This is the  door that I hauled home from the side of the road. It is so heavy I can only lift an end by myself.  Love the peep hole lens. It has two layers (insulated double thick) of frosted glass.

Tuesday

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     O  n Tuesday, April 22, 2014, I slept in until 10 a.m.  Around 1, I went to the bike shop and the Marketplace Thrift Store. The thrift store was closed, but the bike shop was so wonderful that I actually walked the Schwinn bike back down around 2:30 to let them fix it.  The adjusted the tube and put air in the tires. They did not charge me anything.  They also let me know that if I wanted to get the leak fixed in the mountain bike, it would cost $15.  Later, around 5, I rode down to the Saving Way  Thrift Store and over to the Big Spring Park.  Then, I rode back to the house on Clinton Avenue getting home at 6.  At 6:45, I jumped on my bike and went up to Maysville Street (8 blocks). Then over 4 blocks to Pratt then up the mountain 2 more blocks to watch the sunset at Cumberland Presbyterian Church. There is a nice view. Around 8, I was talking to Jessica, Brian, and Jonathan on google chat and mentioned to them that I saw a solid wood door on the way home.  They encouraged me to go get it with handtrucks. I rode my bike to where the door was before I hauled the heavy handtrucks down to haul the door home.  It was still there, 2.5 blocks away. I figured out how to prop the door on a pedal and put the handlebar through the doorknob hole.  Once it was home, I went to settle down for the night.(bike total : 8 miles)

My week in Huntsville

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My Week in Huntsville  by Sharon Brewer

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  On Thursday, April 17, 2014, I rode with Mary Fagan, a dear friend to Huntsville. We left from the house on Davis Street in Piedmont around 10 a. m.  Mary took me to the Courtyard Café for a wonderful grilled chicken plate for lunch. Then we rode up to Huntsville via 278 and 231.  I was dropped off at Brian and Jessica’s home.  I unloaded my things, set up my computer, and got settled  in.

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On Friday, April 18, 2014,I cannot remember much of the day.  I know around 6:30 p.m., Mary and Esther picked me up and we all went to a home fellowship at Ken and Sunne’s. There was a wonderful, relaxed feeling to the time.

On Saturday, April 19, 2014, I walked to a yard sale about a half mile from the house, up on Maysville Avenue. I found about 30 maps for $15 and two pairs of winter thinsulate leather gloves for $1 a pair.  After I got back to the house, I looked in the shed thinking about the bikes that I might be able to fix and ride around town. To get to the bikes required a slight straightening of the shed. Two hours later, I aired up both bikes and settled on the red mountain bike for my wheels. Around 1 p.m., I headed up to Oakwood and over to the Subway. After grabbing a foot long, I headed up Pulaski Pike to the N.S.S. headquarters, a total of 6 miles from the house. I worked with mudding drywall until 6:30.  I was so thankful that Woody gave me a ride home. A soaking bath and a relaxing night finished off the day. (bike total : 6 miles)

On Easter Sunday, April 20, 2014, allergies greeted me. Without allegra, I knew a trip to Walmart was necessary. The bike tires were flat, so I aired them up again.  I headed up to the Subway for another footlong on my way to Walmart. I also purchased some peanut butter bars to replace the ones that I had eaten at the house. In the evening, I rode the bike 2 miles to the south to visit the Maple Hill Cemetery. It was like a park. Dogwood trees are in full bloom.  I stayed up until around 2 a.m. working on writing the One Day Wedding Story so that I could take it to the printers on Monday. (bike total : 10 miles)

On Monday, April 21, 2014, I slept in until 10 a.m.  I got up, bathed, and did laundry. I washed all my pants in the same load, leaving myself without any bottoms to wear. I had to wait until the clothes were dry before I could go anywhere.  Around 2 p.m., I aired the tires on the bike again and rode off to do errands.  I took a check to the bank for Brian and Jessica, visited two thrift stores, went by two print shops, stopped at a pawn shop, and visited a different Subway for another footlong. (bike total : 6 miles)  

My new "old" prop

Yesterday, After a trip to the Birmingham train station,

I stopped by one of my favorite thrift stores.

 She had moved a few things around. After a bit of shopping, I looked around for my favorite all-time rocking horse. I had seen him 11 months ago with a NOT FOR SALE tag. There he was up on the top shelf. I spoke a little about how much I loved him. The wonderful lady says, "Do you want to take him home for such and such amount?" My mouth dropped and I held back a tear or two.

 I asked, "Does he have a name?"
"No."
"I shall see about a special name," I said.

 Once I got home, I looked at his name plate on the chest. He does have a name. He is Harry the Hairless horse.

 I am so excited. I am not sure which room he will live in, but I am tickled that he now has a home at my house.

Photography Critique

This morning, a friend brought up the real reason for critique within an artistic setting. This discussion was like turning soil within my soul. Then, we were given an assignment to go shoot and post straight out of cameras without any edits or corrections. Get it straight in camera. It is now 1.5 hours later and I find I like more than one image. The first image was called TIP OF SPRING. Now, I am considering a collage because it is hard to narrow it down to one image. This was the first image. Simple aim and shoot. Wide open aperature allows more to be in focus.

 Closer in. I like the detail, but I am unhappy with the contrast between the blurry green stem and the light area in upper right.

 I like the tip of lighter area blurred on the top right pointing and curving towards the tallest tip (in focus).

 Bounce flash was brought out, and I am not sure why I like this one.

 I like this one because I sometimes feel like the daffodil, learning to hold in the emotion until the timing is right. Life is filled with little hidden wonders just waiting to burst forth in glory.

 Love the lines in this one.

 I like the light green feeling of burst coming from the corner and extending
 to the tips.

On the last one, I love the little shadow that mimics the tips. It's almost as if the child has his hands in the air to cast a shadow on the ground. This image is so fun because no matter what angle I flip it, I get a different emotion.

Snow!

When a snowflake falls in Alabama, three things happen. Cars forget their training and jump straight into the nearest ditch. Milk flies off the shelf as if cows will never be milked again. And, the little child inside sits by the window never satisfied with all the white on the ground. If there is an inch, I am hoping for 2. If there is 2, I am hoping for 3.
The snow last week brought the high hill sledding on the first day. When I say high hill, I am talking about the street in our neighborhood that goes up 220 feet. My husband sledded down the hill so fast all of the neighbor fellow's jaws dropped. On the second day, the hill had ruts and grooves that froze overnight and made it impossible to ride with any sort of control. On day three, I built a 5ft snowman by the mailbox that still has small traces three days later.

February comes again!

I have to find out how to blend my new nickname on Goggle with the old.
Update:
        House is just as messy, or so it feels like it. There is no way to measure progress when you have clutter everywhere. Guess I should take once a week pictures so that I can look back and see my progress. I have moved out the tuxes for a friend to sell in Birmingham. I have cleaned out both bathrooms. Some photo clutter has been cleaned out as well.
        Body is doing much better. I can hike 12 miles before my knees hurt. Before the knees would hurt at 8 miles. I was able to walk a half mile to a wild orange tree and carry 50 lbs of oranges back out the half mile. A week ago, I came within 1 pound of losing 60 pounds so far. Late night choices have set me back this week. I have a friend helping me get up by my bootstraps and kick this weight OFF!
         Budget has not shown much progress.