Paste Magazine Suspends Print Publication
Local Atlanta coverage here.
They intend to continue their online publication for the foreseeable future. Here's hoping things can pick back up for them soon.
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Showing posts with label local ATL stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label local ATL stuff. Show all posts
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
The Perfect Park
For years it has eluded me. The perfect park. To be honest, we do live in an area with an abundance of parks -- we even have one at the swim/tennis center in our neighborhood, plus two that I know of within a few minutes drive. There's a park with lots of activity centers and mazes of slides and climbing structures, all relatively new. One park has a nature-ish area near a river with a small creek, though it has been under construction since last year's floods. Another park within driving distance is right beside an airport runway. Still, I never found one that I wanted to visit every day. Until now.
A nearby city publishes a weekly paper which keeps me up on happenings in the community. This week there was an article on how some of the former county parks have recently been bought by the city. And they listed a small park that is less than 2 miles away from us that I had never heard about, though I've driven by the street a million times. So, Jacob and Ethan and I went on an adventure on Wednesday and when we discovered it, we had so much fun that we came back today and brought Gaines with us.
Top Ten Reasons I Love The Perfect Park
1. It's within a reasonable driving distance. Fairly short, actually. It's even closer to us than our former first choice for a park.
2. It is SHADY. There are trees all around the playground area, a nice shaded pavilion, and very quick access to a wooded area with some walking trails. Even in the middle of a 90-degree day we never felt like we were in the blazing sun. One metal slide got hot, but the rest were plastic.
3. Nature abounds. It feels very wooded and there is no artificial ground cover. For me, that used to be a drawback, but now that my two are walking around, I love that they can get dirty and have fun. Plus, we love walking on a well-worn path through residential woods. It's not a strenuous hike, but I feel like we get some exercise and enjoy being outdoors without getting too much sun.
4. It is in a neighborhood. Even when it was just me, the boys, and a lone tennis player in the middle of the day I didn't feel like I was secluded. There are houses directly across the street and you can see them through the woods. It fits my comfort level, since I can let the boys play without hovering.
5. It's just the right size, slightly enclosed, but with an open feel. There are only two "stations" and they are close together. Ethan can climb and slide ALL BY HIMSELF on one set and I can see Jacob sliding on the big slide nearby. One of our regular parks is just too spread out -- if one kid wanders off in a different direction I feel like I might lose the other one, especially on crowded park days.
6. The park is not crowded. The days I've been there this week, we've seen maybe one or two families (some from the neighborhood--who walked there!) but not an entire horde of summer children. The park isn't flashy or well-known enough for that. It's our hidden gem!
7. One of my favorite things -- it has a zipline! (Ok, well, sort of. It has one of those metal bars that slides across while you hang from it.) Jacob loves it. And so do I! Maybe if I come enough I can get work on my arm muscles. I'm such a weakling I can't even cross the monkey bars anymore.
8. Stroller access is excellent, but not intrusive. You can bring your stroller close to the action while staying on the sideway and it doesn't get lost admid too many play areas. This is a well-designed small park.
9. The equipment is decidedly old-school. I love it! The monkey bars are high and there are wooden platforms. It's "dangerous" enough so kids can explore and climb and yet I feel like Jacob is safer there than on some of the newer configurations. Some helicopter mom might deem it unsafe, but it's just the way I like it.
10. Family friendly. Today, since Gaines had the day off from both work and school, we enjoyed a leisurely lunch near a guy who was working "from home" with a laptop. A dad from the neighborhood walked his two kids to the park while we were there. And when we took our short hike on the nature trail, we left our cooler on the picnic table bench. It was still there when we returned, of course.
There might be one drawback -- no facilities. The first day we were there we met a mom and her young son leaving for that very reason. (That's not a problem for Jacob, though, apparently, since there are an abundance of trees not far off the wooded path(!), but I can see how if you don't plan well it could be an issue for little girls or pregnant women. Or me, if I drink too much water.)
One thing I didn't understand, though. Why did the house directly across the street have this giant new modern jungle gym in their backyard that was VISIBLE from the park?! I mean, seriously, is the public park not good enough for your little darlings? They can't cross the street to play? They might get too dirty? Now, I would love to have something like that in my own backyard, of course, but if I lived directly across the street from a place like this? I just don't know. I understand the desire to have a place to play that you can see from the kitchen window and that is completely enclosed and private. Still, I defend "my newly discovered park" as the perfect public play area. And if I lived in that house across the street, (once my kids were old enough) I'd send them across the street to play, invite some neighborhood kids, and watch from my front window. Pretty soon you'll be calling me a "free range parent". Perhaps I'm just an old-fashioned park lover.
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A nearby city publishes a weekly paper which keeps me up on happenings in the community. This week there was an article on how some of the former county parks have recently been bought by the city. And they listed a small park that is less than 2 miles away from us that I had never heard about, though I've driven by the street a million times. So, Jacob and Ethan and I went on an adventure on Wednesday and when we discovered it, we had so much fun that we came back today and brought Gaines with us.
Top Ten Reasons I Love The Perfect Park
1. It's within a reasonable driving distance. Fairly short, actually. It's even closer to us than our former first choice for a park.
2. It is SHADY. There are trees all around the playground area, a nice shaded pavilion, and very quick access to a wooded area with some walking trails. Even in the middle of a 90-degree day we never felt like we were in the blazing sun. One metal slide got hot, but the rest were plastic.
3. Nature abounds. It feels very wooded and there is no artificial ground cover. For me, that used to be a drawback, but now that my two are walking around, I love that they can get dirty and have fun. Plus, we love walking on a well-worn path through residential woods. It's not a strenuous hike, but I feel like we get some exercise and enjoy being outdoors without getting too much sun.
4. It is in a neighborhood. Even when it was just me, the boys, and a lone tennis player in the middle of the day I didn't feel like I was secluded. There are houses directly across the street and you can see them through the woods. It fits my comfort level, since I can let the boys play without hovering.
5. It's just the right size, slightly enclosed, but with an open feel. There are only two "stations" and they are close together. Ethan can climb and slide ALL BY HIMSELF on one set and I can see Jacob sliding on the big slide nearby. One of our regular parks is just too spread out -- if one kid wanders off in a different direction I feel like I might lose the other one, especially on crowded park days.
6. The park is not crowded. The days I've been there this week, we've seen maybe one or two families (some from the neighborhood--who walked there!) but not an entire horde of summer children. The park isn't flashy or well-known enough for that. It's our hidden gem!
7. One of my favorite things -- it has a zipline! (Ok, well, sort of. It has one of those metal bars that slides across while you hang from it.) Jacob loves it. And so do I! Maybe if I come enough I can get work on my arm muscles. I'm such a weakling I can't even cross the monkey bars anymore.
8. Stroller access is excellent, but not intrusive. You can bring your stroller close to the action while staying on the sideway and it doesn't get lost admid too many play areas. This is a well-designed small park.
9. The equipment is decidedly old-school. I love it! The monkey bars are high and there are wooden platforms. It's "dangerous" enough so kids can explore and climb and yet I feel like Jacob is safer there than on some of the newer configurations. Some helicopter mom might deem it unsafe, but it's just the way I like it.
10. Family friendly. Today, since Gaines had the day off from both work and school, we enjoyed a leisurely lunch near a guy who was working "from home" with a laptop. A dad from the neighborhood walked his two kids to the park while we were there. And when we took our short hike on the nature trail, we left our cooler on the picnic table bench. It was still there when we returned, of course.
There might be one drawback -- no facilities. The first day we were there we met a mom and her young son leaving for that very reason. (That's not a problem for Jacob, though, apparently, since there are an abundance of trees not far off the wooded path(!), but I can see how if you don't plan well it could be an issue for little girls or pregnant women. Or me, if I drink too much water.)
One thing I didn't understand, though. Why did the house directly across the street have this giant new modern jungle gym in their backyard that was VISIBLE from the park?! I mean, seriously, is the public park not good enough for your little darlings? They can't cross the street to play? They might get too dirty? Now, I would love to have something like that in my own backyard, of course, but if I lived directly across the street from a place like this? I just don't know. I understand the desire to have a place to play that you can see from the kitchen window and that is completely enclosed and private. Still, I defend "my newly discovered park" as the perfect public play area. And if I lived in that house across the street, (once my kids were old enough) I'd send them across the street to play, invite some neighborhood kids, and watch from my front window. Pretty soon you'll be calling me a "free range parent". Perhaps I'm just an old-fashioned park lover.
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Wednesday, March 10, 2010
There's a three-year-old living in our house now.
His name is Jacob and he likes planes.
Thanks to my friend Jessica's inside scoop, we took him to a very cool playground at Peachtree-Dekalb Airport for a picnic lunch on his birthday. Here he is with a friend from church on one of the ride-ons.
PDK is like the secret mecca for savvy moms. How did I not know about this place before? The park is right next to the tarmac, you can see the planes taking off and landing right in front of you, and there's a great picnic spot under a big tree. Plus, the restrooms are covered by an old hangar and have cool signs on the walls.
By the time we left the airport in the early afternoon, the place was teeming with children and the parking lot was full. On a Tuesday in the middle of a school week.
Though we'd never really hung out with this family outside of church before, I think Jacob had a great time. He and the other little boy are close in age and Jacob would call to him to follow him in and out and up and down and around the playground equipment.
Jacob's become a brave kid. He likes to climb on things that might've given him (and me) pause a year ago. But he's very careful. If he gets stuck, he just climbs ever so slowly back down...and then tries to go up another way. He also has the most vivid imagination.
Here he is smiling proudly atop his newfound castle. Or treehouse.
The boy scouts had it right: always be prepared. You just never know when your little boy might suddenly turn into....an airplane! Vroooooooom!
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Thanks to my friend Jessica's inside scoop, we took him to a very cool playground at Peachtree-Dekalb Airport for a picnic lunch on his birthday. Here he is with a friend from church on one of the ride-ons.
PDK is like the secret mecca for savvy moms. How did I not know about this place before? The park is right next to the tarmac, you can see the planes taking off and landing right in front of you, and there's a great picnic spot under a big tree. Plus, the restrooms are covered by an old hangar and have cool signs on the walls.
By the time we left the airport in the early afternoon, the place was teeming with children and the parking lot was full. On a Tuesday in the middle of a school week.
Though we'd never really hung out with this family outside of church before, I think Jacob had a great time. He and the other little boy are close in age and Jacob would call to him to follow him in and out and up and down and around the playground equipment.
Jacob's become a brave kid. He likes to climb on things that might've given him (and me) pause a year ago. But he's very careful. If he gets stuck, he just climbs ever so slowly back down...and then tries to go up another way. He also has the most vivid imagination.
Here he is smiling proudly atop his newfound castle. Or treehouse.
The boy scouts had it right: always be prepared. You just never know when your little boy might suddenly turn into....an airplane! Vroooooooom!
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Monday, December 07, 2009
The Pioneer Woman Signs Books
Have I told you about The Pioneer Woman?
Surely I have. I've certainly made many of her recipes! Perhaps you enjoyed one. (But perhaps I just took the compliments and sneakily passed them off as mine. Oops.)
The Pioneer Woman is otherwise known as Ree Drummond, a midwestern gal, mom to four kids, who blogs about food, photography, and her life on an Oklahoman cattle ranch. I've been reading her blog for about three years now, mostly the recipe section (I remember when she first posted that chocolate sheet cake), but her story of how she went from an uptown city gal to the wife of a rancher, "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" is quite riveting. She's got a wicked sense of humor and a great eye for composition. Her fame has steadily grown (I voted for her to get those Bloggy awards!) and she recently published a book. Isn't this just the happiest cookbook cover you've ever seen?
See that lovely design on the brown background underneath her book? That's a t-shirt. How did I get it, you might be wondering? Well, that, as they say, is the rest of the story...
Tonight, I met the Pioneer Woman. She was at her booksigning here in Atlanta. She is just as warm and friendly in person as she comes across on her blog. And she was signing books like Babe Ruth signed baseballs while carrying on completely gracious and intelligent conversations, maintaining poise and composure with Sharpie in hand and cameras flashing. How does she DO that?
(I actually asked her if she uses Vaseline to help her keep smiling through all those photographs. She said, "No, but I probably should." And then she proceeded to execute a proper "pageant wave." I love that woman.)
My friend Sarah is probably blogging right now about all our experiences, so I will let her share all the details about how we ended up there at the perfect time and made it smoothly through the line in only a little over an hour. Sarah brilliantly researched the fact that we should show up way early and get armbands so we could go in with an earlier group, rather than getting there at the start time. Apparently, some of PW's recent book signings have lasted until the wee hours of the morning, so at least Borders was prepared.
The Pioneer Woman definitely draws a crowd. But it's also a very nice crowd. Mostly ladies, quite a few adorable kiddos, one or two lone males. We were diverse and chatty and super excited to be there. I have been to other book signings (mostly obscure poets and authors that only my fellow English majors would appreciate) and it was nothing like this. Tonight was like a big party. You couldn't meet a stranger. Perhaps it was because we all felt we knew her from reading her blog.
Upon meeting the Pioneer Woman, she made me feel instantly at ease. When my friend Sarah, her sis-in-law Vickie, our friend Shanna and I all went up together, Ethan was sleeping, strapped to my chest in a Beco carrier. The very first thing she said to me was, "You are too tiny to have such a big baby!" That is the nicest compliment I think I've received in months!
I was just beaming. And struck dumb! How could I compete with such a compliment? Wasn't I, as the fan, supposed to be the one praising her? I think I said something lame about how I enjoy her blog. Then she said, "Was that all your milk?" and it took a second to register that she meant did I breastfeed him and all I could say was "Yup. Pretty much." Tongue-tied, I tell ya.
Still, that, too, was a compliment I couldn't beat. I tried to follow up with "And it was all from your food, too!" but that came across as kind of weird. Still, perhaps she, as a fellow mom, understood. At least she didn't shoo me away or anything.
There was some chatter about a Marlboro Man coffee mug that Shanna brought her (who doesn't like coffee?). And something about her hand getting cramped from signing all our books (we had 8 between us, but some people had that many by themselves!). Then we were gone, thanking her for coming, gathering our things so the next group could meet her. We chatted for a minute with her friends and were given these amazing t-shirts. For them, it's like residual fame. Kind of neat. And they are just as graceful and charming as PW.
And then it was over.
Afterward, we went to Figo for a late dinner. I think PW would've liked the food, minus the stale bread. I just enjoyed chatting with my friends and watching Ethan try to eat a piece of bread with his pacifier still in his mouth.
I'd like to think that the reason this collective adventure was so enjoyable for all was because the Pioneer Woman writes about and photographs what she loves, and we all just happen to love the same things.
I'm grateful I have a whole slew of new recipes to try out on my unsuspecting friends and family. Thanks, PW!
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Surely I have. I've certainly made many of her recipes! Perhaps you enjoyed one. (But perhaps I just took the compliments and sneakily passed them off as mine. Oops.)
The Pioneer Woman is otherwise known as Ree Drummond, a midwestern gal, mom to four kids, who blogs about food, photography, and her life on an Oklahoman cattle ranch. I've been reading her blog for about three years now, mostly the recipe section (I remember when she first posted that chocolate sheet cake), but her story of how she went from an uptown city gal to the wife of a rancher, "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" is quite riveting. She's got a wicked sense of humor and a great eye for composition. Her fame has steadily grown (I voted for her to get those Bloggy awards!) and she recently published a book. Isn't this just the happiest cookbook cover you've ever seen?
See that lovely design on the brown background underneath her book? That's a t-shirt. How did I get it, you might be wondering? Well, that, as they say, is the rest of the story...
Tonight, I met the Pioneer Woman. She was at her booksigning here in Atlanta. She is just as warm and friendly in person as she comes across on her blog. And she was signing books like Babe Ruth signed baseballs while carrying on completely gracious and intelligent conversations, maintaining poise and composure with Sharpie in hand and cameras flashing. How does she DO that?
(I actually asked her if she uses Vaseline to help her keep smiling through all those photographs. She said, "No, but I probably should." And then she proceeded to execute a proper "pageant wave." I love that woman.)
My friend Sarah is probably blogging right now about all our experiences, so I will let her share all the details about how we ended up there at the perfect time and made it smoothly through the line in only a little over an hour. Sarah brilliantly researched the fact that we should show up way early and get armbands so we could go in with an earlier group, rather than getting there at the start time. Apparently, some of PW's recent book signings have lasted until the wee hours of the morning, so at least Borders was prepared.
The Pioneer Woman definitely draws a crowd. But it's also a very nice crowd. Mostly ladies, quite a few adorable kiddos, one or two lone males. We were diverse and chatty and super excited to be there. I have been to other book signings (mostly obscure poets and authors that only my fellow English majors would appreciate) and it was nothing like this. Tonight was like a big party. You couldn't meet a stranger. Perhaps it was because we all felt we knew her from reading her blog.
Upon meeting the Pioneer Woman, she made me feel instantly at ease. When my friend Sarah, her sis-in-law Vickie, our friend Shanna and I all went up together, Ethan was sleeping, strapped to my chest in a Beco carrier. The very first thing she said to me was, "You are too tiny to have such a big baby!" That is the nicest compliment I think I've received in months!
I was just beaming. And struck dumb! How could I compete with such a compliment? Wasn't I, as the fan, supposed to be the one praising her? I think I said something lame about how I enjoy her blog. Then she said, "Was that all your milk?" and it took a second to register that she meant did I breastfeed him and all I could say was "Yup. Pretty much." Tongue-tied, I tell ya.
Still, that, too, was a compliment I couldn't beat. I tried to follow up with "And it was all from your food, too!" but that came across as kind of weird. Still, perhaps she, as a fellow mom, understood. At least she didn't shoo me away or anything.
There was some chatter about a Marlboro Man coffee mug that Shanna brought her (who doesn't like coffee?). And something about her hand getting cramped from signing all our books (we had 8 between us, but some people had that many by themselves!). Then we were gone, thanking her for coming, gathering our things so the next group could meet her. We chatted for a minute with her friends and were given these amazing t-shirts. For them, it's like residual fame. Kind of neat. And they are just as graceful and charming as PW.
And then it was over.
Afterward, we went to Figo for a late dinner. I think PW would've liked the food, minus the stale bread. I just enjoyed chatting with my friends and watching Ethan try to eat a piece of bread with his pacifier still in his mouth.
I'd like to think that the reason this collective adventure was so enjoyable for all was because the Pioneer Woman writes about and photographs what she loves, and we all just happen to love the same things.
I'm grateful I have a whole slew of new recipes to try out on my unsuspecting friends and family. Thanks, PW!
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Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The B-I-B-L-E, that's the book for me!
Wednesdays are my new favorite day of the week.
Last month, at the prompting of a friend from church, I joined a Community Bible Study, where I get to participate in a year-long study with a group of local women. This year's topic is Genesis.
Now, I've read Genesis multiple times and even sat through a year-long sermon series in college, but I've never quite studied it like this. Perhaps it's because I haven't been part of a real inductive Bible study in many years, but I am loving this format. Even if I don't answer the questions on the day assigned, I enjoy going through the text and really thinking about the answers without using a commentary (we save that for after each week's lesson). And it has been fun to talk about what I'm studying with Gaines, since he provides some interesting seminary-inspired thought-provoking topics. Especially since he's taking Hebrew this semester!
Jacob, meanwhile, gets to go to a small class with other "older 2's" (3 of whom are named Jack!). He seems to delight in learning all about the Bible and prayer. Ethan apparently enjoys crawling on the nursery floor with other babies and taking long naps.
The first month was a bit hectic, as we all adjusted to actually being somewhere on time with all our gear in tow. Ethan took a few weeks to get used to being without me for 2 hours, but the last few weeks have been wonderful. Today, even, they let us drive up under the covered part and drop our kids off with a volunteer for a few minutes while we parked our car. That was a huge blessing on this rainy day. It saved me from walking all the way from our car to the front door while holding Ethan, Jacob's hand, two bags, and an umbrella.
The best part of my day? Talking to Jacob in the car afterward and hearing all about what he learned and did in his class. Usually he mentions the animal crackers and the pink slide, singing "Jesus Loves Me," holding a rope with the other kids to go out to the playground, something he made that day with "gloop," and his teachers. This afternoon, much to my pleasant surprise, he started singing a song I'd never heard before, and I found it on the internet just now:
It's amazing, but he knows almost the entire song by heart and was "teaching" it to me on our drive home. Apparently, there are also finger motions that go along with this song, but when I tried to imitate him and took one hand off the wheel at a stoplight he said, "Drive, Mommy! I'll do it first and then you can learn it." He's safety conscious, that one.
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Last month, at the prompting of a friend from church, I joined a Community Bible Study, where I get to participate in a year-long study with a group of local women. This year's topic is Genesis.
Now, I've read Genesis multiple times and even sat through a year-long sermon series in college, but I've never quite studied it like this. Perhaps it's because I haven't been part of a real inductive Bible study in many years, but I am loving this format. Even if I don't answer the questions on the day assigned, I enjoy going through the text and really thinking about the answers without using a commentary (we save that for after each week's lesson). And it has been fun to talk about what I'm studying with Gaines, since he provides some interesting seminary-inspired thought-provoking topics. Especially since he's taking Hebrew this semester!
Jacob, meanwhile, gets to go to a small class with other "older 2's" (3 of whom are named Jack!). He seems to delight in learning all about the Bible and prayer. Ethan apparently enjoys crawling on the nursery floor with other babies and taking long naps.
The first month was a bit hectic, as we all adjusted to actually being somewhere on time with all our gear in tow. Ethan took a few weeks to get used to being without me for 2 hours, but the last few weeks have been wonderful. Today, even, they let us drive up under the covered part and drop our kids off with a volunteer for a few minutes while we parked our car. That was a huge blessing on this rainy day. It saved me from walking all the way from our car to the front door while holding Ethan, Jacob's hand, two bags, and an umbrella.
The best part of my day? Talking to Jacob in the car afterward and hearing all about what he learned and did in his class. Usually he mentions the animal crackers and the pink slide, singing "Jesus Loves Me," holding a rope with the other kids to go out to the playground, something he made that day with "gloop," and his teachers. This afternoon, much to my pleasant surprise, he started singing a song I'd never heard before, and I found it on the internet just now:
Fuzzy caterpillar climbing up a tree.
He wiggled short, He wiggled long
He wiggled straight at me
I put him in a box and covered with a lid
But when I opened up the box
A butterfly instead!
Now I could never make one
Not even if I tried
Only God in Heaven
Can make a butterfly!
It's amazing, but he knows almost the entire song by heart and was "teaching" it to me on our drive home. Apparently, there are also finger motions that go along with this song, but when I tried to imitate him and took one hand off the wheel at a stoplight he said, "Drive, Mommy! I'll do it first and then you can learn it." He's safety conscious, that one.
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Friday, October 09, 2009
Andy and The Andys in Atlanta
Andrew Peterson. Andrew Osenga. Andy Gullahorn.
Three most formidable singer-songwriters together here in the A-T-L! If you are familiar with our blog or just our taste in music, you will know these are three of our favorites. The only other place I think I've seen these three together is at one of AP's Behold the Lamb shows, but this is going to be SO MUCH BETTER. I'm sure hilarity and much good music will ensue.
Details come from Andy G, courtesy Ron Davis, also known as the Tim's brother-in-law, or, as I like to call him (due to his copious concert-attending): "The New Tex." (Thanks, Ron, for the heads up!)
Actually, it may start at 7pm according to the website. So be there early. We will. Come on, be square!
Three most formidable singer-songwriters together here in the A-T-L! If you are familiar with our blog or just our taste in music, you will know these are three of our favorites. The only other place I think I've seen these three together is at one of AP's Behold the Lamb shows, but this is going to be SO MUCH BETTER. I'm sure hilarity and much good music will ensue.
Details come from Andy G, courtesy Ron Davis, also known as the Tim's brother-in-law, or, as I like to call him (due to his copious concert-attending): "The New Tex." (Thanks, Ron, for the heads up!)
Andys World Tour at Impact:
Andy Osenga (from Caedmon's Call), Andy Gullahorn, and Andrew Peterson will be coming to Impact at The Church of the Apostles on Sunday, October 18th, for a night of music. Mark it on your calendar; you’ll want to be there. The concert will be in the chapel at 7:30pm.
Actually, it may start at 7pm according to the website. So be there early. We will. Come on, be square!
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
A Brief Bullet-Point Update
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Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Glorious
I've never been so grateful to see blue skies.
Perhaps this is why Jacob is refusing to nap -- he knows it is finally sunny after six days of non-stop rain. His brother, however, is oblivious and happily napping, which is why we aren't going outside just yet. But soon!
Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for the days of ceaseless rain which have helped replenish Lake Lanier, without which we'd all go thirsty, but I'm also hurting for all those devestated by these floods. It wasn't like a hurricane where you can prepare somewhat. Just rain and rain and more rain until the creeks loosed their banks and it seemed the very ground was springing up with water a la Genesis.
I hope today's clear skies are signs of drier days ahead. Enjoy this day, wherever you are and whatever the weather!
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Perhaps this is why Jacob is refusing to nap -- he knows it is finally sunny after six days of non-stop rain. His brother, however, is oblivious and happily napping, which is why we aren't going outside just yet. But soon!
Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for the days of ceaseless rain which have helped replenish Lake Lanier, without which we'd all go thirsty, but I'm also hurting for all those devestated by these floods. It wasn't like a hurricane where you can prepare somewhat. Just rain and rain and more rain until the creeks loosed their banks and it seemed the very ground was springing up with water a la Genesis.
I hope today's clear skies are signs of drier days ahead. Enjoy this day, wherever you are and whatever the weather!
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Monday, September 21, 2009
Gather Them Two by Two
(Courtesy AJC.com)
This is Atlanta's downtown connector, I-75/85, earlier this afternoon. If the picture had panned a little more to the right, my office building would be visible. (Thankfully I was at an off-site meeting all afternoon.) Needless to say, the ATL has gotten a ridiculous amount of rain over the last few days. Team Redd's neighborhood is safely above water for the foreseeable future, but other parts of the city haven't fared as well. The flood photos coming in to the local news outlets are simply unreal. And there's more rain yet to come...
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Tuesday, November 25, 2008
November Adventures
Because I am lazy and never got around to turning these into actual posts, here are some Jacob highlights of the month in pictures:
First ride on a plastic dinosaur.
Second year to see glorious fall leaves.
First opportunity to see a live-action musical: "Goodnight Moon," here with friend Judah after the show.
First haircut (!)
Before...
During...
After...
Feeding the ducks! (Again.)
Second trip to the Georgia Aquarium. Mommy & Me tickets are good through the end of the year!
First perfectly pronounced three syllable word: "bicycle"
(Sorry, no video yet. But here's an extra photo for ya.)
Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Book reviews, general zaniness, possible profundity, and hopefully a celebratory football-related post are all forthcoming after the holiday.
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Before...
(Sorry, no video yet. But here's an extra photo for ya.)
Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Book reviews, general zaniness, possible profundity, and hopefully a celebratory football-related post are all forthcoming after the holiday.
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Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Randall Goodgame Concert Review
On Saturday night, we drove up to Duluth to see our old friend Randall Goodgame play and talk about his songwriting as part of Old Peachtree Presbyterian Church's Alethia Forum. We hadn't seen him play a solo show in many, many years so we were looking forward to this opporunity! Besides, they offered free nursery care and who are we to pass up a chance like that?
Jacob even got to meet Randall briefly before the show. That makes the second Square Peg he's met in his short life so far (Eric Peters being the first!). We've got to indoctrinate him into a love of quality indie music early, ya know?
Randall always puts on a good show and we were not disappointed. He opened with "Bluebird," a song we first heard in 2006 at Andrew Peterson's Christmas show at the Ryman. He told us afterward that it will (finally) be on the new record, and it's the only guitar-driven song on the album. The rest are all piano tunes! Yahoo! We couldn't be more delighted. I love all of Randall's songwriting, but someohow I just feel he's in his element on the ivories.
He began with a few familiar favorites and talked about the stories behind the songs, including "Susan Coates' Pants" and the ENTIRE Peanuts trilogy, which he wrote after hearing about the death of Charles Schultz. I think we might've heard all three songs live only once before, so this was a treat.
Randall then gladdened our hearts by playing some new tunes on the piano, including "Reverie," a song for his wife Amy, and "Heaven Waits," a response to hearing all the stories from survivors of Hurrican Katrina. That particular song reminded me of a blend of New Orleans jazz and an old-time gospel hymn, which seemed fitting.
Somewhere in the set he played "Bears," a song he wrote for his son Jonah. It's from Slugs and Bugs and Lullabies, an album he co-wrote with Andrew Peterson and a Team Redd favorite. Apparently, that album is the favorite of many, because Randall said they have sold more copies of Slugs and Bugs than all of their other albums. He acknowledged, "I guess we've found our niche. We always needed a niche!" By the way, if you didn't already know, Randall and Andy have written the Silly Songs for the last three Veggietales videos. A niche, indeed! They're hilarious!
I'm sure he played some more songs, but I can't remember them all. I think one of the piano tunes was called "42 Dollars," and it was fun! At one point, he stopped to take requests, and so of course I shouted out "Laundromat!" (Any BSC grad just can't help but like a song that begins "There's a laundromat on Arkadelphia Road...") He responded "But I thought you guys wanted to hear NEW songs?!" Heheheh. He hadn't played it in a long while and at one point he got so into the music that we had to help him out a bit with the lyrics. I didn't mind. :-)
Randall stayed at the piano (joy!) and played another new song, "California," which recounts the tragedy of a young unwed mother who, in 1968, was sent across the country to a girls' home and forced to give her baby up for adoption. My friend Sarah and I were bawling. I swore I'd never be one of those people who cried in public because of a song, but this one was just too powerful. (It probably also had something to do with being a mom and also swirling with pregnancy hormones.) Still, even if you're not a mom and not pregnant, when you hear this song, I dare you not to cry!
From that tear-jerker he moved on to "Jerusalem," which helped to remind me of the One who holds our hearts. I can't remember what he ended on, but the organizer (Thanks, Dan!) had included some time for Q&A at the end. I missed part of that, but I did return with Jacob in tow to hear him play a hymn off of his church's new worship album called "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say." Apparently, it was originaly a children's song, and he fell in love with the simple gospel announcement, but the lyrics are so much richer than any children's song written today.
So, if you read my rambling review and are wondering what all these songs sound like, you can buy most of Randall's albums at his website. His new six-song EP is set to be released in October (I think they are mixing it this week)! His church's new worship project, The Midtown Project Vol. 1, can be found here. And you should definitely pick up a copy of Slugs and Bugs and Lullabies, even if you're not a parent.
(By the way, that church has some great discussion forums coming up so be sure to check out their calendar. Who knew that local newscaster Tony Thomas was a Christian? He's going to be speaking about Christianity and Journalism next March along with Joel Belz, founder of World Magazine.)
Next up, a review of our Sunday afternoon trip to see MPJ. It was an action-packed weekend of free live music!
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Monday, September 15, 2008
If you are in Atlanta this weekend...
You should know that this is the concert weekend of the month! Two FREE shows in one weekend! (Though you may have to drive a bit, depending on where you live...)
Randall Goodgame (a fellow BSC alumni and fantastic songwriter) is playing on Saturday, Sept. 20th at 7pm in Duluth, GA at the Alethia Forum (Old Peachtree Presbyterian Church). Free! And to top it off, for parents, the church is providing child care for infants and toddlers! Woot! Just call or e-mail and let 'em know you're coming! (We already did! We can't wait!)
Also, the next day, former Atlantan Matthew Perryman Jones will be kicking off Dave FM's Acoustic Sunset Concert Series in Smyrna Market Village at 4pm, Sunday, Sept. 21st. Free! And since it'll be outside, we're planning to make a picnic out of it! Why don't you join us?
By the way, if you haven't gotten MPJ's new CD "Swallow the Sea," you should. It rocks my face off. Also, apparently Randall will have a new EP available this month, hopefully at this weekend's show. Yay!
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Randall Goodgame (a fellow BSC alumni and fantastic songwriter) is playing on Saturday, Sept. 20th at 7pm in Duluth, GA at the Alethia Forum (Old Peachtree Presbyterian Church). Free! And to top it off, for parents, the church is providing child care for infants and toddlers! Woot! Just call or e-mail and let 'em know you're coming! (We already did! We can't wait!)
Also, the next day, former Atlantan Matthew Perryman Jones will be kicking off Dave FM's Acoustic Sunset Concert Series in Smyrna Market Village at 4pm, Sunday, Sept. 21st. Free! And since it'll be outside, we're planning to make a picnic out of it! Why don't you join us?
By the way, if you haven't gotten MPJ's new CD "Swallow the Sea," you should. It rocks my face off. Also, apparently Randall will have a new EP available this month, hopefully at this weekend's show. Yay!
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Thursday, August 21, 2008
Make Way for Ducks
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Every Wednesday morning, and some other mornings during the week if we're not too busy, Jacob and I take a walk around the lake at our apartment complex. The paved (asphalt) trail is at least maneuverable with the stroller, though there are a few bumps along the way from roots, as well as some major hills! I definitely get a workout. The trail itself is about a mile and a half long, or so I've been told.Everytime we walk together I am instantly transported back to my childhood. The creek reminds me of the one that ran behind our house growing up, where I spent hours playing, splashing, building bridges and swinging across on a rope swing. The woods are quiet and cool, mostly pine, and invite me to breathe deep. At one particular place, there is a smell that reminds me of summer camp, and though it must be the aroma of a particular plant that I can't place, it catches me short every time.
Because of an ample food supply, the lake is filled with many, many, ducks. Yesterday I counted no less than 55 along the hillside! There's also a gaggle of geese, and one strange-looking duck which we think might be a lone Muscovy. How he got here I have no idea! I must remember to snap a picture of the odd fellow!
Jacob loves to visit his feathered friends and asks about them constantly. "Duck!" is a common word whenever we go near the office or the trail. When we were at the libary today, I picked up a copy of Make Way for Ducklings in honor of this newfound appreciation.
We are blessed to have a bit of nature imposed on us in the middle of this large urban metropolis. I envision much exploring of the creek and lake as Jacob gets older. I am glad, at least, to be able to share this one echo of my past with him for these few years we are here. And now, I hope to share a bit with you!
Here are some pictures I took last month on one of our walks:
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Two roads diverge...
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The creek, the lake, and the swampy areas in between are full of wildlife. I think this is a heron.
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The most well-fed waterfowl in the metro Atlanta area.
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A view of the gazebo behind the leasing office.
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A nice resting spot.
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View from the trail across the water where we often stop for a quick duck sighting. The hillside with the benches is a popular duck/geese hangout.
Won't you come join us on a walk someday soon? :)
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Thursday, August 14, 2008
MPJ on Dave FM tomorrow!
Matthew Perryman Jones (or MPJ, for short) is one of our favorite indie artists. Not only is he an amazing singer/songwriter (if you were at our wedding rehearsal dinner six years ago we used his song "Lead Me to the Water" in the slideshow), he's also originally from the Atlanta area. And he knows the Murrays, so he must be cool. :)
I heard on the radio this morning that he's going to be playing a song or two LIVE on Dave FM, a local Atlanta radio station, tomorrow morning. Woot!
It was funny hearing the DJ's (both female) talk about him-- they haven't met him yet, but they kept saying how "hot" he is and how he's "the next John Mayer."
I'm curious to hear the interview tomorrow even more now! I believe it will be around 10am EST and you can listen live here.
If you're in the mood for more live music, Matthew will be in Atlanta this Saturday, Aug. 16th at Smith's Olde Bar at 9pm. He'll also be at the WorkPlay Theater in Birmingham next Wednesday, Aug. 20th at 8 p.m with Matthew Mayfield (from the band Moses Mayfield. My college friend Matt was in that band.) Anyway, MPJ is always fantastic live, so check him out!
If you just can't get enough of Matthew Perryman Jones, I just discovered this great MPJ fan website Breaking Out the Windows.
Update from an e-mail I got tonight:
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I heard on the radio this morning that he's going to be playing a song or two LIVE on Dave FM, a local Atlanta radio station, tomorrow morning. Woot!
It was funny hearing the DJ's (both female) talk about him-- they haven't met him yet, but they kept saying how "hot" he is and how he's "the next John Mayer."
I'm curious to hear the interview tomorrow even more now! I believe it will be around 10am EST and you can listen live here.
If you're in the mood for more live music, Matthew will be in Atlanta this Saturday, Aug. 16th at Smith's Olde Bar at 9pm. He'll also be at the WorkPlay Theater in Birmingham next Wednesday, Aug. 20th at 8 p.m with Matthew Mayfield (from the band Moses Mayfield. My college friend Matt was in that band.) Anyway, MPJ is always fantastic live, so check him out!
If you just can't get enough of Matthew Perryman Jones, I just discovered this great MPJ fan website Breaking Out the Windows.
Update from an e-mail I got tonight:
Matthew will appear on both Good Day Atlanta (Fox affiliate) and Atlanta's Dave FM (92.9) this Friday, August 15. His appearance on Good Day Atlanta will be between 8-9 AM, while his appearance on Dave FM will fall between 9-10 AM (slated around 9:45). Be sure to tune in!
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Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Roy G. Biv
Can you make out the faint second rainbow? Saturday a week ago we saw not one but two rainbows, a double reminder of the promise, on the drive back from a delicious Greek Lamb Roast at the Kotronis' house. We were able to glimpse the majesty all the way through Smyrna and along I-285 until we reached Dunwoody, and even were able to see the entire arc at one point, though we weren't able to get a good photo of that. It was funny to see people in cars beside us going "Look!" and pointing. The whole experience was surreal. We kept wondering if the double rainbows meant there were two pots of gold, and how one small segment of society gets to adopt such an amazing phenomenon as their personal symbol?
Props to cameraman Gaines for taking pictures while I was driving. Jacob, I think, slept through most of the excitement. It was still raining--the 6th Saturday in a row of thunderstorms--so we had to take photos between wiper blade swipes. I thought they turned out pretty good, though.
And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." --Genesis 9:12-16
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Tuesday, April 29, 2008
GT Alums Make Cool Knitted Stuff for Kids
BlaBla is a store created by two Georgia Tech grads (Go Jackets!) that began after the owners took a trip to Peru where they were inspired by local knitters. They use locally grown materials and Peruvian artisans, are committed to fair trade, and their products include everything from sweaters and hats and adorable backpacks to finger puppets, pillows, and mobiles (my favorite!) and almost everything in between. The designs are bright and colorful and fun, and they are based right here in Atlanta! You can read more of their story here.
Best of all, you can win one of their cute Dalmatian hats over at Seven Dogs and a Baby! I'd never heard of these folks before I saw the contest, but now that I have I'm hooked! Their products are bright and fun and modern and yet also handmade! I may just have to make a trip to their store in the Highlands to check them out in person! Has anyone else heard of or seen these cute designs before?
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Best of all, you can win one of their cute Dalmatian hats over at Seven Dogs and a Baby! I'd never heard of these folks before I saw the contest, but now that I have I'm hooked! Their products are bright and fun and modern and yet also handmade! I may just have to make a trip to their store in the Highlands to check them out in person! Has anyone else heard of or seen these cute designs before?
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Sunday, April 13, 2008
Weekend Links
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Sunday, March 16, 2008
Atlanta Tornado
According to the news, the vertical strip in the center of the frame is the Category EF2 tornado that hit downtown Atlanta on Friday night. While Team Redd lives out towards the 'burbs, it's still surreal to see the pictures of the massive damage done to familiar Atlanta landmarks like the CNN Center and the Georgia Dome. Amazingly, no one died, and only around 30 people were injured. Amazing indeed, considering the sheer concentration of folks in the area on Friday night. For instance, the tornado hit the Georgia Dome while the SEC basketball tournament was underway. In a stroke of Providence, the game had gone into overtime. Had it not, thousands of fans could possibly have been exiting the arena when the tornado arrived.
My office is downtown, so it should be interesting to see things firsthand on Monday.
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Wednesday, March 05, 2008
I'm Thankful for the Dealership Cleaning Lady
...and other little everday, routine kindnesses that are often overlooked.
A brief update: Gaines is well. I'm not sore since the storms passed through on Tuesday, though I imagine Friday won't be a great day. Jacob is doing okay, though we're waiting to see if he has caught something from one of the kids in the church nursery (who was diagnosed with strep AND the flu, poor thing), or if his low-grade fever is just from teething.
Our car's air conditioning system, however, IS on the fritz, which precipitated our outing today. With Georgia's unpredictable weather -- 70 degree temperatures on Monday and a similar forecast for tomorrow -- this was not something we could let go, even though it is only March. Especially since we are driving two-plus hours to Alabama on Friday afternoon. A hot car with a hot baby boy stuck in traffic is not fun.
So, I went to the dealership to have them check why our A/C is not properly cooling our car. In the morning. At 9 am. After about two hours of playing on the floor in the lobby (which offers complimentary beverages and danishes and happens to have a nice clean carpet), we were told it would be at least another two hours more. Thank goodness I figured out how to lock my cell phone. It's amazing the hours of entertainment these little folks can get from ordinary electronic devices, even when they don't "work".
We did get a visit from our friend Nicole, who graciously held the J-man while I had to find out exactly how much this was going to cost us (gulp!). Then, only then, a fellow customer notified me that there was a playroom! A playroom! Thank heavens! This would've helped me earlier, but as it was, I was still thankful!
Now, I don't know about you, but I don't expect a playroom at a car dealership's service area to be all that nice. Doctor's offices, maybe, though they are well used and usually crowded. Well, this one was impeccable. Everything looked clean, especially the carpet, and there were even wipes available to wipe down the toys! A Lego play table, a box of Duplo blocks, a huge selection of books in great shape, and a kid-sized table and plenty of chairs took up most of the space. A bead maze and colorful, interconnected gears lined one wall. There were handheld toys like MagnaDoodle and Etch-A-Sketch hanging on a stand for older kids, and even the electronic ones worked! (I know this because I admit I played Tetris for a few minutes.)
We had the place to ourselves for a little while, and even then only one other mom and her little girl came in. At one point, we turned down the TV (you couldn't turn it off without asking a sales rep) and turned off the lights and Jacob almost went to sleep. In addition, the bathrooms were nicer and cleaner than most restaurants' and had a changing table. The only thing better at that moment would've been the baby supplies and comfy nursing chairs like they have at Babies R' Us. But beggars can't be choosers.
At this point, Jacob was getting very cranky, and I thought a long walk in the stroller (not in a small circle in the lobby) might help him sleep. I was also getting hungry, so we took the shuttle bus to the mall across the street. This was wonderful! Plenty of room and a food court and lots of things to see. (Again, something I would've liked to have known about earlier.) I am even more thankful for our stroller, which was a snap to open and close and carry one-handed on and off the bus.
While waiting for the shuttle back, I spoke to the lady with us, who I recognized from seeing her all morning either with a spray bottle or a duster in her hand. She happens to be in charge of cleaning the dealership and I complimented her on her job. You could tell she takes pride in her work, and she noted that she checks the restrooms and play area every hour or so. This particular customer is very thankful for her attention to detail!
Our best news was received after we returned to the dealership -- the A/C was fixed, and we could leave! I have never been more grateful to be able to get into my car and drive home, since we had been waiting for over four hours. So, if you ever need some repairs to your Honda and are in the Atlanta area, I've got just the place for you. Especially if it takes most of the day to get it done. You might not mind the long wait quite as much as you would somewhere else -- at least that's sort of a compliment, right?!
I just have to note that through this agonizingly long day away from home, our little guy was quite the trooper. He didn't fuss, much, and kept happily playing with whatever I could find to entertain him. Our ride in the stroller at the mall seemed to even perk him up, and he started pointing at things and exclaiming "Ahhh Baaa!" or something similarly babble-tastic. We are lucky parents.
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A brief update: Gaines is well. I'm not sore since the storms passed through on Tuesday, though I imagine Friday won't be a great day. Jacob is doing okay, though we're waiting to see if he has caught something from one of the kids in the church nursery (who was diagnosed with strep AND the flu, poor thing), or if his low-grade fever is just from teething.
Our car's air conditioning system, however, IS on the fritz, which precipitated our outing today. With Georgia's unpredictable weather -- 70 degree temperatures on Monday and a similar forecast for tomorrow -- this was not something we could let go, even though it is only March. Especially since we are driving two-plus hours to Alabama on Friday afternoon. A hot car with a hot baby boy stuck in traffic is not fun.
So, I went to the dealership to have them check why our A/C is not properly cooling our car. In the morning. At 9 am. After about two hours of playing on the floor in the lobby (which offers complimentary beverages and danishes and happens to have a nice clean carpet), we were told it would be at least another two hours more. Thank goodness I figured out how to lock my cell phone. It's amazing the hours of entertainment these little folks can get from ordinary electronic devices, even when they don't "work".
We did get a visit from our friend Nicole, who graciously held the J-man while I had to find out exactly how much this was going to cost us (gulp!). Then, only then, a fellow customer notified me that there was a playroom! A playroom! Thank heavens! This would've helped me earlier, but as it was, I was still thankful!
Now, I don't know about you, but I don't expect a playroom at a car dealership's service area to be all that nice. Doctor's offices, maybe, though they are well used and usually crowded. Well, this one was impeccable. Everything looked clean, especially the carpet, and there were even wipes available to wipe down the toys! A Lego play table, a box of Duplo blocks, a huge selection of books in great shape, and a kid-sized table and plenty of chairs took up most of the space. A bead maze and colorful, interconnected gears lined one wall. There were handheld toys like MagnaDoodle and Etch-A-Sketch hanging on a stand for older kids, and even the electronic ones worked! (I know this because I admit I played Tetris for a few minutes.)
We had the place to ourselves for a little while, and even then only one other mom and her little girl came in. At one point, we turned down the TV (you couldn't turn it off without asking a sales rep) and turned off the lights and Jacob almost went to sleep. In addition, the bathrooms were nicer and cleaner than most restaurants' and had a changing table. The only thing better at that moment would've been the baby supplies and comfy nursing chairs like they have at Babies R' Us. But beggars can't be choosers.
At this point, Jacob was getting very cranky, and I thought a long walk in the stroller (not in a small circle in the lobby) might help him sleep. I was also getting hungry, so we took the shuttle bus to the mall across the street. This was wonderful! Plenty of room and a food court and lots of things to see. (Again, something I would've liked to have known about earlier.) I am even more thankful for our stroller, which was a snap to open and close and carry one-handed on and off the bus.
While waiting for the shuttle back, I spoke to the lady with us, who I recognized from seeing her all morning either with a spray bottle or a duster in her hand. She happens to be in charge of cleaning the dealership and I complimented her on her job. You could tell she takes pride in her work, and she noted that she checks the restrooms and play area every hour or so. This particular customer is very thankful for her attention to detail!
Our best news was received after we returned to the dealership -- the A/C was fixed, and we could leave! I have never been more grateful to be able to get into my car and drive home, since we had been waiting for over four hours. So, if you ever need some repairs to your Honda and are in the Atlanta area, I've got just the place for you. Especially if it takes most of the day to get it done. You might not mind the long wait quite as much as you would somewhere else -- at least that's sort of a compliment, right?!
I just have to note that through this agonizingly long day away from home, our little guy was quite the trooper. He didn't fuss, much, and kept happily playing with whatever I could find to entertain him. Our ride in the stroller at the mall seemed to even perk him up, and he started pointing at things and exclaiming "Ahhh Baaa!" or something similarly babble-tastic. We are lucky parents.
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