By Jan Penton-Miller
Columnist
The aroma of coffee brewing and the hum of conversation surround me as I enjoy
another Monday morning at my favorite shop.. I have always loved writing in a place
where I can people watch as I peck away on my computer, and this one has so much
character with the original brick walls and such.
The clock is ticking away the moments until another little person will come into my
life. Ava Grace will be arriving soon, and I cannot wait to hold my first great
grandchild in my arms. The idea that my sweet firstborn will be a grandmother is
crazy to think of since I feel young myself.
I was thrilled with a recent photo of Aidan and Alex. I could see a mixture of
contentment and anticipation in their faces that spoke volumes. It is easy to see how
happy they are.
Melinda and I rambled to Knoxville recently and strolled around downtown taking
in the sights and sounds of the city. A couple of street performers caught our
attention, and we stopped to listen for a moment. I was quite impressed with their
repertoire from several genres including Christian music, which is my favorite.
They played the lovely old hymn, How Great Thou Art, without missing a beat. Upon
further scrutiny I realized that the older gentleman was playing a saw.
I couldn’t help but wonder about their situation, and hoped that they had a personal
relationship with the One they were singing of. In retrospect, I missed an
opportunity for what could have been a good and natural conversation. Maybe I’ll
have another chance another day.
My thoughts went to the many street musicians in New Orleans who also play for
tips. I didn’t feel any danger in Knoxville the way I did with my friend, Anne, one day
in the French Quarter. That’s another story for another day, but the feeling is totally
different.
We threw a donation in their hat after a few moments and ambled down the street.
The next interesting thing we came upon was a gentleman strolling along with his
pet hog. It was huge, and when we made small talk with her owner we learned that
her name is Spooner.
Spooner sleeps in her own twin bed and is enormous! I wonder if she snores with
her big hairy snout? She had admirers all around and actually has a social media
following. I suppose I was reaching when I complimented Spooner’s owner on her

cuteness. I was only allowing my southernness to guide me with a compliment much
the way no one fails to say that a baby is cute even if he or she is not. Melinda
quickly commented that Spooner was definitely not cute, but looked like something
from the
Neverending Story! I suppose she was correct, but I bet Spooner is cute to her owner
since we all know that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.