Taste, the bride and up early

- I love love love this video from 1966 and have an odd memory of it, especially the part in which Herb Alpert is running on the beach with his trumpet. It's a video of the song I was talking about last week that I heard at the lunch place.

- A bride's radiant smile as she waves to cheering crowds.

- Wondering how many other people are up early watching the wedding festivities of a couple thousands of miles away. I watched his parents' wedding, too, so wouldn't miss this one.

I hope you make some good memories this weekend, my friends - have a great one!

Fix me, weather alert and thoughtful gift

- A lol moment during my drive in to work. Mr C's sign* has been damaged - maybe by someone's foot during late night rabble rousing - and so nothing has been posted on it in several days. I like that the sign decided to take matters into its own hands.

- Plugging in my weather radio before bedtime. It was kindly supplied by my sister Jo a few years ago (she worries). A big swirling storm was predicted, but fortunately it turned out to be a heavy rain with no tornadoes in my area of northeast Atlanta (but bad in northwest Georgia and just south of Atlanta, I hear on the news).

- I remember talking to her by cellphone one day while checking my mail. "There's a package from you!" I said. She replied that it was a little Easter present. I got so excited that she apologized for it before I opened the package containing the weather radio. But I appreciated the thought and love that went behind it.

* For newer readers, I used to post regular photos of the sign when a more creative sign poster still worked at Mr C's Bar and Grill (around the corner from my office). Click on tag at bottom for a few examples.

Water works, no water works and guilty pleasure

- An unedited photo of a portion of the Atlanta Water Works - shot from the car window. There is lots more sparkling water and a beautiful park there, too. I'd have straightened and cropped that photo a bit, but my slow computer didn't cooperate this morning. Life is often not perfect though, so there you are.

- I was on my way from work to my volunteer organization. The volunteer coordinator pokes her head into the room in which I am bent over a publication, reading an article before I get started. She asks, "Are you crying?" Startled - I tell her I seldom cry. But that's not true - I'm a crying fool over sentimental stuff, like sad movies or when someone I like gets voted off Dancing with the Stars. :)

- Facebook friend Marybeth posts this last night: MBA "is not totally embarrassed that after a tough day at the office and a workout, she enjoys watching slightly trashy reality TV shows as an escape ! What's your guilty pleasure?" I have a feeling she is talking about American Idol and she already knows that I am devoted to that dancing show.

Three little birds, on my doorstep and visit

- This Bob Marley song is just about my favorite with its sweet lyrics. I find myself singing the refrain in my head when things don't seem to be going well: "Don't worry 'bout a thing, 'Cause every little thing gonna be all right."

- And I discovered the song after taking this photo in Greenwich Village last December.

- Learning that my preschool teacher niece is visiting the east coast this summer for the first time in five years. She started her own school called "Rising Song" - I'll bet she knows this song, too. :)

Easter treat, festive hat and feathery friend

- An heirloom tomato paired with an avocado and basil. This simple salad recipe was inspired by one found on the Simply Recipes blog - no fresh chives were available, so basil made a fine substitute.

- A woman passing by the produce window of the grocery store is wearing a definite spring inspired Easter bonnet. She comes in as I am leaving and I tell her how much I admire it - a straw hat adorned with flowers, Easter eggs and pink bunny ears. She tells me that I, too, could have this hat - all items found at the dollar store.

- Hearing from a neighbor that the bird nesting in my fern is a Red-breasted Sparrow, but then reading that there’s no such thing. There is, however, a female Eastern Towhee. So that's what I think she might be and love how she flies out and sits on a nearby branch to call out to me to be careful when I quietly enter and leave from my front door.

Earth Day, A Taste of Honey and heirlooms

Happy Earth Day!

- Stopping by Star Provisions for take-out lunch and perusing the organic produce on display out front at the farm stand. Heirloom tomatoes already! The proprietor says a farmer in Athens, Georgia grows them in a greenhouse.

- As the cool guy writes down my order, I remark that The Tijuana Brass song "A Taste of Honey" that's playing in the background makes me think of my father, who had all their albums. Cool guy: "Here comes the best part! Wait for it, wait for it....there!" He drums along with the bass drum beat with his palm.

- Having lunch in my cubicle and ordering a Tijuana Brass CD, with a purple tomato on my desk for decoration (and later eating.) A good lunch hour. :)

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

We took a whack, the road not taken and casual

- It's Random Photo Thursday. This one was from the aftermath of a storm in 2008 in which tornadoes ripped through the city of Atlanta, causing much damage to downtown buildings.

- Six men in dark suits cross a midtown street at 6:30pm and stand on the corner having a discussion, pointing this direction and that direction. They finally split off in four and two. The two walk by in this direction, smiling and loosening their ties.

Arranging a meeting by email for this morning with a potential client. A follow-up email comes back with, "Yes, and excuse us. We are very, very casual here." I answer with, "Sounds like my kind of place! :)"

Entrance, clippings and building a home

- A trumpet vine that my client rooted from a clipping frames her front porch entrance. She quietly motions me over to the side so that I can look up and see a robin sitting in her nest.

- She cuts a clipping for me in case I would like to start my own vine at home. So pretty in my kitchen.

- This morning discovering that sweet little Carolina wrens must be building a nest in the hanging fern beside my front door. Before I stand on the step stool to water it, I give the fern a little turn and Mama Wren flies out to a nearby branch to watch.

Floral popcorn, alternate toy and walking music

- The last of the azaleas. I always forget the name of those white ones there - I think they look like popcorn balls.

- My client's dog, Scout, runs off after the initial excitement of my arrival and returns with a red oven mitt - perfectly slobbery. He settles down to chew. The client looks resigned; Scout looks happy.

- A walk in the park after work, listening to music as usual. Another client comes trotting up from behind, panting. She's been calling my name and sees why I didn't hear - I was listening to my ipod. Led Zeppelin, for old times sake. :)

Scattered, making it was half the fun and relief

- The blossoms dropped and are now scattered to the universe by the diresome storm we had Friday night. The word "diresome" in honor of the dialect used in the 19th century Hawaiian section of "Cloud Atlas" - currently reading.

- Making a birthday gift bag for someone who could use a gift right about now - a bottle of chardonnay, a solid dark chocolate Easter bunny and a bag of York Peppermint Patties. I tell her that you know you are good friends with someone when you know the exact brand of wine they like and what kind of candy they prefer.

- A meeting that was expected to be difficult comes out alright.

Lining up for art, train travel and impromptu

- In my quest to not put a parking garage owner's kids through college by the exorbitant fees they charge - I get a good mile walk in when I visit my client. There is such lovely scenery on the way, including the High Museum of Atlanta. I love that school kids are lined up to see either Henri Cartier-Bresson prints or Toulouse-Lautrec and Friends.

- My sister and niece have arrived in New York City after a 19 hour train trip that began in Jacksonville, Florida. I love the updates from facebook about the trip - Amanda wrote yesterday morning that she was lying in bed watching Washington, DC go by. Her friend Brent (who is a stitch) said, "The Wright brothers, you should look them up sometime, their invention changed the world." Ha! I love that these two, who don't like to fly, had this adventure.

- Hearing that my mother went up to a party at her assisted living facility only to find that it is tomorrow. A woman there decided to give her a party anyway and sat down at the grand piano to play mom's favorite tunes from the 40s and 50s. She said, "Oh honey, I enjoyed that so much!" May more good things like that come her way.

And may many good things come your way this weekend, my friends! I hope you have a great one!

On the wane, nail place and still got 'em

- The last of the Dogwood tree blossoms in the condos. It warmed up so early this year that the Dogwoods peaked days ago, but there is still a festival in their honor this weekend at Atlanta's Piedmont Park.

- A late afternoon pedicure, in which the color I choose is called "Haute Hippie" - a lovely aubergine shade. My favorite nail lady is originally from Vietnam, but speaks a few words of English and I love that her salutation is spoken with a delightful Southern accent, "How are yewwww?"

- A discussion with a security guard who admires my sunglasses. I have to think for a minute where they came from and am astounded and pleased that I have hung on to this pair of shades since 2003.

Confetti car, honest mistake and gold star morning

- Someone parked under the last of the blooming dogwood trees making this car look festive. Must be lots of lol-ing going on in that car. :)

- I read recently on a blog or in an article that someone thought until recently that lol meant "lots of love." She had no idea that the little sign off that she was giving on all of her correspondence meant "laughing out loud." She had been putting it on everything, including sympathy cards. Now she worries what the recipients thought of her.

- Earning another star sticker on my calendar for exercising this morning, from 5:20am to 6:00am, on the stationary bike. More on the exercise plan in a future post.

Cat and Dolphins, dazzling and internal clock

- Spotted on facebook, this little film of a cat and dolphins playing together was just the best part of my day yesterday. The cat must be accustomed to being around the water. :)

- Hearing that my outdoorsy niece went to a country club dance. I asked if she wore a pretty party dress and her mother said she had no idea. But pictures on facebook confirm that she was dazzling.

- Friend Jerry's post on facebook at midnight, "I hate thunder storms in the middle of the night but even worse tornado warnings on top of that, how am I suppose to sleep?" Apparently he wasn't sleeping, but I slept right through it and after another power outage, am lucky to have my internal clock that got me up a few minutes ago!

Thank you to facebook friends for the hastily thrown together post today! :)

Right on schedule, anniversary and a good thing

- A warm Sunday, the pollen count was 2790 (you could write your name in it), but my potted Hosta has started its little miracle comeback, right on schedule.

- My sister and her husband had their wedding anniversary on Friday and he asked her if she would like to go to a restaurant he knows she likes that evening. When I call her on my way home from work, she is making lasagna, his favorite, as a surprise. She says he doesn't really like that restaurant and they haven't had a home cooked meal in days and days. Bet it was lovely.

- The stereo speaker covers on the back dash of my car started crumbling recently - probably from being in the sun all the time. I look it up on the internet and find that it is a common problem and someone has made a you tube video showing how to replace them. I order the replacement covers on ebay for $25 and my mechanic agrees to meet me on Saturday morning to put them on. We watch the video and he fixes it for nothing.* What a nice man. And Toyota wanted $600+, saying that the entire back console needed replacing. Now that's a good thing.

* Why would he do that? I've been his customer for more than 20 years and sent him numerous referrals. One of my friends said, "You're right - he really will tell you don't need a tuneup, etc. if you really don't need it right then."

Midnight Train, best concert and most favorite

Midnight Train to Georgia featuring Emmylou Harris, Luscious Jackson, the Indigo Girls and Rebekah

- This is one of my favorite songs, sung originally by Gladys Knight and the Pips. Emmylou Harris does a fabulous job singing it here with Luscious Jackson (loved their music and that name), the Indigo Girls (local girls!) and Rebekah (not previously familiar with her, but love her voice). Posted originally on 365 Days of Emmylou Harris (a blog discovered by Fireblossom) - they post a video of Emmylou singing most days. The words don't sync up with the video exactly right, but still good.

- I've seen Emmylou Harris in concert twice, the most memorable time was at the "Down from the Mountain" tour in Manassas, Virgina - an all day concert featuring artists who contributed music to the film, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" It was one of the best concerts I've ever been to. She sang with Alison Krause - another favorite artist. Bluegrass music all day - can't beat it. :)

- My absolute favorite concert of all time was about 10 years ago at Chastain Park in Atlanta - Crosby, Stills and Nash. An absolute perfect evening and I won the tickets in a drawing at work (which made it all the better.) I'll never forget when they sang another favorite song "Teach your Children" and stopped singing to just let the audience sing this part:

Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you would cry,
So just look at them and sigh and know they love you.

Oh - I cried during that. :)

I hope you will share your favorite concerts here! And that there will be music, love and laughter in your weekend (and all the time.)

Destination, classic rock and life is good

- It's Random Photo Thursday again! That is the Talmadge Memorial Bridge connecting Savannah, Georgia to South Carolina. Taken from River Street in Savannah on a blue sky Saturday in April 2009 - there for a "destination" wedding.

- Visiting a building that is home to the "classic rock" radio station 100.5 FM. The visit was unrelated, but a van all painted up with the station logos pulled out of the parking deck and inspired me to switch to that station for the afternoon. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were playing, a good choice for an afternoon drive.

- Someone who had behaved rather badly comes by to apologize. Life is good.

Clippings, chocolate fortune and empowering

- Someone brought in clippings of blossoms from their cherry tree and azalea bush at home to brighten up the office. So pretty.

- From the inside wrapper of a tasty Dove dark chocolate square: "The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate." Better than a fortune cookie. :)

- Calling a neighbor from my volunteer organization after work to find that the power came back on in the neighborhood around 5pm. The volunteer coordinator says there is something so empowering about the electric power returning, isn't it? I agree, but was considering staying in a hotel last night if it hadn't and was a little disappointed to not have that adventure. :)

Belated milestone, stormy weather and workout

- You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love... From the I Have a Dream speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This photo was from a couple of weeks ago and was meant to post yesterday. The sign borders the King Center in Atlanta just next to Freedom Parkway.

- Posting late today due to a power outage that lasted all night. Big storms! The battery operated alarm clock kicked in and there were new batteries in the flashlight. I always feel so fortunate that I have a natural gas hot water heater when this kind of thing happens so that the shower is hot. And happy that no one fainted when I came in to work with no makeup. :) Oh it's on now though.

- Pleasantly sore from my Kristi Yamaguchi Power Workout session from a recently purchased dvd. My second most favorite part was when the trainer yelled out "Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi!" for Kristi to do her signature move. My most favorite part was when it was all over. :)

Fields of green, mirror baby and Miss Elmera

- This grove of pecan trees was so beautiful, with its leafing out, fields of clover and wildflowers that I couldn't resist pulling over on the Georgia Florida Parkway (near Albany, Georgia) to photograph it during a weekend road trip.

- A toddler is delighted to be standing on the restroom vanity (with her mother holding on) - she points at herself in the mirror and says, "That's my baby!" Her mother says, "No, that's MY baby!" "Noooo - that's MY baby!!!" And on and on - lots of giggling as they leave.

- A 96-year-old woman confides her age. She is sharp as a tack and can see, hear and get around perfectly. She thinks it was all the farm living - she lived alone on a farm until last year. What I admire most is her spirit; she is friendly and gracious, with a ready smile and delightful personality.

The Swan house, the Braves and Friday treat

- The front of The Swan House on another rainy day. Now part of the Atlanta History Center, it is an elegant, classically styled mansion built in 1928 for the Edward H. Inman family, heirs to a cotton brokerage fortune.

- The Atlanta Braves winning their opening game against the Washington Nationals yesterday. It's lovely to see baseball season start, no matter who wins. Friends Kim and Robert are regular attendees in person and were excited to see the lights on at Turner Field (aka "The Ted") when we passed it on Tuesday evening.

- Finding that a pre-oatmeal square of Dove dark chocolate goes nicely with coffee on a Friday morning.

I hope your weekend is full of beautiful sights, winning moments and special treats. Have a lovely one, friends!