The World Through My Eyes: Downtown

On the way back to my car after a lunch downtown. Sunny. Gorgeous.

Noah in Concert

Sometime last year, a friend of mine posted about an awesome cover she heard on her local radio station. (Which, incidentally, was in Canada. Oh how I love you internet).

My Favorite Thing

This is my entry for this month's Rocket City Blogger's Blog Carnival. The topic is "Huntsville Favorites"

Green. That's all I could see as I surveyed Huntsville for the first time. I had flown out for an interview, to this town I'd never heard of until I saw the job posting. Citydata.com had assured me it was a decent sized city with lots of tech-y people, and weather that didn't involve feet of snow. I had seen pictures of rockets, read the sales pitches on why Huntsville was a great place to live. But it was the green that awed me. Even the patchy, scraggly March grass was more green than I had grown up with in the wilds of Southern California, all rocks and scrubby bushes. It was more green than even my time in Northern California, spent in a small college town where the greenery was carefully regulated and controlled. And it was certainly more green than the concrete and asphalt of downtown Los Angeles where I had been living for a year and a half, pursuing a graduate degree.

Rocket City Bloggers

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Breuer of Rocket City Mom
This week, a new Huntsville Blogging group launched. The Rocket City Bloggers plan to meet every third Wednesday at 7pm. This month's meeting was a brainstorming session where talked about what we would like to get out of the group, topics to cover, and got to know each other a bit. I had the pleasure of meeting the bloggers behind:

Rocket City Mom A local resource for Huntsville parents
Aunt Gee Bakes You may remember this awesome lady from the Tornado Relief Bake Sale, her blog focuses on baking and cooking.
Seeking in a Crazy World A blog about one woman's spiritual journey.
Carol MarksThe personal blog of our fearless leader, a writer by trade.
Not Your Typical Southern BelleThe personal blog of an avid thrifter/repurposer.
Entirely AdequateThe personal blog of a one-time copy-editer, now master's student.

Also joining us were Christi and Ray who are currently in the process of creating/revamping their blogs. Next month's meeting will be held at Panera Bread on Whitesburg and Airport, on August 17th at 7pm.

We are currently voting on the topic on in our facebook group which is serving as a de-facto headquarters.

If you are a local blogger, come join us!

Giving Back

As I mentioned in my last couple of posts, the hubby and I have been lucky enough not to feel the after-effects of these recent tornadoes. However, there are plenty of other people in our city, our county, our state, who are suffering tremendously. Homes lost, pets lost, people lost.

Times like these I never quite know what to do. I want to give but some dry goods or a bit of cash never seem like enough. I find myself wanting to DO something. But I also know my limits. I have a 9-5 job, am fairly out of shape, and have only the most rudimentary construction skills. In other words, I'm not the sort of person you want cutting up fallen trees or rebuilding houses. Add in our lack of communication access, and I kept finding out about volunteer activities after they were over.

However, thanks to the magic of social networking, Mrs. Zoot linked me to a cause where I know that my skills will be well used. I can help and so can you!

This weekend from 12-2 there will be an old fashioned bake sale in Five Points, just across from Star Market. If you plan to donate, baked goods should be dropped off earlier. Otherwise, come when you can to purchase something made by the community for the community. All proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross.

Pick something up for your Mother's Day celebrations, something to share with coworkers and friends, or something just because.

And a BIG thanks to Aunt Gee Bakes for dreaming this up and coordinating. You can get more information from this post or by emailing auntgee@auntgeebakes.com with any questions/concerns or just to sign up!

Plop

I was pulling into our garage today when I heard a "plop" and saw something largeish land on the windshield.

The TAO of Texaco

Driving home from work the other day, I ran across this scene. I was greatly amused.

The Dining Dragon

Over the past year, I have refined and reshaped this blog. In closing my Etsy shops and starting my 365 project, I redefined my purpose here. Recipes, quilting, photography. This is a blog about me. My home, my hobbies. A place that lets old friends keep in touch and introduces me to new ones.

This month I finally did something I have been pondering for a while now. I created a second blog to review local restaurants. I have been disappointed in the lack of comprehensive, thoughtful restaurant reviews and given that I love food, love taking pictures, and have acclimated the hubby to the idea that all food must be photographed before it is eaten--well, it was a perfect fit!



If you are local, or just want to know where to eat should you swing through town, you can get the inside scoop over at The Dining Dragon. As I say on my premise page:

My goal with this blog is to show you some of the more unusual places in town, to help people avoid going to just another boring national chain out of convenience. I'll look at local favorites, to see if they live up to the hype. And I'll try some of those chains to see if there is anything to them. But mostly? I want to uncover the best places to eat in Huntsville. I hope you'll join me.

Three Caves, One Concert

Last weekend, the hubby and I had a brilliant evening.

First, we packed a picnic dinner.



Sandwiches on soft, fresh, bakery bread. Fresh fruit. Kettle chips. Homemade peanut butter cookies. And soda. And camp chairs.



Then we caught our carriage for the evening. The school bus was obviously built for wee ones, poor hubby had to sit sideways because his legs were too long for the seat.



Once we arrived at our destination, an old Limestone quarry, we "hiked" up a small hill to will call and picked up our tickets.



We picked out a good spot, set up our chairs, ate dinner, and waited for the show.







At 7pm sharp, the performers, singer/songwriters who play at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, began. We had the pleasure of listening to Karyn Rochelle, Kent Blazy, and Cory Batten. They were a fun group, chatting about the stories behind the songs, cracking jokes, and making impromptu changes to lyrics. And the weather? Perfect. The air was relatively still and while not warm, the cold wasn't distracting. As the show went on, night fell and soon we were listening to music under the stars.



It was a wonderful night and I'm already looking forward to next year!

Thai Garden

On our continuing quest to try new restaurants around town, my hubby and I stopped in at Thai Garden for our Friday night date night a couple of weeks ago.



It doesn't look like much, but the food was wonderful. Inside they have original art by local artists (for sale!) hanging on the walls. Not only is it a great way to support the community but they make for great conversation pieces.

My hubby ordered the Pad Thai.



I ordered a delicious sweet beef dish, served with rice.



Up close and personal.


Both dishes were wonderful. I had a hard time stopping eating when I was full because it was so good, so the hubby was forced to step in and help me out. ^_^

That way I had enough room left for dessert, fresh mango served with sweet rice.



The sweet rice was subtly sweet, a perfect compliment to the ripe mango.

The service was prompt, our server was ever present without being obtrusive, and the restaurant was quiet, making conversation easy, despite being nearly at capacity the entire time we were there.

Think of the Children!

A sporadic spotlight on the things that make Huntsville, Alabama standout.



The hubby and I went for a walk down the green belt over the weekend, where we spotted a new sign that had been installed. Now I appreciate dog owners who pick up after their pooches. I prefer clean paths, especially in the hot, humid summer that will shortly be upon us. But who wrote this sign?

Dog Waste is a threat to our children

Really? Attack of the dog waste?

And that's not the only puzzler. Who uses language like "degrades our city" on a road side sign? What on earth is "leash-curb"ing? What did the poor sap who had to create the artwork think?

The Best Breakfast In Huntsville

A sporadic spotlight on the things that make Huntsville, Alabama standout.



I am on a quest to try new eateries in Huntsville. So each week, for our Friday date night, I try to come up with new and fabulous places we can try. Especially new, fabulous, and locally owned places we can try.

I first found Edith Anns on a Google search. It had excellent reviews but based on the location (right on a highway) and the type of food (breakfast) I couldn't catch the hubby's attention. After hearing more praise from others in town, and discovering that it was only open for breakfast and lunch, the hubby and I decided to make a Saturday brunch of it.

They won Best Breakfast in Huntsville last year and with good reason. The food is clearly homemade in the absolute best sense of the word. But the service tops even that. Our waitress was friendly and attentive, hitting that hard to reach balance between service and privacy. You won't find a hugely expansive menu or any exotic foods, but the prices are reasonable and the portions beyond generous. We'll be back and we'll be bringing out out of town guests here instead of the ever present Cracker Barrel.

Beer and Blog Huntsville

A few months ago, I heard about some people trying to set up a Beer and Blog chapter here in Huntsville. The premise is simple, one a week you meet up with other bloggers. You talk. You eat. Some drink beer. It sounded like grand fun but I never heard anything more and thought it hadn't gotten off the ground. Then, in early November, I heard that they were meeting--and had been for several weeks! I made plans to attend the next meeting and promptly crashed my car leaving me with no way to get there without stranding the hubby.



Finally, last week, with the car safely back from the shop, I was able to attend. And had a great time! I've had a tough time finding my "crowd" in Huntsville. Lots of really nice individuals, but the groups I've tried to get involved with socially just sort of fizzled. I may just have found them though in the B&B bunch. People to talk blogs with. And social networking. And news. And pop culture. And geek culture. People that span ages and professions but share at least one thing in common: they make others feel welcome. Naturally, I went back this week. And I met even more people and had a blast. ^_^


If you are in the area, join us! Meetings are every Tuesday from 5ish to 7ish at the West End Grill on Old Pike road. If you aren't local, check out Beer and Blog to find a chapter near you.

My thanks to Andrew for nabbing the shot above at tonight's meeting!

Winter Wonderland

A sporadic spotlight on the things that make Huntsville, Alabama standout.

Yesterday it snowed! I've been told that snow is not uncommon in Huntsville, occasionally we get white Christmases. However, it's certainly not an everyday thing, maybe once every few years. So the dusting we got had everyone talking and comparing notes.

My hubby tried to get some pictures of the snow falling, but that didn't work out quite as hoped.



So at 2am, when we looked out the window and saw that the snow had stuck, he tried again with somewhat better results.



Much to our joy, the snow was still around first thing in the morning and we were able to get pictures to our hearts' content.

The bushes out front:


Leaves on the trees out back:


Looking into the undeveloped land behind us:


Bushes and brick:


The house:

This is Huntsville

A sporadic spotlight on the things that make Huntsville, Alabama standout.



I snapped this photo today as I was leaving a client site. Fall is one of my favorite seasons here because it is so constantly breathtaking. The crisp, clear air. The bright fall foliage. And here, if you look closely in the background (or click through to Flickr to see it circled), the Saturn V mock up at the Space and Rocket Center that serves as a local landmark.

Only in Huntsville

Only in Huntsville can I drive to an office building for an appointment over my lunch hour and have this be the view from the parking lot.



Only in Huntsville can the hubby and I see this coming home from dinner.



(In case you can't read that it says "ARES I" and it's on one of the space tags. You can see an image of the tag here just scroll to the bottom of the page. Ares I is the new space vehicle being developed by NASA.)