So you live, relax or have retired to America’s back roads and charming towns. But that of course doesn’t mean that you don’t want to stay plugged in. Today’s technology has allowed more of us than ever to telecommute, to embrace digital resources or to stay connected to people and places around the world.
But being high tech doesn’t mean you can’t express your sense of back road wonder in a decidedly beautiful, low tech package.
AL: My sister Sheri is an angel. Not just a sweet person but genuinely a being sent from the heavens above. How do I know this?
I know because when she heard about a neighbor with five children and another on the way, dealing with a life threatening illness, her first and only thought was how she could help.
And because she lives in Crestline, a charming hamlet outside of Birmingham, others in her community also rushed to help the Robinson family, with donations of goods and services pouring in from throughout the community and the city at large.
The result is that this Saturday, October 21 at the Mountain Brook Baptist Church from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sheri and her band of merry elves will be conducting a charitable tag sale, with items ranging from a used car to new shoes to antique knick knacks.
But what they will mostly be offering is a dose of human kindness and compassion at its best, often most easily found in a small town. And this is something that most of us can never get enough of.
Info: sewsheri@bellsouth.net or 205.529.3027
UPDATE: On October 28, 2006, David Robinson, 36, passed away. Dave was the former proprietor of Dave's Deli and Backstage Catering in Crestline Village, Alabama.
His community is continuing to offer emotional and financial support to Janet Robinson and Dave and Jan's five children (the sixth is due in February 2007). If you are interested in providing assistance, you may still reach out to Sheri Corey, who is continuing to spearhead this effort.
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field in Crestline Village, an unassuming shop occupies a quaint yellow bungalow that fits quietly into its surroundings. But the of-the-moment, reasonably priced treasures to be found at Bags & Baubles are fantastic enough to qualify this store for shout-out-loud, rock star status.
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NJ: As you watch the parade of people saunter by proudly with their latest acquisition – golf clubs, garden 
equipment, antiques, light fixtures – you know this must be a unique place. And you would be right.
Twice a year the Visiting Nurses Association of Somerset Hills gives folks a chance to find their latest “must have” at their humongous rummage sale. Held at the Fairgrounds in Far Hills, New Jersey, this is the state’s oldest and largest sale of its kind.
Part of the fun of this sale is its charm. Run by volunteers who care passionately about the cause and realize that this sale draws attendees not just from the immediate area but also from as far as Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New York City, the event is run with the precision and marketing savvy of a true retail establishment.
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CT, NY, VA & AL: The fashion gurus tell us that monograms are back "in."
For a girl raised in the South, it was never really out of fashion. For me, there are few things in life that don't look better with a little personalized pizazz! A gold filigreed monogram ring. Bath towels. Guest robes. A sofa slipcover. Engraved glasses and silver platters.
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Small-town shops in Connecticut (Personal Best Monogram Shoppe), New York, Virginia (The Monogram Shop) and Alabama (Oodles of Ribbon) are offering ideas and choices for anyone who wants to add monogrammed accents to their home, their life, their style.
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near Hershey, an unusual sign catches your eye around the borough of Shartlesville. “Roadside America Exit Here” it quietly beckons. Always a glutton for “out-of-the-ordinary” attractions, I found the allure too much to resist – I had to explore further. Pulling into the driveway and crossing the attraction's threshold, I had some initial reservations. After all, this was about as 1950s,
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Americans.
(And down the road is Ina Stoudt's not-to-be-missed antique store, crammmed to several sets of rafters with antique and vintage furnishings, household decorative items, unique tchotchkes and eclectic vintage clothing.)
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NJ: A place where animals lounged and basked in the sun in days past is a place where human beings love to hang out and live in the present. Basking Ridge, New Jersey is today’s featured “charming town.”
Located 36 miles west of New York City in central New Jersey, Basking Ridge is a combination of rural simplicity and small-town amenities with big-city proximity.
Continue Reading...TN: Antique European watering cans, flower pails, wagon wheels and saddles may not be what you
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would expect to find for sale along a small-town stretch of highway in central Tennessee. But then the Highway 127 Corridor Sale is unlike most any event you could possible imagine.
Billed as the “World’s Longest Yard Sale,” this 450-mile extravaganza stretches from Kentucky to Alabama, meandering through Tennessee and Georgia along the way. Now in its 19th year, the sale has earned a reputation as a truly unique experience and bargain-hunters' paradise.
Don Daniels, who runs the aforementioned booth (pictured at right) packed with these treasures and more from England, Holland, and France as well as points throughout the United States, has been participating in the 127 Corridor Sale since its inception, and has been named a "shoppers' favorite" vendor for several years.
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After the circuitous ride down a makeshift road kicking up dust on bald fields, the first thing you notice in climbing off the bus is the smell. It is not an offensive or over powering scent, just one that is clearly present. But after all, this is the Gilroy Garlic Festival.
Considered one of America’s premiere food events, the festival -- now in its 28th year -- was started when local garlic growers pitched the idea to the town of Gilroy, California. No one expected much that first year. So when attendance far exceeded expectations, the pungent fest was born. In 2006, the Gilroy Garlic Festival is expected to draw 130,000 guests.
As soon as I arrived, I was on the lookout for the infamous -- and interesting-sounding -- garlic ice cream.
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pointing you towards the Hawthorn Gallery and Red Barn Antiques. But don't make that mistake -- this is one place you won't want to miss.Enter keywords:
