Caress, nurturing the tomatoes and caregiving snapshot

- That plant will get a trim before it returns to the back porch in about six weeks, but until then, its tendril looks so pretty caressing the apples.

- I enjoy the weekly email that comes from farmer Doug from the organic farm near the greenway park.  This bit about tomatoes is lovely:  "I have 150 tomato plants that are a foot tall now, and looking great.  600 more started and another 1000 seeds planted.  I slept with them last night to put wood on the stove and watch that they did not get cold.  Looking at their green leaves glow in the morning sun makes it worth it."

- On a warmish afternoon, two women sitting at the picnic table in front of the grocery store near work, with a just purchased container of strawberries open on the table before them.  The younger (granddaughter, caregiver?) dabs the elder's mouth.  So loving.

Special gift, thoughtful and snapshot

- Walking into work after a morning that got off to a rocky start* and stopping by the operations manager's office to say good morning. She smiles and hands me a gift wrapped in tissue paper - something she saw that made her think of me. It was this mug with a verse from the Bible - Psalm 103:5. She said, "This seems so much like you, how you throw your arms up when you're excited and your happy life." A little astounded, I ask her if she knows I write a blog with "Good Things" in the title. She doesn't, which makes it even more astounding.

- A call from friend Leisa making sure I am not sick since I didn't post on Tuesday, leading to a lovely lunch meet up at Highland Bakery in Buckhead. A drippy grilled Vermont cheddar cheese sandwich on rosemary garlic bread with avocado and good catching up.

- An afternoon appointment at the Mission and two ladies chatting out front. "Did you enjoy your weekend at your daughter's?" "Yes, I did and she did all the cooking, except they did want me to make my peach cobbler. So I made a big pan of it." Yummmm. Just the thought of it...

* All is OK - I just wasn't feeling well. I have to say - for a day that didn't start out well, it sure turned out OK. :)

Thirteen, snapshot and peaceful

"Thirteen Columns" at the corner of Wilkinson & Greene Sts., Milledgeville, Georgia

- c. 1825, "Thirteen Columns" is also known as the Stovall-O'Brien-Beecher-DeGraffenreid-Calloway-Conn-Gardner House. The thirteen supporting columns are thought to perhaps recognize Georgia as the thirteenth colony. Remembering Mrs. Conn, with her tales of old Milledgeville, who still lived in this home when I worked in the county library just around the corner after school.

- Snapshot: Stopping at the local Belk store, the woman handling my purchase tells of leaving Atlanta for the simple quiet life that Milledgeville affords she and her husband.

- A peaceful drive home on Georgia State Highway 212 North, a seldom taken route, but lovely for its two-lane highway that goes from my home town all the way to the Atlanta suburbs, just me and a truck pulling a horse trailer, keeping a respectful distance.