Unexpected, a treasure and back to normal

- It is such fun opening the mailbox and finding an unexpected gift.  My dear friend and co-blogger, Granny Annie, sent me this wonderful antique postcard (circa 1913).  The message is perfect!  "All of us wish for you, all the good things we can think of.  If perchance, we have forgotten anything worth having we hope you will get that as well."  I wish the same for you, Annie, and all my friends who come here. 

- The card was addressed to Mr. William D. Hartman of Montandon, Pennsylvania with the message:  "just a card to let you know that I have not forgot the old Guard, your old Bunkin (Bunkie?)"  Wm Davidson, Drum Major, Band 19th Inf.  (Click to enlarge.)  I think they must have been in the US Army together, in the years just before the United States entered World War I.  Lovely that this postcard survived all these years and even lovelier that it is mine now.  A treasure!

- Thank you for all the concern for me and my city.  We have gotten back to normal a bit and most all of the abandoned cars I saw on the sides of the expressway yesterday have been collected (or moved somewhere else.)  I caught up on my sleep and cooked an awful lot - there will be chili and baked ziti for lunches for days.  :)

And it's Friday!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

Home!, snowfall and stories from the day

- We are jokingly referring to the freakish snow that came to Atlanta yesterday as "carmageddon" (see photo below), so it was with great relief for me when my employers made the decision to close yesterday around noon.  They rock!  I was home by 1:30pm.  This is the photo I texted to my worried sister in Florida yesterday to let her know I was home. 

- This photo was posted on facebook by friend Rebecca T., who left her office in downtown Atlanta at 3pm and reported that she had traveled two miles in two hours.  She finally made it to a friend's house at 5am this morning.  There are lots of stories on the news like that - so wonderful that so many people offered their homes, rides, roadside assistance, etc.  

- If there is blame for the traffic gridlock that you have surely seen on the news in the aftermath of only 2.5 inches of snow, it's to the governor of Georgia and the mayor of Atlanta, who took a gamble and didn't close schools yesterday (thousands of children ended up sleeping at school), didn't treat the streets and didn't offer up more warnings.  Too many people took to the streets at the same time after they started getting icy.  The governor portrayed the storm as "unexpected."  Nope - not true.  I, Lynn from Good Things Happened, have known about this from TV weather reports since Monday.  Hmmm....

- But we like to focus on the positive here, so here are three good things that happened from yesterday:

- Neighbor Rhonda sweeping off the snow and making a path to our cars (not that we are going anywhere today, but you never know.)  When I thanked her for doing that, she smiled and said, "Listen to the quiet!"  And there was indeed a beautiful quietness in the snow fall.

- Retired Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones went out and rescued current first baseman Freddie Freeman on his four wheeler after reading on Twitter that Freeman was stranded on the road home (as so many were.)  That story here.  :)

- A baby girl was born on the side of I-285 in a car yesterday at 5pm, when her parents couldn't get through the gridlocked traffic to the hospital in time.  A police officer stopped to check on them, sensing something was up and said the father was calm, the mother did great and the father delivered his daughter entirely by himself.  The officer was able to contribute first aid supplies before the paramedics arrived to get them all to the hospital.  She'll have the best birthday story ever!

And I get to stay home today.  Yay!  Hope you all are having a wonderful day. 

My turn, sweet tooth satisfaction and taste test

- It's pretty telling that the most exciting thing that I think happened to me this weekend was the notification from the library that I was next up for the new Sue Grafton book. I could have downloaded it (for $$) or purchased the hardback copy, but I have a lifelong love of the library, so I was delighted when it was my turn to read this one.  I've read every single one of her alphabet series in order, beginning with A is for Alibi. 

- A dinner with a large group of friends at a Thai restaurant near home that included a lot of table hopping.  My favorite part of the dinner was a dessert made by another friend named Barb (I have three Barbs) - Baileys cheesecake.  I've had a raging sweet tooth lately, which I have suppressed, but gave into this wonderful few bites (shared with friend Janice.)

- Refilling the candy jar at work this morning with what we refer to as "red candy" - Walmart brand "Cinnamon discs."  And having a red candy taste test this morning with a coworker.  We agree that the new red candy is different, but we still like it.  :)

Body double, comfort food and the sweet life

Click to enlarge

- This tapestry was part of the exhibit I visited at The High Museum of Art last weekend.  It depicts French monarchs smiling benignly at servants and pets in the month of October.  :)  Friend Barb thought the monarch on the upper right looked a little like the late comedian Redd Foxx and he kind of does!  Compare photo below.

- Having so many ingredients left over from the lasagna from the weekend that I decided to re-purpose some of them.  So Googling "recipes using half and half" yielded this recipe for Creamy Polenta.  I made it Wednesday night - it's good and made great comfort food in this cold weather.  I had never made polenta before, so it was a fun thing to make and it went well with the never ending sauteed kale.  :)

- Reading an obituary in the online version of the newspaper from my hometown of Milledgeville, Georgia.  I have taken over the role of reading obituaries from my dad, who perused them every day.  Since my sisters and I have little connection there anymore, I find this is the only way I have of knowing if any of my parents' friends have passed away.  There was one that caught my eye, simply because of the woman's maiden name, that I associate with a family owned shoe store there (long closed.)  I didn't know her, but she had a great obituary.  After she passed away, her family found a post-it note in her handwriting above her desk at home and included it in her obituary; a quote from Emily Dickinson that read, "That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet."

 Life is indeed sweet - a good thing to remember, I think.  I hope you have sweet things in store for you this weekend, my friends!

written in her elderly handwriting is a quote from Emily Dickenson, “That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.” - See more at: http://www.unionrecorder.com/obituaries/x1767985599/Emily-Annette-Trapnell-Manning#sthash.hpUas8AT.dpuf

written in her elderly handwriting is a quote from Emily Dickenson, “That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.” - See more at: http://www.unionrecorder.com/obituaries/x1767985599/Emily-Annette-Trapnell-Manning#sthash.hpUas8AT.dpuf

Unwanted, ready to move and there it is

Photo courtesy of Google images

- This is the Randolph-Lucas house, circa 1924, originally built for a great-great-grandson of Thomas Jefferson.  At one time, there were more homes such as this, lining Peachtree Street in Atlanta, but in the last 20 years they have all been usurped by luxury apartment / condominium structures (such as the very unlovely building you see behind it there.) 

 Photo courtesy of Google images

- The condominium owners tried to keep the house for special events and such, even moving it several dozen feet to the left at one point, but last year decided to have it demolished in favor of a plaza they want to build.  It was offered up free of charge to anyone who would move it.  Fortunately, a company specializing in historic preservation bought the rights to move it and its journey began. 

- I spotted it last Saturday, across from The High Museum (that's it on the left, click to enlarge.)  It made its two and a half mile trip, starting at midnight on Friday, November 8, 2013, with many people involved (adjusting power lines, temporarily taking down overhead traffic signal lights, etc..)  I loved the news reports showing this home rolling down Peachtree Street to its new foundation there.  I can't wait to see it all restored back to how it looked before.  It will be the home of the two people who founded the company that moved it.  Click here for my museum post from last August to see what the view from the home will be (bottom photo.)

On a personal note, one of my ex-husband's friends lived in the attic of the house when they were attending Georgia Tech.  Due to its location at Peachtree Street and Lindbergh Drive, the friend said the name of the house was "Top of Lindbergh," but I have not seen it referred that way in any article.  A great name though and I sure wish I had asked to go inside back then.  You know I'll update you on the finished look when it is completed. 

Beautiful gardens, kale and good lunch

 - Friend Barb and I put on our culture hats and attended The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden exhibit at The High Museum of Art on Saturday morning.  Most of the paintings and sculptures had never been out of France, so that was too good to pass up.  The painting at top shows the gardens, which I would LOVE to see in person.  The model shows the large area that encompasses.  Barb and I are trying to figure out how we could visit Paris for free.  :)

- Kale and Mushroom lasagna.  It all started because I had a lot of leftover kale.  $45 worth of ingredients and three hours of work yielded something pretty delicious.  Click on the recipe name to view it - it originated from Cooking Light magazine.  And I still have a lot of kale!

- Having something really good for lunch today to look forward to. 

Fun distraction, celebration of life and hello living room

Love this!

                      

- I can't wait to share this with the biggest Elvis Presley fan I know - my friend Ronnie.  This wee one must have a DVD player that she gets to watch while riding in the car (niece Abby has found that helpful with Monroe on long car trips, although he generally falls asleep watching it - maybe that's the point.)  Anyway - it gave me a chuckle this morning.  Stick with it - it's a fun five + minutes.

- Attending a funeral home visitation that sounded for all the world like a cocktail party, as I approached the room.  It turned out to be a true celebration of a life ended too soon.

- Getting stuck in a terrible traffic jam that clogged side streets in the suburbs - a very unusual thing really.  (It was due to a gas main break on a pivotal intersection.)  Not that that is a good thing, but in the 2.5 hours I was in it, there was only one ridiculous person (behind me, of course) acting like a fool (horn blowing, etc. #pointless).  What I liked was that everyone else sucked it up and dealt with it.  When I finally saw my living room at 8pm, I wanted to give it a hug. 

I hope life is being good to you today and that you find someone to give a hug to (even if it is your living room.)  :)  Have a great weekend!

Flowers on Tuesday, Amen to that and the irony

- Buying flowers for myself on a Tuesday. 

- Loving this sign from my late mother's assisted living home in Thomasville, Georgia (this is from their facebook page.)  And I say, "Amen to that!"  I love pouring over the photos they post and spotting friends.

- And this, from niece Amanda (a kindred spirit in many ways), cracked me up! 

My idea of decadence, feminine side and kindred spirit

- It poured rain on Saturday morning, really poured - a good time for drinking coffee and reading my book*.

- A baby shower in which the mom and dad opened gifts together.  I complimented him on his pink shirt (to match the baby girl motif) and he pulled up his trousers to show me he was wearing pink argyle socks, too.

- Book group meeting on The Burgess Boys* by Elizabeth Strout (all agreed - a good read).  The hostess has an immaculate home, but an embroidered pillow makes me smile.  It reads:  "My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance." Quote from Erma Bombeck. 

Young entrepreneur, entertainment and sparkles

Click to enlarge

- A young lady visiting a relative of the printing company showed her entrepreneurial spirit one day during an extended visit, after doing homework wore thin.  So she fashioned this "toll" sign on the side of the reception desk and earned her first 25 cents from coworker John (giving a little skip of delight when she saw it.)  I loved the addition of the "LOOK" sign when no one noticed the sign at first.  However, after some mom intervention, the 25 cents was returned with a note: "This is your money - you keep it."  (Her name has been erased from the toll sign to protect her privacy.)

- Enjoying my latest book on CD for the daily commute:  "The Lady of the Rivers" by Philippa Gregory.  These books are perfect for listening to - I love the refined English accent of the narrator.  Gregory takes actual historical families and events and writes a fictionalized account around them.  I always look up the people on Wikipedia and she has the historical details down every time.  And this one is the first of a trilogy!  Yay!

- The holidays of recent days past, making an appearance again on my carpet at home, in the form of random sparkles here and there.  I love how everything sparkled.

It's the weekend and they are promising rain.  I can hear from the light rain sounds from outside my home office window, that it has already started.  At least it's warmer - it's all good.  Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

Proof of the cold, best jacket ever and at home

- And it was about 5 degrees when I got up yesterday morning.  This is the dusty car dashboard showing the temperature when I was arriving at work.  What makes this a good thing?  Nothing really - it's just a novelty for the state of Georgia.  :)

- I bought this down coat in December 2010 for my first trip to New York City and have never needed to wear it since.  It sure is coming in handy right now, even though it's just 16 degrees this morning (which seems so much better.)

- The fern has been inside for a couple of weeks now, since the temperature has been dropping during the night below 32 degrees (its usual home being the back porch.)  I crack myself up with my fern photo shoot at 5:45am, but it does give me an opportunity to notice things pictured that I am so accustomed to seeing, that I don't really see them anymore.  The two throw pillows on the couch came from my mom and dad's house - I tossed them there when I brought them home and there they have stayed.  And the blue vase in the bookcase was one of their wedding gifts in 1948.  I've blogged about that clock before - neither sister wanted it, but I did, and I think it makes a beautiful addition to my bookcase. 

Thanks for all the stay warm wishes from Monday - I did just that, as you can see.  The really good things represented here are:  Thankfulness for employment, multiple coats to keep me warm and a warm, safe home.  Hope you are having a great day!

Sunday night favorite, proud gran and remembrance

 Photo from PBS

- They make me so happy - although I only saw about 45 minutes of Downton Abbey before falling asleep on the couch.  Thanks to my recording device, I can finish it tonight (as temperature drops to record lows.)

- Church friend Susan passing down photos of her tiny grandchildren in their Christmas Day pjs just before the service starts.

- Overhearing a man call his wife of many years "Mom" - and smiling when remembering that my dad used to do the same thing with my mother. 

Amanda's boot, Bess's drink and the shop cat

- Some random photos of good things from this past week - this one of niece Amanda's boot on the weekend after Christmas.  She was balancing on one foot and pulling on the other one, while I snapped this rather fuzzy photo of the right foot boot.  I love the color on the inside of them.  She has become the snappiest dresser in the family and always seems to have boots to go with her outfit.

- Lunch with friends on New Year's Eve Eve day (last Monday.)  :)  Friend Laura's daughter Bess ordered a "Lush Lady" cocktail at 1910 Public House in Lilburn, Georgia.  A beautiful drink, consisting of "13th colony southern gin, bitter truth violet liquor, brovo rose germanium liquor, lemonade, with a lemon twist."  

 - And my favorite shop cat, Whiskers, at my favorite antique shop, a few doors down from the restaurant.  He had adopted this stool in the middle of the shop and a browser just ahead of me didn't think he was real until he moved.  Someday I'll post of gallery of Whiskers photos. 

And it's the weekend again - thank goodness!  I deserve it after working just two days this week.  :)  I hope you have a wonderful one full of good things.

Happy 2014!

As usual in the New Year - I don't resolve to do anything different, but I do want to make sure that everything I do has good purpose and is beneficial to myself and others.  The quote above was spotted in a magazine while I was visiting my family over the holidays.  I'm still mulling this one - it's powerful, I think.  And the following are quotes I've posted before - I still love them.  :)  Happy New Year, my friends!

- I do think New Year's resolutions can't technically be expected to begin on New Year's Day, don't you? Since, because it's an extension of New Year's Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Year's Day isn't a good idea as you can't eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second. ~Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones's Diary

- Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account. ~Oscar Wilde

- Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go. ~Brooks Atkinson