Archdale Churchyard

This is one of my favorite places. Yes, my  name is Debbi and I love to hang out in cemeteries. LOL
 They are quiet, they are peaceful, they are FULL OF HISTORY and fascinating stories.  I have spent hours wandering around quietly, reading, taking pictures, thinking about the people and their stories.  That's one of the attractions for me.....all the stories. I don't want the people's stories to die. I'm  striving so much to inspire out little granddaughter to adopt a love of history and genealogy. I have researched our family's history and I hope to pass it on to her and any grandchildren who will hopefully keep it alive. I hope that someday in the far future there will be a woman or a man, a great great grandson or great great great granddaughter who wants to KNOW WHAT it was like to live in Charleston in the year 2018.  A bright and curious mind that wants to know what we wore, how we lived, what kind of houses we had, what we did for fun, how we prepared our food, what the churches were like, what we read and enjoyed, and will understand why I spend so many hours not only roaming cemeteries, but researching old birth and death records, census reports, ship manifests, wedding dates, military records, as well as land records and immigration records and old city directories. 
I sure hope to leave behind enough writing, journals, scrapbooks and photographs to give them a clear picture of how our life was lived. Although our life now seems just ordinary and "normal" to us now....someday in the far future there will probably be family members who will find our history fascinating, much as I find the past fascinating now. 

"Why would anyone go out of the way to visit a graveyard intentionally?  In addition to the fascinating stories they contain, cemeteries can be open-air sculpture parks full of one of a kind artwork. They provide habitats for birds and wildlife, as well as arboretums and gardens of surprising beauty. Cemeteries appeal to art lovers. amateur sociologists, birdwatchers, master gardeners, historians, hikers, genealogists, picnickers, and anyone who just wants to stop and smell the roses.  Our relationships with the places we visit can be deepened, and enriched by learning the stories of those who came---and stayed-----before us. "   .........Loren Rhoads

Shawls of moss drift and shift in the slow breeze.

One of the reasons I love the Unitarian church yard is it's "wildness". It's not all precisely and perfectly manicured. Vines twist and turn up into trees and back down again. Flowers burst into bloom where they WANT  to. Gnarly trees stand silently, most here for decades. It's a shady place, and feels a little cooler, even on a hot summer day. There are benches to rest on and lots of bees and butterflies. Many of the grave stones are completely hidden by bushes, grasses and vines, and many un-marked graves as well.

"But I never thought of his interest (or mine) as morbid. Death wasn't the fascination here; LIFE was."  ......Josephine Humphreys

Sunlight dances and dapples throughout the old live oaks and the moss, creating many shadows.

Legend has it that Edgar Allen Poe's beloved Annabel Lee is buried here somewhere.

Vines creep up and tumble down the stones.

Spanish moss glowing in the sunlight

Who came and planted the flowers here?--a heartbroken person missing their loved one?

One of my favorites. I've photographed this one in different light....in different seasons, color or black and white, different times of day. It always photographs well. You've probably seen it  here on my blog before.

Walking into this church yard, it feels like you are entering a secret garden. I hope you enjoyed your visit here with me today!