Greensboro Daily Photo

Post-holiday Shoppers in Search of Sales

Well, it is the day after Christmas and, if you celebrate the holiday, we hope it was everything you dreamed it would be. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, in the western world, today is a big day for bargain shoppers. Everyone is still in a festive mood and decorations remain in place; however, prices are lowered significantly in the hopes that every sign of the holiday will get purchased away. People line up to get seasonal merchandise at bargain basement prices to squirrel away for next year.

As for us, we've been caught up photographing the Advent season. With 2012 knocking at the door, it is time to shift gears and find some new themes. Hopefully, with a little driving around and a lot of serendipity, we'll find another year's worth of Greensboro photos to share. 

 

Wagoner's Trees

The Wagoners of Guilford County have been selling Christmas trees in Greensboro, according to one website since 1939 and, according to another, 1960.  Regardless, they have been growing trees in Gibsonville and selling them around Greensboro for a very long time. The inflatable Santa, in the center of the above lot, announces a Wagoner Christmas tree lot. The one in the photo is on New Garden Road. Another famous Wagoner lot is in Friendly Center and, yet another, is on Battleground Avenue near Honeybaked  Ham. Children delight in the annual ritual of selecting a Christmas tree. As you can see, the man selling trees in the photo was wearing short sleeves and shorts. Although it has been a little colder over the last few days, in Greensboro, we have been spared inclement weather.

Hanukkah begins at sundown today.  Christmas is in five days.  Tomorrow is the last day of public school and the excitement of the children can hardly be contained. If you haven't already purchased your Christmas tree, you'd better act quickly as the tree lots will soon be closing up shop until next season.

Christmas 1944 & The Battle of the Bulge

While the popular media has been featuring holiday homes of "Deck-a-hall-ics" with over-the-top decorations, Greensboro has a house depicting a serious, historical event from Christmas 1944: The Battle of the Bulge. The house, photographed above, is located on Deep Green Drive, just off of Westridge Road, near Bryan Blvd. As seen in the sign, the three life-size soldiers (warming their hands over a fire) are replicas of soldiers of the 101st Airborne, "The Screaming Eagles." The Battle of the Bulge was fought in Bastogne, Belgium during World War II. With lawn after lawn brimming with blinking lights and inflatables, it is nice to find one that provides a different look at Christmas. 

If you are really interested in military history, and this event in particular, we encourage you to read an online journal of the event, as told by Eduardo A. Peniche. Peniche, a bilingual, Mexican-American, provides a first-hand account of the event. After his military career, Peniche went on to become a professor of Spanish in Texas. Unfortunately, Combat Veteran/Professor Peniche died in 2008; he would have loved this tribute. As we enter this week before Christmas and with Hanukkah about so start, let us take time to remember that not every holiday is Norman-Rockwell perfect and let us be thankful if it is!

Addendum: We have just learned that a sculptor modeled the three faces after a photo of the homeowner's uncle, father, and father-in-law, who all fought at the Battle of the Bulge. The uncle, represented by the figure on the left, came to view the display last weekend. Touching!

 

MACK and MACK & Ornamental Cabbage III

It is time for our annual ornamental cabbage photo; one of the top searches bringing first time visitors to Greensboro Daily Photo. This year, we tried to take an ornamental cabbage photo that was obviously taken in Greensboro-- no easy task. The above cabbage is planted in front of Mack and Mack Design Studio Showroom on Elm Street. The foliage anchors the window display beautifully and is a great prelude to the fabulously-colorful, expertly-designed pieces you will find inside. Mack and Mack Clothing is both a custom clothing design and production facility. It was founded in 1995 by Robin Mack Davis. Their signature, soft, washable fabric is called "Magic." They are also known for festive jackets and tops.

Robin and her crew are extremely committed to helping keep downtown Greensboro a vibrant and engaging place. On First Fridays, they feature music and snacks-- a good way to get people to stop in and look around the shop.

See our first ornamental cabbage shot here; and the second here. Wonder why so many people Google 'ornamental cabbage?'

Fall Foliage

Today, we're featuring a bouquet of fall leaves and the last roses of the season. It is representative of the flora and coloration found in Greensboro this time of year. We put the arrangement together this past weekend, just before the first frost. It was our little effort at Ikebana-- the Japanese tradition of bringing together nature and humanity.

North Carolina is fortunate to have extensive diversity in our woody plant species with 487 native and 159 introduced species of trees, shrubs, and woody vines (reference). It is so rewarding to walk through one's yard and see the diversity nature has to offer. The holly leaves and nandina berries seen above will last through the winter; however, the red and orange leaves, as well as the roses, are on borrowed time. While outside relaxing in the quiet of the afternoon, we could smell wood burning in a distant fireplace. Like the wildlife, during a harvest moon, we're getting ready for a few months of challenging weather and this photo allows to hold on to fall a little longer.

Time for eating Brunswick stew and making apple butter with this arrangement on our kitchen counter. What's it like in your neck of the woods?

Percy Inn: Dead and Breakfast

From ghoulies and ghosties and long leggety beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord deliver us*...from 703 Percy Street. This house in historic Aycock District is one of Greensboro's many residences where Halloween is taken seriously.  Because Halloween is on a Monday this year, most of our community events have come and gone. Since tomorrow is a school & work day, it is anticipated that crowds will be light and that the evening will come to a close rather early. Even the infamous Halloween party on Franklin Street in Chapel HIll is expecting significantly less than their record 80,000 visitor crowd. Locally, Lake Jeanette, The Aycock Historic District, Sunset Hills, Westerwood, Westridge and New Irving Park are just a few of the many areas that get inundated with trick-or-treaters from all over. If you live in one of those neighborhoods, you know what to expect.

Nationally, one of the scariest Halloweens came in 1938 when Orson Welles presented "The War of the Worlds" on the radio; listeners were terrified. If you are home alone tonight, between trick-or-treaters, you can read the H.G. Welles script here or listen to free audio here.  If you are participating in trick-or-treating, we suggest reading the safety tips published by Greensboro's FIRE DEPARTMENT.  

Finally, if you came here today to see the Ai Cemetery, stop back tomorrow. We forgot that Percy Street was already in the hopper.  

 *Scottish saying

If you need some creepy music to play when trick-or-treaters come to your door, click on the you tube video below.

 

Scott's Pumpkin Patch

Wrapping up our mini-tour of Burlington Road, just east of Greensboro, was a trip to Scott's Pumpkin Patch. In North Carolina, pumpkin patches are everywhere this time of year and no week-before-Halloween would be complete without our featuring a local place selling pumpkins. Here is one from 2010; here for 2009. Children delight in ambling through the pumpkins arranged by size and price. 

This old barn is representative of the outbuildings found throughout rural North Carolina. Ten years into the 21st century, these structures are disappearing before our eyes. As a matter of fact, the land in the present photo is for sale. Wonder if Scott's Pumpkin Patch will still be here next year? Places like Scott's make great memories for children and help us appreciate our old-time ways.

If you are local and looking for something to do this weekend, click here for a pumpkin patch picking guide for North Carolina. Also, keep in mind it is the last weekend for Johnson's impressionist sculptures to be in Graham. Finally, this is our contribution to Skywatch Friday. Please take time to look up and admire the sky above.

Vegetable Carving Alive and Well in Greensboro

The ancient art of Kai Su Luk, or friut and vegetable carving, is alive and well on Tate Street. These cut vegetables were on display in front of Tate Street's Thai Garden which has been open since 1995. One of the proprietors was advertising his carving talent at the Tate Street Festival last weekend. Taro root and melon are especially popular for carving. However, passersby last weekend seemed to be taken by the red peppers above which were sliced to look like flower petals with seeds as the center of the flowers. They were attached to small dowels and could actually be placed in a vase.

In addition to edible centerpieces, Thai carvers are experts at carving soap and are known worldwide for their high-quality carving knives. If you are interested in learning to carve, you can take a class locally through GTCC's Culinary Tech classes. Their students and, a carver or two, set up each year at the Parisian Promenade at the Tanger Bicentennial Garden. Alternatively, you can attend a school in  Bangkok (see this website).

The above arrangement is displayed on top of a mirror, the perfect touch to allow us to share the photo with our friends at Weekend Reflection.

HOPE on College Hill

On the heels of the 9/11 anniversary, internet posts, including those on Greensboro Daily Photo, have been a little heavy-hearted this weekend. Today, we lighten the mood up with a microcosm of HOPE and greenery on a porch in College Hill. College Hill is the historic neighborhood between Greensboro College and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Walking around the neighborhood is fascinating as students have a way of customizing porches to reflect their personality, interests, beliefs, and worldview-- often on a shoestring budget.

College students are on the cusp of taking their place as society's leaders. In this case, we've got a co-ed who likes greenery and who radiates HOPE. "Hope is the emotional state which promotes the belief in a positive outcome related to the events and circumstances in one's life" (Wikipedia). Let's hope the best not only for this optimistic student but also for all of us!

This Saturday (September 17th) from 1-7pm, Tate Street will hold its bi-annual street festival. Music, food, crafts and clothing vendors take to the streets to bring you lots of fun (take a peek at last fall's festival here). If you come to the Tate Street Festival, take time to veer off the beaten path through College Hill to see the students' homes-away-from-home. The leisurely stroll among bicycles, peace signs, CO-EXIST bumper stickers, and conversation circles just may give you.....HOPE.

If summer wrde last for efer [sic]...

If you are a parent or a Kindergarten teacher, you can probably decode today's title right away, "If summer would last forever." The wishing tree, found at the entrance to the Greensboro's Kathleen Clay Edwards Family Branch Library, was made at Wednesday's program for school-aged children. Each child wrote a wish and tied it to the tree. So far, the wishes have weathered a storm or two; so, perhaps they will come true. Here are a few of the wishes of our local children:

I wish I could have a puppy.

I wish moving back to my house and see my friend.

I wish I could have a monster truck.

I wish for a teddy bear and a star pillow.

I wish my daddy would quit smoking (signed Emma B).

There are many more wishes in this tree-- from a horse finding a home to always having enough money. Some of the wishes reveal utter childhood abandon; others reveal children who carry in their hearts the worries, fears, and dreams of their parents.

At any rate, all of these creative programs for children and adults as well as plenty of DVD and book choices to borrow for FREE are yours at Greensboro's local public libraries. Even if you don't want to check anything out, you owe it to yourself to stop by a library to see your tax dollars being put to good use. Besides, you could slip a wish or two on the tree............. For a mere $10, you can become a friend of the Greensboro Public Library and support this public goodness. If you follow that link, you can join online! Our wish today is that these wishes will come true. 

You've Got Mail

Yesterday, we featured a part of Randleman Road that is holding on to old-time ways. Today, we see a mailbox that evokes memories of yesteryear. It is located on Immanuel Road near Hunter Elementary School. In North Carolina, we like colorful mailboxes and like to grow clematis vines on them. While you see the rusting, green country mailbox in the foreground, in the background, the city, highway signs of Merritt Drive are slowly choking out the rural feel of this part of town. However, we can't drive past 3438 without wanting to stop and share a glass of iced tea and reminisce with the owners. Is your personal style represented in your mailbox? Does your mailbox make people smile? Do you look forward to daily surface mail delivery or are you more interested in your electronic in-box?

Like Greensboro's landscape, the US Postal Service is undergoing changes. If we're reading the data correctly, revenue is down in fiscal year 2011 (here). Perhaps that reflects the increase in electronic communication. However, in North Carolina, what's gone is not forgotten. The North Carolina State Archives has a postal history project available online! No stamp necessary-- yet.

CHARTreUSE

Looking for something to do on Saturday? Across the street from yesterday's new student housing compound on Merritt Drive is a consignment store called CHArtReUSe. In the neighborhood of the former Pomona Cotton Mill, a husband and wife team opened the "artistic reuse" store last July. They make some of the artwork that is for sale and represent other, mostly-local artists. CHArtReUSe is an eclectic mix of styles ranging from 1950's bowling alley bright to garden-white shabby chic. Many of the items in the store are repurposed. For example, Christmas cookie tins are cut and assembled into metal flowers for the patio. They take old, tired furniture, paint the wood and reupholster it. As with the items in the store, we're predicting that this part of town is on its way to being transformed.

After milling about CHArTReUSe for a while, we're heading to the Green Bean for the collaborative artists' Hand-to-Hand event from 3-10pm today. We're sharing this photo with our friends at Weekend Reflection who will appreciate our efforts at taking an artsy photo with lots of reflections in the details.

Architectural Salvage of Greensboro

Architectural Salvage, located at 300 Bellemeade Street in downtown Greensboro, is a place to purchase architectural details for your home or business. It is a non-profit project of Preservation Greensboro, Inc.  Architectural details of properties that are being demolished or renovated are brought here. Volunteer S.W.A.T. teams, more formally known as Saving Worn Architectural Treasures teams, organize the warehouse, prepare items for resale, and work in the showroom. Perhaps because of our Quaker heritage, Greensboro has promoted "reduce, reuse, recycle" long before it became a buzz-phrase. While the A.S. showroom is only open on Fridays and Saturdays, it is well worth a visit if you want to add a little history and provenance to your home.

Sunday Drive

Well, the Vatican has the Popemobile and Greensboro has this Toyota Camry with a giant "JESUS CHRIST" decal on both sides and scripture on the rear window and front bumper. "Repent your sins B4 it's 2 late, Ezekiel, 3:18-19" is what's on both bumpers. It takes a person who is confident in his/her message to wear this giant bumper sticker 24/7. We saw the car at the Target parking lot on Lawndale near the former Sears warehouse.

Let us know if you are out for a Sunday drive and see this vehicle or if you know who drives it. This is our religious contribution for this weekend. We make a commitment to provide our readers with something spiritual at least once a week. Look here for previous posts. Gotta enter this is Robert's (Athens Daily Photo)--  Sunday Psalms Challenge,8.

PSALM 8:  O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, You whose splendor is placed above the heavens!

Clemmons Florist on Friendly Avenue

Sunday afternoon at sunset, Clemmons Florist employees were busy working non-stop to get their Valentine's Day orders prepared. Clemmons is located at 219 West Friendly Avenue, beside West Market Street United Methodist Church.  This third-generation, family-owned florist has been a downtown Greensboro institution for over 55 years. Usually, they are able to provide same-day service-- thought not likely on Valentine's Day. While the building is plain, the sky is the limit with the floral arrangements they dream up inside. 

Today, we are reminded that Valentine's Day is not about you or someone else. It is about you AND someone else, the "we." If it is too late to send flowers, or that expense is not in your budget, try picking up the phone and delivering a heartfelt message... a singing valentine.  Be creative with your signs of affection. How about filling someone's driveway with sidewalk chalk hearts?

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to all of our readers. Thank you for your visits. XOXOXO

Santa Spotted on Lawndale

This scene at the corner of Lawndale and Cornwalis Drive-- between Kirkwood and Irving Park neighborhoods-- shows a house with holiday spirit. Inflatables greet you from all directions. Santa Grande is looking toward downtown Greensboro. The polar bear and el pequeño Santa, on the left, are in front of one of Greensboro's famous Lustron homes (see, also, here and here). Our city seems very decorated for the season. In addition to the ubiquitous inflatables, the light balls of Sunset Hills have spread to many neighborhoods across  the city. 

Well, the region is anticipating inclement weather. Last night, most Greensboro-ians went to the grocery store and were huddled at home staying out of the 24 degree weather, checking the weather updates; that is except for families with teen daughters. They were out enjoying the Justin Bieber concert! Facebook updates from cell phones were rolling in by the minute ("We're here! He's great! We love you Justin Bieber."). As for us, we were at corporate headquarters trying to figure out what photos to bring your way, in the event we're iced in! Let's hope those four-story tall oak trees (like the one between Santa and Grinch) weather the storm!

Hanukkah 2010

Well Hanukkah 2010 is winding down and we want to make sure we show you the menorah in our local temple. On Sunday, we featured the front side of Temple Emanuel. Today, you see the back,  with the larger than life menorah! Made of copper pipe and light bulb covers, the menorah is a new addition to the temple. While it looks rather utilitarian by day, it is magical by night when the lights are glowing and it is reflecting in the temple's windows. The scene becomes a real festival of lights. The menorah, an ancient symbol of Judaism, is also a symbol of Israel today. We are struck by the symmetry and the way the menorah mimics the shape of temple behind it.

If you want a little Hanukkah fun, read about Mitsyahu's Hasidic Reggae Hanukkah song. What a blend of cultures, truly the way of the 21st century. This is a must listen to song if you haven't heard it before. What a treat it would be if the song were piped through the copper branches of this menorah 24 hours a day! Listen here! This man is brilliant to realize that the Jewish community is ready for some Hanukkah songs in a new genre! Happy Hanukkah!

Adelaide's Vintage Home & Garden

Adelaide's Vintage Home & Garden, located at 1938 Spring Garden Street, is an absolute must for creative, vintage shoppers. Adelaide's shop is best described as 'anthropologie meets anthropology.' Like the retailer Anthropologie, "renowned for its creative window displays" and for staging, "unimagined environments" (see Wiki), Adelaide's shop is a visual feast. While Adelaide is busy decorating windows, repurposing objects, and organizing groupings in the store, co-worker Antonio is busy painting furniture in color combinations that would make Matisse proud. Artist and collector, Antonio is also a brilliant social scientist, known to share insightful comments with browsers. You'll pick up something in the store and he'll tell you about the socio-cultural context that produced it! Together, Adelaide and Antonio will make your visit memorable; both are genuinely nice people.

This Saturday (12/4) will be a great day to visit as Adelaide's is having a holiday open house. In addition to having their regular treasures, starting at about 1:00 pm, several artists will set up and light refreshments will be served with festive music. Do stop by. It's beginning to feel a lot like December!

The early evening sky, reflected in the window above, is our contribution to Skywatch Friday!

Black Friday in Greensboro

Today is Black Friday. Shopping for Christmas has officially begun, for some as early as three or four am! Specials and bargains abound. The term 'Black Friday' is said to have come into usage in 1966 in Philadelphia and spread to the population at large by 1975. The Merry Christmas snowman in the photo above was spotted in the window of the Saltbox, a fine State Street store for folk art, Colonial lighting, hand poured candles, and more. The Saltbox was established in 1974, about the time the term 'Black Friday' became nationally known, at least with meaning the day retailers began making a profit-- or being in the black.

If you look closely, you can see a Skywatch Friday blue sky peeking through in the upper corners of this window shot. The sky was mostly blocked out by the sleeve of my blazer blocking the glare. Hey Frosty, watch out for doorbusters! The shopping madness has begun! Day-after-Thanksgiving shopping could be another fun activity for the family-- or not!

Veterans Day 2010

November 11th is Veterans Day. It is one of the few holidays in the US, like the Fourth of July, that does not change dates for the convenience of falling on a Monday. The holiday commemorates the anniversary of the ending of World War 1. In 1954, it was expended to celebrate all veterans. Guilford County Schools is closed today so we hope teachers and students are doing something to remember Americans who have served in the Armed Forces. Usually, there is a flag raising by veterans in Friendly Center at 8am on holidays celebrating the military (see our old post here). We like the scene of the above window, not too far from Friendly Center, that hangs one flag for each of the branches of the military.

As language people, we just had to study on the notion of Veterans' Day and Veterans Day. It seems the latter spelling, the attributive, as opposed to the former (the possessive case) is preferred by the US Government (see here). Learn more by looking at the 3 minute video clip put out by the US Department of Veterans (no apostrophe) Affairs (here)

Obama Mobile

This may not be Cadillac One; however, Greensboro has its very own Obama Mobile!! "Don't hate, appreciate"  seems very appropriate in this early-voting time of tension! What if we all took that slogan to heart, Democrats and Republicans alike? As you can tell from the signs around town, election time is near! Tuesday, November 2nd is the general election this year. Don't let it sneak up on you. Do your homework and know the candidates (and don't just "know" what they or their opponents tell you).

We've been saving this photo to use since the Summer Solstice Festival in the arboretum and are using it long after the autumnal equinox! We'd love to talk to the patriotic driver to learn his/her reason for painting this slogan on the van. By the way, we're featuring the letter "O" all week! So far, it has been Orrell Design and Obama-mobile. Stop back often.

This RED, white and blue is one for Ruby Tuesday.

Potty Humor @ Green Bean Coffee House

Green Bean Coffee House in downtown Greensboro on Elm Street actually encourages its patrons to write on bathroom walls. They also insist that the chalked words remain family friendly. This chance for self expression is all great fun-- unless someone is waiting desperately to use the restroom! We resisted writing on the walls because we were anxious to get back to drinking our great cup of coffee! This coffee shop is known as a downtown community center because of all the art exhibitions, concerts, and gatherings that take place at the Green Bean. We've featured it before ( here  and here). We've also featured toilets before, here! Let's play "where's Waldo." Time yourself and see how long it takes you to find the quote, "All women are beautiful except Joan Rivers."

Enjoy this lighthearted Saturday post which we are sharing with Weekend Reflections!

Ubiquitous Pumpkin Patches

 

This is the time of year that church youth groups sell pumpkins as a fundrasier. The above stand, located in Oak Ridge, is sponsored by the youth group of Oak Ridge Methodist Church. It is so fun to see small children delight in the selection of the family pumpkins. Increasingly, white, green, and ornamental pumpkins and gourds are becoming available.

Noteworthy in this photo is the canopy provided by Forbis & Dick Funeral Home. Our local funeral homes are generous to loan out these canopy/tents. They are a much friendlier sight over a pumpkin patch than over a cemetery plot! This glorious North Carolina sky, at the corner of Highway 68 and Oak Ridge Road near McDonald's Restaurant, is our contribution to Sky Watch Friday. If you don't want to drive to the far reaches of the county, you have plenty of in-town options. Here is the one at Mt. Pisgah Methodist Church that we featured last year.

To Kevin B @ UNCG

Based on the decoration of "the rock" on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Kevin B @ UNCG aspires to become a teacher. He is visualizing himself as a teacher. This rock is located near The Caf, the fountain, and the clock tower. The photographed area is a great meeting place for UNCG students.

Let's hope Mr. B's dream is realized. We love these spirit rocks as they are such a public way to display memories, issues, to commemorate, and to dream. In essence, they are controlled-graffiti. This is the first time we've seen one dedicated to a living individual.

Junkyard Dogs

Tucked away on Roseland Street, just off State Street, lives a metal worker/welder. He makes wonderful animals and signs out of meta scrapsl. Here we see a few of the end products, gnarling works of art. Hanging on the fence, just out of the camera's view is a masterfully-crafted Harley Davidson sign. We decided, however, to show this view because the real dog in the background is very protective of his menagerie, the junkyard dogs. We use this term affectionately. Some of you may remember Jim Croce's 1973 song "Bad, bad Leroy Brown" in which the lyrics "meaner than a junkyard dog" are heard. Then there is the 1980's wrestler, Junkyard Dog, who is said to have gotten his name from that song. We'll those are all thoughts evoked as we stroled past the metal dogs on Roseland Street in Greensboro, North Carolina.

We're sharing these dogs with you today on Ruby Tuesday where a little red goes a LONG way!

 

Labor Day-- On Holden Road

Thanks to the family on Holden Road, for laboring over each of these plywood letters to bring Labor Day yard art for all of Greensboro to enjoy. Hot dog, hamburger, a few flags, and the words "Labor day" all come together to remind us that today is the last federal holiday of summer. If you want to see this fun decoration for yourself head down Holden Road from Friendly Avenue to the Starmount neighborhood, just across from Starmount Country Club and on the same side of the street as Christ United Methodist Church.

Labor Day, always the first Monday of September, was first celebrated in the U.S. in 1882. Historically, the holiday was celebrated first with a parade to exhibit solidarity and strength of labor organizations and trade unions followed by a festival for workers and their families. North Carolina is a right-to-work state so labor unions are prohibited by law and the holiday does not have the same character as it does in states like West Virginia where, historically, unions have been strong  (read more here).

In North Carolina on Labor Day you will find families spending time at cookouts or returning home from a weekend of fun. Whether your are pro- or anti- union, we hope that you actually got an extra day off and that your weekend was everything you'd hoped for. A little mustard on our hot dog above qualifies us to post of Mellow Yellow Monday, where the beloved primary color (that makes green &  orange possible) reigns supreme. By the way, don't you think "Oh Holden Road"  is as catchy as "On Golden Pond?"

 

Summer Solstice Event at Arboretum

The Summer Solstice Celebration in the Greensboro Arboretum takes place tomorrow from 3-9pm. The family friendly celebration will have something for everybody. Some years it rains; some years the sun is brutal; EVERY year everyone has fun. Rain or shine, the more outlandish your outfit-- garland, tulle, flowers, and wands-- the more you will fit in. Consider bringing dad out to hear the good music, get a massage, listen to some ringing bowls, be transported back to his teen years, and watch the fire ceremony at 9pm. Above is a picture from last year and if you click through you will see our post from last year. This free event is an example of why Greensboro is such a great city. Events like this have plenty of great items for purchase; yet, if you are on a tight budget or have downsized, you can come out and feel equally welcome. You can bet we'll be there, camera in hand! Come feel the positive energy!

 

Watermelon Skies at GTCC Culinary Tech

This watermelon was carved by students at Greensboro Technical Community College. GTCC has an amazing Culinary Technology program that prepares graduates for careers in food service. Years ago, our friends' children were in the childcare program at GTCC and the culinary program made lunches for the children. We used to laugh that the toddlers and preschoolers were eating chicken cordon bleu for lunch. Even if it wasn't literally chicken cordon bleu, the food was gourmet, nutritious, local and TASTY!

We stumbled on this humorous carving that the Parisian Promenade last weekend and thought it would be perfect for Skywatch Friday.

 

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail. Hippety hoppety, Easter's on its way! Tomorrow we go inside a church to show the religious side of Easter so today, we're sharing the lighter side of the holiday. Here we see Flopsy and Jane, the creations of local doll artist Kim I. McEntee. (We've featured one of Kim's dolls before). We love their expressive faces and all the details like Flopsy's felted cheeks and Jane's flowered hat, hand-crocheted by Kim's mom. We made the sequined egg vintage pottery basket arrangements and placed them in our entrance hallway. Changing these vignettes helps inspire us as we head out and showcase Greensboro for you. Today, this is a little slice of life around our house!

To our dear friends at Weekend Reflection, we hope you notice the mirror in the background and the reflective shine on those Easter eggs. Oh, and then there are Flopsy's eyes......

 

Easter Bunny's House on Hobbs Road

Driving down Hobbs Road, with street names like Bearhollow and Foxhollow, we decided to name this house Rabbithollow and declare that the Easter Bunny lives here! With the Easter-egg blue and yellow paint on the trim and bouquets of daffodils along the walkway, this happy house just brightens up our spring drive and makes us feel like we are hopping down the bunny trail. 

Here's a random You Tube video of "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" we've selected to add to the mood!

 

Where is Spring?

The S.H. Kress & Company building was constructed in downtown Greensboro in 1930 and was a department store for 40 years.  The chain's founder Samuel Kress took pride in his buildings and tried to make them architectural gifts to the communities in which they were built. Our Kress building is no exception. The art deco architecture sparkles today. While the department store is long gone, the building houses a night club on one side and an event center on the other. Information about the architecture can be found here and information about the event center, known as Kress Terrace, here.

Today's post does not feature the building but the brilliant art display in the front window. After the wintry days we've had lately, we just fell in love with the BURST of color and with the message, Where is Spring? Here is a display in the same window that we shared last year. Thank you Kress Terrace for these arranging these wonderful works of community art. Finally, we're sharing this photo with the great group of photographers at Weekend Reflection.

 

Area Modern Home & Lighting

Area Modern Home and Lighting is a showroom in downtown Greensboro on Elm Street. Since 2000, they have been showing and producing furniture locally. Owner and designer Mark Hewett trained in the United Kingdom and has worked on several continents. His store sits directly across the street from the former Fordham's Pharmacy and just north of Coe's Grocery. Area Modern showcases the best of 21st century Greensboro, Fordham's dates to 1898 and closed about the time Area Modern opened. Coe's is about a century old and, as best we can tell, is still going strong. Thankfully, Downtown Greensboro is an interesting mixture of businesses. Through GDP, we're learning so much about our city. We'll have to visit Area Modern when we look for a new couch this spring!

We're looking at our city in a whole new way now that we've been participating in weekend reflections.

 

Antique Market Place

The Antique Market Place is a great place to visit if you are looking for somewhere to spend time inside and escape the unusually cold winter we are experiencing in Greensboro. Actually, it is a fun place to shop regardless of the weather! Prior to 2001, the Antique Market Place was located downtown on Elm Street. Now, they are located near the airport and I-40 in a building with over 45,000 square feet of antiques and collectibles. We love to spend time there learning about bygone eras and hunting for antique glass, furniture, old postcards, and things that we don't know we need until we see them! 

 

Go Page Pirates

Continuing on the back to school theme: If you are local to Greensboro you know that one of our biggest high school rivalries, dating back to the days of the Greensboro City Schools, is between Page and Grimsley High Schools. Here we see an SUV supporting the Page Pirates. The side of the car had a picture of the Grimsley mascot (a Whirlie) X-ed out and the numbers of two athletes.

 Page High School, located at 201 Alma Pinnix Drive, opened its doors in 1958. The school is named after Walter Page Hines, a North Carolina journalist, ambassador to Great Britain. The street is named after Alma Pinnix who, according to their website, planted most of the flowers and shrubs lining the campus. Page High School has always prided itself in its academic rigor and in February of 2008, it earned the designation International Baccalaureate World School.

We aren't trying to show favoritism to Page; however, today is Ruby Tuesday and Whirlie blue just doesn't qualify! If you attend/ed Page and want to tell us why it is so great, leave a comment! Kind words only please!
 

On the 9th Day, SANTONS

For today's Sacred Sunday shot, on this 9th day of Christmas, instead of bringing you 9 ladies dancing, we take you inside the home of one of Greensboro's many Francophiles and share her creche from Provençe.  Our friend amassed this grand collection piece by piece during her many decades of traveling from Greensboro to France.

Santons are terra cotta figures depicting the nativity. The first representation of the nativity, albeit life sized, was by St. Francis of Assissi in 1223. However, the French Revolution, with its closing of churches and prohibiting of nativity scenes, popularized miniature nativity scenes made from terra cotta figures. The making of santons has been popular in Provençe since the late 1700's and is a family craft handed down through the generations. The figures represent actual villagers-- shepherds, millers, woodcutters, fish mongers, a blind man, the wise men-- all marveling at the birth of Christ, whose figure is depicted with wax.

Every Christmas, our friend in Sunset Hills brings her figurines down from the attic and intricately places them one by one recreating not only the nativity scene but also her memories of trips to France and her selecting the 2" figures, all crafted by santonnier, Marcel Carbonel. As we pen this post, Madame M's voice resounds, "Bonsoir Joseph, Marie, enfant Jésus, fermier.......Ça va, rabassier?......... et les Rois Mages........comment allez-vous ce soir?" 

Only after she makes sure that all 50+ figures are in place can she step outside and enjoy the hundreds and hundreds of Christmas light balls hurled into the canopy of mature trees lining her street.
 

Nativity Scene @ Greensboro College

Today, we bring you Sacred Sunday direct from Greensboro College. Greensboro College is a methodist-affiliated, private, co-ed college that was founded in 1838. For over seventy years, they have featured this depiction of the birth of Jesus on the West Market Street edge of campus. In 2007, the creche was vandalized. Fortunately, a new one is in place and, although on the Biblical calendar, technically the wise men have not yet arrived, we wanted to share this scene on Sacred Sunday. This nativity scene looks majestic with the snow around it.

If you are looking for a year-end tax write off, Greensboro College has been struggling with the economic downturn. Please consider dropping a few dollars in their coffer. See details here. This little college attracts the nicest students and has some fabulous faculty members.
 

Life-Sized Nutcrackers

Nutcrackers have been made famous by the Nutcracker Ballet, which was adapted from a story by E.T.A. Hoffman in the 19th Century. This German author brought dolls to life, including the Nutcracker soldier who came alive on Christmas Eve to the delight of young Clara. Tchaikovsky breathed life into the tale with his great music score.

These Nutcrackers, ranging from a few inches to five feet tall,  reside year-round in a storefront on South Elm Street in Greensboro. According to the Russian Nutcracker (front left), on Christmas Eve, precisely at midnight, he will lead his wooden comrades in The Russian Cossack Dance!

Our skies have been a little dull these days, so we're using this little slice of sky in the upper left-hand corner as our Skywatch Friday!

      

North Carolina Fraser Fir Trees

With all of the rain, 2009 is a great year for Christmas trees. They are plump, green, and healthy. Here we see two men wrapping a live tree and just about to hoist it on the truck. This was taken at Fred & Dot Wagoner Christmas Trees at the New Garden Location. The Wagoners have been selling Christmas trees in Greensboro since 1969. In an article a few years ago, they discuss the fact that people are buying their trees earlier and that they usually clear their lot by about December 20th. So if you still want a live tree, time is of the essence!

We hope to link this photo to Ruby Tuesday. Red is EASY to find this time of year!

            

Moravian Star

As Monastery Daily Photo reminds us, we are well into the Advent Season. During this spiritual time for Christians, Moravians decorate with their iconic symbol, the Moravian star. The first Moravian star dates to the 1830's at a Moravian school in Niesky Germany. Not always an Advent symbol, the first star had 110 points and, given the beauty and intrigue of this polyhedron, likely, was part of a geometry lesson. Most of the stars today contain 26 points. As an Advent symbol, the Moravian star represents the Star of Bethlehem. 

If you are in the Christmas spirit and want to see Moravian stars in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, first, you can travel to the Moravian Church on S. Elam where this photo was taken. Additionally, you can head about 35-miles west to the historic town of Old Salem where the Moravian Star is the official Christmas decoration. The City of Winston-Salem also decorated with them.  Finally, a 31-foot Moravian star is displayed on the North of Tower Wake Forest's Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.

To see the First Moravian Church of Greensboro and learn a little more about it, please refer to our  November 15th Sacred Sunday photo. Since that post, we have learned that the original location of the Moravian Church was on East Lee Street, constructed in 1908.

 

Lucky 32

Lucky 32 Restaurant has been a Greensboro institution for twenty years. Here we see the painting of downtown Greensboro in the entrance hallway. Every time we sit on the bench just below the glass bricks on the left, we notice some new detail in this painting. Featured prominently is the Jefferson Pilot, now Lincoln Financial, Building. Lucky 32, located at 1421 Westover Terrace, always has an interesting menu, centered around Southern foods.