Welcome back, needed and what I do

- Right on schedule, the potted Hosta makes an appearance.

- Loading up a box of stray unneeded glassware to take to Goodwill. And saving out a lone wineglass, all its mates broken over the years, deciding it is needed because it is so pretty.

- Sitting with some seminary students at lunch and enjoying their talk of hopes and dreams. When they ask what I "do" - I say all my volunteer positions first, realizing that they mean the most to me.

Canvas garden, stitched garden & history

- From the hallways of Georgia Public Broadcasting, a canvas garden, catching my attention for its quilt-like arrangement of flora. I especially like the apple tree branches.

- On my grandmother's little mission rocker in my home office, a stitched garden. I do not usually have flowery things like this in my home, but I saw this pillow a few years ago at a favorite shop and loved it. Still do.

- And on the walls of my bathroom, soon to be history, a wallpaper garden. The wallpaper is coming down and the walls will be painted a nice pastel blue-green color, in keeping with the color of that treasured cabinet. I am looking forward to something new.

May your garden bloom brightly this weekend!

Calendar, profiled and uncluttered

- My dad got a kick out of Jeff Foxworthy of tongue-in-cheek "You might be a redneck if..." fame and always enjoyed his tear-off-a-day calendar. I would get it for his Christmas stocking every year and when I asked him what he wanted for Christmas, he would say, "I want my Jeff Foxworthy calendar and that's all." Of course he got a good present, but this always went in his stocking. So I discovered it last week, forgotten in the bag it came in, and put it on my desk at work (just for this year) as a tribute to a man who was not a redneck, but had a hearty sense of humor.

- A couple of years ago, I ordered the calendar from Amazon.com which confused them in their profiling for the recommendations they always give based on past orders. They began putting suggestions for items like Larry the Cable Guy dvds on my "home page" along with cookbooks and the Debussy and The Chieftains cds. :)

- 2009 was a year filled with ups and downs, but bottom line, I was very busy and used my home to "hang my hat in," as they say. There were stacks of papers everywhere to go through and I finally did it last week, culminating in a major cleaning by a hired house cleaner on Saturday. My place is so sparkling clean and uncluttered, I barely recognize it. A wise friend named Grace once told me that "your home should feel like welcoming arms when you walk into it." And it does again.

Catching rays, handy and picnic

- This back porch angel eternally catching the rays.

- A repairman named Handy Andy arriving 15 minutes after he's called. Now that's being handy.

- A quick back porch picnic of cold vegetable couscous salad, hummus and a Madress. Thank you to Snaggle Tooth for the name of my cranberry concoction! :)

Rain, curl and laughter

- So much rain during the night making my hair curl right back up from the humidity during early morning watering of porch sheltered plants.

- Spotting a website, Naturally Curly.com. The "Queen of Curl" will answer your questions. I say, let the curl go free and call it a day.

- During a telephone visit with my still-hospitalized father, mom and sister Brenda's laughter in the background.

Welcome back, postcard from the edge and poem

- Loving 8:52am on Saturday morning when this photo was taken, the sun just beginning to dapple the back porch. And isn't it like a little miracle that Hostas come back like this?

- Playing hooky from the church grounds clean-up day and feeling only a little guilty about it. My excuse being that the pollen intake would finally send me over the edge.

- Looking at all the budding trees and flowers peeking out of the ground makes me remember a little poem by mother used to say when we were kids: "Spring has sprung, the grass has ris, I wonder where the flowers is?"

Rainy days, uplifted and generosity

Rising by Bob Trammell

- A rainy rainy weekend - perfect for catching up on DVR'd programs. A Craig Ferguson marathon provided rolicking laughter.

- Feeling uplifted by the guest minister at church who wowed everyone by standing anywhere but behind the pulpit during his sermon.

- The mail brings an invitation to a special lady's 80th birthday party. And all she wants is a birthday note and a non-perishable food item for the local food pantry.

Vacation, city lights and in touch

- My printer at home coming back to life after a brief vacation away.

- The full moon perfectly framed by the street lights alongside I-85 South, with the skyline of Atlanta just ahead.

- A comforting voice that I do not hear often enough because of our schedules - friend Tereza called.

Memory, welcome and rose white

- A man who carries the faint scent of pipe tobacco brings back a memory. When I share this with him, he apologizes profusely for being a smoker. No, no, I say, you remind me of the scent of my father when I was a little girl. He used to smoke a pipe back then.

- Readying my home for a rare visit from my sister and since she will arrive there before I do this afternoon, making it welcoming for her by leaving the living room lamp on, plantation shutters open to let in sunlight, a book about the theater we will go to tonight, fizzy water in the refrigerator and a kitty who loves her Aunt Jo.

- Here is what I learned this week about wall paint: You cannot assume that it will stay liquid forever. The man at Sears got a kick out of my paint that had turned solid, but happily for me, they still have Rose White.

Glimpse, rest and teamwork

- Catching a glimpse of a dear friend in the balcony at church service.

- A badly needed sitting-up-nap in the afternoon.

- Working with a friend over the telephone to get some minutes written and a great feeling of accomplishment when it is done.

Snowflake, gracious and warmth

Photo from 11alive.com with the caption "If you look closely, you can see a tiny flake of snow falling in Midtown Atlanta, Jan. 17, 2009"

- Driving back to Atlanta and seeing a few snowflakes here and there. Our city gets silly about snow. Sadly, nothing accumulated or stuck.

- A friend's lovely, gracious mother has passed away. I was invited to a museum benefit last Spring in which there was a theme of The Wizard of Oz. Attendees were encouraged to dress in Oz character. And she gamely came dressed as Auntie Em.

- A good night's sleep under the delicious warmth of a goose-down comforter.

Nice man, exposed and facilitation

Photograph by Michael Ryerson

- A representative from Atlanta Gas Light Company, cheerfully relighting pilot lights after an outage from a gas leak, is thoroughly amused by this poster that hangs over the circuit breaker box in my laundry room.

- It once hung in the Itek camera room where we produced Yellow Pages advertisements and I rescued it from a trash pile when we went digital. A funny story: my sister used to go to a gynecologist who had this same poster hanging on the ceiling above his examining table. His first name was Art.

- Stopping for a Cafe Latte at ChocoLate, where the slogan is "Facilitate a strategic awakening." The owner wonders what I am doing out so early, then asks for my business card - she would rather use a printer that patronizes her business. It should always be so easy to find clients.

Gift, closed and legends

- A cold drizzly day spent mostly in front of the fireplace with movies and mahjong on the laptop and considering it a gift.

- The German Bakery is closed until January 6. I resist the urge to lean my forehead on the door and scream, nooooo!!!!!!!!! But this probably turned out for the best - I have done without those calories for five years, after all.

- The beautiful scenery (British Columbia and Brad Pitt with long hair) of the 1994 film, "Legends of the fall." Recommended if you have not seen it.

Making the best of it, discovery and evening in

- Having the opportunity to sit in my car, while trying to get to Best Buy, and observe holiday madness via traffic.

- Listening to the audio book, "Off Season" by Anne Rivers Siddons during my commute. ARS might set her books in DC and Maine, but you can tell she's Southern to the core. And looking for a review of the book just now and discovering Shana's blog "Literarily - reading my way through life."

- After a busy, busy week and looking toward more busy days ahead, a quiet evening of catching up with friend Tereza on the phone, Chinese takeout, a little Merlot, and mindless television. Very nice.

Big fish, unfrightful and mulling the day

- Leaving a client meeting, I get a different view of this three-story copper fish that graces the front of The Atlanta Fish Market, an upscale seafood restaurant in Atlanta's Buckhead area. I think it looks as if the cranes are fishing him out of a building.

- Baking Christmas cookies with the weather outside being decidedly unfrightful.

- The heat of the oven driving me to sit outside on the deck at 8pm to mull the day and enjoy the crazy warm weather.

Craft, calm and taking the afternoon off

- A discussion about this charming Christmas tree, apparently made of cloth napkins.

- Acting as Liturgist for Sunday service, I am a little nervous, as always, but find the presence of a loving family sitting in the balcony calming.

- A lazy afternoon napping and pretty much doing nothing.

Little food, affection and grateful

Gone until Sunday, friends - have a happy Thanksgiving!

- A wonderful dinner at a new restaurant, “Cakes and Ale” that friend Leisa discovered. They cook with seasonal vegetables from local sources, artisan grains and organically raised meats. The food was kind of little, but good.

- Having two friends say “I love you” to me twice in one day.

- Friend Tim fixed my noisy furnace and only wanted shortbread in return.