Gammy, Thanksgiving on a bun and can't wait

 Click to enlarge.

- A friend's daughter created this artwork in school.  I think it is beyond adorable!  (Although I am not a "Gammy", I can relate to the being sleepy part.)  :)

- The waitress says the turkey burger topped with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce is "insanely good."  Maybe not that good, but it did evoke Thanksgiving dinner on a bun.

- A book club friend and I talk about how much we love audio books to listen to in the car.  She says she reminds herself of when her kids were teenagers just looking for a chance to drive so she can listen to more of her book.  "Oh - we need milk?  I'll go!" I have the same feeling about the book I'm listening to in the car right now.  When I got home yesterday, the bad guys were surely coming and then Kinsey Milhone heard her front gate creak as someone quietly opened it.

The Closet, the right one and praise greeting

- Setting a goal for this past Saturday to have my home all tidy again and clean before the end of the day.  And making the goal; it is lovely to have a clean and tidy place.  But the closet in my home office has become a dumping ground and is a project for another time.  It does remind me a bit of Fibber McGee's closet in the film above.  :)

- Attending a cookie reception and finding a wonderland of cookies.  I circle the table while chatting until I spot the one I want - shortbread with fondant icing.  Yum.  (And another goes in a napkin to have later.)

- The director of Christian Education at my church always does the children's sermon and this week she talks about an African praise greeting that originated from Nigeria.  She tells the children of her neighborhood in Atlanta that has many people from other cultures who walk everywhere they go because they have no car.  She recounts a recent experience in which she asks a passing neighbor, "How are you?"  The response, "God is good, all the time."  She responds, "All the time, God is good." 

Coming in April, in and out and life is a journey

- This is a fun challenge that I heard about on Melissa Ann Goodwin's blog a few weeks ago - Blogging from A to Z Challenge April 2012.  It all began last year when a blogger named Arlee Bird tossed out this challenge:  "Can you post every day except Sundays during this month? And to up the bar, can you blog thematically from A to Z?"  Posting every day in April except for Sunday will take me through all 26 letters of the alphabet.  I am #151 on a current list of bloggers committing to do this that has grown to more than 700 so far.  You can read about it here.  I will do my usual good things, but the first one with photo will feature a good thing that is associated with the letter of the day.  :)  No worries - I've already thought of something for Q. 

- Assembling a pile to take to Goodwill this morning and vowing to stick to it.  An old TV that works great, a wall telephone with a cord and a big basket with a handle.  Bringing so much family heirloom (or electronic) stuff from mom's place means other stuff from my place has to go.  Or in the case of the telephone, makes me wonder why I brought that home in the first place. 

- Rediscovering the message stitched into the edge of the inner pocket of my jacket, "Life is a journey. Stay warm. Keep dry." 

I hope your journey takes you to good places and things this weekend, my friends.  I hope it's lovely.

Rosemary, contentment and fun at Starbucks

- Realizing I have everything for my stew except dried rosemary, but remembering there is a rosemary bush that the condo owner downstairs planted a couple of years ago.  (I have an open invitation to pilfer at will.) Is it still there?  Yes it is.  I clip a little, take the knife and cutting board to it and in several minutes my home smells fragrant from a slow cooking stew.   And my fingers smell awesome.

- A chocolate dipped strawberry and a glass of red wine.  Pure contentment.

- Starbucks drive thru window employee, as I drive up to the window to get my latte:  "Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp or George Clooney?"
Me:  Thinking for a second.  "George Clooney." (Sorry Scarlet.) 
Starbucks drive thru window employee:  "Congratulations!  George Clooney wins!  Your vote has put him over the top!"
Me:  "What does he win?"  (Giggles from other employees inside as SDTWE hands me my latte.)
Starbucks drive thru window employee:   "The support of the entire Starbucks staff."  (And a new Label for my blog - see below.)

Fat Tuesday, the day after and experience

Mardi Gras by Bob Trammell

- Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday, making me remember the good time I had with five friends and thousands of new acquaintances several years ago at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I never went back* because it was easily the most fun I ever had and there does not seem to be any possible way that could be duplicated. And those friends have scattered, two dropping out of sight, another moving to another state, one passed away and one is still my crazy friend Cary who I pick up with where we left off every time I see him.

- On Ash Wednesday, the revelers will wake up to a city with perfectly clean and strangely quiet streets. The ankle deep trash that is allowed to be dropped in the French Quarter during Mardi Gras will have been swept away by people hard at work during the night.

- On that Ash Wednesday, during the long drive back to Atlanta and just out of New Orleans, we had a flat tire on the van. Later, when Ed took it to be repaired, he was told it had a bullet in it. Just part of the New Orleans experience and no real surprise to any of us.

* This was before Hurricane Katrina.  I have been back to New Orleans since, but not to Mardi Gras.

Vampire Diaries, fun at work and Elena's Invitation

- A call came in to the printing company one day last December; the operations manager routed it to me because she knew I would think it was cool.  :)  It was the production company for the show "The Vampire Diaries" and they needed a printed prop invitation, a fancy one, as befits a prominent family of vampires who are throwing a ball.  I blogged about it as a teaser here.

- This was a fast moving project - completed in one week to fit their production schedule.  It was fun going over to the production office, which was right next to the sound stage, in a very industrial part of town.  I had heard of the show, but didn't know it was filmed in Atlanta.  Our receptionist, Tammy, loves the show and was "insanely jealous" that I got to see the sets, etc.  So I asked if I could take her with me on one visit.  She loved it and looked around with eyes sparkling.  The artist handling the invitation asked if we would like a tour of the high school set.  Yes, we would - and off we went to see the "school" hallway with lockers, along with classrooms and the gymnasium.

- That was the most fun project I have ever done for work.  The invitation was printed on Strathmore Pastelle Felt Natural Cover with deckle edge and included gold foil stamping.  It aired on Thursday, February 9 and I found it on You Tube.  If you would like to see the invitation on film, it's about 56 seconds in, after the doorbell rings. 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, full of fun and rest!  I'm looking forward to some rest. 

Vincent, Zen and day is done

- Loved the message on this card sent by a friend a few weeks ago.  Vincent certainly knew a thing or two about living.

- A one-eyed dog barks at me through the glass panel next to a front door as if he is supposed to.  But when I enter, Zen is all wags and smiles.

- The pub around the corner from my home is not especially caught up in Valentine's Day madness except for offering burgers and fries half price.  So I end my day with the bleu cheese and bacon burger.  Cholesterol on a plate, but it was delish.

The amazing race, comic relief and her slippers

 

- Niece Rebecca dubbed it "The Amazing Race."  Four carloads of family members journeyed to my sister's farm in northern Florida for the weekend for family time.  Somehow my car got there last, but I think that means my passenger, niece Abby, and I enjoyed the scenery a little more.  

- Pete, safely out of reach and basking in the sun, after a lively two-year-old ran after him all morning, calling, "Pete!  Peeete!  Where's Pete???"  The two-year-old also had her first trip to McDonald's last week, and when her breakfast was placed before her, with great excitement she shrieked, "PANCAKES!!!"

- When we were packing up mom's clothes on Saturday, I retrieved these slippers from the box going to charity.  We wore the same size shoe.  (Am I really posting a picture of my feet and pajama pants???)  The kitchen floor was cold this morning and I dug them out of a box.  I think she would have liked that I kept her slippers.

My mother

 

Dear Friends -

My beloved mother passed away at home on Sunday morning.  She was having a mid-morning nap and just slipped away.  We will miss her so much.  I am very sad, but glad that she is at peace.

You all have always been so lovely in your comments - thank you for your prayers during the last few days.  I will be away from blogging this week, but will see you all next week.

Take care -

Lynn

Room with a view, heroes and big family

- This is the view from my mother's hospital room in Thomasville, Georgia.  There is a lovely little courtyard shaded by that Live Oak tree.  I stand and look out at this serene view and have never seen one person down there.  Looks like a good place to read to me. 

- The young man who transports patients to physical therapy was a local football hero and knows that the high school in my suburb of Atlanta, Tucker, Georgia, won the state high school championship in 2008 and 2011. His team played them. I tell him I remember the banner going across main street last year.  He smiles as if he loved that time in his life. 

- I love people's stories.  A student nurse is pregnant.  I ask if this is her first.  No, her sixth!   She'll have three boys and three girls with this one and then will be done.  She's one of seventeen children herself and always wanted a big family. 

Mom is back home at the assisted living facility, as of Thursday afternoon.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Groundhog Day, the movie and the real deal

- It being Groundhog Day tomorrow, it seems like a good time for Phil's (Bill Murray) Piano Solo from the 1993 film, "Groundhog Day." I love how he riffs into Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" at the sight of Andie McDowell's character Rita.

- Back when the film came out, my mother and sister decided to go to a movie one day and not knowing anything about it, chose that one. And they hated it. I walked into the room at the tail end of a conversation in which they were telling my dad and brother-in-law about the film. I announced, "I LOVED that movie!" Mom and sis looked at each other and burst out laughing and shook their heads. I stand by my original impression of the film and love how Phil took the opportunity to improve his life by learning to play piano, ice sculpt and speak French.

- It was raining last Groundhog Day. How do I know? I looked at last year's post for February 2. But after a couple of really rainy days in Atlanta, we are supposed to be cold today, but sunny. I wonder if that groundhog named Phil will see his shadow?

I'm out of town - mom's in the hospital again.  (She will be OK.)  So appropriately enough for Groundhog Day tomorrow - this was last year's post.  And the third thing refers to 2010.  Cheers and here's hoping for an early Spring!