Black Walnut tree, leg lamp and 10/11/12

- An Eastern Black Walnut tree arches above my sister's house in the mountains - the walnuts can be seen above.  They look a bit like green tennis balls and sound like that when they fall onto the house.  It startles me every time.  I liked this photo for the ethereal quality of it - taken on a rainy Sunday.

- My cousin Sam posted this on facebook, so I just had to share.  He got a "frag-eel-ay" lamp* like the one Ralphie's dad won as a prize.  Wonder how long before that gets relegated to the man room?   :)  *From my favorite Christmas movie, "A Christmas Story."  You can buy your own Major Award Leg Lamp here.

- And of course I loved writing 10/11/12 all day yesterday.  It turned out to be a pleasant day, so maybe that had something to do with it.  :)

Have a wonderful weekend, y'all!

Liebster award, it's all about me and cheers

Dear Scarlet awarded this to me, so I thought I'd give it a go.  She said some nice things about me and my blog here.  So sweet!   She's a definite Liebster herself, which translates to darling, sweetheart or dearest one.  Now I am to tell five interesting things about myself.  Oh my, is there anything you don't already know?  In any event - here goes: 

1. I claim Milledgeville, Georgia as my hometown - we moved there when I was six months old.  (I was born in Macon, Georgia - which is also the opening line of an old song, if you're into that kind of thing.)  Milledgeville is home to a rather large mental institution and prison, outside of town, and I took a lot of ribbing for that when I moved to Atlanta as an adult.  But I am proud of it for being the "antebellum" capital of Georgia, from 1803 to 1864.  It is full of history.  It  is also home of the famous writer Flannery O'Connor and is where Oliver Hardy began his career.
2. Much to my late mother's chagrin, I didn't go to church in Atlanta until about 11 years ago.  I was part of what is known here in the States as the 9/11 effect - I sought out church for comfort, but wandered into one that became home immediately.  And they asked me to be a church Elder a five years ago (no one was more surprised than me.)  
3. I record the New York Times Book Review for the Georgia Radio Reading Service for the Blind. It airs every Sunday night.  I've been volunteering there for 20 years.  Last week at the volunteer workshop I attended, I got a collective "Oooh" for that as we all introduced ourselves.  One man asked me how I got such a plum assignment and I replied that I got that after a lot of years of reading newspapers and Sunday Shopper (coupons!)
4. I'd rather read than eat.  (Let me think about that statement a little more.)  :)  I was read to so much as a child that they realized I already knew how to read on my first day of school in first grade.  So I got to be in a "reading group" by myself.  I've always got at least three books going at the same time now.
5. I am not at all athletic, but I like to walk and listen to music after work.  And I love walking with Laura and Janice on weekend mornings - we are a school counselor for special needs children, an orthodontist and printer girl.  We have very different lives, but are the same in that we look for good things every day.  

That's it.  I am supposed to award this to five other bloggers, but I think this one has made the rounds of our circle of bloggers, so consider yourself awarded if you'd like to do it.  Cheers!

7 x 7 Link Award, memory lane and thank you

My friend Sara from a sharing connection gave me this award.  You are supposed to pick 7 posts that fit the following categories.  Wow - that was hard!  I have had 980 posts, so I had to utilize memory and stats to come up with good responses. 

And I am supposed to award this to 7 other bloggers.  It's just too hard to choose, so I say any of you should use this as good blog history material and do it.  Thanks Sara!  You are a peach.  And thank you to all who come here so faithfully.  Here goes:

1. Most Beautiful Post:  Darkness into light, good neighbor and anniversary.  You thought I would choose one of those mountain / river posts, didn't you?  I have to walk around the back of the building I work in most mornings to get in since the front door is locked until 8:30am and happened upon this beautiful sky one morning.  It fit well with the quote, too. 
2. Most Popular Post:  Shadows and light, a red one and just right.  This post has the second most page views of all time and I don't know why, but it has a gorgeous memory for me.  My mom couldn't wait to get home to model that red coat for my father.  She knew he would love it and he did. 
3. Most Controversial Post:  I stay away from controversy on this blog.  I mean - seriously, there's enough controversy in this world, so I just want you to leave my blog with a peaceful feeling or having had a chuckle.  But I'll say this one:  Tribute, accent and ridin' music since Mr C's got that quote a little bit wrong.  :)  See Riot Kitty's comment.
4. Most Helpful Post: How to live to be 100.  I like this advice so much that I've reposted it a few times. 
5. Most Surprisingly Successful Post:  Thomasville, downtown and brick paved streets from January 24, 2011. This one had a lot of page views.  I like it because it features my new adopted home town - Thomasville, Georgia.  I saw a framed cross stitched piece recently that said, "Home is where my Mom is."  And so, Thomasville is a little bit home to me.  I love that downtown area, the park adjacent to the rose garden and the lovely people.
6. Most Underrated Post:  Treat, games and lovely.  Underrated isn't quite the word because it was significant to me.  It didn't have a photo and there was only one comment, but it was the first comment I had from my darling friend Jannie Funster.  Jannie says she utilized that button at the top of the Blogger blogs that says "Next Blog" and happened upon this post. So Jannie was my first regular commenter and I know most of you because of her and seeing your comments on her blog and then others'.  Thanks Jannie Muffin!
7. Most Pride-worthy Post:  This Is Yours, family gathering and new message - I was delighted that a rock band asked me to help them with printed props for their video.  I sent the link to the video shown in this post to my nieces and nephew and one niece reported seeing it featured on Entertainment Tonight.  :)

Our flag was still there, for another day and award

- This flag was lovingly and protectively draped over the side of the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. It now hangs at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington DC.

- Once again, getting big news from facebook first. So this seems like a fitting day to post a picture of our flag. Oddly - my memory card became full while I was visiting a lovely organic garden yesterday and then the camera battery pack needed charging this morning, leaving those photos for another day.

- Thanks to Riot Kitty for giving me this award:


She had this to say about my blog: You inspire me to see the beautiful and pleasant in the every day, where I would usually miss them. Thank you, my friend, this is what it is all about. And I admire you for your fearlessness. (I am supposed to pass this on, but I say that all of you should get this. Just know that if I read your blog, then you inspire me.)

xo