Happy Anniversary! You are invited to the party!

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, Music Lovers, and Friends of the Blog, lend us your ears!

Yes, it is hard to believe and yes, we actually have made it almost one full year in wedded bliss! The time has come celebrate the joys, sorrows, fears, and elation of the past year with our friends, family, and colleagues.

Please make your plans to join us for the one year bash which will be held 9-10 September 2011 in Asheville, NC!

This will be a little less formalized than the wedding itself, so most of the travel arrangement, etc will be left to you (though we are happy to help with any questions to assist your planning). If you refer back to the wedding blog posting you will find information on the area as far as hotels, food, things to do, and so on.

So what is the scoop on the weekend? Glad you asked! Here it goes:

Friday 9 September 2011
Kick off begins at 3pm at The Bywater (www.bywaterbar.com).
The Bywater is owned by our good friends Chad and James. They are great guys and own one of the coolest places in town. The Bywater is a private club so you will need to purchase a membership ($5 for a year at last count). You cannot BYOB but you can purchase beer, wine, and other spirits once on site. You can bring your own food, outdoor toys (football, frisbee, etc). They also have a horseshoe pit, live music, and other fun activities.

It is family friendly though for later in the evening activities the kids may not be as comfortable (or maybe the parents wouldn't be as comfortable as the kids). Plan accordingly.

This is where the weekend plans start to drift a bit. We don't have formalized evening plans though a few things are in play. We may stay at the Bywater or we may venture to The Whitehorse Black Mountain for some music and a private party hosted by us. The White Horse is owned and operated by friends Bob and Kim. It is a great bar and music venue with the ability to bring in food and purchase alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages. They host some great music and we are working on an entertainment line up for the evening. Of course, it will be a national touring act! We just aren't sure who/where at this point. Details to follow........

(Interior view of the White Horse)

We'll let the evening take us where it may, to some extent, though we know it will involve the plans laid out above on some level.

All we need from you is an RSVP. Please email stevejohnson@alumni.duke.edu and let us know you are coming or better yet, find the event on Facebook(http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mountain-Music-Entertainment/134450003279514?sk=info#!/event.php?eid=242089542468709) , and just click that you are attending! (and hopefully I inserted that link correctly!

Saturday 10 September 2011
If the weekend gets tricky in terms of planning it is for the Saturday festivities. We are planning to head to Brevard, NC to take in the Steep Canyon Rangers at the Mountain Song Festival. www.mountainsongfestival.com

What better way to celebrate with your friends than a music festival, the outdoors, and some great music by the band that help you bring it all together?!

Right now the best option is to just buy your tickets for festival seating and we'll make an effort to get there early enough in the day to stake out a spot where we can try to "hang out" in one large communal pile, so to speak. Don't forget your blankets for the ground!

Anticipated departure from Asheville to Brevard is 11am. Return is open ended. You may even consider trying to secure lodging in Brevard for Saturday night as it is a 30min to 1 hour drive from Brevard back to downtown Asheville. www.brevardnc.com for details on the area!

To entice the outdoor lover in you, a picture of Looking Glass Falls near Brevard.

So, there you have it. You ask, what do we do from here? Simple we say. Make your plans to join us on 9-10 September 2011 in Asheville, NC. Secure your travel plans, buy those airline tickets, fuel the car )ok-maybe you should do that on the 9th unless you aren't driving for the next several months), reserve a hotel room, tell your friends, start stashing some cash, and come join us. Oh, and RSVP so we can let the venues know how many to expect when we show up.

We are simply supplying the plans, a little food here and there over the weekend, the music, and the venues. The rest is up to you! The most important part is to just have fun and see our friends!

RSVP by either saying you are attending through the Facebook event or emailing stevejohnson@alumni.duke.edu. Hope to see you then!

Cheers,
Kate and Steve

And so begins the next chapter.....

Friends,

Thank you for sharing our special day with us! I hope you had as much fun as we did during the wedding weekend.

We learned a few things:

1. Time is not your friend at your wedding. It goes by quickly and it seems you don't get to visit with your guests.

2. Cupcakes are pretty good if you haven't had a chance to eat anything else during your wedding!

3. Friends are what make the wedding special.

4. A little food, great music, good friends, and wonderful weather are memories that last a life time.

5. Don't gain or lose too much weight just before the wedding otherwise you'll be pulling at your dress or pants all night long.......

Thank you again (formal thank you notes are on the way where appropriate) for being a part of this new chapter. We look forward to seeing everyone again soon!

Please keep in touch and plan to visit us!

Cheers,

Steve and Katie Lloyd Johnson

We are entering launch sequence....

Here we are just mere moments from the big day! Below are a few last minute planning details to help you as you head out the door for the wedding:

1. Weather: Forecast calls for a slight chance of rain on Friday and clear skies on Saturday (keep fingers crossed). Highs each day in the upper 70's with lows in the mid 50's.

2. Clothing: While some have asked if clothing is optional, it is a family affair, so to protect the kids and adults and please wear clothes! (Ha!). I believe jeans are acceptable for Friday and Saturday activities, though we have heard that the clothing will range from jeans and nice shirts to three piece suits (and maybe even a tuxedo or 2). As long as you have shirt and shoes you can be part of the service.

3. Friday Afternoon/Evening: The Friday afternoon and evening events are open for anyone that wants to participate. Additional details are posted below in earlier posts. If you are in town please join us.

4. Local Events: The Mountain State Fair (http://www.mountainfair.org/) is occuring during the wedding weekend. It is located a short drive South of Asheville. The deep fried twinkies are delicious!

Another event in the town of Weaverville (very close to the wedding location) is the Art in Autumn Festival. (http://www.visitweaverville.com/artinautumn/). This could be a good stop prior to the wedding ceremony. There are many good restaurants on Main Street in Weaverville to cure hunger pangs or quench a thirst for a nice microbrewed beer or glass of wine.

We will have a full meal available (including vegetarian options) at the wedding and a selection of tea, lemonade, water, local brewed beer, and wine. Plan accordingly!

Travel safe and we look forward to seeing you this weekend!

Cheers,
Steve and Katie

Wedding Details Part Deux

It's officially less than 30 days until the BIG DAY! We are busy putting the finishing touches on the day. Katie started law school 2 weeks ago and Steve will be starting on the Ed.D at East Tennessee State University in 2 weeks.

Many people have contacted us asking about the Friday afternoon and Friday evening activities. Anyone that is interested can join for both the event at the community center on Friday afternoon and the pub crawl. They are designed for all family and friends. Additional details are in the post immediately below this one.

Thanks for the many words of encouragement and well wishes for those who cannot attend.

We look forward to seeing many of you in Asheville very soon!

Cheers,
Steve and Katie

Wedding Bells 18 September 2010

Friends & Family,

Time is drawing near for the "big day"! 75 days (perhaps less depending on when you read the posting) until we say "I do".

A few friendly tips to make the experience more exciting and easy for all involved.

(downtown Asheville, NC)

The Big Items for the Wedding Day:

1. Location: Asheville, NC (http://www.exploreasheville.com/)

2. When: 18 September 2010

3. Where: Fields of Blackberry Cove (http://www.blackberryfields.net/). Plan accordingly. This is an outdoor venue though we do have a rain contingency. Reception and ceremony will occur at the same location.


4. Time: Guests should plan to arrive by 5pm. Drinks and hoers de overs will be served prior to the ceremony. The ceremony will be begin at 6pm.


5. Food: BBQ from Ed Boudreaux's will be served immediately after the ceremony. It will be an informal seat and serve yourself format. No fancy place cards or having to sit beside someone you don't even know....unless of course you like that sort of thing! (http://www.edbbq.com/). We will also have beer and wine. Beer from OysterHouse Brewing (http://www.oysterhouse.com/) and wine from the famous Biltmore Estate (http://www.biltmore.com/)! (picture not to scale of course)







6. Dress: Please be casual/comfortable. (we will be dressed up but that doesn't mean you should suffer too!)


7. Parking: PLEASE READ CLOSELY!


GPS Driving Directions for Fields of Blackberry Cove are to enter 135 Blackberry Inn Road Weaverville, NC 28787. This will take you to the event location however parking will be at the Beech Community Center at the intersection of Reems Creek Road and Sugar Cove Road (look for the white building on the right as you approach Blackberry Inn Road). We plan to have the Reems Creek Fire Department assisting with parking guests so you may also notice emergency vehicles/personnel directing traffic.


We will provide shuttle service to and from the Fields of Blackberry from 5-6pm and then again to the parking area at 730pm, 830pm, 930pm, 1030pm, and 11pm.


(http://www.graylineasheville.com/) . If you are in Ashevillle and would like to take an open air trolley tour check out Gray Line. They will provide shuttle service to and from the Beech Community Center to the Fields of Blackberry Cove for all our guests.










(the link below is a Google Earth view of the wedding area to help orient you to the surroundings) http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=reems+creek+sugar+Cove+Rd,+Weaverville&sll=35.703067,-82.472692&sspn=0.01631,0.038109&ie=UTF8&ll=35.707458,-82.47076&spn=0.016309,0.038109&z=15&iwloc=A


8. Music: We are extremely excited about our musical guests for the weekend. On Friday evening for our rehearsal dinner we have music from our good friends Bobby and Blueridge Tradition (http://www.blueridgetradition.com/). On Saturday for the wedding reception we will have Sons of Ralph playing to greet our guests from 5-6pm and then music from The Steep Canyon Rangers (http://www.steepcanyon.com/) for 2 hours during the reception (fresh off the road with Steve Martin) followed by Sons of Ralph (http://www.sonsofralph.com/) closing out the night.

(watch The Steep Canyon Rangers at Bonnaroo with Steve Martin)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAf2QUiNXcU




9. Lodging: Rooms are blocked at 2 locations. Hurry, there are only a limited number of blocked rooms at each location. Please reference the Lloyd-Johnson Wedding for the discount.

A. Holiday Inn-
ASHEVILLE DOWNTOWN
42 TUNNEL ROADASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA 28805UNITED STATES
Hotel Front Desk: 1-828-225-5550
Hotel Fax: 828-255-1112
B. Homewood Suites-
ASHEVILLE DOWNTOWN
http://www.ashevillehomewoodsuites.com/
828.252.5400 800.CALL.HOME 88 Tunnel Road Asheville, NC 28805



We will not be able to offer shuttle service from the hotel to Fields of Blackberry Cove. Please embibe responsibly!

10. Friday Night Activities: For the wedding party and family we will hold a rehearsal celebration starting at 330pm at the Beech Community Center (same location as parking for the wedding). Bring your comfortable outdoor clothes and be prepared for softball, volleyball, horseshoes, etc. Dinner will be served with music from Bobby and Blueridge Tradition.

For our out of town guests, plan to join us at the Beech Community Center and for a pub crawl starting at 830pm in downtown Asheville. We will kick off at Barley's Taproom and make our way around to several different locations.

If you are looking for food, any of the locations listed below are great choices!

(Barley's Pizza and Brewing-Asheville)

1. Barley's Pizza (http://www.barleystaproom.com/asheville/%29

2. Lobster Trap (http://www.thelobstertrap.biz/)

3. City Bakery (http://www.citybakery.net/)

4. Lexington Avenue Brewery (http://www.lexavebrew.com/)

5. The Laughing Seed (http://www.laughingseed.com/) (vegetarian)

6. Jack of the Wood (http://www.jackofthewood.com/)

You will have no trouble finding lots of great food venues!

11. Gifts: If you so choose we have 4 options for you to consider:

a. Donate to the Bean Blossom Jamboree Foundation Inc. (http://www.bbjfoundation.org/)

b. Donate to Mano a Mano (www.manoamano.org)

c. Buy a gift for us through REI. We are registered. (http://www.rei.com/).

d. Buy a gift for us through Bed, Bath, and Beyond. We are registered. (http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/)

Your presence with us is the only gift we need!

12. Airport(s): Asheville Airport (AVL) is the best option. Depending on your travel route, airfare can often be obtained cheap via Charlotte, NC (CLT) or Greenville/Spartanburg, SC (GSP). Charlotte is just under 2 hours and Greenville is about an hour to Asheville. Another option approximately an hour away is Tri Cities (TRI) in Bristol, TN.

13. Transportation: Checker Cab Service Taxi-225 Coxe Ave-Asheville-(828) 254-1155 is the best source for downtown Asheville transport. Taxi service is not abundant. Keep the number close at hand for a cab. Please embibe responsibly!

14. Weather: Average highs during the week of the wedding are low 70s with upper 50s at night. Humidity is typically low due to Asheville's 2200' elevation. Altitude effects atttitude as they say in Asheville.

Hopefully this will get you started on your plans to attend the wedding. Check back often for updates!

We look forward to seeing you in September.

Steve and Katie (Ralph says "travel safely to Asheville!")

Tennessee.....I hear you calling me!

Friends, family, loved ones, and bloggers of the world.......

We are starting up the ole blogspot once again with no guarantee like Metamucil of any regularity and really with the primary purpose of sharing information on the upcoming September wedding. More to follow on that in the next post.

This time we are coming to you from the great state of TN (Jonesborough to be exact). We have left our comfortable confines of the Midwest and headed South to the home of Davey Crockett, the Volunteer State, the land of Peyton Manning's Alma mater, the birthplace of Country Music, Jack Daniels fine sipping whiskey, and of course now our home.

Jonesborough is the oldest town in TN. We settled into one of the oldest homes in the oldest town. It has quite the storied history.Thomas Emmerson, Knoxville’s first mayor and a member of the Tennessee State Supreme Court, lived in this frame house when he moved to Jonesborough. It was here that he engaged in agricultural research and published two farming journals. The house was built around 1830 originally for Catherine Jacob by her Father. Supposedly, President Andrew Johnson lived in this house during the time he was taking the bar exam. Katie suggested this boded well for her.......I could only think about the fact Johnson is the only President to be impeached. (I didn't have the heart to bring this up to Katie).

This home is presumed to have been built by John Joseph Jacobs, who migrated to Jonesborough from Loudon County, Tennessee. It was occupied for a number of years by Thomas and Catherine (Jacob) Emmerson. According to Hugh Mottern, this photograph (below) was taken on September 15, 1905. The house was owned by George Crumley Mottern at the time, who also owned a dry goods store on Cherokee St. In the picture, the two women on the porch are Mrs. Nancy Keeble and Mrs. George C. Mottern. The two girls at the right are Lura Mottern and Maud Hensley. The boy in front is Virgil Mottern. Virgil was killed in WWI near Azenheim, France on October 19, 1918. He was a railway telegrapher before entering the War and was a Sergeant in Company C, 105th Field Signal Battalion. He was killed while laying a line so his men could rest, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously for his heroism. The baby on the far right is Dr. Hugh H. Mottern. Dr. Mottern was born in the house on December 19, 1903. He was a nationally acclaimed food chemist for the U. S. Department of Agriculture."

Our home is featured in the Historic Tour of Jonesborough as the Jacobs House. (now we just need to get use to living in a house with no closets!)

A little teaser for the wedding. We have three great bands lined up for Friday and Saturday (Asheville, NC favorites Bobby and Blueridge Tradition and Sons of Ralph. Also we have The Steep Canyon Rangers who are hot off the touring stage with Steve Martin (yes----the famous comedian and banjo player). Check them out on-line for more details.

We will also be adding wedding related details in the next few weeks.

Til next time......

Steve (and Kate).

Back Home Again in Indiana

Just as quickly as it started it seems the journey to the desert oasis is coming to an end! We found out last week that the company that brought us the journey to Arizona is sending us "back home again to Indiana!"

By the end of June, we will be turning off the lights here in the desert, breathing in our last of the "dry heat", and wiping the sand out of our shoes for the cornfields of the Midwest. While it feels like we just settled ourselves into the condo here in Scottsdale (and in some ways we did just a short 6 months ago) we in some ways feel we have been away from Indianapolis for years.

The last 3 weeks found us wrapping up a work road trip that started in Michigan, took us to Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee (and maybe a few other places we forgot to mention along the way). Over 3500 miles of wear and tear were placed on a rental Nissan Altima for the sake of business development for the company. During the road trip we got to see lots of great places-of course we were so taken by the sights that we forgot to really take any pictures! (though there may be a few that show up after our last trip here in Arizona which will take us to the Grand Canyon over the weekend).

As you can imagine, the next few weeks may be pure pandemonium and chaos with the relocation. Kate is heading back to Indianapolis by plane and Steve is piloting our trusty motor home (Lightin') back solo. We'll both converge on the Circle City by June's end.

Look out Circle City......we're coming home!

Borrowing from the Greatful Dead once again......"what a long strange trip its been......"

Hugs from the road,
Kate and Steve