30 October 2009

Tombstones and a Special Treat





Tombstones in old churchyards can be so moody and romantic. One of the most peaceful places I have ever been is this church yard for the Unitarian Universalist's Church in Charleston. It really is a garden. There are plenty of shady benches where you can sit and contemplate mortality. Edgar Allen Poe used to do just that. This was one of his favorite places to visit in Charleston.

There is usually at least one cat in residence. I have shown you this picture before, but it is one of my favorites.

This tombstone would be interesting even if it didn't have a tree growing over it.
Ephraim Seabrook Mikell
Died after a short illness
May 5, 1896
A favorite with all who knew him



Moody and atmospheric even in bright sunshine with birds singing. Do you see the little guy perched on the tombstone.

These old tombstones are works of art in themselves and really should be appreciated. This one is so lovely, even the kitty is interested. (OK, so maybe she sees something in the flowers, but it is cute)
This lonely little graveyard is high on a hill in the Smokey Mountains. The path up to them is barely marked, we would not have found it except another hiker pointed the way. There are only a few graves and the stones are so old, they are illegible. Very spooky.
This is another old church yard without a church. These graves sit quietly out in the forest. Some stones lean a little but all are still standing. Most of the graves are from the Civil War era and shortly after. There are some beautiful carvings and sweet sentiments. I wonder who these people were, what were they like. Do they know their monuments are still standing? Do they care?
You can't really talk about Grave Yards without at least a few examples from the Necropolises of New Orleans. Their graveyards are all above ground crypts, quite literally cities of the dead.
Some of the tombs have been in use for a very long time. You can almost feel the spirits looking over your shoulder as you wander through the quiet "streets".
Lafayette Cemetery is one of the most famous.
I am a little behind with my posting, this photo of the dogwood is from the 26Th. Some days it seems to change between morning and night.

If you are looking for interesting bits to add to your Halloween cards and Scrapbook pages, Karen from The Graphics Fairy blog, has the front cover of an antique French tombstone catalog you can use at http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/2009/10/free-antique-clip-art-french-tombstone.html



Last and best of all my treat, a wonderful friend, Rhiannon from Random Spyder, http://www.randomspyder.com/ has been visiting us this week and she has gifted me with this lovely little doll. She says it is a "Pseudo Folk Art Pancake Rocker"
I say, "Rock On!"
Happy Halloween
Kat

6 comments:

  1. Hey Kat,thanks for visiting my blog. I am now your follower as well. What an amazing world. Love your graveyard post. I find graveyards places of quiet solitude as well.

    Ah, the cicada exoskeleton brings back memories. Our huge dog used to snack on them when we lived in Kansas. They were like delicacies. I could go for one right now...

    And guacamole omelette, German apple pancakes? Sign me up!

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  2. I enjoy walking around very old cemeteries and reading the tombstones. Always sad to see so many children with such short lives. Thanks for stopping by. I added your blog to my favorites and will be back to read more later when have more time. Beautiful home.
    Glenda

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  3. Hi Kat,
    Great post for Halloween!! Those cemeterys are beautiful, I love all the gorgeous iron work! Thanks so much for posting the link to my tombstone catalog, I'll be scanning the inside at some point to share, there are lots of beautiful engravings of statues inside of it.

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  4. Personally I find cemeteries to be very interesting places full of some amazing artwork and no doubt lots of stories that, unfortunately, we'll never know.

    I really like the tombstone with the tree growing into it - very cool! And wouldn't it be great to have that sort of inscription on your own stone - "A favorite with all who him". I hope he knew that before he died!

    I'm hoping to get to Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford tomorrow; it's a pre-Civil War cemetery that is supposed to be one of the prettiest in Connecticut with some really nice monuments and stonework. They've got quite the who's-who list of people in Connecticut there, too - including Katherine Hepburn - so it's a great chance to get some history, too. Now if only the weather cooperates for us to go!

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  5. Thanks for including Pancake in your post, I'm glad you like her so much!
    Beautiful photography in this, I was thinking, have you ever considered making a wall calendar? Anyway, fun post!

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  6. Oh I love these photos! I have always enjoyed wandering through cemeteries. Both peaceful and unsettling at the same time time. I have always wanted to visit the New Orleans cemetery. The most memorable one I have visited is Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh. Very unsettling indeed!

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So, what do you think? Did you like it? I love hearing from you.

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