The Thomasville Tourist, Part One

David and I actually had a pretty busy weekend- right here in Thomasville. We did several touristy things that we (or more namely, I) have never experienced right here in my backyard. I had a great weekend and I got a few things marked off my "Thomasville Bucket List" in the process!

This weekend, Thomasville had it's historic Rose Show and Festival. I have lived in Thomasville since 2007 and I have never once gone to the Rose Show or watched one of the Rose Parades (unless I count last year when I got caught in traffic trying to get home after work and had to watch some of it). On Saturday, David and I loaded up and hit downtown. The weather was gorgeous and the perfect temperature to go look at some roses! The Rose Show has been a staple of Thomasville since the early 1920s. Just about every variety of rose is on display at the Rose Show.

Some of Broad Street downtown was blocked off for the car show and block party.

I was able to grab a beloved snow cone and stroll the streets with my man, enjoying looking at all the interesting cars. I was also excited because I got to see close up the progress on the courthouse restoration.

It looks like they are FINALLY getting close to finishing it!

Another item I got crossed off of my list was a trip to the Old Cemetery downtown. I must have been the worst Thomasville History docent on earth, considering that I just this weekend went to a few historical sites that I always got asked about on a regular basis!

Maybe I am morbid or something, but I just love old cemeteries. I love the history that is there. I love the beautiful craftsmanship of the tombstones, ironwork, and vaults. Every grave has a story and going through the graveyard seeing some of the people that are laid to rest and remembering their stories from the ones that I told tourists during tours at the museum.

Above is the memorial dedicated to Thomas County's Confederate soldiers. The War between the States greatly changed the course of Thomasville/Thomas County. Before the war, Thomasville was your typical, sleepy plantation area. Not much going on other than farming. After the war, is where Thomasville's history took a turn. The town could have died a slow death, like many other southern towns. But thanks to a doctor and his "discovery" that Thomasville's pine scented air and climate had great benefits, Thomasville became the resort town of the Victorian era. It was because of this influx of Northerner visitors that came and bought up the properties, that Thomasville's plantations were preserved, the downtown was built and thrived, and the lovely homes that are prewar and after are still here.  

All of the symbolism in the cemetery is fascinating- but don't worry- I will spare you! Although, I will touch on the sea shell covered graves...

 It is really unknown why this particular grave (and a few others) are covered in shells. Some believe, that it is because this particular family had strong connections with the Florida coast. Or it could be because they crossed water to get here, or rebirth in their Christian faith. Either way, it is interesting!

This is the Mitchell family marker. The man that is buried here is the brother to Thomasville's first millionaire- T.C. Mitchell, who was the owner of the famous Mitchell House, that was popular during the late 1800s.

The Mitchell House, circa 1890

 Well, that is part one of my Thomasville Tourist adventures! Coming up- Pebble Hill Plantation

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

"Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game." ~Babe Ruth

Tuesday, I got to go to not one, but two very special baseball games. One game was for my cousins Brandon and Colton. The other was a t-ball game for my nephew, Barrett. I am so glad that I got to go watch all my boys play!

 "Life will always throw you curves, just keep fouling them off...the right pitch will come, but when it does, be prepared to run the bases."~Rick Maksian

 "You owe it to yourself to be the best you possibly can be- in baseball and in life." ~ Pete Rose

 "Baseball is like a poker game. Nobody wants to quit when he's losing; nobody wants you to quit when you're ahead." ~ Jackie Robinson 

"Baseball was, is and always will be to me the best game in the world." ~ Babe Ruth

 "I see great things in baseball. It is our game--the American game." ~ Walt Whitman

 "There's no crying in baseball!" ~ A League of Their Own

 "I swing big with everything that I've got. I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can." ~ Babe Ruth

"You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time." ~ Jim Bouton

Hodgepodge!

My Chorus teacher in high school always used the term "hodgepodge." And we always looked forward to those hodgepodge days. Which meant- no singing, no terminology to memorize. Just sit around and gossip with your buddies all period long. Or cram for your upcoming test or finish up homework(yeah right). Or just do whatever- a mash up of any and everything. And that my friends, is what I'm doing today. So yell with me like we used to in high school "HODGEPODGE!"

I've been taking advantage of the gorgeous spring weather and have spent a considerable amount of time outside working with the flowers. My last post I talked about some of my purchases. And thankfully, they are all still going strong!

These beauties greet me every afternoon and make me smile to see them. Maybe I should get Stacey to hook me up with the little old ladies from her old garden club! Might as well, since I was just hit up for membership for Thomasville Landmarks and which I am now a member of. Guess the director, Brent finally got my mailing address from the Historical Society since the two have joined up together for a joint book project. I was surprised it took him that long to hit me up for a membership!

I picked up a few new plants for the back patio. I grabbed up a mosquito plant that is "supposed" to keep away mosquitoes. I'm not seeing it work it's magic just yet!

I also grabbed some flowers to put in Stacey's whisky barrel that I guess I inherited due to the fact that its too heavy to move!

This thing is a beast! It doesn't have a drainage hole, though and I literally had to scoop out all of the water before I planted these things. And since it will be raining this weekend, I had to come up with something to help keep my new flowers from living in a swamp.

Yeah, I'm fancy like that. We will see if it holds through the rain storm. It's an old umbrella that won't stay open, so I've got it rigged at the moment with a binder clip to keep it open. We will see if that holds. I doubt it though! But I can at least say I tried to keep my plants somewhat dry.

I also planted a few plants for my "vegetable garden" which consists of nothing more than me planting a few things in the flower bed out back.

Nothing fancy. A few regular sized tomato plants, a strawberry plant, a few watermelon vines (that if they live, I will probably end up ripping those things out, because I don't think I want to look at wandering vines everywhere!), and some cucumber plants I planted along the fence so they can grow up it.

In none gardening related news, I got a nice surprise yesterday at work when a coworker brought me some flowers.

That's always nice!

I have been slightly obsessed with customizing my phone. I can't get enough of these cute icons!

I've still got several more apps to go, but I'm getting there. It doesn't take much to make me happy, obviously.

I am headed out to Savannah today for the first time in a long time! I can't even remember the last time I went up there. David's friend Cooper is coming down, so we will be helping him celebrate his 30th birthday this weekend. Should be fun times. Well- for everyone but these guys.

They posted up on my garment bag. I don't think they wanted me to go. And I don't think they are especially fond of having to "camp out" this weekend during the monsoon that's coming.

Well- that's my hodgepodge of stuff for you. Not much going on in my world.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

**I do want to send my love, thoughts, and prayers to everyone in Boston and Texas. This has been a rough week for America. All we can do is trust that God has us in His hands. Through Him we can have hope and healing when tragedies like these befall us.