Addicted to String, Yarn and Crafts

Calling muses to bless us with words,
An ink pen is our magic wand
There’s no doubt we will be remembered
should we keep our craft living on….

Anniston Star – Second mound report released

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OXFORD — A University of Alabama archaeologist has released a report stating a pile of stones in Oxford was created by natural forces and not American Indians centuries ago — a report written two months after he signed another report stating the opposite.

Robert Clouse, director of the Office of Archaeological Research at the University of Alabama and director of the University of Alabama Museums, mailed the second report on the mound behind the Oxford Exchange to The Star at a reporter’s request.

The report cites different geologic surveys of the area and other American Indian archaeological excavations for comparison. Clouse is not a geologist, though he says he minored in geology as an undergraduate student.

The report states the mound is a natural formation and is not culturally significant.

The stone mound became the center of a dispute last summer, which ended with the City of Oxford backing away from plans to level the mound and use dirt beneath it for fill at a nearby construction site. City officials have repeatedly stated the mound was not man-made. They also later claimed they had not touched the mound, a claim contradicted by pictures contained in Clouse’s second report which show heavy equipment dismantling it.

The second report concluding the mound was natural was produced in July during the thick of the controversy over the site which began in June. The first report, which said the site was significant, was produced in April.

Folks:

I choose my causes carefully — this is one I feel is important. Please, read the note below and let me know what you think. We need input on this issue.
—–
From FB Page:

“Movement for Protection of Mounds and Cultural Heritage in Alabama”

“Hi everyone,

Based on the suggestion of Rainey Welch (Thanks, Rainey), we have decided that we wanted to hold an awareness and preservation of Native American and prehistoric culture in Alabama day. We have spoken to Dr. Harry Holstein of Jacksonville State University and Sharon Jackson of The Creek Nation to start getting the ball rolling. We have an appointment with an official in Jacksonville, Alabama, Thursday to discuss holding this on the square or at the recreation center. We do not have a date set, but we hope to have a date on Thursday, and we will keep all of you posted.

Once we get the date set, we will need volunteers (Native American drummers, story tellers, any musicians, artists, dancers, craft and food venders, and anyone who cares about this cause and is willing to help other people care too). Anyone interested in helping please contact us @raidernationdna@yahoo.com , so that we can try to start organizing and planning. We are trying to do what we can because we truly believe in this cause. We will post something in the next couple of days concerning our background information and why we care so much. We just want to let you know who we are on a personal level. Preservation of the past is very important and close to our hearts. The people in the past are all of our ancestors because we would not be here without them. It is time to honor that, stand up, and give those people a voice.

Bowing Humbly,

Cora and Rob”

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Want to know more?

Contact Rob and Cora, me, or search for the “Oxford, Alabama Mound Site” using Google.

Thank you, for your time.

– Cathy Ann Abernathy
weavercat@gmail.com

Johnny Depp is Dead; Long Live ‘Dead Man’ Johnny Depp – Associated Content – associatedcontent.com

I was sorry to see that acting great Johnny Depp had been found dead again Sunday. It seems that the guy can’t go anywhere without getting killed — at home, on the road, in Manhattan… It is difficult to say exactly when Johnny Depp first died, but he’s been dying pretty regularly
Johnny Depp is Dead; Long Live ‘Dead Man’ Johnny Depp
Date: January 24, 2010
over the years, only to be resurrected by time and a reliable publicist. But a quick search through the internet suffices to find several stories of his tragic deaths — and the fact that he has not died at all.

But such are wages of traveling the information highway — death, that is. It isn’t uncommon to wake up and find just about any celebrity dead, although some seem to be killed or found dead far more frequently than others.

BBC News – ‘Dead mother and son’ alive after Christmas ‘miracle’

A mother from Colorado who doctors said had died while giving birth to her son, has said it is a Christmas miracle that both she and the boy are alive.

Tracey Hermanstorfer’s heart stopped beating and her son Coltyn appeared lifeless after the Caesarean section on Christmas Eve (24 December).

However a few minutes after he was delivered, both began breathing again.

Dr Stephanie Martin told Good Morning America she could not explain how the pair survived.

Mrs Hermanstorfer and her husband Mike told the American television show that their baby was now healthy and they were doing “good” following the drama at Colorado Springs Memorial Hospital.

Just short while ago, I was at the computer, heard a engine rev from the Alex-Jax road — then a rumble, and a crashing thud — something big had wrecked at the road near the neighbor’s house.
Don’t know the full story, but there was an unmarked police car sitting in the neighbor’s driveway just after it happened. Several minutes later, an ambulance arrived from toward Alexandria, and the fire/rescue truck (with sirens on both) showed up from Weaver.
Dave says from what he could see the police officer was “just sitting” in the patrol car.
Will try to find out more, but it did NOT sound like it had a good ending…will update as more details are learned.

– Cathy

‘Twas the night before Christmas & out on the ranch

The pond was froze over & so was the branch.

The snow was piled up belly-deep to a mule.

The kids were all home on vacation from school,

And happier young folks you never did see-

Just all sprawled around a-watchin’ TV.

Then suddenly, some time around 8 o’clock,

There came a surprise that gave them a shock!

The power went off, the TV went dead!

When Grandpa came in from out in the shed

With an armload of wood, the house was all dark.

“Just what I expected,” they heard him remark.

“Them power line wires must be down from the snow.

Seems sorter like times on the ranch long ago.”

“I’ll hunt up some candles,” said Mom. “With their light,

And the fireplace, I reckon we’ll make out all right.”

The teen-agers all seemed enveloped in gloom.

Then Grandpa came back from a trip to his room,

Uncased his old fiddle & started to play

That old Christmas song about bells on a sleigh.

Mom started to sing, & 1st thing they knew

Both Pop & the kids were all singing it, too.

They sang Christmas carols, they sang “Holy Night,”

Their eyes all a-shine in the ruddy firelight.

They played some charades Mom recalled from her youth,

And Pop read a passage from God’s Book of Truth.

They stayed up till midnight-and, would you believe,

The youngsters agreed ’twas a fine Christmas Eve.

Grandpa rose early, some time before dawn;

And when the kids wakened, the power was on..

“The power company sure got the line repaired quick,”

Said Grandpa – & no one suspected his trick.

Last night, for the sake of some old-fashioned fun,

He had pulled the main switch – the old Son-of-a-Gun!

-anonymous

[Thank you, Pat for forwarding this to me. -CAA]

Randy Owen Concert….Time Passes On « Tales from the Trailerpark

I’ve been an Alabama fan for a long, long time. My kids are, too. They had no choice since I played their music while they were growing up. I’m not a big country music fan in general. There are a few that I really like and Alabama was one of them. I was sad when they announced their retirement. My daughter found out that Randy Owen went solo and bought me two front row seats to his concert at the West Virginia state fair.

I didn’t know exactly what to expect. I knew that I had gotten older since the last time I saw him about six years ago and wasn’t sure if his retirement had been good to him or aged him.

Had to sit thru a Tracy Lawrence concert first. I’m not a TL fan. He did have a great backup band but I just wanted them to hurry and get the hell off stage.They finally did and the big moment was about to take place……Randy O on stage, solo.

We kept seeing a fairly obese guy with dark, curly hair. My daughter looked at me and said, “Lets pray!” I said, “For what?” She said, “That that person is not Randy Owen.” So ,we did.

God answered our prayers because that was not RO. But, just a few minutes later, the annoucer said, “Please give a big welcome to Randy Owen!”

Mamie Herb Obituary: Mamie Herb’s Obituary by the The Gadsden Times.

Funeral services for Mamie Buckley Chisolm Herb, 88, will be at 2 p.m. today at the K. L. Brown Funeral Home and Cremation Center Chapel in Jacksonville. Burial will be in the Fort McClellan Post Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home for one hour prior to services.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the UAB Civitan International Research Center, 1719 Sixth St. N.W., Birmingham, AL 35233. Online condolences to the family at: www.klbrownfuneralhome.com

3-year numbers show more defaults on college loans

More than one in five recipients of federal student loans who attend for-profit colleges default within three years of beginning repayment, figures from the U.S. Department of Education show.

The government has historically reported such figures based on a two-year window, and those statistics stand at 6.7 percent of student borrowers overall and about 11 percent of those who attend for-profit schools.

However, the three-year numbers provide a clearer picture of whether a student at a particular school will default, and the government will soon begin using them to help decide which colleges qualify for taxpayer-supported student aid programs.

Under the new arrangement, which will start in 2012, the threshold default rate for sanctions will be 30 percent.

Almost 12 percent of borrowers who began repayment in 2007 defaulted within three years. At for-profit colleges, the rate was 21.2 percent.

Harris Miller, CEO of the Career College Association, which represents for-profit colleges, said the increase reflects the poor economy.