Ol' Salem Antiques

On my journey of exploration on Saturday, I stopped at Ol' Salem Antiques. The proprietor, Walt Winslow, was friendly and more than willing to let me take snaps at his shop. He specializes in vintage signage, old riding toys, and furniture. Also for sale is a pre-civil war cabin for $50,000 (with modern plumbing). The wall of the building that faces the highway was painted with a mural about 12 years ago. The mural depicts the history of the area, including references to the railroad, the local covered bridge, and king cotton. Vintage signage and riding toys Cookie Jars Trains Old Irons Folk Art Post post comment: We are making our own version of the Tin Man for our garden.

Treasure Hunting in Alabama

As you know, my last few posts have been about roadside markers. I went out to add some more shots to the collection and wound up on a journey of exploration. Today I spent about three hours and 60 miles discovering the area in which I live. That's not to say that I have not driven these roads before, I have. I have even taken pictures of some of these places before. The difference today was that I was not in a hurry. I had the luxury of time. In my search for roadside markers, I have to drive slower. I have to pay attention. And in the process, I see things I've missed before. Horses in a field. The old grist mill and mill pond. A tattered hat with sequins glittering along the roadside. Old barns. Lone chimneys standing in the middle of an open field. My humanity. And so today, I give some of these to you. Note: Some guy in a huge white diesel pickup truck stopped to see what I was up to here. I don't know if believed me or not when I told him I was just taking pictures of the horses : ) As well as a few things I would rather not see on my journeys of exploration.

Roadside Memorials (3)

Today at work I put out the call and my teammates did not dissapoint. From 6 responses, I have leads for at least 10 more markers. And a couple said that they would snap some pics with their digitals or phones if they came across any. I really do work with a great group of people. I also had several requests for my 'book'. I mean, I thought about pulling them all together in some form for myself, but didn't think anyone else would be interested. Who'da thunk it! Anyhoo, if the weather is clear this weekend, I will track them all down. I did go out on Wednesday and today and have a few more for the collection. I found the gold standard today but the light was bad and both camera batteries were dead. I know, there is no excuse for a dead battery. I will go back in the morning when the light is better. This first marker is unique as it has the name carved into the cross arm. Quite appropriate for a gentleman, I think. If I remember correctly, this guy was riding a motorcycle when he was hit by a vehicle. I tried to find the article in the newspaper archives, but no luck.

Hwy 280W, Lee County, AL Photo Taken: 01/14/2009 Mike Stoker

This marker was not identified with name or date. The flowers, tho fake, contain poinsiettas. I love the contrast of the red flowers against the blue sky. (I am so lucky to have had clear skies these past few days.)

Hwy 280W, Phenix City, AL Photo Taken: 01/14/2009

It was quite cold today and I was going to go straight home after work, but something keeps drawing me out. It's like a treasure hunt, you never know what you are going to find. This first marker is quite simple and there is nothing left of the flowers, but it was placed in an almost desolate place along the highway ... Nothing left of the real flowers that once graced this spot except the vase. Because the sun was sooo bright, the blue sky was washed out. When I got home I ramped up the saturation on the colors. I really like the effect around the tree. Maybe I should have snapped this one in black and white. And lowered the horizon in the snap, it is a iittle to close to center to be visually appealing.

Hwy 80W, Crawford, AL Photo Taken: 01/16/2009

This next marker is the one that I need to go back for. The light was totally in the wrong spot to capture this one the way I wanted to. There is a rose bush that blocked the marker when I tried to shoot facing east. This one is unique in that the cross is handmade with bent twig construction. I love this marker. Definitely for a woman. She must have liked roses, hence the rose bush : ) Also, the ground was damp and I could not get down on my knees like I would have liked. I wonder what people driving by on the road think when they see me with my camera and my note pad. I know I would wonder what I was up to.

Hwy 80W, Crawford, Al Photo Taken: 01/16/2009

Note: One of the managers in my area indicated to me that his wife is on a campaign to have the markers removed from the roadside. Do they bother her so much? Is she afraid of the message that's conveyed each time she drives by?

Roadside Memorials (2)

I came across these memorials on my way home from work yesterday. I had to drive at least 10 miles out of my way :-) At least gas is not $4 a gallon. To get new shots I am going to have to travel farther from my typical stomping grounds. I was thinking today that I could put out a call to my co-workers to let me know when they come across a memorial. They can give me the location and I can go get my shot. Easier to locate the memorials and I won't have to drive aimlessy across the great states of Alabama and Georgia. These particular memorials have no dates or names, but I think that weathered look adds to the appeal. This group contains five, or is it eight crosses? Nine if you count the cross that fell down, made from several different materials; aluminum rods, formed fence posts, and 4x4's. Was an entire family lost at the same instant? This cross was standing separate from the others. A lonely sentinal. The memory of a lost child. Or not remembered at all... Hwy 280W, Near Smiths Station, AL Between Mile Markers 119 and 120 Photos Taken: 13 January 2009 Unknown

Roadside Memorials

I am starting a new photographic project: Roadside Memorials. It seems families in Alabama are not satisfied with the plain white crosses seen along American roadsides to memorialize loved ones that lost their lives in automobile accidents. Instead families are choosing to embellish the crosses to match personalities or seasons. So today I bring to you the first photos in this project. (1) A Georgia Fan in Alabama Near Hwy 280W in Phenix City, AL Photo taken: 12 January 2008 Jeffrey 'Scotty' Greer, Edward 'Tommy' Jernigan, Tony Grimes (2) Merry Christmas, Peggy Intersection of Cutrate Road and Old Auburn Road, Phenix City, AL 12 January 2008 Peggy Hubbard (3) Soldier, Husband, Father This is the memorial that got me thinking about this project. It is about a mile from my home. The inscriptions made my cry. Hwy 80W, Ladonia, AL 12 January 2008 Claudio Girugiu (4) Forever Young Hwy 80W, Ladonia, AL 12 January 2008 Keith McConnell Amanda Tailor

You Know You're Getting Old When

Your family and friends start with the daily bowel report ... and you listen.

Snow Babies

I Love Snow People

What a Week

I have to say that this was the best week in recent history. Work was good. I had a birthday. My Christmas gift gathering is complete.

At work today I received and email from my sis in law with several cartoons. A couple of them were very funny. I will share at least one them here today...

Happy Holidays : )

Birthday Dinner

We had the kids over for my 50th birthday dinner today. Also for my younger sons 26th birthday. Nothing special, just a big pot of spaghetti, cake and ice cream. The kids had something to do at work so they could not stay long. The point is they made it over. I did manage to get a couple of nice photos of them. They were all dressed up and looked so nice. The restaurant where they work is having a prom for a young woman who is dying from ovarian cancer. She never went to prom in high school, so they are having a party-fundraiser for her. She is 27 years old and has three young children and no life insurance. I guess she doesn't have much time left as she just came out of hospice. I am glad the boys are working for a family who have good hearts. It is good for them to be involved in things like this. I am so proud of them. They have both come a long way. Christmas gift update: I did manage to spend some time on the spirit box today. I got the outside covered with fabric and the inside lined with striped paper. It actually looks quite nice. I am excited to get it finished and wrapped up. I need to include a card with some sentimental hoo ha on it : ) to put on the inside.

Ah, The Holidays

I have been neglecting my blog, as well as my house work in favor of creating sentimental Christmas gifts for the members of my immediate family. I started with my son's girlfriend. I had a photo of them together, but it had a bad background, so I photoshopped it. I am a new user of photoshop and it was good practice. Anyway, I added a nice blue background and had it printed. Then I bought a plain wood frame and got to work. I bought some funky beads to go with the tiles I had already and got to work. It did not take long to glue the tile and beads. The next day I added the grout. After curing for a couple of days, I wrapped it up. I am very pleased with the final product. For my second son, I wrote the story of him. His birthday is December 17. He will be 26 years old, so the years of toys and 'in' clothing have passed. Taking into consideration the economic environment, I decided to do something more personal, hence the book. It is a letter to him. One that I should have written 26 years ago. I have to say that I am quite proud of the text as well as the binding. I covered some thin cardboard with faux leather and put his monogram on the cover with gold fabric paint, and added some ribbon to tie it all up. It looks very nice if I do say so myself. Of course, there was a check included : ) Moving on to the Christmas gifts, I started with TOM. He was in the Army for 20 years and continues to work for the Department of Defense. During his military career, he collected a number of commemorative coins. These coins were just hanging around the house gathering dust so I decided it would be nice to put them in a display case. Not being too handy with the tools in the man cave, I decided it would be best to purchase the display frame. I know that's a step away from 'making it myself'' but it was probably smarter to keep my digits in tact and purchase the frame. The local craft store had them on sale for 50% off, so that is still a an inexpensive gift. The hardest part with this particular project was getting it done with him haning around. He did get up and go hunting this a.m. so I got busy. It turned out very nice. I used velcro to attach the coins, so I hope they don't fall off. I did not want to use hot glue as I was afraid to damage the coins that have enamel on them. The Christmas gift for my oldest son was more challenging. He will be 30 on his next birthday. It just gets harder as they get older! Anyway, he's had a run of bad luck the last couple of years (three jobs, broken hip that had him out of work for 8 weeks) and I figured he could use some good luck. So, I got the idea to create a 'spirit box' for him. He is kind of 'new agey' and is into crystals and medicine bags and other stuff like that, so I think he will appreciate a special box to hold his talismans; happy thoughts, plans for the future, things that make him feel good. I purchased a simple cardboard box, items to make a dream catcher, and will use the rest of the faux leather fabric. I found directions online for a dreamcatcher and it was relatively easy to make. The next thing was to start on the box. Covering this would be more challenging. I started with the lid. Because I wanted the lid to be attached so I had to make some modifications. I am a big fan of spray adhesive so that's what I used to adhere the fabric to the box cover. No muss, no fuss, and no hot glue burns. However, spray adhesive won't work for attaching the lid to the bottom so I used hot glue for that. Covering the box bottom will be harder so I stopped for the day. I made good progress and will try to finish tomorrow. For son number two, I am going to mat and frame a newspaper article in which he was mentioned. A photograph was included. At the restaurant where he works, they prepared Thanksgiving dinner for the local Meals on Wheels charity. It is not so 'creative' on my part, but as I am working, I might think of something else. I think he will appreciate tho. I wish I had thought to take pictures of the construction process, of the book, the display case, the spirit box, and the mosaic frame. But I can really only focus on one artistic project at a time : } I will have to take photos of eveyone with their gifts. Merry Christmas

Viva Las Vegas

Had good time in Vegas. Tried to do as many 'free' activities as possible because we never win. And we are not infatuated with designer names so shopping was not on the list. However, the Forum shops at Caesar's are amazing. Two of every three shops has a designer name on the door. I could not believe. Amazing. There really is a lot of money in this town. Monday, December 1: We arrived by 1030, bought our tw0-way hotel shuttle (24.00) and we were on our way. We were able to get into our room so we dropped our bags and hit the strip. We did a 'refresher' circle around Caesar's: Bellagio, Paris, Flamingo, Venetian, Treasure Island, and Mirage. The conservatory at the Bellagio was 'under construction' for Christmas so we missed that. You would think they would have completed that earlier than the first week in December. I really wanted to get some photos. We spent a little time in the Flamingo on the 'Wheel of Fortune'. TOM really likes that game. It did not like us. It was pretty tight and and not playing nice. At the Venetian, we went to MadamTaussaud's Wax Museum. We had a lot of fun taking pictures with the wax figures. I was disappointed that they did not have more! We were too early for the Pirate show at TI. Well, we were not too early, we just did not want to wait around in the casino for 20 minutes for the show. We have to pace ourselves you know, limited amounts of cash were set aside for gambling. I had $50 in gift cards for Hard Rock Cafe so after a short rest in our room we hiked to the Hard Rock for dinner. If you're a pin head and a fan of Hard Rock Cafe, they are not on the strip. It was about a two-mile walk from Caesar's. It was a good walk tho after spending 4 hours on an airplane. We had a really great salad and I had enough points on my All Access card to buy two pins. Tuesday, December 2: Today is Bette Midler day. But that wasn't until 7:30. We had a whole day to fill up. Our sleep and dining schedule was all screwed up because of the time change so when we got out of bed we were ready for lunch. There is a Denny's near the Venetian so we headed over there for breakfast. It was at least an hour line. In our quest for food, we decided to get away from the crowds and headed over to the Duece (bus stop, $5 for a 24-hour ticket, every 15 minutes, 24-hours a day). About mid-way to Fremont Street we spotted another Denny's and got off for breakfast. No lines, no waiting. The food was pretty good too. The Fremont Street Experience is pretty cool. OK, it was mid-day and we didn't get to see the lights. We planned to go back after Bette. We spent a couple of hours walking around and we hit a couple of the casinos. We were winning enough to keep playing so we spent a few hours there. On the way back to the bus, we passed a guy painting pictures with spray paint and paper towels. Pretty impressive. TOM bought the one that we watched being painted. We had headed back to the hotel to unload. After a short break, we headed back to the Duece. We had never been to the Luxor, so that was going to be our next stop. We could hang around for a couple of hours before we had to head back to see Bette Midler (the reason for this entire trip). TOM got lucky on the slots here so we played for couple of hours. At 4:30, I called it quits. I did not want to miss the opening act! I am so glad we left when we did. At that end of the strip the bus heads to the transfer station and we had to change buses. We were heading into rush hour which was also going to add precious minutes to our ride. I tell you, I was a little nervous. We finally made it back to the hotel with time to get dinner. The food at the Augustus Cafe was pricey, but that does not necessarily equate to good. We paid $40 for spaghetti and a taco salad. The service was slow, or maybe I was anxious. No, the service was slow. Bette was terrific. She was loud and bawdy and everything I expected. We had pretty good seats, rear orchestra, center stage. I wish I had captured her playlist. I know she sang: The Rose, In the Mood, When a Man Loves a Woman, I've Still Got My Health, Hello in There, The Glory of Love, Baby Mine, From a Distance, Boogie, Woogie Bugle Boy, Wind Beneath Your Wings, Cool Yule, Friends. We also found out after the show, that Bette would be signing her book after her show on Dec 3; The Legend of Baby Divine. I went right over to the shop and bought my copy. We did have the best slice of pie (pizza) at the snack bar across from the Coliseum. It really was terrific. We never made it back to Fremont Street, I had a blister and we were tired. Off to bed. Wednesday, December 3: What to do today? That was the big question. Get breakfast. Check. We had two-fer tickets for the Eiffel tower, so we headed over the Paris. This Eiffel Tower is exactly half the size of the original. The views were pretty spectacular. Vegas is surrounded by mountains. The slots at Paris weren't playing nice so we didn't stay long. We didn't sleep well so we went back to take a nap : ) When we got up, we headed over to the Mirage to see the Secret Garden. It made me feel bad to see the animals in such small enclosures. I don't think I will support those activities any longer. We did stop and have some ice cream, but it didn't compare to Bruster's (my favorite ice cream). And off to the casino. I guess we broke even. I had to be fresh for the book signing. Didn't know how long I would have to stand on line, so we went back to the room for a rest. At 9 I was headed back to the Coliseum. I was about number 50 or so. Pretty pleased. About 10, the Divine Ms M made her appearance. I requested a specific dedication and she did it. She really is terrific. She requested no photos when she was signing, but I did have my camera a took a few shots. Although, I had the film setting wrong, so they are dark and grainy. I am going to try and clean them up tho. Feeling lucky, we hit the slots for our last nite. I was winning steadily. but small amounts. My tolerance for gambling my hard-earned money is low. If I had made larger bets, I might have walked away in a better postion. However, I walked away with money in my pocket, a man by my side, and Bette's book in my hand. I couldn't have asked for a better evening. Oh, and by the way, a few things happened in Vegas, that will stay in Vegas : )

I CAN

About18 months ago I decided to make some lifestyle changes. After a trip to the doc, I discovered that my blood sugar was elevated, I had high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. A family history of heart disease did not help matters. The results of these blood tests were the impetus to a healthier lifestyle. My first line of attack, looking for the easy way out, was to research gastric bypass surgery. Having gained alot of weight over the previous 10 years, I selected the Lap Band (I didn't want to disconnect anything and I wanted it to be reversable. Go figure.) My thinking was why diet and exercise when I can have surgery. I met with the bariatric surgeon and had the psycholigical testing. I was a good candidate for the surgery. I met all the surgical criteria with the exception of a 6 month supervised diet. Because of my elevated blood sugar, my insurance would pay for visits to a nutritionist in the form of diabetic diet counseling. I had quite an attitude on my first visit with her. This was just a formality for me, right? I planned to fail and have the surgery. What I didn't count on was my competivie nature. It would not let me fail. Somewhere along the line I figured out that I CAN LOSE WEIGHT ON MY OWN (with a little support from family and friends : )) I never had the surgery. I joined Weight Watchers for about 6 months. This particular program was not for me. I hated getting on the scale each week. It was very stressful. I felt like I was being lectured. And forced to buy the food. And the other products. I do like the WW website tho. It comes with an online food diary and oodles of really great recipes. And another thing, I discovered the JOY OF COOKING! Me, 48 years old, two sons and a husband and I never really cooked. I don't know how we all survived. There were times when I did not work and cooked more regularly, but for the most part everything we ate CAME OUT OF A BOX. Good food really is wonderful. And is good for you too. And good food doesn't need all day to cook. Some of my favorites can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes. Today, I am 40 lbs lighter. I eat right and exercise regularly. The weight loss has been relatively slow, but slow and steady wins the race, right? Which brings me to this treatise today. My weight loss has stalled. Negligible results for about 4 months now. I have a hard time motiviating myself to exercise. I am eating more junk food. I am slipping back into hold habits, and old habits die hard. I wanted to lose 50 lbs by my 50th b-day and I don't think I am going to make it. Now you might be thinking, "Hey, you've lost 40 pounds, that's great. Think where you would be if you hadn't started this journey". And you would be right. But each slip makes it harder and harder to get back on track. If you have ever struggled with your weight, you know what I am talking about. The ultimate goal of this post today is to pull me out of this slump. Take a look at the positive changes I have made in the last 18 months. This post is intended as positive reinforcement for ME! To remind myself that yes "I CAN DO THIS". I AM HEALTHIER. I LOOK BETTER. I FEEL BETTER. MY CONFIDENCE HAS SOARED. I AM LIVING MY BEST LIFE (to quote Oprah). And isn't that the point of all this? Where would I be if I hadn't made these changes? Heavier? Yes. Depressed? Yes. On medication? Yes. (Note: due to heredity, I have to control my cholesterol with meds, but my blood sugar is back to normal. At least I dodged that bullet.)

So, having laid it all on the line today, I will:

Exercise

Eat smart

Remember the dollop method for the holidays

Remember how far I've come, not how far I have to go

Not beat myself up if I cheat a little

Like myself, whatever the package, because I am worth it

Of

I am so tired. Of dieting. Of exercise. Of working. Of taking care of business. Of worrying about my kids, my parents, and TOM. Of the financial crisis. Of politicians. Of AIG bigwigs. Of W. Of the mortgage crisis. Of Wall Street. Of American auto makers. Of global warming. Of Christmas coming before Thanksgiving. Of the insurance industry. Of the pharmaceutical companies. Of Americans that can't afford health care. Of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Is there any good news out there?

Be Careful What You Ask For

Two short years ago I was lamenting the lack of services in our rural neighborhood. We had to drive to town for restaurants, grocery stores, and even gas. Since then, we've got McDonalds, numerous quick stops, and traffic, traffic, and more traffic. Of course, you can't have services unless you have people. Natural progression. But I miss the old days. A relaxing drive to work in the morning. An even more relaxing drive home in the evening. Now there is no relaxation involved...I just set the cruise control and get in the slow lane and let the rushing masses pass me by.

The Divorced Barbie Doll

Feeling a tad cynical today ... A father on his way home from remembers that it is his daughters birthday. Passing a toy store, he sees several Barbie Dolls in the window. He pulls over and asks a sales person standing outside "how much for one of the dolls in the window?" The sales person replies "Which one are you referring to? We have: Work Out Barbie, Shopping Barbie, Beach Barbie, Disco Barbie, Ballerina Barbie, Astronaut Barbien, and Skater Barbie for $19.95. We also have Divorced Barbie for $265.95". The amazed father asks "What? Why is the Divorced Barbie $265.95 and the others only $19.95?" The annoyed salesperson rolls her eyes, sighs, and answers: "Sir..., Divorced Barbie comes with: Ken's Car, Ken's House, Ken's Boat, Ken's Furniture, Ken's Computer, one of Ken's Friends, and a key chain made with Ken's balls.

Normal as Life

Life is returning to a normal rhythm after the roller coaster ride of last week. Your kids are always your kids no matter how old they are and when they are hurt you just want to make it better. Midnight phone calls Fear Midnight streets Empty Midnight hospitals Cold Midnight sorrow Overwhelming