|
Thomas R. Lawrence
Capital Consultants
456 South 10th Street
Opelika, AL 36801
334-737-2727
|
As I See It!TM
The Newsletter for
Capital Consultants Company
|
|
May 2011
|
Volume 2, Number 5
|
|
In This Issue: Welcome from Tom Business News: Introducing Marigold Art and Design
As I Like it!TM
Abe’s Grill Things of Interest The Churched of Anniston |
It’s been an interesting month since we last visited. Tornados spewed a wave of death and destruction across the Southeastern States leaving behind mourning and years of rebuilding. I happened to drive through northeastern Birmingham two days after the storms roared through and I have never seen such devastation. I drove a truckload of ice and diapers to the Mississippi Gulf Coast shortly after hurricane Camille hit in 1969 and the physical damage in Birmingham was just as bad. The Mississippi River is flooding all along its course and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers is predicting levels that will challenge the great flood of 1927, flooding hundreds of thousand acres of farmland from the Midwest to the Gulf. I hope our farmers saved a little bit from last year’s bumper crop and record prices. “The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of The Lord.” The latest piece of good news is the long awaited execution of Osama bin Laden. The death of anyone is difficult to celebrate, but as they say in Texas, this dirt bag needed killing. I understand why his body was treated within the Muslim traditions. I suspect that he was dumped into the ocean from a very respectful helicopter. Good riddance! If I had my way, his body would have been treated like our guys in Somalia. He would have been drug down Broadway by a herd of diarrheic pigs with a half million people throwing shoes at him. Another piece of good news was the number one NFL draft pick of Auburn quarterback Cam Newton. I watched the ESPN talking heads speculate about issues of “character” regarding Cam and I am confident that he will be able to display traits of character that will equal or surpass the standards set by Michael Vick, Odell Thurman and Terrance Kiel. More to the point, Cam is probably the best college football player ever, and his physical abilities can be adapted to the pro game. If you can’t coach Cam Newton, then you should consider a career change.
Delta Days Pre-Publication Update
Schiel & Denver Publishing has informed me that they will be releasing my book of short stories, Delta Days, Tales of the Mississippi Delta (IBSN#) on Friday, June 3rd and it should be available in your local independent bookstore and all of the usual outlets shortly thereafter. I am flattered to report that I have been invited to participate in book signings at several independent bookstores and I am working out the details for about a dozen more. Book Signing Calendar One of my Cleveland High School classmates, Carolyn Buckles Armstrong, graciously agreed to preview my manuscript and to write a pre-publication review. Since she didn’t completely pan the book, I will suggest that you take a look at it. Delta Days Book Review Now that I know the publication date, it is possible to answer the oft asked question: “How can I obtain a signed copy of your book?” I hope that all of you will be able to attend one of my signings, and I will continue to update my blog with the latest additions to the list. For those of you who do not live within easy access to one of the participating bookstores, I offer the following alternative. Order a copy direct from me. Just send a note with your name and the address to which you want the book to be shipped and include a check for $28.00 ($25.99 plus S&H) made payable to:
Thomas R. Lawrence
Capital Consultants Co.
456 10th Street So.
Opelika, AL 36801 Again, I hope to see all of you at one of my signings.
Business News
I continue to look for new projects, still seeking that elusive prince, but finding mostly frogs. I stay as busy as I want to be with my existing consulting clients, and have been devoting a great amount of time to working with Schiel & Denver as the publishing of my book of short stories draws near. Writing the book was the easy part, getting it published and promoting it to the reading public is what separates the men from the boys.
My daughter, Mary Belford, is in the process of starting an internet business to promote her clothing line and graphic designs. The business is called Marigold Art and Design and I will soon have more information as she completes her set up. You can go to www.marigoldartanddesign.com
As I Like it! ™
ABE’S GRILL
CORINTH, MISSISSIPPI
There are several good reasons to visit Corinth, Mississippi. It is a good base for visiting Shiloh National Battlefield and the site of a minor battle later in the war. Corinth is located at the intersection of US Hwy 72, the main route from Memphis to north Alabama, and US Hwy 45, which connects western Mississippi with central Tennessee. But the best reason for coming to Corinth is a chance to eat breakfast or lunch at Abe’s Grill. To learn more about Abe’s, click on Abe’s Grill
Things of Interest ANNISTON’S HISTORIC CHURCHES Elaine and I went on a wonderful trip to Italy about five years ago and I learned two very important facts about this land of great food and friendly people. First, everything is uphill in Italy. We were there for two weeks and I never walked downhill. We started in Naples, which is pretty much at sea level and ended in Venice, which even though it is on the Adriatic Sea, must be at an altitude of at least 50,000 feet. The second thing that I came away with was a certainty that I would never, as long as I lived, need to see the inside of another church. There must be close to a half million cathedrals, duomos and chapels in Italy and we saw most of them. One I remember had a very nice ceiling, which we were able to see because the tourists happened to be too short to block the view. At any rate, I never thought I would voluntarily visit another church interior, but recently I changed my mind. There are two Episcopal Churches in Anniston, Alabama that I found well worth stopping in on. To hear more about Saint Michael and All Angels and Grace Episcopal Church, click on
Copyright© 2011 Capital Consultants Company. All rights reserved .
|
Categories: As I Like It!, Newsletter, Restaurants
Tom Lawrence's Blog 