Cold day with the Iron Man

Today was not a good day for farming. It was cold and windy. I still have to do my job; like everyone else. I fed my chickens, checked on my cabbages, and fixed wholes in the greenhouse. Once I finished my usual morning chores on the farm I decided to take a drive around town. I was driving up highway 31 south towards Homewood when it hit me... I have never been to Vulcan Park and Museum.

It wasn't until I was driving up that big hill that I realized high Vulcan's spear reached. He's 56 feet tall! And that isn't including his pedestal; which is another 120 feet. Making him a grand total of 176 feet. (You never know when you will have to do some math.) Because measurements interest me I began to think of him in inches. How many inches tall is the statue and pedestal. I converted 176 feet into inches with a conversion formula; 1 ft/12 in=176 ft/? in. So ?= 176 x 12... Making it 1221 inches tall.

Then I walked around the grounds and read a lot about the city. I saw interpretive signage about the role Jones Valley played in Birmingham's history. I was going to go up the tower, but it was so windy that I was worried I would blow away. I did go inside the tower. There a docent told me about the beautiful marble work and showed me some butterfly wings on the wall. That made for a fun picture.

My favorite part of the museum was the temporary exhibit entitled "La Storia." It was a beautifully written story about italian immigrants in the Birmingham. You may think what do italian immigrants have to do with Vulcan, but Vulcan was built by Giuseppe Morretti, an italian immigrant. The exhibit tells about struggles they faced, where they lived, what they ate, their religion, and MUCH more. What struck me the most about this exhibit were the artifacts. There were trunks, shoes, religious iconography, and so many beautiful photos. Italian immigrants played a huge role in Birmingham's history, but I never knew that. Most of our grocers were owned by italian immigrants. They placed an importance on food and brought this with them. Something that a lot of us see in Birmingham today. The Director of Education was able to give me quick tour and explain a few things to me. I got some video of it to share with you all.

All in all it was a good day to take a trip around Birmingham. If you have not been up to Vulcan Park and Museum to visit the park or tour the museum I suggest you try it. I never knew there was so much history and knowledge sitting on top of Red Mountain.

Buddies and Books

I love to read. Sometimes I buy books, but mostly I go to the public library. Being in the library smelling all of those books, old and new, is my happy place. When I can't work in the garden because it's snowing, raining, or too hot, I head to the library. There I always find a new adventure waiting for me. 

Last time I went to the library I made a new a friend, Avery. Avery is in fourth grade and we like the same books do we decided to start a book club. Book clubs are a great way to grow as a reader. 

Last week Avery and I started "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott. At first my favorite character was Amy. Avery explained that her favorite character was Jo. She said that Jo stood for the changes that were happening with women at that time. I hadn't thought about that. 

Reading and discussing my thoughts helped me better understand how I felt. It also helped open my eyes to other ideas. I also like to journal as I read. Sometimes when I go back I realize that I completely changed how I felt. 

Because my library is often busy I downloaded their app. It helps me to reserve a book. If they don't have it it shows me who does or how far away it is. Go to your public library if you haven't been in a while. You might make a new friend! 

Marriage and Measurements

My friend, Elizabeth, that I rarely get to see came into town this morning for a wedding dress fitting. I'm a farmer so I can safely say that wedding dresses are not really my thing. Since I don't get to see her very often I decided to tag along for the fitting. I must admit that I was bored to tears at first. Watching her walk out and show me her dress and shoes were not exciting. Then the seamstress started taking measurements and my attention peaked.

The first time Elizabeth got her measurements her waist was a 40 inches and her hips measured at 42 inches. She was not happy! She had a couple months and she took advantage of it by trying to lose weight. She started running and taking a closer look at what she was eating. Before she knew it her clothes were fitting better and she was feeling good about herself. At her second fitting her waist was 36 inches and her hips were 39 inches. She lost four inches on her waist and three on her hips.

When I was in school we talked about measurements and I never thought I would see it in this setting. I talked to the seamstress while she worked on Elizabeth's dress. She explained to me that math and measurement play a very big role in her job. If she is off a little bit from improperly measuring or she did not get her math correct she would would lose customers. I decided to take a closer look at measurements. The instrument you measure with plays a HUGE role. The seamstress could not measure Elizabeth with a ruler, but where else do you see inches? The seamstress uses what is called a sewing tape measure.

When I think of measurements in real life I always think of cooking. It would have never crossed my mind to think about wedding dresses when thinking about measurements. I wonder if there is something in your life that makes you think about measurements besides cooking? Now I am seeing nothing but numbers in my everyday life.

Red Beans & Rice

Being a farmer I am surrounded by good food. Knowing the history of where some of my favorite foods come from is also important to me. It helps me better understand a communities culture. Food can expose you to a communities struggles; it can show you how they celebrate. Besides loving food,  I love traveling. When I travel I like to immerse myself in the culture. An important part of this is eating local cuisine.

This week I took a trip to New Orleans, Louisiana. Whenever I go to NOLA I always head straight to the French Quarter to get some red beans and rice. Red beans and rice are delicious. They are red beans that have been slowly cooked with the trinity, andouille sausage, big pieces of pork, and some thyme. The red beans get serves over white rice and I always put some hot sauce on mine. The trinity is made up of onions, bell peppers, and celery. It's called the trinity because New Orleans is a very Catholic town. When you eat to learn about a culture you see that food and religion are often tied together.

Red beans and rice aren't just tasty they represent New Orleans. Red beans came to New Orleans from Haiti. People enslaved in Haiti fought back against sugar plantation owners. Some plantations owners fled to New Orleans taking red beans with them. New Orleans is a melting pot of cultures. Eventually the red beans got mixed with other cultures to create a VERY New Orleans dish. If you would like to try it for yourself I have attached a wonderful recipe.

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/red-beans-and-rice

Jones Valley Urban Farms

This morning was dreary and I really did not want to get out of bed. After a few cups of coffee I was ready to face the cold wind and head to my meeting at Jones Valley Teaching Farm. This meeting was to discuss the importance of farming in urban communities. Rural areas have exposure to fresh grown vegetables or people have the opportunity to have their own gardens. A lot of people in Birmingham's urban communities have to drive out just to get to a grocery store.

The Jones Valley Teaching Farm grows vegetables and supplies people in the community with weekly vegetables boxes for little or no fee. Not only that; they also expose children to growing fresh fruits and vegetables and their importance. As  a farmer this is VERY important to me. At my meeting we talked about starting a new program where we talk to children about how weather affects what we as farmers end up growing. For example: The sudden snow and ice storms from last year slowed the growth of my Spring vegetables. So instead of getting my carrots and radishes in late April I got them in late May. This may not sound like a big deal, but when your income is based on what you can sell at the Pepper Place markets this is a BIG problem. I cannot wait to show kids how important farming is too all communities. 

After my meeting I was really craving a little snack so I ran by Starbucks. I know! This isn't locally grown, but everyone needs a little treat once in a while. While I was there I made a new friend. Her name is Jill. We ordered the same drink, a grapefruit San Pelligrino. We sat together and talked for a while. She's running for President. She was so nice. I hope to see her again soon.