Sarah Stowers at her beautiful dining room table -- one of four tables set for the 25 Boomsday guests she had last night!
Happy Labor Day, everyone! Hope you got to see the fantastic fireworks last night. I swear, that’s just one more great thing about Knoxville: we have the best fireworks shows!
Every year, we try to get together with a group of friends and figure out a great way to see the Boomsday fireworks. For several years, we booked passage on the Volunteer Princess and had a wonderful time. (Click here for a Blue Streak post on one of those years.) Last year, we got a group and made reservations on the patio at Ruth’s Chris Steak House. That was fun, too, and a good way to avoid the rain. We may execute one or both of those plans again in the future because they worked out so well.
But this year, we tried something completely different and it was terrific, too. At the Knoxville Symphony League Ball last December, Alan and I were the winners in the live auction of a dinner for 25 people followed by viewing Boomsday fireworks from the newly renovated waterfront home of Jan and Pete Crawford in Sequoyah Hills. Only one problem. Jan called a few weeks ago and said their home, originally set to be completed this past June, was still under construction! Yikes!
Thankfully, the Crawfords’ very sweet and generous next-door neighbor, Sarah Stowers, offered her home as a substitute. So that’s where we went — and what a great time we had! I don’t know if these hard-working Symphony League folks will offer the same evening again at this year’s Ball (which is Dec. 1 at Cherokee Country Club, by the way!), but, if they do, we can highly recommend it. But you might be bidding against us!
Many thanks to the fabulous hosts of last night's big Boomsday event! From left to right are: Pete Crawford, Linda Haynes, John Haynes, Jan Crawford, Sarah Stowers, Carol Cliff, Ray Cliff, Harriet Hodge and Fred Hodge
Here's another beautiful table set in the sunroom.
Each person got his or her own hors d'oeuvres plate filled with yummy little nibbles. My favorite was the ham-wrapped pimento cheese.
Guests Katie and Blair Kline, left, and Jeff and Christy Lee. The problem with our group of friends is that everyone is an extrovert! You wouldn't believe the noise level!
Dawn Ford and Jon Roach
From left, Gay Lyons, Julia Bentley, Monique Anderson and Gary Bentley
City Councilman Duane Grieve, left, and Bill Lyons. Duane, an architect, actually designed the Stowers' house 30 years ago! And what a great job he did!
One of the hosts, John Haynes, left, with City Councilman Finbarr Saunders. (I think John was lobbying Finbarr because I noticed Finbarr taking notes!)
Mintha Roach, left, and Katie Kline
Gay Lyons, left, with sisters Nora, center, and Ellen Robinson
Host Fred Hodge pours me some pinot grigio -- my favorite kind! Jan Crawford went to Ashe's and asked Thad Cox there what we usually purchase. How sweet is that? It's Prima Terra -- the one whose blue label features a fish wearing sunglasses sitting in an Adirondack chair! Who can resist that?
This is Carol Cliff making her famous chicken dish. She said she'd never made it for this many people. But it was delicious!
Susie and George Ed Wilson visiting with Susan Brown, right. You can see, dusk was beginning to set in.
Alan Carmichael and Monique Anderson on the patio. What a beautiful view.
And then it was dinner time! Everything was fabulous. The rice had sliced almonds and cranberries in it. A nice touch that I intend to emulate this holiday season.
Here is Peter Acly at the dinner table between his sis-in-law Nora, left, and his wife, Ellen Robinson.
Thanks again to Sarah Stowers for welcoming us into her lovely home.
Sarah arranged all the flowers herself. Her tip: Go to Kroger on a Friday morning. "You won't find any fresher flowers anywhere," she said. They will hold the flowers in the cooler for you until the next day, if you ask them. These are just the flowers on one of the four tables. She said she got them all for $100!
The beer drinkers kept bartender Ray Cliff very busy!
Alan picked the pineapple upside down cake for his dessert.
I opted for the lemon tart with blueberries. We tasted each others' and they both were scrumptious.
And then, boom! We all rushed outside to see the show!
Wow!
It went on for 20 minutes.
It was a different perspective from what we usually have. But it still was beautiful.
I commissioned local artist Lisa Kurtz to make some very unique brie bakers that I've been using as hostess gifts. Here is the one I gave Jan. I have one myself that I use all the time.
Thanks again to everyone involved with this special night. A few of our guests didn’t make it into the photos for some reason. Richard Ford, Marsha Grieve and Bruce Anderson also were there.
Click here for a link to the Symphony League website where I’m sure they’ll post information about the upcoming Symphony Ball.
Thanks so much for inviting us. The folks from the Symphony League did a great job. We had such a different perspective on the fire works–a completely clear view of it all from a distance–And I actually liked the quiet show instead of the usual canned music–though as you pointed out, this was not a quiet crowd. Very sweet of Sarah Stowers to open her home to 25 extroverts. We had the same favorites. I loved the ham-wrapped pimiento cheese and the rice also. Fun night!
Thanks for the comment, Gay. I hope some folks comment and offer ideas about where to go next year! What do you think you all will do?
Looks like fun! I might have to come out and bid in December 🙂 We had a great time up in the Sunsphere and managed to stay dry there as well.
Well, I don’t think we’ll do what we did last year: Sit on our roof and listen to the show while watching it on muted TV. We need to find a roof with a view!
Interesting, Tamera! When we were driving back downtown from Sequoyah Hills, we took a “short cut” through Fort Sanders. Ha. And while we were in gridlock on Clinch Avenue, we looked up and saw the lights in the Sunsphere bar and wondered what the experience was like up there! Now we know!
We had a great time. We really want to thank everyone who put the event together. It was an awesome job. Sarah, you were a great hostess and such a beautiful Grieve home, you know like a Frank Lloyd Wright home.
P.S. Tamera, Cynthia is still talking your onion casserole from a Knox Heritage event.
I am pretty sure Tamera’s Vidalia Onion Casserole recipe (from the Church Social Summer Supper in 4th & Gill) is in the KH Summer Supper Cookbook. It is definitely a keeper.
We had a wonderful time. It was a great group of people and thank you to all her prepared the food. I just love fireworks and I had a front row seat!
Monique
Cynthia and Alan thanks for including us in the dinner which was delicious. Company wasn’t bad either! Dawn
Great party! View of the fireworks was much better at Sarah’s vs. from the end of our driveway… Terrific group of folks — thanks for including us!
Anybody got any other good ideas for next year? I’m worried those nice Symphony League folks might not want to put themselves through this again!
Counting the years by Boomsdays is so much interesting than by coffee spoons. And Boomsday always makes Macy’s just seem like lightbulbs going off. Great to see friends hosting friends.
I remember the yummie Vidalia Onion Casserole & would love to have the recipe. How can I get a KH cookbook?
As for locations, it’s not glamorous but the humble MHM office balcony makes a great viewing stand. (BoA bldg)
Ha. I agree, John! Barbara: I bet the MHM balcony is a great viewing location! Here is a link to a page on the Knox Heritage website where you can purchase the cookbook: http://www.etsy.com/listing/98303036/kh-summer-suppers-cookbook Let me know if you make that onion casserole!
Very thoughtful of you, many thanks!
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