by Martha Rose Woodward

Sunspherebook@aol.com

Between his “official” and “nonpolitical” visits to swing states, the President found time to play another 18 holes of golf this weekend. As millions of Americans continue to struggle to find work, President Obama has now played a total of 1,710 holes since taking office. That’s 95 rounds of golf.

A lot of Americans have had to make sacrifices these last four years. We would expect our President to do the same, but he thinks of his own desires for fun and forgets about your need to be able to live without struggling.

Looks like Knoxville didn’t make the cut when a economic group from Washington did a survey regarding the best place to retire. Southern cities did reign supreme, however. There are five main factors that “Baby Boomers” highly consider when choosing whereto retire, and these factors were analyzed in detail by the Washington Economics Group. Those factors are: climate, cost of living, quality and affordability of available healthcare services, local taxes and recreational amenities. WEG developed a methodology that ranked cities on the list based on scoring each factor for each city and included a detailed analysis for each one of the Top 10 cities.

The 10 cities that made the top ten list from the Washington Economics Group are:

Tallahassee, FL; Memphis, TN; Athens, GA; Tuscaloosa, AL; Atlanta, GA; Oxford, MS; Charleston, SC; Louisville, KY; Richmond, VA; Pittsburgh, PA; Raleigh-Durham, NC.

Here is a quote from Donald Trump that I‘d like to pass along:

“Let me get this straight …

“We’re going to be “gifted” with a health care plan that we are forced to purchase and we will be fined if we don’t. The plan purportedly covers at least ten million more people, without adding a single new doctor, but provides for 16,000 new IRS agents. The health care plan was written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn’t understand it. It was passed by a Congress that didn’t read it but exempted themselves from it. It was signed by a President who smokes and has led the country into a debt so deep we may never recover. The health care plan was given funding administered by a treasury chief who didn’t pay his taxes, for which we’ll be taxed for four years before anyone sees any benefits. All this from a government which has already bankrupted Social Security and Medicare, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that’s broke. And our president asked us to believe that nothing could possibly go wrong.”

Time to buy tickets to the 30^th year celebration of the life of the Sunsphere to be held on Wednesday, May 16, at 11:30 until 1 p.m. Bill Landry will be the featured speaker for a Lunch for Laughers. Call 865 951 0319 or e mail Sunspherebook @aol.com. $16 per person; table of 8 for $120. Doors of the Sunsphere will open at 11 a.m. so you can meet Bill.

by Martha Rose Woodward

Sunspherebook@aol.com

The Black Lillies Band was founded in Knoxville, Tennessee by Cruz Conteras in early 2009. Members include Tom Pryor on guitar/pedal steel and Jamie Cook on percussion, Robert Richards the bassist and vocalist Trisha Gene Brady. Cruz plays guitar and mandolin while also providing vocals and song writing.

The Black Lillies describe their music as having an “unique sound with influences from rock, country, blues, bluegrass, and jazz.”

Whiskey Angel, the band’s debut album, was recorded in Cruz’s living room and released in April 2009. Contreras did all the writing and arranging of the songs on the album. Fans responded positively to the songs that covered deeply personal material such as the fallout from Cruz’s divorce from Robinella and the breakup of the band they shared. The album grew in popularity and Whiskey Angel was soon ranked in several Best of 2009 lists in publications across the country. The album “Black Lillies” was the next to be released by the group.

According to their web site, “The Black Lillies was selected to play the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival within weeks of releasing the album. They quickly signed a management and booking deal with Chyna Brackeen of Attack Money Productions and launched their first national tour in October 2009. The Ryman Auditorium was the site for the kick off of their tour that included 38 shows in 40 days. Two additional national tours took place in 2010 and included appearances at festivals including Bristol’s

Rhythm & Roots Reunion, , Four Corners Folk Festival, Pagosa Folk & Bluegrass, Rhythm & Blooms and. Pickathon.

The band has been ranked as the “Best Americana Band” in the Metro Pulse Best of Knoxville poll for the last three years. They have appeared multiple times on live radio shows including The Grand Ole Opry, NPR’s Mountain Stage, WDVX’s Tennessee Shines and Music City Roots. In 2010, they were the first band selected and announced to participate in the Americana Music Association’s Festival & Conference - their selection was announced a full two months prior to the rest of the lineup. They were asked to return in 2011.

In January, 2011, their album Whiskey Angel was nominated for The 10th Annual

Independent Music Awardsfor the Americana Album Category. The album was selected to receive the IMA Vox Pop award.

Although performing at the Ryman Auditorium was a thrill, band members say that taking the stage at the beautiful Tennessee Theatre was just as thrilling since that theatre is an important icon to hometown fans and the band members.

By Martha Rose Woodward

Sunspherebook@aol.com

Whether she’s talking about how her clothes seem to be shrinking, how she tried to wiggle her way into her locked house by going through the doggie door, or her remembrances from days gone by, if you are listening to Judy DiGregorio, at some point, you are going to be laughing. “Make many people laugh, you are a comedian,” she says quoting George Burns, “make a few people laugh, you are a humorist, when no one laughs, you better sing.”

DiGregorio, who spoke to the Torch Club at the Orangery on Thursday, April 19, says she had a career, raised a family, and retired before she decided she’d try her hand at being a writer. At age 55, she began writing and sending in her articles to various publications and immediately began getting rejected. At one point, she had a collection of over 30 rejection letters. She didn’t let that deter her from her goals, but she will admit she did get discouraged. Finally, on one rejection letter, the person who had read the article she sent in had written, “Retry.” DiGregorio says she was so happy, she bragged to family and friends, she had a real live person who had read her writing and encouraged her to “Retry”. After weeks of carrying the rejection letter around, she looked at it more carefully, and realized the name of the person writing the letter was Betsy, and what she had read as Retry was actually Betsy. Never mind, she continued to write and continued to be rejected.

At one point, she decided to ask the editor of the Anderson County Visions Magazine in Oak Ridge if he would allow her to write a humor column. After their first meeting, he politely said that he didn’t need a humor columnist. Although she felt rejection once again, DiGregorio returned to the editor’s office a second time, and a third. Finally, possibly just to get rid of her, the editor agreed to let her write for his paper, but limited the number of words she was allowed and only paid a small stipend. No matter, she was off and running and she’s been a successful humor columnist ever since.

DiGregorio’s web site says: Judy DiGregorio was recently named a Distinguished Alumni of New Mexico Highlands University. She has written more than 300 columns and essays. She has published in The Writer, Army-Navy Times, New Millennium Writings, the Chicken Soup books, and numerous anthologies. She has been a humor columnist for Anderson County Visions Magazine, Senior Living and EvaMag. Judy’s collection of humor essays, Life Among the Lilliputians, was featured at the 2009 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville. She also participated in the 2010 Southern Festival with her second book, Memories of a Loose Woman.

Celtic Cat Publishing recently released a CD, Jest Judy, that features stories from both of her books read by the author. Judy is also a well-known speaker and workshop leader and writes press releases for the Oak Ridge Community Playhouse where she frequently appears on stage. She is also the author of three ten-minutes plays.

The following is an example of DiGregorio’s column. She is discussing pollen and how it keeps her ears all stopped up.
“When you can’t hear, it’s difficult to communicate effectively, as the following recent conversation with my husband, Dan, illustrates.

Me: Did you ask me if I wanted bratwurst?

Dan: No, I asked if you wanted breakfast.

Me: Oh.

Dan: Do you like yogurt?

Me: Sure, I think Dilbert’s funny, don’t you?

Dan: I didn’t say Dilbert. I said yogurt. Boy, are you stopped up.

Me: What did you say?

Dan: Forget it.”

Sunspherebook@aol.com

The wife of Bill Landry,  Rebecca Carlock Webb Landry, of Tallassee, Tenn. died April 19, 2012 after an extended illness. A family service was held in Due West, S.C.

According to a report in the Knoxville News Sentinel, “Becky was born March 5, 1954 in Sacramento, Calif. to Ruth and Bruce Carlock. Adventuresome and fearless, Becky came into the world elbow first and followed that trend throughout her life, always facing lifes hardships head on, and assisting others in need with her compassion and strength. She was a lover of all creatures great and small, and taught others to do the same.

She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and volunteered extensively at Blue Grass Elementary teaching students the creative arts and dramatics, use of imaginations, and how to use their unique abilities. Beloved wife, mother, partner, aunt, daughter, and friend, she was creative and talented, loving and giving, stubborn and hard-headed, funny and very sociable.

Becky loved her family above all else and always put them first. Her two sons and her beloved Husband Bill Landry and her extended family were the focus of her life. Becky was a champion of the needy and the helpless, and nurtured anyone or thing that needed her. She had an amazing gift for making life fun and exciting for those around her and anyone else that needed her. She was artistic and hard-working, and the mountaintop home she built and shared with her husband is a testament to her skills in design and construction, decoration and gardening, but not stonemasonry.

She is survived by her Husband, Bill Landry; Sons, Michael Scott Webb, of Seattle, Wash. and Ryan Edward Webb, of Eugene, OR; also Jack and Weatherly Landry and their children, Gus and Boone Landry, of Wilmington, NC; Father, John Bruce Carlock Jr. , of Due West, S.C.; Sister, Elizabeth Carlock, of Clemson, S.C.; Brothers, John Bruce Carlock III, of Greenville, S.C., Mathew Benjamin Goldstein, of Washington, DC; Nieces, Sydney Carlock, of Washington, DC, Madeline Carlock, of Vermont, and Jianna Carlock of Clemson, S.C., also by her Cats, Moxie and Callie and Buddy the dog, all of which she saved and raised well. She is preceded in death by her Mother, Ruth McCardle Carlock of Due West, S.C. In lieu of flowers donations should be sent to Fish Hospitality Pantries, 800 Northshore Drive, Knoxville, TN 37919.”

Sunspherebook@aol.com

Mayor Madeline Rogero joined officials from the City’s Public Service Department on Wednesday for a codes enforcement sweep of the Fort Sanders neighborhood. Teams of inspectors, as well as home owners and others interested in the event, looked for violations and issued warnings to residents and property owners for problems including litter and junk in their yards and overgrown lots.

Residents in the neighborhood say they are hoping the mayor will do something about the way garbage and trash are allowed to remain on the streets for weeks on end. One female student, who asked to not be named, said that glass from beer bottles, furniture that students set outside on the street when they were moving, pizza boxes and other paper litter are not picked up by the city trash men. “If it is not in a bag, they don’t stoop over and pick it up,” she complained. “I agree that people need to keep their lots clean, but the people who are supposed to pick up trash also need to do their jobs.”

Your vote could have helped the Young-Williams Animal Center win the $100,000 Rachel Ray Challenge from the ASPCA. Votes were taken on line at :

http://challenge.aspcapro.org/contestants.

As of April 14, the Top Ten Rankings Challengers were :

City of Bloomington Animal Care and Control - Bloomington, IN 20,495 2 Humane Society of Central Washington - Yakima, WA 19,873 3 SICSA - Kettering, OH 18,683 4 Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) - Baltimore, MD 14,981 5 Medina County SPCA - Medina, OH 13,589 6 Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Center - Ft. Lauderdale, FL 12,876 7 Kern County Animal Control - Bakersfield, CA 12,286 8 Young Williams Animal Center - Knoxville, TN 12,085 9 HALO Animal Rescue - Phoenix, AZ 11,785 10 Bangor Humane Society - Bangor, ME11,632. Winners were  announced on Tuesday, April 17; Young-Williams did not win.  

The Knox Cash Mob idea from Mayor Tim Burchett began in February, bringing hundreds of people in South Knoxville to Emery’s 5 & 10. The Mayor’s Mob struck for the second time in March at the Disc Exchange and Wee Care Shoppe, both on Chapman Highway near where construction is being done on the Henley Street Bridge. Mayor Burchett says he has heard from people all across the nation who really like and appreciate his idea of helping the businesses who are struggling due to the bridge being closed. Plans for more mobs are in the works.

from staff reports

Sunspherebook@aol.com

Knoxville’s Sunsphere will welcome Bill Landry on Wednesday, May 16 from 11:30 until 1 p.m. as the featured speaker for Luncheon for Laughers.

Sara Spangler of Prolific Living, the exclusive booking agent for the Sunsphere, says that hosting an event that includes Landry is a thrill. “We love keeping the 6th floor of the golden ball filled with activity,” she said. “We were pleased to see this deal develop and become a reality.”

Landry says he has been given two rules for the Luncheon for Laughers: l. Be yourself and 2. ONLY humorous stories allowed. He says he has plenty of those.

Luncheon for Laughers will have a country theme and include music, a picnic-style lunch and door prizes. It will be a time when people can sit in one of the most beautiful settings this city has to offer and enjoy a tasty lunch while listening to Bill spin yarns and funny stories.

Those who attend are guaranteed to laugh until their tummies hurts.

The Sunsphere will be an important setting for Landry who says the response his fans have had to his book “Appalachian Tales and Heartland Adventures” has been overwhelming and heart-warming.

 “Seeing lines of folks waiting to meet you does something to you—it pulls at your heart strings,” he said.

Martha Woodward, a local writer who is serving as treasurer for the event, says she became involved with the event because it is a relief from all the negative news. “We are bombarded 24/7 with murder, mayhem, floods, tornadoes, missing children and angry mobs,” she said. “People need something refreshing and positive. We need a break and some fun. I love to laugh. I can‘t wait to hear what Bill has in store for us. Everyone around here thinks Bill belongs to us. He’s like a friend who has been in our homes for 25 years.”

Tickets for Luncheon for Laughers are on sale now and include admission and lunch. $16 for Individuals and $120 for a Table of 8 (if 8 seats purchased at one time).
You may buy tickets in 2 ways: e mail

Sunspherebook@aol.com or
call 865 951 0319. Hurry and buy your ticket now, space is limited. Sponsorships also available.

Bill will also have books on sale before and after the event. Soft cover $27; hard cover $49.

by Martha Rose Woodward

Sunspherebook@aol.com

“The Price of Peace,” a novel by James Johnston, owner of Celtic Cat Publishing, has debut this week in Knoxville, Tennessee. Johnston, who speaks with a heavy Irish accent, has been a fixture in the Knoxville Writers’ Guild for several years. He has been instrumental in the careers of other writers and says that he has finally gotten around to writing his first novel.

Johnston will be signing his new book Friday, April 20, at Barnes & Noble from 6-8 p.m.

As the book begins people weary of death and destruction are seeking a future full of hope as the 1998 Peace Agreement signals the end to thirty violent years of conflict in Northern Ireland. Over 3,500 people have died and 40,000 have been injured due to the bitter fighting.

Gráinne O’Connor, a widow in her forties, believes this price is too high. In her search for justice, she forms an unlikely alliance that ultimately leads to her arrest. Her subsequent trial sets the stage for the novel’s riveting examination of justice and the role justice plays in the pursuit of peace.

Twelve jurors decide Gráinne’s fate, but by the end of chapter 15 you, the reader, have all the evidence required to make your own judgment. You are encouraged to communicate your verdict by completing the brief survey on this site. You may then continue reading the novel to find out the jury’s decision.

The site will publish the cumulative results from the survey and provide a forum for a discussion on justice.

James B. Johnston was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and educated at Grosvenor High, Belfast, and Trinity College, Dublin. He immigrated to Canada in 1974 and moved to the United States in 1984. He currently resides in Knoxville, Tennessee with his wife, Ann. The Price of Peace is Johnston’s debut novel. His collection of poems, Exile: Poems of an Irish Immigrant, was published in 1997 and has been reissued in a revised and expanded edition, Exile Revisited.

Johnston writes to his fans, “I was born a Protestant in East Belfast. My wife was born a Catholic in North Belfast. Both of us lost close friends in the civil unrest; some killed in bombings, some in shootings. If our wedding day was one of the happiest days in our lives, the hardest was leaving our homeland and families in 1974.

The 1998 Peace Agreement was a major step forward in returning life in Northern Ireland to a semblance of normality. But as I read the terms of the Agreement, my heart ached for the victims of the conflict. In July 2000, all of the prisoners sentenced for terrorist crimes were released. For some of the victims, this had to be the hardest day of the peace process.

As I read the comments of the victims, my thoughts turned to the topic of justice. Is there such a thing as justice? If so, what is it? Is justice for the living or for the dead? And out of these random thoughts, from the depths of my imagination, The Price of Peace was born.

I hope you enjoy the story as a legal thriller. I encourage you to participate in the survey, and maybe, together, we can grow in our knowledge and understanding of justice and justice systems.”

Johnston’s Book Signing Schedule:

April 20:

Barnes & Noble, Knoxville, 6 - 8 pm

April 21:

Southland Books, Maryville, 1 - 3 pm

April 27:

Hastings Books, Maryville, 4 - 6 pm

May 6:

Union Avenue Bookstore, 2 pm

September 27

: Fountain City Book Club, 10:00 am.

Sunspherebook@aol.com

Shocking, elected officials using dirty words, and right out in public. Oh, I am not talking about the F bomb or the S word, no, no, no, worse, much worse. The politicians are using the T word, as in taxes.

In my opinion, that’s the dirtiest word they can use because they never seem to use the C word, as in cutting spending.

I’d like to be able to find the numerous ways in which those in charge of the budgets are finding to pad their own pockets and cut those areas first before they take more money from those of us who have worked hard all our lives. How about no more money spent on trips and entertainment? How about taking those expensive cars away from people who are earning enough to provide their own transportation? Also, let them buy their own meals.

There are ways they can cut; they just don’t want to cut.

The only answer they can find is to increase the role of government and expand programs, even those that are proven to not work.

Commissioner Mike Hammond said, “I’m hopeful we can get through this year without a tax increase.” He said that he would be more inclined to go with the commission taking a vote on increasing the sales tax, and then, let the voters vote on whether to increase it or not.

According to Hammond, a quarter cent hike, going from 9.25 to 9.5 cents, could bring in another $14 to $17 million a year. Raising property taxes 3 percent would cost a Knox County homeowner another $20 a year, assuming it’s a $100,000 house.

I wonder how much they could find in savings if they got 10% of everything saved?

On another note, I have spent the last few days without electrical power. My house was hit by lightning one of those nights when a storm rolled through. I was at home when it happened and the best way I can describe it is to say it sounded like a sonic boom. After I heard this huge boom, I walked into my kitchen and the blast had blown my door open. We have two large storage cabinets on our porch and the doors on them were blown open as well. Of course, the power went out.

KUB sent a worker out who told us that he could confirm that we had been hit by lightning. He said we were in bad need of an electrician. He said from the look of things there had been an explosion and we were lucky we didn’t have a fire. The electrician who arrived to repair the damage found that our electric panel had been blasted. Wires had the covers melted off of them and there were black, powdery looking streaks over and behind the breakers. He also said we were lucky we didn’t have a fire.

Existing without electricity certainly makes a person more appreciative. Luckily, we have great neighbors who allowed us to run an extension cord over the fence and hook up to their power until things here were back in working order. Thanks!!!! Brian and Dennis.

by Martha Rose Woodward

Sunspherebook@aol.com

Ed Hurley of Advanced Electric said that the recent storms brought both good and bad news. Good news in that he is busier than ever; bad in that many people have electrical problems.

Hurley, who has worked in the electrical business for over 35 years, said that last fall and winter were hard times. “We barely had enough work to keep us going,” he said. “But, when that storm hit with all the hail damage and stuff, boy, that gave a lot of people a lot of electrical problems.”

Hurley said that his company has been full of work since that time. He rarely gets a day off. The storms that rolled through last week set his phone to ringing off the wall again.

Hurley is a licensed, bonded, certified electrician who has all the certificates he needs in order to do any kind of job needed. He often works for contractors and that has been a large part of his business.

He said that when the housing market tanked, plumbers, painters and electricians saw a nose dive in their work load, too. Hurley said it was a huge adjustment to go from being overly busy to not having enough work.

“When people need an electrician they need one bad and now,” he said. “No one wants us to have to say that we will get to them one day next week. But, that is what we have to say some of the time.”

Hurley said he has often stopped one job to respond to an emergency. “I am not going to leave babies and children without power,” he said. “I’ll go and check it out and do what I can to get the power back on, but sometimes I can’t fix the problem in a few hours.”

Hurley said he recently had a job where the house was hit by lightning. He said when he got the call about it, he was in Lake City, TN. “Not much I could do from that distance,” he said. “All I could do was tell them I would get there as soon as I could. It was a big mess. Their electrical box was fried and you could see where the lightning went up into the second story of the house. It was bad. Two of us were there for three days. Once we got the outside box replaced, we started on the inside of the house. There was not a plug in that house that didn’t have damage. They are very lucky their house didn’t burn down,” he said.

Hurley said he works in all parts of this area in both Knox and surrounding counties. His phone number is 865 679 7474.

by Martha Rose Woodward

Sunspherebook@aol.com

On April 15, 1912, or one hundred years ago this week, the RMS Titanic, a British passenger liner, sank in the North Atlantic Ocean after colliding with an iceberg. The grand ship was on her maiden voyage from

Southampton, England to New York City. 1,514 people died during the most famous accident at sea in history. The Titanic was the largest ship afloat at the time and was built between 1909–11 by the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast. She carried 2,224 people.

Her passengers included some of the wealthiest people in the world, as well as over a thousand emigrants from Europe and elsewhere seeking a new life in North America. The ship was designed to be the last word in comfort and luxury, with an on-board gymnasium, swimming pool, libraries, high-class restaurants and opulent cabins. Due to outdated maritime safety regulations, she carried only enough lifeboats for 1,178 people – a third of her total passenger and crew capacity.

On 14 April 1912, four days into the crossing and about 375 miles south of Newfoundland she hit an iceberg at 11:40 pm. The collision caused Titanic’s hull plates to buckle inwards in a number of locations on her

starboard side and opened five of her sixteen watertight compartments to the sea. Over the next two and a half hours, the ship gradually filled with water and sank. Passengers and some crew members were evacuated in lifeboats, many of which were launched only partly filled. Just before 2:20 am Titanicbroke up and sank bow-first with over a thousand people still on board. Those in the water died within minutes from hypothermia caused by immersion in the freezing ocean. The 710 survivors were taken aboard from the lifeboats by the RMS Carpathia a few hours later.

In 1997 James Cameron wrote, co-produced, directed and co-edited a fictionalized account of the sinking of the Titanic. The movie starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet who were members of different

social classes who fall in love aboard the ship during its ill-fated voyage.

The film achieved critical and commercial success, winning eleven Oscars, receiving the Academy Awards for

Best Picture and Best Director. It became the first film to reach the billion dollar mark. It remained the highest grossing film of all time for twelve years, until Cameron’s next directorial effort, Avatar, surpassed its gross in 2010.

With all that success you would think the movie was perfect, but no, there were several major glaring errors in Cameron’s film as his fans have pointed out to him. It is hard to believe that people have time to spend searching for mistakes in movies, but, apparently this is a hobby for some.

Some mistakes in the movie, Titanic, include: l. A camera can be seen in a reflection in a glass door. 2. Jack’s hair is all messed up in one frame and combed to perfection in the same scene. 3. Jack is wearing suspenders and not wearing suspenders in the scene when they are escaping from the ship. 4. Kate has a mole on her right cheek and in the next scene the mole has moved to her left cheek. 5. Shadows of a passenger’s hat are larger than the actual hat. 6. A passenger grabs a part of the ship that is supposed to be made of metal and a huge piece of foam breaks off in her hand. 7. When Rose is trying to cut handcuffs off of Jack’s wrist, she hits his arm with the axe instead of hitting the handcuffs. Good thing the axe was a movie prop made of wood. 8. Rose breaks a window to get the axe she uses to cut the handcuffs off of Jack’s wrist and the window reappears in the next scene. 9. When the ship is sinking, parts of it disappear and reappear in the next scene. 10. In scenes in the dining room, passengers eat food that disappears and the same food reappears in the next scene. 11. Clothing that was wet is quickly dry in the same scene. 12. Rails on the ship are a foot apart and in the next scene are about 4 inches a part. 13. Many of the scenes showing passengers strolling around on the ship are poorly done computer animations. 14. Rose’s and Jack’s hair gets wet and gets dry very quickly.

Just goes to show you, nobody’s perfect.

From staff reports

Sunspherebook@aol.com

Knoxville’s Sunsphere will welcome Bill Landry on Wednesday, May 16 from 11:30 until 1 p.m. as the featured speaker for Lunch for Laughers.

Sara Spangler of Prolific Living, the exclusive booking agent for the Sunsphere, says that hosting an event that includes Landry is a thrill. “We love keeping the 6^th floor of the Sunsphere filled with activity,” she said. “We were pleased to see this deal develop and become a reality.”

Landry says he has been given two rules for the Lunch for Laughers: l. Be yourself and 2. ONLY humorous stories allowed. He says he has plenty of those.

Lunch for Laughers will have a country theme and include music, a picnic-style lunch, plus some truly special door prizes. It will be a time when people can enjoy the majestic landscapes provided by the Sunsphere and share a tasty lunch with friends.

After their tummies are full, those who attend are guaranteed side splitting laughter as Bill takes to the microphone to entertain as only Bill can.

Tickets for Lunch for Laughers are on sale now and include admission and lunch. $16 for Individuals and $120 for a Table of 8 (if 8 seats purchased at one time).

You may buy tickets in 2 ways: e mail

Sunspherebook@aol.comor

call 865 951 0319. Hurry and buy now, space is limited. Sponsorships also available.

The purpose of Lunch for Laughers is to highlight the use of the Sunsphere as a great place for meetings and events of all types. Bill has agreed to headline the event in honor of the 30^th year history of the building.

Planners for the event say that Landry will also take time to sell and sign books. He has been burning up the highway since the debut of Appalachian Tales and Heartland Adventures, published by Celtic Cat owned by Jim Johnston. Landry says he has nearly worn out the tires on his car traveling around on the book tour.

Landry says the response his fans have had to his book has been overwhelming and heart-warming. “It does something to you. It has made me very grateful and humble. The Series, and our work and these stories behind the scenes really has meant a lot to folks,” he said.

Martha Woodward, a local writer who is handling ticket sales for the event, and an avid supporter of the Sunsphere, says she became involved with the event because it is a relief from all the negative news. “We are bombarded 24/7 with mayhem. Seems like all we hear about is murder, war, missing children and angry mobs,” she said. “People need something refreshing and positive. We need a break and some fun. I love to laugh. I can‘t wait.”

You do not have to buy a book to attend Lunch for Laughers. If you have a book and want it signed, Bill will take care of you. This event is all about fun and laughter. Bill Landry is as funny or funnier than any comedian in business nowadays. This is an opportunity for folks to kick back and laugh. Books will be on sale before and after the event as a courtesy for any fans who may want them. Soft cover $27; hard cover $49.

Remember, hurry and call 865 951 0319 or e mail

Sunspherebook@aol.com to order tickets.

by Martha Rose Woodward

Sunspherebook@aol.com

Walter Wojnar and his team of professionals are this year’s winner of the Lighthouse Award from Hampton Inn & Suites. The Lighthouse Award is given to Hilton family hotels that maintain standings within the top 5% of their brand worldwide in terms of quality and guest satisfaction.

Wojnar is the Asset Manager for Lodgingsmith, a Tennessee General Partnership, that owns and operates the Hampton Inn & Suites, located at 5411 Pratt Road, Knoxville-North.

Wojnar says he won the prestigious Lighthouse Award from Hilton Hotels because his staff treats guests like they are family. Manager Walt Wojnar praises the team members for their hard work and professionalism. “We try to not just meet the needs of our guests but to also anticipate their needs and “Wow” them at every opportunity,” said Wojnar.

Scott Schrank, Vice President for Brand Performance at Hilton worldwide says that, “The Hampton Inn & Suites, Knoxville-North was selected for this award because it is leading the way when it comes to great product and service”.

Entrepreneur Magazine rates Hampton Hotels as the number one franchise in the United States for 2012. The Lighthouse Award goes only to the best of the best.

In February, when Wojnar realized that two doctors had flown into Knoxville to volunteer their time with the Remote Area Medical event, he decided to donate the rooms rent free . He soon discovered that he was not only keeping two Remote Area Medical volunteers, but 88. He next decided to provide all rooms as a courtesy to Stan Brock and the RAM teams. This gift amounted to approximately $10,000 donated to RAM by Wojnar’s company. “When we saw that many people were giving of their time and talents and using their own money to travel into Knoxville in order to provide much needed health care to the truly needy, we knew that we needed to step up and do what we could,” said Wojnar. Brock said he was “…blown away with Wojnar’s generosity.”

One of Wojnar‘s favorite quotes comes from Mark Twain who said, “In the Four parts of the Earth, there are many that are able to write learned books, many that are able to lead armies, many also that are able to govern Kingdoms and Empires, but few there are that can keep a Good Hotel.”

Congratulations to Wojnar and his staff. After winning the award, the staff donated the cash the won to the local Cerebral Palsy Center.

The Hampton Inn & Suites-North can be reached at: 865.689.1011 office

865.660.6792 cell

865.689.7917 fax

wswojnar@aol.com

from Martha Rose Woodward

Sunpsherebook@aol.com

Could drinking tea made from flower petals help you with depression?

Recently a reader of the Knoxville Journal contacted me and said I should look into the use of flower essences and write an article about their use. This young woman said that she had begun using essential flower oils after she heard from friends who had been using the herbal therapy and were getting great results.

According to the blog, Ananda Apothecary, “Flower essences are the vibrational imprint, or etheric pattern of particular flowers or plants prepared in liquid form. Reportedly, all life is made up of vibrations of energy. Therefore, every flower species has a particular vibration different in some ways than any other. The energy of a dark red rose is different than that of a bright white lily in color, form, scent, texture, and so on. These tangible factors are associated with the flower’s individual vibrational pattern or etheric essence.

When the vibrational pattern of each flower is imprinted or brewed in pure water through certain preparation methods, the water takes on the etheric vibration of that flower, also known as the flower essence. The most typical method used to extract this essence is the infusing (like making tea) of fresh flowers just picked in glass bowls with spring water sitting in bright sunlight.”

Ananda says that it is easy to imagine that we as human beings are made up of, at some level, vibrational energy. If we take this a step further, we can imagine that our souls or personalities have unique vibrational or etheric patterns. Your soul pattern includes your emotional makeup, and directly influences your behavior, choices, and perceptions of the world, both on a material and a spiritual level.

Long held beliefs such as using ginger for an upset stomach, cinnamon to prevent diabetes, Bergamot, or the peel of bitter oranges to prevent depression—the list goes on and on.

In the 1930’s a doctor named Edward Bach discovered that flower essences can alter our own etheric patterns. Bach believed that the vibrational imprint of a flower, prepared in water, can directly effect our own energetic makeup in a positive way. If you imagine that every emotion has a particular vibration, you can also imagine that vibration can be affected or tuned by the introduction of another vibration – that of a flower essence.

Dr. Bach developed 38 original flower essences which continue to be in use today. His work expanded to include another 110. Some flower essences are said to be healers while others are said to be helpers. There may be as many as 142 combinations in use today.

The reader said that she has had more energy and her attitude about life in general has improved since she has used the oils of flowers. Since each flower’s oils has a specific use, each person has to decide for himself/herself which ones to use. All use of flower oils is safe and there are no side effects.

Back in the 1970s the term “flower power” was used in conjunction with the peace movement. Looks like flower power is reemerging as a trend 40 years later?

Sunspherebook@aol.com

Twenty-four percent approve and 68 percent disapprove of how Obama is responding to price increases of gasoline as this becomes one of the biggest issues in the 2012 presidential campaign.

PSCD Professional Security Consultants & Design

were paid a hefty sum to install the security system at the Hardin Valley Academy. Just one problem, they installed the cases, but not the wiring, so the system did not work. Knox County had to hire another company and pay them big bucks to correct the mistake. Just one more issue uncovered in the audit of the PBA.

Hands down the best egg drop soup is served at the Asia Café at the corner of Callahan Road and North Central. The broth is awesome and the softness of the egg whites with the crispness of the scallions makes the dish to die for. Crunchy noodles are served on the side. The egg rolls are the best I ever ate, too. Fresh, cooked to perfection, delicious—what can I say. If you want great food at reasonable prices, follow me to Asia Café. Phillip Lim, the owner of the restaurant says that, “If you are hungry when you enter Asia Café, you will not be hungry when you leave.” Friday and Saturday nights are karaoke nights—a fun time in a festive atmosphere.

Some interesting facts about our country: There are approximately 313 million people living in the United States. 46 million of them are on food stamps.

In the United States as a whole, one out of every four children is on food stamps.

Back in 1950, more than 80% of all men in the United States had jobs. Today, less than 65% of all men in the United States have jobs.

According to author Paul Osterman, about 20% of all U.S. adults are currently working jobs that pay poverty-level wages.

Approximately 48% of all Americans are currently either considered to be “low income” or are living in poverty.

Currently in America, approximately 25 million American adults, ages 18 to 45, are living with their parents. Low wages and lack of employment are said to be the main reasons.

One out of every seven Americans has

at least 10 credit cards.

There are more unemployed workers in the United States than there are people living in the entire country of Greece..

In 1940, 68.0% of all women in the 20 to 34 year old age group in the United States were married. In 2010, only 39.2% of women in that age group were married.

The United States has a teen pregnancy rate of 22 percent - the highest in the world. New Zealand is number two at 14 percent.

The United States has the highest divorce rate on the globe by a wide margin. Puerto Rico is number two.

More people have been diagnosed with mental disorders in the United States than in any other nation on earth.

If Bill Gates gave every single penny of his fortune to the U.S. government, it would only cover the U.S. budget deficit for about 15 days.

The U.S. national debt is now 22 times larger than it was when Jimmy Carter became president.