The Dothan Area Botanical Gardens is a beautiful place for a morning walk, afternoon stroll or a photo session.  We have used it for all three!  The best part is, it is FREE!  There is a brand new building on the property featuring a reception hall and bathrooms!  The later is especially important if you plan on bringing children. 

Here are some highlights from our last visit:  

The fountains are always a huge hit

The Koi pond fascinates the children! Bring the fish food!

Here are some of Schnookums 3 year pictures:

The Lily Garden

Just remember, just because your scenery is lovely doesn't mean the child will smile...

The Rose Garden is so so beautiful!

The hydrangeas are now in bloom and they are AWESOME!!!

Hope you go and enjoy!!!  This really is a beautiful garden!!

Hello Spring!  And what an early hello it is for this Yankee turned Southern Belle.  The idea of not only planting but also harvesting many things before Memorial day is so foreign to me it has taken a good 7 years to get used to!  Strawberries in April!  Beautiful Red Tasty Strawberries!  Yes, it is true and the best place to pick in Dothan is Cottle Farms on 231.

This farm along the highway offers gallon sized buckets of strawberries for $12 or gives you a bucket to pick your own for $10.  I suggest that if you have a few minutes that you pick your own.  I picked 3 gallons in about 45 minutes with 3 kids in tow… who did more eating than picking, as can be expected.  The advantage of picking your own is you get to choose the reddest, ripest berries!  YUMMM!!!  I ate so many after we got home that my oldest daughter chided me and told me that too many would make my tummy sick.  

So, enjoy spring and go get some Strawberries!  Also, for all you other misplaced Yankees, don’t miss the blueberry season which starts in May, not July.  Updates on that to come! 

My very last stop was in the very pleasant shop of Upscale Thrift.  It is right next to Gotta Have it Thrift Shop and the Sound Shop.  It is also open from 9am – 6pm Monday – Saturday.  There was more furniture and household items than children’s items or clothes.  The shop was clean and bright and I enjoyed my time talking with the owner.  Here are some pictures from my visit to give you an idea of what they have.

The children's section with a table/desk for $25! It took all I had to leave it there! I had already spent enough for one day!

Toys and the like

I did not come home with anything but enjoyed wondering around.  I also could not tell you about the prices because I am no good at non-children’s items yet.  But I encourage you to go check it out for yourself!  It is fun to wander around such places!  Here are the some more pictures:

2200 S. Oates St.

I finished up my day of Thrifting at Gotta Have It Thrift Shop and its neighbor Upscale Thrift. (tomorrow’s post)  I have been looking for these two new shops ever since I had heard their advertisement on the radio.  They are on the west side of 231S on the same lot as the Sound Shop.  Both shop’s hours are 9am-6pm Monday-Saturday.

Gotta Have It has clothes and a children’s section, but it also has household items and very nice looking furniture.

Here is the children’s section:

It is small, but it still had some very nice clothing items.  Just about everything is priced $5 except some nice dresses and outfits which were $12.  Brands I saw included, Gap, Little Me, and Kelly’s Kids.  The shop is smallish but clean and bright.

Here is what I came home with:

They were $5 total!  My girls faces lit up like Christmas trees when I walked through the door!  What fun they have had playing with them!  Once upon a time they made horse noises but they don’t even care that they don’t anymore!  I have no idea what these would cost if I bought them at a store… do you?

103 Pettus St. - turn right after the McDonald's

The CSS Thrift Store is one of the nicest charity thrift stores in town.  The store is clean and the volunteers are pleasant.  The prices are much lower than a consignment store but so is the quality of clothing and the shopping atmosphere.  This doesn’t mean that good deals are not to be found.  I was very pleased with my finds!

My main complaint with the store is that they tag their items quite poorly.  Instead of putting them through a seem, they poke them right through the fabric.  This sometimes causes an irreparable hole and could ruin even the best of finds!

Why I still like to shop here is because they are very very cheep.  Children’s clothes are $.50-$2.00 and adult clothes are $2-$5.  I noticed some very nice children’s brands as well as very nice adult brands.  Most of the clothes are in good wearable condition and those that are not are perfect for play.  There just doesn’t seem to be a lot of them at a time.  At any rate, this store is right off of Main St. and if I was in the area, I would stop here.

Their hours are M-F 10am-3:45pm

Now, What did I come home with?

Gap sweatshirt, Gap polo shirt, Children’s Place dinosaur T-shirt, Sanoma navy blue shorts, Parisian khaki shorts, Gap khaki shorts, Old Navy khaki shorts.

CSS Price – $7

Estimated Retail Price – $88

WOW!  It still really pays to stop here if you have a few minutes.

1816 W. Main St. * Dothan, AL 334-793-7231

The first stop I made on my tour of thrift and consignment shops in Dothan was Yard Younguns.  I have never been there before mostly because I had heard that their prices were a bit steep and I was afraid of the parking situation.  Turns out, I had nothing to fear.  There is a nice parking lot behind the house and the prices are really quite reasonable.  Let me take you on a tour!

I walked into this lovely room filled with baby nursery bedding and supplies.

The Check Out counter was in this room and Kim Meredeth, the owner, can be found there to answer questions, make suggestions and help you find what you need.  Because every consignment shop is different, I asked all the pertinent questions.  Here is what I found out:

* She is now taking spring and summer clothing.

* You must bring your clothes on hangers or neatly in a box or bin, no trash bags.

* Yard Younguns is an upscale chlildrens’ consignment shop, she does not take lower brands and will not sort though unprepared clothing.  (Good for her!)

* You receive 50% of the selling price.  This seems quite low, however, your clothes are displayed for an entire season!  No, 30 day this or 60 day that.  The sooner you bring in your clothes, the longer they will be on the floor!  This is awesome because you are more likely to sell all of your clothes!

* At the end of the season, the clothes go to half price and if business is slow, there may be a special sale where the clothes will be discounted to bring in business.

* Because most consigners do sell all but a few of their items, Yard Younguns usually donates the rest.  If you do not want to donate them, be sure to let her know.  Also, you are free to collect your items at any time.

* Saturday February 26th new spring and summer clothes come out.  On this day they will open at 8am.

* Normal hours are – M-F 9:30am-4:30pm and Saturday from 9:00am – 2:00pm

* Inside Yard Younguns is another shop that does monogramming.  Here are some pictures:

I really enjoyed browsing the room with the consigned clothes in it!  Kim explained that some things were out of place because of winter/spring transition, but I didn’t mind.  What a pleasure to see such cute clothing and right now, this week, all the winter items were half off!

Now for the fun part!  What did I come home with?

A Hanna Andersson one piece sweater for B-Bear and a Gymboree dress for Schnookums!

Yard Younguns Price: $14.17

Estimated Retail Price: $98

WOW!  What a deal!  I very much enjoyed shopping at Yard Younguns and do think that I will go back.  I appreciated the cleanliness of the store and the friendly professionalism of Kim and the great quality of the clothing I got at a great price!

We are so glad that Mr. Groundhog did not see his shadow and that spring has come early to the Wiregrass area!  We have spent the last two lunches at Rotary Miracle Field Playground and today came home with sand in our hair!  What fun!

The Rotary Miracle Field Playground opened last August and since then it has been a hit with every kid I know.  It is the biggest playground in Dothan and includes a sand pit, swings and my kids favorite, a spinny slide!  This is one of those slides that has rollers instead of bing just plain flat.  The entire playground is handicap accessible and is designed to allow every child the chance to play.  More can be read about it here and a youtube video of the park is here.

I like this park because there is a fence around it, it has clean bathrooms and a drinking fountain nearby and there is plenty of grassy space to eat a picnic lunch or dinner.

Here are some pictures of a recent trip to the playground:

The Sand Pit has excavation tools that even children in wheel chairs can use!

The small child playground

Some of the musical activities that are available.

My youngest's favorite musical toy - the clanging bars.

A very fun spinny thing that even I cannot resist! :+)

SLIDES!

We follow some of her advice but do not subscribe to her belief that we all descended from some sort of ape who ate a lot of fish and made his brain grow and that is how we became human.  No, we are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God.  Even so, her research and advice are well grounded in common sense and good stewardship. Common grace does abound and is wonderful!

Theological lessons aside, some of the main points I got from her book are:

1. Start at the top of the food chain.  Buy GRASS FED Beef, PASTURED poultry and pork and research the fish you buy to get the best, least contaminated piece of meat. Her book details the why of these but the biggest reason is that animals who eat poor diets will produce poor meat full of the toxins from the grain it eats and its living conditions.

Working Cows Dairy is a great place to get milk here in the southeast. We drink 3 gal a week and for treats get chocolate milk! They are AWESOME! Their web site is also really good; check it out!

2. Also at the top of the food chain is DAIRY.  Purchase raw milk if you can… visit here to read more about this but it is by far the best tasting beverage you will ever drink!  If raw milk is not available, purchase Organic low temp pasteurized, cream rising whole milk.  Here in the southeast, Working Cows Dairy offers such a product.  I am undecided as to the benefits of  purchasing organic milk from large companies in the store.  Sure it doesn’t have pesticides, herbicides and hormones but it is ultra pasteurized and homogenized; processes that so damage the fats that they can be harmful.  I guess if you get milk from the store you should purchase fat free organic milk.  Buy organic butter and cheese when you can. Yogurt is very easy to buy organic.  Even Wal*Mart carries Stonyfield Farm Yogurt.  Cabot products are not organic but they do not use BGH so that is a step in the right direction.  I also notice that Wal*Mart carries Joseph Farms cheese and they also do not use artificial hormones.

3. Grains and Produce – Now if you have enough money and it is available, purchase local organic produce.  If only organic produce from far away is available buy that especially for your root vegetables and the Dirty Dozen.  If all else fails, buy produce the conventional way and don’t worry about it.  Many many studies have been done about the benefits of eating a good amount of fruits and vegetables and they were probably done with conventional fruit, so says Nina Planck.  She makes a good point too.

So, there you have it.  My view on what to eat organic and what to look for first.  It takes time to find these foods.  However I never thought that I would find sustainable, organic farming where I live and was very surprised and happy when I found local family farms.  Look around you and check out www.localharvest.org for help!  Happy Hunting!

I was in Target one day and decided that because I was already there I would just drop off the prescription while I shopped.  I was met by a very nice young lady who spoke in a very pleasant voice; this is important to stressed out mothers.  There was no line or even a place for one.  Obviously these people made it there business to get you out quickly!  ”Come back in 20 min.”  Sweet!  Yes, that is about all the time I need!  I returned and my was ready.  Also, she said that she had flavored it for me because she knew the meds had a reputation for tasting nasty and she hopped that grape would be ok.  ”Thanks and well done Target!”

So, here are my reasons for continuing to go to Target:

1. They are polite, quick and compitent

2. I really like the bottles the meds come in – they make giving medicine so easy!  When I had to fill a prescription at another drug store I very much missed these nice bottles.

3. The prices are no more than Wal*Mart and I have a more peaceful experience at the pharmacy.

4. Target is such a fun store to wander around in for 20 min!!!  I mean, if you HAVE to wander.

So, if you are dissatisfied with your current pharmacy, give Target a try.  Their hours are more limited than a normal drug store but I feel like the personal attention and special bottles are all worth it!

Where do you get your prescriptions filled and why do you like them?

Landmark Park is located North of the circle on 431.  There is a sign telling you where to turn and if you are coming from town, stay in the left hand lane.  You will be turning left into the park.  You have to pay to use the park: Adults $4 and Children $3.  Children 3 and under are free.  You can also purchase a park membership for $60 a year that covers admission for all members of your family as well as admission to special events.

You may be wondering if it is worth the price.  Yes.  I love this park and this year we purchased a membership.  When we go we usually start by feeding the turtles.  There is a lovely nature walk through the woods with a raised wooden walkway.  Totally stroller and kid friendly!  It takes you over a small creek with turtles and fishes.  One day we saw two turtles the size of a medium pizza!  My kids are thrilled with this activity!  If turtle feeding is not your thing, stop by and see the farm animals. They have a horse, pigs, chickens, a goat, sheep and cows.  If you go around 4pm you will be able to help feed them.

After we have seen all the animals we want to see we head over to the playground.  Near the playground is a pavilion where we usually eat lunch.  Then the kids play on the swings and other neat and unique equipment.

Other days when they are open we pop into the general store and drug shop.  The drug shop has a working ice cream bar (in season) and a old time doctor’s office on display in the back.

The special events are also worth coming too.  Some of them include:

There are also events in the summer for the kids.  There are summer day camps, demonstrations with different authorities on fishing, animal husbandry, bee keeping, and wildlife.  Because my children are younger we enjoyed a story time featuring Aesop’s Fables.  The storyteller was very good and told the story in a very animated way.  She also involved the kids in related songs and motion poems.

Landmark Park is a great park and an asset to Dothan.  It is kept running by the money it makes from admission, memberships and yearly fundraisers.  It is well worth the membership or even the occasional extra money it takes to visit.  ENJOY!

If you have been there and would like to add your memories and comments, please do so for others who may visit after you!  Thanks!

My mother’s family came from England by way of South Carolina.  From there, they migrated west into the Wiregrass area of South Alabama and further into Mississippi.  Some went south into Florida.  They were all good Southerners.

Today, I can travel to Dothan, AL and drive northwest along Highway 231 to County Road 18.  Turning to the west, I can drive four tenths of a mile to the gate of a small cemetery on the right hand side of the road.  Buried in the cemetery, my great-great-great grandfather lies next to his wife.

I wonder how many people are capable of standing at the grave of their great-great-great grandparents.  When I was a child, my grandmother brought me to this cemetery and made comments about how we should never forget those who came before us.

She talked of the times in The South after The War.  She said the period of Reconstruction was awful.  She told of how these people in the ground before us lived through that period of history.  Being a young child, incapable of appreciating what she was trying to say, I did not get it.  I had no interest in the stories she was trying to tell.

Now I do.

The stories are fascinating but unfortunately, I can now only acquire them through the broad stroke of history books and general research, rather than the finely detailed stories of my family.  I have actually pieced together some of the family stories through research of historical documents which still bear the names of the family.

Standing in the family cemetery, I look at my great-great-great grandfather’s grave and wonder about his life.  Aris was born in South Carolina in 1802 and died in the Wiregrass in 1880.  He and his wife, Caron, bore a son named John Alexander.

John Alexander married a woman named Rebecca and they, too, lived in the Wiregrass.  Then The War came along.  John, believing as many of his cousins and friends did, felt as though he had to do his part to defend his home against the Northern Aggression.  So he and many of his family and friends joined the 15 Alabama Infantry becoming members of Co. G.  He marched off to war leaving behind his home in the Wiregrass and his young, pregnant wife.

John Alexander would never again see his beloved Wiregrass.  He would also never meet his son, John Webster.  He fought alongside the men of Co. G in some of the great and lesser known battles of the war between the North and South.  It was at The Wilderness he became a prisoner of the North.

The Union sent John Alexander to Elmira, NY where they incarcerated him as a prisoner of war at Camp Rathbun.  The camp housed approximately 12,000 Confederate soldiers, of which more than 3000 died.

My great-great grandfather actually survived the war; when General Lee surrendered The South to General Grant on April 9, 1865, John Alexander was so sick he could not leave prison compound.

He lay sick in his bunk until his death on June 4, 1865.

-30-

© 2010 J. Clark

Update: This restaurant is no longer in Dothan, AL… some diner moved in instead…so sad.When I saw Samrat go into the old pizza hut building on the circle I was most certainly skeptical!  If I am not mistaken the last two restaurants that were there didn’t last very long.  I had never even gotten around to eating at them.  However, Samrat certainly made me hope that they stick around for quite a bit longer!

What a meal!  What service!  We very much enjoyed ourselves with all the attention we got!  We began our meal with drinks.  I go a Mango Lassi, a mango shake type thing… it was more mango than milk though.  It was very good!  It was only $2.50 and a refill was not even needed.  Squirrel King got the spiced sweet tea for $.95 and very much enjoyed his bottomless glass.  I tasted it too and was quite pleased!

We then ordered our appetizers.  (We like to do date night up right.)  I had Meet Samosa, a ground lamb and beef turnover cooked with mild spices.  The spices were a very mild curry and something else I could not decipher but the result was a very yummy meat pastry!  Squirrel King got the Vegetable Pakora, a vegetable fritter prepared with chickpeas, flour and spices.  Again the spices were a mild curry and the fritters were fried… another review I read said they didn’t state that it had been fried.  Well, it doesn’t explicitly say that but since when have you ever had a “baked fritter?”  There were six little fritters and we enjoyed each one!

For our meals we got Lamb Curry and Seekh Kabab.  The lamb was so tender I cut it with a fork.  I asked for medium spice and was pleased that my food had spice! The sauce was not what I was expecting though.  It was red, not yellow.  Silly me, it was still the best curry I have ever had!  (I have only ever had curry once before though.)  The Seekh Kabab came out hotter because my Squirrel King enjoys things on the spicy side.  It was still eatable though and I enjoyed trying the sausage onions and peppers.  Just so you know, the Kababs will not come out like an American Kabob on skewers.

We also got some Naan bread to go with our meal.  We really didn’t know what to expect but were pleased with the taste if not too full to really enjoy it.

The service was very good.  I am not sure if that is because it was a Tuesday night and we were one of two couples there but I would like to think that they treat everyone like that.  We had a great time!  In fact, writing this morning about the food makes me want to eat what we brought home for breakfast… yum.

There is a website for their Florida location that has the same menu that you can look at.

Walking in we were greeted very pleasantly by our hostess who to my delight took us up the stairs and seated us in what looked like to me to be their dinner area.  The tablecloth was… cloth and so were the napkins.  The place setting was as you would see it for dinner in a fancy restaurant, several spoons, forks, ect.  We were then greeted by our server and treated like the most honored of guests.

I ordered the Five Cheese Lasagna which came with Italian Wedding Soup.  My husband ordered a Calzone.  I loved the soup.  I have no idea if they make it fresh but it was good.  I also enjoyed the bread and olive oil dip they brought for it.  It was a perfect compliment to the soup.  I was slightly disappointed with the lasagna.  I guess I just prefer to have some meat in my lasagna and this version did not have any.  It was still tasty though and even better the second day.  My husbands calzone however was to die for!  It had a thin crust that was crispy on the outside yet somehow still very tender, like a very thin bagel.  The seasonings were well blended and there was real Italian sausage.

The best part of our meal was the price.  We were on a date so we expected to pay at least $30.  However, when our check came it was less than $25 for both our meals and two soft drinks.  We will be visiting D’Monico’s again for it’s great atmosphere and price!

The Settlement, Headland, AL

On June 14th the staff and residents from The Settlement in Headland, AL, traveled to Selma to attend the annual awards day banquet honoring residents of the Alabama and West Florida UMCH facilities. The Settlement residents had an opportunity to fellowship with peers from other group homes as well as staff members from the main campus.

Residents learned how developing connections with members of the community can prove to be very helpful in the future, especially when seeking employment, community services and assistance when working toward independent living. The young men from The Settlement won several cash awards for answering Bible drill questions before the awards presentations.

Each one of the boys residing at The Settlement were honored and earned at least one award during the presentations. One of our Transitional Living program residents received several honors. Residents also very much enjoyed the luncheon afterwards. The Settlement has long enjoyed a reputation as being highly competitive and this day was no exception.

The Settlement brought home the plaque for earning the most awards the previous year after winning eleven. This year The Settlement earned a total of twelve awards, but surrendered the plaque to the Scottsboro Girls Home who received thirteen.

Gulf Coast Group Home, Milton, FL

The girls from the Gulf Coast Group Home enjoyed awards day program. Chasity was surprised to receive her 2 awards, as was Jade. The 4 girls who received awards were very pleased to be recognized, and enjoyed seeing and meeting others in foster care too. Besides the long drive (6 hours total) it was a nice day for them to see and hear how hard many of the recipients worked to
receive recogniton for their dedication.

Tuscaloosa Group Home

All residents of the Tuscaloosa Group Home attended the Awards Day festivities in Selma. Two residents won awards ranging from Christian leadership to music. All residents enjoyed the day as some residents were given the opportunity to spend time with family or past friends that they have made from other programs.

His annual tradition for all the residents and staff members, as well as their spouses, was to treat us to a Christmas dinner at local restaurants each holiday season—complete with gifts for everyone.

Mr. Williams has helped so many young men over the years with anything from insuring the outings to assisting with academic needs. He even procured automobiles for some of the Independent Living Program participants.

Mr. Williams was truly an unselfish example of the scripture spoken by Jesus, “whatever you do for the least of these you do unto me.” With great fondness and respect, we will always remember our friend, Burt Williams, and look forward to the day we see his big smile again in heaven.

As a means of honoring all of its volunteers, the United Methodist Children’s Home has announced the special people and organizations being recognized through its 2006 Heart of the Volunteer program.

“We’re grateful for all of our many volunteers who love the children in our programs,” said Jill West, the agency’s Director of Development. “They all deserve to be recognized, and this is just our small way of saying thank you.”

Those being honored for volunteer work in 2006 are listed below.

Building Hope – Rev. Rock Stone and the Southwest District of the United Methodist Church, North Alabama Conference
Rev. Stone was one of the key organizers of this district’s huge effort to build a new transitional living home in Cottondale near Tuscaloosa. The Milton C. Booth Home will house young men entering college or starting their careers.

In addition to his duties leading two churches and being the Missions Coordinator for the district, he corralled hundreds of volunteers from dozens of churches, talked with local businesses and swung a hammer with the best of them. In addition to sweat equity, churches in the district donated over $72,000 for the home.

Read more about our Tuscaloosa programs by clicking here.

The Gift of Giving – Kasey Fleming and the members of First United Methodist Church, Jackson, Alabama
This group does a huge back-to-school drive for book bags and supplies for those living at the Children’s Village, the ministry’s main campus in Selma. The church members also make Easter baskets with goodies and personal care items.

Judy Manning oversees the Village. “The Easter baskets are always gorgeous,” she said. “There’s enough in the bookbags to last each kid for at least the first semester.”

She said that there are even leftovers to help supply any kids who may come to the Children’s Home during the school year.

Selfless Supporter - Maurine Johnston, Dothan, Alabama
Mrs. Johnston supports the boys at The Settlement, the agency’s group home near Dothan. She decorated the home for Christmas and provided most of the new decorations.

“Mrs. Johnston is a generous and compassionate, selfless supporter of our program,” said Craig Boesch, who supervises the program at The Settlement.

She has donated clothing, Christmas gifts and musical instruments. She helped with decorating ideas and materials and made a substantial donation to refurbish the group home’s basketball facilities. Mrs. Johnston serves on the advisory board for The Settlement.

A Faithful Community – First UMC, Jasper, Alabama
These church members continuously support the the children of the Northwest Therapeutic Foster Care program.

“They provided a case of Bibles so each child entering our program could have the most important thing–God’s word,” said Janice Hawkins, the program’s supervisor. “We are very appreciative of FUMC.”

Each year at Christmastime, members provide gifts and a party for the staff, the foster families, the children and the children’s birth families, as well. The church loans their facility for Children’s Home trainings for staff and foster families, and donated proceeds from a churchwide yard sale.

Helping around the House - David Mulkey and the Tennessee Valley Authority at Widows Creek
Mr. Mulkey organized a group of skilled volunteers to help out at the Scottsboro Group Home. They installed a video camera security system in the home, wired and replaced an outside lamppost and light, and even cleaned the gutters.

Melissa Bynum supervises the group home. “They did a great job which contributed to the safety of our children and staff,” said Bynum. “This work would have been very expensive if we had to hire contractors.”

Feeding the Family – Mr. and Mrs. Jim Grigg, operators of the Blue Willow Restaurant
On Sundays, the Griggs bring food from their restaurant to the Scottsboro Group Home. Melissa Bynum, the program’s supervisor, said that it is usually enough to feed the residents and staff for at least two meals. Known as one of the best in town, the Blue Willow is a busy restaurant. Children’s Home staff say that they appreciate how the Griggs think of their children and take the time to do this every week.

Expanding Borders - Park Memorial United Methodist Church, Troy, Alabama
As part of their 40 Days of Community, members of Park Memorial United
Methodist Church built additions to a foster family’s home. The family cares for a sibling group of five children for the Southeast Therapeutic Foster Care program of the Children’s
Home. Click here to read more.