Elizabeth Huff BennettWhere Did The Time Go
Do you look in the mirror and wonder how that old person got in your house? How did I go from the little baby in the arms of a caring Dad to this chair holding my great-grandchild?
M & M’s, Cow Bones, and Children
"Please open your package of M & M’s and and let’s get started on our math lesson.” And my all-time favorite was to put a cow jawbone on the table next to the classroom door and tell my students “For tomorrow’s lesson, we will be eating bones. Have a great night!” Bless their hearts, there were some wide-eyed children walking into my classroom the next day and were they relieved when they realized I was actually talking about ossein, the main ingredient in Jello which comes from bones. Making and eating the Jello brought smiles and no one knew this was math and science.
Hello there! I am Elizabeth Huff Bennett; a white-haired great grandmother, fortunate enough to be born and raised in Granville, a small farming community nestled on the banks of the Cumberland River in Tennessee. I am the mother of four adult children, grandmother of eight adult grandchildren and one pre-teen granddaughter who thinks she is an adult. I am also blessed with four adorable great grandchildren under the age of four. Add in spouses and you do the math, that makes for a lot of birthday parties and Christmas stockings. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
As you have more than likely figured out, my chosen profession was teaching, which I enjoyed for over thirty-eight years. I’m a little bit outside the box, making learning fun and promoting life-long learning was my ultimate goal. As you can probably imagine from the M & M’s and cow bone, my second graders never knew what to expect when they walked into my classroom. Fast forward forty years, my former students are now today’s parents and I love that they still share with me their favorite classroom learning experiences from years gone by. Mission accomplished!
As an 80 year-old Southern woman, I have embraced the fact that I am not shy about expressing my thoughts, a gift a lot of us from the Volunteer state share. I am also lucky enough to have witnessed the revitalization of my small hometown through volunteerism and the collective desire to share small town America with others. Combining my passion for learning and my desire for volunteerism is a perfect way for me to share my Granville friend’s and neighbor’s life experiences with you.
Share a Passion
I wanted Granville to have a blog. My mind was racing, we have so many good stories, so much to share with others. Granville is much more than Tennessee’s Mayberry Town; more than T.B. Sutton General Store with creaking wood floors, bluegrass music and country cooking where I can buy a sweatshirt on a cool foggy morning; more than the museums filled with unique artifacts, the absolute greatest place to grow up where you can still find the nicest people in the world. Excited to share my passion for Granville, I began thinking about categories for blog entries. I even started making notes and talking to others about this!
An Awakening
As I read other successful blogs, I had an awakening, these items have to be written. These entries are composed; words, sentences, paragraphs, and there are pages of them. I’m not sure how I missed that in my thought process. Hold on, I’m the person who always volunteered to make the speech not write the paper. I’m the storyteller not the author. I had to ask myself, is my desire to share my passion for life greater than my fear of putting these wonderful stories on paper.
A Wealth of Memories
After much thought, I realized I’m not alone here. There are many people in this little community who have recorded their memories. Memories of living on a Tennessee hill farm, farming during the depression, memories of the World War II maneuvers camping on their farm, and wonderful life stories. Granville’s greatest asset is the people. We are a town putting into action Tennessee’s volunteer spirit, we have 200 volunteers who keep this town operating.
Something for Everyone
A thoughtful volunteer is currently entering memories recorded as hard copies and others are recording memories. As we ‘talk it up”, ideas for blog entries begin to unfold. This unique little riverboat town on the Cumberland River was settled before Tennessee became a state. There are many rich colorful facts to share with others. And then it happened, I got lucky again! I read and reread the recorded memories from some of our older residents. What we have here is more than facts, it is award winning memories of life from previous decades, things of interest to a broad audience. You will be amazed by the love stories of the WWII maneuvers. Our blog will be entertaining, educational, thought provoking, interesting, historical, and romantic. We will share historical recipes and old-time cures for common ailments. Our readers will be saying, “Well, I didn’t know that.”
You and I Learning Together
I know how to find and read a blog and that’s it! With the help of Google, I have enough information to know I need professional help. With the help of friends, we begin this blog. We will hit the ground running. You and I can look forward to learning together. I will continue to learn the mechanics of making this happened. You will be entertained by our writers, learn a few unexpected skills, and continue to say, “I didn’t know that.”
An Opportunity for YOU
Step inside Sutton General Store, listen to the creaking floors, sit on the porch, and enjoy the morning as the fog rises from Cordell Hull Lake. You will experience the friendly people who are eager to share their passion for this little community, Tennessee’s Mayberry Town. Enjoy touring our town with a nice balance of old and new attractions, order from the menu at the back counter or ask for the plate lunch special, step back in time as you view the vintage artifacts, and marvel at the natural beauty.
Historic Granville hours of operation:
Wednesday-Friday 11AM-3PM, and Saturday 11AM-5PM.