Patty Ackerman Adair

                Then                                         Now   

Home:    178 Victoria's Landing
              Sevierville, TN  37862

Phone:   865-774-3247    

E-Mail:   glassgoddess@charter.net

Bio:

In the fall of 1963, Bobby and I entered David Lipscomb College.  He went to school to learn and get ready for a career.  I went to play.  We both accomplished what we set out to do.  While in college we sang, acted in plays, played and sang, etc., etc.,.  In our sophomore year we started dating.  In fact, on our first date I went as Linda Hutton (Pete’s wife).  She couldn’t go, so I did.  Up until then we had just been friends (as far as Bobby was concerned).

After 4 years of arduous something we graduated – he with a BA in English and Psychology and I with … oh well.  Suffice it to say I had to promise not to get a job in my major if they would let me out.  After all, I had a wedding to go to on Monday after graduation -- MINE.

Bobby and I were married in June 1967.  He got a job teaching with Metro schools and I went to work for John Hancock Life Insurance Company.  In 1972, Bobby received an MAT degree in English/Psychology from MTSU.  “Big” pay raise followed (Yeah, right!).

After seven “short” years, we were blessed with a daughter, Elizabeth Allen Adair.  She was born in January 1974.  Her sister, Carrie Amanda Adair, a delightful surprise, was born in April 1977.

Our lives have been interesting to say the least.  We have, among other ventures, owned a pet shop, known as Wet Pets and Furry Friends.   I digress.  Time flies by and Bobby decided after 12 ½ years of teaching it was time to do something else.  So, he went into retail.  He worked for SupeRx/Revco/CVS for a while and then decided that private school was the place for him.  Goodpasture Christian School became home for the next 5 ½ years.

No only was Bobby there, but the girls went there as well. Two for one tuition is great!  Bobby settled in to coaching the junior and senior high forensics teams and directing the school plays.  The whole family was involved in these activities.  I judged tournaments and accompanied the musicals on the piano.  The girls were competing in forensics and acting in the plays.  There I go – playing again.  We were also traveling band parents as both girls played in the band for YEARS.  Elizabeth was section leader for the flutes and Carrie played the mellophone.  She received an award in her senior year for playing the most solos in school history.  What’s a mellophone?

After a stint at Goodpasture and a year teaching at Motlow junior college, Bobby went back to CVS for several years.  At the present time – until he retires – he is working for the State of TN in the Department of Safety.  He’s one of those unilingual customer service people in the drivers’ license station.  Only one problem exists.  The customers are unilingual, too, only in another language.

So much for Bobby.  Now, it’s my turn.  As my mother would say, “You’re a jack of all trades and master of none.”  That may be true but I have had fun in my life-of-changing-careers.  Most of the time I have worked in the medical field as a surgical assistant, physician’s assistant, secretary, transcriptionist, EMT, and administrative assistant.  I’m a good person to know if you get hurt!  I also own my own business, GLASS ILLUSIONS.  I do stained glass and have for 23 years.  It’s lots of fun.  We get to go to some really neat shows and meet some very interesting people.  We do everything from ornaments to custom-designed pieces, so …

Time doesn’t march.  It runs over you!  Though I hate to admit it we are beginning to show our age.  I figure I’m OK as long as I never act my age.

Our kids are grown and the next generation is here and going strong.  Elizabeth is an oncology nurse with a physicians’ group at St. Thomas Hospital.  Her husband does something with computers (I’m not sure what.), and they have two BEAUTIFUL daughters, Ashlyn, 4, and Alexia, 1 ½.  Carrie is a fulltime mom married to a career Navy man and they live in Suffolk, VA with our grandson, Ian, 7.  Carrie also helps me with my glass business.  And, just so you know.  Ian is a genius.  He is in the first grade and reads and comprehends on a sixth grade level.  My buttons are poppin’.

For those who remember or even care, I was adopted.  About 15 years ago I found my birth family.  I’m GREEK!  The movie My Big, Fat Greek Wedding is true.  You get one, you get them all.  Quite a change from being an only child.  I love it!  I’m extremely lucky to have two families.

Life has been good to us.  We are happy, not rich, but look forward to every new day and each new adventure.  We are looking forward to retiring in a few years and moving to East Tennessee.  The mountains are where we like to visit and camp and have decided it’s not too far away from the grandkids.  We also want to continue working at Dollywood as crafters.

Life at Lipscomb was a blessing and an adventure.  I met lots of great people and enjoy finding out about “the old gang”.  The friends we have been able to see through the years are very special to us.  Hope we see YOU soon.

all is well in cyberland.

thought i would catch you up on a few things in our lives.

on the last day of dollywood last year, i was talking with a couple from alabama.  they said they lived here but were moving back to alabama to be near their grandchildren (there's a lot of that going on around here!).  i told them we wanted to move up here and they said their house was for sale.  to make a long story short, the next day we went to see their house and after going out on the deck and seeing mont. leconte in the back yard, we decided we wanted to move here.  we've always talked about it, but nothing ever worked out.  i called my cousin the next day and told him we had found a place in sevierville we wanted to buy and needed to sell our house.  he said he knew someone who wanted to buy ours.  so, within a week's time we had found a condo, bought it and sold our house.  this meant that we were both quitting our jobs and moving to a place we had never lived and where we didn't know anyone and had no jobs.

two weeks later we went back to see the condo and while we were in sevierville we found an empty shop.  called the owner and by the end of the day we had rented a shop for the glass. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we have found a wonderful church here and they have welcomed us with open arms.  seems that almost everyone here is from somewhere else so everyone sticks together.  IT"S GREAT-------

our grand children update

IAN -- now 10 years old

ASHLYN -- now 7 years old (going on 16)

LEXI -- now 4 1/2

bobby and i are staying busy.  he is working at dollywood and i run the glass shop.

GLASS ILLUSIONS is located at 135 bruce st, sevierville.  phone is 865-453-9116.

our home address is 178 victoria's landing, sevierville, phone is 865-774-3247.

we would love to hear from anyone travelling this direction.  we have plenty of room if you need a place to crash.

LIFE IS GOOD>

patty

Last updated:    July 2008