Y is for ...

YESTERYEAR

Do you ever ponder what life was like back in the “olden” days? As I have gotten older, I have realized that there are days (it seems more and more frequently as of late), that I often wish we could go back to those days of old where life seemed to be more carefree and full of hard-workers. I often look at my 95 year old Grandpa, who still has the desire to actually go out and work yet no one will hire a 95 year old! So, he has resorted to staying home and building bird boxes, canes and stools. Isn’t it somewhat sad that a 95 year old has more of a heart of working than most people who are actually “working” in today’s age? The days of yesteryear are sadly fading fast – there is less concern and compassion for those around you, much less there is even an actual desire to want to work and be productive. Technology and new innovations are constantly erasing what sadly remains of the days of doing things by hand and actual using your mental, brain power to help do the work! However, not all inventions have necessarily been a bad invention!

I will be the first to admit that I am not sure I could survive living in such rustic and secluded areas that I have seen while out touring some of the mountain farmlands that have been preserved for us to take a trek back in to the land of old. Can you imagine living in a log cabin out in the middle of the mountains and woods with no running water nor electricity and good ‘ole Smokey the Bear comes peeking in your window? Umm…, I find that might be a bit unnerving. But in hindsight, I can imagine their life was probably a lot less stressful than ours is today. I even think back to one of my earlier blogs on the Amish people. While they are full of mystery, they are still dedicated to their heritage and many continue the trends of yesteryear of growing their own foods, living without electricity and not having vehicles. Sometimes their work ethic and heritage is something that we should highly revere.

I love visiting historic sights, whether in the mountains or at the beach or anywhere in between. It just takes you back to a place in time where you can reflect and let your senses get lost in the past and leave this crazy, hectic present day world for a little bit of time. If only, there were days we could bring the carefree past back in to the present. We have truly become a spoiled nation, who sadly takes so much and even each other for granted. When was the last time you sat on an old, hard wooden pew, in a non-air conditioned building for your church service? Likely not in many years, as we are now spoiled with padded pews, air conditioning and all sorts of technology that surrounds our every move, but wouldn’t it be nice to have a church service occasionally in an old, frame church listening to the sounds of the old-style piano play uniquely sounding chords as we lift our voices in praise? I think that would be a nice trek to take on occasion.

And can you honestly imagine cruising along the interstate on your daily commute to and from work in your styling wagon? Oh, how far we have come from a horse drawn wagon taking family to town or church or various places in their communities. Now, we are all trying to keep up with the Jones’ for who can have the newest, biggest and shiniest car. Will that really matter in the long run – whether you drive a BMW or a Prius or a Ford 150 or a Beetle Bug? NO! I just recently made the comment that with the high cost of auto insurance that I would like to ride a horse to work and tie him up outside my window and let him prune the grass. Hey! just think, travelling in a horse-drawn wagon was a lot less cheaper method of transportation than our fancy rides of today! Hmm…I think I hear a horse in my future!!

Next time you are out and about and see a festival or some sort of historical sight, take an extra few minutes to stop by and check out what is going on. You never know what you might learn. Even if you go to the NC State Fair, take a stroll through the Village of Yesteryear and check out some of the crafts that are being made. And if you decide to go out and venture in to the woods of a rustic, mountain cabin and take a hike over to a waterfall, be on the lookout for ole’ Smokey and give him a wave as you keep passing right on by.

X is for ...

X-FACTOR

Well, seriously, just how many words that start with the letter “X” can I find to write a blog on that I actually have pictures of? So, yes, this might be a stretch, but we are going to roll with X-Factor because that is the best (and the only thing) I’ve got thus far!

For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about when I say “X-Factor”, let me give you a quick refresher … Simon Cowell, ahhhhh!, who helped start American Idol, also came up with another singing reality show that did not have the restrictions that American Idol often placed on their contestants. He debuted this show in the UK where it became an instant hit and produced several key artists, including Leona Lewis. The premise behind the whole show as finding the “it” factor that the contestants needed; also known as the “x” factor – something the judges knew to look for and try to bring out of the contestants in hopes of making an unknown individual into a big name superstar worldwide. Contestants could be any age, from youngsters on up; and they could also be groups; plus they were all mentored by one of the judges. It brought a lot more variety to what American Idol lacked.

Eventually, Simon decided to take the X-Factor on the road and bring it across the pond from the UK to the USA. The X-Factor (UK) featured a panel of dominant judges including: Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh, with an occasional other addition. Those three together would make audiences laugh and could dust the dirt off some of these unknown artists and see the jewel lying beneath. I personally had hoped he would even bring the same judges from the UK show over to America. I mean seriously who would NOT want to see Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne go all crazy at each other? (Rawr!!) Unfortunately for me, I did not get my wish and there would be no Simon and Sharon USA showdown (bummer!)

The X-Factor is similar with American Idol in that it does go on the road and hold auditions throughout the country. But one key difference between the two shows it that the X-Factor auditions are done not only in front of the judges’ panel but also in front of a live studio audience, who almost act as a fifth judge! My friend Allison and I learned that auditions were coming to Greensboro, North Carolina, so we got tickets to go to the auditions as members of the audience. I was stoked because yes, that meant, I was going to get to see Simon Cowell, since he would remain on the judging panel albeit without Sharon by his side (sniff, sniff!)

So, off we head merely 80 miles west on I-40 to the metropolis of Greensboro and what seems to be my second home of the Greensboro Coliseum (I seriously think my car could drive itself there as many times as it has been there in the past three or four years!). The lines to get in where almost like a zoo – lines for those auditioning (obviously NOT me!), lines for fans in the audience, lines for family members. It was quite chaotic, but we figured it out and made our way inside for the first taping of the Greensboro auditions. It is quite interesting to see all the behind-the-scenes production work that goes in to putting one of these shows together. But what absolutely amazed me was the sheer size of the massive stage that these contestants had to walk out on. If they in the least bit had any stage fright, they would be doomed immediately with this immaculate set-up. Our seats were not down on the floor close to the judges’ panel, but we still had a good view and as long as I could see Simon, I really could care less!

We knew in advance who the judges were going to be and I was severely depressed by the selection – L.A. Reid, Demi Lovato, Simon Cowell and the one they tried making the queen superstar, Britney Spears. I have never been a huge Britney fan so to have to sit and endure her was going to be a challenge for me, especially when all I could think of was “why not Sharon? Sharon would be the best!” Nonetheless, it was fairly entertaining to see some of the performances. We had a mixture of ages, singles and groups that performed. A few really stood out and eventually did make it past the first round, but in honesty, I don’t ever recall seeing any one from Greensboro actually make it further in the program. It makes you wonder what happened to all these people who I thought really could sing much better than some that actually made it on to the TV show.

Overall, the X-Factor experience was pretty cool. I was able to say I have been in the same room with Simon Cowell now and all his glory!! Sadly, the X-Factor was not as big of a hit in the USA as it was in the UK (well, hello, the reason is obvious – Simon, Sharon and Louis!). But, it was something we can now say we have been a part of. It does make you wonder though what the true “X” is that they are searching for in the contestants because I still have yet to see it those who auditioned, much less actually won the show!

And for what it’s worth, this is why the X-Factor (UK) was so much better than the USA – no holds bar! Go Sharon, Go!!

W is for ...

WILMINGTON

We all have favorite cities or places that we like to visit. I have a whole host of favorites. But ever since I was a little girl, the city of Wilmington, North Carolina, has always had a special place in my heart, so much so that I used to call it “my city”. For those of you who have never been to Wilmington, it is a very historic city yet one that is also very modern. Downtown Wilmington sits right along the Cape Fear River, and the outer lying fingers of the city limits is just mere minutes from the local beaches and the Atlantic Ocean. What a perfect place to reside, right?

I have always loved the historic downtown area with its many unique shops and the relaxing river walk. One of my favorite places to visit is the Cotton Exchange. This is a collection of buildings that once was used as a cotton mill, but has since been converted into many shops and restaurants that are still housed within the original building. If you ever visit the Cotton Exchange, please make sure to stop by Top Toad, and you absolutely MUST eat at Paddy’s Hollow. Oh! This makes me wish I was there right now! After visiting the Cotton Exchange, I usually either take a stroll down Front Street or go for a stroll along the peaceful river walk and watch some of the many boats and ships that come in to the Port of Wilmington. You can even climb the stairs of the courthouse much like Andy Griffith used to do in Matlock!

Another of highlight along the Cape Fear River is the USS North Carolina Battleship. The USS North Carolina is docked within the Cape Fear River across from Downtown Wilmington. It is such a neat sight to see when you are walking down the river walk and look across to see this giant World War II battleship on display. I have toured the battleship when I was younger and was absolutely amazed at its size. This is another must see in the Wilmington area. It makes you truly proud of all the servicemen who served our great nation and seeing that all they had to endure.

But in all honesty, my most favorite sight and landmark of Wilmington is probably something that most people would think rather odd. No, it’s not the battleship or any shop in particular, it’s not one of the beautiful historic homes or churches or any of the flower gardens, but ironically, it is the drawbridge. The drawbridge in Wilmington is one of the most unique pieces of architecture I have seen. I have always been enthralled by it. Crossing it as a child used to absolutely amaze me as I could not believe we were driving across something that you could practically see through! When you see most drawbridges open to allow the ships to pass thru the waterway underneath them, most will typically split in half and open up vertically and others may spin to the side to open, but the drawbridge in Wilmington is a bit different. The entire middle section will actually rise apart from the rest of the bridge and lift heavenward to adjust to the size of the ship coming thru below. When the U.S. Coast Guard’s Eagle came in to Wilmington for an annual nautical parade, the drawbridge had to be raised to its highest point and even then the Eagle barely squeaked by below. No matter when I go to Wilmington, I always have to take a picture of the bridge. Sure it never changes, but it is just a signature element within the Wilmington landscape. It is affectionately also known as “Meredith’s bridge” – okay, in reality it is not, that’s just a name we gave it.

Fortunately for me, whenever I am feeling some Wilmington blues, I just have to jump on I-40 and head eastbound and can usually get there in a little over an hour from my home. It is a city that I often go to for day trips and even just for shopping trips. It is a fun place, though traffic can be an absolute nightmare, but you learn the side and back roads to avoid all of that. I have often said that when I get old and grey, I want to retire there to one of the historic homes perched up on the banks of the Cape Fear River. I guess I will ultimately have to hit the jackpot or something to afford that, but I can keep dreaming! Go visit Wilmington or your favorite city and keep the small town charm alive!

V is for ...

VINTAGE

I was recently looking up ideas for my letter “V” blog post since I certainly wasn’t going to do a blog on many of the other “V” words that exist, and I was really struggling with an idea of what to post since this blog series has to have pictures of things that relate. I decided that “V” was simply just going to be a challenge. I asked several of my friends for help, and even their brains were stuck. I pondered doing a blog on “Voting” but I’ve already done one of those in the past, and I am really not ready to go political again! So, I was just about ready to throw in the towel and skip on to “W”. Yesterday, I was having a really, really down day and one of my friends texted me trying to cheer me up. I am not sure what it was about the text message she sent me because it had nothing to do with the topic nor blog, but the word “Vintage” just popped in my head while I was talking to her. I immediately started perusing through some recent photographs and found a few that I thought might be appropriate. So props to my friend for helping me though she really has no idea she did – and she certainly isn’t vintage, she is classy!

Anyways…

When you think of the word “Vintage” what comes to mind? Maybe something antique? Something cherished? An old dress or a piece of jewelry from many decades ago? Countless things can come to mind when thinking of vintage items. I loved one of the descriptions of the word vintage that I found online: “vintage is used to describe something that is not new but that is valued because of its good condition, attractive design, etc. or something that is made or done by a particular person.” Some vintage items may not look that attractive or appealing to the eye, but everything is in the eye of the beholder, right? Everything is special to someone in so many different realms – items that could bring back memories from your childhood or some ancient artifacts from history or eras gone by. Vintage items bring out a feeling of curiosity in a lot of us, so looking through the many photographs I have taken over my life, it was hard to select just a few to display.

Now for me growing up in rural North Carolina, I was accustomed to seeing many a tractor driving down the highways and many hard-working, dedicated farmers plowing and tending to their farmlands. Tractors of all sorts and kinds exist – from small lawn/garden tractors to large ones used to disk up the hard soil in preparation of the next planting season or destroying of the after-harvest. I was always intrigued by tractors and just how many different brands and sizes there were. I will never forget my Grandfather’s ancient Cub Cadet small tractor. He used to drive that thing all over our family land. I used to dream of driving the thing because it always reminded me of him. After he passed, we continued to use it, until we donated it to someone to use for parts. It was sad to see it go. Going to a recent Agricultural Festival brought back a lot of those memories. There was a countless array of old tractors on display for many to see. Beautiful tractors that are still in pristine condition and some that show some wear and tear from hard, labor-filled days in the farm fields. The smell of fuel and the sound of those antique engines just brought a sense of my childhood back to me seeing all those tractors in the fields. Sadly today many of those fields no longer exist because they are being overtaken by shopping malls and housing developments. I suppose it is just a sign of the time that the old farming days are becoming a vintage item in and of themselves.

There is also just something about old bottles that I find to be quite alluring. When you go on walks through the woods or even occasionally along the shore of the beach, you will likely run across some bottles of some variety. It makes you truly think how or why those bottles are in the places where you find them or how long they have been awaiting for someone to discover them. Message in a bottle, anyone? Back in their day, these precious bottles were brand new objects that carried joy to whomever was using them; now to us, we are intrigued by them and want to keep them on a shelf to cherish their unique design. I often wonder what item that we throw away today might be cherished and considered vintage by generations that follow us? We have a collection of bottles at home that my Dad loves to collect and clean. Some we leave in the condition that we found them, while others we like to clean up and display. I often ponder if there is any monetary value to any of them, so I can sell them and get some extra money (ha!). But in reality, they do make a nice display, too.

And then of course one of my ultimate favorites is the sound that comes from an antique piano. Wait, what?!? Pianos can sound different, you say? Absolutely! I have played the piano since I was a wee little thing and I have played a variety of pianos and while they all have the same note connotation, each piano can contain its own unique sound. My Great-Grandmother had a very old piano in her home and I used to love playing on it as a child. It was massively out of tune but none-the-less just the way the reverberations came out the piano had a very distinct sound that stays with you throughout your life. Sometimes the older pianos are much more entertaining to play on. Their sound makes me think I am in some far away, small country church in the mountains or in the valley playing to a congregation as they sing along to the old shape-note music. I love the touch and feel of the older pianos. Just think of the heritage and history that has used those pianos for entertainment. So many memories live within the bodies of the beautiful instruments.

Days gone by should be cherished. However our society today has almost gotten to the point where they mix vintage and nostalgia together as one in the same, when in reality they are not. Vintage items have a history that extends deep within. We should not forget the history behind each vintage item that we encounter. At one point they were brand new items to someone, and equally someone worked very hard at crafting those items. Vintage should be respected and revered. Let us not forget where we came from and where our history resonates.

U is for ...

UNUSUAL

Don’t you just love it when people say you have unusual characteristics? For me personally, I am often having people tell me that “you have an unusual taste for clothes” or “you have an unusual appetite” or “you have unusual eyes” or just anything that pops in to their minds they always seem to associate it with being unusual. Part of me has often wondered whether I am really that unusual or just exactly what do they mean when they refer to me in that demeanor? Obviously, everyone’s connotations for varying words and subjects are going to be interpreted differently, so I just try to let it roll off my back and think of it as a positive comment in some diluted aspect. But nonetheless, it piqued my curiosity, and I thought that I may as well look up unusual in the dictionary to determine how off-balance people think I truly am.

Merriam-Webster Online defines “Unusual” to mean the following:
1) not normal or usual;
2) different or strange in a way that attracts attention;
3) not commonly seen, heard, etc.
Hmmm…okay, well I personally hope that top definition does not apply to me. I have often considered myself to be quite a normal individual who just happens to be surrounded by a bunch of crazy people; but who knows, maybe I am the crazy one and they are all normal? (I really seriously doubt that, you just need to come hang out in this nut farm for a day and you’ll see quickly how unusual and just ridiculous some individuals can be!). But anyways, I think the definition that Merriam-Webster utilizes appropriately describes some oddities that I have found over the past year. Their characteristics seem to mirror this definition almost to a tee. Therefore, I have decided to dedicate this little letter of the alphabet to some of the things that I view as unusual and maybe even a little weird. So, here we go!

The intriguing yet unusual Cucurbit!

Most of my unusual candidates depicted in this blog all come from the same place – the North Carolina State Fair, a place that I love with my body, soul and spirit, yet it is a strange place with unusual exhibits and highly abnormal people! I remember last year when I was walking around in the Flower and Garden Show, I ran across this HUGE “thing” that resembled a cucumber. I immediately snapped a picture of it for my friend who is addicted to cucumbers (that, I still do not understand – she is unusual in her own special way but I still love her!). But the more I stood there and looked at it, the more I thought “What the heck is a Cucurbit?” because I know for sure, this is not something that is grown at my Wake County home. (It must be from JoCo or some neighboring areas – all this unusual there!) The Cucurbit is one of those items that is so unusual that you aren’t really sure whether to classify it as a vegetable or a thing! I even did a little research on the internet and ironically the only definition I could find to describe it was a plant within the gourd family. Hmmm….okay, then what exactly is the purpose of this steroidal-type cucumber? Obviously for this individual, it was a blue ribbon! But hey, if you can win a ribbon for something so unusual and relatively unknown, go for it! Maybe I need to grow a curcubit this year?!?!?


Unusual faces in unusual places!!

There seems to be some popularity lately with putting random faces on random things. When we go to the mountains, so many of the pottery places are now putting these weird, unusual looking faces on to mugs, pots and various pottery items for you to purchase. Now my Dad thinks these things are awesome and he has bought quite a few of these pottery faces, but I am actually kind of freaked out by them a little bit. I don’t particularly like walking in to my living room to see a one-toothed man staring me down from the side of a coffee mug with these really big bug eyes – that just seems rather freakish to me! So you can imagine my reaction when I see unusual faces on the side of PUMPKINS at the State Fair last year. Now don’t get me wrong, the individuals who craft these items are highly talented because I could not carve a face on the side of a pumpkin or on a piece of pottery to save my life. I am lucky enough to be able to carve my name on the side of a tree! But, these pumpkin faces just overwhelmed me. I couldn’t figure out how the pumpkin would not rot faster by cutting some of its outer shell off. Again, Dad was just in awe of them; while I maintained a safe distance as if the creatures might come to life and attack me! If one of those things winked its eye at me, y’all would’ve heard me hollering slam in Michigan! So it never fails that unusual faces will pop up in unusual places – always be on the lookout!!


The “what in the heck” is this unusual looking bread?!?! Seriously!?!?!

And just when I thought life couldn’t get any weirder, I found this …In all honesty, this little bread creation is highly unusual, but it is also kind of cute. (It doesn’t freak me out quite like the pumpkins). This is where the definition about attracting attention applies for unusual because this bread creature definitely brought customers to the table! I go over to this booth to buy some of their absolutely delicious white chocolate chip baguettes and when I look down on the table this bread creature immediately grabbed my attention. I am assuming it is supposed to be a spider since it was relatively close to Halloween, but partly it kind of resembles a sweet little crab. Either way, I thought it was highly peculiar and just could not resist taking its picture. My question ultimately would’ve been did someone actually buy and eat the thing? Hmmm…I am assuming it was merely decorative, but in this day and age, there is no telling!


This just goes beyond unusual – decorated SWEET POTATOES?????

Okay, let me retract my previous statement of “and just when I thought things couldn’t get any weirder...” this display of unusualness just went over the top, seriously! I have NEVER in my life witnessed such unusualness put on display quite like this. I mean I guess that saying “anything goes” is highly applicable in the South, but really, who takes a perfectly good sweet potato and decorates it?? Wow! Okay, in hindsight, it was a kids’ competition at the Fair where they decorate vegetables and enter them in competition, so I will grant them a little slack and grant them some points for creativity – a sweet potato mouse and a sweet potato baby? That is rather clever and even cute, but it is still really unusual and just flat out weird. How do you exactly come up with the idea of “hey, let’s take this fresh sweet potato and turn him in to a mouse…on a trap!” -- that is just what blew me away!

In many ways, we are surrounded by things unusual – it could be an unusual looking car or food or even the person in the cubicle next to you (no comments there, as I mentioned earlier, I’m surrounded – though it may not apply to a handful!) or it could be that your definition of unusual totally differs from someone else’s. Either way, I suppose we should just embrace the unusual as that seems to be becoming a more normal in today’s society. And if you want to say I have unusual clothes or whatever else, go right ahead, that just means you’re leaving someone else alone and I will find a way to spin it in to a positive! I don’t mind being called unusual, but I actually would prefer another “u” word – UNIQUE! But, as Alfred North Whitehead said:

“It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious.”