Good Things Happened: Another good dog and friends

I love dogs like friend Carol's dog, Bailey.  He was chosen from a shelter years ago and has been just the best dog, she says.  He never commands attention, like his brethren at the park.  I like that.

This hosta gets a mention every year, just for being faithful. It hibernates in the winter and makes an appearance in early spring.  I had almost forgotten about it until I saw some little shoots coming up.  It has made this miraculous transformation in the last two weeks.  It will double in size from this - it's just getting started.

Neighbor Rhonda is laying in some bedding plants, which gave me a huge smile when I got home yesterday.  She didn't feel like it last year, so this is definitely a good thing.

Google presented me with this altered photo of the dogwood tree that presides over the trash compactor at the condos.  I had not planned to use it, but it's rather striking now.  :)

I know it's not pretty everywhere like it is in the south, but you'll get there, I promise.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

Good Things Happened: Dog of the week, lilies and blessings

Friends Janice and Chip's dog Chili, at the park, after I asked him if he would like to be dog of the week.  I think the answer was clearly, "Yes!"

I was invited to Easter dinner at friends Laura and Bob's home.  The table was exquisitely set with pretty Easter themed china, crystal and napkins.  I loved the Lilies of the Valley from their yard - so perfect I thought they were artificial at first.

A wee present from Laura at each place setting - these beautiful little "Spring Blessings" packages.  Such a gracious hostess.

I hope you are having a good weekend.  I've finally gotten caught up on some sleep!

Smiles, blossoms and relaxation

Friend Laura's dog Mac - who clearly loves her very much.  And it was a special treat for him, to walk with us at the park without his very boisterous younger sis.  

The blooming Bradford Pear tree at the library.  I was parked underneath it and went home with little white blossoms on my car.

A water main line broke in my county a few days ago and we were under a boil water advisory, which affected local businesses.  My favorite neighborhood pub had to use plastic ware while that was going on.  I didn't mind and enjoyed the view of my village's main street while waiting for a friend.  The plastic cup reminded me of college days and Mardi Gras.  :)  

It's Friday!  Yay.  I hope you have a great weekend.

Good Things Happened - Saturday in the park

Friend Laura and I had just finished our walk at Mountain Park Park last Saturday, when her friend who fosters dogs stopped to chat.  I looked down and one of them was standing at attention on his hind legs, without moving.  "He wants to be petted." she said.  And so we did.

A little boy was hanging out with his father, waiting for the ball field to open.  I smiled at the wee one on my first pass by.  On our second pass, he approached and said he had picked this bloom for me. 

It's been gloomy here for days (and strangely warm), so that's why this photo from the drive thru at Starbucks isn't more bright than it is.  The cherry trees are blooming already!

Here's something not to be gloomy about - it's Friday!  Yay.  I hope your weekend is amazing, my friends.

Sunrise, friends and flowers

Watching the sun rise from 30,000 feet last Sunday.  Niece Amanda snapped this photo with her dad's phone and kindly sent it on to me, since I was not in a window seat of the plane.  We were traveling to celebrate the life of a beloved family member (my brother-in-law) who has passed away - gone too soon. 

My sister lives in a neighborhood with close, close friends.  A number of them took in out-of-town friends and relatives for the night since her house was already overflowing.  The couple I stayed with have this adorable English bulldog, Bella, who was wearing a Cornell hoodie.  She posed like that until her "mom" told her she could move.  And then she got a cookie.

Sunrise on Monday. Their home overlooks this lake where migrating birds have been flocking.  The lady of the house looked out one morning and it was filled with swans.

This is a primrose plant that the owner of my company gave me when I returned to work.  I hope I can keep it alive - it looks a little finicky, but I love it.

My brother-in-law was such an interesting man and quite fun to be around.  He loved children and reading to them especially.  His favorite book to read was Dr. Seuss's tongue twisting book Fox in Socks.  I can just hear him reading this part at the end:

Now wait a minute, Mr. Socks Fox!

When a fox is in the bottle where the tweetle beetles battle 
with their paddles in a puddle on a noodle-eating poodle, 
THIS is what they call...

...a tweetle beetle noodle poodle bottled paddled 
muddled duddled fuddled wuddled fox in socks, sir!

Fox in socks, our game is done, sir.
Thank you for a lot of fun, sir.

Good Things Happened: Weekend Warriors

Can you guess where I spent last weekend?  Yes - the annual Stone Mountain Highland Games, at which we celebrate our Scottish heritage. This vendor tent was doing a brisk business.  I love that so many weekend warriors get to do that Braveheart thing.  "Alba gu bra!" (Scotland forever!)

For some reason, there were a lot of Santas around the games this year.  (I spotted at least five.)  This Santa represented his Clan at the Sunday morning church service. 

My favorite part of the weekend is the Clan march.  I wish my photo could capture the scope of the endless array of Scottish Clans lined up to march onto the field.  It never ceases to thrill me to hear our surname called out as the massed bagpipe bands play us in.

We ended up lined up beside the Atlanta Pipe Band after we paraded in.  A young man in our group is interested in taking up Scottish drumming, so this was perfect placement for him.

By the closing ceremonies, late Sunday afternoon, I was ready for home, but loved being played out to my car by the pipes and drums.

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

Good Things Happened: black and white photo challenge

A few weeks ago, one of my friends sent me a photo challenge on facebook:  "7 days. 7 black and white photos of your life.  No people.  No explanation."  So I did it and posting them here, too.  I liked the way black and white changes the mood of a photo.  A couple of them were just throw away photos that looked as if they told a story, when changed to black and white.  I followed the rules for the facebook challenge by not giving any explanation, but I'll give one here.

I was waiting for my typical-for-a-Friday-night take-out Chinese food at my favorite little neighborhood restaurant when I read the facebook challenge on my phone.  Photos of my life, I thought.  No time like the present, and lifted my phone for this shot.  The challenge did specify no people, but I decided that meant no friends or family members.  I love the way these three at the restaurant always hustle around getting orders ready.

The next morning, this old friend who can't walk easily anymore, was being pulled on this wagon-like device by his owners.  The look in his eyes as he gazes at his "mom" just exudes love.

 The Saturday before that, in Black Mountain, North Carolina. This is one of those "throw away" shots that worked out well in black and white.

 I posted this one in color in August.  I only noticed that leaf, there in the middle, in the black and white version though.

 And I posted this one from the September retreat weekend in color.  It got the most accolades on facebook.  Love those shadows on these old pews.

 On the sixth day, I was getting ready to head up to the mountains with my sisters, and was outside watering the plants, when I noticed this little tree frog.  It hopped out of the plant I was watering and took refuge on this rail.

And on the seventh day - this lovely view of the Hiwassee River.  I never get tired of this scene and loved the misty look of the black and white photo on that morning.

Retreat, peace and beauty

This is the Presbyterian (USA) Retreat Center in Montreat, North Carolina, and is known universally among Presbyterians in the southeast as simply, "Montreat."  It was my pleasure to go on a retreat with church friends there last weekend.  A walking tour, shortly after we arrived, lead us past beautiful Lake Susan.

The conference center contains these old pews made of black walnut wood that have weathered over the years.  I love that they look so well-used and at peace.  

 This mural in the Chapel of the Prodigal, is of course, the Return of the Prodigal, painted as a fresco by artist Ben Long.  You can read more about it here.

And I loved this inset in the stone work in the courtyard of the Assembly Hall, where we slept.  Such a beautiful, peaceful place.  Now I know why everyone speaks the word Montreat in such hushed tones.

Special treat, special girl and new stickers

Beloved great-niece Kloie was full of pent up energy during the recent hurricane that passed through their area, and spent some of her time inside making a card for me.  I loved that it was addressed to Aunt Lynn.  She knows I love dragonflies and always incorporates them into her correspondence to me.

Dragonflies ARE awesome.  I quite agree.  I love her so much, too.

And I finally ran out of the "teacher" stickers I put on my calendar when I exercise.  So I went to The Schoolbox and bought more - frogs, sea creatures and owls.  It's the little things....

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

Tropical storm, leafy friends, new friend

Lots of leaves, fallen limbs and debris - that was the main effect Hurricane Irma had on my home.  (It was actually a tropical storm by the time it reached us.)  I am so lucky to have not lost power either.  The neighborhood around me was dark for a couple of days.  More than a million customers in Georgia were without power after the storm - some friends don't have power yet.  All the plants had to come inside so they wouldn't fly around in the wind.

My living room looked like a happy jungle, but I wanted all my leafy friends to be safe.  This isn't even all of them in the camera shot.  :)  Thankfully, my family in Florida are all safe.  The crops were battered around, but seem OK. 

And I had to buy a new car - I really like this new friend now.  There it is behind that stop sign, under an ominous sky.  The woman who brought it to my home from the car finders service smiled when I told her how sad I would be to see the other one drive away.  She said that happens often - one man got up on his old car and hugged it before she left with it.  Does anyone else but me get attached to cars? 

And this video made me smile all the way through it.  It's Jennifer Hudson with a lot of friends, singing "Come Together."  Jennifer’s performance was part of a TV special called XQ Super School Live on September 8, where students, teachers, parents and celebs came together to “reimagine high school education.”  Watch it if you can.  I loved seeing Ringo the most!

                 

Waiting, watching and swoon!

I wish I had this guy's energy! It was fun to watch him herding and directing people in front of The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, while I was waiting for friends to arrive to join me in watching a play.  He chatted me up at one point - his name badge says he is "Top Hat Bob."  A very nice man and lots of fun to watch.

The view to the left.  I love the old mosque-style design.  It's always fun to people watch, but I was happy to see friends' faces when they arrived.

And this is what we saw.  Swoon!  I adored it.  My late father was a Gershwin fan and I know every word to a lot of musical numbers (from hearing his records played).  My favorite:  "They Can't Take That Away From Me."  Here's a link to Fred and Ginger singing and dancing to it. 

The weekend is upon us!  I am glad to see it.  I hope you have a wonderful one, my friends!

Delightful, celebrating and shadows

This very vocal friend wandered up while I was photographing this delightful "planter."  I reached my hand out, but he/she stayed just out of reach.  The owner of the antique store said her husband discovered this abandoned Queen Anne sofa and she, in turn, made it into a working planter!

Just around the corner from that planter, this mural celebrating our four-legged friends is a new additional to the Greenway walking trail at Lilburn Park - spotted on my walk.  I'm thinking the kitty in the first pic looks like the one on the skateboard there at the top.

My usual Saturday walking partners were both otherwise occupied, so I listened to downloaded music from iTunes and walked alone, which I never mind.  As I've probably mentioned before, I love dragonflies and they seem to pop up when I need them, on good days and bad days.  On this day, a beautiful one stayed with me for almost the whole hour and then, at the end, drifted away toward some wildflowers.

Early morning gift, another batch and pure bliss

The rain stopped just as I got to work, one early morning, a few days ago.  And this lovely rainbow appeared, like a gift.

At home, lovely vegetables waiting to be put in another batch of Alice Water's Ratatouille, which was so delicious and made my home smell so good, that I had to make another batch.  The avocados were just hanging out here waiting to be put on toast or in salad.  :)

And at the park, friend Janice's dog, Chili, enjoying a blissful roll in a puddle. 

Front door view, life is beautiful and belated

It seems as if the rain never stops lately.  Last evening, I opened the front door of my condo and just stood, thinking how beautiful it is.  One evening last week, during another downpour, the power went out around 5:45pm.  I took a sitting-up-nap on the sofa for about an hour, woke to see the power was still out, and ended up lighting candles and reading the book on my Kindle with candlelight flickering around.  It was quiet and peaceful and I was almost sorry when the power came back.  :)

But it was sunny last Saturday at the Greenway park.  I love these Oak Leaf Hydrangeas bordering the walkway.  My walking partners were busy, so I had a rare, solitary walk, listening to music, which I never mind at all.

Spotted on that walk:  they had repaved part of the sidewalk, after installing some drainage, and someone wrote in "Life is Beautiful". 

And my birthday was in February, but it was delightful to receive a gift bag from friend Barbara, who said she had had it all this time.  The spoon there on the right makes me think of my late mother, who loved teapots.  

I took a wee blogging break, but am back now.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, my friends!