magnetjunkie

The Road to Providence

2011-02-05T17:59:00.162-05:00

Magnet # 446: Roger Williams National Memorial

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Me

Boston, Massachusetts received yet another boatload of newcomers on this day in 1631 and among them was one man who would leave a permanent mark on the colonies - the minister Roger Williams. He had traveled with his wife Mary from England. And while he was initially met with enthusiasm by the locals, Williams' strong religious convictions and refusal to confirm soon prompted them to drive him out of their community. Forced to take an arduous journey that might have killed others, Williams was able to survive and establish a settlement of his own in Rhode Island. And to this day, Providence commemorates its founder and his dedication to religious freedom and the separation of church and state.

Roger Williams was born in 1603 to a merchant tailor in Smithfield, England who later disapproved of his some of son's religious fervor. But he was undaunted and became a Puritan as he was studying at Cambridge. Williams also took Holy Order in the Church of England, but he realized his religious views would prevent him from advancing very far in the Anglican Church, which he believed was corrupt. So he and his wife decided to join the second wave of Puritans that sailed for the New World in 1630. They came aboard the Lyon and were greeted by a group of settlers eager to have them lead them while their own reverend sailed for England to bring back his wife. But Williams shocked them, declining the position on the grounds that the church was not separated from the local government and the magistrates punished religious infractions, such as blasphemy and idolatry. He'd go on to stir up even more trouble, writing a tract that accused the King of illegally issuing charters to the New World and asserted that the Native Americans should be paid for their land. He moved from Boston to the Plymouth colony but, unsatisfied there, later headed to Salem. The authorities in Massachusetts weren't happy to have him back and brought him before the General Court in Boston when they learned of the tract he had written. Williams narrowly avoided staying out of trouble and went on to become acting pastor of the Salem church, but he was unable to put his objections aside. He went against his word and began speaking out against the charter again, as well as the new oath of allegiance that the colonial government was trying to enforce. The Town of Salem stood behind him for a time, but when its delegates were shut out of the General Court and Williams called for the church to break free from other congregations, it could no longer back him. In October of 1635, the General Court banished Williams from Massachusetts. However, as Winter was coming and Williams had taken ill, the local authorities did not immediately enforce the order, offering Williams temporary shelter so long as he stopped stirring up trouble. But Williams was nothing if not a man who firmly stood behind his convictions, and he continued to voice his concerns. Realizing he would soon be sent back to England, he decided to flee so that he could remain in the colonies. Three days after he departed, the local sheriff came looking for him. Williams' trek was not an easy one - he traversed 105 miles in deep snow, despite his illness - and it might have killed others. Yet somehow he managed to survive the ordeal and the Wampanoag Indians, whom he had defended, took him in and saved his life. His followers soon joined him and after learning that they land they planned to settle was part of the Plymouth colony, they crossed the Seekonk River and purchased land from the Narragansett Indians. Williams named their settlement Providence, as he believed God's will had brought them there. His religious tolerance and appeal to other dissidents attracted plenty more. Williams and his followers were able to establish the first place modern history where government and religion were separated, and the example set an important precedent for the United States. And even though neighboring colonies tried to take down what became known as Rhode Island, Williams and those who came after him didn't back down, and eventually it became the country's smallest state, but an impressive one nonetheless.

Though it's been quite some time since Roger Williams set foot in Providence, there are still traces of him there. On top of the Rhode Island State House dome, there is a gold-covered bronze state known as the Independent Man that pays tribute to Williams' unique spirit. And a brief walk away is the Roger Williams National Memorial, one of the smallest national parks in the nation. It's located on the site of the original Providence settlement, which is now surrounded by urban development. The visitor center features a video that points out that no one really knows what Roger Williams looks like. I thought that was pretty interesting. And the park rangers there are some of the friendliest I've come across in my travels. Stop by if you ever get a chance. There's also many other places that celebrate his memory, like the Roger Williams Park and Roger Williams University, both of which are in Rhode Island. The United States Episcopal Church also celebrates his feast day today. So let's remember this man who refused to back down from what he believed to be right and stood up for other's rights and the great legacy he left behind on the anniversary of the day he first set foot on our shores.

Chaos at the Capitol

2011-02-02T21:43:00.157-05:00

Magnet # 445: Old State Capitol, Frankfort Photo

Material: Plastic

Purchased By: Me

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of the day in 1900 when Kentucky governor William Goebel passed away after an assassin gunned him down days earlier. He was shot on his way to the State Capitol Building. Goebel was a somewhat shady politician who had been engaged in a bitter, fiercely close election to become governor of the state. Tensions were running high between political parties and some wondered if another civil war wouldn't break out. But Goebel's death was pretty much the worst of the fighting and when he passed, tensions still ran high but the threat of violence was over. To this day, he remains the only United States state governor to have been assassinated while in office.

William Goebel was born to a family of German immigrants in Pennsylvania in 1856 and was the first of their four children. For the first five years, he only spoke German. He went on to study law at the Cincinnati Law School and practiced in Kentucky. Before long, he became known as a man who was not particularly friendly or sociable, almost never greeting anyone with a smile or handshake. He also had a severe appearance that some even called reptilian and was not a very talented public speaker, relying more on force than appeal. And he remains the only unmarried Kentucky governor. But what he lacked in charm and personality, Goebel made up for in intellect and ambition. He was an avid reader with a keen intellect and even his many opponents were impressed. Before long, he turned his attention toward politics, running for a seat in the Kentucky Senate. The race was close, and Goebel won a narrow victory, running as a member of the Democrat Party. He won two reelections, but his time in the Senate wasn't without controversy. In 1895, despite his efforts to prevent it, Goebel ran into one of his enemies, a businessman he had referred to as "Gonorrhea John" in a newspaper article, on the street. They then engaged in what many consider to be an impromptu duel after both showed he was armed. The other man was struck in the head with a bullet and died of his injuries while his shot simply tore through Goebel's clothes. He was acquitted after he plead self-defense, but the shooting would follow mar the rest of his political career. Four years later, Goebel decided to run for governor of the state. Both the fight to receive his party's nomination and the election itself proved to be brutal, but Goebel was up to the task, even if it meant lying and breaking alliances. The results were very close once again, and Goebel's opponent was declared victorious until the decision was overturned by the General Assembly. Accusations of dirty politics were being hurled by both parties, Republicans around the state were incensed, and the state seemed dangerously close to breaking out in civil war. Goebel was warned that, with tensions running as high as they were, an attempt might be made on his life, but he nonetheless traveled to what has become the Old State Capitol on the morning of January 30, 1900. He was escorted by two bodyguards but they couldn't prevent shots from being fired. This time, Goebel found himself on the receiving end of a mortal wound. He held on for days, and was sworn in as governor the next day, but finally passed on February 3. His lieutenant governor succeeded him and people across the state began to calm down, as many preferred him to Goebel. His Republican opponent, fearful of being charged in Goebel's death, fled to Indiana, where he was harbored by their governor and was never even questioned about his role in the assassination. A handful of people were indicted for the crime, and while three went to trial, authorities were never able to determine just who fired the shots that brought down Goebel. It remains a mystery even now, and it's believed that individual will never be known.

Kentucky certainly hasn't forgotten its fallen leader. Even though the building he was heading to on that fateful day was no longer the State Capitol a mere decade after Goebel's death, it has become the Old State Capitol and is a museum and home to the Kentucky Historical Society. A plaque had been installed on the grounds to mark where the politician fell. And nearby, an imposing statue of the man himself looks down narrowly at pedestrians. Also, just down the street at the Kentucky Historical Society, the suit coat that Gobel was wearing is on display. It's protected by glass casing, but they have a button for visitors to push that will illuminate the bullet hole. I saw it for myself and it was pretty interesting. At that time, I hadn't heard the full story about Gobel and it's certainly been fascinating finding out more about the man and his times. He may have had the shortest time in office of any Kentucky governor, but the Bluegrass State will never forget William Goebel.

All That Glitters

2011-01-24T21:57:00.142-05:00

Magnet # 444: Map of California

Material: Rubber

Purchased By: Mom

Life looked bright indeed for California on this day in 1849 when gold was discovered there at Sutter's Mill. News of the find eventually brought in over 300,000 prospectors from all of the world. Most of them came from the United States, but plenty were from Latin America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. They faced great difficulties in their searches, however - one in every twelve of the Forty Niners, as they came to be known, perished. A few were able to strike it rich, but most often, the merchants made out better than the miners, many of whom saw modest returns for their troubles. As time passed, the miners' profits dwindled substantially and those who made it there toward the end of the rush often ended up losing most of their funds. Those who made it home usually had little more than they had left with. But the boom was huge for California. At the beginning, the area was mostly undeveloped wilderness but the population surge helped San Francisco increase its size 300 times over, improve travel conditions to the West Coast, and gain California statehood.

It was James W. Marshall who noticed the first specks of gold. Born in New Jersey, he had made his way further and further West until he finally moved from Missouri to California. There, he met John Sutter, the founder of Sutter's Fort, an agricultural settlement. He employed Marshall for a time before the Mexican-American War broke out in 1846 and Marshall left to join the fight. After the action came to an end, the two formed a partnership to construct a sawmill. Marshall oversaw the project and when it was determined that the tailrace was not powerful enough to carry the water away from the water wheel, he decided to begin a project to increase the size of the tailrace. One morning, he was having a look at the results and realized that there were a few shiny spots among the runoff. He picked them up to have a closer look and when he tested them by flattening them with rocks, but was unable to break them apart, he realized they might be gold. He shared his findings with his workers and they tested the material to prove it was indeed gold. At that point, his main concern was operating the sawmill, but he allowed the men to look for gold on their own time. He also brought some samples to show Sutter, who was able to identify them as very high quality gold, at least 23 carats. For a time, no one believed that the discovery was real, even though San Francisco newspapers were reporting on it. But when a shopkeeper from Sutter's Creek began showing off his findings in the town, people changed their minds. Soon, eager fortune hunters were flooding into the area. The gold rush proved to be disastrous for both Marshall and Sutter. Their workers abandoned them to prospect and their land was overrun in the search. They were unable to run the mill in the chaos the gold rush created. In an effort to keep his land, Sutter deeded his land to his son, but he was unwilling to go along with his father's plans for it. He eventually received a small pension from the government for the land and moved with his remaining family to Pennsylvania. He passed away in Washington D.C. 1880 with very little to his name. For a time, Marshall fared better, opening a vineyard but increased competition and taxes drove that enterprise under. He also developed a dependence on alcohol and after a gold mine he had invested in failed, the state awarded him a pension for his role in developing it. But when they stopped giving him funds, he ended up living in poverty, living in a tiny cabin and planting a garden just to survive. He passed away in 1885 and five years later, a monument of Marshall himself was placed over his grave site. It features him pointing to where he made the fateful discovery all those years ago. It's funny, many might think that finding gold on your land would be great, but in this case, they'd be wrong.

Perhaps no party benefited more from the gold discovery than California itself, which is known as the Golden State. To this day, it has maintained a reputation of being a place where one can strike it rich and reinvent their life. Its motto is "Eureka," or "I have found it," and its seal features images from the Gold Rush. Best of all, the experts believe there is still plenty more of the precious metal to be found in California and there are a good deal of sites where modern day treasure hunters can try their luck. So go west if you're in the mood to hit the jackpot and give it a try. The heydays of the California Gold Rush may be behind us, but the possibility to come upon the mother lode still exists out there.

Against All Odds

2011-01-21T18:26:00.153-05:00

Magnet # 443: Tillamook Rock Lighthouse Aerial Photo

Material: Acrylic

Purchased By: Me

Few lighthouses can produce such a fearsome image as Oregon's Tillamook Rock Light. This one actually stands atop a gigantic rock over a mile out from shore and building it was an enormous challenge that wasn't without loss of life. But it was clear that simply placing the structure on the Pacific Coast at Tillamook Head wasn't going to work - its light would have been obscured by fog there. So an arduous undertaking was made to construct on the rock and over 500 days went into the task. At the time of its completion in 1881, Tillamook Rock Light, or "Terrible Tilly" as it's known by keepers and locals, was the most expensive West Coast lighthouse ever built at $125,000.

Congress first appropriated $50,000 for the construction of a lighthouse at Tillamook Head in 1878, but when that area was found to be unsuitable, a survey was made the following year on Tillamook Rock. It was determined that access to the rock was very difficult, even impossible at times, but the government was undeterred. For the third survey, John Trewavas, who had assisted in the construction of the Wolf Rock Lighthouse in Cornwall, England, which was similarly perched on a similarly treacherous rock, was brought in. Even with his experience, Tillamook Rock proved to be too dangerous - while he was attempting to land there, a large wave swept him into the sea. And though his assistant jumped in after him, his body was never recovered. The public began to demand the project be abandoned, but Charles A. Ballantyne was brought in to oversee it. After failing to find any locals willing to work with him, he was forced to bring in a group of quarrymen who had never heard of the Trewavas tragedy. Ballantyne kept them as far from the locals as possible, hoping they would remain unaware of what had previously occurred at Terrible Tilly. It wasn't long, however, that they got a taste of the site's horrors for themselves. In January of 1880, a storm rolled in and the waves began to crash above the surface of the rock. They claimed most of the men's tools, food, and work spaces, and they were forced to stay in their shelter and huddle together to survive. Sixteen days later, help arrived and they received the supplies they so desperately needed. Even after this crisis, work continued and in May, the top of the rock had been leveled enough to make it possible to begin the lighthouse itself. All of the materials used to construct it had to be brought in by boat and dragged up the cliffs, so that was a rather difficult task itself. But the truly awful incidents were over at the rock and on this day in in 1881, the Tillamook Rock Light shone across the waters for the first time ever. What many had considered impossible was now a reality and the reputation of the lighthouse spread across the nation. Trewavas was the only death to occur with the structure's creation.

Although it may have had a lighthouse built upon it, Terrible Tilly was by no means tamed. The team of four keepers assigned to it were forced to be isolated from civilization, live in cramped accommodations, and be exposed to some of the harshest weather conditions imaginable. When a phone line was installed to connect them with the outside world, it didn't last long until a storm cut it loose. And with the structure constantly taking a beating from the fierce nearby waters, repairs to it became almost a constant undertaking. Life there took a toll on workers both physically and mentally. Feuds arose, and some refused to speak to one another, opting instead to pass notes. There was even a rumor that one of the men had tried to kill his superior by putting ground glass in his food. In its first two years alone, it went through four head keepers. But work there continued on, even after the Fresnel lens was destroyed in one of the worst storms ever in 1934. All in all, Terrible Tilly was used for 77 years before being deactivated in 1957, when it had become the most expensive lighthouse to operate in the nation. Two years later, it was sold to Las Vegas investors who just sold it off themselves. In the 1980s, it was converted into the Eternity at Sea Columbarium, where people could pay thousands of dollars to have their ashes interred. However, only about 30 urns were placed there before its new owners lost their license. The fate of the structure remains to be seen. But this is one site that is nearly impossible to reach - it's only accessible by helicopter, and is off-limits when seabirds are nesting. So if you want to check it out, having a look at Cannon Beach, Ecola State Park, or a boat on the water may be your best option. But I have a feeling it's not yet over for this storied lighthouse, whose very existence defies the elements. With all of the lives, effort, and time that has gone into creating and maintaining the Tillamook Rock Light, it almost has an obligation to be around for a very long time, defiant of the fearsome waters that surround it.

The Cheesier, the Better

2011-01-19T18:30:00.119-05:00

Magnet # 442: A Cheesy Vermont Magnet

Material: Rubber

Purchased By: Me

Yes, there are some events that are worth mentioning on here pretty much every year and Cheese Day is easily one of them. It's coming up tomorrow, so here's your chance to stock up on some of your favorite varieties. I know my love of this particular dairy item is well documented on this blog, so it's a safe bet I will be celebrating the occasion. I'm just not sure yet which cheeses I'll be having. In the past few months I've been craving a selection of them, like on a platter, so maybe I'll put one together for the special day. Of course, that could be expensive and leave me with plenty of leftovers, so I'm not sure if that's a great idea. I wonder if there are any places around that can sell me a decent pre-made cheese platter. But given my aversion of blue cheeses and Swiss, it might be tough for me to find one that would work. Well, I'm sure I'll figure out something in time for the celebration!

I just couldn't resist picking up this cute magnet when I was shopping at Morse Farm in Vermont last year. In case you haven't noticed, the cheese is in the shape of the state - nice touch. Given the Green Mountain State's interest in producing so much of its own food and drinks as well as its abundance of dairy cows, it has some of the nicest artisanal cheeses in the nation. In fact, it has over forty cheese manufacturers, and even offers a Vermont Cheese Trail. I imagine some of the most diehard dairy lovers must try to hit every stop on the route. And while I didn't have the opportunity to travel it myself during my stay there, I did at least order a cheese plate as an appetizer when I dined at Montpelier's Main Street Grill and Bar. They were kind enough to substitute another cheese for the blue cheese that came with the plate. All of the varieties were very fresh and I enjoyed every one. They had a nice selection of both hard and soft cheeses and the bread that accompanied them was also delicious and very fresh. That appetizer may have been the highlight of my meal. I also sampled some cheeses at a few other stops I made in Vermont, and they were delicious, too. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to drop by any of the locations on the Vermont Cheese Trail, not even the Cabot Creamery Cooperative, which was just off my route, but I didn't realize I was passing by it at the time. This company ships their cheeses all over the nation, so it would have been fun to check out their Visitors Center in Cabot, Vermont. There, tourists can see how their offerings are produced and sample the many variations of their award-winning "World's Best Cheddar." Personally, I'd be curious to try their Seriously Sharp variety, which is aged for ten months - for comparion, their mild only ages two to three months. It might be more than I can handle, but I'd still like to give it a shot. If I ever make it back to the area, I'll have to put this attraction on my itenerary.

While Vermont may be a great destination for cheese lovers, it's hardly the only one. Wisconsin leads the nation in cheese production and is known for its cheddar, and New York and California also produce a good deal. And, of course, there are plenty of nations around the world that are known for their gourmet cheeses. France has over 1,000 different varieties of cheese, 56 of which are classified, regulated, and protected by their laws. And in nearby England, cheese is also a big deal - let's not forget that Cheddar was the birthplace of one of the most beloved types of all. And plenty of other European nations, like Italy, Switzerland, and Spain, are fantastic places to try out cheese. But some parts of the world are sadly lacking in the dairy delight, like Eastern Asia, where it's almost never included in any dishes. It's believed to be partially due to the fact that many of the natives there are lactose intolerant, but I'd sure like to see how nations like China, Japan, and Thailand would handle cheese. And even if you can't hit the road this Cheese Day, try stopping by your local store to see what cheeses they have to offer from around the country and the globe. Whether you indulge in an old favorite or try out a brand new variety, this is a great time to unwrap a slice or block and ascend into dairy heaven!

The Marble Maiden

2011-01-17T13:18:00.002-05:00

Magnet # 441: Marble House Photo

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Me

When most women turn thirty-nine, they're probably impressed if their husbands buy them some expensive jewelry or perfume, and I guess some are lucky if they get any present at all. But, let's face it, the Vanderbilts aren't most women. So when Alva Vanderbilt reached that particular age on this day in 1892, she received perhaps the gift of the century from her husband, railroad magnate William Kissam Vanderbilt. He presented her with Marble House, the most opulent mansion on Newport, Rhode Island's Bellevue Avenue. It reportedly cost him $11 million dollars to create the residence, of which over half went to paying for the marble alone. I'm not sure if he could find a ribbon large enough to wrap around it, though.

The Gilded Age high society certainly produced some colorful characters, but I'm not sure if any were a match for the woman who finished life as Alva Erksine Belmont. She was born Alva Smith on this day in 1853 to a moderately wealthy merchant family in Mobile, Alabama. She was the youngest in her family, and by the time she was born, all but one of her siblings had died. As she grew up, Alva spent some of her summers in Newport, Rhode Island, a place that would become very important to her as an adult, and was educated at a private boarding school in Paris. Her family eventually moved to New York City, where her lifelong friend introduced her to William Kissam Vanderbilt, one of the heirs of the Vanderbilt empire. They wed in 1875 and Alva set out to improve the status of the Vanderbilt family, elevating it higher than it had ever previously reached. She commissioned Richard Morris Hunt to design a palatial home for them on Fifth Avenue using the French Renaissance style and threw a masquerade ball that supposedly cost three million dollars in honor of its completion. Not only did the event mark the Vanderbilt's official acceptance into high society, it also set the standards of elite parties to a new, far more extravagant level. Hunt also designed two more homes for the couple, their retreat on Long Island and, of course, Marble House. They had three children together, and their single daughter, Consuelo, may have received the most attention from their mother. Alva was hard on her, forcing her to wear a steel rod to improve her posture and even using a riding crop to whip her. But with years of plotting, she was able to make her daughter a duchess, marrying her off to a British royal and cousin of Winston Churchill who had fallen on hard times. Their marriage didn't last and neither did Alva's. In 1895, she decided to divorce her husband, citing adultery as the cause, to set an example that other women could follow. In those times, no women who had risen in society so far as she had would dare end her marriage. Her actions may have shocked her circle, but Alva would not remain single. Less than a year later, she wed Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont, a divorcee who had been a bachelor for quite some time and owned a mansion just down the street from Marble House. Later in life, Alva became devoted to the cause of women's suffrage, paying the bail of picketers who were arrested, hosting fundraising events at her home, and ascending to president of the National Women's Party. She also became much closer to Consuleo, patching up what had once been a rocky relationship. In 1932, she was partially paralyzed after a stroke and she passed away the next year. Her funeral featured only female pallbearers and many suffragists were in attendance. Alva was buried beside her second husband in a mausoleum designed by - who else - Richard Morris Hunt that is a replica of France's Chapel of St. Hubert. Even in death, she retains a sense of the opulence that defined so much of her life.

Alva Vanderbilt may be gone, but her legend lives on at Marble House, which is generally considered to be the most opulent mansion on Newport's Bellevue Avenue, home to some of the country's grandest Gilded Age residences. In fact, its construction there helped transform the area from a quiet, humble summer retreat to a gathering place for the cream of society. I toured it last year during my visit to New England and I must say, I was blown away by its magnificence. Its Gold Room is a ballroom that's actually covered in gold and walking into it is almost overwhelming. And, as its name implies, there is marble everywhere, in all sorts of colors. Alva was one of the first socialites to design rooms around historical and cultural themes, and Marble House has features such as a Gothic Room, a Rococo Library, a Louis XVI bedroom, and a separate Chinese teahouse. Some may say it's a little much and is perhaps even be over the top, but this is one place that's worth seeing in person. It's so rare that such an incredible home as Marble House can be constructed and later opened to the public, and it's worth having a glimpse of what millions of dollars and the best designers in the world can create. It's a taste of what it might have been like to live the life Alva Vanderbilt with its many difficulties, scandals, and triumphs.

A Latter Day Spartan

2011-01-16T19:40:00.121-05:00

Magnet # 440: Walnut Grove Plantation

Material: Vinyl

Purchased By: Me

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of the Battle of Cowpens, when American forces won a decisive victory against the British during the Southern campaign of the American Revolution. The troops fought in South Carolina, and the American triumph helped pave the way for the colony's freedom, as it was under British control. The Battle of Cowpens also produced one particularly interesting hero, Kate Morgan Barry. She was born in 1752, the eldest of Charles and Mary Moore's ten children. They were immigrants from Northern Ireland who had landed in Maine and traveled all the way down to Spartanburg, South Carolina by horse and carriage. There, they established a home, cashing in land grands worth about 3,000 acres that had been issued to them by King George III. It came to be known as Walnut Grove Plantation after the trees that Kate planted there. Charles Moore worked as a schoolteacher and by the time she was fifteen, Kate was married off to Andrew Barry, who would later serve as and officer in the American Army and one of the first elders of the Nazareth Presbyterian Church. A dedicated Patriot, she volunteered her services to the American side when war broke out, working as a scout, a spy, and even chasing some British loyalists off of her property. But in 1781, when it was clear that the General Daniel Morgan's forces would stand up against the British troops who had been in pursuit of them at Cowpens, Barry truly proved her mettle. Legend has it she tied her newborn child to a bedpost to keep it safe as she mounted her horse and rode out into the night from home to home to warn the locals that the British were on their way, in a flight not unlike that of Paul Reevere's. Thanks in part to her efforts, a superior force was assembled to take on the British, and when the Americans won, Barry went on to be known as the Heroine of Cowpens. Still, the attention that her fearlessness brought her wasn't all positive. The Tories later caught her and tried to force her to surrender her husband's whereabouts by whipping her, but she refused to give him up. And in the fall of 1781, she narrowly escaped when some British soldiers came looking for trouble at Walnut Grove. Their leader, "Bloody" Bill Cunningham was still able to kill three other Patriots there, including John Steadman, an officer who showed promise, but was confined to a sickbed there. Those times certainly weren't easy on Barry or those around her, but she lived to see the birth of the nation she had done her part to create, finally passing away in 1823. Her remains were buried beside those of her husband in the family cemetery in Moore, South Carolina.

Kate Moore Barry's former home in Spartanburg has been well preserved over the years and has been open to the public since 1967. I stopped by Walnut Grove Plantation on my way home from my trip to West Virginia and Kentucky last year. It's just a few minutes off Interstate 26 and is worth the detour. Unfortunately, I didn't arrive in time for a tour, and sticking around to take one would have taken too long, but they were nice enough to let me wander around the grounds. The two-story home the Moores once lived in has been kept in very nice condition and while it's not the most impressive plantation house I've ever seen, it's still very attractive. And Charles Moore's original school house is still standing there, along with a few other outbuildings. I also asked the employee at the gift shop if they had any ghost activity there, and he said not really. But I've since read that some have claimed to spot a young lady wearing a cape walking the grounds, and think it might be the spirit of Kate Barry. And for many years, some dark stains on the floor in the bedroom where John Steadman perished were said to be his bloodstains, but modern technology has proven that whatever material caused it isn't from a human. Regardless, this is one place that has seen a great deal of history, and still stands as a testament to the great family that established it.

To the Slopes

2011-01-14T22:04:00.000-05:00

Magnet # 439: West Virginia Skiers

Material: Resin

Purchased By: Me

Get ready to hit the slopes, even if you never have before, because tomorrow is Learn to Ski Day! And I'm not sure if it couldn't have come at a better time this year. We've had yet another cold surge and many areas that never see snow are covered in it. In fact, I read a couple of days ago that there was snow present in 49 out of the 50 states. And the only state to have eluded it? No, it's not Hawaii, as I would have guessed - its actually Florida, which is pretty chilly as well. So this is a pretty good opportunity for many people to engage in some Winter sports that they usually couldn't try out locally. And even though it's not all that easy to dabble in, some might even be able to give skiing a chance.

Humans have been skiing for thousands of years and it's believed that the ancestors of the Norse and Swedish people of northern Europe may have first developed the activity. Carvings made as far back as 5000 B.C. portraying a skier with one pole have been discovered in Norway, and the earliest pair of skis ever found may have been created as early as 4500 B.C. Legends tell of early ski races and two Norse deities are said to have hunted on skis. The current era of skiing didn't really start until the mid 1800s, when the "father of modern skiing," Sondre Norheim invented the first stiff bindings by tying wet birch roots around his boots. These were more secure than leather straps and gave skiers the ability to try more complicated maneuvers. Around that time, woodcarvers in the Telemark region were creating lighter and thinner skis. Thanks to both of these innovations, new techniques in stopping and turning were developed, and the sport became even more popular. By the early 1900s, the sport was becoming even more widespread and its inclusion in the first Winter Olympic Games only increased its awareness worldwide and nations like Japan gave the sport a try. And with the introduction of ski lifts, the numbers of skiers grew so much that resorts sprang up across the globe. What was once a sport limited to a very small portion of the world has now become a global sensation, familiar to nearly all sports enthusiasts.

I've gotta be honest, I've never tried skiing once in my life. Given my distaste of snow and my aversion to sports, it's not exactly a good fit for me. But my parents used to have some fun getting out on the slopes before I was ever born. That was when they lived in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. And even though their neck of the woods wasn't an ideal spot for skiing, as it lacked the mountains that make places like West Virginia and Vermont great venues for the sport, there was a nearby hill they were able to use. But it wasn't exactly known for its impressive facilities. Instead of heading up to the top on a chair lift or even a T-bar, they used a tow rope that was powered by an old truck engine. It wasn't easy to hold onto and skiers often lost their grip on it. When they did, they had to move aside quickly or the next person would crash into them and a pile up might occur. Nonetheless, they still had lots of fun there, and considering it was free, it was definitely within their budget. They mainly kept to the bunny slopes, though. And a few years later, they realized that they could either invest in skiing or traveling, so they opted to travel and give up the sport. I wonder how my life might have been different if they had chosen skiing instead, and I'm not sure if we could have kept up the sport living in the usually warm Southeastern climate. I suppose I could try out skiing for myself someday, but I'm not sure if that will ever happen - I can just imagine being outshone by elementary kids on the bunny slopes. Still, in the spirit of Learn to Ski Day, it's worth at least considering trying out the sport. After all, if it's lasted all of these centuries it can't be all bad, right?

Hello, Dali

2011-01-11T19:53:00.134-05:00

Magnet # 438: New Dali Grand Opening Photo

Material: Plastic

Purchased By: Me

Once again, posting a magnet up here is a bit easier than usual, as this one is dated. And unlike some other dated magnets, I'm actually using this one on the exact date that's printed on it. I must admit, I'm pretty proud of myself for pulling that off. So, yes, the new Salvador Dali Museum opens today in St. Petersburg, Florida. The festivities will begin with a parade that runs the route from the old Dali Museum to its current location, a mere eight blocks north at One Dali Boulevard. And at 11:11 in the morning, there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Dali, with Spanish royalty in attendance. While these events and other outdoor festivities will be open to the general public, they won't be able to enter the updated facilities until tomorrow. Today's grand opening event is open to a limited crowd who've already bought their time stamped tickets. However, members of the museum's elite groups have already had the opportunity to check out the new building. On Sunday, it hosted a special event that included entertainment, family activities, crafts, and a talk given by actress Susan Sarandon. And for anyone missing out on the current events, there's plenty more going on through the rest of the month. The Florida Orchestra will be on hand from the fourteenth through the sixteenth to serenade visitors and family-oriented events will likewise be held. Also, there's one particularly impressive party that will be held on January 22, Los Suenos de Dali. This evening affair will feature attendees in surrealistic attire, unusual entertainers, and a variety of gourmet foods and alcohol, with tickets available for 111 dollars. I suppose that's inspired by today's grand opening date.

I've mentioned on here before that the St. Petersburg Dali Museum primarily consists of the collection of the Morses, an American couple who became intrigued with the artist's work, so much so that they became longtime friends, companions, and patrons of his. For decades, they stored all of his work that they'd obtained at their home in Cleveland, Ohio until they relocated the collection at a smaller museum in nearby Beachwood. But even that didn't work and the couple began a national search to find the right home for their art. And St. Petersburg won out with its eager community and their offer to present the collection in a converted marine warehouse. It opened on March 10 of 1982 and featured the largest collection of Dali art outside of Europe. I visited the museum last year with a couple of friends and I have to say, I was a little underwhelmed by its exterior. For an artist as off the wall as Dali, it was surprisingly dull and could have even served as an office building. The only hint I noticed to suggest the artist was his signature in letters along a wall. So when I learned that they were getting new digs and actually saw them on this magnet, I was pleased. An innovator like Dali almost demands a space that's as unusual as the work he left behind. He certainly has one in his home town of Figueres, in the Catalonia region of Spain - it's a red structure that almost resembles a castle or a fort covered with details and it's lined with eggs on the rooftop. It's been around since 1974 and Dali himself is actually buried in its crypt, although it's not certain that was actually his wish. But now, the people of St. Petersburg have a structure which is twice the size of its predecessor and should really measure up against that of Figueres. I'm looking forward to experiencing it firsthand sometime. When I was at the former location, they were offering admission to today's event with a donation. And while I didn't take them up on it, as I knew it was unlikely I could make it down there, I'm glad I could support them with this magnet. Here's to the folks behind the Salvador Dali Museum and their bold move to a bigger, better location - the man himself would be proud!

A Strong Constitution

2011-01-09T19:58:00.136-05:00

Magnet # 436: Map of Connecticut

Material: Acrylic

Purchased By: Me

Connecticut joined the Union on this day in 1788, making it the fifth state. Europeans had been in the area as early as 1614, when Dutch explorer Adriaen Block sailed up the Connecticut River, making it as far as the present day sit of Hartford. He claimed the land as part of the New Netherlands territory, but the Dutch wouldn't build a settlement there for almost twenty years. That was when they established a small fort dubbed the "House of Hope" where Hartford would one day stand. However, it wasn't a permanent settlement and the British continually encroached on it until they finally able to drive the Dutch out with the 1650 Treaty of Hartford. The first British to arrive in the territory came from nearby Massachusetts, and they created the first three permanent settlements there - Windsor, Wethersfield, and Hartford. In 1636, the three towns united to form the Connecticut Colony. New Haven actually developed as a separate Puritan colony two years later. The Connecticut Colony made history by forming the Fundamental Orders, a system of government that allowed the voters to elect government officials, and are often regarded to be the first written constitution. It wasn't long before the Connecticut and New Haven colonies united, despite some misgivings from the latter. Between then and the onset of the American Revolution, Connecticut had a couple of interesting moments. One occurred in 1686, when Sir Edmund Andros, who had been commissioned Royal Governor of the Dominion of New England, attempted to take the charter which had served as the colony's constitution. But it was smuggled away and legend holds it was hidden in the historic Charter Oak in Hartford. And another was brought on when Connecticut laid claim to pretty much all of the lands between it and the Pacific. This didn't go over very well and even led to open warfare with Pennsylvania before the matter could be resolved. Later, on June 14 of 1776, Connecticut passed a resolution in favor of gaining independence from Britain, paving the way for it to join in the American Revolution and eventually gain statehood. In the days since then, it's gone on to become one of the most prosperous states in the Union.

I've been to Connecticut twice in my life. I admit, my first trip through the state didn't make much of an impression on me - I went through it with my family when we were on the way to Maine. If we made any significant stops, I don't remember them. So when I traveled there to visit my friend Catherine last year, I wanted to really get a feel for the place. I must say, Connecticut has some of the nicest homes I saw in all of New England. In fact, it boasts the second largest amount of multi-million dollar homes in the nation, coming in only after California. Not only were they impressive, they were also very charming, even picturesque. The state also had a very small town feeling, with more locally owned businesses than major chains, at least where Catherine lives and in Mystic, which is about an hour away. I was also really appreciative of the fact that I wasn't behind the wheel, so I could better take in the scenic views. I really did find Connecticut to be a lovely place. And I enjoyed the food there, too. We ate at a few local establishments, one that served seafood and two breakfast places, and all of the meals were very good. The one kind of food I wanted to try, but didn't get the chance, was pizza. Connecticut is known for having some of the best pizza in the nation. Of course, there's Mystic Pizza, made famous by a movie named after it, but other parts of the state, particularly New Haven, are known for their delicious offerings. New Haven's Wooster Square neighborhood is home to the Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana and Sally's Apizza, which were opened by members of the same family and both feature thin-crust pies baked in coal-fired brick ovens. They're two of the oldest and best known pizzerias in the country and customers will wait for hours in line to get a taste of their incredible creations. I'd certainly like a chance to try out at least one of these establishments. I think I'll probably get a chance sometime, because I plan on making my way to the Constitution State again. Not only is it a great place to visit, it's an excuse to meet up with Catherine again. And while my second trip to the state made a much firmer impression on me, I realize that there's plenty more in Connecticut that I have yet to experience.

Following Yonder Star

2011-01-06T19:44:00.115-05:00

Magnet # 435: Holly Hills Christmas Label

Material: Plastic

Purchased By: Me

Think that the Holiday season has come to an end? Well, not so fast - today is perhaps the Holiday's last hurrah, as every January 6th Epiphany, or Three Kings Day, is observed. This celebration was developed in the early days of Christianity to honor the events of Jesus' childhood, sometimes leading up as far as the Wedding of Cana in Galilee. Over time, this day has come to commemorate the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Roman Catholic and Protestant churches and the baptism of Jesus in Eastern churches. It actually falls just after the last of the Twelve Days of Christmas, and is eve is often marked by celebration, as well as the day itself. And in some parts of the world, this is a very popular event, but they're less prevalent in others. When I was in college, my department headed up a Holiday stories collection, in which we were all encouraged to participate. One of my classmates from Puerto Rico contributed a tale about Three Kings Day, which is apparently a big deal in his nation. There, in a tradition very similar to the milk and cookies that are put out for Santa Claus, children may leave grass or hay under their beds as an offering for the Three Wisemen's camels. And after they take the grass, they will leave presents for the kids in their place. But I have to admit, it was the first time I had ever heard of the celebration. I guess it's not all that big a deal in my region of the United States. Still, there are some places in the nation that mark the day with a celebration. The area around Manitou Springs, Colorado may have the most interesting one - there, they hold the Great Fruitcake Toss, which is an event that is pretty much just what it sounds like. Contestants are judged by factors such as how far they can fling these often-loathed Holiday staples, or on how creative their flinging devices are. And in Louisiana, this marks the beginning of the Carnival season, which leads all the way up to Mardis Gras. During this time, quite a few King Cakes, which feature cinnamon, white icing, and a plastic baby hidden inside, are consumed and the local krewes begin to parade in the streets and hold their seasonal balls. Also, Epiphany was very popular in Colonial Virginia, but its prevalence there has faded with time. And now, to really get a feel for the holiday, it's almost necessary to travel to Europe, where more traditional ceremonies or variations are still very important celebrations in places like England, Germany, Bulgaria, and Poland. It's also held in some Latin American countries like Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru. It's funny - I have to wonder why Epiphany and Three Kings Day are so beloved around the world, but are almost completely forgotten in parts of the United States.

I thought this magnet, which features the Wise Men, would be great to post on this day. I picked it up at the Florida State Capitol, where they have a pretty large selection of magnets like this one for sale. These images were placed on the side of crates of oranges, grapefruits, and other produce for decades and were first developed by the Sunkist company in California. Before then, the labeling of orange crates had been pretty crude - company names were stamped, stenciled, or burned on. Over time, most family orange groves had their own labels, and some even had ones for special occasions, like this one. With the advent of cardboard boxes with pre-printed designs in the mid 1950s, the old, colorful labels ceased to be used. But they've remained pretty popular and the original labels are now collector's items and can sell for high prices. And they've also been featured on plenty of other items over the years, like magnets. Sure, this tradition doesn't have a fraction of the history of Epiphany and it will likely not have the celebration's rather long lifespan, but they have their own special charm, and are worth mentioning on this special day.

The Original Mr. Peanut

2011-01-05T22:03:00.148-05:00

Magnet # 434: George Washington Carver Museum Peanut

Material: Acrylic

Purchased By: Me

Welcome to George Washington Carver Day, which celebrates the life and accomplishments of this man, who was dubbed the "Black Leonardo" during his lifetime. The event is held on the day Carver passed away in 1943, as no one is certain of his actual birth date. He was born into slavery in Missouri, so no accurate record was kept regarding his early life. But those were certainly interesting times. He was owned by Moses Carver, a German immigrant who had purchased both of his parents in 1855, but within a week of his birth, George, his sister, and his mother were kidnapped by a band of night raiders from Arkansas who planned to sell them in Kentucky. Moses Carver sent help to find them, and they were able to recover George, but his other family members were lost. His father also died in an accident. And after slavery came to an end, the Carvers kept George and his brother on, raising them as they might their own children, and teaching them to read and write. George soon proved to have a keen mind, but attending schools and institutions was difficult for him, as he was often rejected because of his race. After being turned away from Highland College even after he had received a scholarship there, he decided instead to homestead in Kansas for a time, plowing seventeen acres without the aid of domestic animals. But by 1890, he was finally able to study at Iowa's Simpson College, where one of his professors realized he had a talent for botany. On her recommendation, he transferred to Iowa State Agricultural College and was its first black. It was there that he first called himself George Washington Carver, as another student had his same name, with the exception of his new middle name. He earned his bachelor's degree in agriculture there as well as his master's degree and got his first taste of fame for the experiments he performed there. In 1896, Carver relocated to Alabama's Tuskegee Institute, where he had been invited by its founder, Booker T. Washington, to head the Agriculture Department. He'd remain there for the rest of his life, 47 years in all. Carver loved teaching, but he did encounter some difficulties there, as he was not very organized and was a poor administrator. An absent-minded professor, he even had trouble remembering to pay his bills. In fact, he and Washington even butted heads occasionally, as they were almost polar opposites, and Carver submitted a letter of resignation several times. And while this side of his position exhausted him, he nonetheless managed to achieve great accomplishments in the laboratory, particularly after Washington passed away and his replacement eased up on the professor. He became famous for finding all sorts of new uses for crops like sweet potatoes, soybeans, and pecans. But it was his work with the peanut that truly defined him - all in all, he discovered more than 300 products it could be used to create. He also found methods that poor Southern farmers could use to improve their lives, like crop rotation, and was very forthcoming with his results. And he wanted to reach out to all rural farmers, regardless of their color. Carver actually did a great deal to improve race relations, and to provide whites doubtful of black's intelligence and abilities that blacks were every bit as capable as they were. He was actually the most famous black American during his time. When he passed in 1943 after falling down a flight of stairs, as he had never married, he left his considerable savings to the Carver Museum and George Washington Carver Research Foundation.

Carver was so beloved by the nation that soon after his death, a movement began to establish a national monument in his honor, even though all non-war expenditures had been forbidden by a presidential order. Regardless, Harry Truman, then a Missouri senator, sponsored a bill to create the George Washington Carver National Monument and it passed through both houses without one veto. It was dedicated near Diamond, Missouri, where Carver had spent part of his childhood and was the first national monument that honored an African-American and a person who had not been president. The site features the Moses Carver home and a museum. Of course, Tuskegee Institute, now University, also features a museum dedicated to its most famous professor. I visited the George Washington Carver Museum, which is run by the National Park Service, last year and had a very nice time there. I was particularly impressed by Carver's paintings, which are on display there. Not only do they show his considerable talent, they also feature paints Carver made himself. He also dyed his own threads and and fibers with natural material and used them for knitting, crocheting, and needlework. Carver was truly a Renaissance man and a inspiration for every American, rising up from slavery to achieve considerable accomplishments, and it's fitting that we still honor him today.

Use Your Noodle

2011-01-03T19:35:00.096-05:00

Magnet # 433: Italian Spaghetti Package

Material: Plastic, Pasta

Purchased By: Mom & Dad

It's time to start hauling out your strainers and pasta stirrers, because tomorrow is National Spaghetti Day! I'm not sure how this one came to be, but I'm sure it's the work of a genius. Yep, in case you can't tell, I love pasta, particularly spaghetti, and I will absolutely be making this most of this occasion. And whether you dine out or prepare your own dish at home, you should definitely consider joining in on the fun yourself.

While no one can say for certain where pasta, and later spaghetti itself, were first created, China may very well be its place of origin. We do know that they were eating noodles made from millet there as far back as 2000 BC. And it's know believed that Marco Polo wasn't responsible for importing the dish to Italy after his travels in the East, as is often believed. Some even think that the Italians may have developed pasta on their own, or perhaps had some help from the Arabs or the Greeks in creating it. Still, pasta has come to define Italian cuisine more than any other, and the Italians have made variations on it that no one else can match. And, yes, Italians consume more pasta than any other people in the world nowadays, China included. There's also a belief that spaghetti was created in that nation, specifically in Sicily. The island's residents may have been the first to shape pasta into the long strands that are still so popular. It was made from hard wheat and known as vermicelli, but it was likely spaghetti's forerunner. It's amazing that this particular dish has been so beloved by such diverse cultures since ancient times, and shows no signs of ever losing its popularity.

No, I didn't just grab a bag of spaghetti from my cabinet and take a photo - believe it or not, this is really a magnet. My folks were able to pick it up in Italy, and they told me there was a pretty large selection of pasta varieties to choose from. I'm pretty sure they got this because they know just what a huge fan of spaghetti, and pasta in general, I am. In fact, I may very well eat more pasta than any other kind of food. I think there are some weeks that I have pasta just about every day. I always have at least one package of thin spaghetti in my cupboard, so whenever I don't know what to eat, I often cook some up. Not only does it taste good, it;s also incredibly simple to prepare - just boil, drain, and you're done. I also really like to eat spaghetti - it's so much fun wrapping long tendrils of it around my fork. And sure, I might top it off with the more traditional tomato sauce, meatballs, and Parmesan cheese, but I can also get creative with the items I add to my spaghetti. I really like adding artichoke hearts, black olives, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts for a tasty dish. Or I might toss in salsa, black olives, black beans, corn, and sharp cheddar cheese for a Mexican style spaghetti. And recently, I've found a Thai Peanut sauce at Target that's from their store brand, Archer Farms that is great to use on spaghetti - you can even add meatballs. Of course, pesto sauce is always another great option, or even a can of chunky clam chowder. Really, pasta is one of the most versatile foods out there, and there's almost no limit to what you can add to it. So consider trying spaghetti in a whole new way tomorrow in honor of National Spaghetti Day. Even if nothing I've mentioned here appeals to you, just consider some of your favorite ingredients and how well they might go with spaghetti. And even though I haven't decided yet just what I'll be piling on top of my spaghetti, rest assured I will be chowing down on some. I'll take any excuse to dig into a big bowl of pasta, and I'm not about to let this one pass me by!

Our Final Frontier

2011-01-02T18:59:00.065-05:00

Magnet # 432: Map of Alaska

Material: Wood, Laminated Paper

Purchased By: Mom & Dad

Tomorrow, Alaska marks the anniversary of the day in 1959 when they became the nation's 49th state. Given its proximity to Russia, it's almost amazing how long it took the Asian nation to discover its location. But it wasn't until Czar Peter the Great, perhaps inspired by Columbus' discovery, wanted to find out if there was land connecting Asia and North America that Danish explorer Vitus Bering was sent to the area in 1725. With his party, he crossed over 6,000 miles in Russia to make it to the Kamchatka Peninsula, where they built a ship for their voyage. In 1728, they reached St. Lawrence Island and became the first Europeans to set foot on what would become Alaska. But heavy fog prevented Bering from seeing the mainland. Still, he brought back sea otter pelts when he returned to Russia, and they were soon considered to be the finest furs in all the world. To obtain them, more Russian traders and hunters began making their way to the Aleutian Islands and eventually the Alaskan mainland. The first permanent European settlement was established there in 1784 on Kodiak Island by Russian trader Gregory Shlikof, who wiped out hundreds of the natives in the process. But Russia wasn't going to enjoy exclusive control over the area. Explorers from Britain, France, and Spain, who had prior claims to the west coast of North America through the papal bull of 1493, were all soon coming to the territory. Spain was particularly assertive, sending a number of explorers to assert their control of over the area. But they eventually gave up on the area, transferring their claims to the United States in 1819. Russia continued on there, prospering for a time with its trading firm, the Russian-American Company. Still, they never managed to fully colonize the area and over time, the company fell into decline, partially because so many fur-bearing animals had been killed off. At last, Russia was eager to be rid of the territory and offered to sell it to the United States. The Secretary of State William Seward was eager to take it off their hands and agreed to buy it, despite some opposition. The country paid $7,200,000 to Russia and the exchange was made on October 18 of 1867. Alaska was finally in the hands of the United States, where it remains to this day. The area remained relatively abandoned until gold was found nearby and, later, within Alaska itself. Prospectors and others in search of striking it rich flooded the area. Alaska introduced its first statehood bill to Congress in 1916, but it didn't actually achieve that status for over forty years.

Alaska is one more state that I haven't been to, but it certainly seems like a visit there could be pretty exciting. My parents went there last year, and they had a great time cruising the Inner Passage, traveling on the rails, and flying over a glacier. It certainly sounds like a fun trip, and they managed to see some of Alaska's biggest cities - Juneau, Fairbanks, Skagway, Ketchikan, and Seward were all on the itinerary. I've gotta admit, one place in Alaska I'm not particularly excited about seeing is their State House building. Yes, I know, I've made a goal to tour all of the state capitols in the nation, but this is one many of the capitol collectors rank at the very bottom of their lists. This building is perhaps the most unremarkable of all the capitol buildings, with no dome, no pediment, no statues at the top, not even a slanted roof. It's basically a six-story office building with four columns stuck on at the front. I guess it's a testament to the simplicity of the Alaskan people, but when the structure is compared to truly incredible state capitols, like those in Connecticut and Texas, it kinda seems like they're not even trying. I've also heard during my travels that this one may be poorly staffed, and that it can be difficult to get a stamp for the collector passport there. I guess this is one place I'm putting off going to, in the hopes that it may be improved upon in the future. Apparently, there has been talk of replacing it and I think that's a good idea. Come on, Alaska, you don't want people to call your state capitol the worst in the country, do you? That aside, the Last Frontier is a great place to see all sorts of undeveloped nature and creatures of the wild. It sounds like a pretty amazing place, and I hope to make the journey out there someday.

The Race Is On

2011-01-01T18:57:00.126-05:00

Magnet # 431: Kentucky Thoroughbreds

Material: Pewter

Purchased By: Me

Happy Birthday to all of the Thoroughbreds in the Northern Hemisphere, as all of them are officially born on January 1st. Yep, no matter when they are actually born over the course of a year, their birth date is registered as the first day of that year. And why is this the case? Well, that makes it much easier to categorize them for races, which are grouped according to age. For example, the Kentucky Derby only races three-year-old Thoroughbreds. Given that this is the case, breeders try to have their broodmares give birth as close to the beginning of the year as possible. That way, their foals will be as strong and fast as possible when it comes time for them to race. And when horses are born at the end of the year, it's a pretty big disappointment for breeders. In fact, some unscrupulous parties may even try to falsify records to give their Thoroughbreds an unfair advantage. Fortunately, the Jockey Club, which registers all Thoroughbreds in North America, sends out their representatives for periodic checks to prevent such behavior. And that's not the only role they play in overseeing the breed on the continent. They also use DNA and blood testing to prove the horse's parentage and they must approve the names of all horses for them to be eligible for racing. The owners must submit a list of six names to the Jockey Club, from which they will pick one. And there are many rules involved with the names that are eligible. The names must not be longer than eighteen characters, and that includes punctuation and spaces. They may not end in any horse-related word, such as "filly," "stallion," "mustang," or "colt." Nor can they end with a numerical designation, like second or seventh. And the name cannot be made up entirely of numbers or initials. If the name is the same as any that are currently in use or reserved by other Thoroughbreds, it's ineligible. The horses cannot be named after racetracks or any commercial companies. There's also a restricted list of names from past champions, meaning there will be no more Secretariats or Seabiscuits. I had no idea choosing the name of a racehorse was so involved! I guess I'll keep that in mind next time I'm watching one of the Triple Crown races and hear a strange name.

All modern Thoroughbreds can be traced back to three original stallions who were brought into England during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries - the Byerly Turk, the Darley Arabian, and the Godolphin Arabian. They were Arabian horses who were bred with native English mares. The line they produced has become one of the best for horse racing. Thoroughbreds are high-spirited, sensitive animals with powerful lungs and strong legs that give them considerable agility and speed. While they're most often used in racing, they can also excel at show jumping, polo, dressage, and combined training. They've also been studded to help improve other breeds by developing new breeds, like the Quarter Horse, the Standardbred, and the Anglo-Arabian. And they've become some of the most popular breed of horses in Kentucky and Tennessee - if fact, President Andrew Jackson even once bred and raced them at his home in Tennessee. And by the early nineteenth century, famous matches in the United States were making them even more popular. Of course, perhaps no event has made them more beloved in the country than the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, one of the most important racing events worldwide. Thoroughbreds may have debuted in England, but they've become a beloved part of American culture and it's worth considering how important they are on this day, when they all celebrate another birthday.

Another Year Over

2010-12-31T19:13:00.070-05:00

Magnet # 430: Millennium, New Zealand

Material: Plastic, Acrylic

Purchased By: Me

Happy New Year, everyone! Is it just me, or did this year fly by faster than usual? It seems I was just commenting about the end of 2009 on here, but I guess that was much further back than it feels like.

Sure, this magnet is now eleven years past its optimum posting date, but it still has a fact worth mentioning - that every year, New Zealand is the first major country to welcome the New Year. It's pretty much zero hour as far as the time zones go. From there, the shift sweeps across the globe, from Australia to Asia to Africa and Europe. And yes, those of us in North and South America are some of the last in the world to greet the New Year. I have yet to make it to New Zealand, or even that part of the world, but I'd really like to see it for myself someday, perhaps with nearby Australia. Even more incredibly, my parents have never made it to either nation, but I know it's on their list of places to see. Who knows, maybe we'll all make it there together in the future, but I'm sure it won't be in 2011. And if I ever make it there, this time of year would be great, as they're experiencing Summer and I'm no fan of Winter, so I'd love getting away from the cold weather for awhile. So who knows, I might be able to be among the first to welcome the New Year in New Zealand if I'm lucky.

As one year ends, it's always seems to be a good time to evaluate our actions throughout it and consider what plans we have for the next one. I have to admit, I'm certainly proud of the efforts I've made on here in 2010. With this post, I'll have managed 300 total for the year, a number I never really thought I could achieve. This has been the first full year I've put into this magnet blog, and I'm proud that I've followed through on it. I've also had a very active year as a traveler - I managed to make my way to eighteen states in all, which may be a personal record. I also toured ten state capitols, which is definitely the most I've seen in a year - in fact, that total may be hard to ever beat. And, goodness, have I amassed the magnets in 2010 - between my own findings and those others have given me, I've easily passed the 700 mark with my collection, and I think that's probably a conservative estimate. As this year passed, I had my doubts as to whether I'd even have enough magnets to keep it up into 2011, or if I'd be able to find any new events to discuss, as I don't really want to revisit many of those I've already mentioned. I now realize that shouldn't be a problem. In fact, the calendar in which I keep track of my future posts is almost packed for the first half of the year. But I also have to be honest with myself and admit that I neglected my artwork to make time for this blog. At the beginning of the year, I made a goal to do 250 hours of work on my art, and I've fallen pretty short of that. So I think I may try to post a little less on here in 2011 to make more time for producing art. Overall, I don't think it will be very noticeable. This year, I've averaged 25 posts a month and I think that might drop to 20 for the next one. And yet, as I take a look at some of the coming months, I've already planned 23 or 24 posts, so who knows what will happen. But I may even go a couple of days without a post once or twice a month, so just be warned. While I really enjoy this blog and have no intention of giving it up in 2011, I may have to give it a little less attention. And to those of you who have supported me on here, thanks, and I wish you the best in this coming year, whatever your goals, plans, or resolutions may be. Here's another chance for us to work hard to get where we want to be in life, and I hope we all make the best of it!

The Martyr of Manila

2010-12-30T21:40:00.125-05:00

Magnet # 429: Philippine Islands Piso

Material: Wood, Metal, Acrylic

Purchased By: Me

The Philippines honor one of their most beloved figures on this day, known there as Rizal Day. It was the day in 1896 when Jose Rizal, an advocate for greater rights for the Filipino people, who were then under Spanish control, was executed. But in all likelihood, he had done nothing worthy of such a severe punishment, and Rizal therefore went on to become a martyr for the Philippine Revolution and a national hero when the country won its independence.

Jose Rizal was born to a family of wealthy farmers of Chinese descent in the town of Calamba in 1861. Even though he was the seventh of eleven children, he received plenty of attention and soon began showing signs of being a genius - by age three, he had learned the alphabet and he could read and write by the time he was five. When formally educated, he received honors, but he later dropped out of the Univeristy of Santo Tomas when he realized its Spanish Dominican friars were discriminating against the native students. But, as his mother was going blind, becoming an ophthalmologist was of great importance to him, so he traveled to Spain to complete his studies at the Universidad Central de Madrid. He left without his parent's knowledge or approval, so they must have been pretty upset. Regardless, I'm sure they must have been pleased when he later operated on his mother to help save her sight. During his time away, Rizal completed his first novel, Noli Me Tangere, a nationalistic work partially inspired by Uncle Tom's Cabin. In it, he revealed the injustices the Catholic Church and the Spanish colonial government had committed in his homeland. The work resulted in his arrest when he returned for a visit, but he managed to talk his way out of trouble and continued on, even creating a sequel for the work. But writing and medicine were hardly the extent of his talents - he was also an accomplished artist, sculptor, fencer, marksman, mapmaker, and had still more interests. He also spoke more than ten languages, and charmed many acquaintances over the years, leaving behind many admirers as he traveled across Europe. But when he returned to the Philippines in 1892, he faced quite a few enemies in the government. It should be noted that Rizal never advocated independence for the Philippines. Instead, he used peaceful means to call for representation of his home within the Spanish legislature, freedom of speech, and equal rights for all in the Philippines. Nonetheless, the leaders there wanted him dead and by accusing him of participating in the brewing rebellion. After spending four years in exile, he was arrested on the way to Cuba and tried in Manila on charges of conspiracy, sedition, and rebellion. He was found guilty and executed by firing squad after quoting Christ's last words - "it is finished." He was only thirty-five. The authorities might have been relieved to have him dead, but it was temporary - his demise proved to be the catalyst that the Filipino people needed to call them to arms. They rose up and within two years, had freed themselves of Spanish rule.

This year's celebration falls on the 114th anniversary of Rizal's death and features events such as flag-raisings and wreath-layings across the nation, particularly at Rizal Park in Manila.A movement has actually been formed that aims to move the observance to June 19, the day of his birth, rather than the one on which he perished. I'm not quite sure if Rizal Day is a really big deal in the Philippines, however. When I was home for the holidays, one of my Dad's Filipino colleagues called him and I told my Dad to wish him an early Happy Rizal Day. It may have just been a bad connection, but he didn't seem to know what my Dad was talking about, so that made me wonder just how prevalent the observance is in its native land. Regardless, this man's brief but brilliant life and unjust execution is still worthy of remembering all these years later. And it's clear his nation still loves him - that's Rizal's image portrayed on coin that's inside the magnet pictured here, which I converted from a keychain. It's such a shame that we'll never know which further accomplishments he could have made, but without his sacrifice it might have taken the Philippines far longer to ever achieve its independence.

Isn't It Peachy

2010-12-29T22:36:00.002-05:00

Magnet # 428: Symbols of Atlanta

Material: Rubber

Purchased By: Me

It was on this day in 1847 that a rather small town in Georgia that had previously been known as Thrasherville, Terminus, and Marthasville was incorporated under the name of Atlanta. Over the past decade, it had built up to become the railroad hub for the state, after it had pretty much been picked off a map. When the first freight and passenger trains finally began rolling in, they allowed the community to grow and thrive. And when additional lines were added that ran from Atlanta to places like Macon, Savannah, and Chattanooga, the town boomed even more. Of course, all of the businesses and progress proved to be a detriment when the Civil War broke out and Atlanta became a critical supply hub for the Confederacy. Sherman and his troops were sent to the area, and they burned nearly every building in their path to the ground. But the people of Atlanta were not broken by this assault, and they rebuilt an even greater Atlanta, one that developed into the South's commercial and industrial center. In 1868, it became the state capital and continued to grow into the twentieth century. And during then, major companies like Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines began to spring up and their headquarters in the city helped it to become even greater. Atlanta has had its share of troubles, likes its 1906 Race Riot and KKK activity at nearby Stone Mountain, but it's weathered the scandals. Even a 2008 tornado couldn't slow this city down. And the symbol of the city has become the phoenix, after Atlanta's miraculous ability to rise from the ashes.

I'm pretty sure I've spent more time in Atlanta that any other major metropolitan area in the United States, certainly in recent years. It's a great place to meet up with my family in Montgomery, as they just have to head three hours east and I drive four hours northwest. It's certainly quicker than either of us making the full six hour drive to either Montgomery or Savannah. I also have a few friends in and around the metropolitan area that I sometimes head up to visit. I guess I make it to Atlanta about five times a year, so there are some parts of town I'm pretty familiar with. I've checked out quite a few of the city's tourist attractions, like the Georgia Aquarium, the High Museum of Art, the Center for Puppetry Arts, the World of Coca-Cola, and the Fox Theatre. And, yes, I've toured the Georgia Capitol there and had a look at its infamous two-headed cow. I've also found a few restaurants there that I really like, including Silk, an upscale Midtown Asian fusion restaurant with excellent sushi, Brio Tuscan Grille a casual Italian eatery, the Buckhead Diner, which is a pretty elegant place in a traditional diner setting, and the Oriental Pearl in Chamblee, which features traditional Chinese dim sum. But the most memorable Atlanta eatery I've tried may be Dante's Down the Hatch, which serves fondue in an environment decked out to resemble a ship and nearby buildings. There's even a moat underneath the diners, complete with alligators and turtles. Dante himself is often on hand to meet with his customers, and he has all sorts of interesting stories to share with them. In fact, a friend of a friend was dressed as a pirate when he ate there and Dante challenged him to a duel and even brought out swords. If you're ever in the city, this is one place worth stopping by. And while I enjoy my trips there, I'm not sure if I'd ever want to move to Atlanta. The traffic there is just a disaster, typical of a big city. And they make matters worse by naming about half the downtown streets Peachtree - it's pretty confusing. There's Peachtree Street, Peachtree Road, Peachtree Boulevard, Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, Peachtree Parkway, and so on. It's enough to make a driver nuts! Regardless, it's fun to know it's just a short drive away and I'm sure it won't be long before I'm on the road to Atlanta once again.

A Day at the Zoo

2010-12-27T20:30:00.001-05:00

Magnet # 427: Montgomery Zoo

Material: Rubber

Purchased By: Me

Need an excuse to head out of the house today, or do you have a kid that's out of school on vacation and no idea what to do? Well, you're in luck, because this is Visit the Zoo Day! It's a great opportunity to stop by and see some of your favorite animals, and maybe even check out a few you've never encountered before.

The Montgomery Zoo, which is featured on this magnet, is probably the zoo I've visited the most during my lifetime, as it's in my hometown. It was founded in 1920 as Oak Park Zoo and is the oldest zoo in the state. Over time, it became so popular that it outgrew its first location and was moved to its current home in the northern part of the city in 1974, where it opened under its new name. Since then, it's become even more impressive, particularly after a major 1989 renovation that expanded the size of the zoo to over 48 acres. I remember traveling there both with school groups and my family during my childhood. And seeing it both before and after the expansion was really something - it's almost been a completely new venue since then. My favorite memory of the place is probably when I was in grade school and I connected with one of their adorable wallabies. It was just so friendly and kept coming over to the fence when I was standing there and I felt so connected to it. I'm not the kind of person who would ever touch an animal at the zoo, but I actually put my fingers through the fence and it let me pet it. Leaving the zoo was tough that day, and I've never forgotten that cute little wallaby. I had been planning on visiting it again during my trip home for the Christmas holiday, partly in preparation for this post. I had really wanted to see the Christmas Light Festival that takes place there during the Holiday season, as I couldn't take them in at any other time of the year. But the day we could have gone was pretty cold and I was under the weather (yep, I was sick for both Thanksgiving and Christmas of this year - we'll see how New Year's goes) so we decided it was best not to spend a few hours outside there. But we did at least stop by so that I could pick up this souvenir and I did get a quick glimpse of the entrance to the facilities. The train that spans the area was coming in at that moment, so that was fun to see and it was as impressive as I'd remembered. I'll have to stop by on another visit home to see all of it again, even if I can't make it during December.

This particular year might not be the best time to venture out to the local zoo, as we're experiencing record low temperatures and terrible conditions across the nation. And, yes, we even had snow flurries in Montgomery, so that was pretty remarkable. On my drive home, I saw some snow on the ground, although none of it was really piled up. This being the case, it might be better to watch a movie about the zoo. One of my favorites is Fierce Creatures, which features Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, John Cleese, and is pretty darn funny. Or you could read a book about the zoo, or perhaps donate to one via the Internet. But only the hardiest - or nuttiest - will probably head out to the zoos themselves in some parts of the country. Still, if you're lucky enough to be in warmer areas, you might have a great time stopping by to see the animals today. I'm not sure why Visit the Zoo Day is held at such a potentially frigid time of the year, but perhaps the 2011 event will be a better time to actually visit in person around the nation. Until then, curl up and keep the animals in mind as the temperatures continue to plummet outside.

The Fall Of the Iron Curtain

2010-12-26T19:30:00.113-05:00

Magnet # 426: The Kremlin Waterfront, Moscow

Material: Resin

Purchased By: Mom & Dad

This day in 1991 saw the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics when the Supreme Soviet, its highest governing body, met and agreed to dissolve itself. The Communist nation, which had once been a fearsome superpower, had been driven into bankruptcy and civil unrest as many of its territories declared their independence, and was on the verge of collapse. Sensing the inevitable, its Head of State, Mikhail Gorbachev, had resigned one day earlier and declare his office extinct. What decades earlier had seemed impossible was now a reality, much to the delight of many Russian citizens.

If Tsarist Russia hadn't been in so much trouble for so long, the Soviet Union might never have been founded on December 28th of 1922, almost 69 years to the date before the nation came to an end. The people of the nation ended up trading in the limited freedom they had experienced for almost none at all. Life may have been at its worst during Joseph Stalin's leadership, when about a thousand people were executed every day for a year during the Great Purge of the 1930's. And after his death in 1953, the country grew less repressive over the decades. When Gorbachev came to power in the 1980's, the people gained even more rights including greater access to information. But his measures were still not enough - the Soviet Union had to come to an end. In its place, the Russian Federation, a federal semi-presidential republic, was created. And now that communism is over, many Russians are now part of a rising middle class with disposable income. They're able to spend money on hobbies, gourmet food, and even luxury items. So what is one collectible that many Russians are now eagerly buying up? Believe it or not, magnets! Yep, I've encountered quite a few enthusiastic collectors from the nation across the web. They actually have a pretty great community website at Live Journal where they post their gems. I tend to spend a fair amount of time there checking them out. The only problem is that all of their accompanying text is pretty much in Russian, so I have no idea what they're talking about. But at least I can still enjoy the pictures. It almost makes me with that I spoke Russian, or there was an English counterpart that I could join. Oh, well - have a look at http://community.livejournal.com/magnitiki_ru/ if you'd like to check it out for yourself. But commercialism like this is certainly a good sign that Russia is moving away from its ties to communism - I doubt that anyone who lived through that era could have imagined they'd ever come this far.

The Soviet Union provided the rest of the world with a pretty clear example of why communism doesn't work. Sure, the idea that everyone is equal and receives the same compensation is pretty nice, but doesn't seem to play out so well. There are those who inevitably rise to authority positions, while others have no motivation to do their part very well, as there is no real reward for it. The arts and creativity can take a severe blow, which in turn can lessen the entire nation's morale. It's also been proven that when workers have some sort of extra compensation to strive for, they tend to apply themselves even more. And that's hardly the extent of the movement's flaws, which at their worst have resulted in mass killings. Of course, capitalism is far from perfect, yet it seems to have done a much better job for its respective nations than communism ever did for Russia. Hopefully, both Russia and the entire world will learn from the mistakes of the Soviet Union and never again head down that same destructive path, managing instead to achieve a brighter future.

Warm Wishes To All

2010-12-25T19:28:00.116-05:00

Magnet # 425: The Nativity Photo

Material: Plastic

Purchased By: Mom & Dad

Once again, it's Christmas and I hope you're all having a wonderful day! I've had a very nice day with my family and there's even a chance of snow in the forecast. I have to admit, I think it's unlikely, but it could happen. Still, given that I'm not a big fan of cold weather, I'm okay with a snow-free Christmas. If I really wanted a white Christmas, I could always visit someplace like Montana, Michigan, or Maine this time of year, but as I tend to say, nobody moves to the Deep South because they like really cold weather. And while this unexpected December 25th snowfall has no doubt enchanted many a child, it has made holiday travel difficult and even dangerous around the region, as cities like Atlanta, Louisville, and Nashville, that can go for years without any snow at all, have all gotten some. I certainly hope those that find themselves having to deal with it safe passage. Christmas is a particularly bad time to have an accident or mishap. As for me, I'm staying in with my family throughout the day. There's great food to be had, good company, and the chance to have a look at all of the goodies I found under the Christmas tree, so I'll stay put. However, I'm pretty sure I'll want to venture out tomorrow, as I look forward to shopping on December 26th all year long. I hope by then the cold weather will have passed on.

This magnet might look a little odd or out of focus, but it's not. It's actually one of a set of five 3-D magnets I got last year from my parents. While it's pretty cool to see in person, I'm not quite sure if this photo does it justice, but at least you get the idea of what it should look like. They picked this up during a trip to New York City, where the figures featured on the magnet have been a part of the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art Christmas exhibition for over half a century. It features a twenty foot blue spruce Christmas tree and Neapolitan Baroque Creche figures that were made of finely carved wood, painted with terracotta, and draped in exquisite fabrics by talented sculptors in eighteenth-century Naples, Italy. These figures must be pretty sizable, as they really fill out the rather large tree, at least from the images I've seen. This spectacle was made possible through the work of Lorretta Hines Howard, an artist who began collecting the figures as far back as 1925. She soon conceived the notion of combining elaborate Roman Catholic Nativity scenes with the more Protestant tradition of decorated Christmas trees. For decades, she traveled, collecting the sculptures as she went until she was able to present over 200 creche figures to the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art. They were first displayed to the public in 1957. And for the rest of her life, Howard supervised as the installation went up. The tradition is now carried on by her daughter and granddaughter, and has been visited by millions of thrilled onlookers from all over the world. And while I've been to the Museum once, it was not during the Holiday season - in fact, it was in early January, after the display had no doubt just come down. But, who knows, maybe I'll glimpse it in all of its glory one of these days. New York City is said to be one of the best places to spend Christmas, as the city is packed with all sorts of truly unique Holiday offerings, and this exhibition has got to be one of the best, even by the Big Apple's standards. So, obviously, I'd like to visit during the Holiday season, even just one time. Of course, they also probably tend to have show there at this time of year. So, for now, I'll be content with staying in a frost-free part of the South, surrounded by my family. And I hope you're lucky enough to say the same on this special day, or to have some snow on your ground, if that makes you happy. Stay warm, stay safe, and have a fantastic Christmas with those you love!

Star Of the South

2010-12-24T19:09:00.122-05:00

Magnet # 424: Nashville Letters

Material: Rubber

Purchased By: Mom

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of the day in 1779 when a pair of settlers who had ventured forth from northwestern North Carolina completed their two month journey at the banks of the Cumberland River. There, they cleared the area and built a home of logs that they named Fort Nashborough after American Revolutionary War General Francis Nash. In less than a year, 60 families had arrived at the fort, which was still part of North Carolina. It continued to grow and was eventually renamed Nashville when it was incorporated as a town in 1784. Eventually, North Carolina gave control of its lands west of the Allegheny Mountains to the federal government and they went on to form the state of Tennessee. With its strategic location both on the river and at the end of the Natchez Trace, Nashville became an important center of business and shipping in the middle of what was mostly expansive, undeveloped wilderness. Its reputation grew greater still when its native son Andrew Jackson went on to become a war hero and President of the United States. In 1843, it became the state capitol and Nashville also came to be known as the Athens of the South for its public school system, the first in the region, and its numerous higher learning institutions. Its citizens were some of the South's wealthiest, best educated, and most refined. But the Civil War proved to be difficult for the growing city, as it was the first Confederate state capitol to fall to Union forces and remained in its grasp despite efforts to take it back years later. While the city was pretty damaged by all of the warfare, it nonetheless rebuilt and more than tripled its population by 1900. It became one of the leading trade centers of the region. Later on, it also became known as an important site of the early days Civil Rights movement, but its reputation as "Music City USA" is perhaps what most defines modern day Nashville. In 1925, the Grand Ole Opry was first aired and it has become a Nashville institution. Nashville is also a publishing center for music, perhaps most notably the country and Christian genres. Far from its humble beginnings, this city has gone on to become one of the most prosperous and unique the Upper South has to offer.

Given Nashville's founding on Christmas Day, the city ought to be a pretty merry place to visit during the Holiday season nowadays. And at least one particular spot in the area has gained national attention for its Holiday spectacular - the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. I've recently mentioned another of this chain's resort hotels in the Dallas area on here, and this one is no less impressive. It throws an event known as A Country Christmas, which features around two million Christmas lights, hundreds of poinsettias, and all sorts of incredible Holiday decorations. Thousands come from all over the world to take part in the festivities, which is now in its 27th year. And this year, both the Radio City Rockettes and Louise Mandrel will perform for delighted audiences. There's also an intricate, interactive ice sculpture world to amaze them, an elaborate outdoor Nativity, and an area filled with real snow, live reindeer, a snow maze, and much more. Guests can even kick off the day with a special Kris Kringle breakfast in the Solario restaurant on the premises and end it with a visit from a staff elf who will tuck them in and read them the classic "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." The festivities opened on November 19th and will continue through January 2nd, so you haven't missed all of the fun yet. While I've never gotten a chance to see the Gaylord Opryland myself, my Mom has been there, both for A Country Christmas, which she assures me was beautiful, and other times of the year. I hope I'll get the chance to return to Nashville around the anniversary of its founding one year and see this special place, as well as other Christmas attractions that Music City, USA no doubt has to offer.

Polar Wonders

2010-12-22T21:18:00.099-05:00

Magnet # 423: Juneau Winter Landscape

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Mom & Dad

Now that the Winter Solstice has come and gone, life will be getting a little dark up in parts of Alaska. In fact, some places didn't even have any sunlight on the day of December 21st. The worst place for all of this may very well be Barrow, where the Sun has been gone since mid-November and won't return until January. But there is a bright side to all of this (no pun intended) - during Winter, Fall, and Summer, it's a much better time to take in the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. This phenomena, which is basically just the collision of charged particles, or plasma, and Earth's magnetic field, certainly produces a radiant light show, particularly in polar regions. It's said to be much more impressive in person than you could imagine, even though images of Aurora Borealis are still stunning. I'd certainly like to get a chance to see them for myself, perhaps in Alaska. But that's certainly not everything that the Last Frontier has to offer.

Based on the snowman and wreath featured on this magnet, Juneau is probably full of the Christmas spirit, but if you're in Alaska and really want to overindulge in the season, head just about 700 miles northwest. There, you'll find the North Pole. No really - there is a small city just outside of Fairbanks with more than two thousand residents called North Pole. It was given that name back in 1952 by a local entrepreneur in the hopes that it would gain the area all sorts of attention and maybe even bring a toy manufacturer to the area. They thought one might appreciate having all of their offerings made at the North Pole. While I don't think any toy companies ever opened up shop there, the city has still become somewhat famous for its unique name. It's also given the citizens a special sense of the Holiday spirit and they've dubbed the streets there with appropriate names like Santa Claus Lane, Kris Kringle Drive, Snowman Lane, and St. Nicholas Drive. Also, the city's street lights are decked out in candy cane stripes, police vehicles are green and white, while firetrucks and ambulances are red. And an old trading post has taken on a new life as the Santa Claus House, the area's biggest tourist attraction. It's owned by a man who used to dress up as Santa Claus himself and decided to rename his business when a local boy recognized him and asked if he was building a new house. With time, the goods sold there shifted from wilderness necessities to Christmas-themed decorations and souvenirs. And his wife, a Marriage Commissioner, has married thousands of couples at the store. It's also home to the world's largest fiberglass Santa statue, a 42 foot tall behemoth weighing in at 900 pounds. The local U.S. Post Office is also a important spot for the city, as it features the North Pole postmark. Thousands of people all over the country send their Holiday cards there so they can be sent off to friends and relatives with the very special postmark. They also receive all sorts of letters from children to Santa Claus and volunteers who serve as "Santa's Helpers" make every effort to answer as many as possible. Best of all, much of the entire city is decorated for Christmas yearlong. I'd love to live somewhere that provided me with a good excuse to keep my trees, ornaments and other Christmas trinkets up all 365 days of the year. Unfortunately, most of those places tend to have snow, and considering I'm not a big fan of that, I'll just have to continue taking my decorations down. But I do tend to put that off as long as I can - and not just out of laziness. Still, it's nice to know there are special places like North Pole, Alaska that keep the Christmas spirit alive no matter what the season, and a brush with the Holidays is just a plane ride or long drive away.

A Walk To Remember

2010-12-20T18:39:00.085-05:00

Magnet # 422: San Antonio Riverwalk

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Mom & Dad

Well, we're getting pretty close to Christmas Day, so I figured I'd better include a few more Christmas-themed posts while I can. So we're off to San Antonio, where one of the top tourist attractions is the River Walk. This network of walkways surrounding the San Antonio River as it cuts through the downtown area was actually built out of necessity. Back in 1921, the area flooded and fifty people lost their lives. A change was obviously needed that would provide flood control, and the options ranged from damming the area, to paving it over and creating a storm sewer. It wasn't until 1929 when local architect Robert Hugman proposed the construction of the River Walk. While his plan did not receive initial support - some even said he'd be drowned if the area flooded - the public eventually warmed to the idea and Hugman oversaw the development. It was completed in the 1940's and Hugman relocated his office along the River Walk, right next door to where the Casa Rio, River Walk's first restaurant, opened in 1946. After the city hosted the 1968 HermisFair, River Walk's reputation grew and more businesses began setting up along its banks. It's now crowded with hotels, restaurants, shops and throngs are drawn in daily to see all that this unique attraction has to offer.

Even though none of my family is in San Antonio, the River Walk has still played an important role in a couple of our Christmas celebrations. My Mom's mom wanted a change in our festivities one year, so in the late 1990's, we traveled down to San Antonio for a brief visit before Christmas Day. The drive down was a bit perilous, as there was ice on the roadway and the weather was kind of lousy - in fact, I still remember being a bit nervous as I sat in the back seat that day. But once we got to Alamo City, the trip improved vastly. My Grandmother paid for our rooms in a hotel that was on the River Walk. It was so neat just walking out of the back door and immediately being on the river. We were able to walk around, have a look at the shops, and eat at the restaurants pretty much everyday. And, yes, it was all done up in decorations for the Holiday season. It's too bad I wasn't collecting magnets back then, because I'll bet they have plenty of souvenir shops there. And now that I'm older and have booked more trips, I realize that it must have been pretty expensive to stay at a hotel just off the River Walk. Historic and touristy areas are always pricey. It's an indulgence I wouldn't probably give myself, so it's nice to have the memories of that special trip. And a few years later, our family - again my Mom's side - went to the Gaylord Texan for our Christmas Eve meal. This time, the drive went much faster, as it's in Grapevine just outside of downtown Dallas. And it was all decked out for the season, so we had a nice time just checking out all of the decor. But this is no simple hotel - it actually has a replica of the River Walk running right through it! There's even a bridge that spans it. It was really impressive to see something like that in a hotel. We ate at one of the four restaurants the Gaylord Texan has to offer at a buffet with seemingly endless choices. It was the first time I tried turducken, a dish we've had at Holiday celebrations ever since. And when my cousins and I were done, I walked around with them to get another look at the hotel. We even did an art project together. All in all, I'm not sure where I had more fun - at the actual River Walk or its tribute at the Gaylord Texan. And while I'm not sure if either will ever figure into our future Christmas celebrations, I'm glad I got to experience both during the Holiday season - they've given me some special Holiday memories I'll always keep.

Garden Variety

2010-12-18T21:09:00.121-05:00

Magnet # 421: Map of New Jersey

Material: Rubber

Purchased By: Dad

Okay, I'm starting to think that December is the month for states to join the Union - or at least it feels that way. Of course, it was back in December of 1787 that the first three states joined the United States. And each year including and between 1816 and 1819 saw one state added to the country - all in the last month of the year. In 1845 and 1846, three more were added, two of which joined in December. But that was the last time an addition was made in December. By now, I've discussed the days Delaware, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois, Alabama, Texas, and Iowa gained their statehood, all in December. And today, I'm going to discuss the one December state I have left, New Jersey, which joined on this day in 1787, making it the third state added to the Union. Overall, that means nine statehoods have been achieved in December, almost one-fifth of all the states in the country. I just don't think any other month can beat that.

The first European to reach what would become the Jersey shore is believed to be Giovanni da Verrazzano, an Italian who sailed for the French and would have reached it in 1524. Later, Henry Hudson also passed through the area, but it was the Dutch who established the first settlements there as part of the fur trade. The Swedes also came to settle it, but were driven out after they antagonized the Dutch. Of course, the British later took the land from the Dutch and King Charles II to his brother, the Duke of York. He, in turn, gave control of what would become New Jersey to a pair of friends who had helped him during the English Civil War. They managed to draw in quite a few settlers by selling the land at low prices and allowing political and religious freedom. Still, one of the men sold his shares of the colony to Quakers and East Jersey and West Jersey were formed. When the colonists in both areas began to riot over paying rent for the land, argue over just who owned particular sites, and dispute just where East Jersey ended and West Jersey began, the owners got fed up and gave up both colonies. The British rejoined them in 1702. For a time, New Jersey was ruled over by the governor of New York, but the people were so angered by this that they were eventually given their own governor. Just two days before the Declaration of Independence was signed, New Jersey drafted its own Constitution and the area saw a great deal of battle during the American Revolution. But they were still quick to join the Union, with only Delaware and Pennsylvania coming in before then. Early on, it became one of the first great industrial states and that has been a driving force of its economy ever since.

New Jersey is another state that I've only been to one time, and it was a pretty short stay. I passed through it with my family on the way up North and we stopped by the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, where I considered enrolling, but never did. Still, I went by their Art Store and picked up a few supplies. The school is located in Dover, which is in the northern part of the state. We also drove through a town where part of my family lived long before I was born. I do remember having an aerial view of northern New Jersey when I was descending toward JFK Airport on a plane. It was pretty developed, and not terribly attractive, so I recall being a bit put off, and wondering why anyone would have called this place the Garden State. Apparently, some of the best parts of New Jersey are further south, and there are definitely a few places there I'd like to see there. First off, there's Cape May, the nation's oldest seaside resort that's filled with charming Victorian homes. It's also home to lovely gardens and plenty of museums and I'd like to have a look at it. I'd also like to see the Pine Barrens, a 1.1 million acre national reserve that features dense forests, bogs, and marshes. It's a somewhat mysterious place and legend has it the Jersey Devil, a creature with the head of a horse, wings, and fierce claws, stalks it. Tours are even offered to look for the monster - sounds like fun. It's also home to the much busier Atlantic City home to casinos, a four-mile long Boardwalk. Lucy the Elephant, an iconic elephant-shaped building built in 1881 is in Margate City, just two miles south of Atlantic City. I'd definitely like to check that out. Having seen some of the more industrialized parts of the state, I think I'd like to experience other, perhaps more inviting areas of it in the future. Hopefully then, I'll get a better understanding of what makes New Jersey the Garden State.

Pour On Some Sugar

2010-12-17T21:26:00.128-05:00

Magnet # 420: Morse Farm Photo

Material: Plastic

Purchased By: Me

How's this as far as tasty celebrations go - today is National Maple Syrup Day. So bring out your pancakes, waffles, French toast, crumpets, and oatmeal and pour on the good stuff in the spirit of the day. Maple syrup was actually first developed in the northeastern part of North America by Native America, and when European settlers sampled it, they began producing it themselves. And while the process we now use hasn't changed terribly much since colonial times, it's now more streamlined and more machines are utilized in it. Even though Canada turns out eighty percent of the world's maple syrup, the United States is still responsible for the creation of hundreds of thousands of gallons of the sweetener every year. And Vermont puts out more maple syrup than any other state. When I visited it earlier this year, I was able to stop by Morse Farms Maple Sugarworks just outside of downtown Montpelier, and I had a nice time there. This maple syrup production company has been around for 200 years and has remained in the Morse Family. I have to wonder if they business decision to bring in tourists to their sort of welcome center hasn't helped them to stick around, as it is a very well done site. It has a sort of rustic charm and there are several log cabins open to visitors. In the Woodshed Theatre, whose walls are made of sugar wood, they can view a film about the maple sugar production process that features Harry Morse, Sr. a colorful character who's proud of his Yankee heritage. The building next door offers them a look at the actual machines used to produce their maple syrup. And they also feature chainsaw art produced by Burr Morse. Best of all, visitors can sample all four US Syrup grades - Vermont Fancy, Grade A Medium Amber, Grade A Dark Amber, and Grade B - for free. Not only do these taste great, they also feature very attractive colors, from a golden tint to one that's almost ruby. I have to admit, though, of all that I tasted at Morse Farms, I liked their Pure Maple Cream best - it's smooth and so decadent it's almost sinful. And they don't just offer their own produce at their shop - it's a great place to buy all sorts of Vermont souvenirs, like this magnet. Have a look at http://www.morsefarm.com/ if you'd like to find out more. I stopped by in the early morning, and it was pretty quiet - given that it's free to tour, it supposedly gets pretty crowded later in the day, so you might want to get there sooner rather than later if you want to avoid the throngs of people.

Real maple syrup can be pretty pricey, and was even moreso decades ago when my parents first married and had almost no money. But they loved it and decided to splurge and buy a bottle when they had friends over for breakfast. As they tell it, the couple drowned their pancakes in the indulgent syrup, leaving plenty on their plates when they were done, but almost none in the container. That was the last time they served the real stuff to those two, yet as prices have gone down and their income has increased, it's become a regular part of their Sunday morning pancakes. I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I don't use natural maple syrup myself. I guess partially to save on calories and cost, I stick with the light varieties that are manufactured. And I tended to think they're all the same, until I came upon an old container of Log Cabin Country Kitchen Lite in my cabinet. Then I realized that this one blew away any other varieties I had tried. And, for a time, it was actually tough to find it - I even checked out the Log Cabin website and when I didn't see it listed there, I thought it had been discontinued. And, boy, was I thrilled when I came upon it in a grocery store! I now have plenty of backup. It's funny, even when I'm home with my parents and we have their natural maple syrup, I realize I like mine better. I think I prefer the stronger favor and the fact that it's thicker. And I know it's important to buy the natural version to keep places like Morse Farms around. So here's my suggestion this National Maple Syrup Day - if you've never sampled the real thing, give it a try. It's worth finding out what you're missing out on. And if you find you still prefer your usual syrup, that's fine. But this is one uniquely American tradition that everyone should experience at least once!

Trouble Brewing

2010-12-16T20:57:00.138-05:00

Magnet # 419: Classic Boston Ship

Material: Wood, Fabric, Metal

Purchased By: Mom & Dad

The people of Boston were mad as - well, you know - on this day in 1773, and they weren't going to take it anymore. Along with the rest of the colonies, they had grown increasingly fed up with Britain's levying taxes on them, in part to pay for their victory in the French and Indian War. Britain also wanted to reinforce the fact that they were in control of the colonies, as they had been growing more independent, but the move severely backfired. By passing measures such as the Stamp Act and Townsend Act, the colonists rebelled, resulting in the Boston Massacre and some other revolts that drove home just how serious they were. Finally, Parliament backed down, taking away nearly all of the taxes. But they kept one in place, a duty on tea. As it was almost a necessity in those times, far more so than it is now, the British thought the colonists wouldn't be able to deprive themselves of the pleasure of tea. They also wanted to help save the East India Company, which was suffering from competition with Dutch merchants, by giving them a monopoly on any tea shipped to the colonies. And by lowering the price of taxes implemented on tea, those in the Americas would actually pay less for it. To the British, it seemed like a win-win situation. Still, the colonists weren't fooled. They realized that the arrangement might put local merchants out of business. And if they continued to allow the British to tax them in this matter, they might soon decide to impose more taxes. All across the Eastern seaboard, as the East India Company's ships arrived carrying tea, the colonists were ready for them. In New York and Philadelphia, the ships were turned away from port and forced back across the Atlantic. Charleston's leaders dealt with the matter by stowing the tea in a warehouse for years, only to eventually sell it to raise funds for the American Revolution. Meanwhile, in Boston, the governor was resisting the colonists' efforts to send back the tea and it was unable to be unloaded or returned. The situation came to a boiling point on the final day the first ship to arrive, Dartmouth, was allowed to dock without having its contents confiscated. Thousands of angry citizens convened at the Old South Meeting House and when they learned that the governor had once again prevented the ships from leaving, many of them stormed nearby Griffin's Wharf, some disguised as Indians. They boarded the three ships with cargoes of tea docked there, destroying it with hatchets and tossing it into the water. One participant estimated it was over in three hours. Although they were surrounded by armed British ships, none attempted to stop them. And the next morning, any tea left floating in the harbor was destroyed by citizens in rowboats. Britain's response to the outburst, the Intolerable Acts, help incite the American Revolution.

Although no one is sure any longer just where Griffin's Wharf once stood, Boston is now home to the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum. It's currently closed for extensive renovations and will reopen next summer. One of the highlights of its collection is the Robinson Tea Chest, which is one of only two which are known to have remained since the incident. Considering 342 chests were dumped in the harbor, it's hard to believe nearly all of the them were lost. Nowadays, any of those sort of items would go for top dollar on Ebay. This one was kept as a souvenir by John Robinson, who recovered it the morning after the Boston Tea Party and passed it on to relatives. It certainly would be interesting to have a look at it, and I imagine the museum has some other engaging artifacts. Maybe I'll get a chance to venture there in the future. And I think this exceptionally cool magnet may actually be intended to portray the USS Constitution, which had nothing to do with the Boston Tea Party and was later of critical importance when when fought the British in the War of 1812, but I thought it still kind of fit today's post. Unlike many past events, the Boston Tea Party continues to inspire here in the United States and abroad, whenever injustices are implemented. The day when all of that cargo was tossed overboard may be over 200 years behind our nation, but its impact will likely be felt as long as the United States stands.

The Weakest Link

2010-12-15T01:07:00.000-05:00

Magnet # 418: Point Pleasant River Museum

Material: Plastic

Purchased By: Me

West Virginia, Ohio, and the rest of the nation were shocked on this day in 1967 when the Silver Bridge collapsed, a disaster that claimed 46 lives. It had stood since 1928 and had been named after the color of the aluminum paint which covered it - in fact, it was the first bridge in the nation to receive such a paint job. It connected Point Pleasant, West Virginia with Kanauga, Ohio and, over time, had taken on much more traffic and heavier vehicles than it was ever intended for. On that chilly evening, the traffic lights were malfunctioning and rush hour and holiday traffic had been effectively trapped on the bridge. One survivor remembered feeling a quivering as he waited there and his wife wondered what they would do if it collapsed just before their car plunged into the frigid waters. He escaped, but lost both her and their infant child. Of the 37 vehicles that were on the bridge, only six did not go down with it. And some of those who fell into the Ohio River managed to come out alive, a few with the help of heroic witnesses on the shore who ventured in to help them. It's believed the entire structure took about a minute to collapse. The tragedy remains the worst bridge disaster in United States history.

After the disaster, people began looking for an explanation as to how it could have occurred, and many suggestions surfaced. Some thought a flaw in the Silver Bridge had caused its fall, while others maintained that they had heard a "Sonic Boom" at the time of the fall and believed that it destabilized the structure. There were also less conventional explanations given for the accident. Some thought it might have been brought on by the supposed Curse of Cornstalk, an Indian chief who had gone to American troops in peace, only to be killed. And others held that a strange creature called Mothman that had been seen in Point Pleasant might have either been responsible, or come to warn of the tragedy. In fact, The Mothman Prophecies film holds that a cause was never found for the Silver Bridge collapse. But that simply isn't true. It was determined that one relatively small eyebar had broken down due to internal corrosion, and it was likely defective ever since it was manufactured and a tiny crack formed in it. When it broke, no other part of the bridge was able to bear its load, as it was a suspension bridge and all of its parts were intended to be in equilibrium with one another. It was truly a case of a chain only being as strong as its weakest link. In the aftermath, a similar bridge upstream in West Virginia was demolished and the government increased its diligence in inspecting and maintaining bridges. But if we learned anything from the 2007 I-35W bridge in downtown Minneapolis, when 13 died, it's that the country has a long way to go toward definitively ensuring bridge safety.

Parts of the Silver Bridge are now on display at the Point Pleasant River Museum, including a bell which hangs from metal that was shaped into an arch after the collapse. And on the second floor, there's a scale model of the structure complete with quite a few vehicles that's easily over six feet long. It's really involved, and very informative. Plus, the museum has an archive of literature concerning the structure available to its visitors. But that's hardly the extent of the collection at this small, but very nice attraction. There's also a working model of a pilot house that could be found on a ship, model ships, maritime memorabilia, and a 2400 gallon aquarium filled with fishes that can be found in the nearby rivers. I was very impressed when I visited there a couple of months ago, particularly by the staff, which was perhaps the friendliest I encountered during my travels this year. If you're in the area, stop by and have a look around - their admission is quite reasonable. It's been open since 2003, and I hope it continues on for a long time. Not only is it a link to the past tragedies that have played out on the Ohio River and in Point Pleasant, it's also a reminder that better times are likely ahead for this resilient community.

Going Bananas

2010-12-14T17:33:00.008-05:00

Magnet # 417: Miniature Monkey

Material: Plastic

Purchased By: Gina

It's time to celebrate some of the cutest primates around, because this is Monkey Day! This is another relatively new observance and was begun back in 2000 when comic book creators Casey Sorrow and Eric Millikin introduced it to the masses. Apparently, for a practical joke, Sorrow scribbled "Monkey Day" on one of his friend's calendars and they ended up celebrating for the heck of it. Some hold that they chose to hold it during the Holiday season to provide an evolution-based antidote to all of the religious offerings. But I don't see why that should stop followers of certain religions from joining in on the fun today. The first celebration was held mostly around Michigan, where the pair hail from. That year, participants included Lansing residents and students from Michigan State University who came together and partied wearing simian-themed costumes, jumped around, and made all sorts of noises that might be appropriate for a jungle. They've continued to hold Monkey Day every year since, and are hoping that it will one day match the success of other unusual observations such as International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Sounds like a pretty lofty goal to me, but they might be able to pull it off. They've also upped the ante in subsequent years, introducing activities like a Monkey Day Web Comic Marathon, auctions of monkey-themed art to benefit simian charities, and speed knitting sock monkey doll competitions. And in 2005, Peter Jackson's King Kong remake was released on Monkey Day. I swear, I think I even remember a television commercial for the film that mentioned the connection. Detroit's Biddle Gallery joined in the fun in 2008, holding a Monkey Day art sale that included a free banana with every purchase. And who knows what fun new activities will be added in this year!

Just because this celebration is called Monkey Day, that doesn't mean that apes, prosimians, and other primates will be left out in the cold. If it's simian, it's in. That means there are over 300 species that can be included in the festivities. And if I had to pick a favorite, I'd be tempted to go with the Pygmy Marmoset, the smallest true monkey and one of the world's tiniest primates. These little cuties don't get much bigger than six inches, and can actually wrap around your finger - how adorable! And there's also the Mouse Lemur, which is officially the world's smallest primate. They run between just over two inches to just under five. Heck, they're not much bigger than this magnet. I don't think I've ever seen either of these adorable simians in person, but I'd like to. And it would be really neat to have one curl around my finger. If you haven't figured out which monkey is your favorite, this is a perfect occasion to choose one. You might also donate to a monkey charity, give a monkey-themed gift to a friend or send them an e-card with one on it, or even throw your own simian bash. You could also watch a film that centers around primates - Bedtime for Bonzo, Congo, Dunstan Checks In, Every Which Way But Loose, and the animated Curious George all come to mind. And if you want more information on this celebration, swing on over to http://www.monkeyday.com/. Whatever you do, this is a great opportunity to just have fun monkeying around, so don't let this chance to go ape pass you by!

The Trials Of Mrs. Lincoln

2010-12-13T18:51:00.002-05:00

Magnet # 416: Mary Todd Lincoln Photo, Signature

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Me

In Paris, Kentucky on this day in 1818, Mary Todd was born to wealthy banker Robert Smith Todd. Her mother would die when she was six and her father would go onto marry a woman with whom young Mary would clash, as their family grew to include sixteen children. She felt neglected in the brood, but still managed to grow up to become an accomplished dancer and musician, able to speak French fluently and charm young men with her personality and wit. Her father was also involved in politics and a friend of Henry Clay, a frequent guest at the family home, and Mary came to eagerly share his interest. Later, she joined her older sister Elizabeth, who had recently married the son of a former governor, in Springfield, Illinois. Mary Todd went on to enchant the upper class gentry there, including Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. It's said the future President approached her at a ball and said he wanted to dance with her "in the worst way." The two became engaged, but due to his misgivings, it was broken off twice before the pair married in 1842. They'd spend about ten years together, happy for the most part, before he was sworn in as President and Mrs. Lincoln's troubles truly began.

Even before Mary Lincoln got to the White House, the former First Lady, Harriet Lane, niece to James Buchanan who was beloved by the country, and much of the Washington elite had written her off as a hillbilly from the West, and she was determined to prove them wrong and uphold the prestige of her husband's office. To this end, she spent lavishly on furnishings and dinnerware, exceeding the budget Congress had set aside for her and many came to view her as a spendthrift. And coming to the White House from a Southern state that permitted slavery during the Civil War proved to be particularly difficult for her. Even though Kentucky didn't secede from the Union, many of her relatives joined the Confederate side, some of whom considered her to be a traitor. There were also plenty of Union supporters who accused her of keeping secret Confederate sympathies, much to her dismay. Her personal life only grew worse as she lost siblings to the fighting and when her son Willie died at the age of 11, it was a blow from which she never recovered. She began having seances at the White House in hopes of contacting him. She also suffered a head injury during a carriage accident that further contributed to her increasing instability. Mary Lincoln often had unpleasant outbursts which proved to be rather embarrassing for her husband. And when he was assassinated before her eyes in 1865, she was so distraught that she didn't leave the White House until a month after his death. The death of her son Tad in 1871, when he was 18 only added to her misery. She also became increasingly unstable, terrified that she would end up penniless, yet irrationally buying lavish items that she never used. She also heard voices and was unable to be alone. In less than four years, she had become so unglued that her only son left alive, Robert, felt he had to institutionalize her for her own safety. At a trial, she was found to be insane and confined to a mental asylum. But Mary refused to go quietly, sending letters to her supporters and the editor of the Chicago Times. Myra Bradwell, one of the nation's first female lawyers, filed an appeal on her behalf and the director of her asylum backed down and recommended Mary be released, concerned about the negative publicity his institution might receive. She was declared sane and took off for France, not wanting to stay in the United States after the awful treatment she had received there. Four years later, she returned to Illinois, where she spent the final years of her life at her sister Elizabeth's home. On the anniversary of Tad's death in 1882, she suffered a stroke and passed away herself the next day. Her body was interred with that of her husband's at the Lincoln Tomb in Springfield Illinois' Oak Ridge Cemetery. Finally, Mary Todd Lincoln was at peace.

Never in the history of the Presidency has a First Couple been so mismatched in their popularity with the masses. So much of the Union adored President Lincoln and in the time since his death, he has become one of the most beloved Presidents ever. But his wife was vilified and her irrational behavior caused her to be labeled a loose cannon. There is even current speculation that she suffered from a bipolar disorder. It would be interesting to know just what misgivings Lincoln had with Mary Todd that almost drove him away from her before they were ever married. At least a closer look at her life shows that Mary Todd Lincoln dealt with great difficulties all of her life that drove her sporadic behavior, from a stepmother who allegedly called her the "Devil's spawn" to a family that was driven apart by warfare to losing three of her four children and her husband and being estranged from the only son that outlived her. It's said that Mary Todd often spoke of her ambition to become the wife of a President and although she got her wish, she never could have imagined how much it would cost her. To this day, such a long time after her birth in 1818 she remains the most tragic First Lady in our nation's history and it's impossible not to sympathize with her after learning of the many troubles she faced.

Man's Other Best Friend

2010-12-12T17:36:00.156-05:00

Magnet # 415: Kentucky Horses, Stables

Material: Resin

Purchased By: Me

Saddle up, everyone - tomorrow is the National Day of the Horse! This particular observance isn't terribly old and dates back to 2004, when Congress passed a resolution that designated that December 13th as the first National Day of the Horse. And this was one issue every political party could agree on - it passed the Senate in an unanimous vote. I can't imagine why anyone would vote against such a celebration. Even celebrities like Bo Derek and Jewel came out in support of the measure. This overwhelming support simply illustrates how beloved these creatures are, both in the United States and worldwide. Horses have been around since Prehistoric times and were first hunted for their meat, but when humans domesticated them over 5,000 years ago, they took on an all-new importance. They proved to be more useful than just about any other animal, assisting in travel, agriculture, hunting, and war. But, for some reason, there had been no horses in the Western Hemisphere since before the Ice Age until Christopher Columbus brought them back during his second voyage to the New World. And they proved to be of vital importance to the settlers who came to America, helping them to spread across the entire continent. Some new breeds were actually developed in the United States, like the American Quarter Horse, the Morgan horse, and the Tennessee Walking Horse. Of course, this was also where the first automobile, which would replace horses to an extent, was also created. Nonetheless, vehicles will never replace the love humans have for horses and even though they're now used more for recreation and sport than work, they will likely remain faithful companions and friends to humans for the rest of our existence.

While I've always liked horses, I have to admit I'm not quite as into them as some of my friends, two of which have horses themselves. I met one of my friend's horses, Val, a white Arabian, once and spent a nice afternoon taking lots of pictures of him. I've drawn some horses in my art before, and may use those photos as reference if I ever do so again. Of course, I haven't portrayed nearly as many horses in my work as my friend Lindsay has. She adores horses and saved up for years as a child so she could afford to buy her own, Destiny, who's since passed away. But she still loves horses as much as ever, and I know she'll get another if she's ever able to. When we traveled down I-75 through Florida at the beginning of this year, she was pretty depressed by all of the foreclosed horse farms we passed - Ocala and its surrounding areas must have had quite a few horses about a decade ago. But I guess the current economic situation has made life pretty hard on horse owners. So if you're a horse lover and are up for it, you might want to consider celebrating them, even if it's not tomorrow, by stopping by a local stable and paying to ride for a few hours. It could really help out in these tough times. I used to ride horses at summer camp, but it's probably been about two decades since I've been in a saddle. And I've talked with Lindsay about going horseback riding sometime, as I know she does, so I hope it happens. I'd also like to take a trip to one of the islands here on the East Coast that features wild horses roaming about. Maryland and Virginia have Assateague Island, which is home to miniature horses about the size of ponies in addition to some rather small horses in North Carolina's Outer Banks, most notably the Banker ponies of Ocracoke Island. There's also Cumberland Island National Seashore, which is just a bit south down the coast here in Georgia. There, herds of wild horses run free and they're believed to be descended from horses left behind by the Spanish in the 16th century. It would really be great to visit one of these scenic locales and catch a glimpse of some of these wild horses. But no matter where I see them, I'm always happy to come upon one of these magnificent animals. And I'm glad that we've set aside a day here in the United States to recognize all of the contributions they've made in shaping our nation and its character.

Where Independence Reigns

2010-12-11T19:53:00.205-05:00

Magnet # 414: Map of Pennsylvania

Material: Wood, Laminated Paper

Purchased By: Dad

We're heading up North for another statehood anniversary that actually occurs tomorrow - that of Pennsylvania. It was the second state to join the Union in 1787, with Delaware beating it out by just five days. It's also one of the states with the most storied histories.

While the British claimed the area that would become Pennsylvania as part of the Virginia territory, Dutch explorer Henry Hudson was actually the first European to arrive there in 1609 before sailing upward on the river that would be named in his honor. His visit brought more Dutch to the region, but it was the Swedes who established the first settlement there on Tinicum Island. The Dutch mostly ignored their intrusion there, building their own nearby settlement that was later taken by the Swedes. At this provocation, the Dutch rose up and forced all of the Swedes out of the area. They'd control it for almost a decade before losing their territory to the British. The Duke of York managed the area until 1681 when King Charles II transferred it to William Penn to pay off a debt he had owed Penn's father. Penn's first choice for a name was New Wales, but that was struck down by a Welsh member of the Privy Council. So he chose Sylvania instead, which is another name for woods, and the King added Penn to honor the family. William Penn was a Quaker and wanted to ensure the religious rights of those of his faith and others in Pennsylvania. He traveled over to act as governor himself and did all in his power to give his people rights over their lives and their property, and he even paid the Native Americans for their land. But Penn had a hard time keeping control over the area when King Charles was overthrown and William and Mary took his place. He managed to assure them of his loyalty and his position as governor was reinstated. Following his death in 1718, management of Pennsylvania passed to his family. By the middle of the century, as the colonies became increasingly discontent with British rule, Philadelphia rose to prominence, becoming host of two Continental Congresses and the birthplace of liberty when the delegates voted to declare their independence from Britain. During the American Revolution, a good deal of the action was played out in Pennsylvania, but that didn't deter their resolve from joining the Union. And for a decade, Philadelphia served as the capitol of the United States. It's almost tough to believe, but this highly patriotic state has only provided its nation with one President - James Buchanan. The Keystone State was later the site of some of the most important battles of the Civil War. Since then, it's become one of the most prosperous states in the nation. William Penn might even be proud of the legacy he's left in Pennsylvania, from its eagerness to uphold individual rights, to its anti-slavery stance and its industrious work ethics.

I've only been to Pennsylvania once in my life, during a trip with my family, and we ended up spending more time there than we had originally planned. On the road, we had some car trouble. It wasn't too hard to take care of the tire that blew out in Virginia, but when our fuel pump went out in Dutch Country, we were stuck for a couple of days. Still, we made the most of it, renting a car and driving around. We went to Intercourse, saw some Amish driving around in horse-drawn buggies, and checked out the shops. We also stopped by Hershey's Chocolate World, not to be confused with Hersheypark, the nearby theme park. There, we sampled some chocolate and learned about the history of the Hershey Company and learned how they create their wonderful treats. We ended up having a really nice time during that unexpected detour. Of course, there's still plenty in Pennsylvania that I have left to see. Philadelphia is one of the few major metropolitan cities east of the Mississippi River that I haven't been to, and I'd like to get a chance to check it out. Not only does it have a great deal of noteworthy sites, like Independence National Historical Park, home to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, and Congress Hall, it also has some very creepy spots. Two of the best are Eastern State Penitentiary, a revolutionary prison that featured private cells with skylights, and Fort Mifflin, which protected the city during the Revolutionary War. Both are now said to be haunted. And speaking of haunted, I'd also really like to tour Gettysburg, where perhaps the most famous Civil War was fought. It's now home to a number of historic sites and is said to be one of the most haunted sites on the planet. Of course, I'd also like to see the State Capitol in Harrisburg. It features a marble staircase that's based on the Paris Grand Opera House, a dome inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, stained glass windows, mural paintings, and is apparently quite majestic. Theodore Roosevelt even called it the most beautiful of all the state capitols. There are also some other, more industrial cities that might be fun to visit, like Pittsburgh, Erie, and Scranton. And I might enjoy seeing Pennsylvania's Dutch Country again. The Keystone State certainly has plenty of exciting attractions to offer, and I'd like to have a look at some more of them for myself.

Not To Be Missed

2010-12-10T16:19:00.002-05:00

Magnet # 413: Mississippi Magnolias

Material: Resin

Purchased By: Me

On this day in 1817, Mississippi became the 20th state. The first European to reach what would become Mississippi was Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, who came looking for gold in 1540. When he found none, he moved on, not interested in building any settlements there. It was the French who would take true interest in the area. Their explorer Robert Cavelier sailed down the Mississippi River from the Great Lakes region, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, claiming the Mississippi River Valley for his nation and naming it Louisiana after Louis XIV. And Pierre le Moyne first developed the area in 1699, building Fort Maurepas on the coast at what would become Ocean Springs. Within twenty years, Fort Rosalie had been constructed at the future site of Natchez and it became the center for trade in the area. Thanks in part to its success, the British developed an interest in the area and were able to gain it with the Treaty of Paris at the end of the French and Indian War. Of course, the newly formed United States was able to gain most of the territory at the end of the Revolutionary War. And in 1810, when President James Madison asserted that the nearby West Florida region was part of the Louisiana Purchase and annexed it, the nation finished acquiring all of the land that would make up Mississippi. Part of that land went to the Mississippi Territory, which had been founded in in 1798, and in less than a decade, it had achieved statehood. Thanks to its lucrative cotton industry and slave labor, industry in the new state thrived. In fact, Mississippi was the fifth-richest state in the nation before the Civil War. But it struggled financially for many years after the conflict before the gambling industry and casinos help revitalize its economy. Now, life seems to be looking a bit more positive for the state and its citizens.

Considering that it's located right next to my homestate of Alabama, I have spent a fair amount of time in the Magnolia State over the years. But I have to admit, most of it's been passing through the state on the way to see family in Texas. We didn't spend a whole lot of time vacationing in Mississippi when I was growing up, with the exception of when we met up with my Mom's side of the family there. Natchez is about halfway between Montgomery and Dallas, so it was nice to have it as a gathering point. We toured some of the lovely Antebellum homes for which it's known and stayed at a hotel overlooking the Natchez Bluff Park. My Dad also spent some time in the state capitol, Jackson, when he was growing up and sometimes we stopped there on the way to Texas to eat at a favorite restaurant of his, the Old Tyme Deli, but it's no longer in business. Once, we even drove by the home he once lived in there. We've also frequented fast food restaurants in Meridian just across the Alabama border as a rest stop during our travels. And when we were heading up to Memphis over the years, we'd pass through the northern part of the state, past places like Tupelo, where Elvis was born. Still, I've been lacking on Mississippi magnets over the years, which was particularly odd given it's pretty close to home. Luckily, I was able to obtain some earlier this year, when I made a brief stop at Biloxi on my way back from New Orleans and Baton Rogue. I saw Jefferson Davis' final home there, Beauvior, and hit a few souvenir shops before continuing on my way. And I was really pleased to find this magnet. Not only does it have the magnolia blooms for which the state is famous, it also has the intertwined S's I've seen almost all of my life on Mississippi road maps, signs, license plates, and all other sorts of publications. It certainly brings me back, and it's about time I post a Mississippi magnet here. And I'm definitely not done traveling to the Magnolia State. I have yet to tour the state capital in Jackson, and I'd like to visit Natchez again as an adult. Really, there's plenty to be seen in this state and it's a shame I haven't spent more time there, but that should be pretty easy to fix.

Keeping Us Covered

2010-12-08T01:06:00.001-05:00

Magnet # 412: New Hampshire Covered Bridges

Material: Rubber

Purchased By: Me

I know I've shared my dislike and outright fear of bridges on here before, but I'm not sure if that really extends to covered bridges. Somehow these structures strike me as less threatening than the larger varieties that can span for miles, rise up higher than skyscrapers, and are open to seemingly endless vistas. In my mind, at least, these shorter bridges that are enclosed and go for shorter distances are less likely to be the sites of accidents and tragedies. I don't tend to get so tense on the rare occasions that I drive over them. Plus, they're just lovely to look at and add to nearly any scenic view. So when I found this really interesting magnet during my trip to New England earlier this year, I had to add it to my collection.

While New Hampshire is home to over 54 covered bridges, there are only five featured on this magnet. I suppose they might have tried to choose some of the neatest ones the state has to offer. At the top, the Cornish-Windsor Bridge is the longest covered bridge in the state, at around 450 feet long, and the second longest in the nation as of 2008, when Ohio's Smolen-Gulf Bridge took the title. It spans over the Connecticut River, joining Cornish, New Hampshire with Windsor, Vermont and was constructed by hand back in 1866. It's certainly the longest historic bridge in the United States and it has undergone extensive renovations through the years. During its most thorough restoration, it was closed to traffic for over two years and the state spent over four million dollars to save the structure. The bridge reopened to traffic on this day in 1989. And these actions have ensured that this unique structure should be around for many years to come. Moving down and to the left, there's the Jackson Bridge in the town of Jackson, New Hampshire which is apparently also known as the Honeymoon Bridge. It dates back to 1876 and was built by a father and son who owned a dairy farm on the east side of the Saco River, but this bridge actually crosses the Ellis River. A sidewalk has since been added to it and the trusses have been better covered. And to its right is the Bath Covered Bridge, which is, appropriately enough, in the town of Bath. It stands over the Ammonoosuc River and was built in 1832. It's the fifth structure to have been built on the site - its predecessors were all wiped out by either flood or fire. But it certainly seems as though this one has held up nicely over the years. Again heading down and left, we find the town of Albany's Albany Bridge. This one was constructed back in 1858 after its predecessor was demolished during a windstorm. The cost of the original bridge was taken out of the builders' payment for the second and the Forest Service has maintained it by replacing its wooden floor timbers with steel in the 1980's. And finally, at the bottom, there's the Flume Covered Bridge in the town of Lincoln. It's believed to have been built in 1871, but no one is quite certain if it's an original or whether it was previously used elsewhere. It's mainly used by maintenance vehicles and buses bringing tourists to the Flume, an 800 foot gorge that's a very popular attraction that's part of Franconia Notch State Park. Another noteworthy New Hampshire covered bridge not featured here is the Haverhill-Bath Covered Bridge. Built in 1829, it's one of the oldest still standing in the country and the oldest in the state, despite the fact that an arsonist tried to burn it down on September 11 of 1983. It has been extensively restored and is no longer open to traffic. Even though this particularly interesting one has been omitted, I still think this magnet has a pretty good sample of the covered bridges that can be found in the Granite State.

Of all the states, Pennsylvania actually has the most covered bridges and has had them the longest amount of time. In 1804, Timothy Palmer was constructing a bridge over the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia when a local judge suggested he turn it into a covered bridge to help it last longer. Reluctant, Palmer nonetheless relented and the first covered bridge in the United States was created at High Street, which has since become Market Street. At one point, the Keystone State had as many as 1,500 covered bridges, but with time that's dwindled down to over 200, which is still the most of any state. But New Hampshire and Vermont still have the distinction of having more covered bridges per square mile than anywhere else in the world. Even when combined, they're less than half the size of Pennsylvania, but they have 160 of the structures between them. I don't remember coming across any covered bridges when I was in New Hampshire, but perhaps I'll get another chance sometime. It's always nice to come upon one of these lovely structures and have a look around, even if you're hesitant to cross, as I am.

A Kona Christmas

2010-12-07T01:46:00.002-05:00

Magnet # 411: Mele Kalikimaka

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Me

As you may have realized, today is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. I've already written about this particular event which commemorates those who fought and perished in the Japanese surprise attack, so I've decided to feature Hawaii in a different light this year. I thought I'd tie it in with the Christmas themed posts I've been putting up for part of this month, particularly because this magnet is such a perfect match. Hawaii also celebrates Christmas in a manner that's different from all of the other states, so it's worth having a closer look at their take on this beloved celebration.

The concept of Christmas was first introduced to the Hawaiian islands in the 1820s by American Protestant missionaries from New England. They had also been helping the natives establish a written alphabet for their spoken language. Whenever the concept of words won't translate to Hawaiian, the missionaries substituted a phonetically similar creation. So the English greeting of "Merry Christmas" became "Mele Kalikimaka" on the islands, a phrase that was much easier for the locals to pronounce, as they had neither R nor S in their language. They had an easier time with "Happy New Year," as the Hawaiians already had a celebration called Makahiki that fell during that time of the year. It was a time of feasting and rest during which no wars were waged, and was also the name for year, so "Hau'oli Makahiki Hou" became the words exchanged at the beginning of each year. And with time, more Christmas legends and traditions began to make their way into Hawaiian culture, albeit with an island twist. Santa and his elves appear there in aloha shirts with barefeet and arrive in a red boat or canoe pulled by dolphins instead of reindeer. And in addition to serving turkey on December 25, families might also gather outside for a kalua pig roast as part of a community luau, and offer sweet potato cheesecake with coconut frosting for dessert. And the leis they wear are Christmas-themed and might be accompanied by a Santa hat. While Hawaiians might sing traditional Holiday songs at their gatherings, they've been translated into the Hawaiian language and are accompanied by ukeleles, guitars, and Hula dancers. Considering that evergreen trees aren't usually found on the islands, they're imported before the season arrives. Some islanders opt to grow their own varieties in their backyards rather than buy them from the shop. And there are also those who simply trim the Palm trees on their property or decorate their vehicles with thousands of lights and drive them around in parades to show them off to excited crowds gathered on the sidewalks. Clearly, there are all sorts of ways in which Hawaiians have made the Holidays their own.

So are you getting tired of celebrating Christmas the same old way? Then hop a flight to Hawaii this year and experience the one-of-a-kind festivities there firsthand. Okay, maybe not. But you could still try incorporating some of the island's Christmas traditions at your own gathering. They even have a "Mele Kalikimaka" song for this time of the year. It was written in 1949 by R. Alex Anderson and has been recorded by artists as varied as Willie Nelson, Bing Crosby, Bette Midler, Chris Isaak, and Jimmy Buffett. It was even featured in the contemporary classic National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. And don't forget to incorporate the Hawaiian spirit into your Holiday revelries - on the islands, they tend to be laid back and very generous, including everyone in their gatherings. Those are qualities we'd all do well to practice, no matter where we celebrate.

Here Comes Sinterklaas

2010-12-05T13:54:00.115-05:00

Magnet # 410: Holland Wooden Shoes

Material: Wood

Purchased By: Me

Tonight, in places like the Netherlands, Belgium, Aruba, and Suriname families will be gathering for the biggest celebration of the year - Sinterklaas. It's believed to be the birthday of the mythical figure Sinterklaas, who's developed into Santa Claus into other cultures. And on this night, after presents have been exchanged and everyone has gone to bed, he fills shoes that have been left out with candy and presents. Sure, it sounds like Christmas, but in some locales like Holland, it's even more popular than that mega holiday.

The Sinterklass figure stems from St. Nicholas, patron saint of children and sailors who's also the patron saint of Amsterdam. He was born back in the third century to a wealthy family of devout Christians in the Greek village of Patara, and was their only son. His parents died when he was young and Nicolas sold his inheritance as he believed Jesus would have wanted him to, giving all of his earnings to the poor. He joined the Church, eventually becoming a Bishop, and was famous for his acts of charity, but was also imprisoned for his faith. He was released and finally passed away on December 6th, which has since become his feastday. Since his passing, various miracles began to be attributed to him, including one which tells of a poor man with three daughters who had no dowry and therefore could not be married. They were going to be sold into slavery, but on different occasions bags filled with gold or golden balls flew in through the window and landed in their shoes, saving them. St. Nicholas was believed to be responsible for the acts of charity. Another legend tells of a young boy who was kidnapped on St. Nichloas' feastday and forced to become the cupbearer for a king in a faraway land. His parents were distraught but decided to still hold a small celebration on feastday of the following year, during which they prayed for their son's well being. St. Nicholas is said to have appeared to the boy and miraculously delivered him back to his parent's table, with the king's golden cup still in his hand. Thanks to these and other tales, with time St. Nicholas slowly evolved into Sinterklaas, who visits good children on the eve of his feastday, delivering candies and small gifts, which he places in their socks and shoes. He's also been known to leave behind switches for ill-behaved children, or simply take them back with him in a sack when he leaves. And he's probably more popular in the Netherlands than anywhere else. There, he's believed to set out from Spain in a steamboat and nearly every town in the Netherlands holds a parade during which Sinterklaas arrives on a white horse, although some may have him use a helicopter, carriage, boat, or even a moped. Sinterklaas also brings his helper, Zwarte Piet, along for the ride. This character started off as a devil that Sinterklaas had defeated and held captive in chains. But, over time, Zwarte Piet has become more controversial, particularly because his face is blacked out and he resembles a Moor. Some have contended that he is a racial insult, and have tried to replace his blackface with a rainbow paint scheme, but with little success. To the people of the Netherlands, Zwarte Piet is a beloved character and this year, the Sinkerklaas festivities will likely continue, unaltered.

I'm not sure if Sinterklaas has ever placed his gifts in wooden shoes like the ones depicted on this magnet or if he sticks with the more traditional variety. Years back, footwear like this was so popular in Dutch culture that its people were nicknamed "cloggies." They aren't used everyday anymore, but some Dutch do use them for activities like gardening or farming and believe that they're good for feet. But they're still a symbol of the Netherlands, particularly Holland, and are featured on all sorts of souvenirs. Regardless of what kind of shoes children in the Netherlands place by their windows, doors, or fireplaces tonight, I'm sure the good girls and boys can look forward to discovering all sorts of goodies in the morning that Sinterklaas has left for them.

Discovering the Possibilities

2010-12-04T11:18:00.000-05:00

Magnet # 409: Dominican Woman with Produce

Material: Clay

Purchased By: Dad

The Dominican Republic and the rest of the island of Hispaniola celebrates Discovery Day tomorrow. This dates back to 1492, when Christopher Columbus landed there on December 5th during his first voyage to the New World. He basically named it the Spanish Island and when his ship the Santa Maria ran aground there on Christmas Day, he set to work founding its first European settlement, La Navidad. Because the vessel was no longer usable, he ordered its materials be stripped and used to construct a small fortress. He found its lush mountains and large rivers stunning and had been told that there was a great deal of gold on the island and wanted to claim it for Spain. But he sailed back across the Atlantic without finding any, leaving some of the men to build up the settlement there. He had hoped to find they'd prospered when he returned later in the year, but instead discovered they'd been wiped out by the natives, who claimed they'd been abused by the men. Columbus established another settlement, La Isabella, further east on the island and La Navidad was more or less ignored until 1977, when an amateur archaeologist was able to unearth some of its artifacts. Between hurricanes, disease, and hunger, La Isabella didn't prove to be much more successful than its predecessor, so in 1496, Columbus abandoned it and his brother Bartholomew established what came to be known as Santo Domingo on the southeastern coast of the island. His third try proved to be the charm - it's now the largest city and capital of the Dominican Republic, and remains the oldest city in the Americas. But he didn't stay very long before his successor as the governor of the Indies accused him of poorly managing the territory and Columbus was taken back to Spain in chains. He was cleared of the charges and when he returned to Santo Domingo during his forth and final voyage, he found that its new governor was also hostile toward him. He refused to let his ships drop anchor at port, and even ignored Columbus' warning that a hurricane was brewing to the east. The explorer and his ships then fled to another part of the island, where they received very little damage from the storm. However, it nearly wiped out governor's fleet of thirty ships, leaving only one behind and claiming over 500 lives, including that of the former governor who had made accusations against Columbus. He might have been grateful he wasn't in Santo Domingo at that time but when he was later stranded on Jamaica, he truly wished he could make it back there. But one of his men was able to reach the territory in a canoe with the help of natives, and he told the governor there of Coumbus' desperate situation. Fearing the explorer would seize control of the settlement, the governor did all in his power to prevent him from being rescued. Columbus was able to receive the assistance he needed, and he headed back to Europe without making a trip to Santo Domingo. Five years later, the heartless governor was removed from his post and replaced by Columbus' son Diego. He'd remain in charge for a decade and after his death in 1526 the influence of the Columbus family on the island of Hispaniola would continue to dwindle, although one of his sons became Admiral of the Indies. But both the Dominican Republic and Haiti are clearly grateful for the contributions Christopher Columbus made toward the creation of their countries.

Even if you can't make it out to Hispaniola for tomorrow's festivities, you can check out one of the most important landmarks the Columbus family left behind - Santo Domingo's Alacazar de Colon. Columbus's son Diego had it constructed between 1510 and 1510 as a home for his family and an impressive mansion to use in his office as governor. It's the oldest Viceregal residence in the Americas and was of utmost importance during colonial times. However, it fell into neglect until the 1950's, when it was saved during a full-scale restoration. Now visitors to this historic site can appreciate some of the most impressive historic Caribbean art at its Museo Alcazar de Diego Colon. And there are few European structures that are this old in the New World, so that would make a trip to it particularly impressive. Thanks to the settlements Columbus established there, Hispaniola can claim the longest colonial history in this part of the world, and it's fitting that they still commemorate the day when he made it all possible.

From Civil War To Civil Rights

2010-12-03T19:42:00.185-05:00

Magnet # 408: Montgomery Letters, Alabama State Capitol Dome

Material: Rubber

Purchased By: Me

You know, I really have learned so much since starting this blog, even about subjects I thought I was pretty much an expert on. But I don't remember ever hearing that my hometown of Montgomery, Alabama was actually the combination of two rival towns when I was growing up. Yep, by 1816 Montgomery County had been formed to the southeast of the state's center and before long, East Alabama Town and New Philadelphia were established within its boundaries. The two settlements butted heads, and even intentionally built their streets at a 45 degree angle to each other, in the hopes of never being combined. But they were nonetheless forced to put their differences aside on this day in 1819 when they merged and were incorporated as the city of Montgomery. It was named after General Richard Montgomery, who died heroically during the Revolutionary War, but never set foot in Alabama. Interestingly, Montgomery County was named for a different man, Major Lemuel Montgomery, who perished in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, just north of the location that would later bear his name. Once incorporated, Montgomery grew quickly, built up to a large degree by the cotton industry as well as the steamboat and railroad industry. And by 1846, it had replaced Tuscaloosa as the state capital. Less than twenty years later, Montgomery would receive another greater honor when it was named the capital of the Confederate States of America. Jefferson Davis was even sworn in as President on the steps of its Capitol Building. For a time, he and his family lived at what has since been dubbed the First White House of the Confederacy, just a brief walk away from the Capitol Building. And when the signal to fire on Fort Sumter in South Carolina, and thus begin the Civil War, went out, it was sent from the nearby Winter Building. It's still standing and was home to a law office, but is empty now. I even worked there for a short amount of time. But in 1861, the capital of the Confederacy was moved to Richmond, Virginia. The action may have been a blessing in disguise for Montgomery, which was pretty much untouched by Union troops during the Civil War. Richmond, on the other hand, lost a great deal of its most historic sites in battle, along with many other Southern cities.

Life settled down in Montgomery for a time after the conflict came to an end and in 1910, Wilbur and Orville Wright created a flying school there that they used during the winter. It would later develop into Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, which is now headquarters of Air University. But Montgomery once again gained the nation's attention in 1955 when Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat there, beginning the Civil Rights Movement and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This saw the end of bus segregation and helped local minister Martin Luther King, Jr rise to prominence as a leader of the struggle for civil rights. And Montgomery, along with nearby Selma, continued to be the site of important events until a greater equality was achieved. The capital city seems to have quieted down once again. It's now home to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and finally got is first skyscraper, a 22-story building, in 1996. For the most part, Montgomery has remained the only city in Montgomery County over the years. But in 1997, the town of Pike Road was established, and these two entities are now rivals. I hope they don't take it too far - to this day, driving in downtown Montgomery can be a challenge, with its mismatched streets, and I'd rather not have another something of that nature develop again.

For so many years, Montgomery has been a home to me, and while I won't go so far as to say it's been perfect, I have enjoyed my time there. It's been fun having the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and Montgomery Museum of Fine Art so close by and they really are impressive venues. And the fact that it has two interstates running through it makes the city much quicker to travel through - that's certainly not an option here in Savannah. It's funny, I just realized I knew another Montgomery native who's been living in Savannah earlier this week. I'd known him for awhile, but never suspected we had that in common. Even though these two places aren't that far apart, I rarely meet anyone here from Montgomery. Perhaps we can carpool sometime for a trip back home, because I know it's only a matter of time before I'll be back in my old Montgomery home once again.

'Tis the Season

2010-12-01T20:40:00.139-05:00

Magnet # 407: Beamer the Bronner Star

Material: Porcelain

Purchased By: Mom & Dad

Once again, the Chistmas and Holiday season is upon us! I'm always happy to reach this time of the year, and even though I don't have as many Yule-themed magnets as I do creepy ones, I'll try to post a magnet that ties into the season every so often throughout the month. And I thought this one would be great to start off the festvities. Little did I know last year when I mentioned in a post last year how much I'd like to have a magnet from Bronner's Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan that my parents had already bought one for me. It was waiting under the tree for me on Christmas morning. The store's mascot, Beamer the Christmas Star, is featured on it. Beamer was intoduced in 1999 and has become a beloved part of the store's identity and it's easy to see why - he's just so friendly and happy! And even though I have this adorable souvenir from the store, I'd still like to make it up there sometime to take in all of its Christmas merchandise for myself. I think I'd have a blast there, no matter what time of year I visit.

I've already started indulging in one of my favorite Christmas-themed activites - watching made-for-television Holiday films. They're aired pretty frequently on channels like ABC Family, Lifetime, and the Hallmark Channel has already begun showing theirs. And not only do I get to see favorites from years past, there are always new ones debuting throughout the season. My Mom and I both really liked Call Me Mrs. Miracle, which featured Doris Roberts in the title role and Jewel Staite, who was just as likeable here as when she appeared in Firefly and Serenity. Our only complaint was the usually great Lauren Holly, who was just too over the top as a somewhat villainous employer. But it was still a cute story and I look forward to catching reruns of it in the future. We also enjoyed watching Moonlight and Mistletoe, All I Want for Christmas, and A Season for Miracles together. Even though some might scoff at these somewhat cheesy productions, to me they're like comfort food for the Holiday season, minus the calories. And they almost always seem to include several of the same details - couples falling in love, families being reunited, precocious children helping their adult figures find a romantic partner, snow falling where it has no right to snow - coastal Florida, southern California, Mt. Kilauea - you get the idea. And even though I may have seen come of these countless times, I always look forward to watching them again. I also like to compile my own Christmas themed television show marathon using single episodes from my collection of T.V. DVDs. Monk may have the most of any show I own, with four in all, including one where the main character is accused of shooting Santa Claus and has to clear his name. And I always enjoy watching Holiday episodes of The O.C. - its creator, Josh Schwartz, introduced Chrismukkuh, the combination of Christmas and Hanukkah, and it's fun to watch the characters celebrate this quirky holiday. He also helped develop Chuck and it has a couple of great Holiday shows, as does Boston Legal. Funny enough, both combine the Yule season with firearms, with somewhat ridiculous results. I also have a couple of shows with more traditional Christmas episodes, like Gilmore Girls and Desperate Housewives. But it can be fun when fantasy and science fiction shows do their take on the Holidays, albeit with a unique twist. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Roswell, and Supernatural each have one episode that fits that bill, and I really like them all. And the David Tennant Dr. Who years feature three great Christmas-themed shows - I may have to see if I can get those from the library. I also like to mix my shows around when I take in my Holiday themed marathon - I find that jumping from one genre to another keeps it interesting. If you collect T.V. on DVD as I do, you might find this is a fun way to get into a festive mood.

With Christmas getting closer and closer, this is the time to get to work decorating and buying and sending off all of your Christmas presents. Just don't forget to take time to enjoy this special season - drive around and have look at the lights, bake up some wintry treats, or listen to some Holiday music. You might even want to take a trip somewhere that's decked out for the season. I really love doing that, but I'm not sure if I'm going to this year. Whatever you do, don't let this month pass without taking advantage of some of the Holiday magic - come January, you'll probably be glad you did, and have some great new Christmas memories!

A Man of Many Words

2010-11-30T18:31:00.174-05:00

Magnet # 406: Mark Twain Portrait, Quote

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Me

Two weeks after Halley's Comet had made its closest approach to the Sun in 1835, Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born on this day to a merchant family in tiny Florida, Missouri. His birth many not have been as publicized as that of the famous celestial body, but over the course of his life, he would outshine even that phenomenon under the pen name of Mark Twain. With his wit, humor, and unmatched ability to point out the hypocrisies and vanities of his time, he became the most beloved American writer of his day. And some have gone so far as to call him the father of American literature. It's hard to define just how important Mark Twain was to developing the literary identity of our country, but it would be tough to overestimate the noteworthy contributions that have appeared both during his life and since his death.

Clemens was born the six of seven children, but only four would live past childhood. The family moved to Hannibal, Missouri just off the Mississippi River when he was four and it would later serve as the model for his fictional town of St. Petersburg. There, his father worked as a judge until he died when Clemens was eleven years old. For much of his childhood, he was confined inside due to poor health, but as he grew older, his condition improved. He soon became a printer's assistant and by eighteen, was traveling to major cities for work. Determined to learn more, he frequented public libraries by night, learning all he could from their books. He soon moved back to Missouri, where he decided to become a steamboat pilot on the mighty Mississippi, working for two years to earn his license. During this time, he persuaded his brother Henry to enter the field and Clemens had a peculiar dream where he saw his brother die. A month later, his dream came true when the Pennsylvania exploded with Henry on it. The tragedy both haunted Clemens for the rest of his life and inspired a long-lasting fascination for parapsychology in him. Later, he branched out, traveling West to try his luck as a miner and working as a journalist. In 1865, he had his first success with his story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." By then, he had taken the pen name of Mark Twain, although it wasn't his first - he'd also tried out Josh and Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass. Two years later, he was sent to the Mediterranean for his work, where he met Charles Langdon, who who showed him a picture of his sister, Olivia. Twain reportedly fell in love just at the sight of her. He met her a year later and for their first date, they attended a reading by Charles Dickens in New York City. By 1870, they were married. The couple's only son was their first child, Langdon, who die when he was only a year and a half old. Over the next eight years, they had three girls and Twain's renown grew greater still. In 1874, the family moved into a 19-room Victorian Gothic mansion that had been built for them in Hartford, Connecticut. There, Twain wrote some of his greatest works - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Prince and the Pauper, Huckleberry Finn, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. But life wasn't always easy for him there. Twain made bad financial investments with the considerable sum he had earned through his writings, most notably when he supported the Paige typesetting machine, which could rarely perform at peak and was passed over in favor of the Linotype. To recover, the Twains boarded up their home and traveled the world as he raked in money giving lectures. But when their daughter Susy returned to their home in 1896 and died there without them of spiral meningitis at twenty-four, it dealt her parents a blow from which they would never recover. And Twain's depression only worsened when he lost his wife and another daughter. By 1909, despite all of his literary success, he was ready to pass on, writing that Halley's Comet was on its way back and it would be the greatest disappointment of his life if he didn't go out with it. He got his wish, passing April 21 of 1909, one day after the comet reached its perihelion and was closest to the Sun. The United States and the world mourned his passing, and President Taft correctly predicted that Twain's work would be loved by many in the future, but he probably never imagined just how popular the writer would remain.

In his final years, Mark Twain wrote his autobiography, a work in which he frankly expressed his true feelings and pulled no punches. Yet he realized that what he had to say might shame and embarrass those he loved, so he decided not to just wait until after he was dead to have them published, but to wait until 100 years after his death to release them. The move might not have worked with some, but it proved to be an incredible success for Twain. And we're living at just the right moment - the first of the three volumes was released on November 15 of this year and has met with considerable success. And it's given Twain the singular honor of being a bestselling author in three centuries - the 1800s, the 1900s, and the 2000s. In the coming years, we'll find out all of what Twain had to get off of his chest with his final work. Even after his last words are released, it's pretty unlikely that the literary world will ever be done with Mark Twain - in fact, it's been suggested that he was not just an American but the American.

Piping Up

2010-11-29T18:29:00.129-05:00

Magnet # 405: Scottish Bagpipes

Material: Rubber

Purchased By: Me

Scotland observes its official national day, St. Andrews Day, tomorrow. It's held in honor of its patron saint, Saint Andrew, even though he never traveled there during his lifetime. He was the brother of Saint Peter and they were both fishermen and Apostles. Legend holds that Andrew was martyred by being tied to an X-shaped cross and that he requested that he not be hung on the same sort of cross as Christ, as he didn't consider himself worthy of that honor. The X-shape has consequently come to be known as his symbol. He died in the Greek city of Patras and has gone on to become that nation's patron saint, as well as that of Romania, Russia, and, of course, Scotland. It's believed that some of his relics were later were transferred from Constantinople to the city of St. Andrews in Scotland in the 700s under divine guidance. But his popularity really caught on there thanks to Oengus mac Fergusa, king of the Picts, who on the eve of a battle against the Angles in 832 A.D. is said to have made a vow of allegiance to Saint Andrew if he led his troops to victory. And the next morning, when the clouds above the battlefield seemed to form an X-shape, he took it as a sign that he had the support of Saint Andrew. When Oengus won the skirmish, despite having a force smaller than his opponents, he made good on his word. Saint Andrew was named the Patron Saint of Scotland and a blue flag adorned with a white X resemblent of the sky that morning was later created, and it remains the national flag of Scotland to this day.

It's a safe bet that there will be plenty of bagpipes on hand to life the spirits at St. Andrew's Day festivities all over Scotland. In fact, when the events were kicked off by the First Minister, the head of the government, at Edinburgh Castle on Friday, the Red Hot Chili Pipers provided the music. These unique instruments certainly help give Scotland a sound all its own that's recognizable worldwide. St. Andrews Day is actually the beginning of the Scottish Winter Festivals, which will continue all the way until January 25th, when Burns Night brings them to a close. During this time, over 60 events will be held across over the nation, and some historic sites will be free of admission. But as far as I can tell, in Scotland, the St. Andrews day celebrations tend to be fairly typical and tame. That's certainly not the case throughout the rest of the world. For some reason, in Germany, Austria, and parts of Eastern Europe, a belief has developed that the night before St. Andrew's Day is one of the best times for a young woman to find out who her future husband will be. All sorts of unusual traditions are held to determine his identity - they might write the names of potential suitors on pieces of paper and put them under their pillow - the first one they pull out in the morning is their future husband.Or they might put the papers in dough and see which one rises to the top when baked. Some light Easter candles and bring them to a fountain at midnight, hoping St. Andrew will let them glimpse the man they will marry in the waters. To determine his profession, they might drop hot lead or wax into water to see what shapes form. And if they drop a clog behind their shoulder and it lands pointing to the door, it's said to be a sign that they will marry that year. But parts of Austria practice the most unusual ritual - there, the young women unclothe themselves, drink wine, and kick a straw bed while performing a spell to attract their future husbands. That sure makes online dating sound a lot less complicated. I have to wonder how these unusual festivities have sprung up over the years, but I guess they're just another facet of St. Andrews Day. And no matter where the revelers may be tomorrow or how they observe it, I hope this particular holiday is the start of something great for them, be it a new chapter of their lives or a lively season of celebration.

Fearful Symmetry

2010-11-28T19:04:00.173-05:00

Magnet # 404: William Blake's When the Morning Stars Sang Together

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Mom & Dad

British artist, poet, and creative visionary William Blake was born to a hosier in the Soho district of London on this day in 1757. As a child, he attended very little formal school and was taught at home by his mother, who had six other children. It was then that he was introduced to the Bible, which would become one of the most important sources of inspiration in his later years. For a short time, he studied at a drawing school run by Henry Par and when his growing talent became undeniable, his supportive parents sent him away from the family shop to apprentice with James Basire, an established engraver from a family of traditional engravers. While there, he studied and made many images of London's gothic churches. The pair worked together for seven years, but little is known about their personal interactions. Some think that Basire's adherence to antiquated styles may have caused some friction between them, as Blake would soon venture far from established artistic traditions. In 1779, he was accepted into the Royal Academy, but he quarreled with its president over a variety of issues, including the style of art that was currently fashionable. Blake tended to prefer the more Classical styles of Michelangelo and Raphael. But he also connected with other, more radical students. For the rest of his life, they would be the sort of people whose company he would keep. And by 1782, Blake had met and married the woman who would become his trusted companion and assistant for the rest of his life - Catherine Boucher. She comforted him when he had been rejected by another and he fell in love with her. When they wed, she couldn't even sign her name on the marriage certificate and had to mark it with an 'X' instead. But Blake would teach her how to read and write and how to engrave. Not only would his wife help him print his work, she would also keep him from giving into despair during difficult times. The pair never had any children and it's believed that Catherine was infertile. But that did allow Blake to become very prolific, producing volumes of work. He even created his own artistic process - relief etching, which allowed him to print text and images together. The exact method he used to create with this process is not known, but he certainly left plenty of examples behind. Some of Blake's most famous volumes of work include Songs of Innocence and Experience, The Book of Thel, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, and Jerusalem, but that's hardly all that he produced. He also worked using intaglio engraving. He encountered a bit of scandal in 1803 when he fought with a solider who accused him of slandering the King. He was brought to trial on charges of treason, but they were dropped when they proved to be laking nearly any merit. The offending soldier later found his way into Blake's art in a rather unflattering manner. Blake worked faithfully for the rest of his life on his art, even wrapped up in it on the very day of his death. On his deathbed in 1827, he sketched a portrait of his wife, who grieved beside him, sang hymns, and swore he would always be with her. One witness claimed that it his death was more like that of an angel than a man. His wife held that she spoke with him often before she passed herself about four years later. On that day, she was almost joyful and called out to her husband that she would be with him soon. They were buried together at Bunhill Fields, but the exact location of their grave has been lost over the years.

While Blake enjoyed very little success during his own life, his work has gone on to inspire and captivate future generations. Even when patrons bought Blake's art, they most often did so to support him, not because they felt it had great artistic merit. But Blake had a unique perspective on traditional religion, illustrating iconic Biblical tales as well as creating his own divine characters, and his world, which is unlike any other, has intrigued many more creative minds. Nearly all of his life, he claimed to see visions of God that inspired him creatively. Some have even called him mad, but claimed to find his insanity more interesting than other writer's sanity. Perhaps what ostracized Blake from his own world but endeared him to the future is that he was a truly man ahead of his time. He was eager to challenge traditional religious conventions, the government's restriction of sexuality, and the institution of slavery, as well as other established, but questionable, practices of his time. And while that may have made him unpopular in his day, it endeared him to audiences who grew to share his views with time. Blake is now regarded as one of the most important figures of the Romantic Age, but given his truly individualistic approach to life and art, it's difficult to really tie him down to any artistic movement. He was unusual enough to ensure that there will never be another William Blake, but I imagine many more artists will be compelled to incorporate parts of his creations into their own work.

Breaking Away

2010-11-27T18:25:00.128-05:00

Magnet # 403: The Breakers Illustration

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Me

William Henry Vanderbilt and his wife Maria gave birth to their first son on this day in 1843. They named him Cornelius Vanderbilt II after his grandfather, who had created the family's vast fortune through the shipping and railroad industries. Better known by his nickname "the Commodore," he had become the richest man in the world at the time of his death and left his family with a vast fortune. And as he grew up, Cornelius Vanderbilt II came to lead his generation of the Vanderbilt family both in business and personal life. In 1885, he was named head of New York Central Railroad and the family's other related railroad lines. He was known as a dedicated worker, but when he suffered a stroke in 1896, he began to take on a less active role in the family business. He married Alice Claypoole Gwynne, a fellow Sunday School teacher at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, in 1867 and they had six children together. And when their first child died of typhoid fever while at Yale, they later had Vanderbilt Hall built in his honor. It's home to the Vanderbilt Suite, perhaps the most lavish college dorm room in the nation. It features a marble fireplace, dark wood paneling, and even a chandelier and it's an honor for a student to be selected to live there. The couple also lost a son when the RMS Lusitania went down and disinherited another when he married against their wishes. Their youngest son, Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt, was left the majority of their estate and though he tried, he was never able to reconcile with his disinherited brother. He became the father of Gloria Vanderbilt, who would later become famous on her own merit as an artist and pioneer of the designer blue jean industry. And she, in turn, gave birth to Anderson Cooper, who's become a highly respected CNN anchor. Interestingly, while Cooper was a student at Yale, he lived at the Vanderbilt Suite, and he's done an admirable job making the most of the opportunities he's been given because of his impressive lineage. It certainly seems like Vanderbilt's descendants are maintaining the high standards he strove to achieve for so much of his life.

I was able to tour the Breakers, the home Cornelius Vanderbilt left behind in Newport, earlier this year, and it was simply incredible. While it may not be quite as impressive as the Biltmore, the home his younger brother George created in Asheville, North Carolina, it was also just a summer cottage for his family, not a permanent residence. That was located on New York City's Fifth Avenue, but it's since been lost because of demolition. But this home still stands as a testament to the glory of the Vanderbilts during the Gilded Age. It was completed in 1893 and named after the nearby waves. After Alice Vanderbilt passed, she left the property to her daughter Gladys, who had loved it the most. It was partly because of her efforts that it came under the care of the non-profit Preservation Society of Newport County, but the family is still able to maintain the top floor as a private summer home, and they own all of the furnishings in the mansion. I certainly didn't have a clue that anyone was perhaps living just above me while I wandered around the Breakers. There was just so much else to keep my attention - fountains, carvings, statues, staircases, and stunning views certainly come to mind. While this place has an opulence that stands out even amongst some of the most impressive Gilded Age homes Newport has to offer, it also manages to remain elegant without becoming gaudy. It's easy to see why it has become the most popular tourist attraction in all of Rhode Island, taking in around 300,000 visitors every year. And this magnet, nice as it is, just doesn't do this majestic structure justice - you should experience it for yourself. For those of us who will never know what it was like to be a Vanderbilt during the Gilded Age, this may be the closest we'll ever get.

Words To Eat By

2010-11-25T13:08:00.111-05:00

Magnet # 402: Thomas Jefferson Quote

Material: Acrylic

Purchased By: Me

I hope you've all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Given the occasion, a quote from one of our Founding Fathers certainly seemed appropriate. And considering that this particular Jefferson statement regards food, I'm not sure that there are any better for this somewhat gluttonous holiday. This advice was among the "Canons of Conduct," as some have dubbed them, that the third President would pass on to friends, family members, and admirers. Some he borrowed from historic sources, while he came up with others himself. We know of at least two letters he sent out with a list of these Canons of Conduct - one, which listed twelve, went to his granddaughter, Cornelia Jefferson Randolph, while another of only ten was later sent to Thomas Jefferson Smith, a newborn that had been named in his honor. Others words of wisdom he imparted on these lists included "Never trouble another for what you can do yourself" and "Take things always by the smooth handle." Of course, he would have done well to better adhere to "Never spend your money before you have earned it" in his own life, as when he passed away, he left his estate such a terrible state of debt that nearly all of his possessions were auctioned away. But not all of that fault lay in his premature spending. Regardless, Jefferson's Canons of Conduct is pretty much timeless, and is worth taking into consideration even now. And this quote certainly seems like sage advice regarding what is perhaps the United States' most overindulgent celebration. While Thanksgiving may have started off as a way to give thanks for survival, time has evolved it into an opportunity to consume epic amounts of calories, as traditional dishes have taken a decadent turn - fried turkeys and chocolate pecan pies are a couple that spring to mind. And if you've been cutting back on what you're consuming or just don't want to be miserable for hours after the meal, this really is the time to let Jefferson's words direct your actions. I admit, I tried to be good this Thanksgiving, and I really felt that I had pulled it off, as I wasn't stuffed at the end of the meal. But my actions caught up with me nonetheless. The dish I had the most of was sweet potato casserole, my favorite, and I think it just had more butter in it than my system could handle. And combined with other rich side dishes, like macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and a vegetable casserole, it sent my body into a pretty sad state. I spent the rest of the day and the next one lying on the couch, barely able to move. Luckily, I'm better now. Still, I guess it proves that we don't just need to be cautious about how much we consume, but also just how much butter, oil, and other fattening add-ins, are included in it.

Despite my later sufferings, I had a great time this Thanksgiving. I was able to attend a large dinner with neighbors and it was an interesting change to celebrate with so many people. There were a wide range of ages assembled, and while we ate in three rooms, people often shifted from one table to the next. It was certainly a change from the quieter Thanksgivings I've had with just my family, but it was fun to be part of such a lively occasion, and to see people who are dear to me that I don't get to be around often. They even had little place markers made for each one of us on miniature Pilgrim hats that must have taken some time to create and we got to take them home - that was so cute! I've also been able to include a small excursion in my Thanksgiving holiday to Monroe County, Alabama. It's home to Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, and we visited the courthouse that inspired part of her novel there. And we also had a nice time touring the nearby Rikard's Mill Historical Park. I'm glad that we were able to venture out and enjoy the lovely weather, and that my physical difficulties seem to be behind me. I guess it's just a reminder for me to be more careful when Thanksgiving comes around next year - while it's great to indulge in some of our favorite dishes during the meal, it's just not worth paying for our actions for the rest of the day, and especially on future ones!

To Stop the Raging Waters

2010-11-24T01:39:00.004-05:00

Magnet # 401: American Falls by Night Photo

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Darlene

If you've ever witnessed the majesty of the American Falls at Niagara Falls in person, you'd have a hard time believing that anyone could ever stop its waters. But that's just what happened back in 1969 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers blocked the flow of the Falls from June to November. They did so to study the rockfall, clear out any items blocking the Falls, and do their best to ensure that the American Falls would not die out in the future. This had all stemmed from a newspaper article that sensationalized the possible death of the Falls in 1965. Public outcry forced the local government to take the matter very seriously, creating a full-time board to determine how to prevent the Falls from drying out. For one day in November of 1966, the Falls were blocked and a significant amount of tree trunks, rocks, and even a 10-ton pontoon boat were cleared out. But that one stoppage was not enough, and less than three years later an even greater effort was made to dry out the Falls. A giant cofferdam was erected from the mainland to Goat Island, which separates the American Falls from Horseshoe Falls, and nearly all water was diverted to Horseshoe Falls, which became even more impressive from the extra water power. The stream of water at the American Falls was reduced to a trickle and when authorities made it to the river bed, they discovered the bodies of a man and woman they hadn't even realized were there. Ironically, they later found the woman was wearing a gold wedding band with the words "forget me not" engraved inside. It must have been quite a shock for visitors during that time to witness the nearly dry rocks at the American Falls, particularly when the engineers were walking around in them. And the Falls became packed with curious onlookers, many of whom climbed in themselves. In fact, at some times there were so many visitors grabbing rocks and wandering around that local police officers had a difficult task clearing them out. Yet the engineers continued on, testing the flow of the waters with dye, installing a water spray system, and removing debris out of the riverbed and from the face of the Falls. Their work came to an end tomorrow, November 25, when the dam was taken down and the waters began to cascade over the falls once again. A small ceremony was held to mark the occasion. And before December was over, the water flow had resumed to its usual course. In June of 1973, voters were allowed to weigh in on what else, if anything, would be done at the American Falls. The majority responded to just let nature take over and leave them alone. And that's just what has happened, as the Falls have continued, uninterrupted, ever since.

Even though they're often overlooked in favor of Horseshoe Falls, which boasts a unique crescent shape and about 90% of the Niagara River water flow, the American Falls are still quite an impressive sight. At well over a mile long across and a drop of up to 170 feet, these Falls are impressive enough on their own to overshadow many other waterfalls in the country. And while the Horseshoe Falls can be obscured by heavy mists, that doesn't tend to be as much of a problem with these Falls. It also has another nearby waterfall, Bridal Veil Falls, to add to its splendor. But it's funny, just about the only time the American Falls has received more attention than its counterpart was when it was dammed up. Few cared about the extra water coming over Horseshoe Falls, but nearly everyone was fascinated by the dry riverbed. And back in 1860, a tradition was begun for a visit by the Prince of Wales that has allowed the Falls to be appreciated in a whole new manner - lighting them up at night. For that first display, Bengal lights, which are used to call for help at sea, were brought in, but by 1879 electricity was being used. The American Falls were the first to have a variety of colors on display in 1892. And by 1925, permanent lighting had been installed. I visited Niagara Falls with my family when I was growing up and was able to take in the nightly spectacle for myself. We even had dinner at a restaurant and sat at the balcony to get a better view of the Falls. I really had a great time watching the colors change. And it's funny - while I remember seeing the American Falls all lit up in every shade imaginable at night, I don't recall seeing those at Horseshoe Falls by night. If you've never seen this amazing place yourself, it's absolutely worth taking in, especially once the Sun has set. It's good to know that if the American Falls, and perhaps even Horseshoe Falls, is ever threatened again, there are measures we can take to ensure their survival. Considering just how incredible they are, it's worth doing all we can to keep them around for future generations.

Be Happy, Not Crabby

2010-11-22T19:31:00.108-05:00

Magnet # 400: Annapolis Letters, Crab

Material: PVC

Purchased By: Me

Maryland's capital city of Annapolis also became the first city in the future state to be incorporated on this day in 1708. That was when it received a charter from Queen Anne of England, in whose honor it was renamed. The British settled the area in 1649 and it went through a series of somewhat overcomplicated names, including Town at Proctor's, Town at the Severn, and Anne Arundel's Towne. Thanks to the importation of slaves into its port, the establishment there grew very wealthy. By the mid 18th century, Annapolis was home to a number of wealthy residents who turned it into one of the colonies' most elegant cities. It only grew in importance after the American Revolution, becoming the temporary capital of the newly-formed United States. And even though it was eventually replaced as the nation's capital, it became Maryland's capital. Over the years, nearby Baltimore became the state's largest and most industrialized city, allowing Annapolis to maintain a sense of small town charm. Many of its historic buildings are still standing and are open to the public, including its State House, which is the oldest state capitol in continuous legislative use. A trip there can give travelers a sense of what it would have been like to live in the colonies. I certainly enjoyed my time there, although there are some historic homes I missed out on touring that I might like to check out in the future. And returning to downtown Annapolis wouldn't be tough on me at all - it really was a relaxing place and I liked the fact that it was compact enough to tour on foot. But leaving was a little tough - one street on the outskirts of town shifted a little and it took me about half an hour before I could figure out where I was going. At least I've gotten a GPS system to help me out if I'm there again.

So, yes, in case you haven't noticed, today I'm posting my 400th magnet. And even though this one ties in with a historic event that occurred on this day, I still think it's appropriate for the occasion. Annapolis was where I toured my first state capitol building just over a year ago. I just went inside to have a look around and stumbled into taking a tour. And I liked it so much that I decided to tour the next state capitol I saw in Dover, Delaware. That city is also where I was introduced to the concept of Capitol Collectors, folks who travel all across the country to tour every state capitol. I certainly hadn't intended to become one of them during my visit to Annapolis, but I have nonetheless. So far, I've made it to thirteen state capitols and have plans to stop by plenty more. It's been really interesting comparing them, and Annapolis' State House, with its multiple Tiffany stained glass windows and marble seemingly everywhere, is easily one of the nicest I've seen. It also has a historical significance that not every Capitol can claim, as it was where George Washington resigned his commission of the Continental Army in 1783. And getting a taste of what it had to offer made me want to check out other state capitols. I went to Annapolis partially to get magnets to post here, but I ended up taking a path I never would have imagined myself on thanks in part to my stay there. I suppose it's evidence that publishing this magnet blog has had an effect on my life, even if it's a small one. But over the last 400 posts, I've certainly learned many new facts - maybe even around one a day. And, yes, I have plenty more ready to post up here. At this point, I'm estimating I have over 700 magnets. I'm definitely looking forward to sharing many more of them up here, one at a time!

Mile High Thrills

2010-11-21T19:42:00.175-05:00

Magnet # 399: Denver Skyline

Material: Pewter

Purchased By: Dad

Located a full mile above sea level, Colorado's capital and most populated city, Denver, tends to dwarf much of its competition. The gold rush played a major role in its development, as prospectors flooded into the area. The first American settlement established there, Montana City, didn't last very long before its prospectors abandoned it. But tomorrow marks the anniversary of the day in 1858 when General William Larimer, a land developer who came from Kansas, staked his claim on the area. He named it Denver City in honor of James Denver, the governor of the Kansas Territory. Larimer had hoped to gain political power with this move, but he was unaware that Denver had retired from the position by then. Years later, he paid a couple of visits to the city, but was disappointed that its residents didn't pay much attention to their city's namesake. As for Larimer, he worked hard to develop Denver City and bring in new citizens, selling tracts of land throughout the Rocky Mountains. Of course, quite a few of them were acquired at gambling tables around the region, which brought in a rather rowdy crowd. While very little gold was found in Denver City itself, discoveries in nearby areas kept the settlement alive. Eventually, it was combined with nearby Auraria and Highland and incorporated. And by 1861, the Territory of Colorado had been formed. It would take another four years until Denver City was named Territorial Capitol, and when that finally occurred, its name was shortened to Denver. And when Colorado became the 38th state in 1876, Denver remained its capitol. By that point, the city had taken on a somewhat rough crowd, but thanks to a silver rush, it was also experiencing an economic boom. Lavish buildings were springing up all over town, and many were so overdone that they were simply gaudy. And sin was also bringing in a considerable deal of commerce. Gambling halls and bordellos ranging from the elegant to the seedy were hard at work to separate the hard-working, but gullible, miners from their findings. And the authorities were paid off by the crime bosses to ignore most of these enterprises. It became so out of control that Denver earned the reputation of having one of the most tawdry areas in the nation. But when the Silver Market collapsed, resulting in the Denver Depression of 1893, all of the vice came to an end. The city entered a time during which it struggled to survive, but a discovery of gold nearby helped them to recover. But the leaders of Denver were careful to no longer solely rely on mining to support their economy, and built up other industries as well. And while Denver is once again a place of prosperity is no longer associated with gaming and prostitution, it has not remained completely scandal free. It has the dubious reputation of being the only Olympic host site to go back on its word after being selected. In 1970, it was chosen as the site for the Winter Games to coincide with the state's centennial celebration and the nation's bicentennial anniversary. But Colorado voters, some of whom were concerned with environmental issues, refused to allocate public funds to underwrite the pricey event and Denver's leaders were forced to tell the International Olympic Committee they would have to go elsewhere. The 1976 games were held at Innsbruck, Austria after Whistler in British Colombia also turned them down. Ever since, Denver has experienced some backlash when attempting to make another Olympic host bid. Regardless, it has become one of the most prosperous cities in the West and draws in crowds of visitors and new residents every year.

Even though I've never been to Denver, I do know of a few places I'd like to check out if I ever make it there. Obviously, I'd like to tour the Colorado State Capitol. From what I can tell, it's one of the few state capitols that offers tours of its Dome on a regular basis. I have yet to make it up to one of the domes and would really like to do so. I bet the views from there would be fantastic! And the nearby Denver Art Museum has an extensive collection from impressive artists that includes one of my favorites, William-Adolpe Bouguereau. I love getting to see his work in person and am always eager to view another. And Denver also has a spot that's supposedly one of the more haunted places in the country - Cheesman Park. In the city's earlier days, it started out as a graveyard, but all of the bodies were moved to make room for a more palatable attraction. And if that didn't upset the ghosts that are said to now frequent the spot, an unscrupulous undertaker who divided bodies into multiple children's caskets after digging them up to increase his pay certainly must have. The park is now said to be more than a little creepy after dark, but it is free to the public. It would be great to get a spooky magnet from there. And when I get hungry in the Mile High City, I'll be sure to head over to the Buckhorn Exchange, Denver's oldest restaurant. It opened back in 1893 and served many of the city's most famous figures and even President Theodore Roosevelt when he visited the area. Despite their long history, they're on the cutting edge of the food industry, offering unusual game like elk, buffalo, and sometimes ostrich and yak on their menu along with more traditional beef and fish dishes. I'd certainly be curious to try one of those out and have a look at their rustic decor. It certainly sounds like Denver has plenty of fun attractions to check out and given that it's a capitol city, it's definitely on my list of places to visit, so I guess it's just a matter of time until I make it there.

Run Of the Mill

2010-11-20T13:45:00.005-05:00

Magnet # 398: Mabry Mill in Snow Photo

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Me

Although not many know Edwin Boston Mabry by name, there are plenty of travelers who are familiar with the landmark he left behind - the Blue Ridge Parkway's Mabry Mill. He was born on this day in 1867 in Patrick County, Virginia and grew up to be a strapping, hardworking individual who stood nearly six feet tall. After his first marriage ended in divorce, he met the woman who would truly prove to be his match - Lizzie DeHart, a powerful, big-boned woman 5'10 tall who weighed between 200 and 300 pounds. And when these features were combined with her dark complexion and handsome face, they made her into a very impressive woman. The pair wed in 1891 and after that Uncle Ed, as he was known, spent some time working at coal mines in West Virginia until they had enough to buy the home of a family that was moving West. There, Uncle Ed built a blacksmith shop, a woodworking shop, and turned them into the gristmill and sawmill they would become known for. With the help of a friend, he constructed and mounted the wheel, even though the site was not a great choice for a mill. Undiscouraged, he dammed the creek to create a pond and waited for periods of heavy rains to help him make use of his wheel. He even bought nearby land to increase his water power. The meal he ground there soon earned Mabry the reputation of the best grinder in the county. His tricks were to keep his rocks sharp, the process slow, and check his product every so often to make certain it maintained his high standard. He worked tirelessly, grinding corn, creating and repairing wagons and machines, sawing wood, shoeing horses, and performing all sorts of services for the community, most often taking his payment by keeping part of the goods he worked on. He was a determined man and was always building onto his shop, improving it. In the meanwhile, his wife, whom he called "Boss," had the run of the old log cabin they had purchased. She was a hearty country woman unafraid to get her hands dirty. In the kitchen, Lizzie undertook all manner of tasks - churning butter, canning sausage, drying berries, and beans, baking biscuits and cornbread, and cooking up pots of apple butter. She kept a garden outside and also raised livestock, along with a pack of as many as 18 cats that she loved. The couple never had any children. But she didn't leave Uncle Ed alone in his shop - in fact, she became so talented at grinding corn that some said she was better than her husband. And if he was too busy to care for other jobs, like mowing, Lizzie would do it herself, or assist him at his work. In the mid 1910's, Uncle Ed built a new two-story, tin roofed home with a long porch in the back, doing nearly all of the work himself. But by the 1930's, some sort of illness or stroke turned the proud man into a cripple. Both he and Lizzie continued on the best they could, but their home eventually fell into disrepair. And when her beloved husband passed away in 1936, Lizzie was never the same. At last, she moved in with family until her death in 1940. By then, the government had bought part of their land to incorporate into the Blue Ridge Parkway and Lizzie was very pleased to learn that the Park Service was going to restore the mill and make it one of the scenic stops along the drive. Fortunately, she never learned that, against advice, they also tore down the home her husband had so lovingly created and replaced it with a log cabin that, to them, added a rustic touch. This act infuriated some locals, who were also upset that the Lizzie was rarely mentioned at Mabry Mill after it became a tourist attraction. The couple is buried a couple of miles away from their former home at the DeHart-Mabry-Richardson Cemetery in Virginia's Floyd County.

As many as three million people a year now visit the scenic mill the Mabrys left behind, but I'm not sure if many even know the story of the hardworking couple behind it. I've certainly appreciated learning about them. Perhaps someday I'll venture up there to have a look for myself and find out just how much is said about the Mabrys and, of course, take in the scenic views. Located at milepost 176.2 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, it's one of the landmark's most photographed sites, and is lovely no matter what the season. It's also home to a restaurant and a gift shop. Even though Edwin and Lizzie Mabry didn't leave behind any direct descendants, it's nice to see that some of the home they worked so hard to create still stands and keeps a part of them alive to visitors from all over the world, even those who've never heard their names.

Welcome Back, Potter

2010-11-19T19:33:00.146-05:00

Magnet # 397: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Dark Arts

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Me

Harry Potter is back and am I glad to see him! I admit, I don't visit the local cinema very often, but I've always made an exception in his case. As I imagine you've already heard, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I hits theaters today and it's easily one of the most eagerly anticipated films of the year. This particular installment comes from the seventh and final book of the series and has been divided into two parts. This decision goes all the way back to 2004, when producers considered splitting Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth novel in the series, which featured whopping 734 pages in its U.S. version, in half. While that idea was ultimately rejected, it was clearly not forgotten. According to the producers, the split was made with the final novel because the story is just so dense, but the U.S. version of this one is 759 pages, just barely more than the fourth book. And the studio claims that this is a way to celebrate the incredible franchise with an extra hour and a half, but plenty of more jaded folks out there realize this is another way to milk more money out of a franchise that's almost come to an end. Still, I don't mind. I have really gotten into these films and I'm happy to have one last hurrah with the series to look forward to.

It's kind of funny that the only Harry Potter magnet I have is from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, because it's still my favorite film of the series. And, no, I haven't read all of the books, but I have listened to the audiobook version of the first two novels. The incredibly talented Jim Dale narrates all seven of them, and has won two Grammy Awards for his efforts. If you like Harry Potter and haven't tried enjoying the series this way, you're definitely missing out. Anyway, I tend to like the fourth film best because it's really the one that begins the main characters' transition into adulthood. The tone grows notably darker in this one and it will only become moreso in the future. They start to struggle with feelings of attraction and rejection, and it's also the first film movie when one of the Hogwarts students dies. Plus, there's plenty of gripping action, as Harry fights a dragon, saves his friend Ron from the watery depths, and faces a maze that's much more sinister than it seems as part of the Triwizard Tournament. The event also brings in wizarding schools from France and Russia, and having a glimpse of other magical cultures really intrigued me. Every time I watch another Harry Potter film, I compare it to this one and they never beat it in my estimation. But today's release may change my mind.

Pretty much all of the shooting for both films of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is in the bag at this point. It was treated as one movie when it was shot, and when the filming came to and end on June 12th of this year, the three main actors were brought to tears. But additions have been necessary since then, so more scenes have been shot, many for the Epilogue. One of the most disturbing occurrences during production was when the young actor who served as Harry's stunt double suffered a spinal injury from a fall during an aerial scene. He's been left paralyzed and in a wheelchair, likely for the rest of his life. I wish him and his family the best and hope the studio and producers will look after him properly. I imagine these final films will leave them with plenty of funds to do so. I've already heard that this first installment is a great one, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it for myself. But I have a feeling it's going to be a long wait until the final half of this film makes it to theaters on July 15, 2011.

Total Recall

2010-11-17T21:12:00.203-05:00

Magnet # 396: California State Capitol Photos

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Patricia

The eyes of the world were on the California State Capitol in Sacramento on this day in 2003 as Arnold Schwarzenegger was sworn in as Governor on its west steps. The event marked the end of one of the most surreal elections in American history - the recall of Democratic Governor Gray Davis. Davis had been in office since 1999 and had won a second term, but it would only last ten months. The state was having economic difficulties, had suffered a series of blackouts during the California energy crisis, and concerns had arisen regarding Davis' campaign contributions. There were those who felt he had engaged in corrupt behavior by repaying his donors with political favors, and they were busy sharing their opinion. Unlike many states, however, California had a process that would allow them to prematurely rid themselves of the leader many believed to be incompetent. Back in 1911, they had passed a law that allowed recalls of the Governor if their opponents received enough public support. Unlike an impeachment, the politician in question during a recall need not commit a crime to be removed from office, only loose the support of the voting public. California is one of only 18 states to have such a process and prior to then, 117 attempts had been made to unseat one of its governors, but all of them had failed. Even Ronald Regan had been subjected to a recall effort. But the voters were particularly worked up this time, and the recall process caught on with them. In less than half a year, the almost 900,000 signatures necessary to qualify for a recall election had been gathered. At that point, potential candidates began coming forward in droves. They ranged from experienced politicians to celebrities to everyday citizens with no government background. The requirements were considerably minimal - potential candidates had to gather 65 signatures from member of their political party and pay a $3,500 nonrefundable fee - and they made it that much easier to run. One of the most notable moments was when Arnold Schwarzenegger visited Jay Leno on The Tonight Show and announced his intent to run. But he was hardly the only famous figure to throw his hat in the ring. During this time, a friend of mine back home was lamenting about how the rest of the country was laughing at Alabama thanks to then-Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court Judge Roy Moore's quixotic fight to keep a monument of the Ten Commandments on display. I had to point out that I hadn't heard much of it in the news over here - everyone was too busy joking about who would become the next Governor of California. And who could blame them? With child actor Gary Coleman, adult film star Mary Carey, Penthouse publisher Larry Flint, and columnist Arianna Huffington, who listed "mother" among her accomplishments on the ballot, all entering the race, the election quickly spiraled out of control. Seven of the most ridiculous contenders even appeared on Who Wants to Be Governor of California? - The Debating Game, a debate that was treated like a game show and aired on GSN, or Game Show Network. When it was time to vote on October 7, the ballot featured a whopping 135 candidates to choose from. Davis became the second Governor in the history of the United States to be successfully recalled. Schwarzenegger won soundly and went on to become the state's 38th Governor. As he had a vast fortune of his own, he opted not to accept the Governor's salary of $175,000 per year. He won a second term that will come to an end next year, and term limits prevent him from running again. Schwarzenegger's time in office hasn't been without controversy of its own - earlier this year, one watchdog group named him among the 11 most corrupted governors in the nation. Still, it seems unlikely that 2011 will mark the end of his political career and many are wondering if his next move won't be a run for the Senate.

Given that I'm trying to tour all of the state capitols someday, I'd certainly like to make it to the California State Capitol. But I guess I won't make it there in time to get a photo of Schwarzenegger's name above the Governor's office. It's the oldest one West of the Mississippi and is supposed to be very attractive, situated on 40 acres of the Capitol Park, which features several memorials. Few state capitols can claim so much undeveloped nearby land. Another unusual feature of the building is a set of recreated office buildings that appear as they might have around the turn of the century. There's even a Governor's office filled with telegrams and newspapers concerning the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. In fact, the entire building was renovated as part of an involved and expensive project in the mid 1970s. The historic structure narrowly avoided being entirely demolished and replace with a twin-tower high rise on the same grounds. The people of California refused to let that happen, however. Thanks to their efforts, this place remains open for future generations. And until I make it out there, at least I have this magnet - I really like how it features an aerial image of the Capitol's exterior - so often, the Capitol pictures on my magnets are shot at ground level. I imagine that this Capitol is like its unique state and its most memorable Governor's election and that the memories of it will stay with me long after my visit.

Sweets Of the Season

2010-11-15T01:33:00.005-05:00

Magnet # 395: Downtown Asheville Photo

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Me

If I could be anywhere today, I'd pick Asheville, North Carolina where the 18th Annual National Gingerbread House Competition is underway at the historic Grove Park Inn. Okay, maybe I'd better wait until Wednesday, when all of the entries go on display for the public to see. For the moment, I'm pretty sure the event is closed. But until then, I'm sure I could find plenty of ways to stay entertained in this idyllic spot along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Asheville has topped all sorts of lists, from the best place to live to the top arts destinations, and with its laid-back demeanor, creative vibe, and scenic beauty, it's easy to understand how it can appeal to so many people.

The National Gingerbread House Competition has consistently grown in popularity ever since it was introduced in 1993 and now draws in competitors and audiences from all over the country. It's open to all ages, with awards given in Adult, Teen, Youth, and Child categories. There will also be a new prize given to the entry that comes the furthest distance from Asheville. Last year's Grand Prize winner, Jodi Stowe of Polkville, North Carolina, created an elegant, intricate bird cage that featured two turtledoves. While it strayed from the normal entries, it was still a home to the pair of birds and the judges appreciated her creative take on the theme. She won a two-night stay at the Grove Park Inn and three thousand dollars which she and her husband intended to use to adopt a child from China. All told, she spent around 150 hours on her creation - the Adult First Place winner, who created an incredibly detailed North Pole Library, figured she put in around 600 hours. But the designer to look out for will likely be Ashley Howard of Winter Springs, Florida. She took the Grand Prize with the first gingerbread house she'd ever made in 2006 and won again in 2007. Her 2008 entry made it to Third Place and she took 2009 off, entering instead in the National Wedding Cake Competition. However, she's expressed her intent to enter again this year, and I imagine her creation may again set the standard. The competitors can get very resourceful with their use of materials - some might include marzipan, bits of cereal, coconut, ice cream cones, and even strips of gum. But they have to ensure every part of their entries, except the base, are edible - in fact, the judges will break off a tiny piece and sample it as a confirmation. The houses will be brought in no later than 8:30 this morning and the judging begins an hour later - that part is not open to the public. The judges are a panel of twelve individuals with extensive cooking and artistic experience. Quite often, they're authors with their own books or editors who have worked for food-themed magazines. I'm sure their task today will not be an easy one. Still, at 5 o'clock, the winners of this year's event will be announced in the Grand Ballroom - I think ABC's Good Morning America will report on them tomorrow morning. I'm certainly eagerly anticipating the results.

With its very artistic feel and community, Asheville is the perfect city to host such a unique event. The area was settled back in the 1784 and despite setbacks, had grown to a thousand residents by 1790. What had started off as Morristown was incorporated as Asheville, after North Carolina Governor Ashe, in 1797. It became popular with an affluent crowd, particularly when George Washington Vanderbilt II had his Biltmore Estate constructed there in the late 1800's. Even now, it continues to be a favorite among the wealthy, along with diverse other groups who both live there and visit, eager to take in its charm. I've been to Asheville twice over the past two years, and really enjoyed myself both times. When I went with my parents last year to see the Biltmore Estate during our trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, it was somewhat overcast, but we still had a nice time. We were able to check out Broadway Street or Biltmore Avenue, which is a very popular spot filled with shops and restaurants, even though it can't settle on one name. There, we ate at Suwana's Thai Orchid, which wasn't terribly impressive with its decor, but served some pretty fantastic Thai cuisine. My Mom and I both got Pad Thai, and she's still talking about how much she liked it. From there, we headed over to the Biltmore Estate. What can I say about it? It's amazing - this is America's largest private residence and if you like historic homes and haven't been there, it should top your list of places to visit. That night, we stopped by the McDonald's at the nearby Biltmore Village. It's justifiably been called the most opulent McDonald's in the world - to meet with the regulations of the elegant community, some changes have been made to this particular location. Its Golden Arches are made of real gold leaf and its exterior is a subdued facade of wood and brick featuring columns. Inside, there's more columns, framed art, marble, a fireplace, vaulted ceilings, and even a grand piano that serenades the customers. And yet, the food served there is the same as that of nearly every other location. Check it out if you're curious and in the area. For this year's trip, I was on my own and stopped by the North Carolina Arboretum on the outskirts of town. It was lovely and the weather was sunny and much more pleasant so I had a better chance to enjoy what so many people love about Asheville. While I didn't get a chance to eat, I did make it over to Mast General Store on Biltmore Avenue - or Broadway - where I picked up this magnet. From there, I ventured over to the Grove Park Inn, which is particularly nice even on an everyday basis. I can only imagine just how amazing it would be filled with these incredible gingerbread houses. Maybe I'll be able to check them out someday. And if you're interested in seeing them for yourself, they'll be on display until January 2nd. It's as good an excuse as any to venture over to this lovely city. Asheville is a wonderful place to pass a low-key afternoon shopping or enjoying its impressive attractions. I've certainly enjoyed my time there and look forward to future visits.

Enter Mothman

2010-11-14T18:39:00.003-05:00

Magnet # 394: Mothman on Car

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Me

Around this time forty-four years back, some very unusual occurrences were going on in and around the small community of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. And perhaps the most noteworthy occurred tomorrow, November 15 of 1966. Two young couples and a family member were out for the night and had traveled all over the area. As they drove past the abandoned West Virginia Ordnance Works factory, which had produced TNT during World War II, they came upon a curious sight - it seemed as though there were two red lights glowing inside. Intrigued, they pulled over to have a closer look, only to discover that the lights were the eyes of a terrifying manlike figure with rather large wings. They sped away, only to have the creature chase them, even when they sped up over 100 miles per hour. It left them alone once they crossed city limits and the horrified group went to the sheriff's office to report their ordeal. The story might have been dismissed, but one small detail brought them a degree of credibility - they mentioned seeing a fallen German Shepherd beside the road during their flight, but it was gone when they later returned. As it turned out, days earlier in the town of Salem, over 90 miles away, a contractor named Newell Partridge had claimed to see a similar beast in the yard of his home. His dog, Bandit, a German Shepherd, had gone after it and he hadn't seen it since, and never again would. Others were also coming forward, telling about their run-ins with the figure, from seeing it to hearing its eerie screech, and before long, the city was in a fever pitch. The press caught wind of the story and one reporter dubbed the monster "Mothman," as the Batman television series was popular at the time. The name stuck and thrill seekers started flooding the area, particularly the former TNT factory, hoping to come upon Mothman themselves. And they weren't alone. Some citizens also saw what they believed to be "Men In Black," clandestine government agents connected to the bizarre, around their city. A couple may have even paid a visit to Mary Hyre, the local correspondent for The Messenger, an Athens, Ohio newspaper. She was at the center of the Mothman investigations and may have even had a prophetic dream about a disaster that was soon to come. When she died suddenly in 1970, some wondered if her connection to the strange happenings hadn't doomed her. In fact, there's even a Mothman Death List that includes her and others who were tied to the creature.

The Mothman phenomenon came to a head just over a year later, during the Christmas season. On December 15 of 1967, Point Pleasant's Silver Bridge collapsed. In a horrible twist of fate, the traffic lights were malfunctioning, packing the bridge with rush-hour traffic, so many more went down with it than might have under normal conditions. The tragedy took 46 lives. Soon, people were connecting Mothman to the event. Some say they saw it hovering around before the collapse - others blamed it for the tragedy. But there were those that felt Mothman had come as a harbinger to warn of the impending doom and perhaps save a few residents of Point Pleasant. One story holds that a young girl spotted it outside of her bedroom window the night before, studying her with its unnatural eyes. Her family was preparing to leave on a trip the day of the accident, and they would likely have soon been stuck on the Silver Bridge. But her father suffered a headache so severe that he had to rest. It wasn't long before he recovered, only to learn of the fate he and his family had narrowly avoided. In the aftermath of the collapse, reports of Mothman sightings began to subside, but there are those who still claim to see it even now in Point Pleasant. While its existence will likely never be explained, there are all sorts of theories about Mothman. Perhaps it was an animal that was mutated by the chemicals at the TNT plant, the place it seemed to frequent. Or it could have been a supernatural entity that has warned of pending dire circumstances all over the globe, even at Chernobyl. Another line of thought is that it is a Thunderbird, a large bird-like creature that appeared in Native American culture. It might have been summoned by a curse made by Chief Cornstalk, who had gone to warn American soldiers that another Indian tribe was planning an attack, only to be killed for his efforts. There are those who have tried to pass it off as a Sandhill Crane or a weather balloon, but few have accepted that explanation. And some have written it off entirely as a sort of mass hysteria. But Point Pleasant is still gripped by the figure, which continues to fascinate audiences. In fact, a film called The Mothman Prophecies, based on a book of the same name, hit theaters in 2002 and portrayed Mothman as almost an esoteric force that never really appears in tangible form. It's more of a psychological thriller than a monster film, and it doesn't really do an accurate job depicting the stories of Mothman that those who claimed to encounter it circulated. Still, it's much better than the ridiculous television movie Mothman that aired earlier this year on Syfy. Here, it gruesomely slaughters a group of youngsters who accidentally killed one of their own and covered it up. I hope a more accurate Mothman film will one day be filmed that shows the creature but manages to refrain from becoming ridiculous. And here's one suggestion for such a production - don't explain how this cryptid came to be. Much of Mothman's appeal is its mystery - mess with that and risk losing the interest of fans of the unknown everywhere!

Know the 'Noog

2010-11-13T10:52:00.161-05:00

Magnet # 393: Chattanooga Landscape, Choo-Choo

Material: Wood, Laminated Paper

Purchased By: Lindsay

Tennessee's fourth largest city, Chattanooga, was incorporated on this day in 1838. It had been officially settled by the Cherokee Indians as Ross's Landing in 1816 and became an important part of the Cherokee Nation settlement. But when they were forced to relocated to Oklahoma as part of the Trail of Tears, eager Americans flooded into the area, taking advantage of its prime location off of the Tennessee River. Soon, it was renamed, but oddly enough, its new name was even more indicative of the location's Native American heritage. It's believed to be derived from the Muskogee words for rock and dwelling place. Business went pretty well there thanks to the commerce the river brought in, but when the railroad reached Chattanooga in 1850, its economy really took off. It was a meeting point for Northern produce and Southern cotton, both of which helped the town to thrive. After the Civil War, part of which was fought there, Chattanooga became even more industrial, transforming into a major railroad hub and manufacturing center, earning it the nickname of the "Dynamo of Dixie" by the 1930s. Unfortunately, the same progress that fueled the city also marred its scenic beauty and industrial pollutants clogged the air and covered the nearby areas. It was declared the city in the dirtiest air in the country in 1969. Combined with economic downturn, this dire situation could have doomed the city. But both its wealthy citizens and government have worked hard to restore the historic waterfront and clean the area up. A new life has been breathed into Chattanooga with its new image and thriving businesses. And the rest of the United States has taken note - it's won national awards for being an ideal location in which to live, including coming in eighth on Forbes magazine's list of 100 largest metropolitan areas which offer the best "Bang For Your Buck." It's great to see how life has turned around for this somewhat idyllic spot.

Given that it's pretty close to Alabama, I traveled to Chattanooga, or the 'Noog, a few times both when I was growing up and more recently. With its scenic waterfront, towering nearby Lookout Point, and underground caverns, it's home to quite a few impressive attractions. Lookout Mountain is technically in Georgia, but it's actually a suburb of Chattanooga. It's home to two noteworthy attractions - Ruby Falls and Rock City, and I visited both when I was a child. Ruby Falls is actually inside the mountain and is a 145-foot high waterfall surrounded by scenic limestone rock. And Rock City is located on the top of the mountain - it's a site filled with unusual rock formations, gardens, Fairyland Caverns, Mother Goose Village, and Lover's Leap, which offers some pretty stunning views. Of course, I also remember coming across some of the "See Rock City" ads painted on barns all over the region when I was growing up. Nowadays, a combination ticket to the two attractions and the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway is also available. My Mom and I also enjoyed going down another local mountain on alpine slides together. Back then, I was small enough to fit on one with her and it was really fun! And while I don't remember most of the restaurants I've eaten at in Chattanooga, there is one that's stuck in my mind - the Acropolis. My folks and I came upon it during our trip to the Great Smoky Mountains last year. While we had planned on eating there, we had no idea where to stop. My Mom spotted a nice looking mall and suggested we get off of I-75 there. And the Acropolis was the first restaurant we all agreed upon. They have an extensive menu - you can either go with Mediterranean cuisine or have more typical American fare - and their prices are very reasonable. I particularly enjoyed their garlic mashed potatoes. We liked it so much that we even stopped back on our way home, which just happened to be Free Cookie Friday. They have an on-site bakery that offers some delicious cookies that are pretty different from oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip. On their website, http://www.acropolisgrill.com/index.php, they mention that they're currently celebrating their 15th anniversary. With their great food and pleasant atmosphere, it's easy to understand why. I recommended it to a friend of mine here in Savannah before she headed out on a road trip and she really liked it, too. During that trip, we also stopped by the Tennessee Aquarium, which was built back in 1992. It was really nice and had two different buildings for visitors to explore. The nearby Visitor's Center was also great and had a nice selection of magnets at bargain prices. I will definitely stop by this great city the next chance I get, and that might not be a long wait. My friend Lindsay is also pretty fond of Chattanooga - heck, she bought me this magnet there - and has been talking about doing a Stock Party, where artists and models get together to take photo reference, at Rock City for awhile. I hope it happens - this place is just so much fun to visit. And I even know a great place we can head to for dinner afterwards.

Have It All

2010-11-12T18:33:00.002-05:00

Magnet # 392: Hilton Head Mellow Mushroom Pizza Advertisement

Material: Plastic

Purchased By: N/A - given to me, free

Dial up your favorite pizzeria and place an order, everyone - this is National Pizza With the Works Except Anchovies Day! I have no idea how this one came about, but it sounds like a good excuse to me. Of course, I tend to think less is more with my pizza toppings - maybe I should have posted on September 5, which is Cheese Pizza Day. Still, there's nothing wrong with trying some unusual additions to your pizza, and this is a great day to do it.

For those of you who've never heard of Mellow Mushroom, it's a pizza chain that's mostly found in the South. Two Georgia Tech students and one from the University of Georgia started it back the the 1974, opening the first location in downtown Atlanta near the Yellow Jacket campus, and it became very popular with the college crowd. While it's no longer there, the chain still has plenty of other restaurants for its customers to choose from - in fact, it has over 100 in 15 different states. It's even gotten as far as Denver, Colorado and Tempe, Arizona. What sets this chain apart from its competitors is its fun, eccentric style. It has a very laid-back atmosphere and when it went into franchising, its owners hired a local Atlanta artist to produce a psychedelic design scheme a little reminiscent of the 70's and Grateful Dead artwork. It's been featured on everything from the walls to the menus. He also created some cute characters for the restaurant, like Dude Shroomington, Melody Mushroom, a trio of tiny mushrooms known as "The Funguys," and Mel O. Mushroom, who appears on this magnet. In fact, the chain is rather generous in giving away free magnets - this is one of three different designs I have. Of course, their pizza is also pretty tasty. Their dough is made from top quality wheat flour, spring water, and no sugar. It has a great texture and taste. They also have a wide variety of selections for sauce and toppings, so you have no shortage of choices for your pizza. Even if you don't like pizza, they have other offerings like salads, calzones, and hoagies. I've been to several locations and run across the Mellow Mushroom in places like Asheville, North Carolina, Birmingham, Alabama, and Ocean Springs, Mississippi. But both my folks and I agree that the best Mellow Mushroom we've eaten at is the one in Hilton Head, South Carolina. There, they really don't skimp on the ingredients - in fact, they often put so many toppings on that it's almost tough to see the pizza underneath them. We once mentioned how impressed we are with it to a waitress there. She really appreciated the compliment - in fact, she got teary-eyed and said that she'd worked at other locations, and this one is by far her favorite. So if you're in the neighborhood, stop by and give it a try. But you can also check out http://www.mellowmushroom.com/menu#/locations to see if there's one closer to you. If you're a fan of pizza and you've never sampled this unique chain's offerings for yourself, you're missing out.

Even if you don't want the works - minus anchovies - on your pizza, perhaps this might be a nice opportunity to try one that differs from the norm. There's Barbecue Chicken, Southwestern, Buffalo Chicken, Thai, Cheeseburger, Greek, Jamaican Jerk Chicken - the possibilities are almost endless. One of the best pizzas I've had recently was at Bottoms Up Pizza in Richmond, Virginia's Historic Shockoe Bottom district. There, I tried an ingredient I'd never had on pizza before - crabmeat. It came on the Chesapeake pizza with sweet onions and a white sauce and was delicious. And the crust was particularly good - it was almost closer to french bread than regular pizza crust. The restaurant is located not far off I-95 so if I'm passing by again, I'll definitely stop by. Regardless of what you order, this is definitely one celebration that's too good to pass up. So head out or order in and support your local pizza place - I'm sure your taste buds will thank you.

A Caffeine State Of Mind

2010-11-11T17:57:00.163-05:00

Magnet # 391: Washington Rainbow Trout

Material: Wood, Laminated Paper

Purchased By: Mom & Dad

This marks the anniversary of when Washington achieved statehood in 1889. To date, it's the only state that's been named in honor of a founding father of our nation - and it's pretty unlikely there will ever be another. Sure, there's Madison, Wisconsin and Jefferson City, Missouri and, later, Jackson, Mississippi and Lincoln, Nebraska were both named after presidents, but those are all capitol cities. And while attempts were made to name another state after Benjamin Franklin in what later became Tennessee and several prospective states tried to name themselves after Thomas Jefferson, they never came to be. Some even tried to name Wyoming after Lincoln. But when the settlers of the Washington Territory finally joined the rest of the Union, one of its most important early leaders received a singular honor he had earned through hard work and considerable sacrifice.

It's believed that the first European to reach what would become Washington was Spanish explorer Juan Perez, who landed his there while sailing the coast in 1774. Soon, other Spanish ships were traveling to the area in an effort to curtail the Russians from claiming land to the South of their holdings in Alaska. British ships also ventured there, including Captain George Vancouver who surveyed Puget Sound and named it after one of his officers. But when the United States won its independence, its leaders were also eager to claim the area. American Captain Robert Gray was sent by a Boston company to engage in fur trading there in 1792. And in 1805, the Lewis and Clark expedition entered the area. But the British weren't going to give it up easily, sending a Canadian explorer to explore the area. Both nations set up fur trading operations in the region, while Spain eventually ceded their claims there to the United States. After the War of 1812, Britain and the United States couldn't come to an agreement as to how to divide up the area and decided instead to establish it as the Oregon Country, which they both controlled. Of course, that didn't work and the increasing tensions finally prompted the two nations to set their boundary at the 49th parallel. At first, the land that would make up Washington was part of the Oregon Territory, but in 1853, the Washington Territory was formed. People streamed into the area hoping to find gold like that was in nearby territories, but when they had no luck, stayed to work as farmers or loggers. Most settlers were concentrated in the eastern part of the territory or the Puget Sound area, where Seattle was founded in 1853. When Washington first applied for statehood, its constitution included women's suffrage and prohibition, but it was forced to remove them to received approval and become the 42nd state. In just over twenty years, they were able to pass an amendment that allowed their women to vote much sooner than the rest of the country. It was an early indication of the progressive mentality that would drive the Evergreen State.

I've never been to Washington, but it sounds like a pretty lovely place to visit. Between its scenic coastline and lush rainforests, and even some semidesert land, it has considerable diversity in its natural wonders. Olympic National Park, in the northwestern part of the state, boasts one of the densest rainforests anywhere in the world and receives some of the most rainfall in the United States. It also extends all the way to the Pacific Ocean, where very little rain ever falls. But travelers who want to be awed by towering peaks can head for Mount Rainier National Park just outside of Seattle, which is home to many glaciers and wildflowers, or Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, which was established after its 1980 explosion. And in Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands are home to over a hundred islands and visitors there can see orcas, dolphins, harbor seals, sea lions, and sea otters. Of course, for those who'd like to stick to more developed areas, there's Seattle and its iconic Space Needle which draws in our a million visitors each year. It's also home to the Pike Place Market, where both Starbucks and Seattle's Best Coffee opened their first stores within a block of each other. In fact, for coffee lovers, the Evergreen State is the place to be. It's filled with all sorts of coffee shops, both chain and independents, in nearly every place where its citizens can be found. Those folks love their coffee! So get your own perk and check out this lovely destination - with all of its diversity, you should have all sorts of unique and exciting experiences.

A Time Of Triumph

2010-11-10T18:29:00.002-05:00

Magnet # 390: Arc De Triomphe, Paris

Material: Resin

Purchased By: Dad

Some big events will be going on worldwide tomorrow, November 11th. As you may know, this was when World War I came to an end with the signing of the Armistice with Germany near Compiegne, France in 1918. It was agreed upon at five in the morning, and came into effect at 11 AM in Paris, which has come to be known as "the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month." With the horrors of war finally behind them, nations all over the globe broke out in festivities that many still commemorate. In the United States, Veterans' Day has come to be held on this day. It's a holiday when all military veterans are honored and came about in 1954, when Congress and President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into effect, changing Armistice Day into a celebration of veterans of every American war. The campaign to make this inclusion of all soldiers was led by a Kansas shoe store owner. Other nations, such as the United Kingdom, Bermuda, Canada, and Australia mark this occasion with an event known as Remembrance Day. And although the United Kingdom observes two minutes of silence on November 11, its most important events are held on Remembrance Sunday, the second Sunday of the month. Poland actually has its Independence day on the anniversary of the end of the war, as that nation was unified after centuries of separation thanks to the Allied victory. And there are still some nations that hold Armistice Day on November 11, most notably Belgium and France.

While Paris' Arc de Triophe predates Armistice Day, it has become an important symbol of the celebrations. It was commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806 when he had just the Russians and Austrians at Austerlitz and was enjoying his greatest fortunes. Still, the massive structure took a considerable amount of time to complete and two whole years just to lay down its foundation. In 1810 when Napoleon brought his new bride Archduchess Marie-Louise of Austria back to Paris with him, they passed under a preliminary wooden version of the Arc. But work on it eventually came to a halt after Napoleon's fall and it wasn't finished until 1836. And in 1840, when the remains of the former Emperor were brought back from Saint Helena, they were taken through the Arc a final time. And after World War I had come to an end, several noteworthy events took place at the Arc. The French forces held a parade their to celebrate their victory. In August of 1919, French aviator Charles Godefroy flew his plane through the structure, albeit without official permission. But the stunt was photographed and filmed, and the whole world was made aware of it. On a more somber note, as part of 1920's Armistice Day observances, the Tomb of the Unknown Solider from World War I was interred beneath the Arc. Initially, it had been planned to place the body at the Pantheon, but an overwhelming amount of support for the Arc surfaced, and the change was made. By the time the Nazis invaded in 1940, they were well aware of the significance of the monument and had photographs of their soldiers marching in a parade taken there. And by that same token, when the Liberation of Paris was achieved in 1944, the Allies held a victory march there. Nowadays, the Arc de Triomphe is the center of ceremonies in Paris on Armistice Day, with many officials visiting it and a small horseback parade venturing forth from it. And it's supposed to be a pretty interesting site to visit during the rest of the year. Visitors enter it through an underpass and can either take an elevator or a set of 284 steps to reach the attic of the Arc, which features information about it and a gift shop. They can also make it to the very top for a panoramic view of the city. It's amazing that so much can be held there - the Arc is certainly bigger than it might appear!

To all of you veterans here in the United States who are bring honored tomorrow, thanks for the hard work and sacrifice. And keep in mind, there are some national restaurant chains offering free meals to you, like Applebee's, Chili's, Hooters, Golden Corral, and McCormick & Schmick's. Most of them will have a limited menu to choose from, but hey, it's still free! And that's not all of the perks that will be available to veterans - they can get a free doughnut from Krispy Kreme or a free six inch sub from Subway, but not all of those chains' locations are participating, so call first to verify. Lowe's and the Home Depot are also offering ten percent discounts to military personnel and their families. Plus, Colonial Williamsburg, Knott's Berry Farm, and over 100 National Park Service locations are waiving admission fees for military members. It's nice to see so many generous merchants honoring those who have defended our country. So if you qualify, head on out and take advantage of some of tomorrow's specials - considering what so many veterans have sacrificed for our country, you've earned it!

There's Magic In the Air

2010-11-09T19:46:00.003-05:00

Magnet # 389: Sights of Gatlinburg

Material: Pewter

Purchased By: Me

Tennessee's "Gateway to the Smokies" is the place to be tomorrow as it kicks off its 21st annual Galinburg Winter Magic Program. Each day after sunset, the city will go up in a spectacular display of over three million LED lights. For the first night, a fireworks display will start the festivities at dusk. Later, there will also be some great entertainers performing in several locations on the Downtown Parkway. Musical groups The Grassabillies, Steve Brown and Hurricane Ridge, and The Holloway Sisters and Boogertown Gap are all scheduled to appear, as well as belly dancers and, appropriately enough, magicians. And if the onlookers there get a little cool as temperatures drop during opening night, they can stop by the yearly Chili Cookoff to warm up. There, eight bucks admission will get them a spoon, a ballot, and the opportunity to sample kettles of chili from over 20 different vendors. They'll vote on the People's Choice Award, but a variety of awards in categories ranging from Best Booth Presentation, Most Unique Chili Name, and Best Apron Design to, of course, Best Taste will also be given. And in nearby Pigeon Forge, tonight marks the beginning of the 21st annual Winterfest Kick Off at Patriot Park. This display will feature over five million lights all along their stretch of the Parkway.  Sounds like this is one of the best times to visit Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

While Native Americans such as the Cherokee had been in the area that would become Gatlinburg for centuries, the first person of European descent to settle there was actually William Ogle, a settler from South Carolina. He wasn't able to stay long, though. After building his cabin there, he returned to the Palmetto State to bring back his family, but passed away before they could leave. Eventually, his widow came with her brother's family and they built another log cabin that still stands. Over the years, more settlers steadily set up home in the area, including some who had fought in the Revolutionary War and were given their land in return for their military service.  The story behind Gatlinburg's name is somewhat interesting. A settler named Radford Gatlin owned a general store there, and when a post office was opened inside it in 1856, they logically named the town after him. But he was hardly a founding member of the town named after him - he'd only been there two years at the time of its naming. Plus, he was often at feud with his neighbors, particularly when he tried to divert the town's main road. But the last straw was when Gatlin supported the Confederate cause in a town that mostly favored the Union as the country neared the Civil War. By 1859, Gatlin had been driven out of town, but oddly, none of the locals ever rid it of his name. Following the Civil War, the logging industry became progressively more prevalent in the area and the threat of deforestation increased. Fortunately, the movement began to turn the Smoky Mountains into a National Park and one Gatlinburg businessman, Andrew Huff, who actually owned a sawmill, helped advance the cause. He built the town's first hotel, which proved to be a wise move when the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established in 1934. Gatlinburg's location as the closest city on the Tennessee side of the park has earned it the nickname of the "Gateway to the Smokies" and brought in droves of tourists. And there are plenty of attractions, restaurants, and souvenir shops there waiting for them - Gatlinburg's Downtown Parkway is packed with all sorts of businesses, many with rustic mountain facades. And this time of the year, the scenic mountain city is perhaps at its most charming, when it's aglow for the holiday season.

Don't worry if aren't able to check out the lights right away - they'll be appearing for a pretty long time. I'm not sure when the Gatlinburg Winter Magic ends, but Pigeon Forge's Winterfest runs through February 28. And even if you can't make it out there for the festivities this year, there may very well be some great light displays and Winter-themed events going on closer to you. I always find venturing out to have a look at lights and decorations is a great way to get into the holiday spirit.  So have a look at your local newspaper, or maybe check out their online site, grab the family, and hop in the car - now's the time to get ready for the season!

A Giant Discovery

2010-11-08T19:13:00.001-05:00

Magnet # 388: Giant Panda Bear

Material: Plastic

Purchased By: Gina

Giant panda bears are so beloved in China and worldwide nowadays that's hard to imagine there was ever a time when their very existence came into doubt. But back in the early 1900's, the Western world had never seen pandas and had to take the word of the Chinese that they were even real. For centuries, the rulers of China had considered them to be rare and noble creatures and they were referred to in ancient books. The burial chamber of the mother of Emperor Wen of Han had included a panda skull, while other royalty had presented the animals to other Asian nations as a gesture of goodwill. The West was first introduced to concept of the Giant panda on March 11, 1896 when a local hunter gave French missionary and naturalist Armand David, who was living in Beijing at the time, the fur of one. Even then, many claimed that such a creature was a hoax and the hunt raged to prove it was, in fact, real. The animal became a sort of Bigfoot during that time, an elusive figure sought by the world. And tomorrow, November 9th of 1927, was the day when the first Giant panda was ever captured and the world could no longer question its existence.

Since the reality of the Giant panda bear was confirmed to the Western world, it has gone on to become very popular and even a symbol of China, replacing the dragon. About a decade after its discovery, a Giant panda cub was taken out of China by a German zoologist and it went on to live at Chicago's Brookfield Zoo. Eager crowds came in droves to see him, even celebrities like Shirley Temple and Helen Hayes. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1938 and his body is now on display at the Field Museum of Natural History. Luckily, by then the zoo had taken in another panda. And London was able to acquire five of the creatures as well that year, but due to increasing tension and wars, they ceased to be sent around the world temporarily. But the Panda diplomacy, as its been called, was revived in the 1950s as China began to renew its contact with the rest of the world. In 1972, a pair of two Giant pandas were sent to President Richard Nixon after his visit to the People's Republic of China, the first ever made by a United States president. They were housed at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. and drew in a crowd of 20,000 on their first day and well over a million during their first year. The gift inspired British Prime Minister Edward Heath to request a pair of Giant pandas for his own country when he traveled to China in 1974. Within weeks, they had arrived at the London Zoo. Since then, China has become more regimented in exporting the animals, only making them available to other nations as part of a 10-year loan. The nation receiving the pandas may pay as much as a million dollars a year in fees for the privilege of housing them and any cubs born to them legally belong to China. With around 280 pandas residing at zoos, there aren't many countries around the world with them on display at their zoos, but Australia, Japan, Spain, Thailand, Austria, Germany, Scotland, and Mexico all have them. Here in the United States, the National Zoo, the San Diego Zoo, the Memphis Zoo, and Zoo Atlanta are the only four places to see them. And just this month, a cub was born at Zoo Atlanta. It's the only panda birth of 2010, but the third to be created between the two pandas housed there, all products of artificial insemination. The public won't be able to view the newborn on display until Spring of next year, but if you're curious to check it out, have a look at the zoo's online "PandaCam." And, per Chinese tradition, it won't be named until it's 100 days old. When the youngest panda in the world is finally put before the public, I may have to venture up to see it myself. While creating this post, I've realized that I have yet to see a Giant panda for myself and I think I'd really enjoy it.

We've certainly come a long way since that first Giant panda was caught in 1927. The adorable creature become a symbol of conservation worldwide, and great effort has gone into ensuring its survival. It's current status is endangered and as many as 3,000 may be out in the wild. Many believe that the attention that's gone into saving them has really paid off. But it's not only been important in bringing increased awareness to the plight of all endangered species. The finding of the Giant panda has made it part of a group of animals that, despite the doubt of naysayers, have been proven to exist. Others in this category include the platypus, Komodo dragon, Lowland Gorilla, coelacanth, and okapi. These creatures were once considered to be cryptids, creatures who some believe exist, but the scientific community does not recognize. Often, when they're discovered, people tend to forget their former murky status. But the Giant panda and its fellow former cryptids certainly put forth an intriguing question - just what else it out there in the wild, waiting to make its debut to the rest of the world?

Victory Without Violence

2010-11-06T19:40:00.184-04:00

Magnet # 387: Moroccan Knife

Material: Pewter

Purchased By: Mom & Dad

Morocco observes the Anniversary of the Green March today in honor of the 1975 peaceful mass demonstration that gained the nation control of the Western Sahara. In April of 1956, they had gained their independence from Spain, but that country had not let go of all its holdings on the African continent, most notably the Spanish Sahara. It remained a territory of Spain, despite Moroccan claims that the area had belonged to it in pre-colonial times. A year later, the Moroccan Army of Liberation made a move on the area, but were put down by Spanish troops. As a result, Spain focused on building up towns and villages in the Spanish Sahara, forcing some nomadic tribes to settle specified areas while exiling others. But the Moroccan government, undeterred, continued to insist the area belonged to it. They won a partial victory in 1969 when the relatively small region of Ifni was returned to them, yet Morocco refused to back down. By 1975, they had become considerably more aggressive in their efforts and been joined by Mauritania, a nation to the east of the Spanish Sahara, who now also made a partial claim on the territory. And when an International Court of Justice based in Hague recognized on October 16th that centuries-old legal bonds of sovereignty and allegiance connected the people of Spanish Sahara to the rulers of Morocco, King Hassan II of Morocco saw his chance. Within hours, he had announced to his people that, in three weeks, there would be a peaceful green march to the Sahara to assert their place there. And on November 6, an enormous crowd of around 350,000 volunteers, both men and women, had assembled in the southern city of Tarfaya. At their King's signal, they crossed the border into the Spanish Sahara, where they hoisted their national flag at 10:33. Spanish Armed Forces did not open fire on them - they were ordered not to, as Spain did not want to create an international incident. Their dictator, Franco, was dying and they'd had enough trouble with their colonies. In just over a week, they had divided the territory between Morocco and Mauritania with the Madrid Accords. The Spanish Sahara was gone as of February 26 of the next year.

What made the Green March so incredible, besides the staggering amount of participants, was the fact that none of them carried weapons, per their King's instructions. Morocco is certainly not a country that had abstained from military actions in the past and, even prior to its formation, the region had seen a good deal of bloodshed. In fact, this magnet, which features the green interwoven star that is depicted on the Moroccan flag, is characteristic of the knives that have been carried in the area for centuries. And yet, the marchers put their faith in King Hassan II, believing that if they did not prepare to defend themselves, they would not be attacked. It was a risky move - the Spanish Armed Forces could have mowed them down - but it paid off in the end. Instead of knives and guns, the men and women in the crowd carried items varying from flags of their nation, as well as those of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United States, signs calling for the return of Moroccan Sahara, the Quran, photos of their King, and green banners. The crowd must have been staggering to behold with its 350,000 volunteers. As a comparison, the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom during which Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech held somewhere between 200,000 and 300,000 participants. And 350,000 is roughly the population of the city of New Orleans. So you can imagine just how massive this number must have been. By not resorting to violence, they not only achieved their goal, but gave the world another successful example of peaceful protesting. In the time since then, Morocco has worked hard to improve the lives of those living in their Saharan holdings, making great strides in social and economic development there. And every year on the anniversary of that historic march, the government reaffirms its commitment to the area. I guess they're happy to finally be whole.

By the way, I also wanted to remind everyone that we fall back, or go off of Daylight Savings time, tomorrow. I've already discussed my mixed feelings about this practice a couple of times on here, so I won't go into them again. But it is worth pointing out that this year, it's occurring almost a week later than last year - I hope it continues to be pushed further back. And at least we'll all have an extra hour of sleep to enjoy. But be sure to move your clocks back an hour - come Monday, you don't want to be too early to work, right?

The Big Bang Theory

2010-11-05T20:13:00.216-04:00

Magnet # 386: Westminster Palace

Material: Resin

Purchased By: Debbie

I hope you've remembered this is the 5th of November. Over in England, that means they're celebrating Guy Fawkes Day. You've probably heard the story of how Fawkes and a band of thirteen conspirators conspired to perpetrate the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Their intent was to blow up the House of Lords in the Palace of Westminster on November 5th when it was filled with leaders from around the country for the State Opening of Parliament, assassinating King James I, a Protestant ruler, in the process. They would thereby start a riot and replace the slain ruler with his nine-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, who was Catholic. And it was Guy Fawkes, an ardent Catholic who had once fought for Catholic Spain during the Eighty Years' War, that was chosen to guard their 36 barrels of gunpowder in a space beneath Westminster Palace that had been rented in preparation for the assault. Unfortunately for him, the authorities received word of the plot and when they searched the structure, they discovered Fawkes with the stockpile. But the former soldier wasn't going to give up his compatriots easily. He claimed to be John Johnson and was so direct and unrepentative about his actions that even the king was impressed. However, he was still tortured until he gave up about half of the men with whom he'd conspired, along with his own name. The room in the Tower of London where the dark deeds were administered is now known as the "Guy Fawkes Room." By the time their names were revealed, most of those involved in the Gunpowder Plot had fled and some of them took refuge at the Holbeche House, northwest of London. But their pursuers found them out and a fight ensued during which several of the conspirators were killed, including Sir Robert Catesby, the actual leader of the band. Those who were left alive were dragged back to London to face trial. Over the following months, the rest of the men were hunted down and rounded up. Among them were several Jesuit priests. Fawkes and seven others were tried and sentenced to death in January of 1606. The method that was to be used was a particularly gruesome one - hanged, drawn, and quartered. Defiant to the end, Fawkes, the last to stand on the scaffold, managed to throw himself off and break his neck. His early death spared him the horrors of what was later inflicted on his body as a warning to those who might follow in his footsteps.

Ever since that first night when Fawkes and the gunpowder were discovered, Britain has observed the survival of its monarch with Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Day. At the inaugural event, the people of London were encouraged to light fires and celebrate that King James had escaped assassination and the Houses of Parliament still stood. Before the century was over, fireworks were accompanying the bonfires and participants were tossing an effigy of Fawkes on the flames. But others who have incited the public over the years. like the Pope, Margaret Thatcher, and Paul Kruger, have also been represented by the effigy. Most often, children create this figure using straw, newspapers, and old clothing. They also carry it through the streets, asking for a "penny for the guy" that they can use to buy fireworks. This is a pretty popular event all over the nation. I talked to a couple of friends who grew up in England and Guy Fawkes Day was an important part of both of their childhoods. The one who lived in the country said that they prepared their bonfire for months, piling up all of the dead leaves and materials of Autumn. For the occasion, they had bangers, or English hot dogs, while the fire blazed. And when the flames rose to their highest, they cheered and hurled their guy on the fire. She said she always felt bad for the figure, not wanting to burn it. And she's not alone in her sympathy. To some, Guy Fawkes has become a sort of folk hero for standing against the government, and there are those who wear his masks, like the vigilante hero in the comic book story V for Vendetta, which was later turned into a movie. Of course, it's worth keeping in mind that if the Catholic sympathizer had gotten his way, countless innocents would have perished in an explosion that would have easily flattened Westminster Palace and nearby buildings. Some might draw parallels between him and the 9/11 conspirators. Still, the legend of Fawkes clearly has an influence on our modern culture. Even now, when the Queen makes her annual trip to Westminster Palace for the State Opening of Parliament, the cellars of the structure are searched by the Yeoman Guard, according to tradition. But despite Fawkes and his fellow conspirators' best efforts - and the later Great Fire of London - this centuries-old meeting place still stands. It's one of the most recognizable landmarks in all of Europe and has been the site of events ranging from assassination and attacks to the passing of legislation bringing about equality and freedom. And the British government, well-aware of the threats this structure might face, is diligent in watching over it, doing its best to ensure that it will stand tall for many years to come.

Beneath the Sands Of Time

2010-11-04T19:07:00.004-04:00

Magnet # 385: Egyptian Landmarks

Material: Resin

Purchased By: Me

One of the greatest discoveries of ancient artifacts ever was made on this day in 1922 when archaeologist Howard Carter came upon the entrance to King Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. Although he had no idea what lay in wait on the other side, he soon found out that it was the best preserved and most complete tomb of any pharaoh unearthed in the area. And amazingly, Carter almost never made the discovery. He had been searching for over a decade under the funding the wealthy British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who had finally grown weary of making no discoveries. He agreed to bankroll Carter for a final season. During this time, the archaeologist's water carrier actually found the steps to the tomb. By the end of the month, with Lord Carnarvon and his entourage in attendance, Carter was able to sneak a peek inside the tomb through a small opening in the doorway. What he saw was promising, but it's doubtful anyone in the assembly could have guessed the extent of the treasures that they'd soon recover.

Perhaps the most intriguing facet of the story surrounding the discovery of the tomb and removal of its contents is the claim that the Curse of Tutankhamun was visited upon any who dared to enter. For the most part, not many take this legend seriously, but there a few peculiar details. On the very day when the tomb was opened, a canary in Howard Carter's house was killed in its birdcage by a cobra. As this reptile was the symbol of the Egyptian monarchy, some saw this creature's attack on Carter's home at nearly the same hour as when he pried open King Tut's tomb as a bad omen. Before long, a very popular British author known as Mary Corelli was claiming that a "dire punishment" might befall these intruders. Soon, Lord Carnarvon was bitten by a mosquito and accidentally cut the wound while shaving, causing infection. The resulting blood poisoning brought about his death seven weeks after the official opening of the tomb. And when he passed, a couple of strange occurrences were said to have happened. At his English estate, his dog howled and also died, and a blackout hit Cairo - which, admittedly, was not an irregular occurrence at the time. And about half a year later, when the first autopsy was performed on King Tut's body, a healed lesion was discovered on his cheek. Unfortunately, no one was ever certain if it was in the same location as Lord Carnarvon's wound. Still, much of the public was gripped by fear of the Curse of Tutankhamun. Even writer Athur Conan Doyle joined in, suggesting that the curse could have brought about Carnarvon's death. Some reporters went so far as to claim that warnings of a curse had been found at the tomb, but this was simply untrue. But when Carnarvon's younger brother died suddenly five months after his death, it only surged interest in the supposed curse. And there was another unusual incident reported. Apparently, Carter gave a mummified hand adorned with a scarab that threatened fire, water, and pestilence to anyone who moved the body to a colleague of his. The poor man's house burned down not long after, only to be flooded after he rebuilt it. But many refute the curse on the grounds that so many of the participants on Carter's team lived long after the crypt had been emptied. Carter himself spent about ten years there, cataloging the items as they went. He was hardly a believer in the curse, but did once note the strange appearance of jackals nearby in the desert. They were tied to Anubis, the god of the dead, and in the 35 years he'd spent in the desert, that was his only sighting of them. He later died in 1939 of lymphoma. The length of time between the opening of the tomb and his death convinced many that there was no curse. And others in the party passed away years after Carter. In fact, Lord Carnarvon's daughter, one of the first to enter the tomb, lived until 1980. Still, there are some who are not convinced. Years later, a guard who looked after the funeral mask while it was on display in San Francisco suffered a mild stroke and sued for compensation, holding that the curse was to blame. The judge must not have been a believer - he threw the case out.

Ever since King Tutankhamun's tomb was found and all of its treasures were removed, they've belonged to the Egyptian government, which has generously shared them with the world. They're usually kept at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, but as early as the 1960's, some of the smaller artifacts were sent to be displayed in cities in the United States and Canada as part of the Tutankhamun Treasures exhibition. Later, even more items were sent to an exhibition in Japan, where they drew in about 3 million attendees. And in 1972, a new exhibit, The Treasures of Tutankhamun, debuted at London's British Museum. This included far more artifacts than any previous version, including the iconic burial mask of the young pharaoh. Some visitors waited as long as eight hours to see these artifacts, and this was the museum's most popular exhibition in its history. Soon, the treasures were traveling around the globe and being shared with audiences in Russia, France, and West Germany. Getting it to the United States wasn't easy, but with President Richard Nixon's involvement, it opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Fine art in 1976, complete with several items that hadn't been featured before and drew in over eight million visitors. The exhibition traveled to other U.S. cities and one in Canada, pulling in millions more. And in the 2000's two new exhibits, Tutankhamun: The Golden Hereafter and Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs had been created and were sent around the world. I caught up with the second exhibit in December of 2008 at the Dallas Museum of Art with my family when I was home for Christmas. They'd done a very nice job creating interesting spaces for the very impressive pieces, which belonged to both King Tut and other Egyptian pharaohs. However, when I came to the end, I was surprised. I realized that I hadn't seen the most famous item of King Tut's tomb, his ornate golden burial mask, anywhere. I even went back to look for it, but had no luck. I was really looking forward to seeing it in person. Later, I learned that it's been deemed to fragile to travel and is on permanent display in Egypt. But what really bothered me is that the Dallas Museum plastered this image all over promotional materials for the exhibit, even covers of magazines and pamphlets, without bothering to mention that it wouldn't be on display there. That seems pretty deceitful, and even smacks of false advertising. So be warned - if you see this treasure featured on any advertisements for exhibitions outside of Egypt, you're not likely to actually find it there. Regardless, I still had a great time seeing all of these amazing items for myself and having a chance to appreciate Howard Carter's greatest achievement all of these years after it was made. As far as the curse goes, I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary since our visit to view the treasures of the tomb - I guess so far, so good!

It's Not Easy Being Queen

2010-11-02T19:08:00.233-04:00

Magnet # 384: Elizabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun's Portrait of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Me

On this day in 1755, Maria Theresa, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, gave birth to the fifteenth of her sixteen children. She named the child, her yougest daughter, Maria Antonia, but the world now knows her by a different name - Marie Antoinette. The girl may not have been her mother's favorite, growing up somewhat neglected as Maria Theresa foucsed on marrying off Maria Antonia's older siblings in the best matches possible. But, as she grew, she was not without charms of her own - she had beauty, incredible poise and grace, and became a talented dancer and musician. Interestingly enough, Maria Antonia ended up advancing when members of her family died off from smallpox. As she had caught the disease early in life, she was immune. And because Maria Theresa wanted to marry off one of her daughters to the fourteen-year-old Louis Auguste, the Dauphin of France and heir to the throne, Maria Antonia was the only option left. She married Louis in April of 1770 at the age of fourteen without ever meeting him, performing the ceremony by proxy in Vienna with her brother standing in for the groom. It was then that she became known as Marie Antoinette, Dauphine of France. By May, she had been sent to France, where she took part in a ceremonial wedding on the 16th. As is well-known, the pair didn't consummate their union for over seven years, a fact which brought the young bride a great deal of grief. Her mother, who had become Holy Roman Empress, wrote to her often, berating her for failing to tempt her husband, and even went so far as to suggest she had lost her beauty and grace. She became a source of stress for her daughter rather than one of comfort. And combined with her husband's neglect, these difficulties drove Marie Antoinette to drown her sorrows in gambling and spending considerable sums of money on clothing and accessories. Many of the French elite , who had a longtime distrust of Austria, had wanted Louis to marry a Saxon princess instead. But initially, the people of France did find her charming. However, when Louis XV died and her husband was crowned King Louis XVI in 1775, the pair still hadn't produced a child, and rumors of Marie Antoinette's indiscretions ran wild, prompting her to become even more frivolous in her spending. Her husband gave her Petit Trianon, a small chateau on the grounds of Versailles which had once belonged to Madame de Pompadour and soon, there were claims that she was covering its walls with diamonds and gold. But finally, in 1777 her older brother, now Holy Roman Emperor Joseph came for a visit Versailles and he spoke privately with the King about the fact that he hadn't sired an heir. Thanks to his intervention, Marie Antoinette gave birth to the couple's first child in 1778. She went on to have more children, and her oldest son died, but by then, the people of France had firmly turned against the monarchy. Although the Queen likely never suggested they eat cake - that remark is now believed to have been made by Louis XIV's wife Marie Therese - she did continue to spend with gusto. She also gave her husband political advice, but it usually backfired. The family finally fled in 1791, but they were discovered and brought back. Even then, Marie Antoinette continued to communicate with Austria, giving them secrets and hoping that her brother would save them. But, of course, that never happened - a mob threw them in prison on August 10th of 1792 and Louis XVI was beheaded less than half a year later. The former Queen was tried and accused with outrageous charges, then given almost no time to mount a defense. Worst of all, her son was beaten and forced to claim that the two had engaged in unnatural relations. At this, even some of the women who had demanded her death took her side. Still, she was found guilty and sentenced to death. Even until the end, Marie Antoinette maintained her dignity and her final words were an apology to the executioner when she stepped on his foot. Years later, she and her husband received a proper Christian burial when at the Basilica of St. Denis in Paris. Life had both blessed this woman and given her great difficulties, and her grace under some of the worst of pressures is still inspirational.

The artist who painted this portrait of Marie Antoinette, Elizabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun, is actually the most famous female painter of the eighteenth century. Her father, an artist, first taught her how to draw, but died when she was only twelve. But she continued to practice, eventually producing professional portraits and becoming a member of the Academie. She wisely married a painter and art dealer and her paintings of the French nobility caught Marie Antoinette's attention. Over a six year period, she created over thirty portraits of the Queen and her royal family, eventually becoming known as Marie Antoinette's official portraitist. With her husband, Vigee Le Brun toured northern Europe, learning from works by the Flemish masters and painting portraits of the local royalty. When she returned to France, Marie Antoinette's patronage proved to be of great importance, opening doors to organizations that might have otherwise remained shut. But when the monarch fell, Vigee Le BrunVigee Le Brun would have ever elevated to such a high degree without the patronage of Marie Antoinette. Though many have slandered her during her life and after, this slain monarch is clearly more complicated than many have given her credit for. Be she saint, sinner, or something in between, she continues to fascinate us all these years after her birth. Not only has her legend outshone that of all her fifteen siblings, she's even more famous than her formidable mother, and our interest in Marie Antoinette will keep this troubled, yet determined, figure with us for many years to come.

Famous Last Words

2010-11-01T19:39:00.172-04:00

Magnet # 383: Davy Crockett Quote

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Dad

It was on this day in 1835 that Davy Crockett made good on his word, leaving his home in West Tennessee and heading off to Texas with three other explorers. Many tend to think of him as a frontiersman from Tennessee and a hero who perished in the Alamo, but forget that he was also a Congressman. Early in life, he joined the Tennessee Militia and was voted Lieutenant Colonel and got his first taste of leadership. He'd grown up the fifth of nine children. Soon, Crockett was pursuing a life in public service, becoming a justice of the peace, town commissioner, and later served in the Tennessee legislature. After one unsuccessful run for Congress, he was able to win a seat in the United States of Representatives in 1827. His time there was hardly uneventful - his opposition to President Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal act caused him to lose his re-election bid. But he ran once more in 1833, winning again. And in 1835, he faced yet another tough fight to keep his seat. It was then that he spoke the words that would shape the rest of his life "I told the people of my district that I would serve them faithfully as I had done; but it not...you may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas." He lost by a narrow margin. For some time, Crockett had been contemplating a move west to Texas, where he could perhaps have a better shot at a successful political career and make a fortune as a land agent. And he was particularly interested in their fight for independence. So, true to his fateful statement, he kissed his family goodbye with the intent of sending for them later and left for greener pastures. At nearly every stop along his journey, crowds gathered to hear the famous frontiersman speak. By 1836, Crockett and his entourage had made it to Texas, where they took the oath of government and were promised around 4,600 acres of land. He met with other fighters there, including James Bowie, before heading to the Alamo. He arrived on February 8th, meeting with a force of about 187 men. And nearly all of the were shocked when Santa Anna showed up with well over 2,000 soldiers before the month was up. Crockett and the men at the Alamo didn't back down, holding off the force for almost two weeks. But, as we all know, the Alamo finally fell, and Crockett died when it did. There are conflicting accounts as to how the fighter actually went. One tells that some of the men surrendered, only to perish when Santa Anna order their execution, and that Crockett was among them. Based on his many documented, bold actions, that story is somewhat difficult to swallow. But one survivor of the conflict, a former American slave named Ben who had served as cook for one of the Mexican officers, maintained that Crockett didn't die easily. According to him, the body of the "King of the Wild Frontier" was found surrounded by well over a dozen Mexican corpses and that his knife had been shoved deep into one of them. Along with the other defenders of the Alamo, Crockett's body suffered the indignity of being stripped and burned per Santa Anna's wishes. We're still not quite sure what happened to their ashes. Some think that they were buried a year later under a peach tree in a simple wooden coffin, but another in the San Fernando Cathedral, located in San Antonio, is said to hold them. Fortunately, we don't need to know where these bodies are nowadays to honor the bravery and sacrifice of Crockett and the other defenders of the Alamo.

I don't think Crockett made it out to Lake Travis, just outside of Austin, in his travels, but the Oasis, a popular restaurant there, still featured his memorable quote on their magnet. It's proof of just how popular he has stayed over the years. There was a time after his death when few remembered Davy Crockett. But thanks to Disney's 1950's television programs, his legend was reintroduced to a new generation, and it hasn't died away with subsequent ones. He's been portrayed by some rather noteworthy entertainers, including Billy Bob Thornton, Johnny Cash, and even the legendary John Wayne in the 1960 film The Alamo, which he also produced and directed. Wayne had actually planned on playing the much smaller part of Sam Houston so he could focus on his other duties, but his financiers convinced him to play a lead. It's actually become one of his most famous roles. Crockett may have died a premature death at the Alamo, but it doesn't seem as though his legend will follow him to the grave. He continues to fascinate us with his rough and rugged, yet honest, ways and it's just a matter of time before another actor takes on this iconic role.

One Final Gasp

2010-10-31T19:59:00.163-04:00

Magnet # 382: Haunted Savannah

Material: Rubber

Purchased By: Me

I hope you're all having a Happy Halloween! Let's face it, how could I not finish up my month of creepy posts in my own city of Savannah, which has been dubbed "America's Most Haunted?" And with a magnet like this, you know we take that title seriously! I was so excited when I came upon it during a trip to the Savannah History Museum earlier this year with my family. I think the fountain featured on here is supposed to be the city's most prominent one, in Forsyth Park. And while I've never heard of it being haunted - particularly by a host of skeletons - the nearby Mansion on Forsyth Park is located in a former funeral home and the ghost of a teenager named Lottie who once lived there supposedly haunts it. The restaurant there is kind of pricey, but I've eaten dinner there a couple of times and seen the haunted hearse tours pull up and stop outside on the street. It's funny to watch them out there, but I've never noticed anything unusual in my limited time at the restaurant. But this is hardly the only eatery in town that is said to be home to the supernatural, nor is it the most notorious.

Moon River Brewing Company opened in 1999 at what was once Savannah's first hotel, the City Hotel. It was built back in 1821 and saw a great deal of people pass through its halls over the years, including the Marquis de Lafeyette and James Audubon. But perhaps its most dubious resident was James Jones Stark, a man who loved to gamble and drink and had a pretty poor reputation. He didn't care much for the city's physician, Dr. Philip Minus, perhaps because the other man was Jewish, and when Starke lost to him in a game of horseshoes, the situation only worsened. He disparaged Minus so much that the two of them scheduled a duel, but it failed to happen. But the pair continued to argue and finally Minus showed up at the City Hotel to confront Stark, who was in his room, writing a letter. Stark started down the stairs to meet the doctor, but before he could reach the bottom, Minus shot him in front of everyone in the room. Stark died from his wound, but when Minus was arrested and tried for murder, but he maintained that he was afraid Stark would harm him. The jury acquitted him for his actions - after all, he was an important member of the community. Now that his murderer has gone free, it's believed that J.J. Stark has only gotten angrier. He's been terrorizing the third floor and people on the stairs heading to it. The wife of a foreman repairing the building in the 1990s was apparently pushed down them by an unseen force. Others have been slapped and touched, and bottles have been broken, and this violent behavior is usually attributed to Stark's ghost. But he's not the only one around Moon River. Another that's been dubbed Tony is said to frequent the billiard room, where he also pushes anyone he perceives to be an intruder. Some have even claimed to spot a woman in white throughout the structure. With all of this unusual activity, Moon River has received plenty of attention from paranormal investigators. The Ghost Hunters visited in 2005, Ghost Adventures guys later spent a night there. Both were a little unnerved by the place. One fact that's interesting about Moon River is that much of it is unchanged since the 1800s. Of course, that's mainly because bad, unusual things tend to happen whenever renovation attempts are made.

It's funny that Moon River is considered to be one of the most haunted spots in Savannah, because it's also one of the restaurants here where I've spent the most time. One of my classmates really liked their Buffalo Wings and the fact that it's the only local bar that brews their own beer, so we used to hang out there between classes. We got to know the staff pretty well, and one bartender told once us just how haunted it is and that she didn't like to be there alone at night. I had even attended a couple of private parties in the basement over the years, but I never realized that it was one of the most reportedly haunted spots in the building at the time. But a couple of months ago, my friend Lindsay came to Savannah with her family for a visit and we stopped by Moon River for dinner. She's an avid fan of Ghost Adventures and the hostess actually told us one of the guys from the show had been in the night before. Well, we were too late to meet him, but we did get permission to check out the rest of the place. The second floor was a bit dilapidated, but we didn't get any bad vibes there. They warned us not to go to the third floor and judging by the condition of the stairs, I wouldn't have wanted to. And no, we didn't see the spectre of J.J. Stark heading down them toward us. But once we had reached the basement, Lindsay said she started to have a creepy feeling. It did seem a bit more ominous down there. She even said that she felt warmth coming out from one spot on the wall, but I didn't get the same sensation when I held my hand there. Still, it was fun to check out a place I'd been many times, but from a rather different perspective.

Well, once again we've come to an end of the creepy posts. This really is my favorite time of the year to do this blog, and I've already made a list of all of the magnets I have left to post next year - so far, I have 13. That's not a bad sign, right? Anyway, I hope you've all had a great Halloween and my posts have helped you get into the mood for the season!

Death Valley and the Maiden

2010-10-30T18:22:00.141-04:00

Magnet # 381: Death Valley Basin Photo

Material: Metal, Paper, Mylar Shell

Purchased By: Mom & Dad

Sometimes, I have to wonder if Congress doesn't have a sense of humor, because this one is worthy of a joke. What National Park was established on Halloween? Why, that would be Death Valley, of course! Yep, tomorrow marks the 16th anniversary of when it became the National Park. Prior to then, it had been a National Monument since 1933. I'm not sure if the particular date of its conversion to a National Park was intentional, or just a coincidence. In another odd twist, the settlers who first made it to Death Valley and gave it that forboding name entered on Christmas Day of 1849. And it was just three days shy of becoming a National Monument on Valentine's Day - instead, it happened on February 11th. Just what is it with Death Valley and holidays?

Despite its rather unsettling name, Death Valley is apparently not haunted. At least, I couldn't find any tales of visitors having unusual experiences there. However, in nearby Death Valley Junction an old structure known as the Amagarosa Opera House and Hotel stands. And this place has made it on lists of some of the most haunted hotels in the country. It was built in the 1920s as part of a company town, where pretty much all of the buildings were owned by the Pacific Coast Borax Company, which mined in the area. The opera house started off as a Civic Center for the town and was constructed in a U-shape. While it had hotel rooms and offices, it also included a great variety of activities for the miners, including an ice cream parlor, a gymnasium, and a billiard room. Perhaps its largest feature was Corkhill Hall, located at the northeastern end of the complex. A large hall, it was used for all sorts of gatherings - dances, town meetings, movie viewings, church services - and even funerals at times. By 1927, the Civic Center had been remodeled and renamed the Amagarosa Hotel. But by the mid-1960's, it had been abandoned and fallen into disrepair. As the story goes, actress, singer, painter, and dancer Martha Becket came to the place by chance at that time when she and her then-husband when they got a flat tire during a road trip. She was able to catch a glimpse of the theatre inside the dilapidated Spanish Colonial Revival style adobe building. And she was inspired to rent the hall, restore it, put on performances there, and begin a four-year long process of painting an incredibly involved mural on its walls. She renamed her creation the Amargosa Opera House. Becket often ended up putting on performances there that nobody saw, as Death Valley Junction really is a ghost town - it currently has a population of about 20. But word caught on about the determined artist, particularly thanks to mentions in National Geographic and Life. And with assistance and legal advice from friends, she was able to purchase her hall and hotel, and through the Amargosa Opera House, Inc., she bought the town of Death Valley Junction. Beckett continued to perform there until the end of the 2008-09 season. Now 86, she still remains very involved at the Amagarosa Opera House and Hotel.

Try as I might, I wasn't able to find as much information on the hauntings at Amagarosa Opera House and Hotel as I'd have liked. One of the ghosts which may haunt it is that of a young girl who drowned at one of the buildings toward the back of the complex. In the hotel, Room 9 supposedly has the most unusual activities going on. And Room 24 has been nicknamed the "baby crying room," as so many guests have complained that they've heard a wailing child in it, even though none are checked in. Others have apparently heard phantom conversations going on, and felt ghosts moving through their rooms as they're trying to sleep. Some guests have gone do far as to flee in the middle of the night. There's even an abandoned section of the hotel that's not been renovated. It looks rather forlorn and the staff have dubbed it "spooky hollow." And in the theatre, a spectral cat is said to have come onstage during Becket's performances, interrupting her. The Ghost Adventures crew have actually checked out the Amagarosa Opera House and Hotel for themselves, but the episode hasn't aired yet. It's scheduled to on November 19th, and I'll be watching, interested to see just what they've found out about the unusual stories and occurrences at the historic site. I certainly hope they interview Martha Beckett during their time there - the investigation just wouldn't be complete without her. I think Becket herself has plans to join the spirits of her beloved Amargosa someday. She's even painted a mural depicting herself as a ghost dancing in the ruins of the structure. Her life is very clearly divided into two halves - one, before she saw the decaying buildings at Death Valley Junction, and the other has been her time spent there. Her love for this place is so great, it's hard to imagine even death will keep her away from the Amagarosa Opera House and Hotel and its harsh, desert surroundings.

Lost But Not Forgotten

2010-10-28T18:13:00.004-04:00

Magnet # 380: Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

Material: Resin

Purchased By: Me

This Halloween season, I've been indulging in one of my favorite creepy activities - watching lots of programs on the Travel Channel about haunted spots all over the world. I particularly enjoy the shows on haunted lighthouses and hadn't quite realized just how many Oregon has until this year. So I took to the web, and was able to find a site where I bought a nice supply of very attractive magnets from the Beaver State. Best of all, they even arrived in time for me to include them in this year's spooky posts. I've decided to include this one featuring the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse this year, and save the rest for later. Years ago, one particularly chilling event at this lonely site forever changed the way it's viewed, and even now people are intrigued by the mystery at Yaquina Bay.

The Yaquina Bay Lighthouse has seen just about the least amount of activity of any lighthouse in the country - it was used for a mere three years. It was first lit on November 3rd of 1871 to serve as a beacon for the very popular nearby port. But it proved to be incapable of keeping up with the growing traffic and just four miles to the north, the taller Yaquina Head Lighthouse was constructed. At its completion, the Fresnel lens was removed from the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse and it was abandoned for about fourteen years. There were rumors that in 1874 a Captain Evan MacClure, who had once commanded the whaling ship Monkton but had been mutinied against by his crew and put to sea in a small boat had perished and was looking for a place to stay. People claimed to see his spectre traveling along the coast, complete with red hair and a skeleton face, and believed that he had taken up a sort of residency in the empty lighthouse. And some even said he was looking for a companion. Later, the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse was used intermittently by the U.S. Lifesaving Service and the U.S. Coast Guard, who made repairs but also eventually left the structure to the elements. It was during one of its periods of desertion that the lighthouse received a group of young visitors. Among them was Muriel Travenard, a teenage girl who had been born at sea to a captain and his wife, who had passed away when Muriel was young. She sailed with her father for some time, but he eventually took her to Newport, Oregon, where he left her behind with some friends as he took what should have been a short trip to deliver goods. For months, she awaited her father's return, and was taken in by a group of travelers. With them, she took trips all over the area, and they finally decided to visit one of the few spots they hadn't explored - the lonely Yaquina Bay Lighthouse. They were able to borrow a set of keys and ventured out to have a look around. As the legend goes, the group entered the empty structure and began to look around, a bit shocked by its state of disrepair. They soon came upon a curious iron plate on the floor of the second story. They pried it open and were amazed to find it covered a deep hole with no visible end. Leaving the plate open, they continued on with searching the house and its surroundings. By the end of the day, when they were ready to leave, Muriel realized she'd left a handkerchief or shawl behind in the house. She went back alone, at her insistence, to get it. Her friends waited for her, but she didn't return. Some versions of the story claim they heard three horrific cries for help come from the house. At last, they returned to the lighthouse, calling out to the girl. And when they came upon a pool of warm blood, they were stunned. Drops of blood led in a trail to the iron door, which was now closed. Try as they might, the group couldn't get it open again. Some say they even found a bloody handkerchief there. And althought they brought in reinforcements to search the area, they never found Muriel, or managed to open the mysterious door. And sadly, her father never came back for her. Gone, Muriel might have eventually been forgotten, but it seems as though she's had other plans.

Visitors to the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse now claim to see bloodstains in the floor which never seem to go away, no matter how hard some try to remove them. And some have even said they've spotted the ghost of Muriel herself, looking down at them from the lantern room, standing on the landing of the second story, or walking a path behind the lighthouse. Others have apparently encountered the ghost of Captain MacClure. They've also supposedly heard Muriel crying and hold that when the weather gets bad, she becomes even more agitated. And one couple whose daughter was married at the lighthouse say that Muriel may have made an appearance in a photo that was taken of the bride on the staircase. Of course, the mystery of just what happened to poor Muriel continues to stir interest. One theory is that the tunnel was used to shanghai sailors to use on ships, and a fate similar to that may have befallen her. Or perhaps a person was living in that hole and he killed the girl, then dragged her body in. And there's always the small chance that the ghost of Captain MacClure got her. It's impossible to know what Muriel encountered that day, but by all accounts, it was awful. As for the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, by the 1940's, it was scheduled for demolition, but through the efforts of a local campaign and a generous donation from a wealthy industrialist, the historic site was saved. And on December 7, 1996 it was lit for the first time in over a century thanks to a loan of a 250mm modern optic from a lighthouse historian. Now, the light from the once dim structure can reach as far as six miles. It's open to the public, so stop by if you want a chance to see the Captain or Muriel. But learn from her mistake and don't wander away from your group. The Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is not a place where it's wise to venture off on your own!