Country Roads

It's Spring Break and Mr. Alexander's Mudder and D (Mom and Dad) Decided to School Him with another Fieldtrip through Historical Indiana....


With Clipboard, Whistle and Map in Hand...We Piled in Versa and Off We Went....



Mr. Alexander, Mudder and D - 3/29/2014

 

Oh DenMother.....We Need some Music Please...



D...Selecting Our Road Trip Music...

DenMother Selected....Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo 'Ole....To Provide Us with some Hawaiian Culture on this Cold and Rainy Day....

We saw Beautiful Farms and Countryside as IZ sang "Country Roads, Take Me Home, To the Place I Belong".....That's Indiana.....
 

Clay Hill Farms, Medora, Indiana...







Toot, Toot.....George and Betty...We Love Your Farm...

We Visited Billy Bob While He was out Working on his Farm in Brownstown.....



Billy Bob....Brownstown, Indiana

 

 

NEXT STOP......Vallonia, Indiana....Established in 1811....

 

For You Indiana History Buffs.....Vallonia is an Unincorporated Community in Driftwood Township, Jackson County, Indiana and is an 18th Century French Settlement and 19th Century American Frontier Fortification known as Fort Vallonia....



Fort Vallonia Entrance - Est. 1811

 

Here in Vallonia....The J. Jackson Hotel and Barber Shop was Established in 1914....



J. Jackson Hotel and Barber Shop - Est. 1914

Barber Zerah (Zeek) Purdy gave Harry Shoemaker a 30-cent trim....

Barber Zerah (Zeek) Purdy and Harry Shoemaker .... 1920

 

Here's the Fort...In Fort Vallonia...

 

Forts in Fort Vallonia

As we were Leaving Vallonia....We Found an Old Iron Bridge...

 

SNACK BREAK....(Somewhere in Indiana) ...D Likes Anything Orange and His Snack Coordinated with his Shirt....Orange Slices, Circus Peanuts and Orange Sunkist to Drink....

 

 

 

Snack Break is Over....Let's get Back on the Road as They threw "Miss Daisy" in the backseat....

 

Mr. Alexander, D and Miss Daisy in the Backseat

WELCOME to Story, Indiana....

 

Story was founded in 1851, with the grant of a land patent from President Millard Fillmore to Dr. George Story.  Dr. Story was a medical doctor who hailed from a clan of timber harvesters in southern Ohio.  He and his progeny built many of the structures which distinguish this town today, from the then-ample supply of domestic hardwoods.  His home and medical office nearby both managed to survive the forces of entropy.

 

 

 

 

 

An Old Standard Service Station was Converted into the Story Inn....

 

The Story Inn offers Fine Dining, Catering and Lodging.  The second floor of the Old General Store (briefly a Studebaker Buggy Factory in the 1920's) has been renovated into four quaint Bed & Breakfast accommodations notable for their year-round occupant, the "Blue Lady".   The Blue Lady is a mirthful albeit innocuous apparition with flowing white robes, whose cheeky behavior has been observed by Story Inn employees and recorded in guest books since the 1970's.  

 

 

 

 

 

The Story Still Tavern....

 

The Story Tavern is named after the Still that the Sherriff Clarence Moore captured at this location in 1932.  Curiously, the grain mill that stands silently next door ceased operations not long after the enactment of the 21st Amendment, which repealed prohibition.

 

Today, they celebrate the fermentation process, and most certainly acknowledge the value it imparts upon ordinary grain and fruit.  If not for this cottage industry, Brown County residents may have not survived the Great Depression. 

 

In the Still, they will accommodate the most pedestrian as well as pompous of palates, as one can readily see from the Wine and Beer List.... 

 

 

After Visiting the Still....You May Need to Visit this Facility....

 

 

 

Mr. Alexander .... Did you Teach Your Students about This?....

 

 

 

This is what the Student's Desks used to Look Like Mr. A.....And NO, not while I was in school!!

 

 

 

 

Leaving Story Indiana and Heading to Little Nashville....WooHoo Shopping!!!

 

Have you Ever been Shopping in Little Nashville aka Brown County, Indiana?   OMG...You Must Visit!!  There are year round activities, which center around hiking, biking, SHOPPING and antiqueing!   There are hundreds of unique craft, specialty and antique shops, and great music and theatre venues.  Brown County is known as the "artist colony of the Midwest". 

This is My Favorite Store....The Ferguson House....

Come Inside with Me.......

You Guys Know I'm in Heaven...

What am I going to Buy...There is so much to Choose From....

You have to Buy Souvenirs on a Fieldtrip....Right?  :)

Let's Get to Steppin....There is a Lot more Shops to See.....

And It's Time for Lunch at the Hob Nob Corner Restaurant....

Everyone's Blood Sugars were Dropping a Bit from all of the Adventuring....

Oh....Drink your Juice Shelby....Shelby Drink your Juice.... (Reference:  Steel Magnolias)

Waiting for Our Lunch at the Hob Not Corner Restaurant...

Our Waitress (Shown in the Background over Mr. A's Left Shoulder) shared her Website with Us..."AmyAteThis"....We were a little scared to find out what Amy Ate......With that it was time to go....

On Our Way Back to Mr. A's .....We found this Two Lane Covered Bridge....

Two Lane Covered Bridge in Brown County....Est. 1838

In BeanBlossom Indiana ....

Bean Blossom Covered Bridge....Est. 1880

We went through Amish Country on our way back to Salem....I know the Amish Make Awesome Furniture and Cabinets....Where are They?

We Arrived back in Salem, Indiana.....Time for Dinner on the Square.....

The Best Part of the Day Happened During Dinner....

One of Mr. A's Students sat at the table next to us.  He said, "Hey Mr. A is that Your Woman?"  Mr. A was silent and I perked up and with excitement said "No, I'm Mr. A's Mom!".   The student said and I Quote...."Wow...No Way....You Look so Young!!"..... I say, "That Student Deserves an A+"  .... Mr. A said, "That student needs an Eye Exam"....  Why?

That Concludes our Country Roads Adventure.  It's hard to believe there's so much to do in Indiana.

 Come Join Us for Our Next Fieldtrip that is Scheduled for Saturday, April 26th!!

You'll Be Glad you Did!!   



Living Room Reveal

Hello Friends:

A Few Weeks Ago....I had asked Your Input for My Living Room Redesign...AND....By Overwhelming Majority....You Selected Option A and I Agree... :)  

Here is "Option A" The Inspiration Living Room.... Isn't it Beautiful....

This is what Our Living Room wants to Look Like when She Grows Up...

...Our Living Room is Pictured Below.  We Started with a Blank Slate....   

We Repainted, Changing the Living Room from Harvest Moon (Yellow) to Hopsack (Warm Brown) ....

Yeah...We have A Fireplace Very Similar to the Inspiration Room Above...Fireplace - Check

 

 

 

Here is What Our Living Room Looks Like Now.....

 

(Note:  We know We still Need Window Treatments and We have a Quote for Plantation Shutters....They are Just Not in the Budget YET)

 

...This is the View from Our Catwalk Looking Down Into the Living Room....

 

(Note To Self:   From Up Here It Looks Like We Also May Need a Rug to Pull the Grouping Together...Uggg....What do You Think?....

Definitely Need Those Plantation Shutters or Curtains....

 

We Started by Purchasing 2 Couches from Dwellings .... Like in the Inspiration Room....

...Then Added Pillows from PotteryBarn...

.....We Were "Indian Givers" on the Coffee Table and Sofa Table...Sorry Bubba....

 

 

We Needed a Chair .... I shopped the House ... And Stole this One from Hubby's Office...     Sorry Honey! :) .... It is just so Cozy and Comfy....

...The Horse Print was My Birthday Present from My Family....Purchased at Z Galleries ....

 

 

 

Then It Was Time to Shop for Accessories....

....I Purchased the Coffee Table Horse from Home Goods...
He was 1/2 the Price then the Same One at Z Galleries...YaHoo!

 

 



We then Found The Jars and Candles at PotteryBarn and Hubby and I Filled them with Sand and Rock....We Thought They Kinda Look Like Our Horse Theme...With the Rope and Banding...Love Them :)

This Corner Felt Empty and We Recently Added This Writing Desk to Fill the Space.... Thoughts?

Then It Was Time to Fill the Fireplace Mantle .....

...We Purchased the Lanterns at Kirklands and Added Luminara Candles ...

If you haven't seen Luminara Candles...You Have to Look Them Up...They are Fabulous...  What are They You Ask?   They are Battery Operated Candles made from Disney Technology.  They Look Sooo Real with a Flickering Flame.  They have Timers so You can Set them To Pop on Before You Arrive Home and they Go Off When It is Time for Bed.  Also, Believe it or Not...They Are Scented.  Love Them!!  

We Picked out Flowers and Vases from D & W Silks and had them Add Rock and Resin...

Little did Sister know I was Shopping Her Beautiful Wooded Back Yard for Birch Logs and Pinecones to Fill My Fireplace Basket...

 

Sister - Your Trees are Safe...I Found some at D&W Silks...



Let's Take a Look Back at Our Living Room....Last Year....

BEFORE

NOW...This is What Our Living Room Looks Like Today....We Like It Much Better... Please Comment and Let Us Know Your Thoughts...

AFTER

Come Back Later This Week.......Rick and I Have Been Busily Decorating for Easter....

Exploring Indiana

Hello Everyone:

I recently went on an adventure with two of my favorite people … My son Todd, otherwise known as Mr. Alexander, and his “D”, Todd, Sr.    They threw me in the back of Versa and politely told me to be happy to be going somewhere. J   And off we went Exploring Indiana....Enjoy the Ride....



Todd, Sr "D", Todd, Jr "Mr. Alexander" and Melissa "Mudder"


Big Todd ("D" for "Dad") turned on Dolly Parton's Greatest Hits and Off we Went on our Adventure...

Dolly Parton

 

I was Amazed at the Fabulous Architecture that we have right here in Good Ole Indiana....Can you Believe a Round Barn in Medora...

True Round Barn in Medora, Indiana - Built in 1910

Then we visited the Longest Historic Covered Bridge in the United States....Medora, Indiana

Longest Covered Bridge in the United States - Medora, Indiana, 1875

You can even rent out the Covered Bridge for Receptions or Parties....Wouldn't that be "Too Cool for School"....

No, we didn't crash their Party....We had more Adventuring to Do...

Speaking of Schools....We also found One of the Oldest Schools in Indiana....Carr High School...

Mr. Alexander, the Geometry/Algebra Teacher at Salem High School, was amazed by this find and explored every detail....

Carr High School....1857-1934

Come On Bubba we have more Exploring To Do.....



Mr. Alexander - 2014 - Carr High School
 

Barns and Indiana Farm Land....Americana at it's Finest....while singing along with Dolly..."Workin' 9 to 5, What a way to Make a Livin', Barely Gettin' By, It's all Takin' and no Givin'.... (You know the Lyrics....Sing Along with Us)....

True Americana

It seems so Peaceful on the Farm.... Reminds me of a Quote by Edward W. How: "Farmers only worry during the growing season, but towns people worry all the time".

Peaceful

Time to Head to Beck's Mill in Historic Salem, Indiana.... Dolly and Kenny are Singing "Islands in the Stream".....

 

Beck's Mill - Salem, Indiana - Est. in 1808

Beck's Mill was Established in 1808 and is a Grist Mill...(Not sure what that is, But it looks Cool)...

Beck's Mill - Close Up

Anybody that knows me knows that I'm "Hooked on Houses" and There are some Fabulous Houses in Historic Indiana....

Who Remembers having a Tire Swing in Their Yard?  I do, My Dad put One up for Us...

Check out this Cool House as Dolly Parton is Singing...."Two Doors Down, Their Laughing and Drinking and Having a Party".....

How I would Love to Decorate Every Room in this House and Have a Fancy Tea Party on the Roof Top....

As Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors" was Playing ... Look at the House we Found -

Time to head back to Todd, Jr.'s Home......I might have to consider buying this House...It's right down the street from my Bubba........

That concludes our Indiana Tour as our Final Dolly Song is Playing "I Will Always Love You".    You would be amazed at how much fun you can have with $10.00 in Gas, Joyful Music, A Juice Box, Snack Pack and Quality Time Spent with the Ones you Love.   Try it Sometime and You Too Will Be Amazed :)