Alabamian of the Month for April - Harper Lee

When most people think of writers, a large body of work comes to mind, e.g., John Grisham, William Faulkner, or Ernest Hemingway.  In the case of Harper Lee, one novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, earned her not only a Pulitzer Prize, but resulted in an Academy Award winning movie of the same name. Theaters everywhere continue to perform the play, as its story is as compelling today as it was in 1960, when the book was published.

Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926, in the town of Monroeville, Alabama.

As her surname suggests, she is a descendant of Robert E. Lee. Her father was a local newspaper editor, who had also been a state senator and attorney in Monroeville. After transferring from the all-female school Huntington College in Montgomery, Harper Lee studied law at the University of Alabama from 1945-1949.  While at the University of Alabama, she wrote for and eventually became editor of the Rammer Jammer, the school's newspaper and humor magazine.

Realizing that writing, not the law, was her true calling, she then went to Oxford University as an exchange student.  After a few months she decided to pursue a literary career and moved to New York City at the age of 23. While there she worked as a ticket agent for Eastern Airlines to make ends meet while she pursued her dream of being a writer.

Through the generosity of Broadway lyricist Martin Brown and his wife, Joy, Harper Lee quit her job to work full-time on her craft.  The Browns also secured a literary agent for her, Maurice Crain. Although the manuscript went through a couple of title changes, i.e., Go Set a Watchman, then Atticus, the final version of To Kill a Mockinbird was finished in 1959.

More to come.....

Biographical data: http://www.biography.com/
                              http://www.harperlee.com/

Saturday at the Botanical Gardens

Now that I have 'discovered' this place, I love going there! Mainly I'm seeking azaleas in full bloom, and they are finally beginning to cooperate.  It may be a few more days until they are really at their peak so I will just keep checking.  But I did some exploring and found 'the other side of the garden' yesterday.  Take a look at these photos and enjoy!



Beautiful daffodils on the approach to the benches.

Follow the yellow brick road!!!

I thought I saw the tin woodsman behind those trees!

The pictures really don't show the true beauty of these flowers.

The bright orange azaleas are not common.

I'm not sure what these little blue beauties are; I only saw this one little planting.

The morning was rather cloudy, but it was still a lovely day. There were preparations for an Easter egg hunt going on nearby, so I'm surprised I didn't encounter more people on the paths.

I will have more pictures of the 'other side' in my next post. 

The Helen Keller Art Show

This traveling exhibit consists of artwork created by sensory impaired children statewide and internationally.  It is part of the Alabama Deaf Blind Project. It just so happens that the exhibit is currently on display at the academic library where I work. This exhibit is in its 7th year and I am always amazed at the quality of the artwork produced by these young people. 

I've attached photos of some of the items on display. Seeing these pieces reminds me that there is really no limit on anyone's potential.

Some selected pieces will be chosen to hang in Congressional offices in Washington, D.C.

A Look at Last Year's Front Yard

The yard was so beautiful, in theory, at least.  But the evil "cobblers peg" weed forced major changes into the planning for this spring and summer.  My day lilies were all dug up, saved, and replanted.  Hardy plants that they are, they are all doing well and growing. So soon I will have blooms on all of the ones that were moved this past January.

Unfortunately, the nasty weed can be seen  coming up virtually everywhere in these pictures.

This spring I'm using pine straw instead of cypress mulch in my flower beds.  Hopefully this will help, at least in the appearance of the beds. Over time the mulch actually contributed to the sad look of the front yard bed.  With a smaller area for flowering plants, I hope to be able to stay ahead of the weeds that do make their way above ground.

Helen Keller's Legacy

Througout her life, Helen received numerous awards and honors. Most notably, though, she will be remembered for her work for the American Foundation for the Blind, which was established in 1921. She served on the staff from 1924 until her death on June 1, of 1968. It was here that she began work for the "Helen Keller Endowment Fund" for the Foundation.  She was especially proud of the formation of its special service for deaf-blind persons in 1946.

Her interest in blind persons extended beyond the United States. She was a member of the first board of directors of the Permanent Blind War Relief Fund, later known as the American Braille Press.  Now known as Heller Keller International, Helen was its counselor on international relations. She traveled tirelessly through her later years on behalf of this organization.  Between 1946 and 1955, she visited thirty-five countries on five continents.

Biographical information://www.afb.org/

Playing Possum

This little critter was spying at me through some tree branches in my back yard. When he realized I had noticed him he froze like a statue and remained that way for several minutes. Finally I went in the house and he made his way back to his home.  I guess he had been on his way to see if there was any cat food outside. Seems strange since it was late afternoon. Usually these guys come out in the pre-dawn hours.

I felt bad because had I not been in the yard he would probably have made his way to the cat food. The cats just sit and watch, or ignore him when he comes around.

Guess What? I won the lottery and am moving to the South Seas!!!!!