More From My "Ramble in Roanoke"...

...neatly restored ad painted on the side of an old brick building. These painted advertisements in older towns and cities are favorites for me. I think they still make these nice little tea biscuits, too. ??

Churches for a Royal Wedding Day...

...the top, another gorgeous confection of golden masonry in Roanoke; the second, a simple old church near Up-town Charlotte, NC.

Details and a stately door...

...on the Norfolk & Western (now....Southern RR) building in Roanoke. What skilled masonry. Once the steam engines were gone, they must have cleaned the buildings in the city.

Back to Roanoke, VA....

...formerly the headquarters and administration buildings of the old Norfolk & Western Railroad, these golden-toned brick buildings (full of details) nearly glowed, even on an overcast day. At sunset, they seemed to radiate gold light from within.

We Are Way Overdue for an Update on the Twins...

...Molly is like Mommy's little helper at the present, it seems. While Micah developed into a pistol! Today, there was a "Perfect Storm" of funny toddler behavior. First, we must go back a few weeks to the time when Micah learned to "reverse engineer the dressing process", climb noiselessly from his crib during nap time and sneak soundlessly downstairs  to show up on the sofa where is Dad was doing school work (he's a teacher). Likely bursting into a gale of giggles!  Soon after that, he "marked his little territory" by repeating the de-dressing routine, stayed in his crib this time, but pee'd out the side of the bed! Yay, Micah!
It's all in good fun! So, you've seen the Facebook today: his blushing parents answered the door to find the police outside, asking "Is that the kid?"; of course, the 2-year-old accidental 911 dialer had once again removed his pants! Who writes this stuff? It's a good thing his Mommy and Daddy are professional child-instructors and can at least appreciate the talent and humor of all this.

Hello, Family...

...a nice photo of Amethyst, Brown-Eyes (hiding them) and the Hubs' during a long walk in some great neighborhoods of Charlotte NC--this was Myers Park, if I remember right.

Old Barn Floor...

...with muted tones, patterns and textured old wood, this was a close-up of the rustic character of western VA near Roanoke. We purchased organic garden supplies at 7 Springs Farm to take back home.

Not Always Straight and Tall, but Still Strong...

...we found this tree growing along the Blue Ridge Parkway as we drove toward Roanoke VA last week.

"A Brand New Angel in Heaven"...

...that's what I said on Facebook. Early this year, I referred obliquely to the serious illness of Hubsy's sister Peggy. She passed away yesterday. A lady of great kindness, grace and humor. Active in her church, busy, a big part of the lives of her grandchildren--she adored them. (The church shown above is one I found in Roanoke a few days ago, but it fits.) Yes, she will be missed; but there were so many unforgettable moments and smiles that she will remain in the hearts and memories of all who knew her. Rest Well, Peg.

Sunday, April 17, 2011 in the afternoon...

...on a walk to the Uptown area with Brown-Eyes and Amethyst, I found that Charlotte is a city of light and reflection: buildings shaped like large glass blocks reflect the images of other modern buildings; light is cast all over the area in various ways. Interesting. At first, I was troubled by the scarcity of antique old brick, which I suppose I prefer.

Roanoke VA April 19, 2011--The Noon Hour...

 ...skipping forward to my favorite action shots; yesterday walked the length and breadth of Roanoke's downtown (while Hubs' was at the Transportation Museum). Mainly, I photographed the old buildings, some of which will follow. But I saw these two smooth criminals clattering down the sidewalk on their 'boards, looking so cute and stupid with the tops of their panties showing....snap!

...as I followed our little dudes, this perfect and touching pair appeared. I love his gentle hand on her arm, his watchful eye on the traffic and likely her X-ray file and her red purse in his other hand. High Drama when you're in your 80's! I hope they got home alright; the enormous contrast between the frivolity and energy of healthy youth and the utter seriousness of great age. I'm somewhere in the middle, but I can see both sides.

Elizabeth, the lovely....

...and evocative neighborhood near the Charlotte city center.

Charlotte NC April 16, 2011...

...near the Elizabeth neighborhood. The weather was threatening, but we walked anyway. We explored Elizabeth, a genial area east of downtown. Later, it rained, while we were nibbling at noon. Later still, we found that many dozens of people were hurt or killed in the Southeast. Yet the weather was pretty good where we were, we were thankful.

Odd, Inky Chicago Sunrise....

...as seen from the Dan Ryan Expressway, headed south.   (p.s. Blogs' has a laptop now)

The Hungry Blog Needs Fresh Pickings....

...so the Blog's Mommy is out hunting new material. Already there is a great new supply.  Idea: Camping.
"A night at a State Park Camp Ground is a memory, a night in a typical motel is only an item on the next credit card bill." Realized as we drove away from a pretty little park in a sweeping valley in the Cumberland Mountains in TN.

A Wonderful and Happy Third....

...Wedding Anniversay to L'il Pearl and our Blonde Kid. This time, early afternoon, three years ago, we were all assembling at the hotel to ready ourselves for a formal photo session, followed by the Ketubah signing ceremony and then the wedding celebration ceremony. After dinner, there was dancing! Happy-Happy Kids! We Love You!   (these photos were from my stash--as time allows I will produce some others, someday.)

More Spring Bulbs Blooming...

...can't resist. My stripey white and purple crocus, with some remaining snowdrops; and a crowd of lucky lavender flowers who live next door.  I love the fresh contrast between the season's flowers and the dry brown left-overs of last year.

Crocuses...

...my nicest little clump of white ones in the front yard; in full glory. They make me think of a delicious little box of white Easter Peeps candy.

Busy Neighbors, A Dividend for Us and a Thank You!

The Gardener and her Hubsy were not able to use the symphony tickets yesterday since they were babysitting their granddaughters, Alice and July. This helped their Mommy and Daddy make the new move more smoothly. So we enjoyed the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's performance (with Ricardo Muti conducting). It was Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 and two other shorter pieces. Bloggsy is not auditory but tries to appreciate, learn and enjoy such opportunities. The Gardener will find a little treat of Thanks when they return.

Farewell to Fox River Grove...

...imagine: a hour's walk in a sweet little town supplied me with nearly two weeks of blog-fodder! It was a photogenic village on a pretty spring day; what will I find next?  I will be as surprised as you!

"LA Confidential"....

...finally captured a few phone moments with our Blonde Guy--youngest son--in LA; caught up on the happenings with him and his wife, L'il Pearl. After that, as I sometimes do, I asked if they had seen any celebrities lately. Turned out, yes: at the store where he works he had an extended conversation with a lovely young star of a current TV series. Since she was playing "customer" and he was playing "salesman", we will keep her identity private--that's the confidential part. My favorite part: he told me an actor visited Pearl's school, but was on the other end of the long building, so Pearl did not go see him "She didn't want to BE THAT PERSON who goes out of their way to see a celebrity". He too, had an experience at the store where he'd have to make a special trip to see the certain actor--just didn't want to BE THAT PERSON.  Me? Where's my camera??

Radial Arrangement...

...or man-hole cover, whichever you like. I loved the glowing tone of the rust vs. the dry leaves. The grass was only beginning to turn green that day.

Curb Appeal....

...Fox River Grove was full of it. And I'm not "selling" this village for them! What a dreamy lemon chiffon color with all the right touches of white; the neighbors picket fence lined up beautifully to make it almost a Norman Rockwell vision.

Really? In the Front Yard....?

...it's a fading, antique relic of the days when Fox River Grove, IL was a summer hide-away destination for vacationers. Perhaps it will be restored. Further south on the Fox River, near Batavia, there stands a much larger edition, fully restored tho I've never seen it working.

Looking Ahead, then Looking Back...

...to see where we came from on a nicely built sidewalk up a steep hill in Fox River Grove, IL last week.

Wisconsin Chrome!!!

On duty and doing the job here in Fox River Grove IL. I believe I once heard that duct tape saved Apollo 13? But isn't it meant to be a quick, temporary fix? People, come on...!

This Feels like April Fools Day, to me....

...further on in our walk about Fox River Grove, IL we found this elaborate old garden planter arrangement in  a front yard. It looked to be older--at least 30 years, with out-croppings and niches for plants to nestle and hang down. Perhaps we'll come back in the summer and see it in it's glory.