Looking for food, finding food and wee neighbor

- This guy and a friend were looking for something to eat at 7:30am in the small patch of grass in front of the printing company. Odd that they picked this spot. It must have been a big migrating day, because some geese flew overhead later in the afternoon, honking away, during my walk at Stone Mountain park.

- Needing Monday comfort food, I had those sliders for lunch at Hankook Taqueria around the corner from my office. Cholesterol on a plate, but so good!!! My favorite part was the cucumber kimchee, which added a cool crunch in the middle.

- This is the little bird who has made a nest in the fern hanging by my front door. She flew out as I approached after work. The zoom feature of my camera caught her looking bigger than she is (and more red than I knew before.)

Glisten, south Georgia and like

- From Friday walk, these trees are still blooming around the park near my office, the scattering of blossoms make the tree glisten. The markers below the tree give a detailed account of the Civil War battle fought on this spot.

- In south Georgia on Saturday, where there is bright sunshine, amazingly friendly people and always the faint scent of barbecue smoke in the air. Mom and I try a barbecue restaurant for lunch called "Granddaddy's Barbecue" - she critiques the pulled pork as not being quite smoky enough. I ask how many stars she would give it out of a possible five. "Three stars," she decides.

- Telling my mother on Mother's Day that I like her. She smiles and says she likes me, too. :)

Budding artist, fav food writer and Cinco de Mayo

- Exiting my church through the preschool/afterschool entrance/exit after an evening meeting, I am struck by this wonderful artwork by young Madeline. What an exacting young lady with her free spirited artwork and excited words.

- My very favorite food writer, David Lebovitz, and his facebook update: "...is heading up the Swiss alps to taste Gruyère. And they may need to roll him back down afterward." He is an American pastry chef living and working in Paris and is most witty.

- Taking the long way home from my afternoon walk in the park and getting caught in Cinco de Mayo celebration traffic all through town, from the city into the 'burbs. Everyone looked so happy with the cool weather and excuse to sit on outdoor patios with cervezas. ¡Salud!

I hope you find lots of things to celebrate this weekend, my friends! Have a great one!

A good thing, I ♥ our weather and fun at the park

A beautiful blossom from the garden I visited on Sunday.

- Asking my mother, during our daily call, if anything good happened to her that day. She thinks about it and says she loved having her feet soaked. A good thing! I say.

- My afternoon walk was under a lovely blue, cloudless sky with the temperature around 70 degrees. I ♥ the weather we are having this week.

- A studious looking Bulldog trots by going in the other direction at the park, a red ball in his mouth, intent on his destination; his smiling owner close behind. I see them later at the dog park, the dog lying in the grass chewing on the ball; the owner trying to get it from him to throw. :)

Exercise stars, afternoon tea and surprise song

- So proud of all my stars for the month of April, that I photographed my calendar at work. I give myself a star for each day I exercise.

- Scrounging for change at the bottom of my purse so I can pull through the drive through at Wendy's for an afternoon iced tea, only to find that they are out. I sadly report this to coworker Joanne, who thinks iced tea sounds pretty good right then and drives up to the better supplied Chick-fil-A to get some for both of us. It hit the spot.

- A high school chorus holds their Spring concert in my church sanctuary - we can hear them singing as we have a meeting in a nearby room. As we depart - about 60 alumni are waiting quietly in the hallway around the corner. They have prepared a special song as a surprise for the long-time music teacher who is retiring.

Green house, veggies and they had me at tomato

- Visiting an organic farm - a peaceful moment in a busy day. A friend misunderstands me when I make a remark about the green house. "Where's the greenhouse?" Not that kind of greenhouse, but a house that is painted a vivid color green.

- The very nice owner points to lettuce growing and to raised beds of spinach nearby. He loves to make a spinach cheese soup and his description makes us all want to run home to make it.

- Another visitor snaps photos of beautiful red poppies growing amid herbs and other flowers. They make CSA boxes that require only a week to week commitment and you get whatever is in season that week, with the promise of tomatoes to come. I tell him I want to start with a small box, having been reeled in with the mention of the tomatoes.

This visit preceded my suburban book club's discussion of Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal Vegetable Miracle" - an account of her family's vow to buy only food raised in their neighborhood, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it.

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