S.O.S. from the Chief Purser of the Titanic Museum Attraction

Ok. So I had to check out the Titanic Museum Attraction's special event this past weekend in honor of the 99th anniversary of the sinking of a great ship! I was curious to discover what it means to be a HAM radio operator and why these great men and women enjoy this type of communication?


We decided to take the kids on Saturday afternoon after a much needed visit to Andy's for some delicious frozen custard. My kids had Andy's gift cards and much to my surprise they had enough money to pay for their parents. What a treat! 


Anyway, we headed to our favorite museum to get educated on this mysterious HAM Radio event. What I quickly learned from this dedicated bunch was that this communication is HIGHLY important to the United States Government. If we were to lose all power in the US due to some terrible disaster, these guys would be on the "front line" of communication between the people and the government.


Back in 1912, when the Titanic set sail, the form of this communciation was called "wireless" communication. If you visit the Titanic Museum Attraction any day of the year, you will get to see authentic 1912 telegraph equipment in the Marconi Room which is identical to that installed in Titanic’s wireless room. It is valued at $250,000. This primitive system was the ship's only link to the world and a popular means for passengers to send messages home. 

Two men employed by the Marconi Company worked in this small windowless room near the bridge. Their main job was to receive and send messages by radio waves using Morse code. Little did they know they would soon be tapping out one of the first SOS signals from a ship in distress. 

Morse code, by the way, is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment. There was actually a man at this HAM event that was conducting Morse code conversations! It was fascinating to watch him.

According to Wikipedia, there is an estimated two million people throughout the world who are regularly involved with amateur radio. One of the gentlemen that we met at this event said that he also uses this system when he is chasing storms. He goes out and searches for Tornadoes around the United States and then sends radio messages to the local news stations to inform them of their location. Apparently, news stations depend on these amateur radio users for their "Eyes on the Storms". 

<sup>I also learned that you must be licensed to receive clearance to use the different radio frequencies that are available. There are different levels of education and certification that you can achieve that give you permission to be on more and more frequencies. The Springfield group at the Titanic this weekend had spoken with folks in Ireland, Africa, and even Antarctica! 


The most interesting fact that I learned while talking with these very friendly operators, was that their families were also involved in this hobby. Wives and children train to operate these radios and get certified so that they can travel as families. Once per year, groups from all over the US gather together for a RALLY where they practice emergency response protocol in case of a US emergency. They bring their families and have a great time too.


I just love the way our attraction continues to apply 21st Century technology and events to help educate us on the sinking of the Titanic. It is so important that we understand history and why things happened in the past, so that we can make changes to better our future.</sup> 

If you want to learn more about how you can become a HAM radio operator, visit http://www.smarc.org/ .

<sup>Thank you Titanic Museum Attraction for providing an attraction that is fun for kids and highly educational. For more on the Titanic's education programs, visit http://www.titanicattraction.com/titanic-education-guide.php.  Knowledge is power.  

- Chief Purser, Signing off....</sup>

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A Family Vacation in the Smokies

It is that time of year again when our family wakes from hibernation, and we begin planning our next outdoor adventure. As I sit in my home office, I can see buds on the trees, blooming daffodils, and can hear the birds chirping. The first signs of spring are upon us....hallelujah!

We are a family full of energy who enjoys being outside, so it is natural for us to begin planning a trip to the smoky mountains. I am reminded of a wonderful experience that I had last November when I joined the Titanic crew in Pigeon Forge, Tn. When you first drive up the Parkway in Pigeon Forge and you see the GIANT SHIP, it simply takes your breath away. You forget about the traffic - which does pile up on the Parkway- you forget about that moment in the car when little Johnnie spilled his chocolate milk all over the seat, you even forget about the fact that you forgot your tooth brush and need to find a Walgreens. It draws you in and you thirst to go inside.

Well, I got to go inside the museum and so did my new friends, the wonderful influential Mommy Bloggers in the area who wanted a chance to experience our museum with their families, so that they could share our Titanic tribute opportunity with other local families. Not only did I have the priviledge of meeting some amazing families, I also got to tour the museum!


Inside our museum, you discover this magnificent ship that was designed to be unsinkable. You learn of the passengers who were coming to America to start a new life and maybe to visit the Smoky Mountains. I tried to put myself in their shoes. Would I be coming here to start a career, to give my family better opportunities, or to experience freedom? How fortunate we are as Americans to already have these very opportunities and we don't even have to uproot our families! The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge is HIGHLY interactive. All I could think about when I toured is, I can't wait to bring my family back to experience this. Not only is it an education in history, geared towards children and adults, but there are physical things for kids to do. They can steer the ship, take a virtual dive to the wreckage, shovel coal, touch an iceberg, meet Polar the bear, and other kid friendly activities. I could go on and on....

Not only did I get to experience our museum attraction, but I also had the priviledge of touring the area. My "tour guide" took me down the Parkway in Pigeon Forge where I could see many opportunities for my family to have FUN! First of all, Dollywood is 12 minutes away. I am pretty sure the boys would enjoy a theme park with the best of them. Pigeon Forge also offers zip lines, river rafting, shopping and tons of shows and attractions. I also noticed that the Wilderness indoor/outdoor waterpark Resort was just a few miles away in Sevierville. We went to the Wilderness Resort in the Wisconsin Dells a few years ago and made memories that will last a lifetime!


When we arrived in Gatlinburg, Tn. I felt like I was in my element. The streets are filled with quaint shops, bakeries, and warm smiles. Rivers and streams run through the area and wildlife is prevalent. In fact, at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the other side of Gatlinburg, park rangers educate campers and visitors about bears and NOT FEEDING THEM! The views are endless. We took a lift up to the top of one of the mountains in the downtown area and the views were incredible. I dreamed of sharing that experience with my family. The mountains seemed to go on forever.

We stopped in at Ripley's Aquarium for a tour. They have a wonderful shark tunnel that you get to "ride" through on a moving sidewalk and they have pinguins which happen to be one of my favorite animals. They also have a large room filled with interactive activities for kids. You can touch different sea creatures and learn about them. Again, I thought about the boys and how they needed to come back and experience this with me.

The Food. Well, I like to eat and I was anxious to experience something different in the Smokies. My guide took me to a restaurant built on the site of an Old Mill, naturally named The Old Mill. True southern cooking at it's finest. And, did I mention more shopping? Local artists displayed their works in shops that lined the streets around the Mill.  Eating and Shopping at the Old Mill was the perfect end to a perfect day.

This June, my family plans to take our FAMILY VACATION to the Great Smoky Mountains and I can't wait! We are going to re-live my adventures back in November, possibly adding a river rafting trip, Dollywood, and some water parks, but of course our first stop will be...the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tn. Making memories and having fun is what this family vacation will be ALL ABOUT!

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A Special Tribute to My Family on Valentine's Day

It's Sweetheart Month at The Titanic Museum Attraction, in honor of Valentine's Day and the twelve honeymoon couples that traveled on the Titanic in 1912.  During this special romantic month and as Valentine's Day approaches every year, I go over in my mind the many things that I love about each of the people in my life and I think of ways to show them how much I truly cherish and love them.

I would like to start with my wonderful husband Will. He is my best friend, my faith buddy, and the father to my children. We met in college at Southwest Texas State University in 1994, a college I chose at the last minute because my parents decided that they didn't want to spring for out-of-state tuition. I had originally planned to go to Missouri State University in Columbia, Mo. Ironically, he was dating my freshman roommate in the dorms. I didn't think much of him at the time. Little did I know, that I would end up marrying him! God knew, he just had to get me there.

After being acquaintances for 3 years, Will and I finally started a friendship that began at a party. Before we knew it, we were dating and wanted to spend every spare moment together. On our first official date, he took me to San Antonio's River Walk. It stared raining while we were walking down the canal, so we took shelter under a bridge and enjoyed our First Kiss which was incredibly romantic. I enjoyed his outgoing, yet kind nature. He was so thoughtful in the "courtship days" as we call them. He would sneak my car keys while I was in class and detail my car. On one date, we went canoeing down the Guatalupe River. I sat in the front of the canoe and relaxed while he did all of the work.

After dating for a year or so, I graduated with a degree in Business Marketing and decided to move back to my home town, Dallas. Will was still finishing up college and had another summer and fall semester to go in school. I hoped that by telling him I was moving to Dallas, he would finish school and follow me. He did. After he graduated, he moved to Dallas and we got married August 14, 1999. Our wedding reception was amazing. We had all of our college friends back together again for one last hurrah.

We both got excellent jobs in Dallas. He was a sales manager at a label manufacturing company and I worked for IBM and then was the State Administrator for Aflac.  We were settling in to a healthy married life and the next obvious step for me was .....a baby. I remember it so well. I conned my husband into it. We agreed by written document that he would get a motorcycle if I got a baby. We signed a contract. He still has the contract, but has not received the motorcycle. LOL!

Our first born was our precious angel Garrett. I remember the tone in my husband's voice when I called him to tell him I was pregnant. He was at work and I just couldn't wait for him to get home. He was awkwardly quite and seemed totally freaked out. I also remember being pregnant with Garrett during 9-11 and wondering what kind of world he would be born into. When Garrett was born, the entire world stopped around us. We had a family and our lives revolved around our son.

When Garrett was 2 years old, we made a very huge decision to move to Missouri. My parents had found land in Ava, Missouri and had moved away. We wanted Garrett to know his grandparents and we enjoyed the Ozarks because of all of the outdoor activities available to us. Garrett, who is growing up in Missouri, continues to be an amazing blessing in our lives. God has used him many times to teach us and strengthen our faith. We almost lost Garrett when he was 4 due to a head injury that he incurred at a day care. Words cannot express how much my faith in God and my love for my husband strengthened through this trial. Garrett is 9 years old now and is an all star in every sport (except Baseball. he says he hates wearing hot pants in the summer.:)) and makes straight "A's". He is responsible, kind, considerate, and loving and very popular with his peers. I am so honored that God gave him to us.

My younger son Hunter is my baby. He is almost 6 now and has been a complete JOY ever since he was born. I remember when he was 2 and Garrett was going off to Kindergarten. I thought to myself that it would be a good time to start THINKING about potty training. Hunter never wanted to be a baby. He has always loved his brother and looked up to him. Literally, the day that Garrett left for Kindergarten, Hunter took off his diaper and would not put one on again. He had a determination like nothing I have ever seen. It was like, "Mommy, let's do this potty training thing right now!" Not only is Hunter determined, but he is strong, smart, handsome, and loving. He is tender hearted and his faith his a true testament to all around him.

Valentines Day, February 14 is our 1/2 anniversary each year. I am not the kind of girl who wants the heart shaped box of chocolates. I am the kind of girl who wants to spend the day with my family doing something together, making memories. I am the kind of girl who would cherish a vow renewal on the Grand Staircase on any year of our marriage and my reason would not be for a "new beginning." My reason for a vow renewal would be to repeat to him again before God, the precious wedding vows that express to him how much I love and cherish him and how thankful I am to God for bringing us together. And being on the Grand Staircase would make me feel like "Rose" who's love for "Jack" would never perish. I love you honey.

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Titanic's 5th Annual Professional Ice Carving Event in the State of Branson?

It is official. We had an ICE DAY at the Titanic today! Titanic does everything big and this was no exception. If you didn't make it to their 5th Annual Professional Ice Carving Event, you REALLY MISSED the Boat! Their events keep getting bigger and better with each year and so does the inside of their museum.

When we arrived this morning to the ship of dreams on Branson's Hwy 76, the parking lot was packed with ice carving enthusiasts and the ship's horn was sounding as we parked, to mark the start of this fierce competition between National Ice Carving Association's Top Professional Ice carvers from ALL over the United States. We were amazed at the tools of this art form including chain saws, torches, wood carving tools, and other devices that we couldn't name. This is a big deal. The Ice Carvers had plans and drawings of what they were going to create and how. These Carvers had 4 hours to create their ice sculpture and at the end of the 4 hours, a judgment would be made for the winners.

While the boys watched these professional men and women go to work, Will and I enjoyed listening to the rock station that was set up on stage in the parking lot. The DJ's of 95.5 were on site to announce the proceedings and feed us with many facts about ice carving and the Titanic. As always, we were privileged to see Jaynee, dressed in her gorgeous long black winter coat and adorned mink hat. She always remembers my boys and makes them feel special. How does she remember so many families? It is that personal touch that makes her so magnanimous.

The event continued to be action packed throughout the day. The Track Family Fun Center had a booth set up where kids could get their pictures taken in 2 of their go-karts and the kids could also play their trivia game to win prizes. I got a kick out of the trivia questions. Our questions were, "what year did the Titanic sink?" and "was there a heated swimming pool on board?" I am, of coarse, a Titaniac, so those questions were a no brainer for me and helping my kids win prizes made me feel like their hero!

On top of us enjoying the Track go-karts, we also got to experience a 15 minute dual between to sculptors on the main stage. They had 15 minutes to make a sculpture and the best one won. My kids enjoyed this fast pace challenge and loved participating in the vote for the winner - who carved an eagle in flight! He was cracking us up to because he kept referring to Branson as a state. Yes, we are proud of our great city, but we aren't yet a state. LOL

I would be remiss if I didn't tell you about the inside of the museum. At the beginning of January, the ship closed for four days so that they could do a deep cleaning, apply fresh paint, and add make renovations. I can't tell you what they added to the exhibit because you need to experience it for yourself. So far, every single person that I have recommended go through the museum has NOT been disappointed and if it has been awhile since you toured, you have to check out the new exhibits!

Back to the competition....we had our favorite which on the Professional side was the sting rays and on the amateur side was the cat grabbing the bird. We were actually amazed by the amateurs. In our opinion, the amateurs were just as skilled as the professionals and we all agreed that everyone did an amazing job, especially considering the extra challenge of warmer than usual winter weather (50 degrees-yikes)! Congratulations to them all. But, as in any competition there has to be a winner and the winner was..... boy were we right on......Professional Division 1st Place winner at $2,000 was Michael Stoddart with his Flight Under the Sea (our favorite sting rays) and 1st Place in the Amateur division went to Nan Li with his Art of Flight. I have to mention that there were prize monies given out to most of the competitors for a total of $7,250 in cash prizes!

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Rudolph and Vixen

The theme this weekend was Christmas. I spent Saturday morning in the kitchen making some of our favorite traditional fare including sausage balls, peanut butter blossoms, and snickerdoodles. I got a good start on it, but still have peanut butter cups, spinach balls, and hello dollies left to make! Next on my list was wrapping presents. I spent several hours wrapping presents. That is when I realized how blessed our family is and how exciting it will be to bless others this Christmas.

Saturday afternoon, we decided to surprise the children and take them to meet Rudolph and Vixen at the Titanic Museum Attraction. Much to my surprise, the reindeer were "on break" when we got there. There had been so many girls and boys to visit the Reindeer and pet them, that they were exhausted.  However, they perked up when we got there. The boys enjoyed petting them and they wanted to know why Rudolph didn't have a red nose. Rudolph's owner replied that Rudolph's nose will only glow red on Christmas Eve.The Reindeer were like dogs or any other domestic pet. They listened to their owner and did exactly what they were asked to do.

While we were visiting, we decided to take advantage of all of the Christmas decorations by taking pictures of the boys. The museum is decorated to the nines with Edwardian style Christmas decor. It is very beautiful. We got some good shots of the little ones, even though it was painful for them to sit still and smile. Why do they think it is pure torture for us to photograph them? I am convinced that they will appreciate the pictures when they are adults!

I hope that the Titanic Museum Attraction includes the Reindeer event every year as part of their Christmas celebration, as it has become part of our family's Christmas Tradition! For more information on this event and others, go to http://www.titanicbranson.com .

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Molly and Carter were spoiled on their 2nd Birthday!

I know two adorable King Charles Spaniels that were fit to be Queens this past Thanksgiving weekend as everyone in Branson, Mo. joined together to wish them a very Happy 2nd Birthday. As usual, at the stroke of noon, they made their way down the promenade with one of their dog handlers, Kelly Riley, and Jaynee, the First Class Maid. They were wheeled down in a baby carriage to their station in front of a gathering crowd. Only this time, they adorned custom made birthday hats.

Not only did Molly and Carter enjoy a birthday cake made with peanut butter, cream cheese, other dog friendly ingredients, but they also received gifts, balloons, and many birthday wishes. Of coarse, my family was on board during their celebration. I even invited my Mom and Dad who sang Happy Birthday and said that Molly and Carter were the cutest dogs they had ever seen and were "so well behaved"!

The dogs are part of the Titanic Museum Attraction's tribute to the ten known dogs that were onboard the Titanic. As part of this tribute, the museum has started a program called Save Our Strays, or S.O.S. which raises money for the local humane society. I believe they have raised over $75,000 so far. What a blessing this is to our community!

If you go on Molly and Carter's web page you can sign up for the dogs to send you a electronic Christmas card. I know my boys are looking forward to receiving it!

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Mom Bloggers enjoy Titanic's Christmas Kickoff!

Last Friday night, the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tn. hosted a special MOM BLOGGER event to help the museum kickoff the Christmas in a Winter Wonderland Celebration. Mom Bloggers from Knox News, Knox Moms, and other local Tennessee Moms with noteworthy Blogs attended this private event with their families. The Titanic Museum Attraction's owners John Joslyn and Mary Kellogg-Joslyn wanted to recognize these special women for their continued support of the new museum and wanted the moms and their families to experience this Grand Christmas celebration.

This event proved to be a huge success! I enjoyed meeting all of these amazing women and their families and was privileged to welcome each aboard our ship! All of the Mom bloggers enjoyed a private self-guided tour of the museum to see the ship adorned in Christmas decorations from the Edwardian period. Although the Titanic went down in April 1912, she had many Decembers planned and the museum decorates as a tribute to Her.

At 7:00pm, after each family enjoyed their private tour, we all met in the parking lot for the BIG event. We were joined by Rick Laney of Ackermann PR and many others from local news stations, newspapers, and magazines!  The Christmas Tree, set up in front of the fountains was magnificent. There were gifts stacked up under the bow of the tree which made for a perfect photo opportunity. The affair began with a Christmas ensemble choir, maids handing out candy, the lighting of the tree, and camels with wisemen of coarse! Then, music began to play and we all waited in anticipation for SNOW. Without delay, REAL snow began to fall from the bow of the ship produced from the same machinery that Disney World uses! Children and adults alike loved it. They danced to the music and tried to catch snow flakes on their tongues. Jaynee, our First Class Maid, waved from the BOW of the ship with a beautiful young "maid in training" Madisson and "Polar" the Titanic Bear.

As the snow began to build up on the museum's sidewalk, a fireworks display commenced, filling the sky with radiant colors. This event was done in Grand Scale just like the museum itself. I heard several guests proclaim that the fireworks display was better than anything they had seen during the 4th of July! Our Mom Bloggers and their families loved the experience. Some of their children were interviewed by the media which I believe they viewed as a huge honor.

I would like to personally thank Ali James of Knoxnews.com and Knoxmoms.com. She assisted me in reaching these wonderful moms who represent the families of Eastern Tennessee! Our ship and crew love being nestled in our new home in the Great Smoky Mountains and I would like to encourage all Moms reading my blog to visit the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tn. this holiday season. It is truly a Family Interactive Experience that you won't want to miss. Although you will not be able to see fireworks, it will snow each and every Friday and Saturday night at 7:00pm from now until January 1, 2011! Traffic is crazy on the Parkway so leave early and I strongly recommend that you pre-purchase your tickets on our website as the museum sells out very quickly each day!


Three Cheers and 1,000 Thank You's to Tennessee's very special MOM Bloggers and their familes!

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