Warhol print, how he did it and upcoming tour

- It's Random Photo Thursday, which I kind of like, because it gives me an opportunity to scroll through so many photos - a little trip down memory lane. This photo of a screenprint collage of Mick Jagger by Andy Warhol was taken at the Warhol exhibition at the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center when I was there for a work visit last year.

- In 1975, Warhol produced a portfolio of ten screenprints of Jagger. In conjunction with this, Warhol produced a series of drawings and collages based on photographic images. It is said that this work was almost certainly produced by projecting the original photograph on to a sheet of paper, then drawing around the outline in pencil. This version also included torn colored paper, creating shapes of color.

- I saw that the Stones are going to have a 50th anniversary concert tour in 2012 - probably their last one. Wish I could go to that! People seem to love them or hate them. I love them. :)

Dancing for the joy of it, hard worker and honored

Street dancer at the corner of Howell Mill Road and Chattahoochee Avenue in Atlanta. Photos taken through the windshield.

- During tax season, he can be found up the street dancing his heart out while wearing a Statue of Liberty costume. I guess the proprietors of this furniture outlet know a good thing when they see it. I only have to go this way once in a week on Tuesday afternoon when headed toward volunteer work, but I love watching him dance and direct traffic while doing so. He dances for the sheer joy of it.

- Another hard worker, neighbor Kevin, is up and leaving for work while I am watering outside plants at 5am. He opens up a Chick-fil-A store for breakfast, but has a newly acquired Masters degree in Education and cannot find employment as a teacher. We wave cheerfully this morning as he leaves, having a mutual understanding that 5am is too early to be chatting.

- And my heart swells with pride as I read an online newspaper article about a young woman still in her 20s, who is now president of her city's Rotary Club. She is an officer at her bank and serves on the board of directors for three organizations. This is the line I am proudest of, that my niece gives a shout out not only to her parents, but both sets of grandparents, too: “I will always be involved in my community,” she says. “I was raised by parents and grandparents that were involved in their community, and I don’t know any other way!”

Stone Mountain, lessons and savored moments

- I had to go back to my blog archive from the fall of 2007 to find this photo. It was taken with my phone one day, during a period of unemployment, after a walk around this granite mountain - called Stone Mountain. There's a sidewalk all the way around it, multiple attractions within its park and many people climb it - some every day.

- My friend Ronnie closes his veterinary office for lunch, drives to this park and walks up the mountain, runs back down, runs back up and walks down. Five days a week - I'm exhausted just writing about it. But he is the most fit man I know at the age of 60.

- My friend Janice* and I had a conversation about my race training plan early last spring and so she gave me a folded piece of paper at church the other day, saying it made her think of me. I fished it out of my purse yesterday and read it, just before leaving work for the day. It was this article - I have found it online, first printed in January 2011 in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. I shared it with a coworker and posted it in my cubicle - to be read every day. I love its life lessons and her main points:

Lesson One: There is big value in feeling small.

Lesson Two: Everyone needs to stand on top of something.

Lesson Three: Some moments are meant to be savored, not seized by the lapels.

Ahhh - that third one is my favorite. So after a not particularly good day, I felt a renewed sense of how much I have in my life and went on my way.

* p.s. I emailed Janice to thank her for the article and she replied, "I can't remember if I told you but I had the big 50 birthday this year, and after reading the article, decided to walk up Stone Mountain 50 times. I have completed 23, maybe tonight will be 24 if the weather permits."

Rescue, hanging on and treasure

- My rescue plant on a Saturday morning on the back porch. My neighbor picked it up from a pile of debris awaiting the trash collectors at the university hospital in which she works. Someone had vacated an office and abandoned the plant. She brought it home and asked if I wanted it.

- One raindrop still hanging on after the Friday night thunderstorm that popped up.

- 60 Minutes and the rebroadcast of a story from last January showing an American treasure, Wynton Marsalis, in Cuba. Marsalis and his band mates found common ground with musicians in Havana. "They just have a lot of people who can play," Marsalis told Morley Safer.

Writers block, judging and first love

- By the dawn's early light, Mr C's sign person indicates that it's just not that easy to write clever things to lure in customers.

- One of my customers (a loyal friend of my niece) emails an annual print order. I thank her and tell her I have enjoyed her tales of barbecue judging on facebook. (A weekend hobby for she and her husband.) She calls during my commute to tell me more about it and encourages me to take the class and be a judge, too. (It's that easy.) And I might. :)

- Asking if I can call her back while I run into the natural foods grocery to get dinner from the hot food bar. Oh vegetables, don't worry, you are my first love!

Happy weekend, my friends! Wishing you much happiness for the weekend and all the time.

Lake Chatuge 1, 2, 3

It's Random Photo Thursday! These are from the edge of the Rhododendron Gardens in Hiawassee, Georgia of Lake Chatuge on Memorial Day weekend.

- So peaceful. Chatuge Reservoir, located on the Hiwassee River in western North Carolina, is 13 miles long and extends southeast from the dam into north Georgia. The reservoir was named after a nearby Cherokee settlement.

- A pontoon boat on a family outing comes by...

...and leaves rolling waves in its wake.

Follow the path, daydreams and equalizer

- I've always admired the yellow brick roadish appearance of the floor of this corridor that leads from the lobby of Georgia Public Broadcasting (where I volunteer) to the parking deck elevators. They just painted the walls this vibrant blue and green color. The guards at the desk were hugely entertained that I was taking a picture of it (hence the slight fuzz due to my laughter). One of them tells me that they are about to cover all that up with murals. And I kind of liked it like this.

- Attending a class that lasted most of the day - it was Paper 101 (conducted by paper suppliers.) My favorite part: a woman says that there are tons more trees now than there were 100 years ago due to managed forests. Seriously? Well, I hope so. Hmmm. Least favorite part: when the paper rep (who knows me and considers me an industry expert) called on me to clarify an answer while I was zoned out. Daydreaming - my mother used to call it.

- Sitting with a group of people who don't know each other at lunch and finding that the iPhone is the great equalizer for creating conversation. Much more so than paper. :)

Rainbow connection, pink ribbon and piney

- This is one of my favorite songs sung by Sarah McLachlan (originally sung by Kermit the Frog), and I love how my iPod (on shuffle) produced it at the end of my workout yesterday as I was slowing down at the end to finish with a stretch.

- A pink ribbon, no doubt from a weekend party, floats on a sudden breeze across the park and lands by the side of the creek.

- The smell of pine in the air from a fallen pine tree.

Happy Solstice, Happy Summer!

Dragon wings, where it came from and thrive

- My Dragon Wing Red Begonia - looking so pretty yesterday when I got back from my 7am walk that I just had to take its picture. I am not known for any talent where plants are concerned, so I am so pleased this one likes its shady spot beside my front door.

Click to enlarge - you can see the mountain range in the background.

- It came from this shop, "The Garden Shoppe" in Hayesville, North Carolina. Proprietor Louise sent me out back to get regular begonias that she said would do well in my shady spot, and I came back with this more interesting variety.

- That was Memorial Day weekend - it's grown by leaps and bounds since then. And according to this article, it thrives in heat and humidity. I was just out watering plants, and the humidity this morning at 5am knocked me over when I went out, so that's a good thing. :)

The road race, my number and training

Photo courtesy of http://www.peachtreeroadrace.org/

- The Peachtree Road Race is a 10 kilometer road race held annually in Atlanta, Georgia on July 4, Independence Day. Don't these folks look intense? They are the ones who are seeded, start at 7:30am, finish quickly and are probably on a plane home before I will even be starting it. :)

- Yes, there will be 66,720 people in front of me and my start time is 8:55am. Last year, on July 5, my boss (who runs every year) suggested we all do it together in 2011. I didn't think I would be accepted into the race by The Atlanta Track Club and readily agreed. Be careful what you ask for...

- So I finally started training for it on April 1 and can be found at this park after work most afternoons. In April, a woman pushing a stroller with twin babies in it, passed me like I was standing still. :) But yesterday, I actually passed someone. I'm getting there.

And so I will always be able to say that I "ran" the Peachtree Road Race. I hope you have a happy and pleasant weekend, my friends!

Poppies (I think), pizza substitute and give-away

- Poppies? I'm not sure. The one on the right looks like a poppy, but the one on the left looks a bit like a carnation. Photo taken from a neighbor's garden. When I see this flower, I always hear the Wicked Witch of the West in my head saying, "Paaaah-pees" when she throws them in front of Dorothy and crew to make them sleep in that field in the land of Oz.

- Watching a friend dig into a salad loaded with pizza toppings: shredded mozzarella cheese, green olives and mushrooms. There is red sauce on the side. When questioned, she reminds me that she is allergic to gluten, so this is the closest she can come to having pizza. She tops each bite of salad with a little pizza sauce.

- "Paris : distribution gratuite de concombres et de tomates." This is why it is so much fun to be facebook friends with American in Paris, David Lebovitz: his wall post this morning gives notice of "Free give-away this Saturday of cucumbers and tomatoes on the Champ de Mars in Paris (bring football padding to deal with the crowds!)" I guess!

Graffiti, multi-tasking and early to work

Click to enlarge.

- The city of Atlanta now has a Graffiti Task Force, charged with covering up the work of local graffiti artists. The police chief said the city is trying to locate suitable spots for graffiti artists to "follow their muse with appropriate renderings." I think they missed this spot at the Atlanta Water Works park. :)

- A young man walking down the street, listening to his MP3 player and reading a hardback book. That's what I call multi-tasking.

- The train whistle at the Lawrenceville Highway crossing during the very early morning hours suggests that someone else is already at work.

Blue hydrangeas, whispering and oversleeping

- Another sign of summer, the owner of my company brings in hydrangeas from her home garden. I find it fascinating that you can make the blooms turn from pink to blue by adding aluminum to the soil it is growing in.

- Our receptionist at work, a lovely young woman with an equally lovely voice, has temporarily lost her voice from a cold. She whispers to visitors when they walk in and they whisper back.

- Oversleeping by 30 minutes (power failure), but waking up in enough time to water outside plants and blog. There was an initial flash of disappointment when I realize that I don't have two more hours to sleep, but then there was having coffee to look forward to and my usual quick facebook read. Friend Shashi is also up and about at 5:30am and writes: "Two cups of coffee down and still don't feel human...going for a third..." I'm with ya sister. :)

Party, Jimmy Hosta and fireflies

- So nice outside on Saturday morning that I emailed and had coffee on the back porch. There was still a hint of smoke in the air from the new neighbors' grilling party on Friday night. They moved in the weekend before when I was not home and I hadn't met them. So a very earnest young man tapped on my door and invited me to the party - saying it wouldn't go on too late and that they were celebrating his graduation from higher education. I loved this act of courtesy.

- My Hosta (named "Jimmy Hosta" by pal Jannie Funster) has not grown much this year, but it's getting there. I spotted a Cardinal having a drink of water from the run off in the tray under it at one point this weekend.

- I really don't look forward to summer in the south - primarily because of the heat and humidity. But last night there were fireflies within this lush bit of green. A welcome sight.

New York, North Carolina and south Georgia

Tales from the last three weekends...

- She is sorting out two languages (English and Turkish) in her head, so this busy 16-month-old just says a few words right now, most notably "hi" and picking up the pronunciation of "hey" in two syllables from her southern aunt. Here in Central Park, in New York City, she shows us just how a stroller should be pushed. And later, from said stroller, she looks up at the photo below and calls out, "Woof woof!"

From the Elliott Erwitt exhibition at the International Center of Photography, New York City.

- Early one morning at my sister's mountain cottage, in Hayesville, North Carolina, I assemble breakfast at the kitchen counter and look up to see a deer watching me with interest outside this window. We make eye contact and neither of us move. The deer's head turns to look at something in the river and I edge to the left to pick up my camera. A second deer, much smaller, stands behind, catches my movement and in the blink of an eye, they vanish.

- And in Thomasville, Georgia last weekend, as I set up the folding table and Pollyanna board game, my mother exclaims, "I'm so glad you girls like to play games!" We are always happy to play with her and to always be thought of as her "girls."

I'm staying home this weekend, y'all! Hope yours is good!

Here comes the bride, the groom and windows

- It's Random Photo Thursday and we have three of them today - all taken on Saturday, May 21, 2011. (Click to enlarge.) This one was a bride on a photo shoot in Central Park.

- And there's the groom at the bottom of the steps. I love the boats in the water.

- Later that day, a man rather precariously washes windows.

She said, tennis and attachment

- On Monday, Mr C's sign read "Raynor come do shots with me." This must be the follow up message. :) Couldn't resist snapping this on the way into work yesterday a.m.

- I thought at first it has something to do with the French Open, but examined the finalists' names in my head and couldn't see a match. On Sunday, I had the finals on at my mother's apartment and she said she didn't realize I liked tennis. I say I like it when Rafael Nadal is playing.

- Friend Jennifer posted this on facebook, "I left my cell phone at home today, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to die." I'm pretty sure she didn't, but I sort of understand. :)

No truck parking, fav salad and it's over

- Roller coasters at Six Flags Over Georgia rising above the trees. I drove to that area to pick up paper for work and watched the coasters for a moment from a closed down Garden Ridge parking lot nearby, where no trucks are allowed to park, but birds are.

- Since I'm walking so much, giving into the lure of the still rather high calorie Wendy's Apple Pecan Chicken Salad. I enjoy this description: "Sink your fork into hand picked red and green apples, roasted pecans, sweet dried cranberries and real blue cheese crumbles. Then we add a tender grilled chicken and an all-natural pomegranate vinaigrette dressing for a sweet combination perfect for any meal." What word smithing someone did with this description! Still too many calories, but I do love it. And I feel so special that someone hand picked the apples for the salad. :)

- And the relief when my three-mile walk at Stone Mountain Park in intense 5pm heat was over.

Cherokee Lake, missing out and escape

Cherokee Lake in Thomasville, Georgia, from Google images. (I was there for an exercise walk and didn't take my camera.)

- A Sunday morning sunrise walk around Cherokee Lake; just me and a couple walking a large black poodle are there at first. Around the lake, a man wearing a cap denoting an airborne division he was a member of long ago, sits on a bench meditating or praying. He smiles and nods as I go by.

- A silent man stands on the footbridge over the lake twirling white loaf bread into the water for the wild ducks. Much splashing and excitement down below. A lone domestic duck stands next to the water, watching. "You're missing out!" I whisper to it as I go by.

- A black cat with white face markings watches warily from under a nearby tree and runs away, fast as lightning, when I get too close.

Back at the assisted living facility, a smiling group sits on the front porch in rocking chairs chatting before breakfast. Within five minutes, they get my entire story out of me. I feel a bit like a celebrity as I go inside to see if my mother is ready for the day.

From the banks, seamless and peace and quiet

- From the banks of the Hiawassee River last Sunday morning. I could stand there and look at this peaceful image all day.

- The neighbor next door is a master gardener and has added lots of plants that blend seamlessly into the native flora that was already there.

- A number of kayakers, canoers and tubers went down the river over the weekend, but the best part for me was finding the random secluded spot like this. A few days of peace and quiet.

I hope you have a lovely weekend, my friends!

From the 19th floor, on the way and say anything

Click to enlarge.

- A view of midtown Atlanta with ominous clouds looming. My clients were having an intense discussion about their project, so I turned my attention to the view. I like the modern interspersed with the old, with Rhodes Hall (the oldest residence on Peachtree Street) and the spires of Peachtree Christian Church, both sitting right in front of the ramp to I-85 north in the lower third of the image.

- Early in the morning at my office, a coworker says she is just at work for a moment before heading out to join her son and his wife for a sonogram view of her first grandchild. She feels torn about leaving for the day. "You need to go. You'll never get this time back," I say. "That's what Tony said, too!" she says.

- The high temperature on this day was a very humid 98 degrees Fahrenheit (we must be in for a hot summer), making me forgo my afternoon walk. I ride my exercise bike instead while watching an episode of "Inside the Actors' Studio," featuring John Cusack. A lovely break and I got to watch the actor speak of one of my favorite films, "Say Anything."

Sculpture installation, life-like and mirror images

I was walking in the Turtle Bay neighborhood in New York City last week, when I spotted these eerie figures. It turns out that an Icelandic artist has unveiled an art installation of 26 androgynous life-sized figures in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza. The park runs along 47th Street between the United Nations on First Avenue and Second Avenue. (Remember - you can click on the photos to enlarge them.)

"Borders," by internationally acclaimed Icelandic sculptor Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir features 13 figures made of heavy rust-colored cast iron standing or sitting across 13 mirror images made of lightweight silver aluminum that they're seemingly "in silent conversation with." This is why I love that city so much...


- Kneeling, bowing.


- Silver sculpture on a bench.


- All silver sculptures...

- One of these bronze sculptures had a bit of a walkabout. See below. :)


- It looks for all the world like that sculpture came to life and just walked up to these men to listen in on the conversation. And they were so deep in conversation that they didn't notice they were being photographed (or apparently listened to!)