Carver Jones Market

 For some time the citizens of Fairfield, Alabama and surrounding areas have been living in a food desert. On July 31, 2024, Carver Jones Market opened.

President and CEO, James Harris has over 30 years experience in the grocery industry.

The store is named after George Washington Carver and Frederick McKinley Jones. Both men were pioneers in their field. Carver in agriculture and Jones in mobile refrigeration. 

I had the pleasure of picking up a few items while over that way. The store is small but expertly arranged and doesn't give a cluttered feeling. It was clean and employees were friendly and knowledgeable about where to find items. Prices were about what they'd be in most markets. 

I don't know how to stitch video so I've provided the run time beside each one. Total=39 sec.

Entrance 11 second video. 

 

Produce ,etc. 17 sec.

Meat, dairy, etc. 11 sec.

Mission Statement

The store has pharmacy hours listed on the door. Since I wasn't in the market for any pharmaceuticals, I didn't seek it out. 

If I lived on the western side of town in the community, I would shop here again. 

That's it. 🍐🍋🐔

Archwell Health

Located where Rite Aid once was, Archwell is a health clinic for those aged 60 and above located in Roebuck Center.  I'd long wanted to know what services they provided. Today's Open House afforded me that opportunity.

After registering, attendees were free to mingle with other guests and explore vendors. Some people I met were already members of Archwell and seemed to be pleased with the offerings.  There were representatives from  Medicare Advantage , Salvation Army, Jefferson County Department of Senior Services and the staff at Archwell.

The tour guide gave us valuable information and answered our questions. Doctors book no more than 5 patients a day. Being able to see a/your primary care physician when needed was a positive that got my attention. Having to wait two weeks to see a doctor and given little time of his or her time is a turn off for me. Also, patients see the same doctor when they visit. 

I asked if there is a fee to join Archwell and was told no. 👍  Although, there are caveats to everything. There are only two insurances they accept. Those are Cigna and United Health Care.  Sadly, I do not have either of those.🙁 I know that I have the option to change from what the retirement board gives me but, I am hesitant to do so. I don't care to investigate options. I don't want to do THAT much thinking.  

It was  a wonderful event. The staff was friendly and accommodating.  The schedule in the picture above shows programs and activities they have during the week.  Non members are welcomed to attend. 

That's it***

 

 

A vintage drugstore revived as an ice cream parlor

copied from USA Restaurants

" Price’s is located in the former Price’s Drugs building off Main Street in Pinson, AL. The building had been on this corner since 1898, then was remodeled in 1943. 40 years later, the original owners, the Price brothers, shut their doors permanently." (copied from Bham Now)."

I dropped by with a friend just to see what it looked like.  It has a totally nostalgic feel to it as you'll see in the pictures below. So much of what is on the shelves was left as is when they closed permanently in the 1980's. That is what I was told by the ice cream person.  

An E-Bay seller would hit a goldmine here.

I was familiar with a few of the products. I wasn't born until the 1950's so many of them aren't familiar to me. I tried Googling some of the products but couldn't find anything about many of them  . 😲

These shelves appear to have items not used for consumption. Shoe polish, plastic toy kits,
shoe dye.

There's a section with tables where you can eat if you don't want to sit at the ice cream counter.

This is the ice cream counter, very memorable of what I've seen in vintage teen movies. There are several flavors of ice cream to choose from.  I chose vanilla soft serve.

To the left is what appears to be a hand crank ice cream freezer. We had a green wooden one when I was a kid.  Funny how long it lasted being made out of wood and wrapped with wire. To freeze the cream you have to add ice and salt to the barrel which would seem to be conducive to early rot. I'm seeing an old electric fan, several LP albums and a lantern.  I have no idea what the yellow contraption with 244 on it is.

The chips of course are new but the notebook paper isn't. THIS I remember.  The teacher would ask if you needed Supplies. Supplies included anything the school office sold that was needed to perform schoolwork i.e. paper, pencils, ink pens, crayons etc.  Notice closely that this paper is for a TOP HOLE tablet. That meant you added the paper from the top and not the side.  I had a top hole tablet that even had a compartment for two pencils.  The problem with the top hole was that if you dropped it, it would easily  disgorge all of its contents. That left its owner scurrying around picking up wayward paper.  Eventually it was uncool to have a Top Hole.

The things that they sold were pretty varied. Swim Fins, Not sure if that is underwear or swim trunks. My best guess would be swim trunks.  The faded green item appears to be a swimsuit. And just in case you forgot your tie on the way to an affair, pick one up at the drugstore.

You can find more about Price's at these links: Bham Now, Facebook, Trussville Tribune

That's it***

The Back Porch

 

Located      on First Avenue in Bessemer, Alabama is The Back Porch restaurant. 

My first time there this past Sunday gave me a nostalgic feeling of the 80's Sunday brunches  once sponsored by Mom & Pop establishments.  This one had home cooking, was clean, had congenial servers who greeted me with a smile when I placed my order at the steam table. Seeing customers waving and talking with friends added to the warmness . The dulcet singing voice of Jolanda Green ( see below) was icing on the cake.

I'm glad the  Pandemic policy has been somewhat relaxed. There's no way you can remain six feet  apart in this small establishment.

Some of the historic photos  from when the Muscoda Mines operated.

Jolanda Green music

                                                                 Here's a sample↓↓↓

A great Sunday!😄

ETCetera

Lincoln Theater June 2021

Just next door to The Back Porch is the Lincoln Theatre. This was a theater for African Americans to attend during the segregation era. 

Built in 1910, Sam Raine bought the building in 1942. In 1947 Raine had the building redesigned. In 1948 the theater opened to movie patrons.

" In 1950 the Lincoln was scheduled to screen the 1949 feature "Lost Boundaries", about the family of Dr Albert Johnson who passed for white while living in New England in the 1930s and 1940s. As in Atlanta, Memphis and Birmingham, Bessemer's censors banned the screening. The board's opinion, reported byBessemer Police chief Lacey Alexander, was that, "We didn't want it shown in Bessemer. We didn't like the looks of it.  "(copied from Bham Wiki)

 Raine put the theater up for sale in 1961 for $40,000. After going through a succession of owners the building was closed as a  theater in 1981.  

In 2017, actor, Andre Holland , who grew up in Bessemer purchased the theater with the support of his family as local managers. Naming it the Holland Project and given a grant of $21,000 by the Alabama State Council on the Arts they began restoration of  the building to benefit the community. 

Lincoln Theater in its early days.  1948 (copied from Bham Now

That's it***

 

 

Street Fair, Tailgating

In addition to coffee ⛾ I enjoy street fairs.
The Woodlawn Market takes place about four times a year. It has become a popular place because of the revitalization that is and has taken place in the area. Rehabbing of desolate buildings into updated homes or into new uses such as businesses, clinics, child care and growth initiatives.

Booths at the Woodlawn Street Market

On market days vendor tents abound.  Food, produce stand, artisan clothing, art, jewelry, human interest groups. There may even be a few freestyle dancers.

I always accept the business cards of the various booths I visit. Here are just a few. Many of the artists dislike having their work photographed and so I never do unless I ask first. 

Below are some of the items I did buy

I was told that the green tops of radishes are edible. I found a recipe online, cooking them the same way as turnip greens are cooked. They have a little more bite than turnips greens. I remedied that by adding a little sugar.  They were good but unpleasantly aromatic. I also took some of the bottoms and baked them in the oven the same way I've done other root vegetables in the past. Make sure you wash  everything well because they were pretty gritty.    

Radishes before cleaning

Radishes before baking

Cooked radishes and radish green

The bowl cozy comes in handy when removing hot foods from the microwave .

Next day tailgating

A friend invited me to her church for their annual tailgating event. Church service is first held inside. Afterwards congregants flood the church grounds where tents, food and activities abound.

There were car  and motorcycle exhibits .

Children enjoyed the whirly car rides

Train rides around the property were enjoyed. There were other 

attractions also. Inside there was even a Cake Walk.

Line dancers (I don't remember the name of the group.)😞

This will be my first attempt at trying to upload a video on Windows 10😐 I've got a feeling it's not going to show. 

That's it***

Creation Museum- Petersburg, Kentucky

If you only want to see the pictures, there are 10

This post is not to sway anyone toward any type of beliefs or disbeliefs. This is simply a post on a place I visited.


This Biblical park contains not only the Creation Museum but other features of interest. The property has camel rides, a zoo of unusual animals such as a zorse which is a cross breeding of a zebra and a horse. Maybe you’d prefer ziplining or panning for gems at the Mining Sluice. These are just a few of the activities visitors can choose.

Creation     Corruption     Catastrophe     Confusion     Christ     Cross     Consummation

If you don’t want to read, don’t go inside the Creation Museum. Each display explains what it is being depicted. The existence of dinosaurs is woven into the story of the Creation as you can see by the huge skeleton that greets you in the lobby.  

The story of Adam and Eve takes place through a series of dioramas. Visitors take a self-guided tour that begins with Eden and ends with the Fall of the couple.

Further relation to sin and the future is portrayed

through a flash of scenes showing a man watching a screen and it is said to be pornography, a girl calling an abortion clinic and other scenes of  acts considered to be sinful. 

The museum and its designers purpose is to show a "literal interpretation of the Genesis creation...in the Bible." (creationmuseum.org.)

That's it***
Next week: The Ark Encounter

It's A Senior AfFAIR

If you use your TV remote

to make phone calls,  you might be a senior citizen.











When you see another woman wearing ugly shoes

and you ask if they are comfortable, you might be a senior citizen.



If a young person tells you how good

copied from webstaurantstore.com

the Black-Eyed Peas are and you say thank you, you might be a senior citizen.

T

There are so many programs now for Senior citizens. Taking care of the body and mind is important once the routine of work and family takes a dramatic change.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) sponsored a Senior Fit  Health Fair at Railroad Park.

According to trekbirmingham.com  ideas for  a park in downtown Birmingham began as early as the 1950’s and was tossed around for the next 50 years.

During the fall of 2010, the park became a reality. The original name, The Railroad Reservation Park  was changed to Railroad Park. Honoring  the railroad history of Birmingham, Alabama  the 19 acre property is a sweeping vista of flora native to the area. Along with open lawns, well defined arbors are placed strategically throughout the park providing a shady respite for joggers and those escaping the excruciating southern summer heat . Water features add calm and beauty as visitors relax on benches and structures many of which were built from recycled bricks and other objects unearthed during construction of the park.  

Up until this year I’d never set foot onto Railroad Park.

Attending the Senior Health Fair afforded me the opportunity to visit the park.

There were a number of booths available providing, minimal eye tests, hearing tests, information on heart, blood pressure, memory, transportation, care giving respite and much more. All was informative. 

Periodically, exercise routines were demonstrated with 

impromptu participation by attendees. 

Healthy food was available .

These are some of the freebies doled out by the vendors. 

If it was something I couldn't use, I didn't take it

See the green arrow by the ear buds? They must 

have been for children because the span from left ear to 

right ear under the chin was about 5 inches. 😮 Couldn't 

use them.

I've seen these representations of Vulcan in other places in the city.

Each one is unique.The plaque to the lower left shows

who is sponsoring this particular artistic design .

 This one is titled  Magic City Lights. I'm unable to decipher its artist.

I'm appreciative to BCBS and others for sponsoring this Senior Health Fair.  I plan to participate in the various programs as long as I can. When I was a child it seemed that seniors A.K.A. "old people" just sat on the porch, were cranky to kids, and went to church. Now that I have become a senior, there are so many programs and activities available to ensure the golden years are bright. 

That's It***

Next week - "He stole my skin"