First thing that comes to mind when you think of Nashville is music, or more specifically country music. And the city did not disappoint. As the capital of Tennessee and home of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville also has beautiful parks, one being Centennial Park. Our Ambassador King Von Nugget and myself enjoyed a visit to the green meadows and the stunning Parthenon, a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Quite impressive if I may say so and certainly Nugget approved.
After getting situated downtown for the yearly PLPA and ICCFA convention, I hurried over to the show floor and it was so much fun to see all the familiar faces from last year. I especially enjoyed catching up with my Aussie friend Asha, who’s stunning handmade cremation beads can be found in our shop. The crew that provides all the amazing pet tribute blankets was so much fun and showed me some great prototype items. I was delighted to see all the new memorial products for pets and can’t wait to offer them to all the parents of the beloved furry babies.
Another pleasant experience was meeting acclaimed author Allison Gilbert, who was there signing her book “Passed and Present-Keeping Memories of Loved Ones Alive”. Despite the fact that her book is about humans, I personally feel that grief is universal, so we made plans to collaborate in the future. Great minds think alike!
I truly enjoyed attending the PLPA sessions and learning from the speakers. It is always great to hear from like-minded people and share experiences and tips. I ended up volunteering and becoming a part of the PLPA Education Committee, so stay tuned. I am so excited!
After enjoying a fried green tomatoes pizza, the last evening was spent out and about with old and new friends. We choose to visit Tootsie’s, a Nashville country music institution and world-famous honky-tonk, that has operated since 1960. Absolutely packed and quite lively, to say the least. It was a fun girls night out with some stories that will be memories forever. Until next time Nashville…