The Splashy Thing and Henrietta
Thursday, December 13th, 2012 | Misty's Corner | No Comments
Hello all! I’m thinking that my first blog post ever should explain the slightly bizarre title. I moved to Sevierville, TN ten months ago to assist my boyfriend, Bob Benson, in opening a handmade crafts store in Pigeon Forge. One of the first things to repeatedly catch my eye in this tourist mecca is “the splashy thing” on the bow of the Titanic exhibit on the Parkway. I would drive by in the middle of the day and the splashy thing would be off or after the last showing the splashy thing would be on. I think I have a better idea of the schedule now but for the longest time I would text Bob, “The splashy thing is ON.” or off. I’m still fascinated by the splashy thing even though I still haven’t visited the Titanic exhibit.
Our store is located in Old Forge Plaza which is behind the popular Old Mill Restaurant (which I also have not visited, go figure). We spend quite a bit of time there after hours which is how we discovered Henrietta. Henrietta is what we call the heron that hangs out below the Old Mill after dark. She (He? who knows) stares into the water coming across the weir.
There’s a big spotlight on the waterfall so I suspect she’s looking for fish in the water. It always makes me happy to see her hanging out down there. Since Bob and I started watching Henrietta we’ve seen her actually catch a fish and eat it and fly into a tree. I think herons look rather pterodactyl-ish in the air.
Craft as business is a new venture for me (and Bob, too). I started crafting as a sewist (although that term didn’t exist then) when I was nine years old. I dabbled with embroidery a bit but the sewing machine was my primary tool until I was in my 30’s. I finally learned to knit and it seemed like a whole new world opened up. Instead of cutting a piece of fabric down to size I was creating the fabric as I went. In 2009 I finally took up quilting. I suppose it was a bit of an obsession. I felt like I had to make up for lost time. My sewing past certainly made for an easy transition but there’s still so much to learn and I can’t wait to soak up all I can.
I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work here at Handmade Adventures. I get to see so many beautiful things and meet the artisans who make them. I love being able to tell a story about each and every piece in the shop and give each customer a personal connection to that piece. I guess you’d say I love being able to share the adventure!
