Up until recently, I believed the hardest thing about moving was the purging and packing. I was wrong. Yes, purging and packing are hard, but for me, saying goodbye to friends and neighbors was even harder. I don’t know if it was due to the number of years I spent in Tennessee or just because they were made when I was an adult. Whatever the case—and regardless of how easy electronic gadgets make staying in touch—saying goodbye was harder than expected.
Recently, my next-door neighbor had me over for a farewell dinner. Soon the neighbors on the other side of them joined us. As we sat and reminisced about things that had happened over the years, they began sharing DYKs with me. The next day I had lunch with another couple of friends who also shared a couple of DYKs.
So from my friends to you, enjoy these “Everything Else” Did You Knows.
Did You Know…
- A road with Court in the name is a cul-de-sac of eight lots or less with no through roadway interrupting it. (I lived on Benton Court for all those years and never knew.)
- Black Vultures are smooth flyers. The red-headed turkey vulture flies with a jerkier motion. (We had both roosting in the trees behind our homes, I once counted more than 70 vultures perched there.)
- Lemon water is good for preventing kidney stones.
- One teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water kills heart burn, as well as prevents kidney infections.
And my favorite…
- Texans tell distance by time not miles. (My next-door neighbors are also from Texas, and one pointed out when someone asks a Texan how far is to somewhere else, the answer is in minutes or hours, not the number of miles. (I’d never really thought about it until then, but she’s right.)
Final Goodbye
To all my friends and neighbors, who I think of as my Tennessee family, thank you for your friendships and helping hands over the years. I’ll treasure the triumphs and sorrows we shared, and I’ll especially cherish our conversations, usually punctuated by frequent laughter. I’ll miss you more than you can know. What’s good—and definitely ironic—is I’ll probably see you more when I’m living in Texas than when I lived in Tennessee.
Until we meet again, be safe and happy. I love you.
I laughed when I read your favorite dyk about the measure of distance by time in TX. I hadn’t really thought about it either… but it’s so true! When I lived in Fort Worth anytime I asked how far away a place was it was either 15 minutes or 30 minutes far.
We’re sorry we both got home too late from work yesterday for a final goodbye. You’ll be greatly missed by us!
Bryan, remember the Indiana Jones’ line in Raiders of the Lost Ark: “It’s not the years, honey. It’s the mileage.” I guess for Texans we should change it to: “It’s not the miles, honey. It’s the time.”
I’m sorry I didn’t get to say a final goodbye to y’all, too, but I’ll be back for visits. Give Dolly Parton and Minnie Pearl hugs for me. I’ll miss all of you, even Dolly. Lol
We love you too and may God bless you as much as you blessed us. And I loved learning about the Vultures as well, especially with the visual descriptions 😁. Hope to see you soon.
Thank you, Erin. Hopefully, I’ll be back for a visit this summer. Good luck with the vultures.
You made me tear up. I will definitely miss not having you in Nashville. Our writing dinners where we shared our hopes, dreams, and goals.
I do believe you made the right decision for you and your family. I wish you all the best. See you soon!
Thanks, Talitha. I agree. It is the best decision for us all at this time.
I’ll miss you and our writing dinners, too. We’ll just have to make do with phone and video calls. They’re just as productive, even if they aren’t as much fun as getting together in person.