Marble City

Sylacauga is known as The Marble City because it is home to some of the finest white marble in the world. Businesses and artists from all around get their marble from here.

This weekend I got to visit the quarry where the marble gets dug from the ground. It looks like a big pond surrounded by mountains. The water is actually from the digging. When people dig really far into the earth water generally fills up the hole.

Mom took my picture on one of the large marble boulders that are laying near the quarry observation area. I know I am small, but this thing is huge! It was really neat to see where the marble comes from.


To celebrate being the home of some of the best marble in the world, Sylacauga has many marble statues throughout the town and hosts an annual marble festival. At the festival this year, a sculptor came and actually sculpted a new statue over a period of a few weeks. It looks really great and so detailed! The picture below is of the new statue that now sits in front of the City Hall.

The video that I have added below shows artists at the Marble fest, some of the statues around town, and tells a little about the history of the marble industry in my town.

Learn more about the Alabama marble industry by watching the video below or clicking HERE.

Remembering 9/11

Today marks the 11th anniversary of the events that changed our country and our lives forever. The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 effected the lives of all Americans in some way. Even if you were not yet born, it has made an impact. 

The helmet of a local hero. 

Many people showed American’s what it meant to be a true hero. Service men and women risked and gave their lives in the struggle to save others. Ordinary citizens stood up against terrorists to prevent even more lives from being lost. Even from tragedy, the nation seemed to join together in love for our country and support for one another. 

It was a very tragic and scary day for many because there were no real answers to what was happening or what would happen next. The emotions of the day left people with very deep memories. Most people can remember where they were and what they were doing at the exact moment that they heard the news. 

Today, whether you were alive to witness the terrorist attacks on our nation or have only come to understand it through the voice of others, take some time to thank those around you who serve our country and protect our rights as free Americans, tell someone you love them, or listen to someone’s story of that day and time. 

No matter what you decide to do today, take a moment to remember and never forget. 

**Parents: This is a very nice video created for children who did not witness the events of 9/11 firsthand. There are many others available that would be helpful to explain this day to children. Talk to your children about this event, how it impacted your life, and what it means to you to be an American citizen. 

Grandparent's Day

Me, Stephanie, and the best
grandmother ever!

Sunday, September 9th, is National Grandparent's Day! It is a special day for children and their grandparents to celebrate their love for one another. Having a grandparent is a very special thing in itself. Not everyone has the opportunity to meet or know their grandparents. If you have grandparents, great-grandparents, older family friends, or know someone in a nursing home that is important to you, celebrate this day by letting them how much they mean to you with a small gift, sweet note, or warm hug.

Things you may not know about National Grandparents Day:
(Taken from http://www.grandparents.com/gp/content/opinions/from-the-editors/article/its-grandparents-day.html)

• Jimmy Carter made the day official in 1979. 
• Marian McQuade of West Virginia started the celebration in 1970.
• It was started not only to bring families together, but to bring attention to the needs of the elderly and nursing home residents.  

Click HERE to visit the Grandparent's Day section of apples4theteacher.com for fun activities and ways to celebrate National Grandparent's Day this year. 

Light My Fire

Yesterday, I had the chance to visit the local fire station!  Firefighters are community helpers. They provide a service of protection for people in their town. Some people think that firemen only fight fires, but they actually do so much more! They also respond to emergency calls for wrecks. If someone is stuck in their car, they can cut them out. Many firemen are also EMTS (emergency medical technicians) they assist when people are sick or really hurt. Even though they don't like to admit it, my friend Scott told me that have have even gotten cats from trees before. :)

On my visit, my friend Scott was very nice to show me around and tell me some really cool stuff about the engines. Did you know that they also shoot foam? Sometimes fires require extra help from the foam to put it out faster.

This picture shows the fireman's seat. The back of the 'chair' is actually an air tank that they have to strap on their backs after they get in the engine.

The picture below is Scott in the driver's seat. He is the person in charge of driving the engine at Station 1 when he is working. Look at all of those knobs and buttons! 

Did you know that anyone can visit the fire station? You can! Just call first to make sure they are there and aren't busy. 

If you can't visit for yourself though, click HERE for a website full of games and activities to learn more about what firemen do and fire safety. 

Miles -O- Fun

"Stars Fell on Alabama"

Have you ever been riding in the car and noticed a big sign on the side of the road that looked like this one? They are called Roadside Historic Markers and they tell about an area that is significant to an event in the past. Today we stopped at this one in Sylacauga. It tells about the only falling star ever recorded in history to have hit a person. (Not so lucky, huh?) It happened in a house that used to be located near this sign. Next time you ride around, look out the window to see how many of these markers you can find and stop if you can. The stories the markers tell will give you a new perspective on the places you may pass every day. You can find a listing of all of the historic markers here and more about the Alabama Historical Association Highway Marker Program here. 

Gravity Hill

I wish you could see the excitement
on my face!

     Since I am from Sylacauaga, I wanted to show you some of the cool things this small town has to offer before going into the big city. Sylacauga is home to a naturally occurring 'magic trick' called Gravity Hill. Everyone around here knows about it, but if you're from out of town you may not have heard about it. Gravity Hill is a small road right off of Highway 280 before going over Merkle Mountain. You can drive your car onto it, drop it into neutral, and feel your car being pushed 'uphill'. This is a picture of me in the car being pulled back up the hill. 

See how it looks like it goes uphill?

     A lot of the locals like to say that the 'push' is from a ghost named Henry that died in a car crash there. Really, it's only an optical illusion. The way the mountain and the hill join makes the eye see a slight downhill slope as uphill. You can learn a little more about Gravity Hill by clicking here. Everyone should experience it at least once and best of all, it's free!