Georgia Carnival: Edition 34

With just a wee bit of a delay, welcome to the Georgia Carnival. I was shocked to hear on the news this morning that the Atlanta area would be having more 40 degree low temperatures over the next two or three days…and to think I was about to change out all my Fall/Winter clothes for my Spring/Summer clothes Brrrrr…..guess I’ll make some vegetable soup and corn bread in an attempt to warm us up.

These are the times when only a good read will do, so point your clicker to the carnival and curl up with your computer monitor for the newest edition of the Georgia Carnival.

The next carnival will be hosted here Georgia on My Mind on Friday, May 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. 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:

How Do You Do ATL?

Sherry over at What a Concept shares information regarding building online/offline communities with Taking It to the Streets. Head on over and view the video and follow the link to a contest where you can develop your own personal image of Atlanta.

Politics

William Cotter presents Shiite from Shinola posted at Paw Paw Bill where he discusses random foreign policy and the danger it poses. In his post Sen. Nunn: "Yes, We Can" he discusses the shape of Sen. Barack Obama’s proposed security team and how it could not be better…especially with a Georgia connection.

Art and Literature

John Ottinger presents Bookshelf or Art? posted at Grasping For The Wind where he admits he is ga-ga for shelves found at the blog of another.

Felicia Haywood presents a tour of roses posted at Fluffy Flowers and provides the the news that her work will be included in the Indie Craft Experience on June 7th at Centennial Olympic Park. She also provides a wonderful scene from a drive in the country.

I just received my latest edition of “Real Georgia”, a newsleter that is made possible through the efforts of many people at the Georgia Art Exchange. This is a group of real estate professionals supporting Georgia arts and culture. If you have any comments, announcements, or events that you would like to include in the next issue, you can contact the editor at the email found at the site.

General Topics
Freddie Sirmans provides advice regarding raising kids and why talk radio is hate radio to some.

State CRCT testing has been on my mind of late over at History Is Elementary….There is a better way....

How’s your church? Have you noticed changes in worship style? Many Georgia churches have been changing much to the chagrin of older members who like things the way they have always been and place themselves against other members who want to include newer songs, more instruments, and more technology into services What is past is prologue is the last post in a series where I have been writing about churches in the midst of change over at Got Bible.

Out and About in Georgia

Have you been to the Wren’s Nest lately? If you haven’t I encourage you to make plans to do so for a wonderful dose of Georgia history. However, did you know Joel Chandler Harris was a bastard? It seems that recently Lain, the director at the Wren’s Nest got into a bit of tussel over the term with a visitor. Join in on the interesting conversation in the comments.

Past, Present, Future is my post from History Is Elementary regarding Augusta National and one of its most famous members….President Dwight David Eisenhower. Lots of history can be found on one of the most important golf courses in the sport of golf from the clubhouse, to the cabins, and even the trees.

Tony Gibbs, a blogger from South Carolina, presents Sights & Sounds of a Mountain Childhood posted at Birds and Things where he recalls living in a small village in the North Georgia Mountains.

There are free things to do in Atlanta!?! Amy @ The Q Family presents Get out and enjoy free admission in Atlanta posted at The Q Family Adventure.

Susan presents Tour de Georgia posted at Patchwork Reflections. Stay alert and look quick or you’ll miiss them! Susan also recently climbed Yonah Mountain and presents a few pictures including one from the summit.

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

Thanks for your continued support of the Georgia Carnival!

On Hold Till Monday, But There's Plenty Around Here to Keep You Busy...

Did you know that timbers from Georgia were used to construct the USS Constitution, a ship we fondly remember as Old Ironsides? I’ve posted 13 things about the vessel here over at History Is Elementary and over at American Presidents I’ve recounted a mostly forgotten incident where Andrew Jackson lost his head. Don’t worry though….they reattached it.

Many of you received an email telling you the Georgia Carnival would be delayed until Monday or saw a recent post because I will be out of town. If you aren’t receiving emails from me and you would like occasional news and reminders regarding the carnival please forward your email address to me at gamind@mail.com.

Have a great weekend!

Georgia Carnival: A Monday Opening

I knew it would happen sooner or later where my personal life would eventually collide with my schedule for the Georgia Carnival. This weekend is that time.

There are some people you can say no to, but Jesus? Nope, don’t think so. I’m slated to attend a religious retreat this weekend in North Georgia. I will be without cell phone, watch, laptop or motorcar from Thursday through Sunday. Since I won’t be able to email a carnival host what I would need to, I think it is best just to delay the opening of the midway until Monday, April 21st.

So, you have plenty of time to get those submissions in by forwarding them to the blog carnival site here or send the post url, title, etc. to me at gamind@mail.com.

The deadline for submissions will be Sunday, April 20th, at 6 p.m.

I’m sorry that I have to delay the Georgia blogosphere’s version of an online magazine, but I strive to make it the best it can be for each edition, and with no computer access all weekend it can’t be helped.

I probably need the blogging break anyway. :)

Happy Earth Day and don’t forget your submission, and please tune in Monday (hopefully by lunchtime) for the Georgia Carnival.

That Special Pew

There are very few congregations in Georgia that can claim a President of the United States worshipped within their church walls on a semi-regular basis due to the large number of churches that abound in our country.

One congregation in Georgia had this priviledge, and I’m NOT referring to President Jimmy Carter’s church in Plains, Georgia. The congregation I’m thinking of attends Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church located in Georgia’s second oldest city---Augusta, Georgia.

Now I’m one of “those” Baptist who pick out a place to sit and unless someone gets there before me then you can find me in the middle set of pews, third row, on the left every Sunday. So, I wonder who sits on the left-hand side of Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church today?

If you are sitting in the sixth row because that’s “your” place, then you are sitting in the same pew as the Eisenhower family when they would visit the church during Ike’s golf trips to Augusta National.

The church website advises President Eisenhower laid the cornerstone for their new building in 1954. From the website: The Redemption Window (pictured here) under the balcony is dedicated to the late President and a plaque in his memory indicates Ike’s favorite spot to sit when attending services.

Want to follow more of the story? I’ve written about the background of the property before Augusta National over at History Is Elementary, and I’ve posted about Ike’s own experiences with the Masters course including information regarding the Eisenhower cabin and tree at American Presidents.

This Week's Newbies

In case you missed it the newest edition of the Georgia Blog Carnival can be found here and this week’s blogroll additions are:

Vajra Straight Up – join Vajra Stratigos, the beverage director for Fifth Group Restaurants in Atlanta as he writes about wine and beverages. Several of his videos on the site give cocktail recipes

That Breese Family- Join the Breese family---originally from California now calling Georgia home----on their day to day adventures.

Michael Tuohy's Frontburner – Michael Tuohy, owner of Woodfire Grill writes about owning a restaurant in Atlanta and incorporating food from local farmers and vendors in his menu.

Bebe's Place – Bebe, a Southern writer, presents her musings regarding Iraq, the Episcopal church, and other things as well.

Atlanta Dish – Nibbles, bites, and scoops of all things culinary…plus lots of great restaurant reviews.

Georgia Carnival: Edition 33

Welcome to the Georgia Blog Carnival. I guess we could think of this edition as the Spring Break version or the “Gee, I’m tired of all this pollen” issue. At least the blooms are pretty to look at as we sneeze, wipe, and look for another sinus pill.

The next carnival will be hosted here Georgia on My Mind on Friday, April 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 at here, and the carnival archives are found here.

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

Politics Foundations and Issues Regarding Government

Paw Paw Bill provides his recap of 40 Days and 40 Nights or as some Georgians refer to it…the Georgia legislative sesson. He also tells us to Buy a Ticket.....Head on over to find out about the event.

The Oconee Democrat presents Beer and Wine pouring passes predictably; Bell tosses hat in the ring, saying, "Oconee County now has beer and wine in area restaurants while at least one member of the local Republican party is now going to run against the G.O.P. status quo for the chair of the Board of Commissioners for at least the nomination in the July primary"

“The National Taxpayers Union just released its Congressional Ratings for the first session of the 110th Congress. The results for the Peach State delgation are striking,” so says James. Read all about it over The Other Athens.

James also has all the info regarding running for elected office in Clarke County. Find out all about it with the post Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

“I think we are now paying the price for changing the senate to an elected body,” Find out more regarding what Freddie Sirmans has to say in his post Mob Rule and what about economics?

Do you think we could have another depression in this country like the Great Depression? Freddie give us his thoughts on that as well.

Other Issues

James presents What Price Fungibility? posted at The Other Athens where he discusses some of the actions of the Athens –Clarke Heritage Foundation.

ATypical Joe alerts us to an ever-growing problem of sexual preditors preying on nursing home residents with his post NBC on Nursing Home Preditor Problems.

A classic sketch from Satuday Night Live and a discussion regarding the use of “tar baby”. Is is a racial slur? Find out in a post over at The Wren's Nest.

Religion

I’ve been focusing a bit more this week on church and church growth or lack thereof over at Got Bible?. My post, 13 Reasons Why Members Leave and Visitors Run, has received some interesting comments. Feel free to add your own.

Travel and Relating to Nature

Felicia reminds us that nature abounds in Georgia with a walk in the woods and a tour of azaleas. Interesting things can be seen at street corners as well.

WillThink4Wine presents Springtime in a Georgia Pecan Orchard.

Sandi has just gotten back from London and like any good tourist she took pictures. Her post involves posting her pictures and the pleasant surprises that can come of such a simple action.

Discussions Regarding Science or a Lack Thereof

First time carnival participant Dave over at The MTheory says, “I try try to be polite when commenting on other people’s blogs because I don’t generally comment on blogs written by people I don’t respect but also because I was just raised to be polite. As common courtesy has become un-common in this era, I’m afraid I run the risk of being misunderstood, so I’d like to set one record straight……” Head on over and read/react to this post Perhaps I Didn't Make Myself Clear.


Getting There is Half the Fun

Steve Williams presents Cable Barriers, Overhead Gantries, and Other Things. What the heck is an “overhead gantry”? Head on over to Steve’s post at The Georgia Road Geek to find out.

Online Media and Journalism

Have your checked out the front page at CoastalViewpoint.com?

….and living in Georgia don’t forget the Moonshine! No, not that kind…Moonshine is a magazine of southern arts. Sometimes inspiration comes in unexpected forms. Unseen epiphanies, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind.” Take a moment to find some inspiration in the work of Southern writers and artists. Read, see, and listen!

Leonard Witt, another first timer here at the Georgia Carnival shares information regarding Representative Journalism and their advisory board.

Other Diversions

Russell presents CECWTWSPD; Part 2 posted at Beer Pong is Never a Good Idea. Now before you think the subject of this post is some sort of new computer language let me set your mind at ease…..Russell’s subject matter is his review of the Cobb Energy Centre. You have to see the picture of this building….Russell’s description is very on target!

Hmmmm……did you every think about combining science fiction with a plot centering on the business world? Not your usual combination. John Ottinger presents Book Review: Infoquake by David Louis Edelman.

Dave from Atlanta Trails takes us along on his latest run….The Oak Mountain (50K) Experience

Education and History

Over at The Other Athens the topic is education with The Truth About QBE Austerity “Cuts” ?

Have YOU been watching the John Adams miniseries on HBO? I have, and I have been posting some of my observations regarding the actors, the historical characters, and the events over at History Is Elementary. If anything, the series is important in that it is providing Americans with the events following the ratification of the Constitution. This part of early American history tends to be forgotten. The series is a nice revival of dim history.

In case you missed it….I posted recently about Love Seats and Kissing Rocks here at Georgia on My Mind. To discover why these two items could be placed under the education and history categories you’ll have to go read the post. :)

The next edition of the carnival will be found at Georgia on My Mind on Friday, April 25th. Posts can be sent to gamind@mail.com or use the handy submission form. Submissions are due Thursday, April 24th by 6:00 p.m.

Thanks for your continued support of the Georgia Carnival!

Call For Georgia Blog Carnival Submissions

I’m already busy getting the newest edition of the Georgia Blog Carnival ready for posting this Friday, April 11th, but I’m missing YOUR submission.

You can forward your post url (web address) to me gamind@mail.com or use the submission form. Your submission should reach me by 6:00 p.m. tomorrow.

Oh Those Llamas!

I have this thing about llamas. I’ve always thought they are interesting animals since I was little girl. Perhaps it is because they remind me of the Push Me-Pull Me of Dr. Dootlittle fame. I loved the Push Me-Pull Me….so much so that my mother bought me a necklace from Rich’s with a Push Me-Pull Me charm. I still have it in a jewelry box somewhere.

Perhaps I’ll retire someday to North Georgia and raise me a bunch of llamas. Dear Hubby doesn’t seem to be enthused about it, but you never know where life might take you, and I can’t forget that the llamas that live down the road provided Dear Hubby with an early warning of dangerous weather on the day of the tornados.

If you were on I-285 yesterday around 2:30 p.m.near Northside Drive and were wondering why traffic might have slowed the cause was a pair of llamas. Seems the llamas suddenly found themselves loose in traffic, and they did what any intelligent llama would do….they began to run after their trailer.

The entire AJC article can be read here.

Love Seats and Kissing Rocks

On my father’s side of the family I’m the youngest of nine grandchildren. The next oldest grandchild is my sister and a couple of others. The age difference between us is six years. The oldest segment of grandchildren was in their late teens or early 20s when I was born. It was this segment of our grandchild population that passed along to me their own childhood lore of The Place---the one-time farm in Cherokee County where my father lives today.

If we all got together today and walked The Place we would share some of the same memories regarding particular trees, trails, and other spots. Some memories would be specific to each person, and some memories would be more relevant to each of the three generational groups.

One such memory would be the love seat which was a large, rectangular quartz rock that jutted out at the base of a very large, old tree in front of my great-grandmother’s home. The rock formed a ledge that could support the derriere of two slender people. As a child I played in an around the tree, and I never went to my grandparents without sitting on the “love seat.”

Today, if I mentioned a love seat to my students they would instantly picture a small sofa that could seat two to three people, but in the 1800s, however, a love seat was a place to date much like the movies or the mall might be today though the word “date” would have been largely unknown.

A young man might escort a girl to a dance, church, supper, or party, but that was about it. Most of the interaction occurred at the young ladies home in her parlor or on the front porch. In a USA Today article Johns Hopkins University sociologist Andrew Cherlin defines traditional courtship: "It was a process where parents and others kept watch while young people found a spouse. It had rules, steps carried out in view of everyone. It meant sitting in a parlor and chatting with parents.”

Often times a courting couch or loveseat was placed in the parlor or living room for the courting couple to sit close to each other. A loveseat was basically a sofa created from two chairs facing in opposite directions. In this way the man and woman could sit together, but there was a boundary between them….the shared arm of the chairs.

Dating [finally] began at the beginning of the 20th century, implemented by upper class women who were moving into academic and professional circles. They demanded the right to be able to dine out with a man and not damage their reputation. They also craved the freedom that going out on a date gave them, away from the prying eyes of their parents. They would sneak out to the dancehalls to meet who they wanted [per this article].

While Georgia girls might have snuck out to the dancehalls or various shops to meet a beau, girls attending the State Normal School in Athens, Georgia would head out to the Kissing Rocks. These “normal” girls were teachers in training, and the “normal” comes from the fact that they were being taught the standards or “norms” of education.

Per the New Georgia Encyclopedia the University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts used the campus until 1891, when it was purchased to establish the State Normal School. In 1932 the University of Georgia’s Department of Education assumed teachers’ training for the state. The normal school was taken over by the university and became known as Coordinate College but was used only as dormitories for freshmen and sophomore women.

Later the Naval Supply Corps School was housed in the buildings including Winnie Davis Hall, built with funds raised by the United Daughters of the Confederacy and named after Confederate president Jefferson Davis’s daughter. Varina Davis, wife of Jefferson Davis sent a letter to be read at the laying of the building’s cornerstone. You can see it here. The Navy controlled the property until very recently which resulted in the property being turned back over to UGA.

This report, produced due to the anticipated closing of the Naval Supply Corps School, discusses the buildings and the property in general including the Kissing Rocks, a group of boulders along Prince Avenue. The story goes that students at the Normal School would gather at the Kissing Rocks to steal a few kisses with their beaus. The site is also newsworthy for the prehistoric artifacts found at the location during a 1951 excavation.
While I did find some interesting online links about the State Normal School I was a little disappointed I couldn’t find an image of the Kissing Rocks. If anyone out that way would like to help, please send an image to gamind@mail.com and I’ll post it with your credit.

A bit of the school’s history can be found at Rootsweb while pages of The Crystal, the yearbook for the State Normal School, can be found here.

The picture with this post was snagged from OnlineAthens.com

Georgia Bloggers: Lawyers and Legal Matters

The following list represents the Georgia’s Blogs on the blogroll here at Georgia on My Mind that are written by lawyers and discuss legal matters on a daily or regular basis.

Audacity

Between a Laugh and a Tear

Facing the Sharks

Georgia Business and Family Law Blog

Georgia Law Blog

Georgia Law Blog-Jack Clay

Georgia Legislative Watch

Going Through the Motions

Do you know about Georgia blog that focuses on the practice of law or legal matter in general? Please contact me at gamind@mail.com to let me know, or to advise any corrections that need to be made.

New Additions and Some Thoughts on Blogging

It’s been awhile so I thought it was time to add a few more blogs to the blogroll.

I’ll be real honest here. I’m wondering if I’ll run out of room at some point in time. I’ve currently got around 50 to add and there’s more out there. It’s absolutely amazing how many Georgians are blogging online.

It’s even more surprising to me that out of all of the folks on the blogroll here at Georgia on My Mind I only know one blogger….and that’s because our children are “ in luv”, and we go to church together. :) Sure, I have comment conversations and email conversations with many of you, but face-to-face I’d be clueless if we were in the same room together.

That’s ok though….This is the 21st century afterall and though many make fun of bloggers this whole process has opened more doors for me than anything I’ve ever done. Through my posting here, at History Is Elementary, Got Bible, and American Presidents I have been highlighted in USA Today, mentioned in several local papers, spoken with published authors, television commentators, and journalist online. I’ve met teachers all across our nation and discovered many of my problems are theirs as well. I’ve discussed historical issues through emails with a few notable published historians and professors. It boggles my mind that most of them only know me by the name “Elementaryhistoryteacher.”

What access! What possibilities! It’s simply amazing!

Look over these additions to my blogroll….you might find just the blog you need:

Zinnia Art Studio – Art, ideas, and inspiration….’Nuff said.

Buster's War – this blog represents a real trend I’m seeing where individuals and families blog family history with pictures and diary or narrative text. This blog follows the World War II experience of Norman Ward Allday.

Thirteen Eleven – I got every excited when I was contacted by Jenni, this blog’s owner (she is also connected to the first and second blogs in this list). I got excited because I grew up in a craftsman style home and the image at the top of her sidebar resembles “my” house. Follow Jenni along on a journey to restore her home.

Dekalb Officers Speak –I found this site through the Dunwoody North Civic Association
blog. I think this is a wonderful way for officers to inform the public concerning issues surrounding their profession. In fact the tagline at the blog states, “This blog page was established so DeKalb County Police Officers including their family and friends may have a place to hold discussions, post news and vent without fear of retribution.”

Bill Shipp Online – What Georgian isn’t familiar with Bill Shipp’s columns? The welcome page at his site states, “Thousands of Georgians regularly read my column twice weekly in their local paper and online, but I've set up this site to offer a more in-depth and faster-responding venue for the quick-paced action that is Georgia politics.” Welcome to the blogosphere, Mr. Shipp! Hat Tip for this link goes to Paw Paw Bill, our current host for the Georgia Blog Carnival.

Georgia Federation of Democratic Women Grapevine – the tagline states an information site to help spread the word about the activities of Democratic Women and Democratic Candidates.

Mostly Media – SpaceyG’s new hang out where Atlanta talks about the media.

Georgia –a little history….a little about current events….all in all an intersting read, so far. I can’t wait for more.

Cries of the Heart – thoughts on life, worship, and whatever else comes up from Paul Joseph, a pastor from Dalton, Georgia.

Savannah Garden Diary – on the “about” page this blogger writes, “It occurs to me that in this day of digital photos, it makes much more sense to write a garden journal online than in a tatty notebook dripping with photographs, seed packets, and scrawled designs for strange garden structures.” The best part…..we all get to share in the process of watching the dirary grow.

Howell Mill Hell – documenting traffic conditions in the NW corridor….this is a neat (I’m dating myself with my language) idea from Spacey G. Anyone can become a contributor and post their blog entries at the site if they have knowledge of the area. Find out more information about contributing here.

That’s it for now. Make sure you notice the left sidebar where I’m continuing the process of categorizing Georgia blogs. It’s slow go, but the project will continue. :)

Georgia Bloggers: Religion and Spiritual Matters

The following list represents the Georgia Blogs on the blogroll here at Georgia on My Mind that discuss religion and spiritual matters on a daily or regular basis.

A Servant's Journey

Austin in Peru

Baptist Commentary

Chasing God

First Baptist Church, Lithia Springs...A History

Got Bible?

Greener Pastures

In Upward Pursuit

Irenic Thoughts

Just Charlie

Next Gener.Asian Church

Primitive Baptist Churches

Provocative Church

Questing Parson

Reverend Mommy's Random Thoughts

Rambling Rose

Simply Ken

Softly and Tenderly

Snapshots of Georgia

The Greatest Story Ever Told

Three Sticks

Vamos Juntos

Do you know about a Georgia blog that focuses on religion or spiritual matters in general? Please contact me at gamind@mail.com to let me know, or to advise any corrections that need to be made.

Georgia Bloggers: Restaurants, Recipes, Nutrition

The following list represents the Georgia’s Blogs on the blogroll here at Georgia on My Mind that discuss restaurants, recipes, or nutrition on a daily or regular basis.

Approvechar

Atlanta Dish

Atlanta Foodies

Chow Down Atlanta

Michael Tuohy's Frontburner

Omnivore

Steakhead's Atlanta Eats Blog

Vajra Straight Up

Do you know about a Georgia blog that focuses on restaurants or food in general? Please contact me at gamind@mail.com to let me know, or to advise any corrections that need to be made.