Month: January 2022

Some handpainted goodness from Selma, Alabama

There are a lot of ways to spell barbecue barbeque bbq bar-b-q bar-b-que bar-b-cue

and here we have bar-be-que

In November, we spent part of one morning enjoying Hattiesburg, Mississippi’s Pocket Museum — the “Tiniest Museum in Mississippi” which has even had a mention in the Washington Post.

The public is invited to submit collections for consideration to being featured — really, it’s an alley next to the Saenger, so there’s lots of room all around for little installations.

Because we’re the kind of people who get excited about new hotels opening, we really couldn’t wait to see what Marriott had done with the art deco Threefoot building in downtown Meridian, Mississippi. Branding it Tribute Portfolio means that — in Marriott’s terms — it’s one of their “characterful, independent hotels drawn together by its passion for captivating design drive to create vibrant social scenes for guests and locals alike” and that’s really just a lot of words in wonky phrasing that could probably mean a lot of things. Here, list of Tribute Portfolio hotels.

In 2003, I took this pic of downtown Meridian, before the MSU Riley Center had opened and downtown was looking more empty than anything. That big building is the Threefoot.

Threefoot came about when the Dreyfuss family came to the US and had their name anglicized.

We’ve been following what’s going on with this building forever. Back in 2014, Av was invited inside and took these pics:

When we stayed at the Threefoot in late November right after they opened:

The staff was very nice; the room seemed small (though it’s an old building, so…)

…but the bathroom was rather spacious in comparison.

We’d definitely stay here again, and I’m glad we had this opportunity to see more of the building, but the room itself didn’t exude a particular charm (that could have likely been more easily achieved had the designers embraced the built-in art deco design elements that are already here rather than create a space that would be home…anywhere) that would lend itself to “can’t wait for next time” status.

In that category currently — I can’t wait to get back to: Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans // Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas // Mansion on Forsyth Park, Savannah // 21C Museum Hotel, Bentonville // The Driskill, Austin // St Anthony Hotel, San Antonio // Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

Weidmann’s
Since 1870
Meridian MS, 2021.

In November, we visited Mooresville, Alabama and wound up using a pic I took of the boys at the 1839 Old Brick Church as our holiday card

It’s been used as both a Baptist mission and Methodist church and now belongs to the town of Mooresville

It can be rented for ceremonies.

This is the pic we used for our Chanukah cards (I like using Touchnote to make sending the cards so easy)

Here on the top of the steeple, a hand with finger pointing toward Heaven:

The only other church I know of with that particular feature is the 1859 First Presbyterian Church in Port Gibson, Mississippi:

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One of my groups here is thinking of putting together a program with 1818 Farms in Mooresville. They have classes on things like raising backyard chickens, wreath making, and flower arranging.

 

Mailbox Menagerie
early artsy attempt, further processed on my iPhone with Hipstamatic, probably, when Hipstamatic was everything
Ishkooda community, Birmingham AL, 2010.