I hope you all have a great new years! As for myself, I'll start the year off by proposing to my girlfriend.

I hope you all have a great new years! As for myself, I'll start the year off by proposing to my girlfriend.

Hehehe. Very sorry about the delay. It was splendid. I proposed in front of many people as opposed,to,,asking it intimate. I wanted to propose in the U.S but since new year was around the corner by a few days I decided to do it earlier.

So... I'm engaged.

Hehehe. Very sorry about the delay. It was splendid. I proposed in front of many people as opposed,to,,asking it intimate. I wanted to propose in the U.S but since new year was around the corner by a few days I decided to do it earlier.

So... I'm engaged.

Thanks everyone!!

You know you're in the country when a furniture and collectibles store proudly offers fresh pork skins.

Lol! You ´Muricans can get married anywhere

SEVIERVILLE - Long-time Sevierville resident and County Commissioner, Jimmie Temple, knows a thing or two about getting hitched.

Over the last 25 years, Temple conservatively estimates that he has married about 15,000 happy couples, and the numbers continue to steadily increase each year.

Until 2001, Temple performed his service in the office at his family business, Temple's Feed and Seed Store, with bags of Miracle Gro and dog food stacked nearby. Newly licensed lovebirds would often find their way to Temple's Feed and Seed by wandering across the street from the Sevier County Courthouse in downtown Sevierville.

Now that the Feed and Seed is closed, Jimmie Temple and his wife, Marie, work out of the old family home on Court Avenue, which is now their office. Couples still drop by to be married, and Temple still enjoys every single "I do."

"My favorite part about marrying couples is that I get to meet people from all walks of life," Temple explained. "They're usually nervous, but I try to personalize each and every ceremony by getting to know a little about them."

Once couples have pledged their love, Temple sends them home with a business card-sized reminder of their vows entitled "4 Points for a Successful Marriage," including "Your Love," "Your Trust," "Your Friendship," and "Your Respect." These enduring four points are also a part of each couple's vows to one another, and Temple writes each couple's marriage date on the card.

"I get a lot of touching letters from couples who keep their cards with them to remember what is really important in their marriage," Temple explained. In fact, one couple married in 2000 recently wrote thanking him for their personalized service and the "4 Points" card saying that they had prayed the night before for someone who would treat their wedding ceremony specially.

Temple says that most couples find him through recommendations from couples he has married in the past.

"We've also been on several television programs, and the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce has us on their Web site," Temple said.

Word of mouth and more modern means of advertising have combined to boost the number of couples at Temple's office, especially those from out of state.

"I would say that of the 15,000 couples I've married, 8,000 have been within the last 10 years, and most of the couples I marry are from out of state," he noted.

Although these numbers sound more like those of a booming wedding chapel than a County Commissioner's office, Temple has never considered what he does a business and never charges for his services.

Why, you ask? His reply is simple - "I just really enjoy doing this.

Well...Hello there...

Been a bit, then, eh?...

Well...So about that there depression I suffer with...

As a wise man once said, "It's getting harder keeping life and soul together..."...

While I fully appreciate that other people have far FAR harder things to deal with, this past year has been the hardest ever, in terms of dealing with stuff...And it's still not entirely finished with me, by the looks of the last fortnight...

So, my apologies for disappearing and not coming back...

I'll be honest, I don't know that I'm 100% at all...I just...Miss you all...*Shrug*...

So...Grab me while you can, I may vanish at any-












Psyche!... ...

Nah...

I was feeling very...Unwell...And in July, it was suggested that it might be something really quite nasty...But then in September/October it was reduced to a "Merely" something bad but not as...Potentially, at least...*Sigh*...Yep, communication skills in full flow once again!...

Hey-ho...

*Waves*...Missed you all...

*Grabs everyone in a headlock and Nuggies all...*

MWAH!!... ...

*Grabs everyone in a headlock and Nuggies all...*

MWAH!!... ...

hazmick!! <-- nightshade tea

As long as it's tea, it's fine with me (and it's always better to drink with friends).

so much tea! This must be a dream

Hope everyone on the other side of the Atlantic enjoys their 'Superb Owl', I've heard that it's quite a hoot.