Number 100 - Our State Magazine

"Chances are, if you’re
reading this list, you’re already a fan.
We’re glad to know you!"

The Magazine is great and I am enjoying my subscription.

Number 15 - North Carolina is My Home

"Pick up a copy of Kuralt’s book 
North Carolina is My Home."

 I purchased a used copy of this book from Amazon and read the entire book at one sitting.  Nice and homey.  Showing lots of NC pictures with some text by Charles Kuralt.  The one thing I wished for was that the pictures were labeled.  In some instances, there was no way to find out what we were looking at or where it was.  Otherwise, nice coffee table book.

Nike of Samothrace

Located in the front Lobby of the Forney Building on UNCG's campus, the statue is a replica of the original in the Louvre, Paris.  The class of 1915 donated it to the school and it has been located in various buildings over the years, finally resting in Forney.

Samothrace is an island in Greece where pieces of the statue were originally found. 

Shrove Tuesday

While not a North Carolina Icon, Shrove Tuesday is a special day in our family.  On the day before Lent , my sister Kim and I usually celebrate at my daughter, Lauren's (and Adam's) home, with pancakes and sausage/bacon.  This year I brought a King Cake, a Spanish/French/New Orleans Mardi Gras tradition.  The cake is a twisted cinnamon ring with icing and purple/green/yellow sprinkles and is delicious!  This year we got ours from Great Harvest Bread Company in Friendly Center.  I recommend it! 

O. Henry

While our list has quite a few items on it, there are some noticeably absent, including O. Henry.
 
William Sidney Porter, or O. Henry, was born on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina.  He was a prolific author who wrote two of my favorite stories; The Gift of the Magi and The Ransom of Red Chief.  I would recommend both of these if you have not already read them.  Greensboro celebrates him all over town with statues, etc.

I had the opportunity to stay at the O. Henry Hotel for one evening recently.  The theme of the hotel is, of course, O. Henry.  The lobby has text from The Gift of the Magi around it's walls.  In addition, in the room is a complimentary copy of some of his writings.

I actually called the Proximity Hotel reservation desk to schedule a room, but they put me in the O. Henry instead so be careful when scheduling that you get the correct hotel.  Not that this was a hardship for the several hundred dollars per night.  The room was clean and comfortable and the view was great.  I must say that the bathroom was the best part.  Separate shower and bathtub, sink and toilet in one black and white tiled room.  Granite countertops.  There was an anteroom with a sink and coffee pot.  I must have been impressed because I didn't take any room pictures, only the bathroom!

On the wall were two drawings of both the original hotel and the current building.  

  

And finally, the view was beautiful of the sunset.

All-in-all it was a great night's sleep and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and the breakfast at McDonald's with my daughter, Lauren.  Thanks for the great idea, Lauren, and the gift of the "Night at the Hotel"!

Number 33 - Neese's Sausage

"Pull out that cast iron skillet and cook a little Neese's Sausage for breakfast".  Our State Magazine.

While I don't actually have a cast iron skillet anymore, I did use one of those heavy Calphalon skillets for breakfast this morning.  Eggs with onions and cheese, fresh wheat bread and a slice of Neese's Sausage.  

I had actually been told by a Southerner to try it with some syrup.  So, I unwrapped the bar of sausage from its' heavy waxed paper, cut off a slice and cooked it according to the directions on the package.  

I found that the seasonings in the sausage were a good balance and it had a good flavor.  The thing that I found interesting was the graininess of the sausage which gave it a feeling I was not used to when eating.  I was told that it contained corn meal and that gave it the texture I experienced.  Tasting it with syrup gave it a smoothness more like the sausage I am used to eating.

All-in-all, the sausage was good to eat and I will have no problem finishing the rest on future breakfast feasts!

Below is a picture of the front of the Neese's Sausage Company site on Alamance Church Road in Greensboro.  I just love the image of a big ole mailbox down by the front gate!

Snow in North Carolina

The snow this week isn't exactly on the list, but it certainly is noteworthy.  Spent 3 days snowed in with my sister, Kim, watching snowy horror movies!  :)

100 NC Icons

Recently, Our State Magazine posted a list of 100 North Carolina Icons checklist and set them up as a to-do list.  I thought it would be fun to do the list and gain some knowledge about the state that has been my home for the past 30 or so years.  I have actually done some of the items on the list, but I will start over again and see what new things I can find.

Here is the link to the original document:  http://www.ourstate.com/100-north-carolina-icons/