Faith, Folklore, and Friends

The word paradise is from the Greek  paradeisos , which means a park or a garden. Our Father God promises the faithful that we can live in paradise someday, but it is possible to get a small glimpse of it right now. All images by Wanda Stricklin Robertson.  Kindly contact me before using them. Cheekwood Botanical Gardens 1200 Forrest Park Drive Nashville, Tennessee cheekwood.org

Every fall, my lil' ole sister and I take a pilgrimage north on the Natchez Trace Parkway.  We go to see the fall foliage, to spend some time together, and have some giggling time.  Y'all know what I'm talking about . The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444 mile two-lane road from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee.  Maintained by the National Park Service, the road follows the trail made by men and horses many years before Henry Ford was a gleam in his mother's eye. Luckily for us, 33 miles of it runs through Northwest Alabama, and we travel it a lot. Last Friday, Hub and I met my Sis and brother-in-law in Collinwood, Tennessee, and got on the Trace there, near mile marker 355.  We drove to the northern end, to mile marker 444. The speed limit on the Trace is 50 mph, so you have to slow down a little and look around.  There is much to be seen in those 89 miles. I will be sharing our adventures here in the next few days. It was way to...

With everything going on last Saturday, we decided to go to the Nashville Flea Market .  There are lots of things we like about it, including it is a great excuse to stay outside all day. There is such a wonderful and varied assortment of items for sale. These huge balls of mums were only $15.  Unfortunately, they were too big to bring home in the car. There was flipped furniture everywhere; again, we can't buy anything that won't fit in the car.  I can't think of a single thing I need a piece of cow hide for.  If the need arises, I'll know where to get it. I loved these antique baby shoes, but not enough to part with $45.  I got the picture instead for free. One of the most unique booths was Rusty Rats Antiques & Vintage, owned by Jim Gray and Charlie Accavallo.  They make furniture and accessories from old car parts, like this table below. This item below with the car hood is a bar/cabinet with lots ...