Saturday, April 16, 2011

Babies, blackberry french toast, and BRRRRR!

After waiting out the tornadoes and apocalypse-esque rain yesterday night, I arrived in Madison, AL around 10:00 PM. I made the journey to visit with the lovely Stamps family and take part in the Hunstville March of Dimes "March for Babies". I always welcome the opportunity to stay at Casa de Stamps. A visit there promises good food, good conversation, and plenty of fun. They're such gracious hosts and treat me like one of their own when I'm with them.

We headed to Huntsville early this morning for the March for Babies. We marched for this little fella, and in memory of his twin brother, Graham.


You can read Will's story of resilience over at Anna Claire's blog.

As you can probably tell by the picture, Will was not pleased with the weather at start time. The morning was gray, cloudy, windy, and COLD. Not freezing cold, mind you, but colder than any of us was prepared for. Unseasonably cold. And unnecessarily windy.


Will made no bones about voicing his displeasure and, since we were all going numb, ended up bailing on the Baby March about 15 minutes after the start. "A" for effort, though...at least we showed up and walked for a while!

(We were trying to show how cold we were. I clearly missed the memo that we were supposed to look cold but still human. Egads.)

Once back at the Stamps homestead, we enjoyed a multitude of breakfast casseroles and fruit. Mrs. Rhonda made a blackberry french toast casserole that required a moment of silence to regain my composure. I forgot to get the recipe, but this one sounds close. Definitely leave off the maple syrup...you won't need it.

Kate and I spent the afternoon wandering around Madison and Huntsville, in search of all things old and artsy. She showed me a house (1850s Greek Revival) she recently discovered through her job.

(Respectful of private property lines, we took creeper shots through the trees. 'Cuz that's not weird or anything.)

We strolled past these beauties in downtown Madison:







I'm pretty sure I need to live in an old house when I grow up. If you know of a low-maintenance, inexpensive, front-porched, lace-curtained, ghost-free historic home, you be sure to let me know. This little area of Madison is just perfection. Huge old trees, white picket fences, wraparound front porches...made this girl a happy camper.

To cap off this cold, windy day, we drove to Lowe Mill in Huntsville. Kate explained that it's an old textile mill that's now used as studio space/stores for local artists. Very cool concept.



Inside, we found a treasure trove: painters, sculptors, musicians, jewelry makers, quilt makers, photographers, glass blowers...


(The floors. Look. At. The floors. Holy heavens. They were worn and creaky and just delightful.)

The trip to the old mill made me think about what it must have looked like when it was filled with workers and machines. It brought to mind one of my favorite books by Rick Bragg. If you're looking for something new, this is a great, if gritty, read.

After bidding everyone farewell, I had to stop and take a picture of the sweetest spot along the interstate between Birmingham and Huntsville:

(This pretty barn and the rolling pastures around it never fail to make me smile.)

This time away was good for my soul. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, friends!

14 comments:

  1. We were so excited to see your beautiful self this weekend! And I agree about the old homes - I SO want to live in one someday.

    That's awesome you took a pic of the barn. I have to stare at it every time we pass it on the way to/from Bham!

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  2. What a fun day you had! I'll have to write about mine, too. It involved a scavenger hunt, a mall, 15 eleven year olds and mall security...fun!
    I also dream of a big old house with a wrap around porch where I can sip on a cup of hot coffee and watch the birds eat at the feeder and bathe in the bird bath.
    I'm also going to download a book by Rick Bragg on your recommendation!
    Hope you have a very blessed Palm Sunday.
    Love
    ~a

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  3. Anna Claire, I had a ball visiting with everybody. Thanks for letting me take part! And I'm glad to know somebody else who loves looking at that barn. I've always wondered what the inside looks like...

    Thanks for reading!

    *Julie

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  4. Annesta, it sure was a fun day. Yours sounds rather exciting...would love to read a recap! Let me know what you think about Rick Bragg. His books aren't sunshiney and cheerful, but I really enjoy them. He's a fabulous story-teller.

    Thanks for reading!

    *Julie

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  5. What! You were in our neck of the woods and I had no idea! So glad you and Kate had fun. I love the big beautiful barn too : )

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  6. Julie! What a fun weekend! It makes me miss you and the Stamps family too. I know y'all just had a blast - I would have much rather been there with y'all than at work :) ha I am glad you had such a joyous weekend and I MUST see you very soon. I can't wait for us all to be reunited, but maybe we can find a time before that to get together. I love you and miss you dearly, my friend. Have a happy Monday!

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  7. Elizabeth, I thought about you several times while I was there! I was only in town about 20 hours total, so I'll be sure to let you know when I'm there for longer. I need to meet Owen sometime before he starts driving :)

    Thanks for reading and commenting, friend!

    *Julie

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  8. Laura Allyson, I wish you could've made the trip with me. You would've loved all those old houses. I definitely want to get together sometime before our reunion...let's talk soon about details!

    Thanks (as always) for reading and commenting!

    *Julie

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  9. I love those old homes! They just don't make them like that anymore. So gorgeous! Thanks for sharing the pictures!

    ~Joanna

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  10. Oh my! Im in love with old homes! They just don't make em like they used to. (I will say I am fearful of ghosts though, thought I would grow out of it...but... nope.)

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  11. Joanna, I agree...they just don't make 'em like that anymore! I know they're a lot of maintenance and expensive to keep up, but a girl can always dream :)

    Thanks for reading and commenting!

    *Julie

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  12. Leesha, glad to know there's someone out there who's a little leery of the ghosties! I say I don't believe in them, but I try to say that very quietly...you know, so they can't hear me :) It seems like an old home would be the perfect place for one to hide out. Before I ever decide to buy one, I'll have the "GhostHunters" come out and test it for me :)

    Thanks for reading and commenting!

    *Julie

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  13. Fun time! Love all those old homes and buildings.

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  14. Sarah Barry, it was a lot of fun. I'm a sucker for old houses...buildings...whatever!

    Thanks for stopping by!

    *Julie

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