Our columnist relates her adventures as a single newcomer to Knoxville.

• Something To Cling To Published 1/2/2013 at 11:30 a.m. 0 comments

  Last month, a mystic of the female arts gave me a gift certificate for a manicure and said, “Honey, good hands complete the look. It’s just as important as smelling good or shined shoes.” I think our moment together was ...

• Operation Scribble: Seeking the Autograph of Number 16 Published 11/20/2012 at 11:29 a.m. 0 comments

  The woman I work for is a badass. She is diminutive in stature with a presence that is anything but “little girl.” She thinks like an intelligence operative, and is more Pink than Taylor Swift.

• Charms of Knoxville: A Few of Olive's Favorite People and Places Published 10/17/2012 at 10:47 a.m. 0 comments

  I have always loved charm bracelets. They are the jeweled storybooks of adventure and affection. A heavenly weekend for me includes wandering the isles of Nostalgia in Bearden looking for Knoxville charms.

• Ties that Bind: Overcoming Embarrassing Personal Drama by Sharing the Truth Published 9/19/2012 at 10:50 a.m. 0 comments

  When you are new in town, your history is virginal because you don’t know anyone. Of course, the tender for such a luxury is often loneliness. And there is the achingly slow process of figuring out your new world and ...

• Knoxville in My Pocket: A Sojourn to the French Riviera Published 8/15/2012 at 10:33 a.m. 0 comments

  Last February I found a list of websites for summer work-study adventures abroad. By May I had two months of savings and the choice between nanny in Mexico City or “domestic help” in Southern France. I thanked God for French ...

• Extraordinary Cup of Joe Published 7/11/2012 at 3:59 p.m. 0 comments

  A chance encounter at Pete's Coffee Shop.

• Rating Downtown Knoxville's Manly Men Published 6/13/2012 at 12:06 p.m. 0 comments

  The Knoxville buffet boasts a marvelous selection of manly casseroles, covering the spectrum from single to married and from BFFs to blatant objects of affection. In an effort to fulfill my community service this month, I highlight a few for ...

• The Ides of March Madness Published 4/25/2012 at 1:23 p.m. 0 comments

  Sports commentators had a field day with post-game, post-season analysis. I don’t know sports and I can barely write. But I damn well know courage when I see it.

• Chasca the Hair Goddess Published 3/28/2012 at 1:42 p.m. 0 comments

  I found out it was Fashion Week in Knoxville while shopping in Off Broadway Shoes. A magnificent 15-year-old creature in platform spikes of Kardashian heights whined, “These make me look faaat.”

• Finally Coming To Grips With “Rocky Top” Published 2/29/2012 at 2:27 p.m. 0 comments

  Popcorn? That Popcorn? Dad met Popcorn Sutton? Well yes, he did know his way around a shotgun. I just never thought about why.

• Nancy Drew and the Bishop’s Ring Published 2/1/2012 at 11:04 a.m. 0 comments

  The name “Friends Antique and Collectibles Mall” does not do the place justice. The basement is a Man’s World full of military items, tools, and old sports equipment. The main floor boasts a dish heaven, silver (plate and sterling) begging ...

• Little Doll and the Mavens Published 1/4/2012 at 12:12 p.m. 0 comments

  I learned early on that Mavens in Wonderville are not easy to find, but Dolls are.

• The Wedding Party Published 11/23/2011 at 11:12 a.m. 0 comments

  This town knows how to party. Boy did I learn that at a mysterious gathering hosted by a savage couple in Powell.

• Our Weird Is Real Published 10/26/2011 at 11:54 a.m. 1 comment

  Is this a town where “weird” has transcended into “mundane”? And just what (or who) are the standard bearers for weird in this town?

• The Princesses of Wonderville Published 9/28/2011 at 10:16 a.m. 0 comments

  Every morning when I walk toward the Cave of Doom known as my office, I travel down a path flanked by a little forest of tall trees. For five seconds I feel like a princess in a Disney movie. If ...

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