ABC Wednesday--G

G is for George.

Do you know George?

Everyone should know George. You can meet him and read about some of his antics at Finding Life Hard. His people are pretty cool, too.

We visited George, Liz, and Mike in Wales. It was one of the  highlights of our trip.

George was a bit upset that he didn't get to help take us to the station.

George is out of sequence in the story of our trip, but perfectly in sequence for ABC Wednesday's arrival at the letter G. See what else starts with G at ABC's link site.

Drinking Study
A new study shows that heavy drinkers outlive non-drinkers... especially the non-drinkers who get killed by drunk drivers.



Bad Back to School
Retailers are not having a good back to school season as receipts are weak. This is actually a stimulus for Millions of middle school bullies who can now continue to make fun of the nerdy kids' hand-me-down clothes.



Bag Ban Bagged
The California's legislature was unable to pass a state-wide ban on plastic bags. The bill was killed when some lawmakers realized a bag ban could stop concerned citizens from putting one over Ariana Huffington's head.



Kerry is the Richest
Senator John Kerry remains the richest member of Congress, with his wealth increasing by another $20 million in 2009. So instead of fighting the taxes to dock his yacht in Massachusetts, Kerry is just going to buy Massachusetts.



New Ford Cop Car
Ford is now making a new version of the Explorer to be used as a police cruiser. Cops are expected to mostly use the SUV to aid stranded motorists in broken down cars made by GM.





September 1st


1836: Narcissa Whitman, one of the first English-speaking white women to settle west of the Rocky Mountains arrives at Walla Walla, Washington and immediately sets up a mayonnaise plantation.


1864: Confederate General John Bell Hood evacuates Atlanta, Georgia after enduring a four-month siege by General Sherman and three weeks of Atlanta Braves broadcasts.


1897: The Boston subway opens, becoming the first underground rapid transit system to exclusively transport drunk people.

Hadrian's Wall

Back in the year 122, the Emperor Hadrian traveled to the limits of the Empire to check things out. Rather than try to expand further, he decided that it would be wise to consolidate and strengthen the existing expanse of Roman territory. Visiting Roman England, he ordered that a wall be built--to keep the barbarian Picts from crossing into the Empire and making mischief.

You see, there was trouble from the Scots even then. My Scots husband had no trouble going down the steep hill on this portion of the wall trail. Myself, I was scooting down one stepping stone at a time on my seat.

The wall stretched from the Irish Sea on the west to the North Sea on the east--about 73 modern miles. From Carlisle to Newcastle--from the River Solway to the River Tyne--portions of the wall are still intact and the route of the wall makes up the popular trail.

It was eight to ten feet wide and 15 feet high. In a few portions of the path, you actually walk ON the wall, not just beside it.

It was not just a wall. Small forts called milecastles were built into it every Roman mile. There were gates opening to the north (not everyone on that side was feared.)

And several large forts were built as well.

the ruins of Houseteads--one of the larger forts

Since the Hadrian's Wall Path shares itself with sheep pasture, there are some means of keeping them in place. These gates do not assume that everyone will remember to close the gate behind them. And in some places, instead of a gate, there is a stile.

We hiked along just a few miles of Hadrian's Wall. We would like to go back to walk more of the wall and see the ruins of the Roman town of Vindolanda, where civilian artifacts have recently been found, including typical letters home.

Details, Details....

Elsie de Wolfe said "Good dressing is largely a question of details and accessories." This applies to dressing people and rooms. The details of pulling together a room are often the most fun to design. Trim, pillows, lampshades, decorative accessories, books, objets d'art - all of these are the icing on the cake that define a room and make it sparkle.

On a recent project we have had the pleasure of working with a client whose parents' decorator in New York was Sister Parish. There have been many beautiful pieces of furniture, artwork and accessories with which to work. We are looking forward to sharing that project when it is complete in the Fall.

Fortunately, the kind client saved an old lampshade of his mother's for us - I love the detail and scale of it. It is no longer usable (the silk is falling apart), but I wanted to save it for inspiration and to perhaps copy the detail. The lampshade has a beautiful detailed top and bottom, with shirred gray silk. We just don't see shades like this anymore.

I wonder if this came from a Parish/Hadley design?





Click on the images to enlarge.

ps - this lamp is not what the shade calls for, but I needed a place to put the shade.

Some women´s dream or nightmare

Some of my female blog-friends have more than once described their frustration of their male partner´s passion - Football -.

Perhaps this video may give their wet dreams a reality wakeup.
Fonte Nova Stadium was Sunday demolished to make way for a new stadium in Brazil hosting World Cup in 2014.
Start saving money and planning for the vacation and journey to-day.

G is for Greek Gates and Gateways

Found on the Greek island of Crete

Today's post is an Entry in round SEVEN of ABC Wednesday, the meme initiated by Denise Nesbitt. For more, you can log on via the ABC site.

McCourt-Room Battle
L.A. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt is now battling his estranged wife Jamie in divorce court. Making matters worse is the fact that as Dodgers fans, both McCourts insist on leaving the courthouse an hour before the hearings are actually over.




Obama Speech
During an Oval Office address tonight, President Obama will announce the withdrawal of all U.S. combat troops from Iraq. Americans are set to celebrate in hopes that one of those returning troops has a clue on how to fix the economy.



Terror Arrests
Two Arab men from the Detroit area were arrested in Amsterdam in what looks like a "test run" for a future terror attack. The New York Times and MSNBC are expected to report on this story just as soon as they're finished discussing the real threats from Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin.



Grades for Cars
The EPA is planning to put letter grades on all new cars based on fuel efficiency. It's not clear what the government will do with all the GM cars that are going to be left back.



Concussion Spike
A new report shows a rise in concussions for college football players... which explains why so many of them are still willing to play for Lane Kiffin.






August 31st


1218: Al-Kamil becomes Sultan of Egypt, Syria, and manager of the East Toledo 7-11.


1980: Zimbabwe establishes diplomatic relations with Algeria. But today, they’re not even friends on Facebook.


1997: Diana, Princess of Wales, her companion Dodi Al-Fayed and driver Henri Paul die in a car crash in Paris. Her former sister-in-law, Sarah Ferguson, rushes to scene in hopes of devouring the corpses.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

We didn't have to range too far to see some of the sights of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Our hotel was just half a block from the station--indeed, our window looked over the station but the room was quiet.  Not so the streets on a Saturday night. We'd been told that Newcastle was the in place for a weekend party, and there was a lot of partying going on about. We were ready to hit the sack, though, so after a meal, we waited till the morning to have a good look around. Just down the road to the right, St. Nicholas Cathedral (Church of England) and to the left, the Cathedral Church of St. Mary (Roman Catholic) where we attended Sunday morning Mass. It dates only back to the mid-1800s, the Gothic Revival design was the work of architect Augustus Welby Pugin, and its stained glass windows are significant.

The statue of Cardinal Hume in the memorial garden makes a lovely spot to reflect.

Like any British city which has been around for a very long time, Newcastle has--a CASTLE!!!

...and like any good city on a river--the River Tyne--Newcastle has some fascinating bridges. (oh, Geometry for Monday!!!)

We used Newcastle as a starting point to get to Hadrian's Wall, but there is lots else about the city. On the weekend, it is party hardy; there's a huge exhibition center for science and related exhibits; but sometimes all you need is just a spot to sit and philosophize.

Next stop, Hadrian's Wall, then on the Lincoln and another great blogger meet-up. Yes, Stewart, we are almost there.

House of the Week

This beautiful Keith Summerour designed house is located on one of the most desirable streets in Buckhead. Built in 1995, its simplicity, perfect execution and European charm draw you in immediately. The house is currently for sale, and is listed by Studie Young of Harry Norman.
















all exterior photos above via Whitehaven

A few pictures of the interiors from the listing. Click here to see the full listing by Harry Norman.