• #atozchallenge,  buildings,  photography

    #AtoZChallenge: Vintage appeal

    Isn’t this old building unique? I’ve never seen anything like it. I love the colorful tiles/bricks that make up the exterior. And, the tiles were even used on what looks like a chimney. My friend, Sandy, loves things that are colorful like this and she and I came across this old building on one of our weekend drives. Are these what are known as subway tiles? They have made a comeback and people are using them again to line back splashes in kitchen and bathroom remodels. Again, not sure if these are the same thing, but I love them. I’m fairly certain they are made of glass or ceramic/clay and…

  • #atozchallenge,  antique,  Ford,  photography,  writing

    #AtoZChallenge: Tractor

    Photo © Diane Weidenbenner Have you seen the “American Pickers” show that “follows expert antiquers as they scour the country’s junkyards, basements and barns for hidded gems?” (according to History.com) Well, my friend Sandy and I are the Indiana/Illinois Pickers. We go for country drives and we never quite know what we’ll find. We have followed highways, byways, side roads and back roads in search of the unappreciated or forgotten treasures. One time we followed a dirt road right into the middle of a corn field. No, really! Thus far, one of my favorite discoveries has been this Ford tractor. First, my dad loved the Ford brand. He always bought…

  • Amish,  friendship,  nature,  photography,  rural,  travel,  writing

    #AtoZChallenge: Junket

    Photo © Diane Weidenbenner My friend, Sandy, and I venture out of town whenever we can when the weather is nice. We’ve gone Amish Hunting, which sounds a lot more painful than it really is (at least for the Amish). We love to discover antique stores, barns, civil war graveyards and farms with lots of great animals including but not limited to sheep, cows, goats or the boutique miniatures that have become popular. We both remember when our parents and grandparents would go for “Sunday drives” and laugh at how we like to do the same. We’ve both traveled out of the U.S. so perhaps this is our way of…

  • life after 50,  technology

    Telephone, tell a friend, text a message…

    I am going to be 52 in a few weeks. I’m not young but I’m also not ready for assisted living, if that helps paint a picture. When I was growing up, the best way to communicate with friends was by telephone if I wasn’t at school or over at a friend’s house. My junior high school was 45 minutes across town by bus and it was important for us to communicate about homework, our classes and, of course, boys we liked. Friends’ advice was golden. We’d also arrange weekend get-togethers. And, remember, there were no computers or smart phones so the rotary dial telephone was “it.” With out-of-town friends,…