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Originally uploaded by Tonja Owens.

Isn’t this just the most unique old house? It is on Hwy. 231 between Troy and Montgomery, AL. I’ve watched it deteriorate over 30 years. It has been a sort of landmark to our family as we travel back and forth to Birmingham. Last year, my son Adam, the photographer, stopped and made a picture of it and had it printed and framed for me for Christmas. It is a treasure. I wonder who lived there and what their lives were like. I would like to have a studio built just like this in my back yard. A little haven. I would have the only key and visitation would be by invitation only!

I went to Birmingham with Don over the weekend. While he was in meetings, I went shopping. Now, Birmingham is one of my favorite places to shop…but not on this trip. I went to several of the malls and also some specialty shops…and I was not a happy shopper, willing to part with my hard earned money to look cute and stylish. Who are the buyers for these large department stores? Obviously, they take kids right out of college, stick thin, and oblivious to the fact that there are middle-aged women who are bigger than a size 4. Where are we to shop for clothes that are current and stylish, not cut down to there, or UP to there? Most of the clothes that are the NEWEST styles…I wore years ago in high school and college. Remember the baby doll dresses, and the Pucci prints? The stores are full of them. Now, I can tell you this…this 53 year young lady will not wear a baby doll dress. Oh, they do have those old lady clothes, to be fair. You know the polyester pants with the long tops and the denim embroidered with cute butterflies and flowers. You know the ones I’m talking about…the ones that look so good with the Easy Spirit shoe. There is one shop in Birmingham that I love to shop in and thank goodness, THEY had things age appropriate and still very stylish. This shop is in Mountain Brook and it is delightful. It is called White Flowers. All the clothes are white or pale gray with black prints. All cotton and sooooo comfortable. And that will be my wardrobe until my next shopping trip. Maybe the other stores will have a better selection by then. If not, there’s nothing like new shoes or new purse or new jewelry to update an outfit from last year. Right?