The Archived Photos

I searched and searched for some more of my Main Street photos for a part 2 post, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Instead, I came across some old photos that I had forgotten about. I spent a few hours searching and browsing through about 20 discs full photos and decided to share these with you. I’ll admit these photos are not timely and have no purpose other than to show them to you. I had forgotten about a few of these photos, while others I could not locate when I actually needed them. Isn’t that how it always goes?

Enjoy!

A swimmer at meet.

This was a sign created by a NOLA resident. This photo was taken in February 2006.

This photo was after a light dusting at Craighead Forest Park in Jonesboro, Arkansas from http://www.hannahandharley.com

An old Chevrolet truck from http://www.hannahandharley.com

 

The First Sentence

My ninth grade English teacher challenged me. She forced me to think outside of the box — outside of my very small-minded comfort zone — and open my mind. She forced to me answer  questions in which the response I gave was neither satisfying or, at times, tolerant of others’ opinions. Her assignments taught me there was more to the world than the two mile trek from my home to school. There were assignments I didn’t fully understand until I became an adult. There were assignments I still don’t understand — even as an adult. There were assignments to this day I am still proud to read.  This is profound — to me — because there are photography gigs from last month I can’t remember, but I can recall a handful of assignments from nearly 20 years ago! Needless to say, her teaching methods had a lasting impact.

One of the more confusing tasks was what I’ve grown to call the first sentence assignment. We were to choose 10 books and list the first sentence of the book and explain why we chose that book. In theory, I believe the task was associated with dramatic writing and first impressions. I think she was teaching us how a well written single sentence can captivate a reader well enough to continue reading although the subject may not be all that captivating. Personally, it forced me to think. Why was this important to me? What about this moved me?

As I was reading through the many blogs I follow, one post jogged my memory of this assignment. A blogger, Andrea Badgley, posted quotes from a book (one of many it seems) she reads. For some reason, that post spoke to me and reminded me of that long ago assignment.

There’s no way I could remember all 10 of those books on the decades-old list, but I wanted to share the ones I knew were listed. If you had to do this assignment which books would you list and why? It’s a lot harder to list than you may first think.

From 1994’s List:

“Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry” by Mildred D. Taylor: “Little Man, would you come on? You keep it up and you’re gonna make us late.”

“The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton: “When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.”

“The Giver” by Lois Lowry: “It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened.”

The Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 (New International Version)

“Sati” by Christopher Pike: “I once knew this girl who thought she was God.”

(The photos on this post are of a notebook created and shared by a group of Pearl Jam fans who have, over time, bonded through through this book, their love of the band, and the friendships forged from both. I was able to see this book and have it explained to me in detail last year. I took a few shots of thinking I would write a blog post about it. I didn’t get around to writing the post, but I thought the photos fit here. These are dedicated, long-term Pearl Jam fans who are moved by the members’ music, writing, and causes. Just as the first sentence of a book can speak to us.)

The Frisbee Dogs

As part of halftime entertainment at the Arkansas State University double-header tonight, ASU presented The Frisbee Dogs. I had a blast shooting these dogs. It was tons of fun and the whole crowd enjoyed it. I hope you enjoy the photos.

The Songs of Summer

Do you ever feel like you are in a losing battle? I think I’m in one right now because Mother Nature has kicked it up a few notches. Actually, I wish she would turn it up a few notches. She’s really turned it down, and I mean down! The temperature as I type is a crisp and cold 11 degrees in Northeast Arkansas. In an effort to stay warm and not focus on the cold outside I’ve decided to list my favorite summer songs for you.

I love summertime. It’s warm…..OK it’s really hot, but I love it! The days last longer and time seems a bit slower. I could go on and on about why I love summer, but that’s another posting. Below you will find my top 10 favorite summer songs. Here’s hoping it helps take your mind off of the cold weather.

10. Summer Breeze by Seals and Croft, 1972: I was at a picnic the first time I heard this song and I always think of that picnic and flowing summer dresses every time I hear that song.

9. Endless Summer Nights by Richard Marx, 1988: I like his songs and his voice.

8. All Summer Long by Kidd Rock, 2008: What’s not to like about this song? The lyrics tell a great story and has an intelligent mash up from two other great songs — Werewolves in London and Sweet Home Alabama.

7. Summer Love by Justin Timberlake, 2007: It’s a fun song to listen to in your car with the radio up and the windows down.

6. Long Hot Summer Day by Turnpike Troubadours, 2012: I fell in love with this song the first time I heard. Full disclosure here: the first time I heard it was a 30-second snippet at St. Louis Cardinals game this summer. It’s one of Matt Carpenter’s walk out songs. Does it really get much better than a great summer-themed song at baseball game? I think not!

5. Cruel Summer by Bananarama, 1983: It’s great 80s song. Plus it’s fun. There’s something telling about a song that lasts decades and is still enjoyable.

4. Boys of Summer by Don Henley, 1984: I love a good story and this song is one.

3. Summer of ’69 by Bryan Adams, 1985: What is it about 1985? There’s really a lot of great stuff from this year including this song and Back to the Future! (Yep, I did it. I managed a Back to the Future reference in a post about summer songs. I’m that good. Ha!) Released in June of that year, the song written by Adams and Jimmy Vallance, tells a story of nostalgia and love.

2. Summer Nights by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, 1978: I discovered Grease and Grease 2 in junior high at a sleepover. Within a few weeks of that sleepover I knew the words to “Summer Nights” and all of the other songs. Admittedly, I can still sing  the words by heart to this song and “Cool Rider.”

1. Summertime by D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (A.K.A Will Smith), 1991: Nothing conjures a better summertime story that this tune to me. Smith’s soothing voice is just what I need to imagine the smell of fresh cut grass and the calming warmth of the sun.

Those are my favorite summer songs. I’d love to hear your thoughts on your favorite summer songs. Please stay warm and cozy in the crazy cold.

PS: The photos are from Henderson Beach State Park in Destin, Florida. I took them this summer while on vacation.

The 2013 Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Fest

These are some images from the 2013 Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Fest. Country singer, Lee Brice was the headliner at the annual event.

The Arkansas State University vs. Auburn Football Game

There are opportunities in life that sometimes you just can’t pass up. I was able to experience one of those opportunities a few weeks ago at Auburn University. The Arkansas State Red Wolves’ football team played at Auburn and I was fortunate enough to attend. It wasn’t really about going to the game as much as it was about being at the game. The experience far out-weighed the outcome of the game. The SEC (Southeastern Conference) is one of the best conferences in the nation, if not the best. The environments the student-athletes play in can be quite intimidating, especially in the SEC. These are some of the images from the game, the crowd, the whole experience.

On a side note, Arkansas State lost 38-9.

A business promotes its “In Gus We Trust” T-shirt in Auburn, AL.

ASU quarterback Adam Kennedy.

ASU quarterback Adam Kennedy.

Fan cheers for the Auburn University Tigers.

Fan cheers for the Auburn University Tigers.

Fan cheers for the Auburn University Tigers.

THe student section at Jordan-Hare Stadium

Auburn University cheerleaders.

Howl (center) with the Arkanas State University cheerleaders.

An Arkansas State University fan holds a sign asking if Gus Malzahn remenbers thems.

The Cold Brew Way

Let’s get this out of the way: I LOVE coffee. Seriously. I do! I will not pass up coffee. There’s something soothing and calming about holding a cup between both hands and feeling the warmth of this simple beverage. No matter where or when, there’s always time for a cup of coffee.

OK now that’s out of the way, coffee is available in so many ways that it would take a separate post to simply list them all. Don’t worry there are no plans to do that! 🙂 But I would like to tell you about cold brew coffee. This isn’t a new idea or process by any means, but it’s gained popularity recently.

When I went to Coffee Fest in Chicago in June I learned about cold brew coffee, its benefits and the process for making it. It’s taken me a little bit of research and time to finally come around and brew up this cold concoction, but it’s actually very easy. It takes a little patience and a few extra coffee filters, but if you are a coffee lover I promise it will be worth the wait.

Here’s what you need:

• Coarse coffee grounds (some directions will tell you to use coarse freshly roasted grounds. Um, yeah, OK , I will get right to roasting up my batch of organically certified, free trade coffee beans I harvested yesterday. Really? No. That’s not necessary. I’ve brewed up three batches before posting this and for each batch I used: 1, freshly ground French roasted coffee; 2, Dunkin’ Donuts coffee from Sam’s; and 3, Folgers regular roast using a French press. The difference? None! The result was the same. It’s the process that’s important. Use what you like and what is suited to your taste preferences.

• An extra coffee pot, a tea jug, or something you don’t mind getting dirty with coffee grounds.

• water, preferably room temperature, but not required.

• several coffee filters.

Here’s what you do:

• I took the same amount of coffee grounds and water I’d use to make a pot of coffee and combined the two in a container.

• Stir to mix well.

• Let it sit for 24 hours at room temperature, stirring occasionally if you like. (I did it both ways and again no difference in taste.) Allow it to sit long enough to soak up the richness and flavor of the coffee.

• After 24 hours you will need to separate the grounds from the water. The best way to do this is to use your coffee maker. It’s your friend in this case. (I’d hope it’s your friend anyway, but if not, that’s OK.) Place a coffee filter in the drip cup (like you were making a normal pot of pure joy). Pour the coffee/water combo slowly into the drip cup. The water will drip into your pot and the filter will catch the grounds. (On a side note: if your coffee maker has a stopper — so you can pour a cup before the pot is finished and not make a mess — make sure the pot is properly in place to allow the water into the pot.) You are done!

To Enjoy:

You can add milk, creamer or whatever you like to enjoy your cold brew coffee. I encourage you to try different things. Me? I added ice, milk, and a little bit of Splenda and I loved it!

The appeal of cold brew coffee is that it’s a smoother version of the normal everyday cup of coffee. It’s less acidic, so if you have indigestion issues this may be a great option. It really is quite smooth. Remember, though, this is a concentrate so it will be strong. If you add milk to your coffee (like I do) I would use a one-to-one ratio. Half a cup of cold brew to a half of a cup of milk. Cream? I’m not sure. I’d say pour a little bit and taste and repeat until you’ve reached your desired taste.

If you decide to make your cold brew I’d love to hear your opinions and what you thought. I shared my batches with several co-workers who were pleasantly surprised with its taste. Let me know what you think or how you take your cold brew coffee!

The Navy Pier – Chicago, IL

View of the Navy Pier from a hotel window.

Black and white photo of the view walking along the Navy Pier.

The Ferris Wheel at the Navy Pier.

Chicago’s Navy Pier is more than a landmark.

The Ferris Wheel at the Navy Pier.

It’s a place chocked full of history, colors, life, activity, food, and drinks. It’s truly a place to see, walk and smell.

The Navy Pier sits on Lake Michigan’s southwestern shore and has lived several lives, so to speak. It’s come full circle in that it still serves its original intent — a place for the public to gather for entertainment — after once falling into disuse.

Built in 1914 and opened to the public in 1916, the pier originally served as a place for deliveries and shipments as well as a public gathering site. At the time, it was the largest pier in the world and spanned a little more than one-half mile. It was visited annually by millions during its early existence, and in 1933, served as the location for the World’s Fair.

By 1941, though, the Pier was closed to the public and converted into a naval education and training center where it docked the USS Wolverine and the USS Sable as training carriers for the Navy. The pier also served as training classrooms and housing for servicemen stationed there. It’s during this phase of the pier’s life that it earned its well-known name.

By 1946, with the war over, the Navy Pier was turned back over to the city of Chicago.

From 1946 to 1965 the pier was used as classrooms for the University of Illinois. During this time it was also used for public events but once the University moved off the pier, it was essentially abandoned.

It wasn’t until the 1990s that the Pier took on the life we know of  today.

The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority took control of the pier in 1989 and after about $200 million worth of renovation, it reopened.

Today the Navy Pier boasts a Ferris Wheel, an IMAX Theater, Chicago’s Children Museum, and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. It has become a must see on the “to-do” lists of visitors worldwide.

The Dos and Don’ts of Pinterest

Everyone loves Pinterest. OK, well, not everyone, but a lot of folks sure do — myself included. The appeal varies from person to person. Some may like the photos, others may like the user-friendly interface, and for some it could simply be the ability to share. For everything we love about Pinterest, there are a few things we can do to make it better.

Recently, some co-workers and I hosted a baby shower for a colleague. The shower went great; there was too much food and plenty of laughter — just what a baby shower is supposed to have, right? Right. It was great and went off without a hitch, including the diaper tree I made for the shower. (Yay me!)

Before the shower ever started (think weeks in advance) I was searching Pinterest for baby shower ideas, themes, and décor. There was one irritating thing that kept popping up: the links from pins weren’t working. UGH! That got me thinking what other issues are out there? So I complied a list of Dos and Don’ts for Pinterest.

We will start with the fun stuff.

DO: Create specific boards. Trust me on this one. If you create a generic “Food” board as I did, you will quickly find out it’s too general and crowded. If you are searching through your one food board for a dessert it may take longer than you thought to find it, if at all. But if you have a “Dessert” board it will be — in theory — much easier to find. Get detailed with it if you want! If your food board is covered up in chicken recipes, create a new board – call it Chicken Recipes – and move all these recipes into one board. These are your boards. Do what makes sense to you so that you can quickly reference any pin.

DO: Create visually appealing photos. If you are into this kind of thing keep reading. (If not, skip this one and move to the next.) The attraction to Pinterest, for me and many others, is the photos. I hate dill pickles, but create a great visually appealing photo of pickles (as seen here) and I’ll pin it! Seriously. Keep the photo clean. Don’t clutter it up with stuff. Make it your own. This is your Pinterest board; it should be a reflection of your personality.

DO: Give credit where credit is due. If you didn’t create the art (photo, drawing, illustration) for your pin, please give credit to the person who did. If it’s a recipe you tried from someone else, create a link to the original recipe in your blog post (here is an example). If you are simply re-pinning, make sure the link works and create a pin from the URL directly. You can also give credit in the description.

DO: Interact. Comment. Like. Pin. If it’s worth re-pinning, you can like it too. Commenting helps others determine if it’s worth a pin. I found an exercise that works the inner thighs (I checked to make sure the linked worked first) pinned it and tried the move a few nights later. I commented on how difficult the moves were, but that over time I could see where the benefits would outweigh the pain. Comments like that help others determine if it’s worth trying. It also shows activity which usually means it’s a good link.

DO: Follow. Following boards are the whole point of Pinterest. Following moves and inspires others. If you find you are re-pinning a lot of stuff from one person or company click on the profile and see what else they are up to. If you find a fashionista that’s a great cook, but aren’t too crazy about her (or his) fashion choices you can simply follow the food boards. You are not obligated to follow one person or company’s entire profile. There are several food companies in which I only follow a few of their boards. But if you love all of the ideas and pins from your bestie, please by all means follow all! There are options within Pinterest. (I’ve also found, especially on company profiles, that if you follow them, they will follow you!)

DO: Pin from the URL (the address in the toolbar on the top of your page). If you happen to run across a handy-dandy blog post on a DIY fruit and veggie cleaner (here) make sure that the entire URL is inside the pin. Otherwise you may lose the link to the post. I discovered this very error in my own blog and Pinterest pages while I was cleaning things up prior to this post. Some blogs offer a Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, and, etc. button(s). Watch those buttons! All it does (as I discovered) is provide a link to the site and not the actual content (like a post or particular photo). See the difference in the these two links?

www.hannahandharley.wordpress.com This is just a link to the blog in general.

https://hannahandharley.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/the-movie-list/ This is a specific link to a post from April about my favorite movies. See the difference?

Now on to the not so fun stuff.

DON’T: Take credit for artwork you didn’t do. Really. It’s not cool and could get you kicked off Pinterest. This applies to anything on the Internet. If you didn’t create it, generate it, or write it, it’s not yours. Period. (There’s also something called copyright laws and if you disregard them and get Pinterest in trouble, guess what? You are liable for Pinterest’s legal fees as well as your own. Seriously. It’s in the terms and conditions.)

DON’T: Repin a broken link! One extra step or click will tell you very quickly if that link will work or not. There’s nothing more annoying than clicking on “How to make a diaper tree” photo (for the fifth time) only to find the link is broken or it’s just a photo with no instructions. Or worse: clicking on a Pinterest link titled “How to keep your Pinterest page up to date” and having an error message pop up on you that the link is no longer available. (Yes, that really happened!)

DON’T: Only hock products. Huh? I’m mainly speaking to businesses on Pinterest, but it applies to everyone. It’s really annoying to search for “baby shower games” only to be taken directly to an Amazon page to purchase a baby shower game book. If I wanted to purchase a baby shower game book, I’d go to Amazon myself. Trust me, if your product is worthy of purchasing it will sell itself with gentle and subtle blog posts and re-pins within Pinterest. That’s not to say that I’m totally against selling stuff. I’m not. I’m saying if you want me to purchase your baby shower game book create a blog providing me with ideas and some décor suggestions that match the games and then give me the link to the Amazon page (or etsy or the web site directly) somewhere within the blog. Pinterest is about presentation as much as anything. Present your product to me or show me how it can make me better. I will determine if your product is worthy of purchase. Don’t force it on it me with a link. You will lose if you do that. (Just this week Pinterest update its site specifically for businesses that intend to sell on the site. Check out their blog for more details.)

DON’T: Be rude or lewd. Pinterest is meant to be fun. It’s not a place to spew hatred, vulgarity, or toxicity. Don’t do it. It’s not cool.

DON’T: Post every pin or re-pin to other social media sites. Notice a keyword in that sentence: every. I’m a big fan of Pinterest, but I don’t want to see everything you pin in my Facebook news feed. That’s a good way to get unfriended, my friend. If you want to share a pin from a recipe you tried on Facebook, cool! I’ll take a look at it. If you want to share an epic fail from Pinterest, go for it! I do not want to see everything you pinned in your “Get my Healthy On” board over the course of a Monday night. The same thing applies to your tweets in my Facebook news feed. I don’t want to know your opinion on how well Jacoby Jones performed on Dancing with the Stars last night. Ask yourself “is this something I’d want to see in my news feed?” before you start updating your status and pinning simultaneously.

These are just suggestions. Most people follow these guidelines on a regular basis. It’s those few people (those annoying few) who tend to muck it up for everyone else.  If you have your suggestions that I’ve left please feel free to let me know. Happy pinning!

The Boys of Summer

This weekend was all baseball. All weekend long. Seriously. I’ve got photos to prove it! It really was baseball all weekend long.  It was supposed to be a baseball-packed weekend except I don’t think anyone told Mother Nature we didn’t want that much of it. Somehow game one of a three-game series started one day and ended the next day. Really, it’s true. The rain logged Friday and Saturday turned into a great afternoon for some Sunday doubleheader baseball action. See below.

Friday:

After a two and half hour rain/lighting delay the Arkansas State University Sun Belt Conference match up with Middle Tennessee State University finally started. Above is ASU Third Baseman Claude Johnson at second base in the pouring rain. The players were able to get in an inning and half before another lighting delayed was called and the field was cleared. Forty five minutes later they postponed the game to Saturday to pick up right where they left off. ASU had the bases loaded. Saturday was supposed to be a double header.

Saturday:

After a forty five minute rain delay Friday’s game started about 2:45 p.m. Saturday afternoon right where it left off: bottom of the second with the ASU bases loaded.  Yes, it was raining on and off for most of Saturday’s game, but no lighting so they played on. ASU won 4-3. In case you are keeping track that was a 17 hours and 40 minutes suspension of one game. Because of the rain delay Saturday the doubleheader was moved to Sunday.

Sunday:

Finally some beautiful baseball weather. ASU and MTSU split the Sunday doubleheader, each team winning one game.

Sunday was also Bark in the Park at Tomlinson Stadium Kell Field so I got to bring Harley to a baseball game! He is taking in the game here.