Good Things Happened: Zen Garden and along the way

The new job has me working in an area that used to be reception (they are running out of room, I think.)  These are my new office mates in the fish tank that is to my back.  I'm calling it working in The Zen Garden.  :)

I used to love to walk at Tanyard Creek Park near my office, but stopped walking there when I hurt my knee (since mostly recovered).  So since it's been two years since my last visit, I headed over there last Saturday morning, having another errand in that area.  The Lenten Roses beside the creek are in bloom, right on time.

There was so much activity in the park.  I encountered two photo shoots during my hour walk, one was a woman doing some sort of spoken word for the camera, and the other was the woman on the right, above, who was changing poses like a fashion model.  Cute.  :)  And I realized when I downloaded the photo, that I also captured a woman comforting a boy, there on the left.  So sweet.

From Mr C's sign:  ANOTHER DAY HAS PASSED AND I DIDN'T USE ALGEBRA.  Amen to that!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Three beautiful things, cake and along the way

- Friend and coworker Bren gave me this card for my birthday last Thursday (with a gift card for lattes).  I love the owl magnets attached and those truly beautiful words.

- And then friend and coworker Joanne brought in this delicious little cake around lunchtime and sang happy birthday.  If I had to work on my birthday, all of these things made it so nice.

- Aaaand - Mr. C's sign made me chuckle, as it so often does.  It's probably not always good to be lucky - I just wonder what happened to inspire that.  :)

View from the couch, desk lunch and city life

 - I was home a lot this weekend and spent much of it having a marathon viewing of Law & Order, SVU - it was either delete 21 episodes from last season or view them.  (Only one more to go.)  The real story here is that I love the view from my couch.  If you click to enlarge, you might be able to see some goldfinches on the feeder and one on the Victorian hanging planter.  They were cute - they kept coming and going, chasing each other away - bumping each other off perches.  More entertaining than TV really. 

- Whole Foods had pints of small heirloom tomatoes on sale and they were beautiful in my desk lunch at work.  The yellow pear tomatoes remind me of my maternal grandfather, who always had those in his garden at home.  We used to "walk the garden" and he would pick some for me to eat right there.  I don't see those often for sale, so I had to buy them.

- From Mr Cs sign:  BIDEN JAM 2015.  I laughed out loud on Friday morning, September 4, when I saw this sign.  Thursday was a traffic day to remember in Atlanta - on the morning news, they warned us of afternoon traffic, involving a college football game at the Georgia dome, an Atlanta Braves game, the Atlanta black gay pride festival, Dragoncon, as well as Vice President Joe Biden coming to speak in the evening.  I should have gone to Mr C's to wait it out after work - it took about 1.5 hours to get home to the 'burbs.  :)

Gourds or squash, beauty at the dump, and Oh my!

- From the organic garden near the park where I walk on the weekends - these are either gourds or spaghetti squash in a pile, ready for purchase.  Such a lovely and serene place.

- Back at the condos, on Sunday morning, there is beauty, even at the trash compactor area.  Click to enlarge. 

- From Mr. C's sign - well, you get it.  And it made me laugh, while sitting in my car, almost to work in the morning.  

I'm back from vacation and will be by your blogs - I missed you!  Vacation photos later.  :) 

Just a trifle, sending out the scouts and must go there

- This was fun to make, just because of the chocolate curls on top.  My sister calls this recipe "Black Forest Trifle."  I had forgotten that it was my turn to bring goodies to my women's circle group that meets once a month on Thursday night.  So needing something quick and wanting to make something that looked homemade, I stopped by the Publix near my office Thursday morning at 7am, bought the ingredients for this and made it in the kitchenette at work at lunchtime.  I loaded it in an insulated bag for the drive to Stone Mountain and it was a hit!  Here's how you do it - so easy:

Black Forest Trifle

1-(15 oz) Angel Food Cake, cubed

1-(20 oz) can Cherry Pie Filling

4-(3.5 oz) cups Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding

1-(8 oz) carton frozen lite Cool Whip, thawed

1/4 cup chocolate curls

Place half of cake cubes in a 2 quart trifle bowl (or salad bowl as seen above); spoon half of cherry pie filling over cake.  Spread 2 pudding cups over cherry pie filling and top with half of Cool Whip.  Repeat layers.  Top with chocolate curls.  Chill.  Yield:  12 one cup servings. 

- Neighbor Rhonda told me that I need to go ahead and put my hummingbird feeder on the back porch, because the hummingbirds have scouts out and about right now, scoping out the action.  :)  I guess they go back to some hummingbird colony somewhere and list all the places where free nectar is available.  So there it is - come on gang!  (And look how new and green the foliage is right now in this through-the-window late afternoon shot.  Color has not been altered at all.)

- And ending on a chuckle - Mr C's proclaims to be "The Reason for a Neighborhood Watch."  :)  I really must go in there sometime.

I hope you enjoy your weekend - thanks for coming by! 

Luck of the green, a walk in the park and Lenten Roses

I know I said that I would have more photos of the coffee place in Grayton Beach today, but decided to post them next Tuesday.  I just have to show you the beauty that is popping out in Atlanta right now in honor of the first day of Spring - starting with Mr C's sign.  :)

- From Mr C's sign on St. Patrick's Day, 7:30am:  "The more green you spend - the luckier you are." (Click to enlarge.)  The large SUV to the right realized I was taking a phone pic of the sign and hung back so it wouldn't block me.  Unexpected, but nice.

 - After work yesterday - a head clearing walk in the park.  How I have missed this park on the Atlanta Beltline.  There were lots of walkers and the children's playground was full of little ones, parents and nannies chatting.  Everything is just budding out.

- Beautiful Lenten Roses on the banks of Tanyard Creek that runs through this park.  I'm always mindful when I see blooming things such as this along the path, that this was once someone's garden.  I'm glad that the legacy from that person who planted these lives on.

Thanks for stopping by!  Amazing to thing that Mr C's and this park are within a mile of each other.  It shows that urban life is beautiful, too.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Lump of coal, no ideas and finishing up

- From Mr C's sign:  Santa's Main Coal Drop Off.  (Click to enlarge.)  I'll bet it is!

 - I'll be spending Christmas with my sister and her family at the farm in northern Florida, as usual.  Normally I know exactly what I'm giving my sister for Christmas, but this year, nothing has presented itself. (The rest of the family are easy.)  I asked her for suggestions and she said (apologetically) that she can't think of a thing (but please, no pottery or anything to hang on the wall.)  Sigh.  I told her that she might just get something crazy then!  So I've made a game of texting crazy photos of things spotted in shops to her, such as the cat necklace above, with the message "This might be what you're getting if you don't give me a clue!"  :).

- Or this monkey hat!  :)  This texting crazy things game has been fun.  Looking forward to more of that tomorrow, as I finish my shopping with everyone else. 

It's the weekend!  There's much to do, but I'm looking forward to it.  Hope your weekend is merry and bright!

Gathered by nature, drive by laughter and great work spot

- On a bright October afternoon, spotting a rock drawing someone scratched onto a wall at the park near work.  If click to enlarge, you can see the beauty of the rocks and leaves gathered by nature on the lower right.

- From Mr Cs Bar & Grill sign:  Safer than the White House.  Indeed!  The sign made me lol when I passed it on my way into work this morning, so the lol cat is in honor of that.  :)  It was raining (again), so no way to stop and get a pic. 

- Mr Cs and the park where the drawing was are about 1/2 mile from each other.  Truly a wonderful blend of urban life and nature in my workplace of NW Atlanta.

It's my 1400th post today.  How about that?   Hope you have a great weekend, my friends!

Saving the planet, currently listening and currently reading

- The sign for Mr C's Bar & Grill near my office: "Mr C's - Saving the Planet by Making People Walk Home."  Good for them, I say!  It's been at least a couple of years, I think, since they have posted whimsical things on their sign. Hopefully it's a trend - I need humor for my commute.  :)  See Mr C's on Labels, below, for past signage.

- Currently listening during my commute:  Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child, one of his Jack Reacher books.  Violent at times, but every one is a cracking good suspense yarn.  I have another waiting for me at the library - I am having a Jack Reacher marathon.  Jack wanders the country with only a toothbrush and an old passport in his pocket.  He buys new clothes every three days and swears by his wandering lifestyle. He manages to save (or mostly save) the day in each book. 

- Currently reading at home:  The Quiet American by Graham Greene.  I'm only a few pages in - and book group meets on it Sunday night.  The link has a review of it, from The New York Times, circa 1956.  The internet is so marvelous for items like that.

Looking forward to a quiet day on Saturday to sit and read.  Celebrating the weekend over here!  I hope yours is lovely.

Morning scent, words to live by and national pride

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- The scent of basil wafting up when the early morning water from the watering can hits it. 

- Wise words from Thomas Edison, posted by the boss at work.

- We don't tend to mince words here in the South.  By the dawn's early light, Mr C's declares an affinity for winning.  And earlier when I was watching the US Rowing Team singing the national anthem as they received their gold medals, my heart swelled with pride, too.

That's a lot of wires in that photo above, huh?  Just an observation.  :)  I hope you all have a glorious weekend!

Morning sky, Savannah Smiles and lady glasses

- Mr C's sign was not so remarkable when I snapped this through the (dirty) windshield photo:  "Free Entertainment Nightly."  I'll bet!  But I thought the early morning sky with its low hanging clouds looked lovely as we all made our way to work.  (Taken with iPhone.)

- A coworker puts some Girl Scout cookies out to share.  A new kind this year, called "Savannah Smiles."  They are lemony tasting, covered with powdered sugar and pretty good.  The Huffington Post (seriously?) reviewed them here.  I like how one taster said, "Don't wear black while eating this cookie."  I think that's a cookie eating amateur!

- My friend Steven finds me in our meeting spot playing Words with Friends on my phone and wearing my reading glasses (1.50s for those of you in the same boat.)  He says, "Hey, I have lady glasses, too!"  And whips out a pair of readers with a zebra pattern on the side.  He spotted a pack of reading glasses on sale - 3 for $10 - and thought they were all black because they displayed that way on the front.  But when he opened them, there was the the zebra pair, purple ones and red ones.  He gamely wears them anyway.  :)

I hope beautiful things find their way to you this weekend, my friends!

Poinsettias, abundance and snowman

 - These poinsettias displayed to dramatic effect in the swanky office building a client works in.  I've never been a fan of these plants, but they look beautiful here.

 - Mr C's got in the spirit of things on a rainy Thursday afternoon. 

- My coworker Joanne is a glass artist and actually blew the glass for this snowman ornament.  Love his orange carrot nose!  She made them for her clients, but I was lucky enough to be given one at the end of the day yesterday.  Probably because I kept admiring them so openly.  :)

I wish you an abundance of holiday cheer this weekend, my friends! 

Advertising, the main draw and bright spot

- Spotted on the way in to work yesterday morning - a line from "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" in which they were talking about alluring cologne. :) No - I didn't recognize it - I Googled. :)

- Later, while driving through the Georgia Institute of Technology, this sign. I guess they're smart hunks, too. :)

- And stopping to pick up a Cuban sandwich for lunch on the way back to the office, this sign made me chuckle. The fedora wearing owner has so much infectious enthusiasm, he makes he want to go there all the time.

Sometimes I call something that makes me chuckle a good thing (especially during a busy day like yesterday.) I hope you find lightheartedness around you this weekend, too. Have a great one!

Happy 67, life is good and Honey Bunny

- This old van with "Happy 67" painted on its side has been sitting in front of Mr C's for several days. It may be actually up for raffle or has been abandoned there. I hope someone wins it and drives it around - it's fun looking.

- Two little girls wearing festive pink dresses visit the printing company. One of them proudly shows off her sparkly red tap shoes. As they leave, she turns around and excitedly displays the lollypop her grandfather has given her.

- Calling niece Abby to get a recipe and saying, "Thanks, Honey Bunny!" to her before hanging up, which makes her giggle a little. She told me once that she likes it that she has her own pet name from me.

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.

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. :)

Live the dream, the bus and cure for insomnia

- Mr C's pokes fun at itself. A self-described "dive bar" - the Yelp reviews are pretty funny themselves. My favorite still: "It reminds me of the bar where The Blues Brothers played "Rawhide" behind a fence."

- Giving blood on one of those traveling blood mobiles just before church service. The funniest moment, when friend Steve hops on board and asks if this is the bus to Akron.

- Getting to eat Nutter Butter cookies after giving blood and sitting by a solumn young adult waiting to give, who tells me that she never sleeps. I get an involuntary laugh out of her when I tell her that my orthodontist friend offered to bring by some orthodontic journals as a cure for insomnia. :)

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.

Speed Sign, mind refresher and Mr C's on fb

- I switched on the morning news yesterday as I was eating my oatmeal and caught this video just as the man comes into view to stand by the sign. Imagine my initial surprise and alarm. Turns out he was the special guest of "commuter dude" on WXIA-TV Channel 11 with his video gone viral. :)

- This recipe for Creamy Polenta with Mushroom Sauce has the delightful addition of a "Mind Refresher" at the end with the instruction to: "Stand straight, breathe normally, and reflect on patience while stirring the polenta."

- Spotting Mr C's Bar and Grille on facebook and this message: Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

Mr C's, upcoming nuptials and pretty fingers

- There didn't seem to be any lines forming. This sign only stayed up briefly - Frank must have arrived to see it. :)

- A soon-to-be bride shares a few of her wedding plans and shows a photo of herself on her iPhone wearing her newly purchased wedding gown.

- Receiving an email with the subject: Your mom got her nails done. A photo from my mother's assisted living facility shows her proudly displaying newly painted nails. This is new, but I like it.