Spring Has Sprung

...at our house!

Ducks in a Row

While T is in Tennessee, I'm trying to get some of my ducks in a row....

This was my late-night snack this evening.

• ducks - cheese toast
• water - m&m's

Check out some bird-themed bentos....

 

Shiloh

On Saturday while we were in Tennessee, a group of us visited the Shiloh National Military Park.

We watched a 30-minute film to learn more about the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862.

The two-day battle at Shiloh produced more than 23,000 casualties and was the bloodiest battle in American history at its time.

Afterward, T tried on a Confederate uniform.

Confederate soldier

Then, he tried on the Union uniform.

Union soldier

Everyone had a good time.

We looked for a letterbox, too...

but it was missing.

Drat!

Science Center

After finding the shoe tree, my niece and I visited the McWane Science Center in Birmingham.

That is a very neat place!  We spent more than three hours there...and easily could have stayed much longer!!

There were many, many interesting exhibits...

Roman Surgical Kit
from the time of Christ

The Roman surgeons possessed a great array of finely-fashioned instruments with which they could skillfully operate and extract arrows and other missiles. The surgeons operated with steel-bladed knives and used them, among other things, to perform amputations.  In their operations, bleeding was stopped with the help of artery forceps and stitches, and the edges of the wounds were carefully stitched together.

Civil War Era Amputation Kit

Polio

Bald Eagle

and activities to try....

We had a blast!  :)

Shoe Tree

On our way through Alabama, my niece and I looked for and found the Shoe Tree in Alabama letterbox.

 

Most of you might know what a shoe tree is.  I did not.  I found out:

A shoe tree starts with one dreamer, tossing his or her footwear-of-old high into the sky to catch on an out-of-reach branch.  It usually ends there, unseen and neglected by others.  But on rare occasions, that first pair of shoes triggers a shoe-tossing cascade.

Many contributors use permanent marker to inscribe messages on the sneakers -- greetings, love poems, and life accomplishments.

We didn't add a pair of shoes; however, we thoroughly relished the sight of many, many pairs of shoes left by others!  :P

Tennessee Visit

I have a heartache.  T will be in Tennessee for the next two weeks.  He is visiting his friend, Miss Bekah.  I know he's in good hands, and I know he'll have a terrific time...but I miss my sweet boy!  :(

T and I left on Friday morning to drive to Tennessee.  My niece went with us.  (~So glad!)  It's an 8 1/2 hour trip...which we managed to turn into a 10 or 10 1/2 hour trip.

We spent two nights with Miss Bekah and her family.  Then, my niece and I left on Sunday morning for our trip home.  We drove to Georgia and spent the night with my parents.  I left this afternoon for South Carolina, and my niece stayed to spend several days with my parents/her grandparents.  :)

Scotty Dog Lunch

T's lunch today:

Check out some other dog-themed meals...



and some other muffin tin meals....

Welcome Center Letterbox

It never occurred to me that letterboxing could be a lucrative venture.  While T and I were looking for a letterbox at a welcome center, I discovered a five dollar bill...right there on the ground at the base of the tree where the letterbox was hidden.

How fun is that??!  ~Two treasures for the price of one!  ;o)

Afterward, we met my husband for supper at a diner.  When the waitress brought our food to us, she told us that the gentleman who had been sitting at a table near ours had paid for our meal.  He told the waitress (who passed along to us) that he has a child with special needs [too], and that he felt led to buy our supper for us.  He told her that he wanted us to feel blessed.  We could not have been more surprised!

~The kindness and generosity of a stranger.  The Lord blessed us through him.  We did indeed feel blessed!

Whoever you are...wherever you are...may the Lord bless you, also!  :)

Hungry Bear

The bear loved to eat fish, but even a good thing can get old after awhile.  Consequently, the bear hid in his cave and waited patiently for his prey....After the bear ate his lunch, there was nothing left of his meal except the bare bones!  :P

• cave - peanut butter and jelly sandwich
• bear - wheat bread with mini m&m's
• fish - Goldfish crackers
• bones - Scooby-Doo! graham cracker sticks
• applesauce with bear sprinkles

Check out some other bear-themed meals...



and some other muffin tin meals....

 

Dinosaur Letterbox

My Dad, T, and I searched for dinosaurs this afternoon.

We discovered Headless Taylorsaurus.

In the photos below, T is stamping in his log book.

My Dad was not altogether familiar with letterboxing.  He found it interesting...and of course, T had a wonderful time being with his Grandpa and being outside!  :)

Laundry Letterboxes

I went looking for missing laundry today.  Ditzy Dixie was coming out of the laundromat...

...when her cell phone rang.  She plopped her laundry basket full of clean clothes on top of her car and answered the phone.  However, she got so engrossed in the conversation that she forgot about her laundry...and drove off with the basket still on top of her car!  As she drove, items of clothing flew out and landed in several places along her route home.

I was able to find most of Ditzy Dixie's clothes.  I found her t-shirt, exercise shorts, jeans, hoodie, and sundress.  I also found the laundry basket itself.  I was not able to find her undies (embarrassing!).  Also, I think her socks and towel are missing in action...permanently!

All-in-all, it was fun...even if I did have to treasure hunt all by myself.  :(

Pizza Letterbox

I couldn't stand it...that we couldn't find one of the pizza letterboxes we looked for yesterday, so T and I went looking for it this afternoon.  We found it!  :)  (It ended up being just a half mile or so from where we found the other pizza letterbox.)

This letterbox marked my 20th find since I started letterboxing just over a year ago.  :)

Pizza Letterboxes

After a quick supper tonight, my husband, T, and I went letterboxing.  I haven't been letterboxing in what seems like ages...and I've missed it!

Since this is the first time I've posted about letterboxing, I'll just mention that it's a fun, interesting, and inexpensive (if you don't consider the price of gasoline these days!) hobby.

The Atlas Quest website has this to say about the subject:

     Letterboxing is an intriguing pastime combining artistic ability with "treasure hunts" in parks, forests, and cities around the world.  Participants seek out hidden letterboxes by following clues.  The prize is an image from a miniature piece of art...a rubber stamp, which is usually hand-carved.  Letterboxers stamp their discoveries in a personal journal.

First, we looked for the letterbox, Pizza Parlor Tour 2a.  My husband thought he knew where Bertolo's is located.  ~Not so!  After going to the wrong restaurant altogether, then driving around (and around in circles) for awhile, we gave up on that one...for the time being!  ;o)

Next, we looked for Pizza Parlor Tour #3.  ~Success!  We found the letterbox near the Sciortino's.

T really likes to go letterboxing.  Most of the letterboxes are located outdoors, and he loves to be outside.  Also, he has his own little personal journal (log book) which he gets to stamp.

We have a box in which we keep all of our "equipment."  When he wants to go letterboxing, T will bring the box to me and say, "treasure box."  (He knows that when we are letterboxing, we are looking for hidden treasure!)