Skip to main content

Lester Flatt Celebration


One of my earliest memories is waking up to the sound of coffee perking in the pot, accompanied by Lester and Earl on the radio. They would be singing about Martha White's biscuits, cakes, and pies, and I was always ready when Mama's biscuits came out of the oven. I have loved Lester Flatt's music forever, although there was a period during my teenage years when I wouldn't exactly admit it, because it wasn't cool to like Bluegrass then.


Lester Flatt was born and raised near the small town of Sparta, Tennessee, and every year, they have a festival to celebrate Lester Flatt and all of Bluegrass Music.


Sparta is a beautiful town, but I didn't get many photos to share.  As you can tell from Becky Buller's hair, there was a cold north wind that October Saturday.  I was snuggled under my apple quilt, and stayed there where it was nice and warm.


As you can see on the sign behind Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers, this celebration was the International Bluegrass Music Association's Event of the Year for 2015.


The festival is held every October.  Sparta is in White County, Tennessee, just off of Interstate 40.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Amish in Stantonville, Tennessee

Last week, my sis and her hub went with us to the Amish community near Stantonville, Tennessee.  It was a beautiful day, and we love driving to new places and finding new treasures.  We enjoy these mini-trips we take together, where we giggle a lot and get caught up on everything.  Also, the squirrels ate all our tomatoes, so we needed to find some to buy. You know the food you are buying is fresh when they bring it from the field while you are standing there waiting for it. Here is part of what we brought home, and it was all delicious. Stantonville is located in McNairy County, Tennessee, northwest of Shiloh National Military Park.

Holy Smoke Pie

I think it was in the late seventies that I first had Holy Smoke Pie.  It was at a party at Debra Morris Harville's house.  After we ate, Debra had to give the recipe to everyone there.  I came home and made it for my family, and it has been a favorite since then.  I always make it at holiday dinners, because I believe tradition is important.  It has become a favorite of our granddaughters. I've heard it called Chocolate Delight, Four-Layer Chocolate Dessert, and other odd things.  We call it Holy Smoke.  Here is how I make it: Chop us a cup of pecans; set aside. Add a stick of softened butter (NOT margarine) to one cup of self-rising flour. Cut the butter into the flour. Add the chopped pecans, and work it all together. Save two tablespoons of the pecans to sprinkle on top. Pour into a 9" x 12" pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Spread it over the bottom of the pan.  It helps to use your hands (o...

Out of the Dirt: Bragg-ing

Like every reader, I have my favorite writers. There have been so many that have stirred my emotions and made me a part of their world, and I'm thankful for that. The one is love the best, the one I cherish , is Rick Bragg. Yesterday, Rick was in our area. We were privileged to see a newly released documentary about his life called Out of the Dirt . Afterwards, he talked to us about family and roots. His first book, All over but the Shoutin' , was recommended to me years ago. Very early in the book, I was thinking, "Who is this? He is writing about me, about my family." I have never actually met anyone in the book, but they are all my neighbors and kinfolks. His other books are just as well-written. In his book, Writing for the Soul , Christian author Jerry Jenkins had this to say about Rick Bragg: I read other writers and strive to be like them. I read others, like Rick Bragg, the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist, and simply surrender, knowing I will ...