Queen of the Hornets

There has been radio silence over here. But I have a good reason and now I have a huge display to show you.

I went to a conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, from 6/10 to 6/14. I have been looking forward to it for a long time. The professional organization that I am Board Certified in affiliation with is called APIC - Association for Professionals In Infection Control and Epidemiology. It was held at the Charlotte Convention Center. This is in a part of town called Uptown. It is composed of many high rise buildings that house clients such as the Bank of America (this is their HQ), Wells Fargo, and Chase. The entire section is offices, restaurants, and bars/nightclubs. They lack a retail presence, but their fantastic public transit system guides you to major malls not far away. So, there is not a lot to do except eat in this region. They have plans to remedy that.

It was hot - 93,95,96,100. I like it hot, so I didn't mind. Many people walk to work and walk to their homes, gyms, day cares, etc. I would have a hard time since I sweat a lot. But they do it, and I saw a lot of beautiful young women and handsome young men, wearing gorgeous outfits, and very elegantly styled. I am told that this attractive attention to detail is a trait of Southern people. I approve.

So, although I thoroughly enjoyed the conference and came away with 2 things I will immediately do for my hospital, let's get to the good stuff. Shopping, touring, and observing.

We got a 3 hour siesta break from 10:30 to 1:30 every day, and they have a lot of side meetings for which you are paid an honorarium, but I am not allowed to participate, due to my professional obligations to my hospital. So I went for nice long walks, which I actually prefer. I love to walk a city to get the true flavor.

Across the street from the Convention Center is Green Park. It has a literary theme. You are greeted by this statue:

A stack of books!!! There are post signs everywhere that make puns out of famous author's names. It is very clever.

This is the view as you look from N College Street up to Tryon St.

These giant koi are a huge hit!!! There were little kids every day out there splashing in the water and playing and having the time of their lives while their moms chilled under the trees and watched. It was so cute.

There were two sets of mosaic stools that looked like mushrooms,

There was an outdoor dining room that looked like a giant birdcage. It was very well used.

One day, they had the Charlotte Food Festival, so of course I went. They had food, beverage, kiddie attractions, and retail. I got two necklace and earring sets at one stall.

The first one was made of freshwater pearls a black diamond crystal.

The second is made of jasper and carved wood beads, and small round beads of another mineral.
Then I played Spin The Wheel at the State Farm booth. I got an apron. The city of Charlotte is calle the Queen City, because it is named after Queen Charlotte of England. It is in Mecklenburg County, and she was born in Mecklenburg, Germany She had 15 children.

So one night, I took a long hike. I started up toward the Fourth Ward, where I heard that there are many beautiful old homes. The first stop was Settler's Cemetery, where the graves range from 1770 to 1830.

Here is a view from the far corner, looking into the cemetery. Many people were walking their dogs and looking at the magnificent graves with their families.

Here's a closer look at the monuments - I guess the tomb and the monolith were the rage back then.

Look at this grave - Beloved Angie. That was so eerie to me, because my mom just died at 96, and her name was Angy. Pretty close.......boooooo......oooooohhh

Here is a view of the National Headquarters of the Bank of America. The top is said to represent Queen Charlotte's crown.

Then I meandered through Fourth Ward Park. It is a lovely space, composed of green belts and garden patches in stone walled enclosures.

You enter at about 7th street and mosey along winding paths. It is under a canopy of foilage, so it is extremely pleasant.

They had a Leave A Book, Take A Book stand. I took one, and I will recycle it through Huntington Beach.

It ends at a little brick plaza that leads to the Victorian Homes.

This first one is called the Campbell House. It was built in the 1890s by GW Campbell. It survived a fire, and was a house of ill repute until the 1980s. It has a huge lot.

This sweet yellow house is a "shotgun" style house with a Charleston Gable on the front. Over time it has been added on to.

This home was built in 1895, and is Queen Anne style. It was moved here from elsewhere in 1976. The top balcony is called a consumption porch. If you had TB, you would lay there in the sun. It is completely renovated, except for the fireplaces.

This is Eastlake Cottage, built in 1894. It was built in Dillworth and moved to the Fourth Ward in 1977.

These next three pictures are of the Berryhill House. It is meticulously maintained by the Junior League. It is an Italianate style Victorian. It has a turret and a wrap around veranda. It also had fountains and statuary and Andrea Bocelli serenaded you as you walked by. Breathtaking presentation.

This next one was a Transition Queen Anne, built in 1904. It was also built elsewhere, but moved here in 1976. It has wormwood cabinetry and a private courtyard garden with a fountain and an arbor.

This was a 1903 Victorian Shotgun, completely renovated in 2014. The new house combines both style elements. It was extremely contemporary and elegant.

The last one is the Morrison-Lawry house, built in 1900 in the Queen Anne style. The windows are both etched and stained, and are one of the first examples of mass production of frames and windows.

Along the way, my shoe broke. I have had these Forever 21 sandals for three years now, so they have more than done their duty. I jerry rigged it by tying it to my foot with strips from plastic bags.

Then I called Uber and wen back to my hotel for the night. I had walked for over 2 hours, so cool !!!

My last night there, I decided to Uber over to the Charlotte Premium Outlets. I haven't shopped in a while, due to my mom's final needs, so I had a lot of spending money saved up. It was a Simon Mall -
 they are always well organized and represented by a lot of retailers. Strangely, they lacked food options. This was my dinner:

Pizza from Italian Delight !!! It wasn't too bad. Then a sign lured me away. It said "60% off, plus an extra 20% today". Okay, that will drag me in. Here was the store:

And this is what I got:

Nice, Then I went into White House, Black Market. I have sooooo many clothes, but I did not have a hematite and rhinestone link belt. So classy.

I also nabbed a pair of Old Navy shorts. I get the new prints every year or so, and they last forever. They run huge - I get a zero, and that is too small for me in 99% of brands.

I couldn't resist this brick sweater. I have a pair of pants the exact same color, and I always wear them with ivory. Now I have another option, and it was very inexpensive.

Due to the above shoe mishap, I allowed myself to get these nude patent wedges from a Payless Shoe Source that was having a 50% off sale. They are cute and will be the replacement for the dead F21s.

So now, it's back to work and my real life. I am glad to be back. It was hot and a little quiet for someone my age, who doesn't go to bars and nightclubs. But as I said, I saw a lot of really nice looking young people. I really missed Doc and Elli.

I am going to link with a few ladies over the next few days. So keep a lookout for me, and I will be back in the routine by Friday. Enjoy !!!!