We don't celebrate Christmas

RIVER PLANTATION RV PARK
Sevierville, TN 37862
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Look what I got in the mail today!!!

Scanner, k-adapter, i cord maker

THIS is why we don't give presents to each other, for any occasions, unless it's just to give something unexpected.
I used to love Christmas for the gift giving and receiving. I used to love decorating the house also. I would get so excited about a gift I purchased for Scott, but then he wouldn't use it or he found something better. Sigh. And of course Scott hated the pressure of having to buy a gift or two or three. He 99% of the time did a great job.  For me, it got to the point, I ran out of ideas. All Scott wanted was a gift certificate to a computer store. BORING!!!! No fun in that.
So we no longer exchange gifts for any occasion. My gifts to Scott is that he doesn't have to think about what to get for Birthdays, Anniversaries, Valentine's Days, Christmas, Easter, and so on. He is very happy and appreciative.
And not being a religious person, we don't celebrate the Keep CHRIST in Christmas either. (Sorry, Mom, Dad, & Bro)
For a while, I insisted on still exchanging cards, but now even that has gone away. We are both absolutely fine with this arrangement. When Scott was working, his co-workers kept telling him he was a lucky man. They would dread having to find the right piece of jewelry and they would surely be in trouble if it wasn't quality stuff or if they didn't spend a certain amount.
Uh oh! Here I go! And what is it with women and "Coach" bags & granite counters?????? At least granite counters ARE beautiful, but "Coach" bags??? They are absolutely ugly! And the rustic leather look, looks like vinyl. I really hate the whole idea of the so called status of name products. And that goes for you GUYS too! What is so impressive about Harley Davidsons????? Yea, they are a nice looking bike, but so are many other brands. Made in the US? Maybe assembled in the US, but ALL the parts aren't made in the US. I would not own a Harley simply for the fact that people seem so impressed just by the name. I have a Suzuki Intruder which is a very nice looking cruiser & very reliable.
Now onto the next peeve...Granite counters & stainless steel appliances. How many home shows do you see where the home buyers insist on these products. Granite counters are beautiful, but many other types of counters are also.  I personally like the CRUSHED QUARTZ counter tops or even being a little green with the RECYCLED GLASS counter tops. Did you know that the BUTCHER BLOCK counter tops are making a come back? And how long before you ladies decide that stainless steel looks too industrial...like a restaurant?
Wow, from Christmas to gifts to a rant? Take a breath Deb. Step away from the computer for a while.
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BROWSING THE WWW:
I am a follower of LISA BORGMAN. She is a hilarious writer, with a wonderfully skewed outlook on every day life's happenings. So while she was relating a Chistmas story, she mentioned PARLOR ROLLER PIGEONS.  Well, of course with the wonderful world wide web, I had to look them up. I would never have believed this if I didn't see it on you tube. Of course everything on the internet is true, right?? Check it out. A little sad, but very interesting.
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RV LIFE:
I'm still loving our floor. I am so happy we got it installed. The RV just seems bigger, neater and cleaner.  It makes me want to keep the clutter around under some control.

Sevierville is right next to Pigeon Forge, TN, which a a very touristy town. I'm glad we're here during the Christmas season. They have the restaurants and stores decorated so nicely. Plus, it is not crowded like it would be during the Summer and loaded with kids.

At first I was going through all those coupon books for the different attractions and restaurants. After spending our first day here just sorting out all the ads, I've come to realize, that I really don't care about these touristy things. If we happen to go fine, but if not, that's fine too. Natural attractions are different. Definitely want to see our amazing USA. Pigeon Forge is like a mini Branson, MO, only more hillbilly. We have been going to restaurants though. Three out of five days here, we've eaten out for dinner. So on to the reviews...
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RESTAURANT REVIEW:
Corinos Italian Grill Sevierville, TN 37863
Our rating 4 out of 5

Walking in reminds you of Olive Garden. Corinos also has the unlimited soup & salad deal, etc. like Olive Garden.
CAESAR SALAD: Nothing fancy. Crisp romaine, with a very pleasant Caesar dressing.
BREAD: The bread was fantastic!!!! We were presented with a whole mini loaf. The bread was dense with a nice crisp crust. There was oregano or rosemary in it. Delicious. This was served with dried garlic covered with olive oil. Very nice touch. They offered us a second loaf which we accepted.
PASTA & MEATBALLS: I wasn't impressed, but my husband who is the true pasta & sauce person really liked it. He also liked the meatballs.
BOWTIE PASTA: I forget the name of the dish, but it was delicious. It was bowtie pasta, with bacon, fresh diced tomatoes and an asiago cheese sauce. Delicious and light.
TIRAMISU: I ordered this because of reading the reviews. I was so disappointed! It's a huge portion, which was nice, but it was all greasy, fake cream. What little lady fingers and coffee/chocolate flavor I did find was delicious. At $5.99 this is a lot of money for a lot of filler fake cream.
Our waitress was sweet and attentive. The music was a little too loud. Overall a good experience.
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Applewood Farmhouse Sevierville, TN 37862
Our rating 4 out of 5

What an enjoyable restaurant. It is set back from the road amid a winery, a creamery/bakery, a candy store, etc. Nice little village feel.
We were seated in a  glass enclosed porch. Although we were seated at a round table for 4, there was an actual porch swing used as a "bench" type seating. Very cute.

Waiter was very, if a bit overly friendly. Kept calling us "brother" and "sister" and "boss. Patting us on the back. He added to the southern farmhouse charm and was very efficient.
The meals at first looked expensive. $15.00 for meatloaf? But ends up the price of the meal includes, apple fritters, a small fruit julep, soup or salad, mashed potatoes and another side, the main course and desert.
APPLE FRITTERS: These were served as the bread along with apple butter. Absolutely delicious! They didn't need the apple butter. The apple butter was good. Tasted more like a very sweet, cinnamon apple sauce.
MASHED POTATOES: Home made and very good. Tastes like there might be a touch of turnips mashed in also.
MEATLOAF: Large thick slab and was very good. Moist and tasty.
FRIED OKRA: Good but seemed to have been sitting around under some heat lamps instead of being fried to order.
COBBLER: Very good, served warm. Not overly sweet. Did not taste like fresh apples, but canned. Still good.