If you took pictures at the wedding and would like to email them to us, we'd be delighted!
Curtis' email is curtis_johnson_98@yahoo.com
Mine is shannonwilder@comcast.net
Curtis set up a photobucket slideshow too.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Clarifying My Directions
The physical address of the wedding site is 290 Guy Hood Road, Rainbow City, AL 35906.
If you have trouble finding us call Shannon at 404.372.3913, Curtis at 770.861.1324 or Kay at 256.413.7430.
Click here for a map.
The name and address of the hotel is:
Comfort Inn Suites
96 Walker Street
Gadsden, AL 35904
256-538-5770
Here are links to directions from pretty much anywhere:
Directions from Atlanta via I-20
Directions from Birmingham via I-20
Directions from Birmingham via I-59
Directions from Gadsden
Directions from Southside
Directions from Jacksonville and Anniston
Directions to the Wedding from the Hotel
Directions from Highway 278/Marietta
Directions from Rome/I-75
Second, almost every time in the past I have posted directions there has been a mistake, but only in the last parts.
Please know that when you turn left onto Riddles Bend Road, Canoe Creek will be on your RIGHT. There will be a big hill on your left.
When you get to the 2nd fork, the house in it is no longer white. They painted it a lovely beige oh, about 10 years ago, I guess.
When you turn onto Guy Hood Road, the ceremony site is at the white house on the LEFT. There is a small white house on the right, just a ways down from the tractor shed. My cousin Beth and her husband, Jason, live there with their son, Sam. They will be at the wedding, but very surprised if you show up and look for the ceremony in their yard. There is only one house on the left-hand side of the road, and that's where the wedding is! Parking will be in the field, next to the ceremony house!
If you have trouble finding us call Shannon at 404.372.3913, Curtis at 770.861.1324 or Kay at 256.413.7430.
Click here for a map.
The name and address of the hotel is:
Comfort Inn Suites
96 Walker Street
Gadsden, AL 35904
256-538-5770
Here are links to directions from pretty much anywhere:
Directions from Atlanta via I-20
Directions from Birmingham via I-20
Directions from Birmingham via I-59
Directions from Gadsden
Directions from Southside
Directions from Jacksonville and Anniston
Directions to the Wedding from the Hotel
Directions from Highway 278/Marietta
Directions from Rome/I-75
Second, almost every time in the past I have posted directions there has been a mistake, but only in the last parts.
Please know that when you turn left onto Riddles Bend Road, Canoe Creek will be on your RIGHT. There will be a big hill on your left.
When you get to the 2nd fork, the house in it is no longer white. They painted it a lovely beige oh, about 10 years ago, I guess.
When you turn onto Guy Hood Road, the ceremony site is at the white house on the LEFT. There is a small white house on the right, just a ways down from the tractor shed. My cousin Beth and her husband, Jason, live there with their son, Sam. They will be at the wedding, but very surprised if you show up and look for the ceremony in their yard. There is only one house on the left-hand side of the road, and that's where the wedding is! Parking will be in the field, next to the ceremony house!
Let There Be Football!
For all you folks who thought Curtis was kidding when he said he'd be watching the Florida-LSU game at his wedding reception: My uncle brought his 32" flat panel TV out to the shed, Saturday along with his digital receiver, hooked it into the cable he had installed there and it works JUST FINE! We watched the end of the Alabama-Kentucky game there Saturday. Unfortunately even that gorgeous setting didn't make that game any better.
The good news for Curtis is, I think all us Bama fans can stand to root for the Gators this particular night.
The good news for Curtis is, I think all us Bama fans can stand to root for the Gators this particular night.
Directions from Highway 278
This will benefit those of you on the west side of the Atlanta metro area that aren’t so close to I-20.
Take 278 West to Gadsden.
You can access 278 from Marietta by taking Whitlock Ave. (Hwy. 120) out of downtown Marietta and traveling about 12 miles till you hit 278 in Powder Springs.
Take a right on 278 West. In 35 or so miles you’ll hit Cedartown, which has a bypass. TAKE THE BYPASS. Downtown Cedartown is not big, but I always get confused and the 278 signs are not easy to see. So, in short, the bypass is worth it.
At the end of the bypass you will turn left onto 278 West again.
In short order you will cross the state line, then start heading up in to the hills. This should be a lovely drive this time of year.
After you crest the highest hill and start the decline, you will be heading into Piedmont, Ala.
You will come to a four-way stop just before you get into Piedmont proper and 278W will make a right-hand turn.
In 10 or 15 miles you’ll be in Hokes Bluff, which you will pass right through in the blink of an eye.
Four or five more miles will get you to the junction of 278 and 431. In fact, 278 deadends into 431 (well, it runs concurrently with it for a while, but it looks like a deadend).
Take the right onto 431 North. You’ll go 3 or 4 miles to the Coosa River and along the way you will pass a giant Goodyear plant (on the right) and, of course, a Walmart.
Make sure you are in the second lane from the right at the Walmart – the far right-hand lane will stop at the bridge, which is just a block or two away and the far left lanes turn before the bridge.
When you get to the the other side of the bridge, you'll take a right – it’ll look like you are taking an exit ramp – and follow the signs for 411 South. Basically, you’ll take a right at the end of the bridge, come down a ramp and take a right at the bottom of the ramp.
Head down 411 South. The Coosa River will be to your left, and eventually you will pass the Gadsden Mall.
In four or five miles you’ll go through the junction of Hwy 77 and 411.
If you are staying at the hotel, this is where you will turn right – it is about 4-5 miles down Hwy 77 North.
From the 77 junction, it’s about 6 miles to Riddles Bend Road. You will come to a place where a wide bridge crosses a wide creek – Canoe Creek.
There will be a left-turn lane so you can turn onto Riddles Bend Road instead of crossing the bridge. If you cross the bridge and see the St. Clair County sign, you’ve gone too far!
Riddles Bend Road runs alongside the creek for a bit, then veers away.
Bear right at the first fork – there will be a fire station in the fork.
Bear right at the second fork onto Babe Jackson Drive. There will be a big beige house in the fork.
Take the first left onto Guy Hood Road.
Parking is on the left in the field next to the white house. The wedding is behind the white house.
The reception is in the barn on the right side of the road.
Take 278 West to Gadsden.
You can access 278 from Marietta by taking Whitlock Ave. (Hwy. 120) out of downtown Marietta and traveling about 12 miles till you hit 278 in Powder Springs.
Take a right on 278 West. In 35 or so miles you’ll hit Cedartown, which has a bypass. TAKE THE BYPASS. Downtown Cedartown is not big, but I always get confused and the 278 signs are not easy to see. So, in short, the bypass is worth it.
At the end of the bypass you will turn left onto 278 West again.
In short order you will cross the state line, then start heading up in to the hills. This should be a lovely drive this time of year.
After you crest the highest hill and start the decline, you will be heading into Piedmont, Ala.
You will come to a four-way stop just before you get into Piedmont proper and 278W will make a right-hand turn.
In 10 or 15 miles you’ll be in Hokes Bluff, which you will pass right through in the blink of an eye.
Four or five more miles will get you to the junction of 278 and 431. In fact, 278 deadends into 431 (well, it runs concurrently with it for a while, but it looks like a deadend).
Take the right onto 431 North. You’ll go 3 or 4 miles to the Coosa River and along the way you will pass a giant Goodyear plant (on the right) and, of course, a Walmart.
Make sure you are in the second lane from the right at the Walmart – the far right-hand lane will stop at the bridge, which is just a block or two away and the far left lanes turn before the bridge.
When you get to the the other side of the bridge, you'll take a right – it’ll look like you are taking an exit ramp – and follow the signs for 411 South. Basically, you’ll take a right at the end of the bridge, come down a ramp and take a right at the bottom of the ramp.
Head down 411 South. The Coosa River will be to your left, and eventually you will pass the Gadsden Mall.
In four or five miles you’ll go through the junction of Hwy 77 and 411.
If you are staying at the hotel, this is where you will turn right – it is about 4-5 miles down Hwy 77 North.
From the 77 junction, it’s about 6 miles to Riddles Bend Road. You will come to a place where a wide bridge crosses a wide creek – Canoe Creek.
There will be a left-turn lane so you can turn onto Riddles Bend Road instead of crossing the bridge. If you cross the bridge and see the St. Clair County sign, you’ve gone too far!
Riddles Bend Road runs alongside the creek for a bit, then veers away.
Bear right at the first fork – there will be a fire station in the fork.
Bear right at the second fork onto Babe Jackson Drive. There will be a big beige house in the fork.
Take the first left onto Guy Hood Road.
Parking is on the left in the field next to the white house. The wedding is behind the white house.
The reception is in the barn on the right side of the road.
Directions from I-75/Rome
If you’re coming from north of Marietta, you might want to consider the Cartersville/Rome route.
Take I-75 up to the Hwy 20 exit in Cartersville – Exit 290 Highway 20/Rome/Canton. This will be past the downtown Cartersville exits.
Take a left at the bottom of the exit ramp onto Hwy 20.
You will go back under the interstate and in about 2 miles you will come to, of course, a Walmart.
Past the Walmart, the road appears to deadend at a Shell station. There is a traffic light with turn lanes and you will see an on-ramp to another highway.
Take the left then immediately take the ramp onto Hwys 41, 411 S and 20 West, which are all running together on one road.
There are TWO stop signs one just before the top of the ramp and one at the top of the ramp. This is weird, but just be aware of it.
You'll merge onto a big, 4-lane divided highway. You will pass a big Quick Trip and then a RaceTrac.
Shortly after the RaceTrac, you will take a right-hand exit that will put you on 411 South and 20 West to Rome.
Outside Rome, the road will become controlled access. When this happens, get in the left-hand lane because you will bear off to the left to go to Gadsden. It will be marked 411 S/Gadsden, too.
In about 4-5 miles you will come to an intersection with a BP on the left before the light and a Kangaroo on the right just past the light.
Turn right at this light – there will be a sign that says Gadsden 411 S/Hwy 53.
If you pass the Hardees on your right, you’ve gone too far.
In 11 miles you will be in Cave Spring.
Turn right at the red light in downtown Cave Spring (the only one).
In 3-4 more miles you will hit the state line.
In 25 or so miles, you will come to Centre, Ala. Centre has a bypass. Take it.
At the end of the bypass, you will make a right-hand turn back onto 411 S proper.
You will know you are in the right place when you see, of course, a Walmart on your right.
In a mile or two, you will cross the Coosa River at Weiss Dam and come to Leesburg, which is pretty much a wide spot in the road at the bottom of the bridge with a red light.
After Leesburg the road narrows down to 2 lanes again but a) it's pretty and b) in only 15 or so miles more you will hit the outskirts of Gadsden.
You’ll know you’ve arrived when the road widens out to 4 lanes.
You’ll pass under 3 bridges and the river will be to your left.
You’ll pass the mall.
You’ll go through the intersection of Hwy 411 and 77. If you are staying at the hotel, it will be 5 miles to the right on Hwy. 77 North.
About 6 miles down 411 from the 77 junction is Riddles Bend Road.
You’ll see a wide bridge ahead – it goes over Canoe Creek.
There is a left-hand turn lane before the bridge that takes you to Riddles Bend Road. Turn left onto RBR – the creek will be on your right; a big hill on your left.
If you cross the bridge and see the St. Clair County sign, you’ve gone too far.
Shortly after Riddles Bend Road curves away from the creek, it will fork.
Bear right at the first fork (there will be a fire station in the fork).
Bear right at the second fork onto Babe Jackson Drive (there will be a big beige house in the fork).
Take the first left onto Guy Hood Road.
The wedding is on the left behind the white house. The reception is on the right under the tractor shed.
PARKING is on the left, in the field next to the white house.
Take I-75 up to the Hwy 20 exit in Cartersville – Exit 290 Highway 20/Rome/Canton. This will be past the downtown Cartersville exits.
Take a left at the bottom of the exit ramp onto Hwy 20.
You will go back under the interstate and in about 2 miles you will come to, of course, a Walmart.
Past the Walmart, the road appears to deadend at a Shell station. There is a traffic light with turn lanes and you will see an on-ramp to another highway.
Take the left then immediately take the ramp onto Hwys 41, 411 S and 20 West, which are all running together on one road.
There are TWO stop signs one just before the top of the ramp and one at the top of the ramp. This is weird, but just be aware of it.
You'll merge onto a big, 4-lane divided highway. You will pass a big Quick Trip and then a RaceTrac.
Shortly after the RaceTrac, you will take a right-hand exit that will put you on 411 South and 20 West to Rome.
Outside Rome, the road will become controlled access. When this happens, get in the left-hand lane because you will bear off to the left to go to Gadsden. It will be marked 411 S/Gadsden, too.
In about 4-5 miles you will come to an intersection with a BP on the left before the light and a Kangaroo on the right just past the light.
Turn right at this light – there will be a sign that says Gadsden 411 S/Hwy 53.
If you pass the Hardees on your right, you’ve gone too far.
In 11 miles you will be in Cave Spring.
Turn right at the red light in downtown Cave Spring (the only one).
In 3-4 more miles you will hit the state line.
In 25 or so miles, you will come to Centre, Ala. Centre has a bypass. Take it.
At the end of the bypass, you will make a right-hand turn back onto 411 S proper.
You will know you are in the right place when you see, of course, a Walmart on your right.
In a mile or two, you will cross the Coosa River at Weiss Dam and come to Leesburg, which is pretty much a wide spot in the road at the bottom of the bridge with a red light.
After Leesburg the road narrows down to 2 lanes again but a) it's pretty and b) in only 15 or so miles more you will hit the outskirts of Gadsden.
You’ll know you’ve arrived when the road widens out to 4 lanes.
You’ll pass under 3 bridges and the river will be to your left.
You’ll pass the mall.
You’ll go through the intersection of Hwy 411 and 77. If you are staying at the hotel, it will be 5 miles to the right on Hwy. 77 North.
About 6 miles down 411 from the 77 junction is Riddles Bend Road.
You’ll see a wide bridge ahead – it goes over Canoe Creek.
There is a left-hand turn lane before the bridge that takes you to Riddles Bend Road. Turn left onto RBR – the creek will be on your right; a big hill on your left.
If you cross the bridge and see the St. Clair County sign, you’ve gone too far.
Shortly after Riddles Bend Road curves away from the creek, it will fork.
Bear right at the first fork (there will be a fire station in the fork).
Bear right at the second fork onto Babe Jackson Drive (there will be a big beige house in the fork).
Take the first left onto Guy Hood Road.
The wedding is on the left behind the white house. The reception is on the right under the tractor shed.
PARKING is on the left, in the field next to the white house.
Directions to the Wedding from the Hotel
Drive to the traffic light at the end of the street the hotel is on.
Turn left onto Hwy. 77 South
Go about 5 miles to the junction with Hwy 411.
Turn right onto Hwy 411 S.
Go about 6 miles to Canoe Creek (you'll see a long bridge ahead of you).
Get in the left turn lane before the bridge and turn onto Riddles Bend Road.
The creek will be on your right, a big hill on your left. If you cross the bridge and see the St. Clair County sign, you've gone too far.
Bear right at the first fork (there will be a fire station in the fork).
Bear right at the second fork onto Babe Jackson Drive (there will be a big beige house in the fork).
Take the first left onto Guy Hood Road.
The wedding will be at the small white house on the left - the only house on that side of the road. Parking will be in the field to the right of this house.
The reception is in the barn you will see on the right when you drive up the road.
Turn left onto Hwy. 77 South
Go about 5 miles to the junction with Hwy 411.
Turn right onto Hwy 411 S.
Go about 6 miles to Canoe Creek (you'll see a long bridge ahead of you).
Get in the left turn lane before the bridge and turn onto Riddles Bend Road.
The creek will be on your right, a big hill on your left. If you cross the bridge and see the St. Clair County sign, you've gone too far.
Bear right at the first fork (there will be a fire station in the fork).
Bear right at the second fork onto Babe Jackson Drive (there will be a big beige house in the fork).
Take the first left onto Guy Hood Road.
The wedding will be at the small white house on the left - the only house on that side of the road. Parking will be in the field to the right of this house.
The reception is in the barn you will see on the right when you drive up the road.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Directions From Southside
Take Hwy 77 North toward Rainbow City
At the junction with Hwy 411, turn left onto 411 SOuth (Rainbow Drive).
Go approximately 6 miles until you see the bridge across Canoe Creek.
Get in the left-hand turn lane just before the bridge and turn left onto Riddles Bend Road.
The creek should be on your right. If you cross the bridge and see the St. Clair County sign, you've gone too far.
Bear right at the first fork (the fire station is in the middle of the fork).
Bear right at the second fork onto Babe Jackson Drive (the big beige house is in the fork).
Take the first left onto Guy Hood Road.
The wedding is behind the white house on the left - the only house on the left side of the street.
Park in the field to the right of the house.
At the junction with Hwy 411, turn left onto 411 SOuth (Rainbow Drive).
Go approximately 6 miles until you see the bridge across Canoe Creek.
Get in the left-hand turn lane just before the bridge and turn left onto Riddles Bend Road.
The creek should be on your right. If you cross the bridge and see the St. Clair County sign, you've gone too far.
Bear right at the first fork (the fire station is in the middle of the fork).
Bear right at the second fork onto Babe Jackson Drive (the big beige house is in the fork).
Take the first left onto Guy Hood Road.
The wedding is behind the white house on the left - the only house on the left side of the street.
Park in the field to the right of the house.
Directions from Jacksonville and Anniston
I know most of you Calhoun County folks know your way, but I thought I'd post directions just in case!
Make your way to Hwy. 431 North and on into Gadsden.
Pass the Goodyear Plant and the new Walmart, and cross the bridge over the river.
Turn right at the end of the bridge and take the ramp to Hwy 411 South.
Pass the Mall and cross through the junction with Hwy. 77.
About 6 miles after Hwy. 77, you'll see the NEW bridge over Canoe Creek.
They redid the road and now there is a left turn lane to turn onto Riddles Bend Road.
Bear right at the first fork (the fire station is in the middle of the fork).
Bear right at the second fork onto Babe Jackson Drive (the big beige house is in the fork).
Take the first left onto Guy Hood Road.
The wedding is behind Sam and Lois' house; park in the field to the right of the house. If you need to pull up into the driveway and get out so you don't have to walk so far, do - we'll move the car for you and take you over to where the wedding is going to be in one of the golf carts!
Make your way to Hwy. 431 North and on into Gadsden.
Pass the Goodyear Plant and the new Walmart, and cross the bridge over the river.
Turn right at the end of the bridge and take the ramp to Hwy 411 South.
Pass the Mall and cross through the junction with Hwy. 77.
About 6 miles after Hwy. 77, you'll see the NEW bridge over Canoe Creek.
They redid the road and now there is a left turn lane to turn onto Riddles Bend Road.
Bear right at the first fork (the fire station is in the middle of the fork).
Bear right at the second fork onto Babe Jackson Drive (the big beige house is in the fork).
Take the first left onto Guy Hood Road.
The wedding is behind Sam and Lois' house; park in the field to the right of the house. If you need to pull up into the driveway and get out so you don't have to walk so far, do - we'll move the car for you and take you over to where the wedding is going to be in one of the golf carts!
Directions From Gadsden and Environs
Make your way to Hwy. 411 South - it's Albert Rains Blvd. in town and changes to Rainbow Drive somewhere around the Mall.
Pass the Mall. Pass Rainbow Plaza.
Go straight through the junction with Hwy. 77. Be careful about lanes here - the 2 left lanes turn and go to Southside, so don't do that. Try to be in the 3rd lane from the left.
About six miles past the 77 junction, you will come to a big bridge - this is the bridge across Canoe Creek.
There will be a left-turn lane.
Turn left onto Riddles Bend Road. Don't cross the creek - if you see the St. Clair County sign, you've gone too far.
When you're on Riddles Bend Road, the creek will be on your right.
Bear right at the first fork (there will be a fire station in the fork).
Bear right at the second fork onto Babe Jackson Drive (there will be a big beige house in the fork).
Take the first left onto Guy Hood Road.
The ceremony is behind the small white house on the left - the only house on the left side of the road. Parking is in the field next to the house.
The reception will be in the tractor shed on the right.
Pass the Mall. Pass Rainbow Plaza.
Go straight through the junction with Hwy. 77. Be careful about lanes here - the 2 left lanes turn and go to Southside, so don't do that. Try to be in the 3rd lane from the left.
About six miles past the 77 junction, you will come to a big bridge - this is the bridge across Canoe Creek.
There will be a left-turn lane.
Turn left onto Riddles Bend Road. Don't cross the creek - if you see the St. Clair County sign, you've gone too far.
When you're on Riddles Bend Road, the creek will be on your right.
Bear right at the first fork (there will be a fire station in the fork).
Bear right at the second fork onto Babe Jackson Drive (there will be a big beige house in the fork).
Take the first left onto Guy Hood Road.
The ceremony is behind the small white house on the left - the only house on the left side of the road. Parking is in the field next to the house.
The reception will be in the tractor shed on the right.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Directions From Birmingham Via I-59 North
For those of you heading up from - or through - Birmingham, there is an alternate route to the farm and the hotel, should you be staying there.
Take I-59 North to exit 181, which should be named Rainbow City/Highway 77.
The distance is around 50 miles from the I-20/I-59 split.
To get to the hotel, take a left at the exit onto 77N and it should be just on the other side of the bridge, on the right, across the street from Walmart.
To go directly to the farm, take a right at the top of the ramp onto Highway 77 and proceed to Hwy 411 - just shy of 4 miles. There will be an Exxon on the right; a Huddle House on the left.
Take a right on US 411 (Rainbow Drive) and go 5.6 miles to Riddles Bend Road.
There will be a bridge going across a fairly wide creek and the road you want is to the left just before the bridge.
If you cross the bridge and see the St. Clair County sign; you've gone too far.
Riddles Bend Road will skirt the creek (Canoe Creek) for a while; it will be on your right.
At the first fork (there will be a fire station in the fork) bear right.
At the second fork (there will be a big beige house in the center of the fork), bear right onto Babe Jackson Drive.
Take the first left onto Guy Hood Road.
Parking will be on the left, in the field next to the white house - the only house on the left side of the road.
The ceremony is at this house; the reception will be in the barn across the road.
Take I-59 North to exit 181, which should be named Rainbow City/Highway 77.
The distance is around 50 miles from the I-20/I-59 split.
To get to the hotel, take a left at the exit onto 77N and it should be just on the other side of the bridge, on the right, across the street from Walmart.
To go directly to the farm, take a right at the top of the ramp onto Highway 77 and proceed to Hwy 411 - just shy of 4 miles. There will be an Exxon on the right; a Huddle House on the left.
Take a right on US 411 (Rainbow Drive) and go 5.6 miles to Riddles Bend Road.
There will be a bridge going across a fairly wide creek and the road you want is to the left just before the bridge.
If you cross the bridge and see the St. Clair County sign; you've gone too far.
Riddles Bend Road will skirt the creek (Canoe Creek) for a while; it will be on your right.
At the first fork (there will be a fire station in the fork) bear right.
At the second fork (there will be a big beige house in the center of the fork), bear right onto Babe Jackson Drive.
Take the first left onto Guy Hood Road.
Parking will be on the left, in the field next to the white house - the only house on the left side of the road.
The ceremony is at this house; the reception will be in the barn across the road.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Calling All (Former) Bridesmaids
You know what we need on this blog? More interaction and comments! So I'll start by throwing out a question to the female readership, though guys are welcome to contribute stories as well.
How many weddings have you been in? What was the craziest thing you had to wear? Are the couples you 'maided for still married?
I'll start - I suppose I need to restrict myself to talking about the weddings of people who will not be attending mine, don't I? So Lisa and Missy, you're off the hook.
But that's all right because with out a doubt all time "favorite" (and I use that word loosely) bridesmaid ensemble had to be the one I wore for Vicki and Robert's wedding. Vicki was a sorority sister - a lovely girl. Robert was the drummer for Telluride, THE party band of the late 80s in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. The wedding was in August 1989 in Birmingham.
Vicki wanted us to wear black, which we all would have loved, but her mother put her foot down. So what did we end up in? Long red skirts, red heels and white long sleeved lace tops with peplums. PEPLUMS, people! The horror! The sheer Roll-Tideitude of it all was amazing. After the reception at The Club (is that place still around) we went (where else) To Louie Louie's in Five Points, Sharon and I still sporting our 'maid ensemble and hooker heels. What a night.
My favorite 'maid story, though, revolves around Dawn and Todd's wedding. Dawn was a sorority sister but we also went to high school together and had been friends there. Todd went to college with us, too, and was also from Gadsden. In fact, they live there now after several years in Birmingham. If I knew where, I'd invite them. So if you know them, tell them to give me a shout or drop me a line.
Anyway, the event took place in Gadsden in July 1989, a few weeks before Vicki's. We wore dark green dresses made with giant, poufy sleeves (think Princess Diana poufy). The seamstress employed copious amounts of netting in the shoulder seams to make sure the sleeves stood up. No one thought a thing about it during the fittings, when we only wore the dresses a few minutes at a time.
Flash forward to day o' the wedding and all us 'maids - all sorority sisters of Dawn's except for one friend and her little sister who was 15 - are in a Sunday School room at Bellevue Baptist Church getting ready. As anyone who's been in a wedding knows, you have to show up about two hours early on game day for photos. Sometime during the primping and preening, someone asked if anyone else's shoulders hurt. We all realized our shoulders did, indeed, hurt. We pulled the dresses off our shoulders and discovered that the netting had rubbed them raw and they were oozing blood. What to do - no one had Band-Aids and it was getting close to kickoff time!
My sorority sister Roma, God love her, came to the rescue. She got that look in her eye (the one that usually makes you think something like, "Oh, no, what's she up to now?") and dashed out to her car.
And returned with a box of (sorry, boys) panty liners. Which we all proceeded to adhere to our shoulders, and which we wore for the remainder of the day. (Yes, we wore them during the ceremony).
Somewhere I have a regulation, wedding photographer made photo with Dawn's friend and all her smiling sorority sisters showing off our sexy, be-padded shoulders, accompanied by one 15-year-old who looks like she's about to die of sheer mortification.
Ah, good times.
Almost as much fun as the wedding in which, instead of flowers, I had to hold a LIT candle. That was Charlotte's wedding (another sorority sister) which I was in along with a former beau. We set the happy couple up. Come to think of it, if anyone knows where to find her or Vicki, or any of the old Alpha Xi Delta crowd (aside from the lovely Maureen who I know is attending, all the way from NYC - yay!!!) let me know.
Back to the story: My beau was still in Tuscaloosa getting his master's, and I was already here in Atlanta. I was spending the weekend at his place, and had put my shoes on a high shelf in the closet to prevent them from being eaten by Kayliegh, our golden retriever, who was a puppy at the time.
We left for the wedding in plenty of time, and got pretty much to one or two exits before the Birmingham bypass (the wedding was in McCalla) before I remembered I had forgotten the shoes. This was 1991 or '92, I guess - before cell phones - so we just turned around and drove 120 mph back to T-town to get them. And missed most of the picture taking and caused much consternation. But it all worked out. And for once, I was thisclose to a lit candle and managed NOT to set my hair on fire.
I need to see if I can scan pictures from these events and post them, too. As for you, dear readers, you know you have good stories. Post 'em in the comments!
How many weddings have you been in? What was the craziest thing you had to wear? Are the couples you 'maided for still married?
I'll start - I suppose I need to restrict myself to talking about the weddings of people who will not be attending mine, don't I? So Lisa and Missy, you're off the hook.
But that's all right because with out a doubt all time "favorite" (and I use that word loosely) bridesmaid ensemble had to be the one I wore for Vicki and Robert's wedding. Vicki was a sorority sister - a lovely girl. Robert was the drummer for Telluride, THE party band of the late 80s in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. The wedding was in August 1989 in Birmingham.
Vicki wanted us to wear black, which we all would have loved, but her mother put her foot down. So what did we end up in? Long red skirts, red heels and white long sleeved lace tops with peplums. PEPLUMS, people! The horror! The sheer Roll-Tideitude of it all was amazing. After the reception at The Club (is that place still around) we went (where else) To Louie Louie's in Five Points, Sharon and I still sporting our 'maid ensemble and hooker heels. What a night.
My favorite 'maid story, though, revolves around Dawn and Todd's wedding. Dawn was a sorority sister but we also went to high school together and had been friends there. Todd went to college with us, too, and was also from Gadsden. In fact, they live there now after several years in Birmingham. If I knew where, I'd invite them. So if you know them, tell them to give me a shout or drop me a line.
Anyway, the event took place in Gadsden in July 1989, a few weeks before Vicki's. We wore dark green dresses made with giant, poufy sleeves (think Princess Diana poufy). The seamstress employed copious amounts of netting in the shoulder seams to make sure the sleeves stood up. No one thought a thing about it during the fittings, when we only wore the dresses a few minutes at a time.
Flash forward to day o' the wedding and all us 'maids - all sorority sisters of Dawn's except for one friend and her little sister who was 15 - are in a Sunday School room at Bellevue Baptist Church getting ready. As anyone who's been in a wedding knows, you have to show up about two hours early on game day for photos. Sometime during the primping and preening, someone asked if anyone else's shoulders hurt. We all realized our shoulders did, indeed, hurt. We pulled the dresses off our shoulders and discovered that the netting had rubbed them raw and they were oozing blood. What to do - no one had Band-Aids and it was getting close to kickoff time!
My sorority sister Roma, God love her, came to the rescue. She got that look in her eye (the one that usually makes you think something like, "Oh, no, what's she up to now?") and dashed out to her car.
And returned with a box of (sorry, boys) panty liners. Which we all proceeded to adhere to our shoulders, and which we wore for the remainder of the day. (Yes, we wore them during the ceremony).
Somewhere I have a regulation, wedding photographer made photo with Dawn's friend and all her smiling sorority sisters showing off our sexy, be-padded shoulders, accompanied by one 15-year-old who looks like she's about to die of sheer mortification.
Ah, good times.
Almost as much fun as the wedding in which, instead of flowers, I had to hold a LIT candle. That was Charlotte's wedding (another sorority sister) which I was in along with a former beau. We set the happy couple up. Come to think of it, if anyone knows where to find her or Vicki, or any of the old Alpha Xi Delta crowd (aside from the lovely Maureen who I know is attending, all the way from NYC - yay!!!) let me know.
Back to the story: My beau was still in Tuscaloosa getting his master's, and I was already here in Atlanta. I was spending the weekend at his place, and had put my shoes on a high shelf in the closet to prevent them from being eaten by Kayliegh, our golden retriever, who was a puppy at the time.
We left for the wedding in plenty of time, and got pretty much to one or two exits before the Birmingham bypass (the wedding was in McCalla) before I remembered I had forgotten the shoes. This was 1991 or '92, I guess - before cell phones - so we just turned around and drove 120 mph back to T-town to get them. And missed most of the picture taking and caused much consternation. But it all worked out. And for once, I was thisclose to a lit candle and managed NOT to set my hair on fire.
I need to see if I can scan pictures from these events and post them, too. As for you, dear readers, you know you have good stories. Post 'em in the comments!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
The Wedding Singer
You wedding guests are lucky indeed. Entertainment for the evening will be provided by our lovely and talented friend, Julie Gribble, accompanied by the also lovely and talented and Sean Bennett.
To learn more about Julie's music, visit her online at http://www.juliegribble.net/. She's also on Myspace: www.myspace.com/juliegribble.
To learn more about Julie's music, visit her online at http://www.juliegribble.net/. She's also on Myspace: www.myspace.com/juliegribble.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Why The Hollies?
When I was a kid there were three giant holly trees growing next to my grandparents' house. There were taller than the house even then. I used to spend time playing in them, walking under them and sitting in the branches reading. One of my fondest memories is walking underneath them after a rare snow.
There are only two now, because the house was struck by lightning when I was a senior in high school and the kitchen caught fire. The house was not habitable after all the smoke damage and while it was being cleaned (the ServPro people do not lie when they say it's like it never even happened) and rebuilt, my grandfather opted to live in a trailer behind the hollies. The gap between the house and the remaining holly on the right is wide enough for the trailer to be driven through. Back then the area to the left and rear of the house was a peach orchard. That, along with the and the power pole behind the house on the right, meant there was no way to get the trailer in back without sacrificing a holly.
Even so, they were always lovely and when I stood underneath them and looked up, the branches resembled the arches of a cathedral. I did not go to a proper cathedral until I was in my 30s, but I can tell you the feeling I used to get standing under them is of a place every bit as sacred and lovely as any cathedral. More so, perhaps, because it was made directly by the hand of God made and not by the hand of man.
When you get to the wedding site, you'll notice that the hollies and the pecan trees amongst which the chairs are set up form a sort of natural room. You can't see it in the picture below, but when you are standing at the ceremony site, the crossed branches of the pecans farthest back look for all the world like a gothic arch.
It's a special place.
The best thing is that there always seems to be a breeze blowing around the house. When I was younger, shortly after my grandmother died, I had the idea that the breeze was her spirit, looking after us even after she was gone. Maybe I'm right - the breeze seems, if anything, stronger now since my grandfather has gone to be with her. If I am right, and they are there, it will make me very happy.
A Tractor Shed?
I know some of you think I am kidding, or exaggerating, so here’s a picture of the reception venue.
Yes, it has had tractors in it my entire life. After the demise of the original shed, my aunt and uncle converted the end of the tractor shed into the commercial zone for selling tomatoes, corn, whatever is to be sold these days.
And ever third weekend in October they have a pumpkin party there with hayrides and pumpkins for the kiddies to pick out of the fields. They set up grills and bring a TV out to watch that all important third-Saturday-in-October Alabama football game.
Architecturally speaking, it’s a gem. I believe it dates to the 30s, perhaps. The rafters are lovely. The color of the rusted tin roof is the inspiration for my shoes and flowers.
I mean, if Martha Stewart were to come down and fill it with big ol’ flower arrangements, yummy food and nicely decorated tables and do a photo shoot there, my aunt and uncle could send their grandson to Harvard on the money they’d rake in from renting the place out to local brides!
We may not be totally up to Martha’s level, but I think we’ll do pretty well come Oct. 11.
Yes, it has had tractors in it my entire life. After the demise of the original shed, my aunt and uncle converted the end of the tractor shed into the commercial zone for selling tomatoes, corn, whatever is to be sold these days.
And ever third weekend in October they have a pumpkin party there with hayrides and pumpkins for the kiddies to pick out of the fields. They set up grills and bring a TV out to watch that all important third-Saturday-in-October Alabama football game.
Architecturally speaking, it’s a gem. I believe it dates to the 30s, perhaps. The rafters are lovely. The color of the rusted tin roof is the inspiration for my shoes and flowers.
I mean, if Martha Stewart were to come down and fill it with big ol’ flower arrangements, yummy food and nicely decorated tables and do a photo shoot there, my aunt and uncle could send their grandson to Harvard on the money they’d rake in from renting the place out to local brides!
We may not be totally up to Martha’s level, but I think we’ll do pretty well come Oct. 11.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
A Most Humbling Experience
We had the first of our two bridal showers yesterday. The mere thought that people want to do this for us is astonishing. My gratitude to these ladies for putting so much time and effort into planning the party is something I will never be able to adequately convey in the thank you notes. I'm glad this is happening to me at 41 instead of 21, because I know I appreciate it more.
I'm equally astonished that people actually go out and buy us presents. I've been on the planning end of something like this, but never the receiveing end. I've hosted my share of showers and attended even more, but if you've never been in the bride's seat, I can't explain to you how humbling it is to realize how kind people are being to you - and to wonder what you've done to deserve it all.
Every single gift was lovely. That I had my fiance there (evenif he was the only man) and my future stepdaughters to help me open the gifts was a gift in and of itself.
I truly can't say enough nice things about my mother's wonderful friends who served as hostesses. If any woman out there reading this is looking for a worthy organization to which she can devote her time, I suggest finding a local chapter of Beta Sigma Phi - an international service sorority to which my mother has belonged almost as long as I can remember. Unlike the sororities you join in college, these ladies gather to perform public service projects that better the community and also focus on personal development. They are without a doubt some of the finest women I know and I am not exaggerating when I say they're like an extra set of aunts.
God knows they've looked after my mother - and by extension me - through some tough times this last year, which makes it even more special to share the joyous times with them.
I'm equally astonished that people actually go out and buy us presents. I've been on the planning end of something like this, but never the receiveing end. I've hosted my share of showers and attended even more, but if you've never been in the bride's seat, I can't explain to you how humbling it is to realize how kind people are being to you - and to wonder what you've done to deserve it all.
Every single gift was lovely. That I had my fiance there (evenif he was the only man) and my future stepdaughters to help me open the gifts was a gift in and of itself.
I truly can't say enough nice things about my mother's wonderful friends who served as hostesses. If any woman out there reading this is looking for a worthy organization to which she can devote her time, I suggest finding a local chapter of Beta Sigma Phi - an international service sorority to which my mother has belonged almost as long as I can remember. Unlike the sororities you join in college, these ladies gather to perform public service projects that better the community and also focus on personal development. They are without a doubt some of the finest women I know and I am not exaggerating when I say they're like an extra set of aunts.
God knows they've looked after my mother - and by extension me - through some tough times this last year, which makes it even more special to share the joyous times with them.
What Should I Wear?
Ladies first and foremost – shoes you can walk in! This is not the place for dainty heels. They will either sink into the grass or cause you to slip in the gravel.
The weather in Riddles Bend is amazingly nice in early October. My aunt and uncle have a pumpkin party there annually on the third Saturday in October (you Alabama people know what that means), and it’s usually gorgeous. Low 80s for a high.
So think something that will keep you fairly cool during the day and perhaps a wrap if it gets chilly after dark.
As for the tone – if you can’t already tell this is a fashionably casual event. Not jeans or shorts (unless your under 7 or so) but definitely not sequins and ties either! And no pantyhose unless you just like wearing them. I despise them, so if you like to take your cues from the bride, know that. Also, my dress is tea length, if that helps you in any way.
How do I see our guests dressed? Ladies in nice skirts and blouses or sweaters (whichever you prefer) or dresses. Or sundresses. Gents in khakis and shirts, but jackets are not necessary.
The weather in Riddles Bend is amazingly nice in early October. My aunt and uncle have a pumpkin party there annually on the third Saturday in October (you Alabama people know what that means), and it’s usually gorgeous. Low 80s for a high.
So think something that will keep you fairly cool during the day and perhaps a wrap if it gets chilly after dark.
As for the tone – if you can’t already tell this is a fashionably casual event. Not jeans or shorts (unless your under 7 or so) but definitely not sequins and ties either! And no pantyhose unless you just like wearing them. I despise them, so if you like to take your cues from the bride, know that. Also, my dress is tea length, if that helps you in any way.
How do I see our guests dressed? Ladies in nice skirts and blouses or sweaters (whichever you prefer) or dresses. Or sundresses. Gents in khakis and shirts, but jackets are not necessary.
Oh, Happy Day!
We went for a quick tour of the farm today and as we turned left off Babe Jackson Drive, I noticed that the address is indeed Guy Hood Road – or, as it says on the sign; Guy Hood RD.
YAY! YAY! Happy dance! I got it right! My wedding invitations are not misprinted! They will not be haunting me with their unfixable wrongness for the rest of my life!
Phew!
YAY! YAY! Happy dance! I got it right! My wedding invitations are not misprinted! They will not be haunting me with their unfixable wrongness for the rest of my life!
Phew!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Can I Bring A Date?
Yes!
I intended to write "Honored Friend and Guest" on the response cards for all you folks who I thought want to bring someone with you, but I realize now that in my distress over printing the wrong address on the invites, I might have forgotten to do it for everyone.
Also, I know there is a select group of lovely ladies who will probably travel en masse to the festivities. I did not write "and Guest" on your cards because I presumed you would all come as a unit. I realize what happens when you assume, however, so if any of you do find Mr. Right - or even Mr. So-So - between now and then, please feel free to bring him along. The same applies for you single gents, as well.
If I did forget, just write "Your Name + Guest" on the response card. And if you meet someone fab between now and the wedding and want to bring him or her along, just call or email me anytime. It's not a problem.
I intended to write "Honored Friend and Guest" on the response cards for all you folks who I thought want to bring someone with you, but I realize now that in my distress over printing the wrong address on the invites, I might have forgotten to do it for everyone.
Also, I know there is a select group of lovely ladies who will probably travel en masse to the festivities. I did not write "and Guest" on your cards because I presumed you would all come as a unit. I realize what happens when you assume, however, so if any of you do find Mr. Right - or even Mr. So-So - between now and then, please feel free to bring him along. The same applies for you single gents, as well.
If I did forget, just write "Your Name + Guest" on the response card. And if you meet someone fab between now and the wedding and want to bring him or her along, just call or email me anytime. It's not a problem.
Can I Bring My Kids?
Yes! Yes! Yes!
This is the most kid-friendly wedding place ever. And the more kids that come, the more likely I am to be able to bribe my uncle into giving a hayride, which is what I really want!
Doesn't this look like fun?
This is the trailer the hayrides are on, riding on it are Jason, my cousin Beth's husband along with their daughter, Hannah, son, Sam, and Millie, the farm dog!
And yes, when Big Sam (my uncle and little Sam's grandpa) does real hayrides, there is actual hay on the trailer!
This is the most kid-friendly wedding place ever. And the more kids that come, the more likely I am to be able to bribe my uncle into giving a hayride, which is what I really want!
Doesn't this look like fun?
This is the trailer the hayrides are on, riding on it are Jason, my cousin Beth's husband along with their daughter, Hannah, son, Sam, and Millie, the farm dog!And yes, when Big Sam (my uncle and little Sam's grandpa) does real hayrides, there is actual hay on the trailer!
Where Are We Registered?
Rainbow City? Really?
You bet. I have heard a couple of reasons why it has that name over the years, the most logical one being because Rainbow Drive curves around like a rainbow as it hugs the riverbank, even though the curvy part is in Gadsden proper.
The explanation I like best, and which Rainbow City mentions on its website, is that several men from the area were in the Rainbow Division which was formed during World War I. It was created from several different National Guard Units among 26 states and the District of Columbia and its chief of staff, Major Douglas MacArthur, said it "would stretch over the whole country like a rainbow."
The timing makes sense if you think about it because Gadsden's Country Club opened just after the war and that stretch of road leading to it, where the curve is, would have been fairly newly created. And that's time enough for local men who served in World War I to come home and rebuild their lives a bit and seek to honor their comrades.
So, I had heard this as a kid, grew up with it, heard it again in my World War I classes in college (I was always a history geek). But I will tell you the last place I ever expected to come across mention of the Rainbow Division was in southern Germany.
We had opted to go to Dachau, though it is a grim trip. I recommend it. The main monument in the camp says it best - Never Forget. We can't forget what evil there is in the world, and what people will do to one another if left unchecked. We have to speak up.
As noted, I am a sucker for history and never pass up a chance to read a historic markers. As I stood inside the gates of Dachau, reading the walls, I came across this marker, which reduced me to tears. This is not my picture of it, but I have this picture.
Different war, different men, I get it. But they were Americans, and they did the right thing when called upon and would have whether it was their duty or not. No matter where they came from, they are my countrymen and I am proud.
I don't think I have ever been anywhere more disturbing than Dachau in my life. Bavaria is beautiful - surpringly like home, in fact, but I remember the city of Dachau as a gritty, ugly place. And I realize cities grow over 60 years, but it seemed as if the camp was practically in the middle of town. The citizenry had to know what the military was doing, but turned a blind eye. It makes you shiver a little to wonder what we'd do today in similar circumstances.
So, because I feel I need to tie this post up neatly and make it relate to the wedding somehow, I'll say this. Perhaps when we see rainbows, or Rainbow Drives, or Rainbow Cities, we can think not of leprechauns and pots of gold, but of hope, liberation of the body and spirit, love of your fellow man and doing the right thing - not just out of duty, but because it's the right thing to do. All pretty good ideals upon which to found a marriage, don't you think?
The explanation I like best, and which Rainbow City mentions on its website, is that several men from the area were in the Rainbow Division which was formed during World War I. It was created from several different National Guard Units among 26 states and the District of Columbia and its chief of staff, Major Douglas MacArthur, said it "would stretch over the whole country like a rainbow."
The timing makes sense if you think about it because Gadsden's Country Club opened just after the war and that stretch of road leading to it, where the curve is, would have been fairly newly created. And that's time enough for local men who served in World War I to come home and rebuild their lives a bit and seek to honor their comrades.
So, I had heard this as a kid, grew up with it, heard it again in my World War I classes in college (I was always a history geek). But I will tell you the last place I ever expected to come across mention of the Rainbow Division was in southern Germany.
We had opted to go to Dachau, though it is a grim trip. I recommend it. The main monument in the camp says it best - Never Forget. We can't forget what evil there is in the world, and what people will do to one another if left unchecked. We have to speak up.
As noted, I am a sucker for history and never pass up a chance to read a historic markers. As I stood inside the gates of Dachau, reading the walls, I came across this marker, which reduced me to tears. This is not my picture of it, but I have this picture.
Different war, different men, I get it. But they were Americans, and they did the right thing when called upon and would have whether it was their duty or not. No matter where they came from, they are my countrymen and I am proud.
I don't think I have ever been anywhere more disturbing than Dachau in my life. Bavaria is beautiful - surpringly like home, in fact, but I remember the city of Dachau as a gritty, ugly place. And I realize cities grow over 60 years, but it seemed as if the camp was practically in the middle of town. The citizenry had to know what the military was doing, but turned a blind eye. It makes you shiver a little to wonder what we'd do today in similar circumstances.
So, because I feel I need to tie this post up neatly and make it relate to the wedding somehow, I'll say this. Perhaps when we see rainbows, or Rainbow Drives, or Rainbow Cities, we can think not of leprechauns and pots of gold, but of hope, liberation of the body and spirit, love of your fellow man and doing the right thing - not just out of duty, but because it's the right thing to do. All pretty good ideals upon which to found a marriage, don't you think?
Wrong Road Name On Invites
Yes, I know. It's tragic when editors make mistakes ON THEIR OWN WEDDING INVITATIONS.
The wedding will be held on Guy Hood Drive, not Guy Hood Road.
Mr. Hood, I apologize. Grandaddy - since it was you who chose the name of the road - I apologize. (Family, am I right in remembering that Rainbow City wanted to name it after him, but he said that was an honore reserved for dead people, and since he wasn't dead it'd make more sense to honor Mr. Hood?)
In my defense, I did send three emails asking if I had the address right and got no replies, so I winged it.
Fortunately, Maquest, Google Maps et. al. take you to the same place.
If your invitation is a bit smeared it's probably the hot tears of shame I cried when I realized what I had done. Seriously, you can ask Curtis - I bawled my eyes out.
It has occurred to me that this wedding is, in a way, a celebration of my love for the farm and my family, and what it, and they, mean to me, and my joy in finding someone who appreciates it all as much as I do and wants it to be a part of his life going forward, too. So I'm upset, in a way that I somehow let the farm and my family down by getting that wrong. But I suppose it's the spirit of the thing that matters most, and perhaps I can be forgiven a small detail.
The wedding will be held on Guy Hood Drive, not Guy Hood Road.
Mr. Hood, I apologize. Grandaddy - since it was you who chose the name of the road - I apologize. (Family, am I right in remembering that Rainbow City wanted to name it after him, but he said that was an honore reserved for dead people, and since he wasn't dead it'd make more sense to honor Mr. Hood?)
In my defense, I did send three emails asking if I had the address right and got no replies, so I winged it.
Fortunately, Maquest, Google Maps et. al. take you to the same place.
If your invitation is a bit smeared it's probably the hot tears of shame I cried when I realized what I had done. Seriously, you can ask Curtis - I bawled my eyes out.
It has occurred to me that this wedding is, in a way, a celebration of my love for the farm and my family, and what it, and they, mean to me, and my joy in finding someone who appreciates it all as much as I do and wants it to be a part of his life going forward, too. So I'm upset, in a way that I somehow let the farm and my family down by getting that wrong. But I suppose it's the spirit of the thing that matters most, and perhaps I can be forgiven a small detail.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Strange Happenings
My golden retriever Kayleigh died in 1995. I had just broken up with my old boyfriend and we were still on fairly friendly terms. We decided to spread her ashes on the equinoxes and solstices in places she loved, one of which was the farm.
We spread her ashes at the farm a few days before Christmas. My grandfather watched the proceedings somewhat bemusedly, I'm not sure whether he thought we were silly or was touched that we considred his place special; probably a little of both. He loved Kayleigh - everyone did; she was a beautiful animal inside and out. Her coat was darker than a regular golden's; somewhere in-between golden retriever and Irish setter. In fact, people regularly asked if she was an Irish setter.
So we went out to the car to get the ashes out and walk across the road. There's a certain point in the winter after the leaves are gone when you can see the water from grandaddy's house. It's not that far away and the light glints off it during the winter sometimes. I was looking at it and noticed a group of dogs coming our way. A big black dog, a smaller beagle-ish kind of dog and and the a sort of collie-ish mix dog. They came from the direction of the water and made a beeline toward us at the house. They were very friendly and seemed excited, leaping and dancing around us.
They followed us across the road and we went all around scattering bits of ashes. The stakes for Sam and Nedra's new house had been laid, but construction hadn't started. We sprinkled the ashes where their house was going to be, figuring that as pure and full of love as Kayleigh was her spirit would help bless their house even further. The dogs were with us the entire time.
We finished our duty, said our prayers and began walking back to grandaddy's. The dogs went on their way.
When we got back, we were talking about how nice it was for those dogs to come escort us as we honored Kayleigh one final time, and wondered where they lived. We figured Grandaddy would have seen them around and know who they belonged to.
He looked straight at me and said, "I've never seen those dogs before."
So were they just dogs who sensed something going on and wanted to be a part of it? Perhaps but the thing that always struck me about them was their utter joy. It's like they were elemental expressions of Kayleigh's loving and joyous spirit. Maybe they were guides for her on the final leg of her journey or sourcs of solace for us, or both.
The important thing is, they were there. And they affirmed my lifelong belief that there is something magical about that place.
We spread her ashes at the farm a few days before Christmas. My grandfather watched the proceedings somewhat bemusedly, I'm not sure whether he thought we were silly or was touched that we considred his place special; probably a little of both. He loved Kayleigh - everyone did; she was a beautiful animal inside and out. Her coat was darker than a regular golden's; somewhere in-between golden retriever and Irish setter. In fact, people regularly asked if she was an Irish setter.
So we went out to the car to get the ashes out and walk across the road. There's a certain point in the winter after the leaves are gone when you can see the water from grandaddy's house. It's not that far away and the light glints off it during the winter sometimes. I was looking at it and noticed a group of dogs coming our way. A big black dog, a smaller beagle-ish kind of dog and and the a sort of collie-ish mix dog. They came from the direction of the water and made a beeline toward us at the house. They were very friendly and seemed excited, leaping and dancing around us.
They followed us across the road and we went all around scattering bits of ashes. The stakes for Sam and Nedra's new house had been laid, but construction hadn't started. We sprinkled the ashes where their house was going to be, figuring that as pure and full of love as Kayleigh was her spirit would help bless their house even further. The dogs were with us the entire time.
We finished our duty, said our prayers and began walking back to grandaddy's. The dogs went on their way.
When we got back, we were talking about how nice it was for those dogs to come escort us as we honored Kayleigh one final time, and wondered where they lived. We figured Grandaddy would have seen them around and know who they belonged to.
He looked straight at me and said, "I've never seen those dogs before."
So were they just dogs who sensed something going on and wanted to be a part of it? Perhaps but the thing that always struck me about them was their utter joy. It's like they were elemental expressions of Kayleigh's loving and joyous spirit. Maybe they were guides for her on the final leg of her journey or sourcs of solace for us, or both.
The important thing is, they were there. And they affirmed my lifelong belief that there is something magical about that place.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
The Shed
By the early to mid 70s, when my memory starts to kick in, Mr. Hood was gone and the original farmland farther east in the bend had been sold. My grandfather bought the land where his house is, and my uncle bought the land "across the road" where the original house was. Though the farm was no longer a big commercial enterprise, my grandfather continuted to grow corn, okra, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, peas, bell peppers, turnips, watermelons, cantaloupe and more. Surrounding the farmhouse on threee sides was a peach orchard, with a few apple and plum trees thrown in to boot.
The Shed, as I posted earlier, came about in the 1950s, I think, when someone suggested my grandfather sell the things he was growing. I honestly don't know if it started out life in the configuration I knew, or was reconstructed from original parts that served a different purpose.
It was a three-sided structure set a couple of car lengths back from the road between two massive oak trees that must've been 100 years old when the thing was built. Looking at it from the road, the right-hand side was solid planks, the back was open about halfway down, but filled in with wire and planked the rest of the way down. The left-hand side was open with a high shelf and wire above it. The front was copmletely open and, in my day, filled with a metal display counter - flat on the front but with an internal shelf that was turned to the inside. Baskets of peaches, tomatoes, and other goodies were stacked on it. I think it came from Mr. Hood's store. It's still with us - under the tractor shed - and will be holding food during the reception.
The floor was soft, powdery dirt. The roof was tin.
My history with the shed, obviously, goes back to the beginning of my life. My grandfather enjoyed telling about how one day, as a toddler, I was sitting out there with him and some other cronies and decided to "wash my hair" with the dirt. Clearly that must've served as a sort of self-baptism indoctrinating me into the place, and the place into me.
As I grew older, when folks came to the shed during the afternoon on the Sundays or weekdays we happened to be down there, I was allowed to go ring up a sale.
During my first year in college, my parents began making noises about me possibly finding a job when I came home for the summer. I resisted, as about the only job I was likely to get would have involved a fast-food resaurant and the polyester uniforms they sported during those days. I wasn't about to go that route. Thankfully, my grandfather came to the rescue and offered me a job as his shop girl.
I worked Monday-Friday, roughly eight hour days, 8-3 or so. I sold corn, tomatoes, green beans, peas, apples, peppers, plums, cucumbers, okra and, of course, those magic peaches. There is no better smell than the shed on a warm afternoon full to bursting with juicy redskin peaches.
And of course, no better taste than a warm peach right off the tree.
I have to confess, I get sniffly now in the grocery store when I walk past a particularly fragrant peach display.
Without a doubt, that was my favorite job ever. I loved being at the farm; I loved being outdoors all day. I loved the people, and thank God for the experience with them. I realize, that growing up as I did I was highly unlikely to be a snob, but I also know that because as a sorority girl who just completed her first year of college, I could have been obnoxious in the "i know everything" sense. I never doubted that my grandfather (both of them, actually) though not college educated was a very intelligent man. But it would have been easy to dismiss some of the other folks I came across down there, but spending just a few minutes talking to these men - most of whom who wore overalls every day and likely never finished high school, instilled me with a deep sense of respect for what the did know - not what they didn't. They knew the land, knew the animals, knew how the very planet worked. And no stint at college could ever teach me that. And I was, frankly, awed by them. Especially my grandfather.
The Shed, as I posted earlier, came about in the 1950s, I think, when someone suggested my grandfather sell the things he was growing. I honestly don't know if it started out life in the configuration I knew, or was reconstructed from original parts that served a different purpose.
It was a three-sided structure set a couple of car lengths back from the road between two massive oak trees that must've been 100 years old when the thing was built. Looking at it from the road, the right-hand side was solid planks, the back was open about halfway down, but filled in with wire and planked the rest of the way down. The left-hand side was open with a high shelf and wire above it. The front was copmletely open and, in my day, filled with a metal display counter - flat on the front but with an internal shelf that was turned to the inside. Baskets of peaches, tomatoes, and other goodies were stacked on it. I think it came from Mr. Hood's store. It's still with us - under the tractor shed - and will be holding food during the reception.
The floor was soft, powdery dirt. The roof was tin.
My history with the shed, obviously, goes back to the beginning of my life. My grandfather enjoyed telling about how one day, as a toddler, I was sitting out there with him and some other cronies and decided to "wash my hair" with the dirt. Clearly that must've served as a sort of self-baptism indoctrinating me into the place, and the place into me.
As I grew older, when folks came to the shed during the afternoon on the Sundays or weekdays we happened to be down there, I was allowed to go ring up a sale.
During my first year in college, my parents began making noises about me possibly finding a job when I came home for the summer. I resisted, as about the only job I was likely to get would have involved a fast-food resaurant and the polyester uniforms they sported during those days. I wasn't about to go that route. Thankfully, my grandfather came to the rescue and offered me a job as his shop girl.
I worked Monday-Friday, roughly eight hour days, 8-3 or so. I sold corn, tomatoes, green beans, peas, apples, peppers, plums, cucumbers, okra and, of course, those magic peaches. There is no better smell than the shed on a warm afternoon full to bursting with juicy redskin peaches.
And of course, no better taste than a warm peach right off the tree.
I have to confess, I get sniffly now in the grocery store when I walk past a particularly fragrant peach display.
Without a doubt, that was my favorite job ever. I loved being at the farm; I loved being outdoors all day. I loved the people, and thank God for the experience with them. I realize, that growing up as I did I was highly unlikely to be a snob, but I also know that because as a sorority girl who just completed her first year of college, I could have been obnoxious in the "i know everything" sense. I never doubted that my grandfather (both of them, actually) though not college educated was a very intelligent man. But it would have been easy to dismiss some of the other folks I came across down there, but spending just a few minutes talking to these men - most of whom who wore overalls every day and likely never finished high school, instilled me with a deep sense of respect for what the did know - not what they didn't. They knew the land, knew the animals, knew how the very planet worked. And no stint at college could ever teach me that. And I was, frankly, awed by them. Especially my grandfather.
Mr. Hood's Legacy
In the early 1940s, Guy Hood was a major landowner in Riddles Bend with a large commercial farming operation. He had a feed store in downtown Gadsden as well, but whether that was open at the time or came long later I'm not sure. At any rate, he was looking for a farm manager in the early 40s.
My grandfather, Sam Wilson, was, I believe, working with the County Agent's office in neighboring Calhoun County. Mr. Hood got wind of him, offered him the job and Sam, his wife Lois, their daughter Mae Ann and son Sam Jr. moved to Riddles Bend in rural Etowah County. My mother, Kay, and aunts Joyce and Judy came along after the move. I don't know the exact connection between Mr. Hood and Grandaddy, so if someone who does reads this, I'd love for you to tell me!
My grandparents grew up in a little place called Angel Station. (My great-grandmother - my grandmother's mother - was an Angel. Which makes me what - an eighth angel? Hee!) Any wedding guests who went to Jacksonville State and got there by turning off Hwy. 431 have driven past Angel Grove Baptist Church, which many members of my family still attend. Turn right on a road just past the church and you'll go past the old Wilson homeplace, and the newer house where my great aunt Frances - we celebrated her 90th birthday in February - her son Joel and daugter-in-law Doris live and farm today. A bit further down the main highway is a white house on a hill surrounded by the carcasses of many different types of vehicles and farm equipment. That belongs to my grandmother's brother, my great uncle Henry Wynn, who also recently turned 90.
But I digress. My grandparents moved to the farm and lived in a house that Mr. Hood and his wife, Ada Lee, had lived in when they first came ot the area some 20 years before. She was from South Carolina and had been a schoolteacher; I'm not sure what his background was. Interesting, that for a man who has two roads named after him (one in the Bend and a major four-lane in downtown Gadsden) I know the least about "Mr. Guy."
In those days the house was on the opposite side of the road from where my grandparents' house is now. When my mother was little, that side of the road was home to turkeys. The "new" house was built in the 1950s.
In the 40s, however, the old house was at the center of a collection of buildings, most of which are no longer around. There was a garage, a two-story seedhouse, a couple of chicken houses and probably a lot of other stuff I've forgotten. The well house, a shed that once housed pigs and, of course, the tractor shed where the reception will be, are all still there. You'll all be thankful to know that the outhouse my mother and her family used for the first 10 or so years of her life, is gone as well!
My grandfather, Sam Wilson, was, I believe, working with the County Agent's office in neighboring Calhoun County. Mr. Hood got wind of him, offered him the job and Sam, his wife Lois, their daughter Mae Ann and son Sam Jr. moved to Riddles Bend in rural Etowah County. My mother, Kay, and aunts Joyce and Judy came along after the move. I don't know the exact connection between Mr. Hood and Grandaddy, so if someone who does reads this, I'd love for you to tell me!
My grandparents grew up in a little place called Angel Station. (My great-grandmother - my grandmother's mother - was an Angel. Which makes me what - an eighth angel? Hee!) Any wedding guests who went to Jacksonville State and got there by turning off Hwy. 431 have driven past Angel Grove Baptist Church, which many members of my family still attend. Turn right on a road just past the church and you'll go past the old Wilson homeplace, and the newer house where my great aunt Frances - we celebrated her 90th birthday in February - her son Joel and daugter-in-law Doris live and farm today. A bit further down the main highway is a white house on a hill surrounded by the carcasses of many different types of vehicles and farm equipment. That belongs to my grandmother's brother, my great uncle Henry Wynn, who also recently turned 90.
But I digress. My grandparents moved to the farm and lived in a house that Mr. Hood and his wife, Ada Lee, had lived in when they first came ot the area some 20 years before. She was from South Carolina and had been a schoolteacher; I'm not sure what his background was. Interesting, that for a man who has two roads named after him (one in the Bend and a major four-lane in downtown Gadsden) I know the least about "Mr. Guy."
In those days the house was on the opposite side of the road from where my grandparents' house is now. When my mother was little, that side of the road was home to turkeys. The "new" house was built in the 1950s.
In the 40s, however, the old house was at the center of a collection of buildings, most of which are no longer around. There was a garage, a two-story seedhouse, a couple of chicken houses and probably a lot of other stuff I've forgotten. The well house, a shed that once housed pigs and, of course, the tractor shed where the reception will be, are all still there. You'll all be thankful to know that the outhouse my mother and her family used for the first 10 or so years of her life, is gone as well!
In those days the dam on the Coosa near Ohatchee - Henry Neely Dam - had yet to be built and the river was much lower. The eastern edge of the bend is a high bluff now, but must have seemed like a mountain in those days. I'm told that in the fertile river bottoms corn rows a mile long were not uncommon. They grew strawberries there, too. Further back from the river was the main orchard - covering a section of low, rolling hills, and a dairy barn.
In his travels through the newly turned earth, my grandfather amassed quite a collection of arrowheads. My aunt Joyce mounted some of the most impressive ones in shadowboxes; you can see them in the master bedroom.
At some point in the 1950s, someone suggested that Grandaddy sell some of the peaches and other produce he grew on his land. A shed was erected directly across the (then dirt) road from his house under two towering oak trees, and for the next 30-plus years Riddles Bend became a destination for those willing to drive out of their way for fresh produce and peaches the size of softballs (after 20 years living in Georgia, I have NEVER had a peach as good as those).
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Is this a real farm?
Yes and no. It was much more of what you'd think of a "real farm" in the 1940s, '50s and '60s with acres of corn, strawberries and other crops, dairy cows and, of course peach orchards.
These days, my uncle Sam -- who is a retired Alabama Power exec and his wife, Nedra, a dietitian who worked with UAB and helped launch Cooking Light - farm mostly for fun (and to keep the family in tomatoes). They also grew the pumpkins you'll see at the wedding.
There aren't any animals other than the dogs - Maizy and Millie - and some moles in the front yard. And the beautiful hawks who circle in the sky, an occasional water bird flying from one side of the bend to the other. And, late at night, the coyotes.
These days, my uncle Sam -- who is a retired Alabama Power exec and his wife, Nedra, a dietitian who worked with UAB and helped launch Cooking Light - farm mostly for fun (and to keep the family in tomatoes). They also grew the pumpkins you'll see at the wedding.
There aren't any animals other than the dogs - Maizy and Millie - and some moles in the front yard. And the beautiful hawks who circle in the sky, an occasional water bird flying from one side of the bend to the other. And, late at night, the coyotes.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Directions to the Farm from Birmingham and Points West Via I-20
The Short Version
I-20 West to exit 168, Talladega/Lincoln North (left hand turn at top of exit) onto Alabama Hwy. 77
26 miles to U.S. Hwy 411 (South) left hand turn onto 411
Approximately 6 miles to Riddles Bend Road
Left onto Riddles Bend Road Right at first fork onto Babe Jackson Drive
DO NOT CROSS CREEK / ENTER ST. CLAIR COUNTY
Right at second fork First left onto Guy Hood Road Follow signs for parking.
The Scenic Version
- Make Your Way to I-20 Eastbound.
- Pass through the metro area, the 'burbs, the exurbs and the country.
- Drive through Birmingham, should your journey require it.
- Most of you coming from this direction already know whether you want to take the Birmingham bypass or not.
- Take exit 168, Talladega/Lincoln. Take a left onto Hwy. 77 North at the top of the ramp.
- Proceed 26 miles to Gadsden. Noteworthy places along the route:
...Ohatchee, about 15 miles up the road. It is a HUGE speed trap.
...The Coosa River and its backwaters - they make for a lovely drive
...Southside, another speed trap.
...The old Southside bridge - it's green metal and one lane now, but it used to be TWO.
- Turn left (there will be a turn lane) onto U.S. Hwy. 411 South about a mile after you cross the Southside bridge.
...There will be a Walgreen to your right, a Shell to your left and an Exxon across from it.
- Travel approximately 6 miles to Riddles Bend Road. Turn Left onto Riddles Bend Road so the creek is on your right. With luck, we will have remembered to put up signs!
...If you cross Canoe Creek into St. Clair County, you've gone too far.
- Take a right at the first fork onto Babe Jackson Drive
...The fire station will be directly in the center of the fork; the church off to your left.
- Take a right at the second fork.
...There will be a beautiful beige house in the center of the fork.
- Take the first left onto Guy Hood Road.
...You will see the reception site (tractor shed) on the right; the wedding site (small white house) on the left.
...Parking will be on the left, on the other side of the white house.
I-20 West to exit 168, Talladega/Lincoln North (left hand turn at top of exit) onto Alabama Hwy. 77
26 miles to U.S. Hwy 411 (South) left hand turn onto 411
Approximately 6 miles to Riddles Bend Road
Left onto Riddles Bend Road Right at first fork onto Babe Jackson Drive
DO NOT CROSS CREEK / ENTER ST. CLAIR COUNTY
Right at second fork First left onto Guy Hood Road Follow signs for parking.
The Scenic Version
- Make Your Way to I-20 Eastbound.
- Pass through the metro area, the 'burbs, the exurbs and the country.
- Drive through Birmingham, should your journey require it.
- Most of you coming from this direction already know whether you want to take the Birmingham bypass or not.
- Take exit 168, Talladega/Lincoln. Take a left onto Hwy. 77 North at the top of the ramp.
- Proceed 26 miles to Gadsden. Noteworthy places along the route:
...Ohatchee, about 15 miles up the road. It is a HUGE speed trap.
...The Coosa River and its backwaters - they make for a lovely drive
...Southside, another speed trap.
...The old Southside bridge - it's green metal and one lane now, but it used to be TWO.
- Turn left (there will be a turn lane) onto U.S. Hwy. 411 South about a mile after you cross the Southside bridge.
...There will be a Walgreen to your right, a Shell to your left and an Exxon across from it.
- Travel approximately 6 miles to Riddles Bend Road. Turn Left onto Riddles Bend Road so the creek is on your right. With luck, we will have remembered to put up signs!
...If you cross Canoe Creek into St. Clair County, you've gone too far.
- Take a right at the first fork onto Babe Jackson Drive
...The fire station will be directly in the center of the fork; the church off to your left.
- Take a right at the second fork.
...There will be a beautiful beige house in the center of the fork.
- Take the first left onto Guy Hood Road.
...You will see the reception site (tractor shed) on the right; the wedding site (small white house) on the left.
...Parking will be on the left, on the other side of the white house.
Directions To The Farm From Atlanta and Environs Via I-20
The Short Version
I-20 West to exit 168, Talladega/Lincoln
North (right hand turn at top of exit) onto Alabama Hwy. 77
26 miles to U.S. Hwy 411
(South) left hand turn onto 411
Approximately 6 miles to Riddles Bend Road
Left onto Riddles Bend Road
Right at first fork into Babe Jackson Drive
Right at second fork
First left onto Guy Hood Road
Follow signs for parking.
The Scenic Version
- Make Your Way to I-20 Westbound.
- Pass through the metro area, the 'burbs, the exurbs and the country.
- Cross the state line (you will not need a passport - that is just an urban legend).
If you're in need of a pit stop, the Alabama Welcome Station is clean and safe.
- Pass through lovely Anniston, Alabama. Exit 188 is an excellent place if your pit stop requires not just a pit, but food and drink as well. You'll find more than enough fast food and gas stations at this exit and the next.
- Be sure to notice Alabama's highest peak, Mount Cheaha, to your left.
- Around mile marker 170 or so, you will spot the Talladega Superspeedway to your left. Be glad the wedding isn't a week earlier, or you would be in bumper to bumper traffic right now.
- Take exit 168, Talladega/Lincoln. Take a right onto Hwy. 77 North at the top of the ramp.
- Proceed 26 miles to Gadsden. Noteworthy places along the route:
...Ohatchee, about 15 miles up the road. It is a HUGE speed trap.
...The Coosa River and its backwaters - they make for a lovely drive
...Southside, another speed trap.
...The old Southside bridge - it's green metal and one lane now, but it used to be TWO.
- Turn left (there will be a turn lane) onto U.S. Hwy. 411 South, about a mile after you cross the Southside bridge.
...There will be a Walgreen to your right, a Shell to your left and an Exxon across from it.
- Travel approximately 6 miles to Riddles Bend Road.
...Turn Left onto Riddles Bend Road so the creek is on your right. With luck, we will have remembered to put up signs!
...If you cross Canoe Creek into St. Clair County, you've gone too far.
- Take a right at the first fork onto Babe Jackson Drive
...The fire station will be directly in the center of the fork; the church off to your left.
- Take a right at the second fork.
...There will be a beautiful beige house in the center of the fork.
- Take the first left onto Guy Hood Road.
...You will see the reception site (tractor shed) on the right; the wedding site (small white house) on the left.
...Parking will be ahead on the other side of the white house.
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