Google+ Georgia On My Mind: 2008

Sunday, December 28, 2008

The Villa Rica Explosion

Back in 2006, I posted at History Is Elementary information regarding a lesson I teach at the beginning of the year titled Historians Observe Their Surroundings. Basically I show various images in an attempt to get students to see that every piece of ground has a history.

At one point in the lesson we move as a group down to the playground….not for recess but to make some observations. From that post I wrote:

By this time I have several wiggle worms so we get up and walk down to the recess field. I gather everyone in a group and I tell them that historians never know what they are standing on unless they truly observe their surroundings. We identify together that we are standing on the recess field, and then I ask, “Is that all we’re standing on?”I tell students to follow me and we go to the edge of the playground.

We are standing on the edge of a hill. Down below us we see a flat overgrown area. Sticking out of the hill in various places we see all sorts of debris. Rocks, long pieces of rebar, broken signs, glass, wires, bricks, and assorted hunks of concrete litter the hillside.

We regroup, and I tell the class that the area where they play did not look like it did many years ago. I ask them to come up with some ideas about what happened. Some are silly, some are average, and some are pretty good guesses.

Finally, I tell them the story. Many loads of dirt were hauled in to build up their playground, but before the dirt was dumped the town brought in remnants of a section of town. You see the town where our school is located experienced an explosion, and some of the trash ended up as filler for our playground. Some of the kids nod their heads in agreement and state their grandmother or grandfather had told them about the explosion while other students are amazed.So….before we trudge back to the classroom I summarize and close with, “What did we learn today?” I get several responses.“Things aren’t always as they appear to be.”“You never know what you are looking at.”


“Every piece of ground has a history if you’ll just look at it and listen.”

“Our recess field is a dump.”

Yep, there’s always a true blue smartie in every group.

While working on some things for my church history the other day I came across a 1997 article from the Douglas County Sentinel dated December 5th.

The article states:

It was the worst tragedy to ever hit this small west Georgia town, and for people who recall that fateful day, the memories are just as vivid as ever.

Thursday, December 5, 1957, was a day just like any other in downtown Villa Rica. People were out casting their ballots for municipal elections as they had done in years past. Others were catching up on their Christmas shopping.

And then, suddenly, their lives were changed forever.

Shortly after 11 a.m., a natural gas explosion ripped through the downtown area, killing 12 people and injuring at least 20 others.

According to newspaper accounts of the time, several eye witnesses described the blast as a loud “whoomp,”, that was more like a clap than a bang.

Others said that the town suddenly looked as if it had been hit by an atom bomb.

“I was in kindergarten at the time in Mrs. Nan Cole’s house when we heard the loud explosion,” said Suzanne Watson. “We could see the cloud from the explosion, and Mrs. Cole told us something was burning, to allay our fears. I found out what really happened when I got home from kindergarten.”

Ethyleen Tyson recalled similar memories.

“I was at home about two miles away from town when we heard this loud boom,” Tyson recounted. “We thought it sounded like a bad thunderstorm…the noise vibrated the whole house and shook the windows.”

Tyson said that an announcer came on WSB-Radio shortly after the noise and reported that a bad explosion had occurred in Villa Rica. Authorities asked that people stay away from downtown since only emergency vehicles were being allowed into the area and a search was under way for bodies.

…Eyewitnesses who were downtown when the blast occurred told reporters who swarmed the area from as far away as Atlanta, that the air was filled with clothing, papers, wood, bricks, and other falling debris.

Buildings several hundred yards away were damaged. Four cars were completely smashed. Fortunately, rescuers found them to be empty.

Newspaper accounts from the day reported that Berry’s Pharmacy was believed to have been ground zero for the blast. For several days prior to the explosion, employees at several downtown buildings had complained of smelling gas, especially at the drugstore.

Ralph Fuller is one of the few who can claim he was inside the drugstore that morning and lived to tell the tale.

“I was in the drugstore and I was sitting with a girl in the back having something to eat,” the Villa Rica barber remembered. “We were sitting by the jukebox, and I thought the jukebox had blown up.”

“I thought I would smother once I realized what had happened, what with all the debris on top of me,” he continued.

Fuller received severe burns in the blast and was hospitalized. Although Fuller said that does not remember how long he had to stay in the hospital, he did remember the reaction of family members who visited him there.

“My own sister didn’t recognize me from the burns I had,” said Fuller.

According to newspaper accounts of the time, rescue workers and fire departments from all over the local area and as far away as Atlanta responded to the blast.

The Civil Defense from Cedartown was called in to help maintain order, as was the State Militia. Prisoners from the county jail were even brought in to help.

Volunteers, however, did much of the work of sifting through the rubble until rescuers arrived. Longtime pharmacist James Harrison, the father of Suzanne Watson, was one of them.

Harrison was downtown when the blast occurred. He had been out making house calls with a doctor friend, and had returned to town just before 11 a.m. His friend had dropped him off in front of Berry’s Pharmacy, and Harrison had started inside to have a soft drink and relax.
“As I opened the door and began to walk inside, I remembered that it was Election Day, so I decided to go vote….Just as I reached it, the explosion took place.”

Harrison said that telephoned his wife and daughter to let them know that he was OK, and then went immediately back to the scene to help.

He recalled one woman in particular who was buried under the debris of a building near the corner of Montgomery and Candler.

“There were prisoners drilling the best they could through the concrete and we could hear her crying, “Help me! Help me, I’m burning up!”

Johnny Blair, brother of Ethyleen Tyson, was 29-years-old at the time and on duty with the Carrollton Fire Department when news of the explosion reached the station. Blair went up to Villa Rica to help out with the rescue.

“Oh Lord, it was a terrible mess,” said Blair. “We worked all told about three days and nights doing what we could.”

“We helped move debris as well as helping with the traffic,” Blair continued. “Another thing I’ll say is that you say what you want about convicts, but you’ve got to give it to the convicts who worked the explosion that day. They were lined up in a long row and were passing the debris by hand to try to get to the people who were buried.”

Those who survived the blast recall that nearly everybody who lived in Villa Rica knew someone who was killed in the blast.

“It’s only the Lord’s mercy there weren’t more killed or hurt,” Tyson said.

The following are the persons who perished in the December 5, 1957 natural gas blast in downtown Villa Rica:

Mrs. Ann Pope Smith, age 23
Mrs. Margaret Berry
Bobby Roberts, age 13
Miss Carolyn Davis, age 22
Oscar Hixon, age 34
O.T. Dyer, age 60
Johnny Dyer, age 30
Rob Broom, age 54
Dr. Jack Burnham, a dentist
Kenneth Hendrix
Carl Vinter
Rozella Johnson


The newspaper article goes on to state the above names was supplied through the kindness and hardwork of Mrs. Ethyleen Tyson.

The marker seen pictured with this post and on the web here is located in Villa Rica, Georgia in front of Berry’s Pharmacy on U.S. Route 78 at the intersection with South Chandler Street in downtown Villa Rica.

The marker states:

Around 11:00 a.m. on December 5, 1957, a natural gas leak under Berry’s Pharmacy caused an explosion that destroyed four buildings and damaged several others in Villa Rica’s downtown. The explosion killed twelve and injured twenty. The tragedy highlighted the need for both an organized local emergency response unit and the use of odor in the natural gas supply.

The civil defense unit that resulted became a model for west Georgia. Ensuing litigation placed a considerable financial burden on the city, suppressing economic development for years. In terms of injury and loss of life, the explosion remains the most catastrophic event in Carroll County history…


Update: Someone at the Topix page for Villa Rica….found here...posted a link to old news reel footage concerning the explosion. The video is presented below:


Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Merry Christmas, 2008!

From my home to yours....Merry Christmas and Seasons Greetings!


Thursday, December 18, 2008

You Know You're From Georgia When...

1. You can properly pronounce Chickamauga, DeKalb, Dahlonega, Smyrna , Buena Vista, Valdosta , Okefenokee, and La Fayette.

And Atlanta is ADD-LANNA not AT-LANT-A.

2. You think people who complain about the heat in their states are sissies.

3. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and look for a funnel cloud.

4.You know that the true value of a parking space is not determined by the distance to the door, but by the availability of shade.

5. Stores don't have bags or shopping carts, they have sacks and buggies.

6. You've seen people wear bib overalls at weddings and funerals.

7. You think everyone from a Yankee-state has an accent.

8. You measure distance in minutes.

9. You go to the lake because you think it is like going to the ocean.

10. You listen to the weather forecast before picking out an outfit.

11. You know cowpies are not made of beef.

12. Someone you know has used a football schedule to plan their wedding date.

13. You know someone who has a belt buckle bigger than your fist.

Many bloggers are participating in Thursday Thirteen today. You can locate them here.

Many thanks to my friend Rosetta….who forwarded the above text to me via email.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

The Strange Case of George Brown

Governor Henry McDaniel served as Georgia’s top-ranking government official from 1883 to 1886. He’s known for being one of the first professors at one of my alma maters….Mercer University. During the Civil War he earned distinction for taking over his unit, the Georgia 11th Infantry, when all of the officers were killed. Later he entered politics where he served out the remainder of Gov. Alexander Stephen’s term following his death and was then elected in his own right. During his administration, the Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, was established and the construction on the current state capital building began.

As with most governors, McDaniel was often asked to review the cases of convicted felons for clemency. One particular case told the strange saga of one George Brown, a prisoner in the Dade County Penitentiary.

The 1886 article found in the New York Times states:

(please note the following newspaper article is presented here just as it appeared in the 1886 paper. Some of the language is offensive to us today, but it was commonly printed during the late 19th Century)

During the recent insurrection of the Dade County Penitentiary one of the prisoners named George Brown distinguished himself by his efforts against the mutineers. As soon as the time came for surrender a forge with blacksmith’s tools stood ready to fashion the shackles on the prisoners. As they came out George Brown jumped to the anvil, and seizing the sledge undertook the task of shackling his comrades. As he disposed of one prisoner he would call out, “Bring in another coon.”

Col. Towers recommended the pardon of Brown to the Governor. It was then that an interesting story was developed by Dr. J.A.Gray, who happened to be in the executive office. In 1878. Brown was a guard of a convict camp. A prisoner escaped and was pursued by Brown and the Sheriff. Under the Sheriff’s orders Brown fired and killed the fugitive. For this he was convicted and sentenced to death, but the sentences was commuted to life imprisonment.

In 1879, Dr. Gray visited the penitentiary with a legislative committee and being struck by Brown’s appearance secured his confidence and learned that he was under an assumed name; that his father was one of the most prominent citizens of Oswego, N.Y., but he did not wish his family to know of his unfortunate situation.

Dr. Gray, on returning to Atlanta, communicated with Oswego and found that the prisoner’s statement was correct. These papers he then turned over to Dr. Raines, the then principal physician, with the request that he would use them to secure Brown’s pardon. It was not until today that the case was recalled, when Dr. Gray ascertained that Dr. Raines had never taken steps in the matter, that on Raines’ death a couple of years ago, all the letters had been burned by his widow, and that he himself had forgotten the real name of the prisoner who was today set free by the executive clemency of Gov. McDaniel.

Strange Georgia history, huh? This would make a great plot for movie....if it hasn't already.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Georgia Carnival: Edition 50

Welcome to the Georgia Blog Carnival!

The bloggers featured here are all part of the extensive list of bloggers from Georgia I have listed in the right sidebar of this site. Currently the blogroll is a bit incomplete as I am rebuilding it from scratch. If you don’t see your blog, but it was linked to this site previously, please give me a little time to get the code written.

Any Georgia blogger can submit a post to the carnival or a blogger from another state or country can submit a post for inclusion if the topic of the post is Georgia related.

If you own a Georgia blog contact me at the email address in the right sidebar and request an”add” to the blogroll. If you have requested to be added since October please be patient as the site where the blogroll is maintained (blogrolling.com) is undergoing some renovations, and I’m building the code myself.

The Georgia Carnival will be moving to a monthly format over the holiday season with the next carnival being posted here at
Georgia on My Mind on Friday, January 9th. Submissions will be due Thursday, January 8th.

If you maintain a Georgia blog and would like to host the carnival at your site e-mail me to set up a date. It’s a great way to put your own personal spin on the carnival.

The last edition of the Georgia carnival can be found
here, and the carnival archives are found here.

Now… on to the highlights of Georgia blogging during the past two weeks.


In the last edition of the Georgia Carnival we saw some of the pictures Shell’s family took at Callaway Gardens. Since I was one the judges I thought I would include the results this time. You can see them at the post ...And the Winners Are at Live the Life.

Satellite TV Guru presents Watch Heroes Season 3 Online - Satellite TV Guru.

Are you always in a panic once December 1st rolls around each year because you haven’t even started thinking about the gift buying you need to do? Felicia, over at Fluffy Flowers has a solution for you with her post how to setup a Christmas closet.

Over at History Is Elementary I advised readers about the ongoing efforts to clean up a World War II battle site in Pacific and remember our dead properly with Beach Red.

….and if you haven’t received your own White House Christmas card yet I have posted an image, so you see what they look like here.

A few weeks ago I paid as much as $4.57 per gallon to put premium gas in my car which “he who must be obeyed” demands I put in my car. Now the price is much lower, and the news is regular will go down to a dollar soon. What’s up with that?!? Paw Paw Bill is wondering as well with his post…Oil Price Mumbo Jumbo.

…and Paw Paw Bill ponders the inevitable rush for presidential pardons in the coming weeks in his post Pardon My Turkey.

Well, that’s it for this edition of the Georgia Carnival. Please support these fine Georgia bloggers by letting them know you have visited them with a comment. Your continued support with your links and shout-outs at your site helps to alert others to what we Georgia bloggers have to offer.

The next edition of the carnival will be found here at
Georgia on My Mind on Friday, January 9th. Posts can be sent to gamind@mail.com or use the handy submission form. Submissions are due by Thursday, January 8th by 6:00 p.m.

Thanks for your continued support of the Georgia Carnival!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Georgia Carnival: Edition 49

Welcome to the Georgia Blog Carnival!

The bloggers featured here are all part of the extensive list of bloggers from Georgia I have listed in the right sidebar of this site. Any Georgia blogger can submit a post to the carnival, or a blogger from another state or county can submit a post for inclusion if the topic of the post is Georgia related.


If you own a Georgia blog contact me at the email address in the right sidebar and request an”add” to the blogroll. If you have requested to be added since October please be patient as the site where the blogroll is maintained (blogrolling.com) is undergoing some renovations and I’m unable to complete additions at this time.

The next carnival will be hosted here at
Georgia on My Mind on Friday, December 5th. Submissions will be due Thursday, December 4th . It’s hard to believe we will be hitting the 50th edition milestone next time.

If you maintain a Georgia blog and would like to host the carnival at your site e-mail me to set up a date. It’s a great way to put your own personal spin on the carnival.

The last edition of the Georgia carnival can be found
here, and the carnival archives are found here.

Now… on to the highlights of Georgia blogging during the past two weeks.

Out and About

Shell’s family visited Pine Mountain, Georgia and they are Looking at Callaway Gardens Through a Different Lens...or Five over at Live the Life. On a recent outing family members participated in a photo scavenger hunt. I know this wonderful family personally, and guess who gets to judge their photos? Head on over to check out Callaway Gardens, and I’ll post a link when I’m done with the judging. :)

Ever hear of a twofer? You know…two for the price of one. Savannah Red provides the Georgia Carnival with a twofer with his post The Silver Skillet in Atlanta: Breakfast After Taco Mac. I love his restaurant reviews.

As a young girl Thanksgiving meant one thing for me….it was almost time for the annual trek to downtown Richs for shopping, lunch in their dining room, and of course…..a ride on the Pink Pig. Southernbyways has been taking a look at holiday traditions and offers up Holiday Traditions in the South: The Pink Pig. I rode my old friend a few years ago with my daughter. I was shocked to discover the pig had shrunk a bit since I was child. :)

Here at Georgia on My Mind I posted about a little trip I took to Vinings last week and provide my own restaurant review in A Vinings Kind of Thursday.

Over at Fluffy Flowers, Felicia takes us on a photo and textual tour of ICE Atlanta Holiday '08. No silly….not ice as in ice capades…Ice as in Indie Craft Experience. After viewing the pictures I really wish I hadn’t missed out on this craft extravaganza.

And Felicia reminds us that we have had some beautiful Fall weekends.

Blogs and Blogging

Over at The Greatest Story Ever Told Jim Morrow wants to alert us to a new blog…..Head on over to his post to get the link for Snapshots of South Georgia.

Political Leanings

During the recent election I read several stories about many Americans voting for the first time. Sara from Ashes and Glass provides Jiddu Voted…where she writes about her grandfather and an aunt who were voting for the first time.

William Cotter, known as Paw Paw Bill in the blogosphere, opines about the “rumors” swirling about Hillary. Remember her? Read his post Hillary Close at Hand.

Paw Paw Bill is also musing about the automobile industry and their sad woeful tale in his post Road Test.

Freddie Sirmans thinks there is a Flicker of Hope for America.

Historical Remembrances

Veterans Day was November 11th. Check out all of the men and women from this church that are serving or have served their county with this listing of all of the postings by war or historical era. There’s even a video to get the tribute started located here. At the end of the page you can click “older postings” for two or three others.

Education and Children’s Literature

In this wonderful post Dan, over at Oconee County, Georgia Politics channels Revolutionary War General Elijah Clarke (founder of the Trans-Onconee Republic), and distant relatives Alexander Hamilton and General Henry David Blackshear in fantasizing about taking over the Oconee Board of Education. Gee, I wish more of us would fantasize with a historical bent like this…..

In my capacity as an elementary educator I do have a fondness for children’s literature. Dawn over at Belle of the Blog writes she is submitting her post titled Always and Forever in the hope that the information contained therein could help a family going through a tremendous crisis. The book she writes about may just be my next purchase for my ever burgeoning library.

In my most recent post from History Is Elementary I advise Historical Tales and Literature Tales...They Go Hand In Hand…..a post where I review the children’s literature book…..Madam President by Lane Smith.

Literature For the Older Set

John, over at Grasping For the Wind, one of the best sites in the blogosphere for science fiction and fastasy book talk, recently allowed Starfinder author John Marco to guest post at his site. Read the entire post here and……let’s not forget James Maxey who targets readers fifteen and older.

Religion and Spiritual Issues

Ever wonder what happens when the short and loud people go to bed over at O The Joys? Follow the thoughtfilled conversation over tea in the post titled I Think She Knows. Short and loud….I like that description of the wee ones. I no longer have short ones….but boy….are they still loud.

My blog friend, Pastor Bill, over at Ministry Best Practices advises his post is one of the hardest he has had to write. Check out Big News.

Name Your Vice...Pay the Price….the post over at "Got Bible?" where I discuss some of the benefits of my recent surgery and some of the things I've had to face down.

Well, that’s it for this edition of the Georgia Carnival. Please support these fine Georgia bloggers by letting them know you have visited them with a comment. Your continued support with your links and shout-outs at your site helps to alert others to what we Georgia bloggers have to offer.

The next edition of the carnival will be found here at
Georgia on My Mind on Friday, December 5th. Posts can be sent to gamind@mail.com or use the handy submission form. Submissions are due by Thursday, December 4th by 6:00 p.m.

Thanks for your continued support of the Georgia Carnival!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Submissions Are Due for the Georgia Carnival

It’s that time again…..the Georgia Carnival will post tomorrow.

This is just a reminder that if you would like to include a post of yours you can forward the link to me at gamind@mail.com or use the carnival submission form here. I’m getting this out a bit late, so I will take submissions through 9 a.m. tomorrow. Please limit your submissions to no more than two.

Due to the hacking of the blogrolling.com site I have been unable to add blogs to the blogroll. Watch for the blogroll at Georgia on My Mind to disappear for a day or two as I rebuild the code by hand and finally maintain it on my own. There are two reasons for this…..I won’t have to depend on an outside source to maintain the blogroll, and it will no longer hang/freeze the site as it loads in your browser. Plus I will be able to add new blogs at will.

I will be going back into the hospital in December or January so there are dates available for anyone who would like to host the Georgia Carnival during that time.

Thank you to all of you have sent well wish my way since my health concerns began in late August. It has been an interesting and very long road to travel.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Wordless: Mark Trail


Have you seen the Mark Trail exhibit at the Northeast Georgia History Center at Brenau University? The museum’s website states:

Mark Trail is the creation of Ed Dodd whose work in the National Parks along with his experiences as a hunter, fisherman, and world traveler inspired him to start the adventure strip in 1946. Born in 1902 in Lafayette, Georgia, Dodd went to work for Dan Beard at the age of 16. Dan Beard was the founder or the Boy Scouts of America and Ed Dodd worked at Beard’s camp in Pennsylvania for thirteen summers. While there, Dodd learned writing and illustration under Beard’s guidance. In 1926 Ed Dodd became the first paid Youth and Physical Education Director for the city of Gainesville, Georgia.
You can find out more by visiting the museum webpage for the Mark Trail exhibit here.

This is not a permanent exhibit for the museum so don’t let the grass grow under your feet.

The Wordless Wednesday hub can be found here.

You can click on the image to enlarge it.

Monday, November 17, 2008

A Vinings Kind of Thursday

Vinings—the village proper—always intrigued me as an interesting place. There were cute shops and restaurants, and later when I learned the history behind Vinings it held even more interest. Still with all of that intrigue Vinings merely served as a quaint place to drive through as I continued to use Mother’s cut through long after our shopping trips ceased and I was on my own.

I made myself take a day out for me last Thursday. I went by the local Publix and picked up things for dinner (so I would have no excuse to NOT fix dinner that evening), made sure the family kitty had food, and then off to Vinings I went.

When I was a little girl my mother always used Paces Ferry Road near Cumberland as a cut through to get over to Lenox Mall. In that way she avoided downtown Atlanta traffic, and we always enjoyed the route dotted here and there with grand estates and historic homes—many of which have now been razed to make way for even more modern mansions or cluster-type estate communities.

I understand progress, but it’s rather sad as well.

Around 1830 Hardy Pace operated Pace’s Ferry which took people and goods across the Chattahoochee River as they traveled from Atlanta back and forth to Buckhead and Smyrna. Vinings was known at that time as Paces after the ferryman. Later the village became known as Vinings after William H. Vining, a construction worker for the railroad, who oversaw the construction of “Vinings Bridge”.

During Sherman’s March to the Sea, Union forces occupied Vinings. Several pre-Civil War structures were destroyed at that time including the Pace home which had been used as a hospital. All that remains today are the steps.

Following the Civil War, Vinings became an area for Atlantans to retreat to during the hustle bustle and often frustration of Reconstruction. There were plenty of springs and pavilions to encourage tourists.



On Thursday I made a beeline to the shops at Vinings Jubliee. I’ve bought several things for my home in the various stores as well gift items for friends. One of my favorite stores is Limetree Gifts.

For my lunch location I had many great places to choose from, but I opted for Soho, also located in the Vinings Jubliee complex.



Trey was my waiter, and after going over the specials for me I ordered a hamburger with Alpine cheddar cheese and Applewood Smoked Bacon. Instead of fries I ordered the fruit salad thinking that was a much better choice. Since my surgery I’ve sworn off the life’s blood of Atlanta—Coca Cola—so I had water instead.

Soho has many interesting lunch choices, but health concerns kept me from ordering some of the more exotic ones like the Maple Grilled Salmon or the Chinese Grilled Chicken Salad. Trey returned in a few minutes with my water and a small wire basket. Inside the basket was a nicely folded white linen napkin and nestled inside was a sliced French baguette. Within a small silver cup I found a creamy spread that was just warm enough with some type of diced peppers. It was a nice update to merely serving rolls as a precursor to a meal.

It didn’t take long for my hamburger to arrive, but while I waited I wrote a little bit of what you are reading here and observed my fellow lunch companions in the dining room—businessmen in suits to casual wear, groups that appeared to have come from an office setting ( a mixture of men and women), and of course, there were several tables of ladies who lunch—you know, those ladies who don’t work and lunch is their occupation. I caught smidgens of business-type conversations, two ladies were discussing an upcoming fundraiser they were planning, one table of ladies who lunch were discussing a wedding, and the two women next to me were discussing a recent hospital stay—too close to home for me.

When my meal arrived it looked like this:


My fruit salad included chopped Granny Smith apples, cantelope, and strawberries served plain. After cutting my burger in half to prompt me to only eat half I attacked my fruit saving half of the burger for last.

Everything was great, and hopefully in the future I can return to Soho and order one of the more exotic menu choices. I’d like to return to Soho some Wednesday night for something they call a Flight Night. Soho was voted “Best Wine Bar” by Atlanta Magazine. Per Soho’s website….a Flight Night is an evening where locals and inquisitive wine lovers gather to experience fine wines from famous appellations and regions around the world.
I rounded out my trip by stopping by Macy’s at Cumberland before heading back home.

It was a great Thursday!
Images can be clicked to enlarge them. The image of the the post-Civil War picnic was taken from the Vinings Historic Preservation Society webpage….a great resource for Vinings.
Another resource to check out is the official Vinings, Georgia webpage.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Wordless: Marshallville Train Depot

This is the old train station at Marshallville, Georgia. I found the image at Georgia's Railroad History and Heritage site where you can find lots of information regarding railroads in Georgia.

The Wordless Wednesday hub can be found here.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Happy Veterans Day!


11---11---at 11 o’clock. Does that signify anything to you? If you are a World War I veteran it would. That is the exact day and time of the armistice….the time when all fighting was to stop. From that point until the years following World War II each November 11th was remembered as Amistice Day.

Due the scale of World War II and the number of soldiers and sailors who took part, who were injured, or were killed Amistice Day was broadened to include all veterans of the armed forces for all time.

As you have noticed I’ve been absent a bit over the last few days. I’ve been busy. The historical committee at my church changed up our normal method of recognizing our veterans to include a photo display and video recognizing the men and women of our church who have served their country.

I encourage you to go visit the site using this link which takes you to all of the postings on the blog regarding veterans including a video presentation, pictures of our framed display (61 veterans, so far), and postings for each war era including the pictures of the veterans, their names, and a bit about their service to our country.

The postings involving each war era would be a good place to have students complete research on particular veterans or particular wars or conflicts. In many cases I have linked to the history of our veteran’s battles and ships where I could.

It was an honor and blessing for me to work with these photos and information about each veteran. I hope you click over and enjoy viewing the postings.
This post also appears in its entirety at History Is Elementary.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Georgia Carnival: Edition 48

Welcome to the Georgia Blog Carnival!

The next carnival will be hosted here at
Georgia on My Mind on Friday, November 21st . Submissions will be due Thursday, November20th .

If you maintain a Georgia blog and would like to host the carnival at your site e-mail me to set up a date. It’s a great way to put your own personal spin on the carnival.

The last edition of the Georgia carnival can be found
here, and the carnival archives are found here.

Now… on to the highlights of Georgia blogging during the past two weeks.

When you are down….when you are having a bad day wouldn’t it be great to connect to a place where you could instantly see only good things? That’s exactly what this blogger wants to do. Head on over and read his intro post and while you’re at it tell him about a good thing you want to make sure he includes.

This carnival was posted a day late and I’m sorry about that. I’ve been swamped all week helping my church prepare a presentation to honor our veterans….Veterans Day is November 11th. You can view some of the project at our church history blog……here. Every veteran’s picture has been reproduced and framed along with captions telling a bit about his/her duty during their time of service. I’ve also created a slideshow that will be shown during our church services. Check back later as I’ve only posted a taste of what I have on the church history blog. I hope to have all 64 of our veterans online by Monday night. Thank you to Georgia Bloggers regarding your patience concerning the Georgia Carnival.

The newest Georgia Art Exchange Bulletin is out…..you can access it here.

Kevin Fleming over at Satellite TV Guru advises us how to Watch 24 Season 7.

Following Tuesday’s election Angela M. Otwell penned a nice piece of poetry titled Eating Crow posted at her blog amo.

Felicia over at Fluffy Flowers presents a bit of summer and provides beautiful plants as well.

This is a great time of year to visit Amicalola Falls in Dawsonville. Amy @ The Q Family presents A Day at the Amicalola Falls posted at The Q Family Adventure giving us the full measure of their experience.

William Cotter, Georgia’s own Paw Paw Bill, presents Not For The First Time regarding his brand spanking new flag and the memories it evokes for him. His post evokes a few memories for me as well.

Well, that’s it for this edition of the Georgia Carnival. Please support these fine Georgia bloggers by letting them know you have visited them with a comment. Your continued support with your links and shout-outs at your site helps to alert others to what we Georgia bloggers have to offer:

The next edition of the carnival will be found here at
Georgia on My Mind on Friday, November 21st. Posts can be sent to gamind@mail.com or use the handy submission form. Submissions are due by Thursday, November 20th by 6:00 p.m.

Thanks for your continued support of the Georgia Carnival!

Friday, October 31, 2008

Have a Safe Trick-or-Treat


From my home to yours....have a safe trick-or-treat!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Georgia Carnival: Edition 47

Welcome to the Georgia Blog Carnival!

As you can see this edition is here at Georgia on My Mind. Due to my own snafu I erroneously reported that this carnival would be hosted by
Atlanta on the Cheap. Pardon the confusion…..

Also I’ve been somewhat lax regarding posting regularly here. Recovery from my surgery and famly demands have taken a greater portion of my time than I realized. I miss regular posting here and am trying to make that happen as soon as possible. Make sure you read the entire carnival as I have linked to a couple of new blogs as well and have combined the information within the carnival.

The next carnival will be hosted at
Georgia on My Mind on Friday, November 7th . Submissions will be due Thursday, November 6th .

If you maintain a Georgia blog and would like to host the carnival at your site e-mail me to set up a date. It’s a great way to put your own personal spin on the carnival.
The last edition of the Georgia carnival can be found
here , and the carnival archives are found here.

Now… on to the highlights of Georgia blogging during the past two weeks.

The folks over at the massive blogcarnival site has informed me they’ve chosen the Carnival for Georgia Bloggers to be their featured carnival on Sunday, October 26th. You can see it splashed on their homepage all day. They also tell me they have recently added featured carnivals to highlight and acknowledge carnivals they really like. Wow! I appreciate the nod.

Steve Williams, The Georgia Road Geek. presents New "ROADGEEK-CAM!!!" From The Knoxville Area.

William Cotter, better known in the Georgia blogosphere as Paw Paw Bill, states, “Now Obama himself cautions against overconfidence, which is another way of saying don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Polls show Obama with more than enough electoral votes, some estimates as high as 330, a comfortable margin over the 270 needed to win.” Check out the rest in his post Unhatched...

Also when asked to take on a social interaction role Paw Paw Bill is also having to Get Over Myself…a post where he states the deer frozen in the highlights is none other than himself.

Felicia over at Fluffy Flowers provides small waterfalls and more water.

Marcus Smith from MarcusASmith.com shares The Silent Treatment Works Every Time saying, "Public speaking is a necessary skill. The silent treatment is a weapon you can use to hone that skill. Read further to find out more."

Jamestown had a sister colony? The English had a colony in New England prior to 1620? Yep! Check out my post over at History Is Elementary here.

Laney Pottery has a contest going on! Find out all about it here.

Dave O'Brien's Braves Blog has been added to the blogroll. Check out his current post Jake Could Make for J-Heavy Rotation.

Have you heard of Community Radar? It allows people to maintain their own civil news sharing site. Kim Gokce is doing it….Check out his page here titled United We Know.

I received an email from Elegant Image Studios this week. They are an Atlanta company specializing in webdesign…..check them out!

Well, that’s it for this edition of the Georgia Carnival. Please support these fine Georgia bloggers by letting them know you have visited them with a comment. Your continued support with your links and shout-outs at your site helps to alert others to what we Georgia bloggers have to offer:

The next edition of the carnival will be found here at Georgia on My Mind on Friday, November 7th. Posts can be sent to gamind@mail.com or use the handy submission form. Submissions are due by Thursday, November 6th by 6:00 p.m.

Thanks for your continued support of the Georgia Carnival!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Georgia Carnival: Edition 46

Welcome to the Georgia Blog Carnival!

The next carnival will be hosted at
Atlanta on the Cheap on Friday, October 24th . Submissions will be due Thursday, October 23rd .

If you maintain a Georgia blog and would like to host the carnival at your site e-mail me to set up a date. It’s a great way to put your own personal spin on the carnival.


The last edition of the Georgia carnival can be found here
, and the carnival archives are found here.

Now… on to the highlights of Georgia blogging during the past two weeks.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Kim Hatcher from Georgia’s State Park System about places to see in Georgia. Learn about the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Okefenokee Swamp, rural Georgia and some of the lesser known state parks and historic sites here.

The Guru presents Watch Heroes Season 3 Episodes Online and Frank provides How to Save a DVD to Your Computer posted at Satellite TV Guru.

Over at The Q Family Adventure Amy gives us 13 Fall Activities I love to do. If you are wondering what to do around Atlanta then this post is for you.

William Cotter provides an interesting life view of the recent Stock Market woes titled Don't Bet On It posted at Paw Paw Bill.

Fall is the time for apples so it appropriate that I include a recipe for Easy Tasty Baked Apples Recipe using Pottery Apple Bakers. This recipe comes to us via Laney Pottery, an upcoming new addition to the blogroll here at Georgia on My Mind. Make sure you check out all of the great pottery as well.

Over at Online Video Hacks. Frank explains How to Save a YouTube Video and tells us how to Watch Lost Season 4 Episodes Online.

From his post Heartbeat over at Paw Paw Bill William Cotter states, “Vice-Presidential candidates do not usually swing elections. They should. They are a heartbeat away from being President.”

The latest issue of Moonshine, a magazine of the southern arts is available online (& free) in its entirety at here.

Jen presents Fall Fairs, Festivals, & Concerts in Metro Atlanta and North Georgia posted at Jen's Genuine Life, saying, "Looking for something to do this fall in North Georgia? Look no more. This post has lots of activities for you."

Following my post over at History Is Elementary titled Bailout Bill: 13 Examples of Pork I decided to look into the issue of pork-barrel spending to see if I could find out when it began. Eating Up the Bread of Our Children shares a little of what I discovered.

Sarah Scrafford presents Green Gears: 50 Great Green Blogs for Car Lovers Organicasm posted at Organicasm.

Felicia provides “Something cute to put you in the fall mood” over at Fluffy Flowers with her post Emotionals Autumn Portrait

Well, that’s it for this edition of the Georgia Carnival. Please support these fine Georgia bloggers by letting them know you have visited them with a comment. Your continued support with your links and shout-outs at your site helps to alert others to what we Georgia bloggers have to offer:

The next edition of the carnival will be found at
Atlanta on the Cheap on Friday, October 24th. Posts can be sent to gamind@mail.com or use the handy submission form. Submissions are due by Thursday, October 23rd by 6:00 p.m.

Thanks for your continued support of the Georgia Carnival!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Wordless: Chateau Elan


Ah, the chateaus and wine growing areas of France. Beautiful, right?

I agree. This is a beautiful scene, but this image is NOT France.

This 16th-century style French chateau sits on 3,500 acres 40 minutes north of Atlanta and is fondly known as Chateau Elan. It is the largest winery in Georgia and also serves as a great destination for weddings, corporate retreats and meetings, golf and spa weekends as well as romantic weekends.

The property offers 11 different meeting venues, four golf courses, a European spa, an art gallery, eight restaurants, an equestrian show center, and a wine market.

You can visit Chatea Elan’s homepage Chateau Elan.

This is my fourth Wordless Wednesday foray here at Georgia on My Mind. You can visit with other Wordless participants here.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Responsibility...Silly, Silly Word!

Until we understand as a nation that government is not there to wipe our rear ends, hand us a bottle, and burp us….until we understand as a nation that each of us holds the responsibility for our own version of the American dream….until we understand that as parents we, not the state, are responsible for our children’s education….until we understand that owning a home is not a right... it’s something we do when we can afford it… then this mess will continue.

Read the rest of my rant here

Friday, September 26, 2008

Georgia Carnival: Edition 45

Welcome to the Georgia Blog Carnival!

The next carnival will be hosted here at Georgia on My Mind on Friday, October 10th. Submissions will be due Thursday, October 9th .

If you maintain a Georgia blog and would like to host the carnival at your site e-mail me to set up a date. It’s a great way to put your own personal spin on the carnival.


The last edition of the Georgia carnival can be found
here , and the carnival archives are found here.

Now… on to the highlights of Georgia blogging during the past two weeks
.

Creative Loafing’s annual Best of Atlanta is out……The critics picks regarding blogging announced best local blogger as the team over at Pecanne Log.

The critics also named David O'Brien's Braves Blog as the best columnist not found in the pages of the AJC.

Readers picked the Blissful Glutton as best blog.

Many, many congrats!

Well, Sara from Ashes and Glass has been a busy girl. Did you see her on the news? As many of you may know Troy Davis received a stay of execution this week.

Susan over at Patchwork Reflections shares The Last Bivouac from the Georgia National Cemetery in Cherokee County.

I took some much needed time to recooperate this week and stayed away from blogging, but I did manage to post over at History Is Elementary a few things about John Wilkes Booth you might not know.

Recently GriftDrift over at Drifting Through the Grift posted Reindeer Games…..ever wonder why more private political fundraising gatherings aren’t covered by the media?

Literary Rock Stars? Is there such a thing? Yep, there is. Felicia from Fluffy Flowers provides an excellent review of the recent Decatur Book Festival.

Over at Bill Shipp Online I found out this morning that Obama Has Dropped Georgia TV.

Urban Flats at Lindburgh has been reviewed by Chow Down Atlanta….and don’t worry….the food is exactly the same as their Lawrenceville location.

The Frisbee Report asks, “Do we have a living Constitution?"

William Cotter presents Alpo On Sale posted at Paw Paw Bill where he discusses the Depression in relation to the economic mess we are in today, and in his post Blank Check former Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, asks, “Why should Wall Street get bailed out by me when I’m getting screwed?” A very apt question if you ask me.

Angela Otwell from amo, provides a new painting, seasonally appropriate titled Still Haunted.

Kudos goes out to Georgia blogger, Legaleagle. His blog, LegalEagle Judgments has been invited by Newsvine.com, one of America’s top internet service providers, to join “Media Outrage,” to reveal and review the most outrageous media bias.

In case you’ve been busy the saga to save Jekyll Island continues….posted right here at Georgia on My Mind.

Finally, I wanted to let everyone know that O, The Joys along with another blog has revived the ROFL Awards. You can participate by nominating a post for the September ROFL Awards. The deadline is October 1st. You can find out all about it here.

Well, that’s it for this edition of the Georgia Carnival. Please support these fine Georgia bloggers by letting them know you have visited them with a comment. Your continued support with your links and shout-outs at your site helps to alert others to what we Georgia bloggers have to offer:

The next edition of the carnival will be found at Georgia on My Mind on Friday, October 10th. Posts can be sent to gamind@mail.com or use the handy submission form. Submissions are due by Thursday, October 9th by 6:00 p.m.

Thanks for your continued support of the Georgia Carnival!

Saving Jekyll...The Saga Continues

The image you see here was taken by my daughter. She visited Jekyll Island a few weeks ago and she had a blast. While the beach was nice what she really enjoyed was the parts of the island that are NOT developed.

I recently received the following by email and wanted to share it. Pay close attention the highlighted sections with information regarding how you can help:

When the Jekyll Island Authority’s (JIA) board of directors first announced its intent to undertake a comprehensive redevelopment of Jekyll Island State Park, a number of organizations urged the board to employ professionals in public land planning for the purpose of identifying the best path to follow in revitalizing the Park and to determine extent to which Jekyll can handle more development without negatively affecting the quality of the experience enjoyed by its visitors and without compromising the island’s environment or wildlife habitats.


Responding to public encouragement, the Authority recently conducted a planning study called an “Analysis of Long-Term Impacts of Development on Jekyll Island.” The study, which was done for the JIA by the Bleakly Advisory Group (BAG)—the consulting firm that selected Linger Longer Communities as the JIA’s private partner and helped write the request for proposals for the controversial Jekyll town center—marks a milestone in the history of the Jekyll development issue, as it offers a forecast of where BAG believes the Authority must head if it is to acquire the financial resources to maintain, operate and further develop Jekyll Island State Park and to boost visitation to desired levels.


Designed to provide an analytical framework for considering the appropriate level of future development on Jekyll Island, BAG’s study may prove to be one of the most important and influential documents in the history of Jekyll Island State Park. With its recommendation for increasing the number of Jekyll’s hotel rooms, condos and cottages from its existing 1,624 units to 3,700 units, and with its projected boost in the island’s average daily population from the existing 6,000 to 15,000 in peak season, the BAG report, understandably, has raised some eyebrows.


BAG will be holding a meeting at 2:00 on September 29th at the Jekyll Convention Center to summarize the report and take questions from the public. Anyone interested in the future of Jekyll Island State Park should consider attending this meeting.


People who will be unable to attend the meeting but would like have their voices heard at the session may send their comments or questions to the Initiative to Protect Jekyll Island State Park (IPJI) by writing to degan@igc.org.


The IPJI will then incorporate the input it receives into the questions its representatives will raise at the meeting.


A summary of the BAG report, and the full report itself, can be found at the IPJI’s website, Save Jekyll Island

You can see other posts I’ve written regarding Jekyll Island here and here.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Wordless: Providence Canyon

Did you know Georgia had her own version of the Grand Canyon? This is an image of Providence Canyon State Park. The deepest part of the 16 different canyons dip 150 feet, and the beauty you see is a direct result of poor farming practices in the 1800s.

Providence Canyon State Park is located in Lumpkin, Georgia near the Alabama-Georgia state line and Walter F. George Resevoir. It falls within the confines of Stewart County.

Aren’t the colors amazing? The state park site states that the result of the erosion is several million years of geologic record has been exposed. Minerals have stained the sediments and that’s why we see colors that range from white to various shades of pink, purple, red, brown, yellow, and black.

Providence Canyon is one of the places you can view the very rare plumleaf azalea (it’s found only in southwestern Georgia and eastern Alabama). It blooms from mid to late summer.

Once colonists moved into this area of Georgia they cleared the land and took no measures to avoid soil erosion. By 1850 ditches three to five feet deep had been cut in the land per New Georgia Encyclopedia.

The issue of erosion seems like a bad thing so you might wonder why locals came up with the name Providence. Apparently the name stems from a church named Providence Methodist Church that had been established in 1832. The church and a schoolhouse stood on land that now lies between the main gorges. In 1859 a new church was built across the road from the canyon and is used occasionally today per the New Georgia article.

This is my third Wordless Wednesday foray here at Georgia on My Mind. You can visit with other Wordless participants here.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Three Additional Blogs

The following blogs have been added to the Georgia Blogroll here at Georgia on My Mind:

MarcusASmith.com – I love the header at this blog……just go look at it. Marcus states, “Our world is hungry for better public speakers. Being a good speaker never goes out of style. The movers and shakers in our world are all incredible speakers.” Head on over and check out the services he offers to help get you in that select group of people. Check out his interview with speaker and management consultant, Joe Cooke.

The Frisbee Report – The author of this blog, Michael Frisbee, is the Douglas County Chairman for the Constitution Party of Georgia. This blog provides Conservative Constitutional insights on today’s American government and those that govern her, as well as, the policies that they foist upon us. A recent post advises Paul is not a sore loser---He's just trying to wake America up!

My Vine Spot – You won’t be able to find this blog listed in the Georgia blogroll because this blogger hails from Virginia, however, you will be able to find his link within my blogroll for friends of Georgia. I found this site through some research I was doing and since I like wine, well…..I stayed around and read a bit. Seems this blog’s author’s mother lives in our fair state and he visits here in the land of plenty from time to time. Check out this post where Dezel shares how he attended the 20th Herndon Labor Day Jazz & Wine Festival in Virginia. Great food, great wine, and great jazz. What a combo!

If you are a Georgia blogger and would like for me to link to you please email me at gamind@mail.com .

Friday, September 12, 2008

Georgia Carnival: Edition 44

Welcome to the Georgia Blog Carnival!

The next carnival will be hosted here at Georgia on My Mind on Friday, September 26th. Submissions will be due Thursday, September 25th.

If you maintain a Georgia blog and would like to host the carnival at your site e-mail me to set up a date. It’s a great way to put your own personal spin on the carnival.


The last edition of the Georgia carnival can be found
here , and the carnival archives are found here.

Since the last carnival two new categories have been added to help folks find the Georgia Blog they are looking for. Those categories are Family and Everyday Life as well as Politics. Look for more categories to be added each week.

Now… on to the highlights of Georgia blogging during the past two weeks.


Never Clever Whatsoever’s author….Ethan…..proves once again my own personal education theory that students always see through the insaneness public education has become. In his post Math Class Ethan explains that Georgia has instituted new math standards yet they aren’t even finished leaving his very qualified instructor and his fellow students hanging. Go weigh in on this issue and give Ethan your opinion.

For many Georgians if I say “Chattanooga” they might respond Civil War battle. While others might respond with the word aquarium, but there’s much, much more to our neighbor to the north…..Amy from The Q Family Adventure says, “Take a day trip from Atlanta to A Fun Day at Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga.”

Speaking of the word “aquarium” Jennifer from Atlanta on the Cheap provides Dive into Deals to See the Georgia Aquarium saying, “Use one of these deals to visit the Georgia Aquarium on the cheap.”

John over at Grasping for the Wind provides an interesting article where he begins, “This week, I asked our participant bloggers to discuss their opinions on using maps in Science Fiction and Fiction.” See all of the responses in his post Ask the Bloggers: Mapping SF and F.

We’ve heard a bunch of speeches lately due to the political process. How are you at public speaking? I’m very comfortable with nine and ten year olds, but I often quake in my boots when faced with speaking to large groups unless I’m absolutely prepared. Marcus Smith of MarcusASmith.com says, The fear of public speaking is ridiculous. Look inside to find out why.” Check out his post 3 Undeniable Reasons Why Public Speaking Fear is Ridiculous.

From Online Video Hacks Kevin Fleming provides some information concerning how to Watch Heroes Season 1 Online.

Paw Paw Bill provides Drill, Drill, Drill saying, “Democrats just don’t seem to be able to learn. They keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result. Unlike the Republicans, who keep doing the same thing and wanting the same result.”

With his post St. Paul Appeasement Paw Paw Bill takes a look at McCain’s VP choice and states, “Honorable as McCain’s service to his country has been, suffer as he did, a grateful nation will not likely elect him President as its way of saying thanks. He will need an idea or two for cleaning up some of the messes left behind by George Bush. Even if the polls show voters are ready for change, McCain can not just christen himself the candidate for change, while clinging to the failed policies of the Bush economy and Bush war.

Over at Quilts and Creativity Maria Peagler has written to Julia Wallace, editor of the AJC. Check out her Open Letter to the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. Maria’s a long-time subscriber and she’s upset over recent cutbacks and her local reporters who are leaving the paper in droves.

Over at Georgia Politics Unfiltered Andre Walker is discussing DeKalb County Elections Extends Early Voting Hours. I think the extensions are great. I took advantage of the extended hours in my own Douglas County and found it to be very easy and enjoyable. I hate lines!

Andre also has an opinion regarding why Democrats keep loosing……Educational Elitism Is One Reason Why Democrats Keep Losing. Andre had notice something about Democrats. “….they seem to think that they’re smarter than everyone else. And then they scratch their heads in amazement when a “less intelligent” candidate than theirs walks in and hands them another electoral defeat.”

High school football is now in full swing and James over at The Other Athens provides a Stephens County High School Pigskin Update here.

Felicia from Fluffy Flowers has been outdoor walking and is offering mushroom brain redux for those of us questing to see interesting images.

Treatment and Accountability Court?!? Ever hear of it? James over at The Other Athens gives Credit Where Credit Is Due regarding a particular program and in his post Talking Trash he really is…..literally.

Troy Davis is in prison and the State of Georgia has schedule him to die on September 23rd. Perhaps you saw his plight detailed on the news last night. Sara Ashes over at Ashes and Glass has posted some links to educate you regarding Mr. Davis, a video, and a way for you to help if you are so inclined. Read her post titled Do This Right Now.

Angela M. Otwell from the amo site shares another painting with us in her post titled Dogwood Tree

Pastor Bill from Provocative Church says, “Watch this video from a group of friends in East Atlanta and how they showed God love in a practical way by transforming a community.” Access the video at his post tittled You got BENCHED!

Dan Matthews from Oconee County, Georgia Politics - Recreation, News, Art, Music, Culture, Sports and More is discussing rednecks. He says, "Oconee County is the reddest of the red counties in a red state, still with our proximity to Athens we would like to think the rednecks remain due north of Atlanta, but alas...." Follow the rest of his comment in his post Frightening anti-Obama encounter in Oconee County.

Christmas in September? Yes, you can never be too early in book with Christmas planning. Jen from Jen's Genuine Life has found a great source for all of us who dislike the hectic pace and frazzled results the four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas can become. Check out Jen’s post Christmas (Planning) in September? for some much needed H-E-L-P.

The Georgia Road Geek also known as Steve Williams keeps all of us advised regarding our road conditions and changes. In this edition of the Georgia Carnival he provides An I-520 Update From South Carolina

James at The Other Athens gives us some quick hits on local and state political doings in no particular order with his post Impertinent Observations. He discusses the election for the Clarke County Board of Education here.

Did you know Jackie K. Cooper’s fifth book is coming out this month? The Sun Remembers (published by Mercer University Press) is a collection of stories where Cooper remembers a life well lived. As each new day dawns, the sunrise provides us with memories of our past and in that way helps to shape our present and future. Jackie is avaiiable for booksignings and speaks to various groups. Look for information at Jackie's site or at your local bookstore.

Brandy Nagel over at Georgia Tech has been in touch again to advise the next environmental presentation at Georgia Tech. It will be on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 from 12 noon until 2:00 p.m. The presentation is titled Addressing Environmental Challenges in the Southeast Through Green Building Technology and will be given by Dennis Creech, the Executive Director of Southface Energy Institute. The presentation will be held at the Centergy Building at Technology Square which is also 75 5th Street, NW….3rd Floor…the Hodges Room in Atlanta.

Well, that’s it for this edition of the Georgia Carnival. Please support these fine Georgia bloggers by letting them know you have visited them with a comment. Your continued support with your links and shout-outs at your site helps to alert others to what we Georgia bloggers have to offer:

The next edition of the carnival will be found at
Georgia on My Mind on Friday, September 26th. Posts can be sent to gamind@mail.com or use the handy submission form. Submissions are due by Thursday, September 25th by 6:00 p.m.

Thanks for your continued support of the Georgia Carnival!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Remembering September 11th

When you visit Arlington National Cemetery and have a goal in mind of visiting the Kennedy graves and Arlington House you don't really realize how much of a climb the trek is. It starts off rather innocently and after you get to the Kennedy grave site you realize you are hiking up, up, up. I knew that from Arlington House I would be afforded great views of Washington D.C., however, when I turned to the right I was so surprised to see the Pentagon in my camera's viewfinder. Of course, it made sense when I thought about it. I made sure I snapped a view of the Pentagon as it is seen from the very pinnacle of the Arlington property.

I wanted to share this image with you today because when we remember September 11th we tend to head off to New York instantly.......The Pentagon is a site of remembrance on Patriot's Day as well.

My own September 11th memory can be found here. Other posts regarding terrorisim and other visions of 9/11 are here.

This post also appears word for word at
History Is Elementary. Over at “Got Bible?” I ask, “Where was God on September 11th?

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Why Aren't We Listening?

I'm a great position of trust as an educator, yet my opinion rarely matters or come into play when legislation or policies and procedures are implemented. Though I'm the one in the room with the kids the the policy makers would rather listen to folks who have been out of the classroom for several years or never been in a classroom working with children. I mean really.....I'm just the teacher, I only work 180 days a year, I get my summer off.....what do I know?

Recently I spent ten days in a hospital and witnessed the heavy load nurses have and connected the dots between their working experience and mine. No matter how fast a nurse scurries from one patient to another it is so very easy to berate them, fuss at them when we are upset with the doctor, and feel as if they have ignored us while we lay prone in our hospital bed.

Other professions that are so key to our wellbeing that also suffer from the noone-listens-to-me syndrome is our firefighters and law enforcement individuals.

One area of employment I think has been greatly ignored is the military man. To understand the Iraq mess it seems to me we should be listening more directly the soldiers on the ground, the soldiers that have witnessed things first hand. However, in order to obtain these first hand accounts and opinions you really dig for them or rely on the young men you know. I received this video the other day........a former soldier telling Obama why he favors what the United States has done in Iraq.

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