{"id":13981,"date":"2013-12-18T21:00:23","date_gmt":"2013-12-19T02:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/?p=13981"},"modified":"2024-12-03T16:12:38","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T21:12:38","slug":"hornswoggled-in-birmingham","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/capitalcitiesusa.org\/?p=13981","title":{"rendered":"Hornswoggled in Birmingham"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"18<\/a>Linda Burton posting from Birmingham, Alabama <\/em>\u2013 \u201cFinish your lunch so you can open your present,\u201d Emily said. \u201cI know you\u2019ve got to get on your way.\u201d I took a last sip of Cracker Barrel tea and suggested that we go outside for the opening; it was a brilliant sunny day, and I wanted to make sure the cats were okay in the car. They were. \u201cThis is NOT a Christmas present,\u201d Emily promised, as I mumbled about not having a present for her. \u201cJust OPEN.\u201d Have you ever gotten a gift that surprised you to your toes, and pleased you beyond measure, and humbled you too, at the thoughtfulness of the giver? Yeah, I got that today. It was a silver and\u00a0walnut plaque, beautifully engraved, with a full-color picture of the decked-out Scion, and these words:<\/p>\n

CONGRATULATIONS\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Linda L. Burton\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>Given in admiration and recognition of your dedication\u00a0to your Journey Across America to all 50 states.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 March 1, 2012 \u2013 November 29, 2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Making Capital Cities USA available to students, teachers, historians, researchers, and the general public.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Your timeless efforts will enrich all who take advantage of your vast knowledge gained in this great undertaking.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em>From Emily Taylor<\/p>\n

\"18<\/a>Emily Taylor is my cousin and has been one of my most loyal followers throughout the Journey<\/em>. She has read and commented on every post, and swears on oath she enjoys them. We\u2019re both descended from William Irwin Jr, our ancestor who died in Arkansas in 1849 as he attempted a move from Alabama to Texas with his family. William Irwin Jr, the reason I have chosen to settle in Arkansas myself, hoping to learn more of what happened to the Irwins way back then. My great-grandmother Mary Susan (b 1866) and Emily\u2019s grandmother Leavonia Augusta (b 1869) were sisters, and granddaughters of William. Emily is named after their younger sister Emily Letitia (b 1883) and grew up knowing more about the family\u2019s history than I did; it was genealogy research that brought us together in recent years. Now she is more than a twice-removed cousin to me; more than a friend; even though she has many sisters of her own, we feel, well, sort of like sisters too.<\/p>\n

\"18<\/a>I am overwhelmed with the gift of the plaque. Emily wanted a picture of me holding it. I wanted a picture of her presenting it. I opened the door of the Scion and showed it to Alex and Jack. \u201cLook boys!\u201d I beamed. \u201cThis belongs to you too, for all your good cat assistance the last two years.\u201d Jack blinked, and yawned. Alex stuck his nose between the seats and sniffed. I turned back to Emily, admiring the picture on the plaque. \u201cHow did they do this?\u201d I wanted to know. \u201cThere is such perfect detail, and color.\u201d Emily confessed to using the same company that put the Journey Across America<\/em> designs on the Scion two years ago. She knew it well \u2013 Bellco \u2013 because she is the one who drove me to pick up the Scion after they completed the \u201cwrap\u201d and was the first person to see it besides me. \u201cI worked with your graphics designer,\u201d she confessed; \u201cthey still have everything on file.\u201d Well I\u2019ll be hornswoggled.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will hang on the wall above my workdesk,\u201d I said. \u201cSo I can look at it every day as I write about the Journey<\/em>.\u201d \u201cRight,\u201d Emily nodded. \u201cJust as soon as you get a wall.\u201d Down to earth Emily. You always keep me down to earth. But then, you always encourage me to fly too.<\/p>\n

Next stop: Northport, and where it all began.<\/p>\n

Birmingham Factoids<\/p>\n