Finished !

VS Hearts of America - Tennessee

Well, this little ditty sure stitched up pretty ... and quick!  I couldn't sleep last night so got up at 2:00 and finished this up by 6:00.  Also watched the new Hawaii 50 and Chase that I had TIVO'd. 

So, as I post each of these little hearts I will add an American History lesson with each one. This one will I am sure be the longest lesson as Tennessee is MY state, and I know a lot more things about it.

Tennessee was the 16th state to ratify the Federal Constitution on June 1. 1796. It's nickname is The Volunteer State", it's motto is Agriculture and Commerce and the state flower is the Blue Iris.  The Blue Iris defeated the reigning state flower, the Passionflower in 1933, which is now the state wildflower.  The Mockingbird is the state bird.  Taking wording from the VS chart " ...the little musical notes symbolise the music of Nashville.  The dark parts of the Chinese Rice Stitch represent the mountains, and the blue centers symbolize the meandering rivers and streams and lakes which bring forth life to the ripening fields.  The little yellow flowers at the bottom of the heart represent the blossoms of the Yellow Poplar or Tulip Poplar, the Tennessee state tree....."

So now you know a little about my state.  Another couple of tidbits.  Memphis (my city) is known as the home of the Blues as well as the birth place of Rock'n'Roll.  Elvis Presley recorded his first single, and most of his early recordings here at Sun Recording Studio. W. C. Handy and BB King are famous blues singers from here and Beale Street is sometimes compared to Bourbon Street in New Orleans.  Memphis also hosts Memphis in May every year which is a month long celebration which honors a different country each year It begins ... uh... the first weekend in May and ends usually on Memorial Day Eve with the Sun Set Symphony, on the banks of the Mississippi River.  The song "Ole Man River" was written about the Mississippi River and has been the "headliner" song at the symphony every year.  Smack in the middle of the month of May is the "Memphis in May Great Bar-B-Que Cookoff"...famous the world over.  Can't find BBQ any better than Memphis !! (I've tried, and found some really good BBQ in Hot Springs, AR.. but they had won the MIM Cookoff several years in a row.. so it is still MEMPHIS BBQ!!!)

Tennessee is a rectangular shaped state in the "Mid-South" of the USA.  Memphis is situated in the south western most tip of the state and Bristol is in the north eastern most tip.  Nashville sits almost in the middle.  If you flew from Memphis to Bristol the mileage is greater that if you flew from Nashville to the Canadian border!  Look at a map of Tennessee sometime... it is really long....

Now on to Heart #1 - Delaware ...

Till next time ....Stitchin'n'smilin