Wade Chapel, Wake Forest

The 3rd in a series of NC college landmarks, this is the chapel at Wake Forest University.  Wake's a beautiful campus, and was my son's favorite (slightly edging Duke).  He still has a couple of years before he needs to start making firm decisions.  If we start playing the lottery now, we might be able to afford it!

Carolina Calling...

As noted in yesterday's post, My son is starting to think about college.  He's got a couple of years before he has to make a decision, but it is never too soon to start getting educated about the options.  So, while we were in North Carolina, and running over to Duke, we dropped by UNC.  

Now, way back when I was a student at Duke, I never went to the heart of Carolina's campus.  I was around campus a lot there was a great record store, and a couple of clubs.  And I did see the B-52s over there (in 1981).  But that was just the fringes.  So this trip was my first time "really" seeing the campus.  Verdict?  Eh....   It seemed pretty random and disorganized, and we had a heck of a time finding our way around.  We did (finally) find the admissions office, and checked in.  

Overall, my son was unimpressed, and ranked it 0 out of 10.

Duke Chapel

During our recent trip to North Carolina, we made a run by Duke.  Where my wife and I met.  Where we both graduated.  Where we were married.  Good stuff.  It had been quite a while since we had been back, certainly more than a decade.  Now my son is at the age to be thinking towards college (he's a freshman in high school), it was fun showing him around.  We even managed to catch part of an Organ recital at the Chapel!

Stone Wall & Shadow

Yeah, I notice these things.  Old Salem, NC.

Starry Night

Moravian Stars, on the bridge between Old Salem grounds and the Visitor Center.  With reflections....

Title is from the Chris August song, btw.


Larger version here

God's Acre

The Salem Moravian Graveyard, Winston Salem, NC.  This is the final resting place of several of my relatives including my maternal Grandparents, some of my mother's siblings, and three of my cousins.  We spent a while wandering the grounds last week, looking up all of them.  It seemed rather appropriate for Thanksgiving week, as I'm thankful for each of these family members, event the couple whom I never knew.

Larger version here.

This Is A Room With A View...

Looking east from the Rondthaler-Gramley House at Salem College.  That's the May Dell amphitheater across the way.

The title is from the Let's Active song.  Let's Active, of course, is an 80's band from Winston-Salem

Single Sisters House, Old Salem, NC

Posted larger over at Happenstance Photography.  The main building here is the Single Sisters House (ca 1785).  Behind the streetlight is the South Residence Hall (ca 1805).  Taken on a misty evening walk during our visit to North Carolina last week.

Pop Music - December 1974

Wordle from lyrics of Fire

Looking at American Top 40 charts for December, 1974... 40 years ago this month: What songs made their Top 40 debut? What was new and trending?

Well, there were 20 songs entering the Top 40 during December 1974 (4 weeks).  Including a whopping six (6) eventual #1s!  Here they are, ranked by eventual peak:

•  Best Of My Love  - Eagles - #1
• Please Mr. Postman  - Carpenters - #1
• Fire  - Ohio Players - #1
• Pick Up The Pieces  - Average White Band - #1
• Mandy  - Barry Manilow - #1
• Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds  - Elton John - #1
• Some Kind Of Wonderful  - Grand Funk Railroad - #3
• Morning Side Of The Mountain  - Donny Osmond - #8
• Never Can Say Goodbye  - Gloria Gaynor - #9
• Get Dancin'  - Disco Tex and The Sex-O-Lettes - #10
• Doctor's Orders  - Carol Douglas - #11
• Rock 'N' Roll (I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life)  - Mac Davis - #15
• Dark Horse  - George Harrison - #15
• Ride 'Em Cowboy  - Paul Davis - #23
• Dancin' Fool  - Guess Who - #28
• From His Woman To You  - Barbara Mason - #28
• Dream On  - Righteous Brothers - #32
• Ruby, Baby  - Billy "Crash" Craddock - #33
• The Entertainer  - Billy Joel - #34
• The Heartbreak Kid  - Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods - #39

I was able to find 17 of these 20 songs on Spotify.  And added to a playlist covering all of 1974.  It includes 228 of the 251 songs which entered the Top 40 in the entirety of 1974. I'm pretty impressed that they have over 90% of these songs...

Check it out: http://open.spotify.com/user/lsqrd42/playlist/23G0cY9o6mflTaGwievQ9z

Spiral Architect

During our recent visit to North Carolina, we were able to stay at the Rondthaler-Gramley House on campus.  This ca. 1888 house was more than large enough to hold both the Illinois Lawheads and the Pittsburgh Lawheads.

The post title is rather random, form the song.

Of all the things I value most in life, I see my memories and feel their warmth

And know that they are good

Spam Commenting

The majority of the (few) comments I get here are spam.  Sometimes there's amusing, but other times just odd.  Over the weekend I received an odd one from my Thanksgiving post:

"Anything that appeared such as the functions of a massive organization, Phacil and Payne's material"

here's my homepage; businessman Louis Lagasse" [link not included here]

I would think that the average phishing scheme would try to actually entice a target to click the link.  Really, they should at least try to be creative.

/rant

Home Moravian Church, Old Salem, NC

Home Moravian is on the grounds of Old Salem, and was constructed in 1800. The Moravian Church is the oldest Protestant demoniation, founded in 1457.  The Moravian Church is not well know in USA, with about 140 congregations in 17 states (Over 1/3 of which are in North Carolina).   But my mother's family was (and is) Moravian, and my associations with the church were a notable part of my own faith journey.  I especially relate to their motto:  "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; and in all things, love".

Meanwhile, The guest house where we stayed last week is directly behind this building.

Salem College - Founded 1772

We're just back from a Thanksgiving trip to North Carolina.  My younger daughter works at Salem College.  My mother was from Winston-Salem, and we still have lots of relatives in and around the area.  And my brother and his family came down from Pittsburgh.  It was a great week!  More pictures to come!

Larger Version

Thanksgiving Sunset

Hope everybdody had a great Thanksgiving!   Take the time to remember the important things, the blessings we often overlook.  We had a beautiful sunset to close a super day, hanging out with family.

Genius Playlist #41,961 - Bare Trees

On my iPod yesterday, getting me through the work day!

• Bare Trees - Fleetwood Mac (pre Buckingham Nicks)  SEED SONG
• Shouldn't Have Took More Than You Gave - Dave Mason (post-Traffic)
• Questions 67 ad 68 - Chicago
• Be Free - Loggins and Messina
• Roads To Moscow - Al Stewart
• The Royal Scam - Steely Dan
• Illinois - Dan Fogelberg
• Pre-Road Downs - Crosby Stills and Nash
• Living Ain't Living - Firefall
• Chicago - Grahan Nash
• Heroes Are Hard To Find - Fleetwood Mac
• Carry Me - Crosby and Nash
• Feeling Alright- Dave Mason
• One Fine Morning - Lighthouse
• Angry Eyes - Loggins and Messina
• Monkey In Your Soul - Steely Dan
• Nostradamus - Al Stewart
• Child Of Mine - Fleetwood Mac
• Holding On To Yesterday - Ambrosia
• I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight - Atlanta Rhythm Section
• Only You Know And I Know - Dave Mason
• Morning Sky - Don Fogelberg
• Blue Money - Van Morrison
• 49 Bye-Byes - Crosy Stills and Nash
• Turn That Heartbeat Over Again - Steely Dan

I'll rate that pretty highly.Good job ITunes!  I was going to make a spotify playlist....  but they didn't have the 1st song, so I punted. 

I was so satisfied, I started a new playlist with song "Dream Of The Archer" by Heart.  I guess that was asking too much, because that playlist didn't last more than 5-6 songs before I gave up.  Hit and Miss.