December 24, 2003

“Merry Christmas And A Very Happy New Year!”

Well Folks……..

I just can’t believe December has come and is nearly gone! But here we are again….at this most wonderful time of the year…..and I just had to stop all the hurrying and scurrying and think just a little while on the last 12 months and all the things that have happened.

“Wildwood Ranch” has been established with it’s 28 head of “cat”-tle……(Miss Lilly Langtree and Luverly take good care of them!) The Wildwood Ranch is prospering….and more “news” comes in every day! Mom, who is the “head honcho” there……is thriving…..and “cracks the whip” daily! (Hey….wait a minute!!!….I thought that was MY job!!!!…….Oh well……Life moves on!!!)

We were nominated for several awards at the Academy of Western Artists in Fort Worth, Texas in July ! We brought home the top award “Western Song of the Year” in Fort Worth…for my song He’s a Cowboy…and the beautiful marble and alabaster statue of Will Rogers, in it’s glass case…..occupies a place of much importance….the top of our television!

On the way home from Fort Worth…..we discovered (via cell phone and our pal and Cowboy Poet, Wood Woodruff) that we had been invited by the Great George Jones to open his concert in Pigeon Forge at the Country Tonight Theatre with that award-winning song, “He’s a Cowboy”! We sure did get excited over THAT phone call!!! And from that performance came an invitation to perform at Ernest Tubb Record Stores “Midnight Jamboree” in Nashville! What a summer!!!

Then came September (seems like there’s a song in that phrase!!)….. and we had our very first “Concert”…..at The Palace Theatre here in our home town of Maryville…..and to our great delight and surprise….performed to a sell-out crowd! What a wonderful evening THAT was! We were totally overwhelmed by the loyalty and support of all our friends and fans……we had no idea of their numbers…..and what a way to find it out……just incredibly wonderful!

And I don’t suppose Branson, Missouri will ever be the same! We were asked by Dan Bell to perform there in October…..and what a marvelous time we had!!! (My stay there was only slightly spoiled by the horrendous toothache I had the entire weekend!!! (You can bet That was taken care of as soon as I got home!) We shared the stage with so many great performers….but of course, our favorite group there was I.S.O.P.! Rick “MavRic” Hines, Billy Bob Shane and Randy “Smitty the Kid” Smith…..are three of the best harmony-singing cowboys I’ve ever heard! So rich and mellow…..they can do the Marty Robbins sound as well as the Sons of the Pioneers-type harmony…..so very good!! But ……to top it off ……we got to see the REAL Sons of the Pioneers! Front row seats in front of the stage! I was in Heaven!!! My favorite group of all time!!! And I sang every one of their songs right along with them!!! It sure can’t get any better than THAT!

Unless……..it was recording back-up vocals and a bonus track song for Pistol River’s new album…… “Prairie Winds”! We met John Bizzack in Nashville on the way home from Branson…..and spent all day Sunday in the recording studio…..John and his crew were extremely gracious and patient with us…….we’d never done back-ups for anyone before…..and it was a totally new experience!! Awesome!!

Then it was November and the Western Music Association in Wichita, Kansas! The plane ride was horrible….missed our connecting flight ….in Memphis…..had to wait over 5 hours in the terminal…..guitar got banged around….in Memphis…..no real damage except to the hard case…..but we finally got there!!! (Coming back is a whole new story in it’s own right! Again….In Memphis!!!) I’m STILL thinking about the letter I’m going to write to Northwest Airlines!!!! We didn’t bring home any of the awards from the WMA in Wichita…..but our name was sure called more than any other group!! And THAT was a great consolation!!

Cartersville, Georgia and all those enthusiastic western fans greeted us the following weekend for our second concert at the Grand Theatre for the Booth Western Art Museum! What a wonderful little town!! Everyone there is so friendly and so helpful! If I ever wanted to live anywhere else besides here….it would be there!! Doc Stovall and Jerry Warren brought Jim Martin up to see the performance! Doc told us that Jim was one of the founding “fathers” of the Western Music Association……and that he didn’t attend any of the events any more but he really wanted to see us…..so Doc and Jerry made that possible!! Thanks Doc!

December arrived with our very first appointment as “Grande Marshals” of the Annual Townsend Christmas Parade! What fun we had! Rode in a beautiful new car …complete with lots of candy to throw to all the children lining the streets…..and then at the end of the parade…..while the judges were making their decisions about the floats……we had coffee, hot chocolate and warm cider….and we sang some Christmas songs as well as the traditional cowboy numbers. A great ending to a wonderful day!

And now….here it is…….three days before Christmas…and as I reflect on what Christmas really is….The Celebration of the Birth of Christ…..I am so thankful for all the Blessings we have received this year! Our cups are full and our hearts are overflowing with happiness! And we’d like to wish for each and every one of you……..Peace and Prosperity……..Hope and Happiness……and …..Lots and Lots of Laughter!!! But most of all…….we’d like to wish you ………Love!

Merry Christmas!!

Donna, Rhonda and Janet
“The Sisters of the Silver Sage”
 

December 1, 2003

Hello Folks.......

Hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day......we did......and today I was babysitting......and my husband, Johnny was sitting in the living room calmly watching the television......oblivious to all the noise and chaos....and clutter......and after it was all over......when everyone had gone home.....(Johnny had gone to bed by this time...).....I just sat down and wrote this.......and thought......"I wonder if THIS is the way he might have felt if it had been Christmas Eve!!!" ( Well.......We'll Never Know!!! 'Cause He'll Never Tell!!)

Donna

(This is told from a Man's point of View)
Twas the night before Christmas and all over the place......
The kids were a'screamin'.....to a game of "let's race"!!

They skidded 'round the corners.....and then slid into home..
I wasn't sure.....who belonged to who....or if any .... were my own!

Their mom's were in the kitchen.....making candy with my wife....
Two of 'em stomped all over my toes...And I thought of my old bowie knife....

I tried to watch the tv.....Alas! .... To no avail.......
How can ya watch Outlaw Josey Wales....with five little imps from Hell...

A'bouncin' off the sofa .....and yellin' to High Heaven.....
My God.....I thought there were only five.....but NOW I'm countin' seven!

The Christmas tree ....it trembled ......from the Angel to the floor...
every time the "horde" would pass......and I scrambled for the door......

In a panic ...I called up my best friend......He lives a way 'cross town
He said I could camp in his back yard if MY house came tumbling down!

So I grabbed my bag and extra sweats and socks and shoes and 'boggin'...
and out the door I ran so fast ....it set my head to throbbin'......

Then I stood there in the driveway....my spirits droopin' low.......
and watched the cars as they drove by....with Christmas trees in tow

What a mess ...this whole night... was turning out to be.....
I was acting like that mean old Scrooge....peevish and crotchety......

Those little children having fun......I could hear their laughter ring
out from my house into the yard ....then they began to sing.....

Silent Night .....Holy Night.......that lovely song of Old........
O Little Town of Bethlehem.......A Glory to Behold....

Those songs of praise the children sang...Their voices pure and bright
So I turned back toward the house I'd left to join their choir of light

And we all sang those songs of love ....around the Christmas Tree.....
and do you know what happened then? It really just can't be....

But Yes!.....We heard.....the sound of bells....jingling in the sky....
And heard the Hearty "Ho Ho Ho" as the sleigh went streaming by......

And the silhouette against the moon...of reindeer, sleigh and elf...
Made our eyes grow wide in wonder and me smile to spite myself.....

Then it was time for all to go ........back to their homes this night
And me and my own family would turn out all the lights......

And dream of Santa's presents... 'neath the tree ...tomorrow morn
And the stable in that little town where Christ the Babe was born....

And all good things..... that happen each .....and every Christmas Eve.....
To those who wait ......and watch with love....and truly .....do Believe!!!!

Donna Guffey
(The Tall-Tale-Tellin’-Tennessean)
November 27, 2003, 11:36pm

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL!!!!!
 

July 30, 2003

The Trip to Fort Worth and the Academy of Western Artists Convention and Awards


Well Folks...

I reckon this story will have to be told in "installments" 'cause there's just so much to talk about… sooo… here's the first one…  stay tuned for all the rest!

Don't reckon Texas will be hardly the same since the "Sisters" converged on that Lone Star State! What a Trip!!! Didn't take us all that long to get there…..13 and ½ hours…..we were so excited that I do believe we could have flown all the way without the benefit of an airplane!! We only stopped three times to fill up with gas …although we did eat lunch in Centerville Tennessee……in fact ….we did a small impromptu concert in Arby's….made several new friends…..and sold a cd or two! But getting' back to the story…..once we crossed the Mississippi River…..and the scenery stopped changing (Arkansas is FLAT!)…..it began to get rather tedious! And kind of sleepy! Rhonda's big old Roadmaster just floats …..don't even know you're going 100 miles per hour!! I just happened to glance over at the speedometer once and nearly had a heart attack! Just tried not to think about it……But what can happen in Arkansas?

Well…..I wasn't wearing my seat belt because to tell you the truth it was just about to cut my wind off!!! You'd think they'd make a safety belt that would fit someone a bit larger than "Twiggy" (now THAT's dating me a bit don't you think?) But anyway…..we had to slow down because of some road work ahead and there were 2 or 3 state trooper squad cars with their lights on……so Rhonda said for us to all buckle up FAST! Right! I can only hold my breath for 30 seconds or so!!! So I just tucked the metal clasp end of that seat belt into the waistband of my pants and tried to hold it down with my arm…..(smart huh?) Sure would hate to go to jail for disobeying the law!

That was all well and good…..but that blasted seat belt had a killer spring on it and it kept pulling out of the waistband and retracting back into holder and just missing my nose as it sped by! I almost put my shoulder out of joint grabbin' that thing and yankin' it back down and tryin' to sit on it! Rhonda kept yellin' for me to hold the blasted thing down ….Janet kept trying to hold it down from the back seat….(with herself being buckled in at the time…it was danged near impossible!) Ever try to be invisible with a state trooper following you? With all the flurry and activity in both front and back seat….it's a wonder he didn't pull us over just out of curiosity!! So I hooked that clasp into the waist of my underwear! It wasn't going to go ANYWHERE!!

Oh really? Anyway….we finally got out of the construction area…..and were able to get back to the speed limit of 75….the state trooper still behind us…..and me still trying to hold my breath as much as I could ….to take the "strain" off the hooked seat belt. And you know how I always carry a bottle of cold water around with me? Well….somehow the lid to that bottle of water came off……and I guess I don't have to tell you where it came off at!! That's right……right smack dab in the middle of my lap! And folks ….when a quart of cold water hits your lap……you're gonna MOVE….whether you want to or not!!!

Needless to say…..that killer spring on that seatbelt snapped …..and the seatbelt retracted so fast….that it actually flew out the window…..underwear still attached!!!! And all of us were so stunned that we couldn't do anything but just look at it…….until the state trooper passed us …wavin' and grinnin' from ear to ear! Maybe it's not so unusual in Arkansas for three red-faced girls to go flyin' down the interstate ……wavin' white flags out the window…..but in Tennessee…..we'd never live it down!!! I Surrender!!…….I Surrender!!

End of Episode #1

Donna
(The other two refuse to comment or otherwise incriminate themselves by referring to the existence of this documentary)

P.S…….. Well…..at least the water really did spill in my lap!!! (Texas ain't got nothin' on Tennessee in the "Tall-Tale-Tellin' Category"!)