Week Twelve 2014

Whirlwind is an appropriate word to describe this past week. Even though I created this blog to share all things ‘New’ in our lives, the routine, ‘old’ things are just too kewl not to mention.

As you may (or may not) know, I’ve been with the Big Orange for many years now and am still in awe of working for such a fabulous company. One of the monthly reminders of this is Franks Forum, a live internal broadcast in which Frank (our CEO for those who don’t already know) celebrates the successes of our associates. Typically 19 associates and a representative leader join Frank for a day’s tour of the Store Support Center and meetings with business partners that support their business function, culminating with Franks Forum. Behind the scenes are volunteers taking calls from associates at the stores, waiting their turn to talk to Frank….. After a few years of answering the phone, I’ve moved up to Twitter duty! LOL! Yes, we display tweets on the screen from the stores giving shout outs to their fellow co-workers who are fortunate enough to attend in person. All in all, this is a fun way to ‘Give Back’ and to Tweet kudos to those on #FranksForum.

It’s a small world after all, it’s a small, small world….. If you’ve ever visited Disney, you’ve had this earworm at least once or twice. It’s ironic when we find just how small out world actually is. After Franks Forum this past week, I met one of the associates, an assistant manager from the northwest who actually hails from Kona, Hawaii…. and knows the Kona Hotel….Yes, that song was going through my head as I shared my connection to Kona (the band, the town, the hotel) through Robert (or as he is known by most, Kenui).

The weather has been a bit unpredictable, but Thursday evening was nice enough for Kona to host the Open Mic on the patio at New York Pizza Exchange. Now, I would be telling a story if I said that it was perfect all evening, as it did get quite chilly. We met new musicians, as well as hung out with our old friends. In the music community, we are all Ohana (Hawaiian for family), encouraging one another to share their talents and stretch themselves to reach their personal goals. I also get to play around with my photography. Recently I purchased a remote and a Wi-Fi accessory for my camera (Nikon for those who are just dying to know, LOL!). I had a blast taking the two photos below on my camera, (one using the remote and both using the Wi-Fi) Don’t you just love technology?!

We made it to Friday and decided to treat ourselves to dinner on the Marietta Square at Taqueria Tsunami. Again, a bit chilly – but it was going to be over an hour wait, so we bundled up and sat at a table on the sidewalk. Great service, great food, hot coffee and time with myDarlin’….. a perfect evening!

On the way home, I see that there’s a new app ‘Bands in Town’ on my phone. Robert evidently knew about it because he downloaded it. Reading through the list of local and well known bands, I come across Crosby, Stillsand Nash – playing at The Fabulous Fox Saturday. 3/22.  So, where do you think Saturday night found us? Buying two of the last six tickets for the show, all the way in the very back row. I have to tell you, there is not a bad seat in the house. Robert was ecstatic…. The last time he saw CSN was in ’74 in Hawaii.  One would have thought that with all of the baby boomers there, that there would be more tie dye….. (No worries, Robert represented!)

A totally new experience was going to WYYZ, a local radio station in Jasper, Georgia for Robert (Kona Music), Roger (ShuffleJunkies) and Ian (Men in Blues) to be interviewed by Ava, DJ extraordinaire. All three bands will be playing at Rocco’s Pub ‘Spring Festival’ on Sunday, March 30^th from 1:00 til 8:00pm. As we pulled up, Ava greeted us at the door of a quaint house cleverly set up as a studio. Stepping inside was akin to stepping back in time with the old upright piano adorned with vintage radios. Owls adorned the brightly painted walls (even though they’re all the rage today – these were originals), and vinyl albums reminds us of our former record collections. It is such a treat to know that local business supports each other, as well as great local music! If you’re in the Jasper area on Sunday, 3/30 – come on out to join us!

Sunday’s church service was enlightening. Every service unearths yet one more nugget and brings us closer to glory. Afternoon car hunting with Becca, then our DIL Angela’s birthday dinner at Thaicoon Restaurant & Sushi Bar on the Marietta Square were the perfect finishing touches to the week.

As I gaze over to Robert, I whisper a word of thanks to the Almighty One as I know that he has blessed us beyond measure.

A weekly recap….

• New Place – check! Thaicoon  Restaurant & Sushi Bar (fabulous food)
• New People – check! Mehau (Mee-How) from Kona
• New Activity – check! Radio interview with Ava at WYYZ
• Learn Something new – check! Using the remote/Wi-Fi on Nikon
• Favorite pix of the week – Vintage radios at WYYZ in Jasper!

Week Eleven 2014

A Rainy Night in Georgia….

It’s Sunday night, and a rainy one at that…. Rain – God’s gift of life. Rain – millions of droplets creating a falling from the sky into our lives, bringing with them the desire to sleep, to rest. And once we wake from that blessed sleep, we will see new signs of life in the rainbow stretching across the sky, the bud on the tree, the bird pulling a worm from the ground….

This past week was filled with adventures, cleverly disguised as ordinary life.  Funny how that works isn’t it? As many of you know, Robert had a major life changing event on March 4, 2013 when he had an arterial dissection, otherwise known as a heart attack. Our friends and family, all ‘Ohana’ (Hawaiian for family) to us, went out of their way to do kind things for us such as provide meals. This past Tuesday we were able to pay it forward as Robert prepared four full meals for a friend who recently suffered a stroke. We must always remember to ‘pay it forward’ whenever possible. You never know the impact it has on others.

Wednesday found me at a Women in Focus (WIF) meeting at the LumiereGallery to hear Tony give a talk about Wynn Bullock (1902-1975). Wynn was an extraordinary photographer, who explored light in an abstract way during the 60’s. When you see his work, it may seem familiar as artists are able to create these types of images digitally today. The amazing fact is that he was creating his images in the studio with light, glass, water and various other mediums. Afterwards, the women gathered around the counter Tony brought out a box of loose Vivian Maier photographs, each one more incredible than the previous one. If you have never heard of Vivian, check out this link to learn more about her life. Two of the things that really stick out about her is that in addition to being a phenomenal street photographer, she regularly took self portraits and journaled about her experiences. If she was living today, we would say she blogged and took selfies.

Part of belonging to a club or an interest group is the feeling of community. Prior to every WIF meeting a few of us get together to catch up and grab a bit to eat. This month, it would up just being Kelly and me. I arrived early and took the time to venture into Richards Variety Store. Walking into this store is like taking a step back in time to a Five and Dime, with the vintage toys, candies, hardware and fun books.  At 3 minutes till the closing time of 6:00pm, the manager walked through the store declaring loudly, we’re closed. LOL! Who needs a PA system? Pay for your stuff and leave, we’ll be here tomorrow. I promptly obeyed his directions and took my Barrel of Monkeys, Anne Taintor magnet and bacon flavored toothpicks to the register to pay before leaving to meet Kelly for a wonderful dinner.

So have you ever participated in a pie contest? Well, it just so happened that Friday was Pi Day and I was asked to be a judge for the Pie contest at work. Now that’s a first! Really? How could I resist? Peanut Butter Cream Pie (sweet) and Italian Meat Pie (savory) were the winners hands-down!

Ever tried bison? Friday night came quickly, and found us at Ted’s Montana Grill. It’s actually quite tasty. In fact, I highly recommend the meatloaf!

Read a good book, ahem….the Good Book lately? The Son of God is a must see movie for all. Watching it was very interesting as we already know the story, but seeing it come to life on the big screen was very moving especially with Easter so close.  If you get a chance, this one is a must see! It could change your life forever.

OK – the weekend is here and you know what that means…. Junkin’! Normally my son Mike would be along for the ride, but he was having his own yard sale. I checked out Mostly Mutts Flea Market on Sandy Plains, and found a couple of neat items. Framed art of a geisha girl with Kanji (who knows what it actually says…), a hand-painted wooden parrot and a hand-made, woven, textile bead necklace from Argentina (still with original tag for $98 – purchased for $6) were amongst my finds. On to Mike’s yard sale, and to hang out with the grandkids. Grandson Nathan, who by the way is the reigning USA boxer & Jr. Golden Glove Champ (for his age/weight), showed off his skills with his Dad for a couple of people who stopped by to check out the yard sale. All the while, Elijah hung out with his friend laughing and jumping on the trampoline.  Love spending time with the family.

Watching live music with myDarlin’ (when Kona isn’t playing - Check them out on FB) is always the perfect way to spend a Saturday evening.  Alex Guthrie Music is new to us, but two of our friends are members – so it feels like home.  Counting myself, there were four serious photographers shooting the band. Now that is a musician’s dream to have lots of great shots to choose from. I like to think that I set myself apart from the others by not using flash and working to capture the perfect shot that lets the viewer ‘hear’ the music.

Sunday evening Open Jam with friends at The Locals was a great way to catch up with friends we hadn’t seen in a few months and a good way for me to play with the new (to me) vintage manual lenses I recently won in an online auction. I just also downloaded the Adobe Creative Cloud in order to update my Photoshop 5 and Lightroom 4 to the next versions. Now, on to learning the new enhancements/features – which should prove to be a lot of fun processing pix of the kids, boxing and musicians.

And a perfect way to top off the weekend? Praising our God at the Marietta Vineyard Church. The praise and worship is amazing and Pastor Ron a fabulous teacher. (He’s got a great role model…J) Children dance about during the praise and worship, bringing joy to all. It is always so refreshing to listen to the children’s prayers before they are dismissed to Children’s Church.

               “Dear God, Thank you for the vegetables you give us to eat and help the poor people. Amen.

A quick recap of the week:

• Explore new place – Richards Variety Store – check!
• Meet new people – Alex Guthrie Music – check!
• Try new activity  – Judging Pie Contest  – check!
• Learn something new – Adobe Creative Cloud enhancements – check!

….. Favorite Picture of the Week

  

Week Ten 2014

Wow! Where does the time go? For reasons I can't explain (not that I don't want to), I have neglected keeping this blog up to date. I do maintain my Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter accounts, but have several family members that choose not to participate in social media vehicles which require them to sign up for an account. Ironically, I am picking this up in week 10, which would have been the next post.... in 2011. I won't bore you with all of the details of the past three years, but suffice it to say a lot has happened.

The week has flown by, the same as it seems to every week making it that much more important to remember to slow down and savor every moment. Both Robert and I were a bit under the weather during the week, as was the 'actual weather'. Luckily Robert, I and the weather rebounded this weekend and took some time to enjoy the gifts of Mother Nature.

I found myself trying a new activity this week, and found that much like riding a bike, one doesn't forget how to read... LOL! Seriously, I do so much of it at work that my recreational reading is photography tutorials. (Which, by the way, I thoroughly enjoy) As it turns out, a friend of ours just published murder mystery novel, Brilliant Disguise, which I acquired an autographed copy of at her book signing last weekend. One chapter the first evening, then a couple more the next until by the third evening I couldn't put it down until I finished it. OK, Mary Anne Edwards, you have me anxiously awaiting the next in the series.... Another first for me, writing a review on Amazon. You should really check this one out, I think you'll like it!

Networking is so important to both our professional and personal lives, and even though I think that I do a decent job at it, I know I could and should do more. I did meet a wonderful lady at one of our Lunch n' Learn events at work and chatted briefly before the panel discussion began. I was so flattered when she tracked me down with just my first name, the fact that I work in the Learning Department and have been at THD for 27+ years. I am looking forward to getting to know Janece better and learning from her too. There are no chance encounters.

Friday is always a happy day, a time to rest and enjoy the fruits of your labor. We chose to stay in and enjoy Hawaii in the ATL. Hmmmm..... sounds pretty far-fetched, huh? Well, Robert picked up lunch from one of our favorite lunch stops, Ronnie John's Beach Café for dinner. Chicken Katsu and rice, with a side of mac salad. Yum! We settled in that evening to watch Elvis's Blue Hawaii, with Robert giving me a personal 'director's cut' about the actors, venues and beaches in the movie. After that, we watched the latest episode of Hawaii 50. A virtual Hawaii tour right from the ATL with my very favorite Hawaiian ever!

I mentioned that I love to read and watch photography tutorials, and was quite delighted when I received an email from Katrina Kennedy, founder of Capture Your 365 about an all day long free seminar on a variety of topics. I joined on and off during the morning/afternoon as I cleaned around the house, ran errands and went junkin' by signing on with my iPhone/using earphones. Some of my favorite topics were Phone Photography Tips, Tricks, Apps & More, Photo Composition for Real Life, The Art of Everyday and the CY365 Scavenger Hunt. The scavenger hunt included 6 topics and ~ 20 minutes to complete, and upload with the hashtag #CY365party to their website, FB page or Instagram. Here's one of mine which included 'something green' and 'hands'. If you've ever wanted to embark on a 365 day photo project, try out this site for inspiration, learning and a supportive community.

An action packed Saturday evening included dinner at Michael and Angela's place (son/DIL) with his boxing friends and students who were gathered to watch the Angulo vs. Canelo match. (More to come about a new adventure for Lugo Boxing in future posts). I would be remiss if I didn't mention that our grandson Nathan is the current US Silver Gloves Champion for his weight group. (Yep, he's really that good....) From there, we went to a new venue, Locals, to see our friends 'Loose Shoes' play, and finished the evening watching Power Plant (starring Lefty Williams) play at Abbey Road. It was great to see and listen to friends we hadn't seen in a few months.

God's sunlight shining through the draperies in our bedroom gave us a glimplse of the glorious Sunday ahead of us. Even though we lost an hour of time, we gain so much every day here on Gods' big blue & green beach ball. We started our day off with a fabulous service at Marietta Vineyard Church praising our Lord, and learning about the Jewish celebration of Purim.  You can check out Marietta Vineyard Church on their website, as well as watch the services on UStream. We'd love to have you join us!

The day was so wonderful, I convinced Robert to spend it at the park.  So this afternoon, we explored the East Cobb Park (OK, maybe not the first time, but it was the first time this year...) and had a BYOS (Bring Your Own Sandwich) picnic. We hung out with Chelle and Becca, Lilly took a swim and I shot some photos before heading over to Brewsters for a well deserved ice cream. (It was Chelle and Becca's first time!)

So, a quick recap:
- Explore new place - check
- Meet new people - check
- Try new activity - check
- Learn something new - check

..... My Favorite Picture of the Week is proof that Spring is on it's way!