Greensboro Daily Photo

In Memory of Chancellor Sullivan

The small tree in the foreground on the left was planted in memory of Chancellor Patricia Ann Sullivan who led The University of North Carolina at Greensboro from 1995- 2008. In her thirteen years as Chancellor, she led UNCG through a period of great growth. Under her watch, student enrollment increased by 36 percent and her capital campaign brought in over $100 million dollars. If you haven't been on campus since the early 1990's, you won't believe how UNCG has grown. Chancellor Sullivan died of cancer in 2009, but she will be remembered by students, faculty, and UNCG employees for years to come.

UNCG has such lovely landscaping and the trees, planted in memory of people who have contributed so much to the University, add such a personal touch. Chancellor Sullivan would be pleased to know that the next tree over is dedicated in memory of a student who left an indelibe impression on the professors who taught her. Here's to planting trees in memory of others and to taking the time to walk by and appreciate them.

C is for Cycling

The City of Greensboro and Guilford County have made great strides in helping our community become more bicycle friendly. In the above photo, we see a bike rack full of bicycles on the hill near Curry Building on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.*  Spring Garden Street, the horizontal ribbon of road in the background, now has a bike lane extending most of it's length. Also, our greenways have been extended to make cycling around town easier. Not only do our greenways make walking, running, and cycling easier, the greenways themselves are being constructed in cleaner and greener ways (read more here). We are proud of our city!

The more bicycle lanes, paths and greenway trails we have, the more conducive it becomes for people to use bicycles for commuting. The more bicycles are used for commuting, the greener our city becomes. The North Carolina Department of Transportation is on board with this concept. They even have a website outlining bicycle maps and routes, one of which is a Murphy to Manteo trail with a route that seems to go through Greensboro (or at least pretty close).

For this round of ABC Wednesday, our theme is "Go Green" Greensboro and we are showcasing ways to keep the Green in Greensboro! Today is ABC Wednesday and C is for CYCLING (and COMMUTING by CYCLE) especially on CAMPUS where CAR parking is COSTLY and at a premium. While we still have roads with heavy bicycle use that aren't cyclist friendly  (like Horse Pen Creek Road), every year, Greensboro gets a little more friendly to people on two wheels. Here's to increased bike use and zero fatalities for cyclists in 2013 in Greensboro and beyond!

 

*For those of you familiar with the UNCG campus, Jackson Library is the white buildng in the background.

Meredith Lindsay Becraft

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It has been a couple of months since we checked in on Meredith Becraft, the twenty-something traveler, ever in search of great items to resell and beautiful scenes to photograph. O. Henry Magazine wrote a nice article about Meredith this month. She has taken to the road in an old Airstream trailer in search of trash to turn to treasure. She takes outdated furniture, works a little artistic magic, with the help of a can of chalk paint, and turns the pieces into something that even the finest homes in Greensboro display. Above, Meredith is featured at the entrance of her Airstream. You can see a glimpse of her style in the rejuvenated interior. 

Meredith has a little bit of turtle in her and the Airstream is her shell. By day, she it out on a mysterious trail, heading in a direction that might be readily apparent only to her. By night, she is tucked neatly in her cozy, silver shell. If you are interested in keeping up with Meredith's adventures, you can follow her on Salvager Dolly. Alternatively, stop by Aubrey House on Old Battleground (near Southern Foods) and find out the latest news on this brave young woman. Hats off to following your dream, even if it means heading all the way to the west coast..... and back.

North Church Street Historic Home

This historic home is located at 5300 North Church Street at the intersection with Air Harbor Road at Lake Townsend. The original part was build in 1820, just twelve years after Greensboro became a city. At 7 1/2 miles from downtown Greensboro, in the early 1800's, that must have seemed like a great distance. The home looks so sturdy and majestic, up on the hill at the intersection.

Perusing the National Register of Historic Places listings in Guilford County reveals, of the 99 listings, this house is not one. If the list is accurate and updated, the last building to be added to the registry in Guilford County was World War Memorial Stadium on Yanceyville Street.  The first place in Guilford County was the Adams house at 1108 North Main Street in High Point. Our vote is to get 5300 North Church Street designated number 100 for Guilford Couty! Surely, a house that has been standing since the presidency of American President (#5) James Monroe has quite a bit of provenance.

On Suffering....

This photo of  a church marquee was taken last fall at The Grove Church on Jessup Grove Road. Sometimes these signs are quite thought provoking. This take on suffering, that it makes your religious faith stronger, is quite a different way of interpretping one's emotional pain.

Last June, Ralph Davison, contributing writer to The Business Journal, a local, Triad newspaper, wrote "I've always wanted my children to suffer. Not a lot; just the right amount. I'm not talking about the gut-wrenching, crushing suffering that comes with the poverty that too many of our citizens experience. I'm talking about the suffering that makes us heroes." If you want to have a little bit of a "sermon" today and you can't get out, consider finishing Mr. Davison's editorial, here.  Neitzsche said "That which does not kill you makes you stronger." Finally, the Bible makes several references to suffering from multiple perspectives.

We're with Mr. Davison. May you have "just enough" suffering to get stronger without getting broken. Life is a delicate balance. Here's to leading balanced lives in Greensboro, North Carolina (and beyond).  See GDP's four years of Sundays, here.

Cold and Icy

        Sometimes weather reports are accurate. Yesterday was one such day. In Greensboro, as predicted, early afternoon, the icy rains descended. Windshields froze over about as fast as one could pull off the road and scrape them. Getting home was harrowing. Fortunately, the public schools closed three hours early and it seemed as if most busses were off the road well before dark. The low only dropped to about 21 degrees; however, it seemed much colder.

        The record cold temperature, ever in Greensboro, over the last 77 years,  is a temperature of minus eight degrees.*  We don't expect those below-zero temperatures any time soon; but it sure feels like it. As for the GDP family, we made a big pot of chicken and vegetable soup and just stayed inside. As for today, we're anxious to get outside and take some pictures! How about you? What have you been up to? What plans do you have?

* see temperatures, here.

Market Street at Elm, Facing east

Here we are on Market Street approaching Elm Street, the street that splits east and west Greensboro. Market Street splits north and south. So, the corner of Market and Elm is something of the epicenter for the city. In the early years of the city, the courthouse stood at the corner of Market and Elm. Back in the early 1800's, our city grew slowly, radiating from this downtown area. In 1829, there were less than 500 residents. By 1833, there was a steam-powered cotton mill nust north of this spot. Today, the Guilford County population is approximately a quarter of a million residents and we are not just a town "on paper." Look our beautiful city. Aren't you glad you live here?

Even since the early days, residents were hoping for bad weather to bypass our community. Hopefully, the skies will be blue; however, if it does snow.... well, we'll all be glad we've already been to the store for bread and milk! People have been anticipating inclement weather and predicting an early release from school for today. We'll see..........

Pepsi Cola: Born in the Carolinas

Pepsi-Cola was born in the Carolinas; as a matter of fact, in North Carolina.

The above photo features the local distribution center on Spring Garden Street. It was introduced in 1893 as "Brad's Drink" by Caleb Bradham in his New Bern Pharmacy. The Pepsi prototype was a mixture of the enzyme pepsin and koala nuts, created to boost energy and to aid in digestion.* If this trivia website is correct, Pepsi was the first consumer product to have a slogan and to have a jingle, to have a celebrity endorser.

If you are interested, the Winston-Salem Pepsi office is looking for bilingual direct sales representatives: one fluent in Spanish; one in French;  and and one in Chinese.  So, to the students in the Guilford County Schools who study those languages, you might want to consider a career at Pepsi. You can stay close to home and use those language skills you worked so hard to acquire.  ¡Buena suerte!

*Read more Pepsi history, here.

B is for Bog Garden

Yesterday, we featured a bronze statue of Dr. Joe Christian. Today, we share a photo of his beloved Bog Garden at Benjamin Park. Dr. Christian dreamed of turning this formerly blighted parcel of land into a place for native plants to thrive is a natural setting. The wetland home is nestled on seven acres between Hobbs Road, Northline Avenue and Starmount Drive. The Bog Garden is open year round from sunrise to sunset. It has, numerous wildlife species, native plants, and a recirculating waterfall that Dr. Christian himself helped construct. The trails and boardwalk, visible in the upper left corner, allow visitors to travel through the natural bog, disrupting it minimally. This photo shows the Bog Garden at its brownest, most dormant time of year. However, without excessive foilage, one can get an idea of just how easy it is to explore the area. We were expecially curious about the duck in the middle which one little visitor dubbed "tuxedo duck" because it looks it is wearing a black tuxedo. The white strip if feathers on the inside of its neck and chest looks like a white dress shirt. This is the kind of creative expression that emerges when parents take their children out to explore nature. If you want to combat nature deficit disorder, head to the Bog Garden and explore!

For this round of our beloved ABC Wednesday  GDP's theme is "Go Green" Greensboro. Today is ABC Wednesday and B is for Bog Garden. We are delighted that Greensboro has natural areas for present and future generations to enjoy. Here's to keeping the "green" in Greensboro!

Dr. Joe Christian

Today's photo celebrates one of Greensboro's great naturalists, Dr. Joe Christian. Dr. Christian loved spending time outdoors whether hunting or exploring or just spending time with his family. He was instrumental in establishing Greensboro's Bog Garden. He helped reclaim the stream that was littered with garbage. He relocated over 16,000 native plant specimens to this natural space.

His bronze statue, featured above,  is located at the northwest corner at the intersection of Hobbs Road and Starmount Farms Drive. The statue is by South Carolina sculptor, Maria J. Kirby-Smith. She knew the humble Dr. Christian personally and dedicated the statue while Dr. Christian was still living.  Kirby-Smith depicted her subject with a shovel in one hand and a soon-to-be-planted alum plant in the other hand. Dr. Christian had so many talents, not to mention he was a well respected medical doctor who graduated from the Bowman Gray School of Medicine.

If you want to read more about the above statue, read here. You will learn that Kirby-Smith has sculpted many statues around Greensboro.  We also direct you to Dr. Christian's obituary.  The accomplished, Renaissance man died in 2011. Stop back by GDP tomorrow and we'll show you a view of Dr. Christian's bog garden in its tranquil, sleeping, winter state.

MLK Parade Day

Today is the Martin Luther King Holiday and Greensboro is brimming with community service opportunities. High school students are taught to take every opportunity to give back to the community and most don't see today as merely a chance to sleep in late. May are out working and learning. Read about the day long event at Four Seasons Town Center. There is so much to do.

The International Civil Rights Museum has events scheduled throughout the day to help people learn about our past and to get involved in the future. The above photo is from last year's MLK, Jr. Parade. Today's parade begins at 11:00 and will last until about 2:00 pm.  The parade begins at 2031 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and heads north to Gorrell Street. Twenty thousand people are expected to participate. Unfortunately, it takes place at the same time as President Obama's swearing in ceremony at 11:30. Unless you are "old-school," you won't be bothered by recording the swearing in ceremony and watching it later in the day. Regardless of what you decide, please do something. Today is a day to be with others and to celebrate the great progress our city has made in respecting the inherent worth and dignity of all our residents.

Today, we close with the quote of Reverend Samuel Kyles, said to those threating to assassinate Dr. King:  "You can kill the dreamer.... but you cannot kill the dream."  May we all dream of a great community; and LIVE the dream.

Singing Bowl Meditation

Singing bowl meditation bring about relaxation and  well-being. For some, the soothing sounds of the bowls are attached to religious beliefs- especially those who practice Buddhist sadhana; for others, the playing of the bowls is simply a way to relax and center oneself. The bowls can be heard at many houses of worship. Two well known practitioners in Greensboro are Leigh Rouser and Brad Vaughn. Locally, they can be heard at Unity Church, often at the Wednesday services. The above photo was taken at the Summer Solstice event last June. It is not our goal to proselytize here on GDP, however, we do like to make you aware of things that relate to our community. 

In Greensboro, we have a Buddhist Center on Liberty Road. We have Unity Center on Opal Drive and the Unitarian Universalist Church on Hilltop Road. So, there are at least three places one can go to hear this soothing sound. The bowls are sold at 10,000 Villages, and, if your curiosity is peaked, you can watch this four minute video by bowl-expert, Rain Gray, in Kathmandu where the best singing bowls are acquired. Here is a nice sample, if you just want to meditate with bronze bowls. Crystal bowls can be here. With recent tragedies, it seems seeking out this soothing sound of the singing bowl, just might help us relax.  

 

Happy Sunday, folks. See you at the MLK Parade tomorrow.

got... Coffee Berries?

When the weather is cold and messy, we tend to spend a little more time inside. In Greensboro, on snowy days, if one waits until about 9:00 am, roads are fairly safe to navigate. By 9:00 am, the sun is usually shining brightly. Such was the case yesterday when we entered the Battleground Starbucks, located in the plaza with Earthfare. Thanks to the sunshine, we noticed the large coffee plant growing in the south facing window.

The above photo shows this plant with its coffee berries in all stages of ripening and the plant and berries are glorious. From creamy white to pink to raspberry to eggplant purple, the berries pop against the waxy green leaves. According to Starbucks' associates working yesterday, the plant has been in the store for at least a year- or the best they can recollect. Other customers in the store also marveled at the beauty of the ripening berries AND at the fact that none of us had noticed the 5' tree over the past year. Amazing how a change in weather affects what we notice.

Let's all go on a noticing spree this weekend and see what we uncover in our respective communities. If you are local, head to the Battleground Starbucks and see coffee growing. 

Winter Wonderland

Greensboro, NC got its first blizzard of 2013.

Last night, our city experienced thunderstorms during the snow storm. The evening sky flashed blue, almost like an explosion,  as the snow continued to fall. Many people were without power (may still be). Today, it is a winter wonderland outside. Schools are closed and people are home wondering what to do.  If it is safe for you to drive, consider heading to the local parks and seeing them in a blanket snow. The above photo was taken at the statue of Greensboro's namesake, Nathanael Greene, in Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, off of Old Battleground Avenue. If you click through here, you can see the 27 foot statue on a warmer day. The 1915 statue of the horseman stands as a reminder that our community has been strong since the days of the Revolutionary War. A little snow will not hold us back. Onward ho-- to the Martin Luther King weekend. Time for some community service and remembrance of Dr. King's great deeds.

Pleasant Garden Drug Store

Continuing with the "sign" theme of Greensboro Daily Photo this week, for today's installment, we bring you Pleasant Garden Drug Store. In business since 1952, they bill themselves as "a modern pharmacy with a small town feel." This family pharmacy is one of those places that seems trapped in the mid-twentieth century. Do not be fooled, one look at their website will tell you that they can fill your prescription online. And, their prices are said to be the lowest in southeast Guilford County. This store, like a hometown hardware store, is one of those places where you can get little odds and ends that you can't find anywhere else. You can probably find some of the old-timey items like eye wash cups and netie pots to vaporizers and Greensboro's own Vicks VapoRub. You can also get state of the art products, too. Best of all, you get great advice from their three pharmacists. And, usually a little neighborhood news is available. It has been a while since we've seen a store sign that said nothing but-- DRUGS.

A is for Air

This past weekend, most of North Carolina was covered in fog. Greensboro was eerily foggy. The above photo shows a street scene on Guilford College Road where it crosses Hilltop Road and becomes Piedmont Parkway. We share this photo in relief that, in Greensboro, we are talking about fog and not smog and air pollution like they are in China this week.* China's air is keeping people inside and, in Bejing alone thousands of people a day are being treated for respiratory problems.

If you want to keep up with Greensboro's air quality, our city givernment maintains a page here.   If we consider what keeps a community healthy, air quality is a key component. For this NEW round of ABC Wednesday, we're going with another theme, "Keeping Greensboro Green." Today we are featuring A for air quality. Let's do everything we can to keep Greensboro green and to keep our air clean!

 

*see a fascinating NASA photo and read more here.

Old Signs on Vintage Buildings

    A repeat from yesterday's theme (old signs) is the sign above. The Beaman Building (photo here) at the the corner of Independence and Lawndale Drive near Target and the Kirkwood neighborhood, is one of our photos that still gets viewed a lot today. The building is classic 1964 architecture and may well be Greensboro's only remaining building with turquoise panels. Above, is a sign, located beside the building. We took this photo a while back and hope it still stands today. The aged patina looks beautiful in the winter sky against he ruddy, rusty treeline.

    Beaman Realty Company is located at 2820 Lawndale Drive. This old sign and building are located at 2014 Lawndale. We need to try to get by and learn more about the old company and to try to find out more about the old Sears Warehouse that used to be across the street. The more we investigate Greensboro, the more we realize we need to learn. After four years of this informal research, we just get curiouser and curiouser! How about you?

Carolina Office Machines

It was beautiful in Greensboro this weekend. A little fog, a little sun, a LOT of warmth. Here we see a photo of Carolina Office Machines on Mill Street, taken from the parking lot of Starbuck's. Winter skies are usually fabulous on sunny days, so keep your camera handy. Carolina Office Machines sells not only machines but also office furniture. We wish this local company had a little company history on their website. Part of the charm of buying local is knowing your proprietors. From the look of the signage, the company has been around for a while. Their lettering is fabulously bold and prominent in front of the buttery yellow building and against the blue sky. Carolina Office Machines might need to call Sign A Rama (another Greensboro company) and see about getting a new "C" since we don't live in AROLINA! Happy Monday, dear readers!

Pleasant Ridge Christian Church

Looking at the front entrance of Pleasant Ridge Christian Church, on Pleasant Ridge Road, down the road from the Northwest schools, we pause for a moment of silent reflection....

So much has been happening to the youth of our community lately. In the Piedmont area alone, we've had students hurt in bus accidents and one child killed at a bus stop in Forsyth County. In Greensboro, a Northwest Middle School student was shot and killed by his mother this past week. The family lived fairly close to the church in the photo above. Teachers and classmates are shaken by this tragedy.  Others local students are coping with loved ones who are sick and, in some cases, have died recently. Let's hold all of these grieving children in our hearts and do what we can to help them find joy in life, in spite of their heavy hearts. The children in our community represent many different faith and belief systems; however, all are beautiful little miracles who deserve the community's unconditional love and support. It is the job of adults to help children feel safe and to shield them from our adult peccability and worry; no easy task in these troubled times.

The above church, Pleasant Ridge Christian , was established on July 28th, 1867. We bet the church has seen a lot in its one hundred and forty five year history.

Julian and Ethel Clay Price Park Needs You!

Well, if the weekend in Greensboro ends up being as beautiful as they say it is going to be, you will want to head OUTSIDE! The above photo is a picture of Julian and Ethel Clay Price Park off of Hobbs Road and New Garden Road. Price Park is 93 protected acres of land that was formerly part of the Jefferson-Pilot Club House Property. It was acquired by the Piedmont Land Conservancy in 1999. The property is now a City of Greensboro Park and Recreation Department property.

The park is a great place to get out and enjoy some open space, to walk your (leashed) dog, and to even stop in to the Kathleen Clay Edwards Library to check out some books or DVD's. Today, between the hours of 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, the Piedmont Land Conservancy will host a Weeds & Warriors workday here. Volunteers will clear out invasive plant species and prepare the meadow for spring birds and wildlife.* This lovely, hilly land down the road from Guilford Courthouse National Military Park was actually the site of the war reenactment in 2007.

Come out and help the Piedmont Land Conservancy keep the GREEN in Greensboro! Look how beautiful it is to see all of that open space.

*Read more here.

Compton Nocturne at the Weatherspoon

Compton Nocturne (1999) by Alison Saar is a highly visible piece of sculpture at the Weatherspoon Art Gallery. This sculpture piece is representative of Saar's work. The the female figure features prominently in LA born Saar's art, relevant to her theme of  personal and cultural identity. Her work is known for its balance of strength and tenderness (reference).  In the above sculpture, the harsh coldness of glass and tin contrast with the warmth of wood, paint, and tar. The translucence of of the glass protruding from the hair warms up the image of the figure exposed to the elements. The piece looks especially cold this time of year in the harsh light of the trees-without-leaves in the background.

Teachers visiting the Weatherspoon use Saar's piece, in conjunction with Judith Shea's Urban Francis ( in the back courtyard) to help develop creative and critical thinking skills and perceptual awareness in their students*  Saar's recumbent figure contrasts sharply with Shea's standing and fully clothed sculpture (see here and closeup here). 

If you are local, we hope you remember what a wonderful resource Greensboro has in the Weatherspoon. Not only is it in our backyard, the entrance is free, as is parking. One exhibit closes this weekend and two open up. So, there is plenty to see today and there will be plenty different to see next week. Start your new year on the right path by getting out to enjoy some art. For free!

 

* see a sample lesson plan here.

Welcome to Elon University's Elder Law Clinic

Elon University Law School has been so successful in downtown Greensboro that it is expanding into more buildings. Above is a photo of what has been for years, Clemmons Florist beside the West Market Street United Methodist Church. Now, the building is Elon University Law School's  Elder Law Clinic.  The clinic provides free legal counsel and services to low income residents of Guilford County ages 60 and over. The building is less than a block from the courthouse and very easy access to the main building of Elon Law School.

By the way, Clemmons Florist is still going strong, on Battleground Avenue, across from T.J. Maxx and near Rice Toyota. Likely, a lot of their business is phone and Internet based and the move won't negatively affect them. However, for many, it sure was convenient to walk in and order flowers at Clemmons.

Z is for Zero, Ground Zero (27401)

The Fisher Park neighborhood was built at the beginning of the 20th century with most of the homes erected before 1940. The actual park, in which the above Genesis Marker is situated, consists of approximately 14 acres and is billed as Greensboro's "premiere civic open space" (reference).Today's photo of the Genesis Marker in Fisher Park was selected because genesis means "beginning."  The Genesis Marker is the "Ground Zero" for Greensboro; the beginning of the city, the geographic center of the county. From the Genesis Marker, the city radiates equally in all directions. We could actually describe our Greensboro neighborhoods in terms of their distance from the Genesis Marker. The marker is so unassuming, tucked in its little spot between North and South Park Drives and Elm Street to the west and Church Street to the east. Historian Jim McLamroch erected the Genesis Marker to honor and document the city's early history.

Since this round of ABC Wednesday, we focused on the neighborhoods of Greensboro and Greensboro doesn't have a Z neighborhood, we thought it would be nice to feature the Genesis Marker as Z is for Ground ZERO.

In case you are interested, here are the A-Z neighborhoods we have featured on the wonderful ABC Wednesday meme over the last 26 weeks: Adams Farm, Brown Town, The Cardinal, Dudley Heights, Eastern Shores, Forest Oaks, Guilford Hills, Hamilton Lakes, Irving Park, Jefferson Gardens, Kings Forest, Longview Hills, McAdoo Heights, NEW Irving Park, O. Henry Oaks, Pleasant Garden, Reedy Fork, Starmount, Tammanary Forest, (the end of the alphabet is nearly neighborhood-less) University Neighborhoods, (Green) Valley, Westerwood, Xtra Xtra News and Record for all the neighborhoods, Year 5 of GDP and our featuring your neighborhoods, and today's Z for Ground Zero! We hope you enjoyed these posts. We have thououghly enjoyed driving through so many of  Greensboro's neighborhoods over the last six months. 

Bamboo Frame Hut at Greensboro College

Art on college campuses can be so creative. Above, we see a work of art on the campus of Greensboro College, in the open field near the library. The hut is constructed of bamboo and old picture frames. Imagine standing inside here and framing your face for a photo. It is very creative. It will look even more spectacular if we get snow. We checked the website for Greensboro College and nothing about this structure appears to be written. The signs beside it states that the structure is monitored by video surveillance; however, nothing about the piece is available on-site. It is also fun to stand inside and watch people walk by.

If anybody knows about the Bamboo Frame Hut, please let us know.

Lincoln Financial on the Skyline

Happy Monday! As many of us gear up for the work week, we share a photo of the iconic building representing Greensboro's business community. It can be seen from so many vantage points around the city. The 18 story building, Greensboro's skyscraper, is 233 feet tall and, when it was built in 1923, it was the tallest building in North Carolina as well as the tallest building between Washington D.C. and Atlanta. A 20-story addition, the Jefferson-Pilot, now Lincoln Financial, was added in 1990. Actually, it is the 20-story addition that is primarily visible in this photo. The Jefferson Standard side is hidden behind and slightly visible to the right.

The above photo was taken yesterday evening, around 4:30, from the Greensboro College campus. Greensboro College is a perfect vantage point from which to view downtown Greensboro. The slight elevation of the campus affords such a nice view. Now is the time to take advantage of wandering around this beautiful campus while the college students are still away for winter break and parking is not an issue. Hurry! Classes begin on Wednesday.

Happy Old Christmas

For our first Sacred Sunday photo of 2013, we are sharing this sunset, in northeast Greensboro, from a few days ago. Nature is a beautiful thing. In the long hours of darkness in the winter months, a beautiful sunset becomes a cherished gift. Today is not only Sunday, it is the Epiphany, the Biblical Visitation of the Magi to the Baby Jesus. Some cultures are celebrating Kings' Day and children will be receiving gifts. So, regardless of what you celebrate today, take a look at the sky and be thankful for its eternal beauty. Even on overcast days, we can find something that makes us feel gratitude.

If you get a chance, head to a bakery and purchase rosca de reyes, which looks rather like something between bread and fruitcake. If your piece has the little plastic baby Jesus in it, know that the next party will be at your house! Well, dear readers, Happy Epiphany. May you have a day of rest and a day where nature reaches down and embraces you in its glory. 

Social Status: Got Kicks?

There's a new kid on the South 600 block of Elm Street: Social Status. The store's main product is high end sneakers.  Those backlit lucite boxes on the wall house beautiful, name-brand tennis shoes, sneakers, or as the younger generation calls them, kicks. The store, on the same block with Elsewhere, Artmongerz, and Thrill of the Hunt and across the street from Mellow Mushroom, is configured like an upscale mall boutique. If you are in the market for hard-to-find kicks, this is your dream store. Social Status attracts yet another demographic to South Elm Street and a diverse city is a healthy city.

A Greensboro, middle-school music teacher told us a story once that she told her students they couldn't wear tennis shoes to perform at a concert. Students were shocked when they came wearing their best "kicks" and she explained they were out of dress code. In their mind, their fancy kicks were in a league above the basic white tennis shoes that their grandmothers wore; they were the most valuable article of clothing they owned. In the end, with this honest mistake, the teacher allowed them to perform. As we recall, she provided a photo demonstration to resolve the compliance issues before the next concert. If you need something to talk about with someone under 30, ask about their kicks. When making online purchases, they actually customize them.

Courtney E Cormier at First Friday

Today is First Friday and shops and galleries in Downtown Greensboro  will stay open for your enjoyment. Last month, at Artmongerz, we fell in love with the satirical-realistic oil paintings by Courtney Cormier. Cormier describes the above series as "marketing scheme rejects" -  as toys that illustrate the societal pressures and stresses of adulthood. There is a "grimacing reality behind the bright hues." Cormier, originally from New Hampshire, is a full-time artist in Greensboro and is currently showing out of Artmongerz.

Cormier, a person of many talents, is a 5-time world champion baton twirler who was a twirler at the University of Tennessee, where she earned a degree in psychology. In the above photo of her paintings, you see the iconic little tikes cozy coupe wrecked and abandoned on the side of the road. You see Mr. Potatohead about to shave with a potato peeler which, unbeknownst to him, could cause permanent damage to his skin. Cromier's art gets you to look twice, to think about childhood, and to try to interpret the contemporary meaning. 

Every time we attend First Friday, we see something new, fun, and creative. Last month, it was Cormier's work. What will it be tonight? For sure, The January First Friday will be a great way to begin the weekend, the new year. Hope to see you there tonight.  Maybe we'll pull up in a cozy coupe! Beep, beep...

Acme Comics

Acme Comics is a comic shop, located on Lawndale Drive, in the Irving Park Shopping Center. This comic book store has been thriving for 26 years and is a Greensboro icon. According to their website, they have over 50,000 comics in backstock, lots of action figures, new and vintage comic books. They were selected to host The Comic Book City Convention this October 26th and 27th. This is a big deal for Acme Comics, as well as for Greensboro. The convention will also be great for nearby coffee shop, Geeksboro. We applaud people who follow their dream and open businesses related to their personal interests. 

In 2013, we're encouraging the citizens of Greensboro to patronize local businesses they've never visited before. Chances are, if you are a comic/action figure lover you have already been to Acme Comics. This is one genre of print that seems to be surviving the conversion to digital print.

... (Conversation recently overheard in the store) Holy atomic pile, Batman! Holy costume party, Robin!  We're in the right place and we look great in print! 

Y is for Year 5

Happy New Year!

Today is Day 1 of Year 5 for Greensboro Daily Photo. When we published our first post on January 2nd, 2009, we weren't sure we could sustain this effort. Posting a photo, with accompanying text/research, EVERY day is quite a commitment. Somehow, even with full time jobs, vacations, deaths in the family, and power outages, we've managed to get something posted every day. That's 1,460 photos related to Greensboro. Sometimes, we question why we have taken on this huge commitment- community service, of sorts. However, when we read your comments or attend events, like the Piedmont Interfaith Council Ecumenical Celebration and see our photos up on the giant screen, we know this effort is all worthwhile.

This whole international, city daily photo effort started with Paris Daily Photo and we are honored to be a part of this great community. If you are regular readers, you know we participate in the ABC Wednesday meme; also, we post a photo of the sky over Greensboro on Fridays; on Sundays, we post something related to religion and spirituality. The other days, we fill in with an array of scenes around town. Also, we try to feature the people of our Greensboro.  Please continue to read and to provide us with ideas, feedback and comments.

Happy New Year 2013

Happy 2013 Greensboro!

We hope your year is off to a great start and, if you are inclined to making resolutions, that they will be reasonably attainable. The international city daily photo community, of which GDP is a part, encourages members to post their best photo of the previous year on January 1st. We've selected the 85th anniversary/birthday celebration of the Carolina Theatre for our post. The celebratory event, held Octover 29th, represents the best of the Greensboro community- people from all walks of life coming together to support the arts.

In Greensboro, we are so fortunate to have great arts programs, performers, artists and venues. Even if we don't get a new performing arts center, Greensboro has so much to celebrate and to support. Let's make a collective resolution to support one community-based arts event a month this year. Can we do that? Let's each invite a friend, and ask that friend to invite a friend, and see what we can do to show all of our performing and visual artists how much we appreciate them. Here's to a great 2013, and not just sitting back and expecting our community to be good to us. Let's do what we can to contribute to that greatness. Happy 205th year, Greensboro; happy 86th year, Carolina Theatre; happy 60, plus years Children's Theatre of Greensboro; happy 14th birthday Triad Stage. happy, happy, happy... and HEALTHY!