Road to Change

Today, I was privileged to attend and photograph a Town Hall held at Highland United Methodist Church. A group of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas students along with others from Alabama and Miami, spoke to a standing room only crowd. It was an amazing afternoon. I will be sharing photos for the next few days.

First, I will share the images of Zo Shauku, a 17 year old anti gun violence advocate who was shot in his bed last week here in Birmingham, was the first speaker.  As he made his way slowly to the center aisle microphone on his walker, holding his side, he shared his experience and powerful words for us all.

For the next few days, I will share more photos from this amazing event.

From Snapshots to Creative Photographs!

For my Birmingham area readers, I will be teaching my 5 week series From Snapshots to Creative Photographs again this fall at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church Conservatory of the Arts. I hope you will join our class and pass this information to friends and family who might be interested.

Back in the Water!

After a few weeks off to mend from an injury, today I'm back in the pool, figuratively.
 I visited a very special place, the Children's Fresh Air Farm. IPC's  STAIR of Birmingham graduates, grades 2-5, gather there for our Summer Learning Program. It's academics, and so much more. This special program bridges the summer gap when so many students lose ground during the summer. They get two hot meals, study hard on math and reading in the morning with certified teachers, and in the afternoons swim, have art and so many other wonderful activities. My church, Independent Presbyterian Church sponsors, and I"m just happy to be along to photograph the fun!

Old School

Ginger's Garden

Ginger's garden again. I love it because she has formal areas, ( to please her husband), lovely loose , natural plantings with shrubs and flowers. But the best, is the upper garden that is loose and funky with an old bathtub of salad greens ( tub 'o salad), some fruit trees, wildflowers, bee hives and wine bottle line beds. I have always loved nasturtiums, since I planted them as a child. 

You're A Grand Ole Flag!

This Americana vignette was too good to pass up for the Fourth of July.  Barbara Adkins' Black Sheep Antiques in Harpersville always had vintage flags.

     Black Sheep Antiques 

39509 AL-25, Harpersville, AL 35078

The Last Magnolia

Magnolia blooms are one of the many things that I love about summer in Birmingham. I love them even when they are waning.

National Peace and Justice Memorial - Part III

Today's photo essay is the Part III of the National Peace and Justice Memorial in Montgomery AL. If you have missed the previous posts, scroll down.

As we left the lynching memorial building, we followed a path around to the back of the grounds. Artist Dana King's three sculptures are "dedicated to the women who sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott."

National Peace and Justice Memorial - Part II

Today we continue of the top of the grassy hill to the memorial square.  Designed to be covered, but open on both sides. The stunning memorial consists of "over 800 cortex steel monuments, one for each county in the US where a racial terror lynching took place. The names of the known victims are engraved on the columns." As one enters, the monuments are placed at eye level. As you proceed to the corner and turn, the flooring slopes downward giving the illusion that the monuments are rising. At the bottom, the monuments are directly overhead.

At the bottom, the outside wall features water pouring over with this beautiful inscription dedicated to all of the victims who remain unidentified.

" Thousands of African Americans are unknown victims of racial terror lynchings whose deaths cannot be documented. Many whose names will never be known. They are all honored here."

The National Peace and Justice Memorial - Part I

I recently toured the newly opened National Peace and Justice Memorial ( informally known as the Lynching Memorial) in Montgomery AL. "This is the nation's first memorial dedicated to the legacy of enslaved black people, people  terrorized by lynching, African Americans humiliated by racial segregation and Jim Crow, people of color burdened with contemporary presumptions of guilt and police violence."

The memorial is a powerful reminder of our nation's history and extremely emotional experience. As I reviewed my hundreds of images last night, I realized that picking and choosing photos to post here and on social media would not convey the feeling of the memorial and do it justice. For the coming week, I will post collections of photographs in order to give my readers a stronger sense of actually being in that space.

As one enters the park, the concrete figures by artist Kwome Akoto-Bamfo, depicting the journey of slavery is absolutely heart wrenching.

An Evening with Cathy and Frank

Tonight I attended a swell event. The Harvard Club of Birmingham's E. O. Wilson Distinguished Lecture featured tapas from Shindig's Catering, charcuterie by Bettola's Chef James Lewis and dessert by Dolester Miles, Chef Stitt's longtime pastry chef and winner of this year's James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef.  After dinner, Cathy Sloss Jones sat down with Chef Frank Stitt, winner of this year's James Beard Award for Best Restaurant. They discussed the the emerging food culture of Birmingham and the influence both Cathy and Frank have had on the changes and resurgence of Alabama farmers, thanks to the Pepper Place Market. Good food, good company and great conversation.

Everybody Loves Toby!

Today I got to photograph again for Hand in Paw. Catherine and her sweet pup Toby visited a classroom at Oliver Elementary. They've been visiting monthly and the students were a bit sad to say goodbye to them for them summer. Toby got lots of sweet rubs and a cute card from the class. For more information about Hand in Paw, click HERE!

My Family

From our family archives, a gathering of mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers and children/grandchildren, minus two. In this photo, Gigi hold Chappell who had just been born. Kathleen is holding big sister Lindley. I'm next, and Melissa holds Eva. The kiddos came pretty close together and we were so grateful Gigi was there. Sorry Laura Kate and Davis, you weren't with us yet!

Larry For the Win!

Today, I got my first taste of photographing for Hand and Paw. We visited two classrooms at Avondale Elementary. Larry and his human Brittany, have been coming regularly all year long, so the students were  eagerly waiting Larry's appearance. In this class, the boys each read a book to Larry. It was a great day. Larry seemed to love it too.

Stayed tuned for more photos next week1

For more about the wonderful Hand and Paw organization, click HERE!