B is For Bonnie™

The Contrasts of River Road: New Orleans to Marchand

2012-01-15T18:14:00.003-05:00

The Contrasts of River Road: New Orleans to Marchand, a set on Flickr.

The Great River Road, where the culture that thrived during the 18th and 19th centuries, meets the industrial age. Beautifully restored antebellum plantations grace the road along the Mississippi River, between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. In contrast, industrial plants mar the scenery, and the man-made levee - constructed in the early 20th century in a desperate ploy to keep the mighty Mississippi on a set course - obstructs the river views that plantation residents once enjoyed.

Nevertheless, you can always park your car, climb up the levee, and enjoy the magnificent views of the Mighty Mississippi.

Holiday Greetings from Atlanta

2011-12-14T13:33:00.000-05:00

Wishing You and Yours a Safe and Happy Holiday Season ;-)

The Legend of the Candy Cane

2011-12-04T10:36:00.000-05:00

It is said that a candy maker wanted to make a candy that would serve as a witness to his Christian faith. He incorporated into the candy several symbols for the birth, ministry and death of Jesus Christ. He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy--white to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless Christ, hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the church, and the firmness of the promises of God.

The candy maker made the candy in the form of a “J ” to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to Earth as Our Savior. It also represents the staff of the “Good Shepherd.”

Lastly, the candy cane was stained with red stripes. Three stripes were used to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received, by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Jesus on the Cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life, if only we put our faith and trust in Him.

This holiday season, when you are out shopping for gifts, please take a moment and remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas …

Giving Thanks

2011-11-24T17:44:00.000-05:00

In fact, the Pilgrims of Plymouth owe quite a bit of thanks to Squanto, a Patuxet Native American who resided with the Wampanoag tribe. Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to catch eel, grow corn and served as an interpreter for them; he learned English as a slave in Europe.

In 1621, immediately after their first harvest, the Pilgrims set apart a day to celebrate. At the time, this was not regarded as a Thanksgiving observance; harvest festivals were existing parts of English and Wampanoag tradition alike. The Pilgrims did not hold a true Thanksgiving until 1623, following a drought. The Pilgrims prayed for rain and a rain shower followed. In the Plymouth tradition, Thanksgiving Day became a church observance, rather than a feast day.

The day two races came together in fellowship to give thanks and share food should be remembered, celebrated and honored. However, the commercialism of today’s Thanksgiving celebration, with the plethora of tacky turkey trinkets, makes me gag … yuck!

I believe we should not only celebrate this important day in American history, but we should give thanks for the gifts, blessings and love we receive on a daily basis, not only on the fourth Thursday each November. Yes, many of us do, but far too many do not. On Thanksgiving Day, when you sit down to your traditional meal and celebrate with family and friends, start a new tradition … giving thanks daily.

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving … may it be filled with love, joy, blessings and new traditions, too!

Things That MUST be Learned in Relationships

2011-11-06T18:43:00.000-05:00

If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away. If he doesn’t want you, nothing can make him stay.
Don’t fall for the “I’m not the loving type.” When a man loves you there is nothing in this world (within reason) that he wouldn’t do for you.
All men are NOT dogs.
If you don’t love yourself you can’t love anyone else.
You cannot mend someone else’s broken heart.
You need time to heal between relationships … there’s nothing cute about baggage. Deal with your issues BEFORE pursuing a new relationship.
Everyone you date is not Mr. Right … don’t be so eager to give your heart away.
When actions and words conflict, believe the actions, as they really do speak louder than words.
Compatibility in terms of educational attainment, values, beliefs, personal and career goals and socioeconomic status ARE important. If you’re not a thug, don’t date one!
If you want to know how he will treat you, pay attention to how he treats women, not just his mother.
Demand respect and if he can’t give it to you, he can’t have you!
Love is a verb …
Never let a man define who you are.
Never “borrow” someone else’s man.
Just because he says he loves you doesn’t mean that he won’t hurt you and it doesn’t mean you are suppose to be with him.
Know that you deserve to be the number one person in the life of the number one person on your life.
Stop making excuses for him and his behavior.
If a relationship ends because a man is not treating you as you deserve to be treated, then HELL NO … you can’t be friends. A friend wouldn’t mistreat a friend.
NEVER settle.
If he keeps changing his mind about the relationship, please take it as a BIG sign that he is unstable. Do you really want to be with a man that can’t make a decision?
Don’t fall for the “I’m confused” excuse. Remove yourself from the situation to let him figure things out, but don’t sit and wait for him…move on.
If he cheated with you, he will cheat on you.

This week’s blog was inspired by a recent discussion with a friend regarding her relationship. I hope you find it instrumental in making decisions that are best for you.

Photographic Exhibitions

2011-11-04T14:40:00.000-04:00

I am ever so grateful and humbled by the blessings bestowed upon me. My photography will be on display in November and December in the following exhibitions: @Phonography: Dialogue in the Wireless Age, at 3 Ring Circus in New Orleans, Louisiana, The Local Compilation Show at Imagine Gallery Lounge, in Rome, Georgia, and Wholly Georgia: A Look at the Effects of Southern Religious Culture, sponsored by the Art History League and Georgia State University, at Mint Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia.

True Stories: Jazz According to Jesse Boyd

2011-10-24T18:31:00.003-04:00

When I think about jazz, I think the late, great Norman Granz of Verve Records said it best, “Jazz is played and listened to by all people -- in harmony together. Pigmentation differences have no place. As in genuine democracy, only performance counts.”

Jazz lovers in New Orleans agree, Jesse Boyd’s performance counts. In fact, his music has such widespread appeal, that on any given night, you will find him performing with the distinguished Charmaine Neville, Ingrid Lucia, Leah Chase, Bob French, Michael Pellera, Troy Davis, or Ellis Marsalis, to name a few. Aside from performing on stage nightly, Jesse is also a professor of music at Loyola University.

Born in Greenville, N.C., Jesse is the son of a Pentacostal minister. His youth, was immersed in gospel music, as he spent many hours in church with his father and brother. Partnering with his family, 12-year-old Jesse recorded his first album. Later that year, he recorded several other gospel albums, too.

Jesse spent his high school years in Boise, Idaho. While attending Capital High, he joined the choir - the Capital Singers - and recorded yet another album. At age 18, he moved to Los Angeles, Calif., and rocked with many touring bands.

Jesse realized the life of a rocker wasn’t for him, so he decided to move to New Orleans to finish his education. After receiving his bachelor’s from Loyola University, he continued to study music under Bill Huntington and Ellis Marsalis, and obtained his master’s in jazz studies from the University of New Orleans.

Influenced by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Keith Jarrett, Paul Chambers and Bill Evans, the musically gifted Jesse Boyd can play any instrument, but his personal choice is the upright bass. His musical style ranges from an accompanying melody, to the conversational counterpart. One thing is dazzlingly apparent - the uniqueness of Jesse’s sound is simply marvelous. And, mastering the sound is something he stresses to his students.

True Stories, his recently released CD, is about people, places and events in his life. The elegant sound of a jazz trio flavored with a touch of Latin, a kiss of funk and a dash of blues, ensures this CD has something for everyone. Torn Meadow is about divorce. Big Pine is about partying in the Florida Keys on Big Pine Key. Jessica was written for his children, Jessica and Dylan, when they were small. Philip St. was written to celebrate the joy of being home after Hurricane Katrina. Uptown Blues, my personal favorite, was written to introduce the 12-bar blues to one of his classes. (Hmm—if the nuns who taught my music classes would have done something like this, I’d still be playing!)

In these, as in the other songs on True Stories, you can feel the passion of Jesse Boyd’s heart, as you listen to the emotion of every note.

Happy listening y’all …

2011 Harvest Balloon Festival at Sterling on the Lake

2011-10-16T16:55:00.005-04:00

2011 Harvest Balloon Festival at Sterling on the Lake, a set on Flickr.

Stirred by an autumn breeze, the turning leaves of the trees rustled in the wind. Cool temperatures and clear skies created the perfect setting for the Second Annual Harvest Balloon Festival at Sterling on the Lake in Flowery Branch, Georgia.

In case you didn’t know, the hot air balloon is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology. On November 21, 1783, in Paris, France, the first untethered manned flight was made by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes in a hot air balloon created on December 14, 1782 by the Montgolfier brothers.

Sterling on the Lake bustled, as people gathered amidst of colorful hot air balloons as they filled with heated air, expanding slowly like behemoths stretching after a long sleep. The balloons covered the park-like setting with color and form. And then, they slowly, majestically, silently lifted off the ground, floating up into the sky. There they paused shortly, hanging like ornaments decorating the blue sky, before flying off.

Later, guests celebrated fall with pumpkin carvings, hayrides, face paintings, tasty treats, games, and live music throughout the day.

The celebration ended with a balloon glow that evening. It was quite extraordinary to behold, as one hot-air balloon after the other ignited its burner … and, finally, all of them were light up, creating a beautiful effect against the evening sky.

Admission into the festival was free. Money raised through parking fees and purchases benefited the National Military Family Association, which provides support to families of the military, and Challenged Child and Friends, an organization that serves children with disabilities through educational, therapeutic, nursing and family counseling services.

The Artist's Statement

2011-10-09T15:18:00.002-04:00

www.bonniemoret.com

Photography stirs emotion. Pictures are more powerful than words. When we look at a photograph, we focus on what we see, think or feel, and ... we may even ask, "why?" My images are a reflection of the world around me. My camera captures images of curiosity, self-expression, relationships, chances, beginnings, and most important--images that tell stories.

My choice of subject comes from a place of intuition and is fuelled by an impetuous desire to partake in the stories that unfold around me. I seek the unknown and I look for the light within the shadows, the stories that are not at first obvious, and the uncommon in the common.

I photograph architecture and landscapes, attempting to illustrate abstract, evocative scenery as a motif to epitomize the idea of imagined space, a reminder that what I create through the viewfinder is only real to me. I photograph people in their environments because I am curious of what lies behind their eyes, where they have been, and where they hope to go.

I am fascinated by the power and seduction of food. Culinary artists emphasize and de-emphasize color, texture, shape and volume, as it is creatively presented. My images communicate the power of food's seduction, allowing for meditation on the photographic medium itself.

I am inspired to compose by the contrast of light and dark, while I use the changing light of day to arouse the mood of my dreams. I find myself interested in the results of immersing myself in the story, and recording my own reactions and actions to my world. The photographs come from that immersion.

Fall for Apples

2011-10-04T21:43:00.008-04:00

R & A Orchards, a set on Flickr.

There is something special about picking apples in the fall. Ellijay, Georgia - located about an hour and a half north of Atlanta - offers the ultimate apple picking experience. R & A Orchards (http://randaorchards.com/), a family-operated orchard that is open year-round, is a must-see! It provides an intimate experience in picking apples without the masses. Of the several orchards visited, R & A was – by far – my favorite. Nothing beats southern charm and a gracious staff!

R & A Orchards was established in1947, when Ann Futch’s father, Leonard Payne, planted his first tree. A visit would not be complete without hearing “Miss Ann” tell you the story of her father and how/why he started the abundant orchards.

My leisurely walk in the orchards started with a lesson. I learned that apples ripen from the outside of the tree towards the center, so the apples on the outside of the tree will ripen first. Picking apples directly from a tree is easy. Roll the apple upwards off the branch and give a little twist; don't pull straight away from the tree. If two apples are joined together at the top, both will come away at the same time. Don't shake the trees or branches. Once picked, leave the stem on the apples … they will last longer.

Winding through the numerous rows of trees, I stopped on several occasions to take in the beauty of the landscape. I spent about an hour roaming the orchards and picking apples.

My advice: if you are going on the weekend, it is best to get a very early start. It does get a bit crowded in the afternoon.

Being a lover of history, below is a bit of apple history:

Apples originated in the Middle East (in an area between the Caspian and the Black Seas) more than 4000 years ago! They were the favorite fruit of ancient Greeks and Romans. Apples arrived in England around the time of the Norman Conquest (in 1066) and English settlers brought them to America in the 1600 and 1700s.

Johnny Appleseed really did exist; his name was John Chapman, and he was born on September 26,1774 near Leominster, Massachusetts.

Apple Facts:

2500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States.
7500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world.
About 100 different varieties of apples are grown commercially in the United States.
Apples are grown commercially in 36 states.
Apples are grown in all 50 states.
Europeans eat about 46 pounds of apples annually.
61 percent of United States apples are eaten as fresh fruit.
39 percent of apples are processed into apple products; 21 percent of this is for juice and cider.
The top apple producing states are Washington, New York, Michigan, California, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Apples are a great source of pectin. One apple has five grams of fiber.
The pilgrims planted the first United States apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Apple trees take four to five years to produce their first fruit produce!
Most apples are still picked by hand in the fall.
Apple varieties range in size from a little larger than a cherry to as large as a grapefruit.
In Europe, France, Italy and Germany are the leading apple producing countries.
Apples are a member of the rose family.
Apples harvested from an average tree can fill 20 bushel boxes that weigh 42 pounds each.
25 percent of an apple's volume is air … that is why they float.
It takes the energy from 50 leaves to produce one apple.
Apples are the second most valuable fruit grown in the United States. Oranges are first.
In Colonial America, apples were called winter bananas or melts-in-the-mouth.
China is the leading producer of apples. The U.S. is number 2 and then Turkey, Poland and Italy.
Newton Pippin apples were the first apples exported from America in 1768, some were sent to Benjamin Franklin in London.
One of George Washington's hobbies was pruning his apple trees.
America's longest-lived apple tree was reportedly planted in 1647 by Peter Stuyvesant in his Manhattan orchard, and was still bearing fruit when a derailed train struck it in 1866.

Picturesque North Georgia

2011-09-25T23:37:00.003-04:00

Picturesque North Georgia, a set on Flickr.

The North Georgia Mountains are a perfect weekend getaway. Hiking, boating, dining, biking and shopping are just a few of the activities this historic region has to offer.

The Blue Ridge mountain chain ends in Georgia. At over 1 billion years of age, the Blue Ridge mountains are among the oldest mountains in the United States. The mountains in this region are also a part of the vast system of North American mountains known as the Appalachian Mountains that spans most of the United States longitudally along the eastern areas of the nation and terminates in Alabama.

The region is known for its ruggedness and scenic beauty. The Cherokee, who lived in these mountains, called them Sah-ka-na'-ga - "The Great Blue Hills of God."

In addition, large portions of the North Georgia mountains are included in the more than 750,000 acres that comprises the Chattahoochee National Forest.

Reflections

2011-09-14T22:41:00.016-04:00

As I approach another revolution around the sun, I share with you my reflections, lessons and insights …

It is paramount to express gratitude and appreciation.

Say, “I love you” as often as possible.

The person who possesses the largest bookshelf, not the latest technical gadget, designer fashions, an overflowing wallet or biggest gun, holds true power. Knowledge IS POWER!

Always transcend political correctness and strive for human righteousness.

Acceptance is not submission; it is acknowledgement of the facts of the situation.

It is your beliefs and perceptions that will drive your focus; it is what you focus on that you will experience. To prove this, spend a day with an optimist and a day with a pessimist. Once you do, you will never again question that person’s reality. How he or she sees and reacts to the world is in that person’s mind and has little to do with the outer world.

Treasure every moment that you have! And, treasure it more because you shared it with someone special … special enough to spend your time, because time waits for no one.

Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.

Don’t take for granted those closest to your heart. Cherish them as you would your life, for without them life is meaningless.

Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect ... this is the fragile thread that binds us to each other.

Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

While independence is important, traveling through life is easier with the assistance of friends.

Never dismiss your dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope; to be without hope is to be without purpose.

In ending, always remember to live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and … leave the rest up to God.

Field of Flags

2011-09-11T16:30:00.003-04:00

Field of Flags, a set on Flickr.

The Marietta Kiwanis Club sponsored an event honoring the victims of the senseless and savage attack of 9/11/01. The special observance began at 7:30 AM at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. The ceremony included U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, former U.S. Congressman Bob Barr, a Riderless Horse, a 21-gun salute, and bagpipes playing “Amazing Grace” and “Taps.”

The Look

2011-09-06T20:58:00.001-04:00

You’ve seen the look--that over-the-top nonverbal form of expression. It silently admonishes, puts a child firmly in his or her place, and stops the most verbose from opening their mouths. Maybe you’ve been the object of such looks, or perhaps you’re a master at delivering this inaudible form of communication. All things considered, the following might even be registered in some obscure section of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: “Don’t even think of touching that!” or “I can’t believe what you just said!” or this ever so popular glance, “Don’t even go there!”

The troubling part of this voiceless vernacular isn’t necessarily the look itself, but rather our childlike reaction to it. As a child, I was rattled by the look. Even now, I am startled by its power. The irony, of course, is that I usually return the favor with one of my own wide-eyed faces that says, ”Yes? Do you have something to say to me?”

Communicating with our features may be all we have in some instances. Yet, when we use the look to belittle others, instead of using words to educate or inform them, we are not being kind to them or ourselves.

Most nonverbal cues--warm and welcoming touches, smiles, or a sympathetic nod--are like the colorful and sweet sprinkles we toss on cupcakes. They enhance human interaction.

But, the glaring and rolling of the eyes are another story. We’ve all heard the advice as kids--ignore it--but as we all know, it can be a difficult task. But, think about this … how much more energy does it take to react to a look instead of keeping that look at bay and disallowing it from entering your frame of mind?

It may not feel meditative, but letting it pass will help you get on to the things that are much more important. The next time someone tries to rattle you with the look, mentally draw a mustache above the lips, and if you have the time, scribble a couple of horns and a tail, too ;-)

Stark UMC Dinner Theatre

2011-08-31T22:12:00.002-04:00

Stark UMC Dinner Theatre, a set on Flickr.

A murder on the Titanic ... whodunit?

The Uncertainty Principle, Relatively Speaking

2011-08-28T13:06:00.000-04:00

Quantum physicist Werner Heisenberg is famous for his Uncertainty Principle. Heisenberg believed that reality is what can be observed. If there are different observations, there must be different realities, which depend on the observer. In stating such, he can be regarded as an advocate of philosophical idealism - objects of perception are identical with the ideas we have about them.

The idealist view denies that any particular thing has an independent essence. This is a far cry from Einstein’s Relativity Theory. Einstein believed in a reality independent of what we can observe, which is in essence the view of realism.

Two great scientists and two completely different observations, yet, both are equally significant. There is reality and there is our view of reality based on our emotional state of mind at any given time. As impartial as we think we are, our emotions and attitude play a significant role in how we view life and our outcome.

On the positive side, if we change our attitude, we can change the outcome of any given situation for the better. An antagonistic point of view, based on judgment, not fact, has the adverse effect.

Paul Haggis gives us an excellent illustration of this in his 2004 film, Crash. The trailer states, “Moving at the speed of life, we are bound to collide with each other. Live your life at the point of impact.” If you haven’t seen the film, please do so, as it will be a life changing experience.

As in physics, so in life ... never underestimate the impact you have on any situation.

John's Balcony

2011-08-21T12:09:00.001-04:00

We laughed.

We spoke.

I occasionally cried.

He often joked.

Libations overflowed,

sometimes until dawn.

He shared his emotions openly,

never withdrawn.

The balcony at his place,

with a tree that hid a wry face.

It was our comforting assuage

that eased the burdens of life,

as we stood daily on its stage.

August 22, 2011, is the third anniversary of the death of my dearest friend, John David Cochran. His friendship was a gift and his spirit will live forever ...

Blue Heron Nature Preserve

2011-08-20T15:40:00.002-04:00

Blue Heron Nature Preserve, a set on Flickr.

Buckhead's crowning jewel isn't a mall or a restaurant or even an architectural achievement; it's not something humans built. The Blue Heron Nature Preserve is a twenty-five acre natural wilderness located just off heavily-trafficked Roswell Road in Atlanta, Georgia. It is a combination of four pieces of land along and around Nancy Creek.

Along the trails, hikers are greeted by native plants and trees, and encounter wildlife, such as deer, foxes, beavers, coyotes, muskrats, woodpeckers, turtles, egrets, geese and blue herons.

The nature preserve also has a community garden, which is part of the Park Pride Project.

2011 Satchmo Summerfest

2011-08-15T00:22:00.004-04:00

2011 Satchmo Summerfest, a set on Flickr.

The premier American jazz festival dedicated to the life, music and legacy of New Orleans' native son, Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong.
This free community event is produced by French Quarter Festivals, Inc. Satchmo SummerFest is scheduled annually to coincide with Louis Armstrong’s birthday on August 4th. Festival goers enjoyed traditional jazz and brass bands, New Orleans classic cuisine, family activities, culture and fun at the weekend-long celebration.

Louis Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), was known around the world as ‘Satchmo’, short for Satchelmouth. In addition, he was widely recognized as a founding father of jazz – a unique American art form. In 1932, Melody Maker magazine editor Percy Brooks greeted Armstrong in London with “Hello, Satchmo!” and the nickname stuck. His influence, as an artist and cultural icon, is universal, unmatched, and very much alive today.

Coming to prominence in the 1920s as an "inventive" cornet and trumpet player, Armstrong was a foundational influence in jazz, shifting the music's focus from collective improvisation to solo performance. With his instantly recognizable deep and distinctive gravelly voice, Armstrong was also an influential singer, demonstrating great dexterity as an improviser, bending the lyrics and melody of a song for expressive purposes. He was also greatly skilled at scat singing, vocalizing using sounds and syllables instead of actual lyrics.

Armstrong often stated that he was born on July 4, 1900, a date that has been noted in many biographies. Although he died in 1971, it was not until the mid-1980s that his true birth date of August 4, 1901 was discovered through the examination of baptismal records.

The Art of Meaningful Conversation

2011-08-04T09:57:00.001-04:00

“The most fruitful and natural play of the mind is conversation. I find it sweeter than any other action in life,” wrote 16th century essayist Michel de Montaigne. Few things are in fact so pleasurable and fertile as engaging in good talk. Whether you’re falling in love or entering into friendship, open-ended, seemingly unimportant conversations are essential to building intimacy. They are also the means by which we learn, via other people, how the world works. Talking forces us to clarify our perspectives, as well as recall our experiences. A meandering chat unlocks doors to memories long ago stored away.

Increasingly, most of us lack the time and the focus for this most basic of human activities. “Non-goal-oriented conversations are a great luxury now,” says Daniel Menaker, author of A Good Talk: The Story and Skill of Conversation. And when we do have a spare hour or two, we often spend it in less satisfying forms of communication. Many people think nothing of checking their BlackBerrys over dinner (a HUGE pet peeve of mine). Such “conversing” makes one statement loud and clear: Our interlocutor isn’t valuable enough to warrant our full attention.

Looking down at a handheld device, rather than into the eyes of your conversational mate, isn’t merely rude, it also sabotages the exchange of nonverbal cues that sustain rich and meaningful attachments. “We’re all facial coders,” says Dan Hill, founder and president of Sensory Logic, a market research firm.

Reading others’ faces and emotions is a key component of empathy, and some argue that the ability or willingness to empathize is on the decline. In study conducted at the University of Michigan, researchers found a 40 percent drop in empathy (as measured by questions about feeling concern for the less fortunate and putting oneself in another’s shoes.) among college students from 1979 to 2009. A sharp plunge began around the year 2000—just as the digital era as we know it kicked into high gear.

In addition, digital communication breeds confusion. Researchers recently concluded that email communicators “hear” what they’re writing based on their intention, while the email recipient often misses that nuance. For example, a statement meant to be sarcastic can be read as insulting.

“Conversations are necessary for creating wisdom about the self and others,” says Menaker. Without conversations that take us on spontaneous journeys through ideas and opinions, we cannot know what we think and we cannot understand the minds of others.

While texting is acceptable in a pinch, NOTHING beats a conversation, so TALK TO ME, please!

Union Station

2011-07-27T22:57:00.002-04:00

Union Station, a set on Flickr.

1903, Daniel H. Burnham, Director of Works, principal architect of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, was chosen to design Union Station. He modeled the Station in the monumental Beaux-Arts style and after the Baths of Caraculla and Diocletian and the triumphal Arch of Rome. Union Station's arches symbolize its primary function as a gateway.

The white granite and classic lines of Union Station set the mode for Washington's classic monumental architecture for the next 40 years through the construction of the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the Federal Triangle, the Supreme Court Building and the National Gallery of Art.

The original construction of the Station cost more than $25 million; the cost to construct the Station building alone was $4 million. During the construction, Italian laborers were hired and were lodged in camp cars.

Ionic columns, chiseled inscriptions, and the allegorical sculpture mark Union Station’s neoclassical facade. Niches in the facade of the main entrance hold carved figures representing fire, electricity, agriculture and mechanics, each weighing 25 tons.

On October 27, 1907, Union Station officially opened at 6:50 a.m., when the Baltimore and Ohio Pittsburgh Express pulled into the Station. The Station was ultimately completed in 1908.

In 1909, President Taft was the first president to use the Presidential Suite. Over the years, many famous dignitaries were officially greeted in these rooms, including King George VI, Queen Elizabeth of England, King Albert of the Belgians, King Prajadipok of Siam, Queen Marie of Rumania, and King Hassan II of Morocco.

On January 23, 1911, J.P. Morgan broke the fast train speed record for the trip between Union Station and New York City by making the 226.8-mile trip in a special train in three hours, 55 minutes and thirty seconds. Mr. Morgan's train beat the record by one hour and four minutes and thirty seconds.

During World War I, troops were mobilized through Union Station, and many prominent women worked in the Station's canteen, including Eleanor Roosevelt and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson. It was reported that Mrs. Wilson had kept her husband, the President, waiting for her outside the Station, until she had finished her duties at the canteen.

On January 15, 1953, the Federal Express train, out of control on Track 16, crashed through a newsstand and into the main concourse of Union Station. Miraculously, no one was killed. Thanks to a tower crewmember located about a mile from Union Station who had been able to warn the stationmaster's office that a runaway train was on its way, the concourse was cleared in two and a half minutes. Although the floor collapsed under the locomotive, 96 hours later, at 8:00 a.m., an Eisenhower inaugural special train rolled to a stop on Track 16 into a concourse that showed little evidence of the accident.

Congress enacted the Union Station Redevelopment Act of 1981 to preserve Union Station as a national treasure. The Department of Transportation (DOT) was charged with developing a plan that would enable the Station to financially support its continued operation. Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole created the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation to oversee the restoration.

Arabia Mountain

2011-07-23T20:30:00.002-04:00

Arabia Mountain, a set on Flickr.

Arabia Mountain is a monadnock in DeKalb County, Georgia. The peak is 940 feet (287m) above sea level, rising 180 feet (55m) above Arabia Lake reservoir. It is now part of the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve.

The Arabia Mountain Trail winds through 2000 acres of protected parkland in south DeKalb County. It features the natural beauty of rock outcroppings, woodland waterfalls, farms, wildflowers, and has a combination of trails over 20 miles in length.

Chattahoochee Nature Center

2011-07-16T13:03:00.002-04:00

Chattahoochee Nature Center, a set on Flickr.

The Chattahoochee Nature Center is located on the Chattahoochee River in Roswell, Ga., and sits on a beautiful site comprised of 127 acres of native plants and gardens that showcase the beauty of Georgia. It has a River Boardwalk, Discovery Center, wetland demonstration gardens and woodland trails that are home to over 50 species of injured, non-releasable wildlife. For 30 years, this facility has continued to grow and reach out to citizens as a place to explore new ideas and expand the awareness of the natural world.

Choosing Wisely

2011-07-09T21:17:00.004-04:00

Sometimes decision-making is easy: choose A or choose B, say yes to one and no to the other. In society today, more often than not, there are a variety of choices. In many ways, variety is the spice of life and most Americans delight in true freedom of choice, whether it involves work, lifestyle, friends, belief systems, political candidates or places to live. However, we do have to make up our minds dozens of times a day about moderately important items, and dozens of times in our lives, about crucial, life-effecting choices. Because of mobility, education and resources that many of us have, the need to choose has multiplied exponentially over the past century. How can we deal with decision-making overload?

Walking down the street one day, at fifteen years old, it hit me. I had more than one choice about things. Some people were advising me to go one way on a certain issue, others were suggesting the opposite, and both were saying there were only two choices. I began to see that there were several other possible choices, and that I needed to see all of them and evaluate each in relation to the others. That insight was a big deal for a fifteen year old … it has stayed with me ever since. When I have to choose between one or the other, I try very hard to determine if these are, in fact, my only choices.

Every choice has consequences. Being able to think through the consequences of very important choices, and actually imagine them is an important step. The next step is to get beyond the thought process to the level of feeling and intuition. Sometimes the rational mind says one thing, but the heart says another. The real question … what does the whole you, the whole person decide, despite the conflicting elements from outside, and the conflicting emotions within?

The answer to that question is … you have to not only know the choices and consequences well, but you must know what is in your heart before you make up your mind.

Preserving Democracy

2011-07-02T18:47:00.001-04:00

On this Fourth of July, let us rededicate ourselves to the proposition of preserving democracy. Let us resolve anew that this hallowed concept, bathed in the blood of heroic men and washed in the tears of courageous women, shall not perish by fault or default. Democracy’s success rests with the people, and freedom’s preservation lies in its true purpose: the freedom to do right which helps all, not a select few.

Wishing you and yours a safe & happy July 4th!

Krog Street Bridge aka Graffiti Bridge

2011-06-28T22:04:00.002-04:00

Krog Street Bridge aka Graffiti Bridge, a set on Flickr.

Constructed in 1912, the Krog Street Bridge - Graffiti Bridge - connects Cabbagetown to Inman Park in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Value of Friendship

2011-06-27T22:10:00.001-04:00

Connections with others and the love exchanged in key relationships bring the greatest sense of meaning into our lives. We cannot begin to place a dollar value on the power another has to make us laugh or bring us joy.

It is in relationships with friends and loved ones where energy flourishes, illuminating our paths in life. When you feel good, everything is in sync. There is great wisdom in this emotional connection … joy is letting your heart lead the way.

Always embrace God’s blessing of friendship, and never take its value for granted.

To Daddy With Love

2011-06-17T18:36:00.002-04:00

We are fortunate that fathers offer us experiences and insights quite different from our mothers. While our mothers caution us, “Be careful,” “Button up,” and “Wash your hands,” our fathers shout, “Better not let your mom find out,” and “Go for it!” (Thank you, daddy! I went for everything and still love the results.)

It is not surprising that fathers can be as nurturing as they are macho. I’m sure you remember crawling into your dad’s lap to listen to him read you a story, or the feel of his hand on the back fender, steadying the bicycle as you took your first wobbly ride.

Most of us owe our courage, self-confidence, competitive spirit and ability to drive a stick shift (Amen) to our dads. He is a teacher, coach, protector, hero, friend and cheerleader. Whether we call him father, daddy, pops or dad, one thing’s for sure – he’s the Main Man!

Like the Energizer bunny, the things my father taught me keep me going and going and going …

I love you, daddy ... this hug’s for you!!! ;-)

Doing What He Must

2011-06-15T07:26:00.001-04:00

A man has a heart that loves, rejoices, bleeds and breaks just like that of a woman, though he must withhold the visible signs. His role calls for firmness and readiness for life’s battles, which dims his softness.

He goes out into a world of conflict to strive for those he loves. Taking life’s beatings without tears or complaints and steadily carrying on; fighting and toiling, he takes reproaches and praises with the same smiling face and unchecked determination. He has a heart of gold, though we often fail to see it.

To the under-appreciated men among us, here’s a hug … thank you for doing what you do!

Georgia Music Hall of Fame

2011-06-11T16:51:00.003-04:00

Georgia Music Hall of Fame, a set on Flickr.

It’s a sad day for music fans in Georgia. The Georgia Music Hall of Fame board of directors announced plans to permanently shut down the Hall of Fame on June 12th due to budget cuts and financial instability. While outside bidders put their names forward to fund it, the board of directors was dead-set on closing down. The board felt that no financial help would make the Hall of Fame important enough to invest into any further due to lack of tourism.

The Georgia Music Hall of Fame’s inductee list includes the legendary James Brown, Otis Redding, Allman Brothers Band, Little Richard, Ray Charles and Trisha Yearwood, to name just a few.

Art Aquatic

2011-06-07T22:32:00.002-04:00

Art Aquatic, a set on Flickr.

Hosted by the Atlanta Downtown W Hotel, this exclusive event allowed guests to experience the creation of Lisa Reilly's underwater photography.

Forgiveness, Grudges and Releasing the Victim Syndrome

2011-06-05T01:01:00.001-04:00

Your view of the world around you is a reflection of the world you have created within. The world you experience is an extension of your mind. Any level of peace or stress you experience, is directly related to the level of peace or stress or within your mind. If you are at peace with yourself, the world will appear peaceful. Forgive yourself for any mistakes you’ve made, knowing that you are no longer what you were in the past. Every moment, there is a new you born and you are living in this present moment with a new you.

Forgive others and you will set yourself free from all you thought they did to you. In fact, they need not ask for forgiveness to be forgiven. They might even believe that there is nothing for which they need to be forgiven. Do not concern yourself with how they choose to experience reality, for it has no effect on you, unless you allow it. For something or someone to affect you, you must first allow it to affect you.

You can also choose not to forgive, but what good has such behavior ever brought to your life? You might be trying to consciously or even unconsciously punish someone by not forgiving him or her. Who are you really punishing? Who’s carrying that judgment around? You might not consciously recall that you are carrying judgment, but it is simmering below the surface, coloring everything and everyone with whom you interact. Little by little, judgments add up and weigh you down. You’re quick to anger, feel tired and stressed and may not understand why. Comments to others may become nasty and your patience fades. This is a result of your attempt to punish and not forgive. Think about it … who are you really punishing?

To paraphrase Max Lucado, "Anger is a predictable emotion, an irritant, a frustration, and an aggravation? Someone gets your parking place. Someone pulls in front of you on the freeway. A waitress is slow and you are in a hurry. The toast burns. Before you know it, little irritations turn into rage, revenge, bitterness and hatred. We trust no one and bare our teeth at anyone who gets near. Is that any way to live? What good has hatred ever brought? What hope has anger ever created? What problems have ever been resolved by revenge?"

What has a grudge ever resolved? In most cases, grudges become the focus and hinder you from living life to the fullest! Recognize who is being hurt by your grudge and non-forgiveness. Does the other person burn with your anger, feel the knot in your stomach, experience the recycling of your thoughts as you re-experience the events in your mind? Do they stay awake as you rehearse in your mind what you would like to say or do to 'punish' them? No…the pain is all yours!

Knowing 'why' is not the prerequisite to forgiveness. Knowing why the behavior happened will not lessen the pain, because the pain came at a time when you did not know why. Occasionally there are times when knowing why makes forgiveness unnecessary, but they are rare.

A solution to consider…make a list of what was actually done that caused your pain; not what you felt was done. Acknowledge your part. Were you honest about your hurt or did you hide the fact that the behavior hurt you? Did you seek peace by reassuring the perpetrator that it was all right? Did you stay when you or should have gone? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, acknowledge you behavior and take responsibility for the ramifications of your actions.

Congratulations! You took the first step to stop being a victim!

Special thanks to Glen Warner for sharing his beautiful photographs with me. http://tinyurl.com/Glen-Warner

Marietta National Military Cemetery

2011-05-29T18:00:00.003-04:00

Marietta National Military Cemetery, a set on Flickr.

Originally known as the “Marietta and Atlanta National Cemetery,” the Marietta National Cemetery was established in 1866 to provide a suitable resting place for the nearly 10,000 Union dead from Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign. Henry Cole, a local merchant who remained loyal to the Union throughout the war, offered land for a burial ground for both Union and Confederate dead. His hope was that by honoring those who had fallen together, others might learn to live in peace. Unfortunately, both sides clung to their bitterness and neither North nor South would accept Cole’s offer toward reconciliation. When this effort failed, 24 acres were offered to General George H. Thomas for use of a national cemetery. In 1867 a second offer of land by Cole was accepted and a subsequent purchase of additional acreage in 1870 brought the cemetery to its present size of a little over 23 acres.

The cemetery site was, at one time, the proposed location of the capital of the Confederate States of America. The same Henry Cole who had attempted to donate his land for the national cemetery had refused an offer of $50,000 for the property because he “expected to put it to a better purpose.” In recognition of Cole’s gift, the government made express provision that a burial plat be set-aside for members of his family. Cole died April 18,1875, and was buried in what is now called the Cole Plot.

Daniel Webster Cole, son of the land donor, lived for many years in the family home across the street from the cemetery. A construction engineer, he drew the first map of the cemetery, which was later the basis for official layouts. The original sections of the cemetery were arranged in concentric circles around a flagstaff with paths radiating through the circles. The first interments were the remains of soldiers who had been buried where they fell. A granite memorial arch at the cemetery gate is inscribed: “Here rest the remains of 10,312 Officers and Soldiers who died in defense of the Union 1861-1865.” Marietta National Cemetery was laid out by Union Army Chaplain Thomas B. Van Horne, who also laid out the Chattanooga National Cemetery. One of the national cemeteries constructed between 1861-1869, the design for Marietta National Cemetery was the most ornate and elaborate of its era.

Marietta National Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on Sept. 18, 1998.

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. To the men and woman of the armed forces who have given their lives for our freedom ... THANK YOU!

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

2011-05-29T07:41:00.002-04:00

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, a set on Flickr.

The name Kennesaw is derived from the Cherokee Indian "Gah-nee-sah" meaning cemetery or burial ground.

Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield is a 2,923 acre National Battlefield that preserves a Civil War battleground of the Atlanta Campaign. The battle was fought here from June 19, 1864 until July 2, 1864. Sherman's army consisted of 100,000 men, 254 guns and 35,000 horses. Johnston's army had 63,000 men and 187 guns. Over 67,000 soldiers were killed, wounded and captured during the Campaign.

Preserved are historic earthworks, cannon emplacements and monuments.

Remembrance: A Georgian, A Canadian and Red Poppies

2011-05-26T21:07:00.004-04:00

Since World War I, poppies have been a symbol of remembrance at Memorial Day (May 30 this year). The red poppy was used to symbolize the blood of those who died in service to their countries.

The idea started in 1918 when Moina Michael, a professor and humanitarian from Good Hope, Georgia, read the poem In Flanders Fields, written by Canadian John McCrae in 1915 during World War I.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Moina began wearing poppies in memoriam and sold them to others, using the proceeds to help veterans. After World War I, veterans sold artificial red poppies to help raise money for war orphans. Today, donations to veterans’ groups are often marked with a token paper red poppy.

Known as the 'Poppy Lady' for her humanitarian efforts, Moina received numerous awards during her lifetime. In 1948, four years after her death, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring her life’s achievement. In 1969, the Georgia General Assembly named a section of U.S. Highway 78 the Moina Michael Highway.

Friday Jazz at the High Museum of Art

2011-05-21T19:30:00.003-04:00

Friday Jazz at the High Museum of Art, a set on Flickr.

The High Museum of Art in Atlanta has grown to become the leading art museum in the Southeastern United States with its renowned collection of classic and contemporary art and renowned architecture by Richard Meier and Renzo Piano.

Friday Jazz is an evening of art & music every third Friday of the month, including live musical performances and extended hours with full gallery access. Friday Jazz is Atlanta's most unique jazz venue — voted "Best Jazz Alternative Venue" by Atlanta Magazine and "Best of Atlanta" by Creative Loafing.

The Importance of Meaningful Relationships

2011-05-14T21:20:00.001-04:00

“Personal relationships are the fertile soil from which all advancement, all success, all achievement in real life grows.” ~Ben Stein

We don’t always pay attention to the cumulative effects of a warm hello, or help with a package, or a daily text, or a photograph that makes us smile. But when someone or something is no longer there--you realize how those brief, subtle, everyday interactions add up. It’s not a futile attempt to create rational structure … consequential strangers matter. Relationships needn't be painted as "close" or "not-close," but rather as meaningful. Why--because meaningful relationships are important social and spiritual principles.

We genuinely need people we can trust to tell us the truth, even when it is difficult to hear. In a fast-paced, high-tech, highly mobile society, we must be intentional in cultivating connectedness and community. The joy of living well is found in stepping beyond our independence and isolation towards a quality of life only to be found with others.

Nothing so shapes us as the relationships we have in life. Self-absorption leaves little room for quality relationships. Make time for people in your life, especially the ones you love the most and the ones who make you laugh the most. When we're good to our friends and family, we're really taking care of ourselves.

In his essays, Albert Camus states that individual lives and human existence, in general, have no rational meaning or order.

If nothing had any meaning, Camus would be right …

To Mother, With Love

2011-05-07T18:45:00.000-04:00

Of all the names held sacred in our hearts, none equal the sweet and sublime name of Mother. How precious are the recollections of a mother’s patient training. How many have nobly ascribed all recognized success to the devotion and guidance of mother. Through helpless infancy, adolescence and at times, adulthood, her heart was and is our support and protection.

She provided guidance in developing the coping skills needed to deal with life’s trials and tribulations. Largely, we are mother-made, because she instilled a way of life in our hearts. As we reflect on our lives, we are apt to find that we mirror our mother.

Little did I realize just how import the following words would be when my mother said them many years ago, “You are going to make mistakes in life. It’s what you do after a mistake that counts.” I sincerely appreciate the gifts she gave me that money couldn’t buy -- resilience, tenacity, courage, strength, respect for self and others, integrity and humility.

With love and appreciation to my mother, JoAnn, I honor you on Mother’s Day and always.

The Season of Rebirth

2011-04-24T09:38:00.004-04:00

Whether you are Christian celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Jewish celebrating Passover or Neo-Pagan celebrating the vernal equinox, spring is the season for rebirth and renewal. The season for transformation, rejuvenation and growth. Spring is a time for reflecting and doing a bit of spiritual housecleaning.

Spiritual housecleaning enables you to be the best that you can be … it does for your mind and soul what spring-cleaning does for your home. The list below is meant to stimulate thought and action:

Strive for excellence
Strive to acknowledge wrongdoings
Strive to be a valuable friend
Strive to be accountable
Strive to be appreciative
Strive to be charitable
Strive to be courageous
Strive to be diligent
Strive to be free of negativity
Strive to be generous
Strive to be reliable
Strive to be motivated
Strive to be resilient
Strive to be trustworthy
Strive to live in the moment
Strive to let go of resentment
Strive to step up to a challenge
Strive to love yourself more
Strive to live with integrity
Strive to be open-minded
Strive to take calculated risks
Study people of substance
Invest in personal development
Invest in professional development

I hope you are inspired … have fun along your journey!

A Prayer in Spring

2011-04-17T09:56:00.003-04:00

by Robert Frost

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;

And give us not to think so far away

As the uncertain harvest; keep us here

All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.

The Burning and Destruction of Atlanta

2011-04-11T21:38:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, April 11, 2011, is the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War.

Today, the Georgia Historical Society dedicated a marker at the site where Union General William T. Sherman ordered what’s known as the “Burning of Atlanta.”

“There is no marker to tell about the burning of Atlanta, which marked the end of the war,” Society President W. Ted Groce said. “We are standing on Ground Zero. This is where the burning and destruction started.”

The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union General William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May 1864, opposed by the Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston.

Johnston's Army of Tennessee withdrew toward Atlanta in the face of successive flanking maneuvers by Sherman's group of armies. In July, the Confederate president replaced Johnston with the more aggressive John Bell Hood, who began challenging the Union Army in a series of damaging frontal assaults. Hood's army was eventually besieged in Atlanta - The Burning of Atlanta took place on July 21 – 22, 1864 - and the city fell on September 2, hastening the end of the war.

The American Civil War was one of the earliest true industrial wars. Railroads, the telegraph, steamships, and mass-produced weapons were employed extensively. The practices of total war, developed by Sherman in Georgia, and of trench warfare around Petersburg foreshadowed World War I in Europe. It remains the deadliest war in American history, resulting in the deaths of 620,000 soldiers and an undetermined number of civilian casualties.

The “Burning of Atlanta” historical marker is located in front of the Georgia Freight Railroad Depot, on the plaza overlooking Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

B is For Bonnie™'s photostream

2011-04-03T13:02:00.004-04:00

B is For Bonnie™'s photostream on Flickr.

Photographs taken at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.

Open Walls at Black Box Gallery

2011-04-01T01:13:00.002-04:00

My photograph below will be part of the inaugural exhibition at Black Box Gallery.

Open Walls
1st April - 24th April 2011
http://www.blackboxgallery.com/
811 East Burnside Street, Suite 212, Portland, Oregon, 97214

Beyond War

2011-03-19T09:39:00.001-04:00

On April 4, 1967, exactly one year before is death, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his Beyond Vietnam speech to an audience at New York City Riverside Church. In the speech, Dr. King stated:

A genuine revolution of values means in the final analysis that our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Every nation must now develop an overriding loyalty to mankind as a whole in order to preserve the best in their individual societies.

This call for a worldwide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one’s tribe, race, class and nation is in reality a call for an all-embracing and unconditional love for all mankind. This oft misunderstood, this oft misinterpreted concept, so readily dismissed by the Nietzsches of the world as a weak and cowardly force, has now become an absolute necessity for the survival of man. When I speak of love I am not speaking of some sentimental and weak response. I’m not speaking of that force which is just emotional bosh. I am speaking of that force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life. Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door, which leads to ultimate reality. This Hindu-Moslem-Christian-Jewish-Buddhist belief about ultimate reality is beautifully summed up in the first epistle of Saint John: "Let us love one another, (Yes) for love is God. (Yes) And every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love." "If we love one another, God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us." Let us hope that this spirit will become the order of the day.

We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. The oceans of history are made turbulent by the ever-rising tides of hate. History is cluttered with the wreckage of nations and individuals that pursued this self-defeating path of hate. As Arnold Toynbee says: "Love is the ultimate force that makes for the saving choice of life and good against the damning choice of death and evil. Therefore the first hope in our inventory must be the hope that love is going to have the last word."

We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked, and dejected with a lost opportunity. The tide in the affairs of men does not remain at flood—it ebbs. We may cry out desperately for time to pause in her passage, but time is adamant to every plea and rushes on. Over the bleached bones and jumbled residues of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic words, "Too late." There is an invisible book of life that faithfully records our vigilance or our neglect. Omar Khayyam is right: "The moving finger writes, and having writ moves on."

We still have a choice today: nonviolent coexistence or violent co-annihilation. We must move past indecision to action. We must find new ways to speak for peace in Vietnam and justice throughout the developing world, a world that borders on our doors. If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight.

Astonishingly, this speech soured his relationship with many members of mainstream media. Life magazine called the speech "demagogic slander that sounded like a script for Radio Hanoi,” and The Washington Post declared that Dr. King had "diminished his usefulness to his cause, his country, his people." Curiously, if we replace Vietnam with Iraq, Afghanistan, or possibly, Libya, would the media do the same today?

A personal caveat: I have the utmost respect for the men and women who serve in The United States Armed Forces and honor them for our country’s freedom. I humbly commend the risking of lives during wartime; however, like Dr. King, I question the concept of war. The Beyond Vietnam speech reflects Dr. King's political advocacy in his later years. Conflict is inevitable, but war is not! Unbelievably, over forty years have passed and we are still struggling for fundamental changes in the political and economic life of our nation.

As I reflect on Dr. King’s statement, "True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar....it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring,” I pray for political restructuring when it comes to war.

A Taste of Tuscany in Vinings

2011-03-13T12:21:00.002-04:00

Click the link below to read my latest restaurant review ... Taverna Fiorentina.

http://smyrna.patch.com/articles/a-taste-of-tuscany-in-vinings

Happy reading and buon appetito ;-)!

Keeping Your Eyes on Your Own Paper

2011-03-06T12:23:00.004-05:00

In high school, I had an evil teacher who once played a prank during a test. In the middle of the test, as the teacher walked up and down the aisles, she approached my desk and scooped up my paper. As I watched in horror - I was an A student - and listened to the sound of ripping paper, I couldn’t help but think about what my classmates were thinking. “Oh no,” I thought, “They think I am cheating!”

A few minutes later, she returned the exam – intact – to my desk. “Just kidding,” she said, holding in her other hand two torn sheets of paper. I immediately told her I didn’t think her twisted way of demonstrating her thought of cheating was funny … and then I smiled because the class knew I didn’t cheat.

In school, the consequences of cheating was an "F" and a meeting with the principal, or worse, the assistant principal, who LIVED for the likes of cheaters, slackers and all around troublemakers. I didn’t know many cheaters then and can’t think of anyone in my life today that I’d consider a cheater in the traditional sense.

Yet, in many ways, all of us are guilty at some point in cheating ourselves. I remember hearing that in school, but it wasn’t until I’d grown up that I realized what they were talking about. For example, in these days of haves, have-nots, and those in-between, we occasionally forget to keep our eyes on our own paper. Instead of focusing on what we have, we look around and notice what others have, forgetting about our own good fortune.

Our tendency to pay attention to what other people are doing and what they have goes even deeper. If you don’t keep your eyes on your own paper, you risk losing a piece of yourself.

When we keep your eyes on our own paper, we live much closer to truth. We may not have heard the words authentic or self-acceptance when we were young, but in many ways, that is what was and still is at stake.

Accepting who you are can be as simple as refraining from asking others what they think. Also, if you keep your eyes on your own paper, you’re less likely to lose your focus. This is especially important if you are trying something new, working on your dreams, or shifting directions.

When you make the decision to look at your own paper – your own life and the way you think about it – you do something courageous … you dare to be yourself.

Live and Learn and Pass It On

2011-02-27T21:36:00.004-05:00

Regardless of how much we know, we are given new opportunities everyday for growth and discovery. School is always in session and life challenges us to excel at being both the enthusiastic student and the inspired teacher. With that said, below are a few pearls of wisdom I’d like to share:

I’ve learned that a person is only as good as his or her word.
I’ve learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that, you’d better know something.
I’ve learned that a good reputation is a person’s biggest asset.
I’ve learned that being fired can be the best thing that can happen to you.
I’ve learned that the more creative you are, the more things you notice.
I’ve learned that the great challenge of life is to decide what’s important and to disregard everything else.
I’ve learned that nothing of value comes without effort.
I’ve learned that anticipation is often better than the real thing.
I’ve leaned that generous people seldom have emotional and mental problems.
I’ve learned that in every face-to-face encounter, regardless of how brief, we leave something behind.
I’ve learned that children and grandparents are natural allies.
I’ve learned that even when you schedule a doctor’s appointment at 8:00 a.m., you still have to wait an hour.
I’ve learned that education, experience and memories are three things no one can take away from you.
I’ve learned that I don’t have to be perfect for my family to love me.
I’ve learned that if you wait for all conditions to be perfect before you act, you’ll never act.
I’ve learned that whatever I love to do, I do well.
I’ve learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don’t know how to show it.
I’ve learned that self-pity is a BIG waste of time.
I’ve learned that the worse pain is watching someone else in pain.

Coping With a Job You Hate

2011-02-21T22:35:00.001-05:00

Having a job you just hate is never easy and in today’s economy, you probably need to grin and bear it until another opportunity comes along. Whether you're currently stuck because you have to pay the bills or are holding out for the next great job, here are a few things you can do to help you get through the day.

1. Set weekly goals for yourself. Sometimes it is easier to get through the day when you can keep your eye on the prize. Even if you hate your job now, there is something out there that will make you happy. Setting these goals will give you something to work towards.

2. Do one thing each day to help you reach your goals. When you get up in the morning, set a daily objective for yourself and make sure you achieve it. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and keep you feeling good about your progress.

3. Give yourself "me time" before work. Going into a job you hate will be worse if you get to the office feeling rushed, stressed and frazzled. Set aside some moments of solitude each morning. Develop a positive morning ritual. Treat yourself to a latte, get up early enough to read the paper, or just set your alarm to play upbeat music when you wake up. Improving your mornings can do wonders for your afternoons.

4. Create a diversion for yourself in the office. Does being in your office make you yearn for the outdoors? Are the incessant ringing phones driving you batty? Do something to brighten your mood while you're at work. Use a photo that makes you smile as your screensaver. Buy yourself a "joke of the day" desk calendar. Listen to your iPod while working.

5. Use your time to develop your skills. Hating your job doesn't mean you can't learn new skills. Use your time to make yourself a better candidate down the road. If your company offers training courses, take advantage of them. Use downtime to learn something new on your computer. Pick up a management development book and read it at lunch. Turn this job into an opportunity for self-improvement.

6. Blow off some steam. Most people have an activity that helps them unwind and get rid of tension. Take a nice long walk during your lunch hour or go for a run after work.

7. Treat yourself. To make up for your office misery, find little ways of treating yourself. Buy a good book to read. Treat yourself to ice cream. Rent a movie. Shop for a new interview suit. Plan your next vacation. Do something to make you feel better inside, regardless of what is going on outside.

The History of Valentine’s Day

2011-02-13T12:04:00.000-05:00

February 14th is Valentine's Day. Currently celebrated as a holiday for lovers, it actually originated in 5th Century Rome, as a tribute to a Catholic bishop.

For eight hundred years prior to the establishment of Valentine's Day, the Romans practiced a pagan celebration in mid-February commemorating young men's rite of passage to the god Lupercus. The celebration featured a lottery in which young men would draw the names of teenage girls from a box. The girl assigned to each young man in that manner would be his sexual companion during the remaining year.

In an effort to do away with the pagan festival, Pope Gelasius ordered a slight change in the lottery. Instead of the names of young women, the box would contain the names of saints. Both men and women were allowed to draw from the box; however, the game was changed to emulating the ways of the saint drawn. Needless to say, many of the young Roman men were not too pleased with the rule changes.

Instead of the pagan god Lupercus, the Church looked for a suitable patron saint of love to take his place. They found an appropriate choice in Valentine, who, in 270 AD had been beheaded by Emperor Claudius.

Claudius determined that married men made poor soldiers, banned marriage from his empire. In spite of this, Valentine would secretly marry the young men and women that came to him. When Claudius found out about Valentine, he tried to convert him to paganism, but Valentine reversed the strategy, trying instead to convert Claudius. When he failed, he was stoned and beheaded.

During the days that Valentine was imprisoned, he fell in love with the blind daughter of his jailer. His love for her, and his great faith, managed to miraculously heal her from her blindness before his death. Before he was taken to his death, he signed a farewell message to her, "From your Valentine." The phrase has been used on his day ever since.

Although the church banned the lottery, the mid-February holiday in commemoration of St. Valentine was stilled used by Roman men to seek the affection of women. It became a tradition for men to give the ones they admired handwritten messages of affection, containing Valentine's name.

The first Valentine card grew out of this practice. Charles, Duke of Orleans, sent the first true Valentine card in 1415 to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Cupid, another symbol of the holiday, became associated with it because he was the son of Venus, the Roman god of love and beauty. Even today, Cupid often appears on Valentine cards.

Wishing you and yours a very happy Valentine’s Day!

The Endangered Renaissance Personality

2011-02-08T00:46:00.001-05:00

Remember all of those drawing-room scenes in 18th century novels, where the ladies play études on the piano, converse with foreign visitors in their native tongue, and even recite poems, while the men recount sporting feats, argue about politics and trade witty anecdotes? Everyone seems so … refined. Even in recent decades, the scholar-athlete-artist has racked up awards and social cachet for his or her breadth and depth.

But in a time where geeks who tweak software lord it over well-read, well-traveled dilettantes, a broad cultural education seems less like something to admire and aspire to.

In lamenting the decline of what he calls the cultivated person, Tracy Lee Simmons, author of Climbing Parnassus: A New Apologia for Greek and Latin and a professor at Hillsdale College, couldn’t resist summing up the situation with quotes from the Roman big guns: “Virgil said, ‘Fortunate the man who can understand the causes of things.’ ” (It’s difficult to decipher the causes of our sociopolitical environment when we’re busy monetizing video mash-ups.) And “Cicero said that ‘to not know history is to remain forever a child’ By ‘child’ he meant intellectually unformed, and probably a little dangerous.”

Whereas snagging a high-quality spouse was often the motivation for well-roundedness in Jane Austen’s time, today’s young suitors tend to flaunt one or two attributes or areas of expertise.

Professors still sense a thirst for knowledge among students, but there’s no longer a sense of shame at cultural illiteracy. “I asked a smart young woman which president held office before Reagan,” Simmons says. “She didn’t know. When I gently chastised her, she said, ’But I wasn’t born then!’ She felt that let her off the hook, whereas a student from a previous generation would have been mortified.”

What’s at stake here? Well-rounded humanists who will do the right thing … what a pity!

The Power of Words

2011-01-22T18:10:00.002-05:00

In her poem, When Silence is Beyond Words, Ouida states:

There may be moments in friendship, as in love, when silence is beyond words. The faults of our friend may be clear to us, but it is well to seem to shut our eyes to them. Friendship is usually treated by the majority of people as a thing that will survive all manner of bad treatment. But this is an exceedingly great and foolish error; it may die in an hour of a single unwise word; its conditions of existence are that it should be dealt with delicately and tenderly, being as it is a sensible plant and not a roadside thistle. We must not expect our friend to be above humanity.

Her message is paramount, yet many are oblivious to the powerful impact of words. Caustic words spoken (or received) tainted with sarcasm, irritation, anger or frustration, do carry an emotional punch. Words create impressions, images and expectations. They build psychological connections. They influence how we think. Since thoughts determine actions, there's a powerful connection between the words we use and the results we get.

"Think before you speak," is a colloquialism common to many, practiced by few. The consequence of a misspoken word scars far deeper than physical affliction ... the pain lingers and haunts.

Well chosen words offer hope, impact thinking and alter results. In fact, you might be surprised how much it does.

Reputation and Character

2011-01-14T17:45:00.001-05:00

Seeing these two words together, we often mistakenly believe that you cannot have one without the other.

Reputation is what others think of us. It is the opinion held by others concerning who we are and the motives they believe we have in doing what we do. We can have a "good" reputation, or a "bad" reputation. A reputation, good or bad, is only in the eye of the beholder.

Much more valuable is our character. Character is who we are when no one is looking. It is not just the face in the mirror, but the "face behind the face". A person with impeccable character remains rock solid when standing in the face of false accusations, insinuations, slander and ridicule. Even though the hurt is real, character will never allow despair to take hold and bring one to defeat.

Reputations come and go. Character will hold you through the storms … develop character and you will never have regrets.

Living by Design: Your Personal Vision/Mission Statement

2011-01-09T13:54:00.001-05:00

As the popular 1996 film Jerry Maguire opens, the title character is wrestling with a number of issues that make him question who he has become. These issues offend his set of values.

In the opening scenes, sports agent Maguire goes so far as to say he hates himself--and then corrects himself to say he hates his place in the world.

So, he writes what he calls a mission statement, "a suggestion for the future of our company." Among the values he talks about in the mission statement are the "simple pleasures," "protecting clients in health and injury," "caring," and being "the me I always wanted to be." He harkens back to his mentor, Dickie Fox, who said sports agentry is all about personal relationships.

Above all, the mission statement inspires him to say: "I'd started my life." As the film progresses, and the mission statement turns out not to be well received by his company, we realize that what Maguire has written is a personal mission statement for his own life rather than for his company - a suggestion for the future of his own life.

Jerry Maguire said that people in his business, including himself, had forgotten about what was important. Writing a personal mission statement offers the opportunity to establish what's important and perhaps make a decision to stick to it before we even start a career. Or it enables us to chart a new course when we're at a career crossroads.

Your personal mission statement should answer three questions:
What is my life about (purpose)?
What do I stand for (values)?
What actions do I take to manifest my purpose and my values?

Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People explains that an empowering mission statement represents the deepest and best within you. It comes out of a solid connection with your deep inner life. It’s the expression of your unique capacity to contribute. It addresses and integrates the four fundamental human needs and capacities in the physical, social/emotional, mental and spiritual dimensions. It represents a lifetime balance of personal, family, work, community - whatever roles you feel are yours to fill. It is written to inspire YOU – NOT to impress anyone else.

Covey writes, "Creating a personal mission statement will be, without question, one of the most powerful and significant things you will ever do to take leadership of you life. In it you will identify the most important roles, relationships, and things in your life - who you want to be, what you want to do, to whom and what you want of give your life, the principles you want to anchor your life to, the legacy you want to leave. All the goals and decisions you will make in the future will be based upon it. It’s like deciding first which wall you want to lean your ladder of life against, and then beginning to climb. It will be a compass - a strong source of guidance amid the stormy seas and pressing, pulling currents of you life."

Covey refers to crafting a mission statement as "connecting with your own unique purpose and the profound satisfaction that comes in fulfilling it."

Sounds pretty close to what Jerry Maguire did, doesn't it?

Living a Passionate Life

2010-12-29T18:37:00.002-05:00

Take passionate action towards living your life by design. Talk is cheap, action equals deposits in the bank of a passionately authentic future…without action, passion is void.

Commit yourself to powerfully create a life you can love. Instead of reacting, commit to creating from your heart, out of love rather than fear. You will be amazed as the transformation begins.

Recognize and embrace the thought that each moment is perfect regardless of its outcome. If you are not pleased with the outcome, decide to use that moment to learn from and make the appropriate shift.

Dwell completely in a place of gratitude. Slipping into neediness will become less of a habit when you repeatedly shift towards gratitude.

Use Recognize/Reevaluate/Restore in place of the Shoulda/Woulda/Coulda.

Keep humor at the forefront of thought. You may find yourself quite entertaining when you loosen up! Humor is very attractive, very passionate: life-giving.

Trust that you are in the right place at the right time to learn whatever lessons you are meant to be learning. Become a part of a community of people where you can express from the heart and embrace each other's dreams and life philosophy. Know that you will be honored as you honor one another.

When emotions arise, flow with them. Take time out to be fully in the moment. This will model what it means to be authentically engaged in life, no matter what is dished out.

Be strongly vulnerable in connecting with people core-to-core instead of superficially. Do this by replacing the tendency of backing away with drawing closer.

Believe that you are the architect of your destiny. No one can take your passionate future from you except you! Create your life authentically. Watch everything flow into place with perfect, passionate precision.

This week's blog is dedicated to my dear friends ... thank you for being in my life and for allowing me to be me! ;-)

Holiday Wishes

2010-12-16T21:26:00.002-05:00

If I could, I would,
Send you the grandest things:

Beaver Hats
Burmese Cats
First Editions
Musical Renditions
Depression Glass
A Vacation First Class
A Place to Ski
An Old MG
Open Doors
No More Wars
A Rare Vermeer
A Boat on Lake Lanier
Jade
Spode
A Mother Lode

Forget the above … you’re blessed with Heavenly Love.

May you always remember the Reason for the Season.

Wishing you and yours a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

To Inspire

2010-12-12T11:20:00.001-05:00

According to Merriam-Webster, the word inspire means to fill with enlivening or exalting emotion; to affect, guide or arouse by divine influence; to stimulate energies, ideals or reverence. That’s a powerful definition for a seven-letter word. What inspires you? Is it a person or a place? Your minister, priest or rabbi? The message you received from Sunday’s sermon? A meal prepared by your favorite chef? A painting or poem? A book or movie? A consequential stranger or Facebook friend?

We are all inspired by one thing or another, but are you aware of how you inspire others? Your acts of kindness, your smile or your words of wisdom can inspire profoundly. In many cases, you may not be aware of the depth in which your actions inspire. The gift of inspiration is a beautiful thing … especially when it’s acknowledged.

Next time someone inspires you, remember to reciprocate the gift with the joy of acknowledgement.

Synergy, Patterns and Temporary Insanity

2010-12-04T09:34:00.001-05:00

Synergy is the simultaneous action of separate people in which, together, have a greater total effect than the sum of their individual powers. When in love, it is quite possible to confuse synergy with infatuation’s temporary insanity, thus repeating relationship patterns that are less than healthy.

Recognizing relationship patterns is one of the most difficult, enlightening and liberating tasks we can do for ourselves. It takes self-honesty and objectivity, which can be quite painful and embarrassing, but the payoff is quite liberating. Once we figure out that relationships aren’t random events that happen, but are a result of our own patterns, we can reclaim our power and remind ourselves that WE are the authors writing OUR chapter in the book of life.

There is a saying about patterns that holds true, “When you do what you did, you get what you got.” One must accept responsibility for the connection between what you do and what you get. By taking a long, hard look at the people around you and an even harder look at yourself, you will realize that no one is in our lives that we haven’t chosen to let in.

Before the temporary insanity of infatuation sets in, it is imperative to find out the character of the person you are inviting into your life. Ask questions and pay very close attention to the answers. Then, pay even closer attention to whether or not the answers match the person’s behavior. When there is a difference between what they say and how they behave, ignore the words and believe the behavior!

Someone who claims to believe in the importance of honesty would not lie. Someone who believes in commitment would not cheat. Someone who claims to be respectful would never demean or trivialize you or what is important to you.

In life, as in chess, think long, think hard and choose wisely.

Gratitude Makes the Soul Sing

2010-11-26T06:00:00.007-05:00

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John F. Kennedy

I’ve always believed and trusted that I am in the right place at the right time. When mistakes are made, I learn whatever lessons must be learned. Over the years, I have wisely selected my friends, thus I am part of a community that expresses from the heart and embraces dreams.

As an architect designs, I create my life passionately, by connecting with people core-to-core instead of superficially. Understanding strength in synergy and weakness in selfishness, I dwell in a place of complete gratitude.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.

Gratitude is exhilarating … it makes the soul sing!

Giving Thanks

2010-11-20T23:11:00.002-05:00

Contrary to popular belief, the first recorded Thanksgiving ceremony took place on September 8, 1565. Under the leadership of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, six hundred Spaniards landed at what is now St. Augustine, Florida, and immediately held a Mass of Thanksgiving for their safe delivery to the New World; there followed a feast and celebration. It had nothing to do with Pilgrims, Indians or turkey … that happened fifty-six years later.

In fact, the Pilgrims of Plymouth owe quite a bit of thanks to Squanto, a Patuxet Native American who resided with the Wampanoag tribe. Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to catch eel, grow corn and served as an interpreter for them; he learned English as a slave in Europe.

In 1621, immediately after their first harvest, the Pilgrims set apart a day to celebrate. At the time, this was not regarded as a Thanksgiving observance; harvest festivals were existing parts of English and Wampanoag tradition alike. The Pilgrims did not hold a true Thanksgiving until 1623, following a drought. The Pilgrims prayed for rain and a rain shower followed. In the Plymouth tradition, Thanksgiving Day became a church observance, rather than a feast day.

The day two races came together in fellowship to give thanks and share food should be remembered, celebrated and honored. However, the commercialism of today’s Thanksgiving celebration, with the plethora of tacky turkey trinkets, makes me gag … yuck!

I believe we should not only celebrate this important day in American history, but we should give thanks for the gifts, blessings and love we receive on a daily basis, not only on the fourth Thursday each November. Yes, many of us do, but far too many do not. On Thanksgiving Day, when you sit down to your traditional meal and celebrate with family and friends, start a new tradition … giving thanks daily.

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving … may it be filled with love, joy, blessings and new traditions, too!

The Art of Meaningful Conversation

2010-11-12T21:24:00.001-05:00

“The most fruitful and natural play of the mind is conversation. I find it sweeter than any other action in life,” wrote 16th century essayist Michel de Montaigne. Few things are in fact so pleasurable and fertile as engaging in good talk. Whether you’re falling in love or entering into friendship, open-ended, seemingly unimportant conversations are essential to building intimacy. They are also the means by which we learn, via other people, how the world works. Talking forces us to clarify our perspectives, as well as recall our experiences. A meandering chat unlocks doors to memories long ago stored away.

Increasingly, most of us lack the time and the focus for this most basic of human activities. “Non-goal-oriented conversations are a great luxury now,” says Daniel Menaker, author of A Good Talk: The Story and Skill of Conversation. And when we do have a spare hour or two, we often spend it in less satisfying forms of communication. Many people think nothing of checking their BlackBerrys over dinner (a HUGE pet peeve of mine). Such “conversing” makes one statement loud and clear: Our interlocutor isn’t valuable enough to warrant our full attention.

Looking down at a handheld device, rather than into the eyes of your conversational mate, isn’t merely rude, it also sabotages the exchange of nonverbal cues that sustain rich and meaningful attachments. “We’re all facial coders,” says Dan Hill, founder and president of Sensory Logic, a market research firm.

Reading others’ faces and emotions is a key component of empathy, and some argue that the ability or willingness to empathize is on the decline. In study conducted at the University of Michigan, researchers found a 40 percent drop in empathy (as measured by questions about feeling concern for the less fortunate and putting oneself in another’s shoes.) among college students from 1979 to 2009. A sharp plunge began around the year 2000—just as the digital era as we know it kicked into high gear.

In addition, digital communication breeds confusion. Researchers recently concluded that email communicators “hear” what they’re writing based on their intention, while the email recipient often misses that nuance. For example, a statement meant to be sarcastic can be read as insulting.

“Conversations are necessary for creating wisdom about the self and others,” says Menaker. Without conversations that take us on spontaneous journeys through ideas and opinions, we cannot know what we think and we cannot understand the minds of others.

Life Happens ... Lose the Excuses

2010-11-05T22:03:00.000-04:00

The clamor of chaos follows the frenetic face of frustration and it isn’t even noon yet! Does this sound like your day? It was mine at 9:00 a.m. Forget lunch … meetings, followed by conference calls and a slue of email, have me glued to my desk. Whew, finally a moment to breathe - yay - then I realize it is 6:00 p.m. Where did my day go?

Overwhelming, isn't it? Do you have similar days? Do your days turn into weeks, and then the weeks go by turning into months? Have you ever said, “I’ll call,” “Let’s do lunch,” or “I always have time for you,” but are your words and actions really aligned? Are you guilty of making these statements repeatedly without following through? How many friends and family members have you ignored in the process of attempting to manage your life?

In one of Aesop’s many fables, we are told of a boy who fictitiously cries wolf on more than one occasion. When the wolf really appears, the villagers ignore the boy’s cry based on past behavior. Are you “the boy who cries wolf” with words and empty promises? Do you use life as your excuse for not keeping in touch?

In the technological world in which we live, there are no excuses! Email, voice mail, IM and text messaging enable us to keep in touch using minimal time. Actions really do speak louder than words. In fact, actions yell integrity, loyalty, consideration and respect. The empty excuses of could have, would have, should have and my favorite - I’ll try (thank you, Yoda, for explaining why there is no try) - are not acceptable, period!

Be true to yourself and to others by ensuring your actions speak louder than your words. Life happens to all of us … lose the excuses!

Desiderata

2010-10-29T23:11:00.005-04:00

Written in 1927 by Max Ehrmann, Desiderata is one of my favorite poems. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do.

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others,

even to the dull and the ignorant;

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons;

they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain or bitter,

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals,

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love,

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,

it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life,

keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Thank you mom and dad for teaching me everything in this poem ... it molded me into the woman I am today.

The Bliss of a Kiss

2010-10-21T20:39:00.002-04:00

In the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes, “The sound of a kiss is not so loud as that of a cannon, but its echo lasts a great deal longer.” Absolutely, Mr. Holmes! In fact, that echo can last for weeks on end.

V-J Day in Times Square by Alfred Eisenstaedt

While the scientific definition takes the sexiness out of it, isn’t it amazing that the anatomical juxtaposition of two orbicularis oris muscles in a state of contraction brings such pleasure? Moreover, reveals emotions without words and on occasion, allows reality to slap us in the face.

Regardless of exactly how people got the idea to kiss or what they mean when they do it, anthropologists are pretty sure that people started kissing thousands of years ago.

Four Vedic Sanskrit texts, written in India around 1500 B.C., appear to describe people kissing. This doesn't mean that people didn't kiss before then, and it doesn't mean that the people of India were the first to kiss. Artists and writers may have just considered kissing too private to depict in art or literature.

After its first mention in writing, kissing didn't appear much in art or literature for a few hundred years. The world’s longest epic poem Mahabharata describes kissing on the lips as a sign of affection. The Mahabharata was passed down orally for several hundred years before being written down and standardized around 350 A.D. A feat in itself, as it contains 1.8 million words in total, roughly ten times the length of the Iliad and Odyssey combined. The Vatsyayana Kamasutram, or Kama Sutra, also describes a variety of kisses.

Some anthropologists believe that kissing is a learned cultural behavior and theorize that the Greeks learned about it when Alexander the Great invaded India in 326 B.C., but many other anthropologists disagree and believe kissing was part of courtship rituals for centuries before it was ever recorded.

Kissing was quite popular during the Roman Empire and Romans used kisses to greet friends and family members. Citizens kissed their rulers' hands. The Romans had three different categories for kissing: Osculum was a kiss on the cheek; Basium was a kiss on the lips; Savolium was a deep kiss. In Rome, it was tradition that couples announce their wedding by kissing passionately in front of a group of people, including family. Today modern couples kiss at the end of wedding ceremonies.

The Romans also sealed letters and documents with a kiss and so the term "sealed with a kiss" comes as no surprise. Kisses were used like handshakes to seal legal and business agreements and even during political campaigns.

The British took it one step further with "kisses for votes" scandals in the 18th century which led some candidates to kissing only the very young and very old.

Most cultures around the world kiss today, but there are differing views on the appropriateness of kissing.

Personally, I’ve never believed in love at first sight. A kiss? Well - like the Romans - I believe a kiss can seal the deal.

A Chattahoochee Morning

2010-10-16T21:23:00.008-04:00

After a grueling workweek - several 14-hour days - a sunrise stroll along the Chattahoochee River was just what the doctor ordered. The serene landscape and flowing water instantly instill tranquility. Light fog rising wispily above the water on a cool fall morning resembles mystical creatures with magical powers. While watching the fog rise, I thought about the history of the river.

The Chattahoochee River has played a key role in the history of Georgia. Paleolithic and Woodland Indians called it home. The Cherokee and Creek used the river as a border, first between their Nations, then between themselves and early settlers. The Cherokee had named the river "Chota," which was also the name of a town in the Nacoochee Valley. When the river flowed into Creek territory, it became the "Chattahoochee." When the Cherokees were forced out of their homeland, the name "Chota" disappeared with them. The Chattahoochee, though, carried on.

In its watershed, the first great American Gold Rush (1828 - 1840) occurred. Crossing the river was a major accomplishment for William Tecumseh Sherman during the Atlanta Campaign of the Civil War. In addition, the noted Georgian poet Sidney Lanier commemorated the beauty of the Chattahoochee River in an epic poem, The Song of the Chattahoochee (1877). Today, it helps grow peanuts and cotton in southwest Georgia, powers turbines, and flushes every toilet in Atlanta.

Rivers typically meander and change course over time. However, the Chattahoochee River is one of the oldest and most stable river channels within the United States. It is essentially "locked" in place, flowing along the Brevard Fault Zone, which is the dividing line between the Appalachian Mountains and the Piedmont Plateau. The fault itself serves as a natural barrier to movement. The Brevard Fault, which cuts diagonally from northeast Georgia to Alabama, is probably the Chattahoochee's most important geological feature and has contributed much to the scenic beauty of the river, both above and below Atlanta.

This morning’s photos of picturesque nature scenery were taken at Cochran Shoals/Powers Island, part of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, a 48-mile stretch of the Chattahoochee River. It begins at Lake Lanier's Buford Dam, near Buford, Georgia, and continues downstream through four counties to Peachtree Creek near downtown Atlanta.

Crabs in the Bucket

2010-10-10T16:02:00.018-04:00

Growing up in Southeast Louisiana, I had the luxury of experiencing Sportsman’s Paradise to the fullest. As a child, I’d spend endless summer hours with my father boating, fishing and crabbing. Having an inquisitive mind, I’d often sit and watch the crabs in the bucket after daddy removed them from the traps. I thought crabs were truly fascinating.

What I found to be the most interesting was the behavior of the crabs in the bucket, as one would climb and rise above the rest, the others would grab the hind legs of the climbing crab, pulling it back into the bucket. “No need for a lid,” he’d say, “because no crab will allow another crab to move up and get out.”

I questioned that behavior and thought, “Can't they lend a helping pincer, form a chain, climb up and pull the entire group out of the bucket? Why can’t they do like ants and work as a team?” Instead of thinking about dinner, at 10-years-old, my fascination with behavior began.

Although crab behavior should not be analogous to human behavior, I can think of many instances where it is. Just show a little ambition to escape the confines of your situation in the workplace and your management and co-workers will swoop in to give you that extra boost of support you need to make it to the next level. Right? I don’t think so. Far too often the ambitious are kept in their place and the mediocre dictate how it’s going to be for everyone, pulling you back into the crabby abyss.

I escaped the abyss by being kicked out of the bucket. Having an ambitious soul, I’ve moved on to better things. When asked recently, “How did you land that gig?” I smiled and thought to myself, “I expostulate crabs in the bucket behavior and embrace the social networking of the ant…for the greater good of all.”

This week’s blog is dedicated to my mentors, thank you for the amaranthine encouragement, overlooking our temperamental differences.

Absurdity and the Consequential Stranger

2010-10-01T22:35:00.003-04:00

In his essays, Albert Camus states that individual lives and human existence in general have no rational meaning or order. Since most people have difficulty accepting this notion, they constantly attempt to identify or create rational structure and meaning in their lives. The term “absurdity” describes humanity’s futile attempt to find rational order where none exists.

We don’t always pay attention to the cumulative effects of a warm hello, or help with a package, or a daily text, or a photograph that makes us smile. But when someone or something is no longer there--you realize how those brief, subtle, everyday interactions add up. And, it’s not a futile attempt to create rational structure … consequential strangers matter. Relationships needn't be painted as "close" or "not-close," but rather as meaningful. Why--because meaningful relationships are important social and spiritual principles.

We genuinely need people we can trust to tell us the truth, even when it is difficult to hear. In a fast-paced, high-tech, highly mobile society, we must be intentional in cultivating connectedness and community. The joy of living well is found in stepping beyond our independence and isolation towards a quality of life only to be found with others.

If nothing had any meaning, Camus would be right …

Eat, Pray, Love at Babette’s Café

2010-09-25T16:11:00.010-04:00

One of my favorite Virginia-Highland restaurants is Babette’s Café. For those of you not familiar with the area, Virginia-Highland is a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, founded in the early 20th century as a streetcar suburb. It is named after the intersection of Virginia Avenue and North Highland Avenue, the heart of a busy commercial district at the center of the neighborhood. The neighborhood is famous for its bungalows and other historic houses from the 1910s-1930s. It has become a destination for people across Atlanta with its eclectic mix of restaurants, bars, and shops.

Chef Marla Adams named her gem, Babette’s Café, after Babette’s Feast, a novel by Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke (Isak Dinesen). Gabriel Axel wrote an adaptation of Babette’s Feast, which in 1988, won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Like its namesake, Babette’s Café is also award winning, boasting Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s Restaurant of Distinction Award, Best of Citysearch Top 10 Best of Brunch, Zagat rated Very Good to Excellent and ranked second-place for Best Short Wine List on Restaurant Hospitality Magazine’s Best Wine Lists in America.

Since food is one of the central themes of life, it stands to reason that it would make a good theme for the cinema. There is something sensual about a well-crafted movie featuring food. The smells and tastes leap off the screen and make the viewer hungry for more. Inspired by the book and movie, Eat, Pray Love, Babette’s Café is offering a series of Italian specials through Sept. 26. Tropical flowers, candles, and luscious food make for a spiritual evening.

I had the pleasure of dining at Babette’s Cafe on Wednesday for a post birthday celebration with a dear friend. My experience -- spiritual, indeed! The squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta made my tastebuds jump up and down with joy. The Bucatini Amatriciana was THE pasta perfection on this side of Heaven. The wild mushroom risotto with roasted duck and wild mushrooms -- the perfect marriage -- sensual richness meets delicate, woodsy and earthy flavors.

For life’s gastronomic pleasures, dining at Babette’s Café is a cardinal rule! Thank you Chef Marla Adams, for consistently offering an impeccable dining experience.