Sister time, sweetly singing and beautiful

My beloved baby sister came to visit last weekend.  This time last week I was making lunch for us while she sat on the kitchen stool and kept me company.  (Spring Onion Pie and Cucumber / Avocado salad.  Yum.)  I told her, "This time next week I'll be at work and thinking about how much I was enjoying this time." And so I am, so the least I can do is blog about it.

We both like this market in nearby Decatur, Georgia, whimsically named Kudzu.  I was salivating over the blue pots there on the right.  There was lots of shopping that afternoon and a visit to a candy store. 

While she paid for her purchases, which included a vintage board game, I let the car cool down and listened to the birds singing sweetly inside these beautiful crape myrtle trees, which border the parking lot.

We packed a lot into our two days, including the Virginia Highlands Summerfest on Saturday.  If you look closely, you can see the crowd of people goes on forever.  Lots of wonderful vendors and neither of us bought one thing, but we both enjoy people watching, and there was lots of that.

The main reason for the visit was to visit close friends, who have a new baby boy.  They are new parents, so it was sweet to see them interact with him, while listening closely to my sister's sage advice (as she rocked their wee one in her arms.)  I got a little choked up when she left on Sunday, but it was a beautiful visit.

Batteries recharged, legacy, and Good Things Happened

I wanted to "recharge my batteries" last weekend, and did:

Two mallard ducks hung out in this section of the Hiwassee River all weekend.  There they go, on Saturday morning, sailing down the river.  (You can't really see them - they are blending in with the current up ahead.)  They would fly back and settle in on the rocks and then sail down the river again.

My sister's late mother-in-law, Grace, loved this place and left her mark on it.  I snapped a photo from my car window of the iris, blooming by the driveway, on my way out on Sunday.  It's a lovely legacy.

This shop in nearby Brasstown, North Carolina, was closed on Sunday (I pressed my nose against the windows and dreamed of going inside.)  I loved this banner out front, incorporated into a cacophony of rosemary and flowers.

How I spent my weekend, free entertainment and the young

-Here's how I spent my weekend - at the 43rd Stone Mountain Highland Games, at which we celebrate our Scottish heritage.  Pipers and drummers are standing at attention here during the opening ceremonies.  It was a bright, cool, sunny weekend - I wish we could have bottled that weather.

- The table at my Clan's tent with our Christmasy looking tartan (which goes rather well with the Walkers Shortbread package.)  :)  Someone made the cookies in the baggie, using Scottie dog cookie cutters.

- Our Clan tent looks out at a performance stage, in which various singers and musicians perform Celtic tunes all day.  It's a treat to have background music.  Our favorite is the man pictured:  Colin Grant-Adams - here singing "Loch Lomand."  Click on the red link if you'd like to give it a listen.  I sang that song to niece Amanda in 1997, when when we visited Scotland.  She and I walked around the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomand, while her mother and sister went on a tour of it in a boat.  I remember that as a young teenager she was probably a little mortified at her aunt singing out loud, but she graciously acted as if she wasn't.  I think of that every time I hear that song.

- This photo doesn't entirely capture the exuberance of this young piper, spontaneously performing on one of the walkways.  (His family was nearby.)  I loved that he was tapping his toe the whole time he played.  I'm always so glad to see young people involved.

Happy faces, purple and look at those ears!

It's been a rather dreary several days here in Atlanta, with one appearance from the sun on Wednesday.  And it's been a busy week, with very little photo opportunities.  So again I turn to some photos I haven't posted that have sunshine in them (from late July).  Hope you don't mind!

- At my aunt's home in Franklin, North Carolina - way up on the top of a mountain.  (The drive to get up there is harrowing.)  I like these happy flowers beside the driveway.

- I think she likes purple flowers, as do I.

- And from her sister-in-law's garden - another mosaic offering.  I titled this photo "Look at those ears!"  Handles from old coffee cups, I'm sure.

There's a chill in the air this morning and it's raining.  I'm thinking I need to put away the open toed shoes I'm so fond of wearing.  It's time.  Hope you have a great weekend, my friends!

So long Summer! - Part 2

It's been such a busy week that summer departed on Wednesday with little fanfare.  See below for more photos that celebrate this past summer:

- I first posted about this garden belonging to my aunt's sister-in-law and brother in July.  There are so many photos of it that I could have posted about it 10 times.  The thing that is so interesting about the gardener - she had never gardened before or done any sort of artwork until later in life, when her talent just emerged.  Those fields you see in the distance belong to a working farmer - strawberries and such.

- I smiled at this sign, leaning against the wall in the potting shed - I don't think she'll ever need it.

- She also creates mosaic art pieces.  This was a vase on the kitchen counter and you can see the mosaic back splash there in the background (click to enlarge.)  She collects old china to make these pieces.

- I titled this photo "A good place to sit" - taken along the river walk trail in Murphy, North Carolina.  There were spots like this every now and then along the trail.

- Here was another good place to sit - from the same walk.  That's a stone that one can perch on.

- And ending with Lake Chatuge on Labor Day weekend - first of September.  I began the last post with a photo from here in May, taken just about a quarter mile to the right.  This one is more somber and serene.  I love the thought of this spot as it says goodbye to all the summer visitors, knowing we'll be back again in the spring.

Have a lovely weekend, my friends!

Wren party, in flight and coming home

- It's been a regular wren party on my back porch the last several days.  I took about 20 photos on Sunday, trying to get a good one, but they are constantly in motion.  I like this one of them in silhouette.

- You would need to click to enlarge to see the bird in flight here.  My dad gave me this feeder years ago to foil squirrels getting to the bird seed.  I don't really have the right kind of seed in this - it's Niger seed, but they love it.  They probably need it, too - it's unseasonably cold here this week.

- It was great entertainment since I have been a bit under the weather with a nasty cold and stayed in a lot last weekend.  If you click to enlarge, you can see one fellow perched on top waiting for a spot.  :)  I think these are wrens (or perhaps goldfinches) and wonder if they are from the families who build nests in the birdhouse there in the spring.  I like to think so.

Celebration of heritage, tartans everywhere and family stories

- That's the flag of Scotland there, along with our American flag at the Stone Mountain Highland Games, held this past weekend, at which we celebrate our Scottish heritage.  This was a massed pipe and drum band at the opening ceremonies on Saturday and there were about three times more pipers and drummers than you can see here.

- This is my clan's tent, along with the back of Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus there, posing with an excited fan.  (Click to enlarge.)  Wish I had gotten the photo from the front.  The kilted Santa was handing out candy canes.  That's my Christmas tablecloth from home on the table with our clan tartan on top.

- Here we are - walking to get in line for the Clan March onto the parade field on Sunday, where awards were given for the best tent, and to the winners of the kilted race.

- The father and son in front of us (while listening to speeches and awards) are from different clans (the son to his right is adopted.)  I loved that McTavish the Elder hauls around his own ale mug on his belt.  And the Younger told me that his dad took him in at age 15, because he had no home.  There was clearly a lot of love between them. 

I love the pageantry, and seeing once-a-year friends.  The best story of the weekend:  a young woman came to our tent and told a remarkable story.  Eight years ago, someone at our tent had helped her sort out the derivation of her family birth name (she was adopted), which lead to her finding her birth father, who she had never met.  He lives in the Atlanta area, too, and they are close now.  Just lovely.

Glowing serenity, definitely downstairs and double nice

- When my sisters and I spent a day in Elbert County, Georgia, a few Fridays ago, I spotted this angel marking someone's grave at the second family cemetery we visited.  The angel spoke to me for some reason and I think someone's loved one must have shelled out a pretty penny to have it erected there. 

- My sisters and I are also facebook friends and we all recently took one of those lighthearted facebook quizzes "What Downton Abbey character would you be?"  My sisters (who sort of operate as a unit at times) both got Mr. Bates.  I got Mr. Carson.  :)  He's a good sort, and kind of a rules follower, like me.  So I was looking for the quiz outside of facebook to share with you and found one, but it's different that the one I took before.  This time I got Mrs. Patmore.  :) 

- A dinner with one of my niece's friends, who also lives in the Atlanta area.  It felt a little like being with family, having dinner and chatting about life.  And there were crab cakes atop a salad that also had walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese..  Yum.

Soul thrilling, jam session and remembering the bonnie banks

- The opening ceremonies of the 2013 Stone Mountain (Georgia) Highland Games on Saturday.  The massed bands playing the pipes and drums never fails to thrill my soul.

 - Slightly fuzzier photos from my iPhone.  Saturday was just a drizzly day, but it didn't dampen the spirits of the crowd.  This group of musicians had an impromptu jam session in front of the tent city of the vendors.

- View from the side of my clan's tent:  the day brightened on Sunday, and we were serenaded all day by this musician, Colin Grant Adams, who sang traditional Scottish ballads.  When he sang, "The Bonnie Banks 'o Loch Lomand" (over and over, it seemed, but that's OK), it reminded me of walking around Loch Lomand several years ago with niece Amanda, who tried not to look embarrassed when I sang that song aloud to her.  :)

I keep candy on the table at our Clan tent for any children that come by.  A favorite moment:  the top of a blond head and a pair of big brown eyes peered over the table.  He put a tentative hand up into the candy basket and looked at me.  "It's OK - they are Twizzlers!  They're good."  He looked back at his mom, who nodded her consent, fished one out and ran over to display it to her as if he had scored pure gold.  Lovely innocence.  

Home grown, best line ever and being nice

- Sheer happiness at scoring some home grown tomatoes from coworker Bobby and a home grown cucumber from coworker Tony.

Photo by JB

- Enjoying all the photos being sent by friends and family of their vacation scenery (although I did threaten to a coworker that I should take a picture of the concrete and asphalt jungle I work in and email it.)  :)  Ha!  This photo of a placid cat was preceded by a beautiful tale, with photos, from niece Rebecca and her partner Jack, of hiking on Vancouver Island, BC, and then discovering that their car had been towed.  After recovering it and shelling out much $$$, they return to their rented cottage, where the cat wandered in with them and "the night's sorrows dissipate like kitty breath."  Best line ever!

- Speaking with a triage nurse on the phone at my HMO who tells me I have a wonderfully peaceful way of saying no.  (To a doctor I didn't want to see.)  It always seems to me that you can get what you want by being nice.  

A to Z April Challenge 2012 Survivor: Reflections + R is for Rhododendrons, L is for Love and D is for Drain Cover

- I have to say - I ended up enjoying the A to Z Challenge more than I thought I would.  It was fairly easy to continue with my usual three things that I love, find funny or find pleasure in and just use the alphabet letter scheduled for me.

Thank you again to all of you who stuck with me and to the new readers who came by.  I found a few new blogs to read and was delighted that Hilary (who I had seen on others' blogs) was doing the challenge, too.  I thoroughly enjoyed her A to Z castles posts. 

The following three things were meant for challenge posts, but fell by the wayside.  So here they are - three leftover random good things.  :) 

- R is for Rhododendrons.  We have one lone rhododendron bush in my condominium complex and it has been blooming for a few weeks now.  I love those purple blooms.  When I flew from London to Edinburgh several years ago in the month of June, there was an entire hillside covered in blooming rhododendron bushes - spotted as we were circling the airport to land.  The purple blooms were spectacular massed like that. 

- L is for Love.  "True love", is what niece Amanda labeled this photo she took of her boyfriend scratching her dog Lucky's tummy.  New boyfriend has just been in the picture since last fall, but we all like him very much and Lucky LOVES him.  It must be that he warms up canned food for Lucky and slips him extra treats.  Lucky sits and gazes at him whenever they are together. 


- D is for Drain Cover.  I spotted this on my walk at the park off Collier Road and thought what a nice job someone did designing this drain cover.  Love the fish surrounded by water plants design.

It's Friday!!!  Yay!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend and find beautiful things around you!

Another lovely tree, fun greeting and a treasure

- This is the tree that stretches up into the rotunda of Georgia's antebellum Governor's Mansion in Milledgeville, Georgia - I posted about my visit there here. My sister snapped this photo and then we snapped no more, although we both had our cameras. I liked that it included a number of hand made ornaments, such as ones that might have been included on a tree in the 1860s.

- Most fun Christmas card received so far - from my cousin's stepdaughter (does that make me her stepcousin?) and her husband.  They got married in Las Vegas this summer and posed at a slot machine.  Someone went in and added the Santa hats.  :)

- And this one from my aunt (my dad's older sister) felt as if I was sitting down to have a cup of tea with her.  I love her exquisite handwriting (soon to be a lost art) and how she always includes a little inspirational leaflet of some kind.  On a recent visit, a surprised Aunt Catherine opened the door dressed as if she was going out.  I love how she dresses up, even when planning to just be home alone all day.  And I love the thought of her sitting down to lovingly address her Christmas cards.  I always love sending a card to her, too, because I know she truly treasures it.

I hope many treasures are in store for you this weekend, my friends, and that it is happy and full of good things.