Time out for romance

What's the word on BrentWord? I know, no new postings for a few days. But I have a good reason. On Saturday, my most-awesome sister-in-law, Linda Leathers, became a first-time bride just days after her 43rd birthday. She and Gary Tullock tied the knot at First Baptist Nashville.
Who would have thought a former Southern Baptist singles minister would find herself where she is today and meet her soulmate in meetings discussing prisons and such?
You see, Linda is executive director of The Next Door (www.thenextdoor.org), one of the nation's most successful faith-based initiatives. The non-profit organization provides a full-spectrum of services to women coming out of incarceration, including housing, medical and emotional support, job services, and so much more.
Gary is director of field services for the state's board of probation and parole.
Obviously the man upstairs knew exactly what he was doing throwing these two in the path of each other.
In lieu of wedding presents, Linda and Gary asked for donations to The Next Door. With 300-plus on hand for the nuptials, there's no telling how much money was raised. That's just another reason this wedding was so special.
As always, there were plenty of Brentwood connections, even though Linda and Gary call Nashville home.
Let's see, hairstylist and makeup artist extraordinaire Robyn Gilliam Rowell (a new bride herself) made Linda and her maid of honor Candace the most beautiful women in Nashville yesterday. Andrea Overby, longtime Next Door supporter and board member, read scripture. Son Thomas sang "Great is Thy Faithfulness" and "The Lord's Prayer" (and brought his grandmother and mother of the bride Marge to tears before Linda even walked down the aisle); Mary Weary and her Menu Maker catering received well-deserved kudos for the reception, and the cake by The Flour Shop was devoured. Really. Except for crumbs, only the top part saved for the bride and groom's first anniversary was left standing.
So as you can imagine, the family's had its hands full the past few days with all the wedding "stuff" going on. But now the wedding is over. Tomorrow is another day, and there will be lots of new Brentwood news to share. So check in and check it out. And if you have some news I may not know about, drop me an email at BrentWord@comcast.net.

A river runs through it ...

One of my favorite all-time movies is A River Runs Through It. The fact that Brad Pitt is one of the 1992 film's stars has nothing, well, very little, to do with the fact.

My own two boys, Martin and Thomas, often remind me of brothers Norman (played by Craig Sheffer, left) and Paul McLean (Pitt), though I don't expect Thomas to become a professional gambler (or fly-fisherman either, for that matter). He does, however, have the potential, to be like Brad, either through his love of theater or by helping rebuild New Orleans since studying environmental architecture at Tulane is one of the many college options he's considering.

Though Martin will get to the Crescent City to start the rebuilding before his younger brother -- he leaves next week for a summer job leading mission trips in New Orleans -- he's still more like Norman than Paul (but just as good looking as Brad, of course).

What does all of this have to do with the price of beans in China? Nothing except that I loved seeing Brad Pitt being interviewed yesterday on NBC's Today show from Cannes, France, and I was surprised to read that the Harpeth River flows through Brentwood.

A story published in yesterday's Brentwood Journal on the city's sewer improvement project shares lots of great information. But I laughed when reading about the work done on the Turner Farm along the "Harpeth River."

That would be the Little Harpeth, which according to the Harpeth River Watershed Association (http://www.harpethriver.com)/ is one of five tributaries to the "Big" Harpeth. The others are the West Harpeth, the South Harpeth, Turnbull Creek and Jones Creek.

Regardless, if you missed it, it's a story worth reading. Just add "Little" to the Harpeth River references and it, too, will flow nicely.

Here's the link:
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090520/COUNTY0903/905200332/1164/COUNTY09/New+sewer+connections+on+way