Star Gazing

Auburn QB Charlie Trotman and Lineman Tim Stowers visited Headland in the late 70's to attend an Auburn function. This was at the National Guard Armory. If I remember correctly, these Auburn athletes, gigantic stars in my eyes, even stopped by our home on Solomon Road to change clothes. I'm pictured with my brothers Mark and Miles, and sister Leslie.  Charlie Trotman is relative of ours (Dad said), but I can't remember the connection. Tim now is the head football coach at the University of Rhode Island. 

Below, Pat Sullivan, Harvey Glance and Pat Dye - big names in the '70s and '80s.

My Inspiration

We all grow up with the weight of history on us. Our ancestors dwell in the attics of our brains as they do in the spiraling chains of knowledge hidden in every cell of our bodies. ~Shirley Abbott


When a society or a civilization perishes, one condition can always be found. They forgot where they came from. -Carl Sandburg


It is indeed a desirable thing to be well-descended, but the glory belongs to our ancestors. Plutarch


In different hours, a man represents each of several of his ancestors, as if there were seven or eight of us rolled up in each man’s skin,—seven or eight ancestors at least, and they constitute the variety of notes for that new piece of music which his life is. Ralph Waldo Emerson


Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrations and revolutionists. Franklin D. Roosevelt

UPDATE

 

I had a photographer friend shoot this hi-resolution photo of the entire article. 

Dad got me my first subscription to The Abbeville Herald - probably around 2008.  He then renewed it when the subscription ran out.  Over the years he had done that with various Auburn magazines, even when I was in Central Asia for a year and then later living in Thailand for four.  Yes, Inside the Auburn Tiger magazine was arriving at my address in Bangkok, thanks to Dad, long after my passion (the fanaticism really that defined me and many Espys) for college football had waned significantly.  I had not asked for the subscription, and really thought it was a waste of money, in fact.  But another part of me really appreciated the thought, and it reminded me of the eighties, in particular, when I was side by side with Dad at games, a fabulous time in my life - a great time to be a boy, growing up in the football crazy South.  So, as the years went by, Dad made sure that Auburn followed me wherever I went.  I have a subscription now to Auburn Alumni Magazine.  Three years ago the magazine "just magically" started arriving at my Asheville address.  I didn't ask for it, and didn't even go to Auburn.  It was Dad's doing.  And when the subscription runs out, I won't renew this one, for sure.  There's no reason to.  Besides, my re-subscribing won't be the same.  It meant more coming from Dad.  The Abbeville Herald is a different matter, though.  Dad knew I was developing a strong interest in family history and genealogy, and he thought I would love to read Larry Smith's weekly article.  And I did, and do.  When Larry wrote the story of Thomas Franklin Espy's arrival in Headland, Dad mailed me a second copy of the paper just in case I hadn't seen it. The other day, my subscription renewal notice came.  A little bit sad. Not that I have to pay for the subscription.  The amount is incidental.  It's just that Dad's not here to play that role anymore.   

Incidentally, when I was at Samford, The Headland Observer arrived every week.  My brother Mark also got it when he was a student there.  I guess you know who arranged that?  Dad wanted us to stay in touch with the Wiregrass, and it was a good way to encourage that.  In between classes and in the cafeteria and back at the dorm, I actually enjoyed thumbing through the Observer.

Another Update

Uncle Sam & Aunt Grace

The Vann Thanksgiving was another big hit. Word has it that 96 folks showed up at Lake Espy last Thursday. To see a unique aerial map of Lake Espy, click here.

Pigskin

During the '80s I was captivated by Auburn athletics, especially football and basketball. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve the Iron Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Bo Jackson, Charles Barkley, A-Day games and more. I posted several photos from some of Auburn's A-Day Spring games as well as one photo from the Sugar Bowl in 1983. In a couple of pictures is Pat Dye, one of the best coaches ever on The Plains.

The day after tomorrow Auburn will face their nemesis, the Crimson Tide of Alabama. The Tigers and Tide will undoubtedly be fighting one another in the biggest game of this college football season. Even if #2 Auburn loses, the Tigers are bound for the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta the first weekend of December. Kade and I will go with my dad to that game, and it will be my first game in years, and Kade's first college game ever! My other brother Miles and his kids will also be going to that game. In fact, after their Thanksgiving feast tomorrow, Miles and his boys are off to Tuscaloosa for the Auburn-Bama showdown! Let the fun begin!

L to R:  Eric Baxley, Jeff McClendon (cousin), me, Robbie Sanders
A-Day Spring Football at Auburn University
For more A-Day photos, click here.

Rocket Man

To say last night's show was fabulous would be an understatement. Of course, for $137 a ticket I was certainly expecting a stellar performance from Sir Elton John. He delivered, and my return on investment was quite good. The photos above are the property of the Asheville Citizen Times. Click here for an album to see more photos from last night's concert. For a review, you can click here.

Tigers & Dawgs

Tomorrow Auburn and Georgia will play in Jordan-Hare Stadium on The Plains. It's one of the oldest rivalries in college football. My very first Auburn game was in the late '70s. It was the Auburn/Georgia game and we had end zone seats. That day, Auburn surprised the Dawgs by sporting orange jerseys. Joe Cribbs and James Brooks ran wild. Years later, when Bo Jackson was the top running back in the country, I went with Dad and Mark to a game in Athens, GA. Bo scored a touchdown and Auburn won a close game. After the game, we waited outside the stadium where the Auburn players walked to the bus. I remember seeing Bo. He was wearing camouflage and was holding a box of KFC chicken. War Eagle!

Snout to Tail Wine Dinner!

I treated Kade to a wonderful evening last night. Read the article below and see the video I made to get a "taste" of what we experienced. What was most remarkable is that by mere chance the couple sitting at our table knew my brother! In fact, they are neighbors! This connection was not learned until more than an hour into our dinner, and after spending lots of time talking about international travel, life in Asheville, Alabama, etc. Another facet we had in common was they were from L.A. (the real one!) and I am from L.A. (lower Alabama!). Life is good!

Small Bites
Pig snouts, tea house and a teeny-tiny sandwich shop
by Mackensy Lunsford in Vol. 17 / Iss. 14 on 10/26/2010

Heads or tails

The Admiral hosts a five-course wine dinner with the Appalachian Vintner on Sunday, Nov. 7. Chef Drew Maykuth (half of the Admiral's exec-chef duo that also includes Elliott Moss) not-so-jokingly dubbed the event "a snout-to-tail pig dinner with good wine" when Xpress spoke with him over the phone.

"We've never really done any sort of special dinner before," he says. After a conversation with Mike Tiano of the Haw River Wine Man, however, the two chefs put their heads together and decided that a fun way to break into wine-dinner territory would be to order an entire pig from Hickory Nut Gap.

"We want to do as many courses as we can from the same pig," says Maykuth. To facilitate this goal, he says, a 200-pound animal has been selected for a feast that will serve up to 65 people. "We're going to butcher it, which is something I've never done, so I'm excited about it," says Maykuth. On the phone he mused over which tool to use for the task, speculating that a skill-saw would probably make more sense than a hacksaw or chainsaw. (Come on, it's almost Halloween, people.)

Maykuth says that the chefs intend to cull as many pork preparations as possible from the one animal. To that end, they intend to present a charcuterie course, which will include some cured meats and likely a head cheese. And yes, there will be sausage. Another course will feature pork-belly, another a slow-braised, hearty preparation and another will include a basic grill technique.

Also in the works? A bacon dessert. Maykuth says that he may try to repeat the home-run dish that had everyone in hog heaven at the WNC Magazine Chefs Challenge, battle bacon, this summer: a bacon-chocolate bar sprinkled with sea salt and smoked paprika, finished with a bacon creme anglais and a bacon powder. "People seemed to like it. I think bacon lends itself to sweet things, especially chocolate," he says.

Jamie Ager, the Hickory Nut Gap farmer who raised the pig, will be present at the dinner to talk about the farm. Tiano will also be available to talk about his wines, which will mostly come from France and Italy. "There will probably be a big Italian red that we serve with some tomato-y pork-butt braise with gnocchi or housemade pasta," says Maykuth. Even though he concedes that the food they'll turn out will be based on old-world cooking techniques, the flavors will be "all over the place." Sounds like the Admiral's food to me.

This 5-course event (with a couple of goodies thrown in for fun, adds Maykuth) will cost $85, which does not include tax and gratuity. Dinner starts at 7 p.m. The Admiral is located at 400 Haywood Road in West Asheville. For more information, visit theadmiralnc.com. To make reservations, call the Appalachian Vintner at 505-7500.

Here's the actual link to the article. Another great writeup is here. Also, click here for a couple of websites that feature The Admiral.