Showing posts with label Birmingham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Birmingham. Show all posts

Saturday, September 22, 2012

The Big Red House in the Woods

I got up early this morning and was very excited.  Amanda and Linda would be picking me up shortly to go to Birmingham to help David and Susanna move into their new house.  Well...the house is not new...but it is to them.  David graduated in May from Seminary in Louisville and has taken a Minister of Music job at a Baptist church in B'ham.  We got to the house and went right to work unloading kitchen stuff for the cabinets.  At lunch we ate at Chipotle.  Have you ever eaten there/  It was wonderful food.  I had a chicken burrito bowl and could not eat it all.  Thanks Amanda for lunch.  Back to the house and back to work.  It was lovely to actually see the kitchen now that all the boxes are empty and sitting like little guards outside the kitchen door.  The guys went and picked up the couch and brought it home so we went to work getting the living room in order.  The nursery was finally together and Becky put all the lines on the bed.  David and Susanna and three little ones have lived the past five years in a tiny two bedroom apartment up a million flights of stairs.  In the new house you could set the apartment in the kitchen and den area.  She is going to enjoy all the room.  They even have a mother-in-laws suite at this house.  The new house sits nestled in a heavily wooded area with a huge front and back yard for little boys to explore and play in.  I loved the yard.  Wheeler, their oldest son, calls it "My bid red house in the woods."  You have got to love it.  Susanna is an amazing decorator and quite the shopper.  She can get more stuff for the least amount of money....she is something else.  It is going to be so much fun having them so close.  This will give us lots more time to spend with Wheeler, Tommy, and new baby Mac.  This awesome young woman of God...managed to pack up her home in Louisville, give birth to baby Mac a month ago...and move.  I am not sure I would have had her stamina.  After we had been unpacking for several hours yesterday I took a stroll outside to check out the property.  I am telling you....this is a young boys delight.  Look at all the fun stuff they can find, all the places to play hide and seek, and cool places to build forts.  I love it.  Congratulations guys on your new venture.  God bless you all real good and we love you bunches.
The big red house in the woods...according to Wheeler.

Mushroom bouquets are scattered all throughout the yard.
 
The backyard as the sun is sinking.  Trees, trees everywhere....oh what a great place for a child's imagination.  Oh the trees are amazing.  There are dogwoods, hardwoods, pines, and even cedars.  Oh to be a child again and have this awesome backyard to play in.  I could spend hours there.  The patio is where I would have my office.  It is lovely with the big adirondack chairs and the chandelier....the library would be my second choice.  This house has so many cool aspects about it.  It was built in the 60's and was a pre-fab home.  The kitchen is a dream.  There is only one thing about this house that did not impress me.....it has these crazy heater things in the wall....and they cut on yesterday while we were working....and it was miserable.  We could not get them to cut off.  David finally called he owner, Mr. Benton and he came and had to shut the breaker off....til he could get an electrician to come.  It was so much more pleasant without trying to work and sweat your socks off at the same time.  We left around 6 heading home and the trip home was an adventure.  On I-20 just over the Coosa River bridge there was a wreck....semi vs car.  Traffic was backed up for several miles at an area where three lanes already is converging into two.  It was a nightmare.  After we got off of  I-20 and headed down 431 there was another wreck between Wedowee and Rock Stands.  This time it was man vs bull.  It was a frightening travel night and I was glad when we made it home safe and sound. 
Splattered like paint among the canvas of this wonderful yard are tiny pink and lavender flowers.  These tiny little jewels make the whole picture complete.  I did see many remnants of holly berry's, dogwoods, and azaleas. Susanna will have a breathtaking yard canvas come Christmas and spring.  I can't wait to see it all in bloom.  I enjoyed my day with family.  I enjoyed the laboring for love.  I loved seeing the babies.  All in all...this was an awesome day.  I am beat and headed for bed.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Birmingham Consignment Shopping

Mary and I got up early this morning...and after a few stops here in town headed to Birmingham to go consignment shopping. Now, consignment shopping can be a good thing (where you find all kinds of bargains), or a not so good thing (where you get nothing). Today was a red letter day. I got the cutest Laura Ashley skirt, top and jacket set at the Clotheshorse. It is one of my favorite little consignment shops. They don't take junk and what they have is really stylish, clean, and has a number of miles left in it. Then...I got a cute pair of Clark Sandals...barely worn....there was not even a foot bed print in them....at Silver Lining off Hwy 150 in Bessemer. I am so excited. I stand on my feet all day and these feel like standing in clouds! After Silver Lining...and following the Map Quest directions I had run...we went looking for the next place in Bessemer....to no avail...what we ended up....was lost! Not to fear, Mary and I called her son Jesse....who works for Southern Company in Inverness...and had him GPS us to I 65. We met him at T.G.I.Friday's for lunch. I had the pecan crusted chicken salad...with low-fat balsamic vinagairette....lunch sized. Then we went to Collage's off Hwy 31. I got some cute moleskin black pants, a black jacket like thing...with one button...and a cute black, turquoise and white jacket....my stuff was all half price...and I spent a grand total of 30.00 there. I was thrilled. After Collages, we found Some Wear in Time off the Summit Road. Mary racked up there and got three adorable tops. She had gotten a skirt and two tops at Collages....and three darling dresses for her granddaughter at the Clotheshorse (75%off - 11.00 total). We took advantage of the tax free day Birmingham was having today and lucked out. Getting home was a bummer....we ended up getting caught in Friday afternoon, tax free weekend, 5:00 traffic. An hour and a half max trip...took almost 3 hours today. I was so frustrated when I finally got to the other side of Double Oak Mtn. Glad to be home...purchases are all put away....and I am grinning like a cheshire cat! Have a Happy Friday...my last free one until Fall Break...the second week in October!