Expo, maybe they're tired of it and lit up

- Attending the International Poultry Expo at the World Congress Center in Atlanta to check in on two clients. There were 18,000 people in attendance and miles and miles of exhibits - all about poultry. My favorite - a poultry processing group from Kentucky who enthusiastically invited me to come back at 4pm for Irish dancing and beer.

- A funny thing: the networking function at the expo had pretty good food: taco fixings, meatballs, cheese and shrimp. No poultry in sight.

- Driving home at the end of a memorable week, reflecting how beautiful my lit up city looks at night.

Blue, unexpected art and comfort

- A beautiful winter day, not too cold, with a robin's egg blue sky.

- The L.L. Bean Spring 2009 catalog with its beautiful cover painting by Maine artist Scott Moore of a frolicking fawn with her wary mother in a field of jonquils and irises and purple mountains in the background.

- A comfortable dinner with friend Leisa at a quiet European-inspired neighborhood bistro "Feast" where the Wild Mushroom and handmade Papardelle pasta with tarragon, pecorino and toasted walnuts was so good I wanted to lick the plate.

Shake, direction and familiar face

- Stopping by the stylish "Provenance Antiques" to congratulate client Vanessa, who won a mention in Atlanta Magazine's "Best of Atlanta" issue. Her dog Jake runs into the showroom, sits down in front of me and lifts a paw to shake.

- Friend Wynell's laughter when I answer the GPS voice telling me to turn right (even though I do not agree with the direction) with a resigned, "OK."

- Getting an over-the-counter hug from Dinah at the International Poultry Exposition who is working the info booth.

Just now, hugs and all the time

- Hearing the delight in my mother's voice when she picks up the telephone saying, "I was JUST thinking about you!"

- Many hugs in the middle of the day as we gather to say goodbye to a friend.

- Asking a man named Clark, who wears "Clark Kent style" glasses, if anyone ever tells him he looks like Clark Kent. All the time.

Quiet, tissues and chuckle

Sunflowers by Bob Trammell. "Quiet Times" art.

- My cellphone loses its charge and I am exceedingly annoyed until I realize that, really, a couple of hours in the car without making calls is a charming way to spend a drive.

- Finding that friend Susan has placed tissue boxes around the church as she says she would. Over the weekend we shed some tears together over our friend's death, but took a moment to giggle over our choice of nose blowing instruments - typical of her, she was using her grandma's lace handkerchief and typical of me, a paper towel from the roll in my kitchen.

- From Mr. C's Sign:

Now
accepting
bribes
for
Senate
seats

Sleep, gratefulness and blessings

- Waking up at my usual 5am, remembering with happiness that it is Sunday, and turning back over to sleep three more delicious hours.

- My young friend who had a terrible car accident on January 2 was in church and says that never had he been more grateful for his own bed than when he finally got to come home from rehab this week.

- This message from my cousin about my much loved uncle who is in an Alzheimers Unit: "He asked for some pillows to prop up with and then had us sit on each side of him holding his hands. He laid back and just smiled and said so sweetly, “It’s a WONDERFUL life!" Then he started talking about all of our blessings."

Past, sinful and duck

- A lovely man, a friend from fellow past corporate employment, comes for a long visit. We sit at the dining room table drinking coffee, catching up and going through my vegetarian recipes.

- Finding a Paula Deen recipe for "Mashed Potato Bake" to make for my dinner group party. It is sinful - containing, well...potatoes, sour cream, cream cheese, lots of butter (of course), Jack cheese and topped with those french fried onion rings. It turns out soooo good.

- The dinner included beef tenderloin cooked on the grill (yum), as well as duck from a nearby "authentic" Chinese restaurant. I tell the chef that the duck's head and neck he had put to the side reminded me of the scene in "A Christmas Story" in which the mother erupts into hysterical laughter when the waiter at a Chinese restaurant lopps off the duck's head and neck. I laugh along with her every time, as if I had never seen it before.