Living in central Alabama you have to be a hermit to not know who Rick and Bubba are. I was in college at Jacksonville State University, Rick and Bubba's alma mater, when the Rick and Bubba show began in Gadsden, Alabama just a half hour drive from JSU. I can remember mornings driving to class listening to the duo. Almost everyone loved the Rick and Bubba Show. They were funny. And real.
As they share in We Be Big it took a few years before they realized how God was directing their steps and that of the show. They each share memories from childhood and when they realized how well they played off each other in a Spanish class at JSU as well as much more.
I enjoyed this easy read about two legends from my home county. Definitely worth reading.
They say the show is about everything. Everything that happens in their lives is fair game, but they also are unafraid to share their faith and the difficult experiences in life.
In We Be Big they give the credit to God, as they do each day on their show, and their faith for bringing them the success they have.
I discovered the book Alabama Curiosities: Quirky characters, roadside oddities & other offbeat stuff by Andy Duncan in the school library where I substitute teach. Of course the title caught my interest. I'm a native Alabamian and love this state, but let's face it. We have our fair share of curiosities. As I'm sure other states do as well.
This is the second book Duncan has written about Alabama's Curiosities. You can check out the first here.
Duncan shares his lists of interesting town names in Alabama in the introduction along with a few other state quirks. He then divides the curious aspects of our state into five regions: coastal, east central, southeast, north, and west.
From the Interstate Mullet Toss (and we're not talking about the 80s hairstyle) at the Flora-Bama to the world's largest office chair in Anniston, Alabama Curiosities is filled with the wonderfully quirky and odd things that make our state what it is.
Do you have a guy, big or little, in your life that is fascinated with cars? My son is always talking about cars, their engines and many other things that I usually don’t understand inevitably end up in almost every conversation. If any of the guys in your life are like this and you're ever near or around Alexander City check out the Wellborn Muscle Car Museum. I took my son and a friend and for almost an hour listened to them oh and ah about these cars. I may not be into cars, but to see this many in one place was interesting.
Located in downtown Alexander City, the Wellborn Muscle Car Museum is a wonderful trip for those guys in your life that are fascinated by muscle cars of the 1960s and 1970s. It is the largest museum of its kind, dedicated to the height of the musclecar era of 1969-1971. For more information visit their website.
From their website:
For many years, the Wellborns had owned and mutually managed a fabulous kitchen cabinet manufacturing company. Their life has been spent working side by side running the day to day operations of the company and casually collecting cars together. It was perfect until an unexpected turn of events changed everything.
The company started suffering. When the Wellborns pulled out all stops to save their business, their plan included selling the majority of the cars they had collected. Most would see this as unfortunate, but the positive pair was thankful to have the resources that in the end did help save the cabinet business.
With a revitalized business, but an empty garage the Wellborns set out to reclaim their beloved cars.
This series of events inspired them to own the cars of their dreams.
It is amazing to realize that the Wellborn’s collection of musclecars has evolved in much of the same manner as the musclecar industry did in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Musclecars were born to a generation ready to rumble. The country was emerging from the Great Depression and World War II. The country had seen bad times and now had reason to celebrate. When the Wellborns’ livelihood was threatened and business was suffering, they turned things around. Now they had reason to celebrate. The quest began. Today, they rightfully own the largest collection of Dodge cars in the nation. The Wellborns have every color of the 1971 Dodge Chargers with the exception of two.
In 1992 Sarah Towery's children wanted to give her a special birthday gift to celebrate her life's dedication to art. They invited a few of Mrs. Sarah's artist friends to come to Lake Martin and paint.
Eighteen years later artists of all levels come to learn from Master artists during the Fall along beautiful Lake Martin. With two workshops as well as an independent study to choose from, artists from around the country are able to work and learn together.
Alabama's Art Colony is committed to producing an enjoyable environment to educate, nurture and inspire artists through workshops. We will enhance the quality of life for the greater community by educating and providing opportunities to experience, appreciate and support the arts. We will contribute to the cultural enrichment of the city and its local communities through our on-going collection and exhibition of art and through partnerships with diverse community organizations that celebrate life and art. -- Mission Statement
As well as the annual colony, The Sarah Carlisle Towery Art Colony hosts the Kitty Dark Kids Art Camp in Alexander City. The camp offers arts enrichment experiences each year during the first week of June.
To learn more about The Sarah Carlisle Towery Art Colony or the Kitty Dark Kids Art Camp visit their website.
If you've never been to Fort Toulouse/Fort Jackson for Frontier Days it is an experience worth the trip to Wetumpka. The reenactors stay in character and make it such an educational experience. You can click here for more information on the Frontier Days this year happening November 3-7.
First the canon at Ft. Toulouse. They do fire it. It's interesting to observe, but loud.
Within Ft Toulouse they have barracks where the reenactors sleep during the frontier days. They also have ladies cooking and baking. The bread of course caught my eye.
DS being all boy, pretending he is in a battle.
The French flag in Ft. Toulouse.
Of course DS was attracted to the firearms. :)
The reenactors come out to do a drill.
The Native Americans doing a stomp dance in their historical dress. Some have turtle shells they have made into leg wraps to make music as they dance.
One of my favorite instruments - the hammered dulcimer. It makes such beautiful music.
Ladies participating in the frontier days weave yarn and dye it with natural elements native to the area. I love the blue yarn.
A sleeping tent for one of the Native Americans.
Ft. Toulouse and Ft. Jackson are located on the Coosa River.
Of course there were people in an area selling wares. These are some of the turtle shells with beans or something in them like the Native Americans used in the Stomp Dance.
The colorfulness of the rock candy caught my eye.
Puppets tied to her knee. She made them move by moving her leg around. Very interesting. She said these were predecessors of the marionettes.
Tents over on the Ft. Jackson side.
This guy was quite entertaining. He was really into his character and I love how I caught the smoke when he shot the rifle. It was very loud, too.
I can't remember who this guy was portraying, but they were really into their characters.
Again, what is it with boys and canons?
Loved the red wagon.
Saw this in the beat up road between the two areas. I don't really like hearts, but I couldn't help to snap a photo of it.
Food over in the Native American camp. Last year I was there early enough to see them actually skinning a deer. Kind of gross, but very interesting when you understand that's what they had to do to live and how none of it went to waste. They would trade the skins for anything they needed.
There were a few Englishmen near the French encampment.
So there you have it. Our little field trip in photos. If you have a chance you should definitely take your kiddos.
I'd heard of Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer by Warren St. John in passing, but never gave much thought to reading it. Even though I enjoy Alabama football games I don't know that I would consider myself a die-hard fan. So when my sister-in-law gifted our father-in-law a copy of the book I read a few pages and knew I wanted to read it. Of course it helped that Alabama was having such an amazing season. Reading over that last line I might need to clarify and say the football team at the University of Alabama, just in case anyone who is not from Alabama and not familiar with Alabama football is reading this.
Having grown up in Birmingham, Alabama, Warren St. John readily admits that growing up in Alabama is "possibly the worst place on earth to acquire a healthy perspective on the importance of spectator sports." And having been born and raised here myself I have to agree.
After moving to New York to attend Columbia University, St. John begins to realize that maybe this obsession we all have with football here in Alabama is a bit different. As he writes, "It was quite an adjustment to go from coutning up a record number of wins under the Bear to the inexorable accumulation of a record number of losses at Columbia. And just as disconcerting: no one at Columbia seemed to mind." He really begins to wonder about the strangeness of it all when home for Thanksgiving he sees a couple at Legion Field in a RV being interviewed by the local news. They tell the reporter they missed their daughter's wedding because she picked the Alabama/Tennessee game day to get married.
So in his search for answers to the question of why sports can turn otherwise sane people into raving lunatics he seeks out the community of RVers who travel to each Alabama game.
Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer isn't so much a travel story, but St. John's own experiences as one of those hard core fans who follow their team.
Having grown up in Alabama myself I understand the almost religious nature of college football here. Honestly the only people I know who aren't Alabama or Auburn fans are a rare few that did not grow up in Alabama and my mother, who belongs in the small minority of those who don't really care for sports. According to St. John my mother belongs in a minority outnumbered by atheist in our state. A fact I have no problem believing.
Although my husband's family doesn't take an RV to each Alabama game, they very rarely miss an Alabama home game. My father-in-law supports the University of Alabama, his alma mater, without waver. Crimson and white, houndstooth, elephants and Roll Tide are in the blood in our family, with the exception of one sister-in-law who graduated from Auburn.
Life stops for Alabama football games. My dad, who is serving overseas with his national guard unit, set his alarm to wake up in the middle of the night so he could watch some of the Alabama games this past fall. Imagine a bunch of Alabama soldiers when the hub housing the wiring for everything burned knocking out their means of watching the Alabama/Auburn game during Alabama's glorious 2009 season.
So it should come as no surprise that reading Rammer Jammer was like seeing our family's life played out on the page without the RV aspect. The obsession, joyful moments of a win, and the depressing moods of a loss described by St. John need no explanation. I see it in my husband and countless others each Saturday from August to December.
So have you read Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer? What is life like in your family during Fall or better know as Alabama or Auburn football?
You can also visit St. John's blog here. (Be sure and scroll down and watch the YouTube video of the little toddler -- well, unless you're an Auburn fan. Don't say I didn't warn you if you do though.)
Today I want to introduce a friend of mine to you here on Alabama Bloggers. There are so many talented and creative people here in Alabama. Living in a small town that places a high priority on the arts I've been priveleged to meet a few who call my town home. Today I want to introduce you to one of them. His name is John Claybrook. You can check out his personal blog at Discovering Me and keep reading to find out how to follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
Oh and I personally think he'd make a great guest on the Rick and Bubba Show.
God has gifted John with an amazing musical talent and song writing ability, but he is so incredibly humble about it. He has such a heart for Christ and worship and serving others. His self released album Masterpiece is a collection of songs inspired by the hope that God has spoken to him over and over.
John is trying to win a contest to perform at Celebrate Freedom in Atlanta on September 4th and so I wanted to share his original song with you here to see if the Alabama Blogger community could help out. He also agreed to do a little interview here with me. So keep reading and please listen to his song. The more views his song gets on You Tube the better chance he has. I also have a giveaway for you at the end.
Amy: So give us a little biography about yourself. Where were you born, raised, college, family, etc.?
JC: I was born and raised in Alexander City, AL. Pretty small town but approximately an hour away from anything you want to do in Birmingham, Auburn or Mongtomery. Both of my parents were born and raised in Alex City as well. I have two sisters: one is younger than I am and the other is older. They are both incredible people and, along with my parents, have been an amazing source of support for me.
Amy: When did your parents or you first realize you had the gift for music you have?
JC: I'm pretty sure my mom knew early on that all of her kids had some talent in music. I can barely remember it but she tells that when we used to go on trips, whether it was shopping for clothes, or the the dentist's office, or anything, we would all be singing in the car. That's when she taught us to sing harmony with each other. We would take turns singing the melody of a song and she would teach the other two how to sing harmony parts to that. So my mom knew pretty early that her kids had talent and she got to work molding it pretty quickly.
Amy: I know you’re trying to get as many views on YouTube of a song you’ve written to be a part of Celebrate Freedom in Atlanta in September. Can you share a little more about that?
JC: Yeah. The Fish 104.7 out of Atlanta is putting on a contest that will allow the winner to be the opening act for the concert at Celebrate Freedom in Atlanta. It's a big production every year and the opportunity to open for that concert is unbelievable. It's great exposure and you get to share the stage with some of the big dogs in the Christian music industry. They take the top 5 view videos from YouTube (based upon the number of views) and those are the 5 finalists that will compete for the spot of the opening act. The song is called "Favorite Part of Me" and it speaks to the fact that it doesn't matter what our circumstances are or what we've done in our life, God is still there and still loving us with this amazing and unfailing love. The link can be found on my website atjohnclaybrook.com or you can go straight to YouTube and view it by clicking here.
Amy: I know your faith in Christ is the biggest part of who you are. Through some of our conversations we’ve talked about how the legalistic tendencies of some churches can have a negative impact. Did you have a moment at some point in your life where you realized your worth in God wasn’t based on following a man made set of rules?
JC: About two years ago God began a process of freeing me from something that I think we have all struggled with at some point in our life -- Approval Addiction. I was so consumed by trying to make sure that everyone approved of the things that I was doing that I was neglecting the relationship that had already given me approval. I got so lost in trying to do the "right" things and make the "right" decisions that before I knew it, I didn't know who I was anymore. So this journey....that I call "Discovering Me" has shown me that God already approves of us and what more approval do you want? I think that message is the one that we are forgetting to share with others. God wants us to love Him and to love others. Notice He never said to seek approval from others or that others should seek approval from you! Just love God and love people.
Amy: When did you record your first album Masterpiece?
JC: We started tracking on that album in April of 07 and finished with production and mix down sometime around August 07. It was a process for sure but I was glad to see the fruit of all the hard work.
Amy: My favorite songs on the album are Hold Me Jesus and Reign Over Me. Which song is your favorite on Masterpiece? Or is it hard to choose a favorite one?
JC: If I'm choosing a favorite it would have to be either "Reign Over Me" or "In Your Arms". It's difficult to name just one of those tunes though because each one of them has a special place to me. They were each written in a particular time in life and have a different yet significant meaning to each one of them.
To me there seems to be a theme on Masterpiece of God being our refuge, holding us in times we are struggling. At what sort of place were you in life when you wrote these ?
JC: When I was writing the tunes for Masterpiece, I was hurting. There were several things happening that I didn't understand but I knew that I couldn't change. It seemed like things were spiraling downward at such a whirlwind pace that I knew I was going to land on rock bottom and quickly. But I knew that amidst all of that noise and confusion that my God said He would never leave me or forsake me. Life was rough and I didn't understand all of the things that were happening to me but I knew (and this is important)....I didn't have to understand. I heard very clearly "Be still and know that I am God". And out of that brokenness God just began to put these words on my heart like "Hold Me Jesus" and "Reign Over Me".
Amy: I think anyone who creates whether it be writing or painting or anything they can get in a rut. What is your process when you feel like you’re stuck creatively when it comes to writing new songs?
JC: I try to write something everyday. Even if it's the worst thing to ever be put on paper, I write. Sometimes that method works and most days it doesn't! I'll tell you another thing that helps when I am stuck creatively is to read. The bible, or inspirational books or the newspaper or whatever. There is always a story waiting to be told in some new and fresh way. So when I'm stuck and can't come up with something as simple as 'Mary had a little lamb', I read and look for stories that need to be told.
And just for my own curiosity did your mother have to tie you down like I do my child to get you to practice your music when you were a child?
JC: I learned to play a lot of stuff by ear and that drove my piano teacher up the wall. She wanted it played the way that it was written on the page and I wanted to play it the way that I "knew" it was supposed to go! So when it came to those songs and lessons, yes, my mom had to give me some "strong encouragement" to sit down and practice. However, outside of that, I did most of my practicing without really ever being prompted to do so. Music just came naturally to me and I knew I loved it so it was easy for me to sit down and teach myself things on the piano and guitar or whatever I wanted to learn at the time. God blessed me with a gift and I simply try to do my best to give it back to Him.
To learn more about John and find out how your church or event can contact him by clicking here.
Now are you ready for the giveaways? John has graciously offered 3 CDs of his album Masterpiece. Here's how to enter:
1. Listen to his newest original song in the video above and leave a comment.
For Extra entries leave a seperate comment for each of the following:
2. Follow John on Twitter by clicking here and leave your twitter handle in your comment.
3. Tweet the following to see if we can get John on The Rick and Bubba Show: "@rickandbubba, @SpeedyCalvin, @bigvox, @BillBubbaBussey we'd like to see and hear @jclaybrookmusic on your show."
4. Like John's page on Facebook by clicking here and leave your Facebook name in your comment.
(I received no compensation for this post. Nor did I receive merchandise for review purposes.)
This giveaway ends end at Midnight Saturday, August 28th. The winner will be announced Monday, August 30th.
I love trains. I'm not sure why. Trains seem to bring an almost magical feeling. The dream of taking you away while always bringing you home. And having a son we seem to be drawn to trains and model train exhibits a lot. I love living in a town where the trains run through the middle of town.
I'm always on the look out for model train exhibits and museums. In the past we've visited the model train exhibit at the McWane Center, but I'm unsure if it is a permanent exhibit there. I'm not sure if the one shown at the McWane Center is shown by the Magic City Railroad Club or not.
We've also visited the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum in Calera, Alabama. I could wander around amidst the old trains for hours I think.
Recently on a trip back home to Northeast Alabama my parents mentioned an article in the paper about a model train exhibit in Gadsden, Alabama. Located in the Cultural Arts Center, this 72 foot long model railroad is operated by the Coosa Valley Model Railroad Association. A replica of Gadsden in the 1940s, the exhibit houses models of the Goodyear plant, downtown Gadsden, the Coosa River and much more. Admission is $6 for adults and $5 for children 3 - 12 years of age. Tuesdays are free between 12 and 5 p.m.
So are there model railroad exhibits or train museums in your part of Alabama? If so please share in the comments. We'd love to visit them.
