Skywatch Friday

Belk's is one of two department stores we have here in Jackson, the other being Dillard's. I took this photo yesterday evening. Somehow the sky does not look as pretty in the photo as it did in person. It was sort of pinkish-orange and just peeking out behind that clock tower.

Happy Friday everyone. Be sure to check out other skies around the world at Skywatch.

Manicure

VIP Nails is one of the numerous Vietnamese nail shops in and around Jackson. I've tried quite a few, but VIP is one of the better ones. My last manicure lasted more than two weeks!

Quail Hollow

My husband and I played a round of golf in McComb, Mississippi on New Year's Eve day on our way to the Big Easy. The weather was quite sunny, although it was really cold. We played this course before and it's still as nice as the last time, although my score wasn't!

Schimmels

Schimmels is a local restaurant that also hosts blues acts on the weekends. You may have heard of The Subway Lounge. It was an old juke joint featured in the 2003 documentary Last of the Mississippi Juke Joints. Despite efforts to renovate and revitalize the old club, it was demolished in 2004. Luckily there are places like Schimmels who have given those performers new places to play!

Madison County Tax Assesor

A gloomy rainy day is as good a time as any to visit your local tax assessor. Luckily my husband and I were on a good mission. Since we bought our house last February, we could not homestead (you had to be living in the home on 1 Jan) and have been paying the full-value property tax! Now we're officially homesteaded and will pay a discounted rate.

Mega Church

Christ United Methodist is one of the largest churches in the Jackson area. In addition to the regular church facilities, they also have a pre-school program. I wonder how many members this church has - it must be in the hundreds! The administrative costs and upkeep of their campus must be quite expensive. And they have a very professional website to boot.

There are quite a few mega-churches like this around town. I always wonder if there is competition for membership between them. Here in the US, churches advertise for "customers" just like any other business.

Shrooms

Since I don't eat meat, I didn't try the hot dogs. I did try these mushrooms though and they were delicious!

Jackson photos will be back next week. I hope you've enjoyed this look at the holidays in Berlin!

Hot diggity dog!

These are the German version of hot dogs. They take the long dogs and put them into a piece of bread about the size of a dinner roll. They're quite funny looking, but the Germans probably think our long buns are strange too!

Wall of color

These colorful lights are found all over the lobby of the Berliner Philharmonie. The building is fantastic from the inside and out. The acoustics are also astounding. The Berlin Philharmonie is one of the most recorded orchestras in the world. It's really a world class organization. If you ever get a chance to hear them play - take it!

Berliner Philharmonie

My MiL took my husband and I out for a concert at the Berlin Philharmonie. We saw Mahler's Third and it was spectacular! The orchestra was under the direction of Zubin Mehta and there was also a boy's choir, a women's choir and an alto soloist. What a spectacle!

PS: Bonne fete des rois!!

Potsdamer Platz Arkaden

This is the view from the grand windows at the Potsdamer Platz shopping center. My husband and I always make a trip down there for an ice cream when we're in town. I thought the combination of decorations from outside and inside looked very pretty.

The Kudamm

The Kudamm is really spectacular during the holidays. There are always beautiful light displays. I just love the simplicity of the trees with a star on the top.

KDW

The Kaufhaus des Westens is Berlin's most famous department store. It's located at the end of the Kudamm - Berlin's equivalent of the Champs Elysees. They have beautiful decorations during the holidays both in the store and on the street.

Gendarmenmarkt

I know it's a little late to be showing Christmas decorations. But I couldn't resist sharing this lovely tree from the Christmas market at Gendarmenmarkt. My husband and I stopped by on Christmas day and enjoyed some mulled wine and a look at the different wares. I still think the Schloss Charlottenburg is nicer though.

Happy New Year!

Sorry I've been away from my blog for awhile, but we were busy celebrating Christmas and a birthday in Berlin and then New Year's in New Orleans.

This is a look at the Schloss Charlottenburg which was specially lit for the Christmas Market this year. This particular market just opened last year and it has grown a lot. In fact, I think it's even prettier than the Gendarmenmarkt which is traditionally the most beautiful in Berlin.

I hope everyone had wonderful holidays and all the best to you and your family in 2009!

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree!

This is my Christmas tree! My sister helped me decorate it when my family was here for Thanksgiving. She has that extra special touch which makes everything look beautiful.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!!!

It's hard to believe that this was what it looked like around Jackson just a week ago! This photo is courtesy of one of my colleagues who has a farm about 20 miles south of the metro area. We did not have as much of the white stuff in town, but even in the country this much snow is almost unheard of.

I will be in Berlin for ten days and probably won't be posting. My mother-in-law only has dial-up internet which is way too frustrating for uploading photos!

Happy skywatch Friday to everyone and don't forget to click on the picture below to check out the other skies around the world today.

Old Camera

What could be more appropriate for a photo blog than a picture of a camera? They had some lovely old ones on display at the museum.

Old Flag

This flag is on display inside the Old Courthouse Museum. The place is chock full of artifacts from the Civil War as well as everyday tools and such that help us understand life in ye olde days. Considering its age, this flag is extremely well-preserved. I'm glad there are people out there who keep these kinds of things to share with the public. Check back tomorrow for more!

Old Court Room

This is the original jury box in the old court room - it's located on the second story of the Old Courthouse in Vicksburg. I recently served on the jury for a trial in Madison County - it took a whole week. I would not have liked to spent a week sitting on one of those hardback chairs.

Old Court House

After sating our appetites and shopping around, we headed a few blocks down to the Old Court House. The building itself is quite impressive and although it does not serve its first purpose any more, the Civil War Museum inside is quite interesting. It's amazing how many artifacts are still preserved. I'll show more of the museum this week.

Downtown Vicksburg

After our visit to the Anchuca, we headed downtown for a coffee and a snack. There were many lovely little boutiques, a bookstore and an art gallery. It was sort of drizzly and grey that day, so the indoor distractions were welcome.

The Wilson Suite

This is the main sleeping area in the Wilson Suite, named for Victor and Jane Wilson who purchased the home in 1840. Unfortunately, none of the home's original furniture survived the Civil War, but the owners have scoured the markets for period antiques and replications to give the home an authentic feel.


The Eliza Room is part of the Wilson Suite, it's named for the Wilson's daughter. The rooms share a lovely bathroom complete with an old fashioned claw-foot tub. It's the perfect place for a family or romantic getaway!

Christmas at The Anchuca

The owners of the Anchuca welcome guests into their home year round, but staying during the holiday season is something special. Their tree was splendidly decorated and they offer special Thanksgiving and Christmas buffets.

Tomorrow I will show you one of the guest suites.

The Happy Home

We finally did find a house to visit - The Anchuca Mansion which means happy home in Choctaw. I'll show you the inside of the Anchuca tomorrow. It is just gorgeous and has a lot of historical appeal!

Cedar Grove

We packed up for a tour of historic Vicksburg during the Thanksgiving holiday. We originally wanted to visit the McRaven House, but it is already closed for the season. Cedar Grove was our second choice, but unfortunately they were having a wedding that day and were not touring.

We did walk around outside a little bit. Perhaps my husband will treat me to a night in one of the guest rooms sometime. They look sumptuous!

The Mississippi Story

The Mississippi Story is the permanent collection at the Mississippi Museum of Art. My family and I toured the museum during the Thanksgiving holiday. We saw an exhibit of Audubon prints, but I really found the Mississippi collection more interesting.

Bye Bye China!

Our last day in Shanghai was sunny so we took a boat cruise up the river. It was a nice way to see the skyline and the reflections on the water.

Tomorrow your regularly scheduled Jackson photos will return.

Dim Sum

Yummy yum yum! Who can resist tasty dim sum?

And these were purported to be the best in Shanghai! Unfortunately, we did not try them as the queue was more than 50 persons long and there are limits on how long I can wait - even for the best dim sum.

Cloisonee

While we were in Beijing, we visited a cloisonee factory. The tour was actually quite interesting and informative. We saw these vases just coming out of the fire - quite impressive. It takes 10 - 15 layers to fill up the spaces on a vase, that's pretty tedious work. But the results are worth it, the works are quite beautiful. We took home two Christmas ornaments. Funnily enough - there was even a Mississippi State Bulldogs ornament all the way in China. I should have taken a picture of that!

PS: This is my 365th post - one full year's worth of pictures.