Hemitage, TN--Back home after a great Christmas. After spending Christmas eve at my Dad’s house in Brown County, I headed down to Jimmy and Mary Ann’s place for Christmas day. It was quite a treat. A great dinner and maybe a little too much pie, but an amazing time. Finally got to meet Jimmy’s children-Tim, Ray, Lisa, and Buddy. They were all incredibly friendly and easy to talk with.

At one point, Tim, Ray, Lisa, and their dad sang Old Fashioned Christmas together. It was unbelievable! Someone should get them into the studio together quick. Their voices all have a similar tone and really blend well together. Some of the best music I’ve heard while filming this documentary.

All of Jimmy’s grandchildren were there. Tim’s son Michael got a new BB gun from his granddad for Christmas. Got some great footage of him shooting Coke cans off of the top of the fence. Jimmy looked on with pride and a little tear running down his cheek as Michael talked about how much he had learned about hunting from his granddad.

Spent the rest of the day talking with Jimmy’s youngest son Buddy, who is a police officer. He is also an offensive lineman on a semi-pro football team. You can tell that Buddy cares a great deal about his Dad and feels that Jimmy has never been given the credit that he deserves. It was a great time sitting around with Jimmy and Buddy talking as I downed a few cups of good coffee before heading back to Indiana to stay at my brothers house before coming home to Chicago.

I’m not sure what I was expecting from this trip, but as I drove north through Kentucky that night I felt really glad that Jimmy has such great children and beautiful grandchildren. He seemed extremely proud of all of them.