Twice tomorrow we can celebrate the fun of numbers because shortly after 12:30 am and 12:30 pm it will be:
12:34:56 7.8.09
Pretty cool, eh?
15 Years of Living Proof
1 day ago
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Our July 4th
Yesterday, for the first time in many Fourths of July, Frank and I did not host, nor were we invited, to an Independence Day party. I was sure the day would end up being just one big bore-fest, but we decided to take a motorcycle ride and the day magically improved.
I got out my Motorcycle Tours 3 book, it's the one that goes through Virginia, and found a trip that would take us to Mabry Mill in Western Virginia. It seemed like a good ride. Just hop on the parkway and the ride was supposed to be 65.7 miles or 2 hours on the bike. Well, silly me, I didn't realize that to get to the start of the ride, we would have to travel 125 miles from the NC side of the Blue Ridge Parkway to the VA side BEFORE starting the 65.7 mile described trip.
Oh well, we made it to Craggy Gardens and through some tunnels and boy, was there a chill in the air. I had on shorts and wore a different helmet that exposed more of my face (see pic below) and I was so cold as we went through the Asheville Watershed I almost forgot it was July. By the time we reached Highway 80 between Burnsville and Marion we were pretty hungry and decided to get off the parkway and find a watering hole.
The GPS on my phone told me there was a restaurant called Jewell's less than a mile towards Burnsville. Since we've taken the route home from Marion, we decided to try the Burnsville road for a change of scenery. The first building we came to was the South Toe Fire Department, then a small gas station that shared space with the Mount Mitchell View Restaurant, formerly Troy's Grill and also known as Jewell's. Needless to say we were surprised to find it open on the holiday but just inside the front screen door sat its namesake, Jewell, passing the time talking to her hubby and drinking the biggest, most tempting, glass of ice tea this pair of parched bikers had ever seen!
We eagerly sat down in the booth and ordered two sweet teas then noticed the sign that said, "No Personal Checks, No Credit Cards." Uh, now what? Frank checked is money clip and said, "I have enough for Tea!" (which at $2.00 a glass better be as good as it looks!) I said, "Do they have an ATM next door," as I walked out in hopes of finding a cash machine so my lunch could be more than a sip of the one ice tea we could afford with what little cash Frank had.
Next door, the guy didn't have an ATM, but he offered a solution - try asking her nicely to take your check and if she doesn't, head back to see him because he has "a loaf of bread and some nice new 'maters." Well, at least I was going to starve. Luckily for me by the time I got back, Frank had charmed his way into Ms. Jewell's heart and she was willing to accept a check - long as it was made out to her and not the restaurant. Lady, I don't care who you make it out to as long as I get to eat! We got our ice tea, finally, and after drinking a couple of sips and mixing the strong stuff with some water, we were on our way to ordering. My eyes were pretty big at this point (it was almost 2 pm and we had not eaten all day) so I ordered the double hamburger with fries, Frank took the same.
This restaurant reminded me a lot of Dixon's Little Boy in Canton BEFORE they added on the 'fancy' restaurant at the back. It had the same type menu board and the same hard booths. The food wasn't the same, though, as the fries were definitely NOT the homemade kind offered at Little Boy; and the burger was one of the BEST ever at a restaurant. What the fries lacked, the burger made up for! It was two hand-patted ground chuck burgers dripping in goodness and topped with fresh 'maters (maybe from next door?) and one perfect ring of onion. Maybe it was a mirage created by the morning's lack of nutrition but I swear it was the best looking burger I ever saw outside my Frank's kitchen! And it tasted divine!
Once our brains were functioning correctly again, we looked at the map and made the decision to head back to Hendo. I agreed on the condition that we go to Jackson park for the Fabulous Fourth Fireworks. Frank agreed and we made our way through Burnsville.
Speaking of Burnsville - is this the town that time forgot? We both got a giggle out of seeing a Roses Department store at the first, and only, stop light followed by a roller rink and a Western Sizzlin. Give me back my childhood, Burnsville! It was like a trip down the Spartanburg Highway about 20 years ago!
We made it back to Hendersonville, showered and readied to go to Jackson Park.
When we arrived at the Four Seasons Blvd entrance we were directed to the gravel lot near the old BMX site. I refused to sit on the back of the truck with my camera in that dust bowl and I just didn't feel like trapsing over the hill and through the woods with my camera bag, blanket, water bottles, and chairs so I convinced Frank to try the Spartanburg Highway entrance. MUCH better choice. We were able to drive all the way down to the field where they were preparing the fireworks. We parked at the back of field 4 and unloaded our chairs 20 feet from the truck. Now that's the way it should be. We walked around, trying to pass the three hour wait for the light show, by listening to the Embers, a beach music band from Raleigh; checking at he old cars show; smelling funnel cakes; and snapping photos of all the festival goers. Notice the photo of Uncle Sam who apparently disregarded the "No Alcohol" rule and passed out long before the fireworks began!
It was 9:32 p.m. when the fireworks began. Frank said they were the best and biggest he'd ever seen. My only complaint was they only lasted 15 minutes. I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking!
I got out my Motorcycle Tours 3 book, it's the one that goes through Virginia, and found a trip that would take us to Mabry Mill in Western Virginia. It seemed like a good ride. Just hop on the parkway and the ride was supposed to be 65.7 miles or 2 hours on the bike. Well, silly me, I didn't realize that to get to the start of the ride, we would have to travel 125 miles from the NC side of the Blue Ridge Parkway to the VA side BEFORE starting the 65.7 mile described trip.
Oh well, we made it to Craggy Gardens and through some tunnels and boy, was there a chill in the air. I had on shorts and wore a different helmet that exposed more of my face (see pic below) and I was so cold as we went through the Asheville Watershed I almost forgot it was July. By the time we reached Highway 80 between Burnsville and Marion we were pretty hungry and decided to get off the parkway and find a watering hole.
The GPS on my phone told me there was a restaurant called Jewell's less than a mile towards Burnsville. Since we've taken the route home from Marion, we decided to try the Burnsville road for a change of scenery. The first building we came to was the South Toe Fire Department, then a small gas station that shared space with the Mount Mitchell View Restaurant, formerly Troy's Grill and also known as Jewell's. Needless to say we were surprised to find it open on the holiday but just inside the front screen door sat its namesake, Jewell, passing the time talking to her hubby and drinking the biggest, most tempting, glass of ice tea this pair of parched bikers had ever seen!
We eagerly sat down in the booth and ordered two sweet teas then noticed the sign that said, "No Personal Checks, No Credit Cards." Uh, now what? Frank checked is money clip and said, "I have enough for Tea!" (which at $2.00 a glass better be as good as it looks!) I said, "Do they have an ATM next door," as I walked out in hopes of finding a cash machine so my lunch could be more than a sip of the one ice tea we could afford with what little cash Frank had.
Next door, the guy didn't have an ATM, but he offered a solution - try asking her nicely to take your check and if she doesn't, head back to see him because he has "a loaf of bread and some nice new 'maters." Well, at least I was going to starve. Luckily for me by the time I got back, Frank had charmed his way into Ms. Jewell's heart and she was willing to accept a check - long as it was made out to her and not the restaurant. Lady, I don't care who you make it out to as long as I get to eat! We got our ice tea, finally, and after drinking a couple of sips and mixing the strong stuff with some water, we were on our way to ordering. My eyes were pretty big at this point (it was almost 2 pm and we had not eaten all day) so I ordered the double hamburger with fries, Frank took the same.
This restaurant reminded me a lot of Dixon's Little Boy in Canton BEFORE they added on the 'fancy' restaurant at the back. It had the same type menu board and the same hard booths. The food wasn't the same, though, as the fries were definitely NOT the homemade kind offered at Little Boy; and the burger was one of the BEST ever at a restaurant. What the fries lacked, the burger made up for! It was two hand-patted ground chuck burgers dripping in goodness and topped with fresh 'maters (maybe from next door?) and one perfect ring of onion. Maybe it was a mirage created by the morning's lack of nutrition but I swear it was the best looking burger I ever saw outside my Frank's kitchen! And it tasted divine!
Once our brains were functioning correctly again, we looked at the map and made the decision to head back to Hendo. I agreed on the condition that we go to Jackson park for the Fabulous Fourth Fireworks. Frank agreed and we made our way through Burnsville.
Speaking of Burnsville - is this the town that time forgot? We both got a giggle out of seeing a Roses Department store at the first, and only, stop light followed by a roller rink and a Western Sizzlin. Give me back my childhood, Burnsville! It was like a trip down the Spartanburg Highway about 20 years ago!
We made it back to Hendersonville, showered and readied to go to Jackson Park.
When we arrived at the Four Seasons Blvd entrance we were directed to the gravel lot near the old BMX site. I refused to sit on the back of the truck with my camera in that dust bowl and I just didn't feel like trapsing over the hill and through the woods with my camera bag, blanket, water bottles, and chairs so I convinced Frank to try the Spartanburg Highway entrance. MUCH better choice. We were able to drive all the way down to the field where they were preparing the fireworks. We parked at the back of field 4 and unloaded our chairs 20 feet from the truck. Now that's the way it should be. We walked around, trying to pass the three hour wait for the light show, by listening to the Embers, a beach music band from Raleigh; checking at he old cars show; smelling funnel cakes; and snapping photos of all the festival goers. Notice the photo of Uncle Sam who apparently disregarded the "No Alcohol" rule and passed out long before the fireworks began!
It was 9:32 p.m. when the fireworks began. Frank said they were the best and biggest he'd ever seen. My only complaint was they only lasted 15 minutes. I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Beka & Paul Evington Wedding
On Saturday, June 27, I had the privilege to photograph a very sweet couple, Paul Evington and Rebekah Nelms, a their wedding. The wedding was held at Silvermont Mansion in Brevard. It was a lot of fun and I think for my first "paying" photography job, I did okay. I am saving the money I made towards a more professional lens and flash, in hopes that maybe I might get good enough to do more of these. I hope you like the pictures. (I uploaded using a different program and it through them all out of order so sorry for the haphazard way they appear.)
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Missing C-town AGAIN!
It's only been two months since we were in Charleston for Amanda's birthday and I'm ready to go back! I took this shortly before getting kicked off the curb by an overzealous Coast Guard lady. Frank and I were traveling around the corner of the battery when I saw this shot and I had to have it. Well there was a Coast Guard boat just to the right out of the shot and she thought I was doing something illegal and almost had a cow. Anyway, I got the shot and it remains one of my Charleston favorites!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Memories
Is it just me or does anyone else really miss opening and guzzling in one big sip an ice-cold Brownie Chocolate? I sure wish they still made and distributed these. Some people like Yoo-hoos but I think they taste watered down. I've searched the internet with no luck. If you ever see any, pick me up a case, I'll pay you double!
Monday, June 08, 2009
My Mamaw Passed Away Today
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
I am thankful that my Mamaw passed away today without suffering very long. We found out on Friday she had lymphoma and a spot on her liver and she left the hospital under the care of Hospice on Saturday. Today, surrounded by her family, she took her last breaths before resting in the arms of God. We know she is in Heaven and we know she is telling our Papaw, "Hello" for all of us grandkids. It was nice to talk with my cousins today and discover that they miss Papaw just like I do!
About 20 years ago, after Amy was born and Mamaw remarried, we decided it was time to start doing Christmas Eve at my mom's and dad's instead of the Canton Christmases we had done for my first 22 years of life. I've always missed those Christmas Eves but realized as you grow up the family dynamic changes and everyone has to adjust. I know that my cousins have all stayed close to Mamaw, mostly because they all live on the same property, so I know this will be more of an adjustment for them.
This past Christmas, my cousin Missy went out of her way to make sure I was at the Christmas Party they had at an old movie theatre in Canton. Of course, I took my camera, and after many moans and groans from all those I made pose, I came away with some wonderful photos of my Mamaw and all my aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Little did any of us guess that those would be some of the last photos taken of Mamaw. I thank God that he gave me the chance to reconnect with her before calling her home. She was very special to me. I will always remember that she taught me to crochet and that she made all of us kids granny square stockings ... and she filled them up, too! Below are a couple more of the pictures I had the honor of taking this past Christmas.
Added 6/9/09: Mamaw's Obituary
Bertha Mae Woodard Trull
Bertha Mae Woodard "Bert" Trull, age 84, of 125 Spring House Drive in the Dutch Cove Community went to be with her Lord and Savior surrounded by her loving family on Monday, June 8, 2009, at her residence.
A native of Swain County, she was the daughter of the late Crawford and Emma Tabor Woodard. She was also preceded in death by two previous husbands, Rollins Cook, who died in 1962 and Scott Burnett, who died in 1985; five brothers, Bill, Luther, Paul, Milton, and Robert Woodard; and a grandson, Jeff Clontz. She was member of Dutch Cove Baptist Church. She was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. Bert was an avid bowler and a member of the Senior Bowling Leaque. She participated in the Senior Olympics where she was a medal winner for several events.
She is survived by her husband of 20 years, Carroll Trull of Canton; a son, Buford Cook and his wife, Joyce Abbott Cook, of Canton; two daughters, Patricia Cook Shipman and her husband, G. L., of Canton and Sandy Cook Case and her husband, Ronnie, of Etowah; four stepdaughters, Glenda Burnett Burke and her husband, Paul, of Clyde, and Sandra Clontz and her husband, J. C., of Canton, Nancy of Cherokee, Sherry of Atlanta; a stepson, Dennis Trull of Sylva; two sisters, Ruth Byrd of Winston Salem and Hattie Southard of Gastonia; a brother, Oscar Woodard of Boone; 14 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-granddaughter.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, 2009, at the Canton Chapel of Wells Funeral Home with the Reverend Ed Lowder and the Reverend Roy Houston officiating. Burial will follow at Crawford/Ray Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home. Pallbearers will be grandsons, Richie and Danny Case, Russ Cook, Bobby Moore, Dewayne Mann, and Mark Pace. At other times, the family will be at the home of G. L. and Patricia Shipman, 78 Spring House Drive in the Dutch Cove Community of Canton.
Memorials may be made to Care Partners Hospice Memorial Fund, P. O. Box 25338, Asheville, NC 28813 or to one's favorite charity.
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