We live in the city of Franklin, but we call it Cool Springs because we are oh-so-COOL

Bill was transferred here in 1991 with Bridgestone/Firestone (we have now adapted to calling it just Bridgestone) which was the cutting edge of the Yankee Invasion. We moved to a subdivision called Forrest Crossing, close to I65 in Franklin, TN. It had seemed our realtor had shown us a lot of subdivisions out in the middle of nowhere, and Bill didn't want to drive 10 or 15 min. just to get on the Expressway. Plus, I wasn't happy about the move, so I felt better about being close to an interstate in order to get the heck back to civilization.

Even though we had crash landed in the South, where I might like to think people had just misspelled Forrest, I soon learned we were living in a subdivision named after the a great Confederate Civil War general: Nathan Bedford Forrest. I shouldn't complain, though; the only relative that I have that fought in the Civil War was my (maternal side) great-great grandfather from MS, who fought for the Confederacy. I sometimes tried to use it to my advantage, but that never seemed to fly. Talks like a Yankee: must be a Yankee.

But I digress. I wasn't 100% crazy about the house in Forrest Crossing or the location, so I said to Bill that we would live in it for 5 years and then move. Amazingly enough, that is what we did. Five years later we moved to what would be known in a few years as the "Cool Springs area" or just "Cool Springs." Little did I know I would actually become cool. I drive an RX8, folks. That purchase may not have been a midlife crisis, but because I live in Cool Springs next to the Mazda dealership. Zoom Zoom !

There are four neighborhoods in our subdivision, Cool Springs East. We were the first house built in the subdivision in our neighborhood, the 2nd poorest, or the 3rd richest (depending on if you see life as a 3/4 cup empty vs. a 1/4 cup full). But, although we don't have the most expensive house in the neighborhood (good news in the real estate market they say), we do have the best lot. Also good and pushing us toward the glass is half full. :) I have one son who will be so happy that I am seeing the glass half full; he thinks I'm too dark. I getting glad to just see the glass. Forrest Crossing with only one interstate entrance had become a calamitous cacophony of cars during rush hours. Now, we are 2 seconds from 2 interstate entrances. What more can you do? There seems to be no stopping the Yankees and the Californians. And they all have to live in Williamson County as the Nashville school system is still seen as suspect. So, our neighborhood in the subdivision is named The Woods (we're built on the side of a small mountain), but the subdivision is named after the Cool Springs Mall, which had just opened - not exclusively for us since we weren't so cool yet, but when we were the only house over here it sure seemed like it - in August '91, shortly before we arrived in November. It generates a lot of tax revenue, so our property taxes are very low. And, there is no state income tax. Hello 6% raise as soon as you get here. Why do you think the Yankees are invading? They know a good deal when they see one. Of course there is sales tax and plenty of it, also on groceries; tax the poor is our motto. However, since we are the 7th wealthiest county in the U.S. of A., we are COOL in Cool Springs, Franklin, TN. Here's why:

• We have neat landscaping - everywhere you look. Now, I'm serious about this one. And happy. I like the fact that they put flowers everywhere now and even landscape parking lots.
• We have little bridges going over non-existent streams.
• We have lots of dry stone-stacked walls to remind us that the Scots did settle here once upon a time.
• We may have to have car lots, but if we do they ain't called that. See sign. They call it The Collection at Cool Springs in case you can't read it. Also, we only sell Lexus, Mercedes, Infinity, Acura, etc. No Hyundai or Ford around here.
• Dang it! We may have to have garbage in Cool Springs, but if you have to have an unsightly dumpster, at least have the decency to enclose it in brick or stone. Besides, it's the law.
• We have an attractive mixture of homes, retail, and businesses, not to mention the Nissan North American headquarters which is supposed to be finished this summer. They made them build an expressway entrance/exit just for them and the powers that be said, "yawser. When can we begin?"