it. I carve Santas year round. You know I feel like that it kind of keeps the Christmas spirit going throughout the year”.

For more on Blake’s Santas, pick up a copy of tomorrow morning’s edition of the Bristol Herald Courier and read Joe Tennis’ article in the Empire Section. Blake Lunsford’s Santa figures are available at The Cave House Craft Shop in Abingdon, Virginia. 

Posted by Tim Cable