And They Saw a Star...

This star ( or a similar one) has hung in this very spot at the top of the hill in the suburb of Homewood since I was a girl.  For me it signals the Christmas season.  I hope they didn't crank it up there before Thanksgiving this year. I forgot to check.  Regardless, it's always nice when our traditional holiday memories don't get replaced with newer, glitzier ones don't you think? Thanks Homewood, for preserving a special memory.

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The Tune du Jour is "Silent Night" by Michael Dulin

(from his album "Christmas At Our House")

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Winter's Fingers

Those of us lucky enough to live in Alabama during the winter months ( we are not going into summer weather!) are  spoiled rotten.  We can't relate to snow shovels, snow blowers, snow tires or any other nonsense pertaining to gobs and gobs of snow for 4-5 months of the year.  Oh every so often we have temps that dip into the 20's but by the next week, you could be taking your walk in just a sweatshirt.  Last night rumor had it we would have the dreaded "WINTER ADVISORY". Ohhhhh, will the schools close?  Will we be stranded with no bread or milk??? What ever will we do?  This morning I actually ran to the window and threw up the sash praying for some snow to help ease my photographic deficit.  Ahhhh, false alarm, nada!  I saw some frost on a few leaves but that pretty much wrapped it up.  So for those of you in the hinterlands blowing, shoveling, slipping , sliding and busting....well you know, my prayers are with you . I lived through an Iowa and a Wisconsin winter.  As we say down here, "Bless your hearts."

The Tune du Jour is "Sleigh Ride" by Amy Grant

Some of you out there may get a sleigh ride before it's all over!

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Just Singin'...Just Great!!

I don't know what you did on Wednesday night but I'll just bet I had more fun.  A group that I belong to had dinner at Birmingham's The Club.  Great friends, great food, great view of the entire city of Birmingham and GREAT entertainment!  Meet Just Singin'.  This fine looking group from Vestavia Hills High School, is an award winning jazz/doo-wap choral group.  Under the direction of Megan Rudolph, they sang in amazing harmony and with so much spirit and personality that they received a standing ovation.  They kindly let me photograph them after their performance.  They apologized for "Uncle John" being scantily attired.  Apparently his trousers were lost in route!  They did their best to make him "presentable"!! Take a bow kids, you are off to great places as Dr. Seuss would say.

The Tune du Jour is " Please Come Home for Christmas" by Southside Johnny Lyons

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The Lampost

This is the lampost on the corner of my street.  Tonight I was in a hurry to get home,  but it was raining and foggy and well I actually drove by, stopped and turned the car around to take this photo.  D.C. Confidential and I had a really nice, long  conversation on the phone tonight.  She asked me if I thought I saw things differently now that I was more focused on photography.  Oh my yes!  Tonight was a prime example.  As I have mentioned before, light, shadows, well everything catches your "eye" and most of the time, you cannot walk away from it.  She commented that she now sees potential photos everywhere she looks as well.  So do you, as a photographer, see things with a "different" eye now???

The Tune du Jour is " Somewhere in My Memory" from Home Alone

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Retail Reflection

Mountain Brook Village is one of the most festive spots around during the holidays.  All of the trees are lined with white lights (below) and they have a spectacular tree that is covered in colored lights. I caught this reflection in Bromberg's Jewelry store window.  Lots of pricey baubles inside for shoppers that aren't feeling the pinch this season!

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The Tune du Jour is "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" by Perry Como of course!

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Pansy Planting Time

Here in Birmingham, it's time to get those perky pansies in the ground.  What a visual treat they are set against winter's drab backdrop.  I am always fascinated that this delicate plant stubbornly survives freezing temperatures and last year, even a quick snow.  I took these photos in October with the morning dew still clinging to their petals.  

The Tune du Jour is "O Come Emmanuel" by Michael Dulin

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"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus"

This is probably my most recognizable addition to my 100 Strangers Challenge.  I'm serious! This particular Santa's helper was a stranger,  and we had a nice chat when I told him what I wanted under my tree this year.  He got a good chuckle out of that and promised he would deliver. Santa Baby, I'm counting on you!  ( I hope Santa has some French speaking elves!)

Actually, this nice Santa was the star of Brunch with Santa at Birmingham's Summit Club on Sunday.  A very kid friendly event enjoyed by all.  

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The Tune du Jour is "Santa Baby" of course!

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Soft Winter's Day

Allow me just one more foggy day photo.  I would love to paint this but that might require dealing with my artistic frustrations,  so I will just enjoy sharing this image with you. We don't have many foggy days around here,  or maybe I just never noticed until I started seriously looking at my world with a photographer's eye.  Could be.

* My friend Blognote, Arona Every Day, what an inspiration and a mentor you have been.  I hope this photo today comes close,  in some small way, to your exquisite photographic style.

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a photo diary of my recent trip

The Tune du Jour is my favorite Christmas song:

"Breath of Heaven" by Amy Grant.

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Brother Bryan, Religion in Shoes

Times are hard everywhere right now ,  and Birmingham is no exception. Every time I turn on the news, I hear that the homeless shelters are experiencing record numbers. This week even here in the deep south we have had freezing temperatures.  I wonder and worry about my friends that I have met at the church breakfasts.  I think today is the perfect day to introduce you to a very special Birminghamian, fondly known as Brother Bryan. He is one of our hometown heroes.  The pastor of the Third Presbyterian Church , he is best known for being an outspoken supporter for civil rights and racial reconciliation and his selfless service to the poor in Birmingham.  Maybe I should mention that this was in the early 1900's!  It is said that often he arrived at home at night without his coat because he had given it to a needy stranger during the day.  This tribute to Brother Bryan can be found in the Five Points South district.  It has been moved several times and I personally regret that it now rests next to an outdoor seating area for a local cafe.  I think Brother Bryan's statue by artist George Bridges,  deserves a more dignified resting place.  On the other hand, it is in close proximity to an area where many of our city's homeless can be found.  Perhaps it's the perfect place for Brother Bryan.   This holiday season when you are out purchasing gifts, please remember those that for whatever reason need a hot meal and a place to rest their head.  Brother Bryan set a wonderful example for each of us.

Bah Humbug Day

                                                                                  After!

Ever wonder why Ebeneezer Scrooge was such a grouch?  Putting up the Christmas tree!!  Every year for as long as I have been single, Christmas Tree Day has found me muttering "Bah Humbug" and many other expletives under my breath.  Today was Bah Humbug Day.  In an effort to make this special day of the year a little less stressful for myself, I bought a new, slimmer, PRELIT tree.  Once I hauled the 100 pound box up my basement stairs, fluffed each and every branch, put it all together, figured out the light situation, the rest was a piece of cake.  The tree is up , twinkling , decorated and I am feeling that rosy glow of Christmas coming over me.  ( That could be the wine, I'm not sure.) Anyway, today is December 5th and my tree is ready to go. I will deck the rest of the halls this weekend.   I proudly present the end result! Noel Arrive as they say in Paris!

The Tune du Jour is "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Amy Grant

                                                                                  Before

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A photodiary of my recent trip

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They're Playing My Song!

Well if this doesn't take you "seasoned" viewers down Memory Lane nothing will.  While I never had a spiffy model like this one that folds up, I still remember my first "hi fi" that played LP's.  Jay Gilbert, I can hear you hyperventilating over this one!!  I think I had this maddening habit of swinging that top arm back so that my favorite records would play over, and over, and over. I am sure that drove my sweet mother up the wall! If you want this one for your very own, give Jim Reed at Reed Books, Museum of Fond Memories a call. It's yours for the right price. Oh, and if you need a some fabulous old LP's, give me a ring.  I'll work with you on that deal.

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The Tune du Jour is a song that I played over and over and over.....

"Chances Are" by Johnny Mathis 

( and I STILL like it! )

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100 Stranger Challenge - Mother and Son

I took this photograph in the Charles de Gaulle Airport on my way back from Paris. I regret I cannot tell you more about this mother and her son.  She spoke no English.  The little boy was very well behaved and delighted when I showed him his pictures on my camera.  What a a special privilege to be able to capture their beautiful faces!

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The Tune du Jour is " You're Still You" by Josh Groban

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The Fog Sets In

Saturday afternoon my alma mater was getting beaten like a drum by our archrivals across the state.  I had had about as much fun as I could stand, so I turned off the television,  grabbed my camera and headed out.  It was a foggy, "mizzly" afternoon and I wasn't sure what I would find.  As luck would have it, I found this winding road shrouded in a blanket of fog.  After taking a number of photos around the neighborhood, I headed back home to watch the last half of the game.......  Just wait till next year!!!

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The Tune du Jour is "The Enchanted Garden " by Kevin Kern

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Noel en Grand - THEME DAY Circles/Spheres

Noel en Grand!

Today is Theme Day around the world as City Daily Photo Bloggers interpret  Circles/Spheres. As luck would have it, I have this very colorful entry this month from my recent trip to Paris.  Galeries Lafayette was nice enough to deck their gorgeous store out for Christmas in time for our visit!  Noel en Grand  indeed!  Oh the outside windows are fabulous. For my Birmingham viewers, reminiscent of the wonderful animated windows Loveman's had in years gone by.  I was as enthralled as the children.  Once inside the famous dome of the store was even more exquisite  festooned with gigantic red and gold balls and Christmas trees.  As a compliment to today's post, I am featuring more of my photos from Galeries Lafayette on my new blog, "Paris Through My Lens".  Hope you will click over and see them as well.

Hundreds of City Daily Photo bloggers are participating in December's Theme Day. Please visit the link below to see their original interpretations.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

The Tune du Jour is "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Amy Grant

* As I promised earlier in the fall, Christmas on this blog would not start till after Thanksgiving.  Tis now the season.  

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