Tea Parties, Rappers, and Life's Little Surprises

This week was just full of surprises. 

I woke up Monday morning, finally feeling a sense of peace and calm. I actually got a good night's sleep, awake feeling energized and motivated, then I set out to embark on a new week.

Things have been going fantastically at the Cannonball House. We just got word that we are going to receive a grant from the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) to help restore one of our front columns. This is a very important, as well as, necessary task. (Not to mention, very expensive.) Today we are going through round two for the Watson Brown grant. The Junior Board is arriving for a site visit, and if we receive this, along with the DAR grant, we will have all the funds we need to complete the task! That would be a huge bee in our bonnet!

That Monday morning, I made it back to the gym (first time in weeks, if I am being honest with myself. I pushed myself harder than I have in a while, and it felt good. That bit of sweat and exertion just put me into a deeper state of relaxation. 

Then I got home.

I got the word that my roomie was moving on the greener pastures. (Aka moving on with her significant other,) and I would have to make other plans in late June. Alas, my life is flipped upside again. Luckily, my sister will be my port in the storm, until I figure out the next chapter in my life. I'll be moving back to Jones County this summer, living with her and my niece temporarily. Yes, my stuff will end up back in storage, and yes, I will be staying in my niece's room, but this too shall pass. I just don't have enough time to figure out my next move. Until then, I can help her out with Auttie Blossom and save a little money in the process. 

Though that surprise was slightly unwelcome, I did find a few small blessings along the way!

For one, very good friends have come along to offer me boxes, help with moving, and general good vibes. I am completely thankful for these people. Luckily, my friends Betsy & Gary got married last weekend, and with that came tons of boxes of gifts shipped to them. Now I have bubble wrap, scrunchy paper, and box after box. 

Just last night a series of good deeds came my way. My friend, Scott, called and asked me to dinner. His partner, Bill, was out of town, and my SG lives almost two hours away, so we went to eat Thai at a local restaurant called, "Lemongrass - A Thai Bistro," which is owned by my friend Gary. 

I opted for the Green Chicken Curry. YUUUUMMMM

After dinner, I popped by Roasted, and saw my friends, Floco Torres do a free concert for his latest release, #dreamboard with producer/DJ Shawty Slim. (Yes, THE Shawty Slim.)

Following the concert, my friend Molly from Southern Bon Vivant, invited me for a drink at Dovetail, a farm-to-table restaurant in Downtown Macon.

Our friend, Ryan, whipped us up a delicious glass of Sangria. 

Earlier that day, I got the opportunity to meet a ridiculously talented chef by the name of Michael Wright. He is the Corporate Chef for the HotPlates Restaurant Group. He has traveled and worked under some of the most talented Executive Chefs in the Southeast. I interviewed him for an article that I am writing for Macon Magazine. 

I also got the opportunity to interview tons of super talented coaches for this summer's Otis Music Camp for the 11th Hour. (Otis.. as in Otis Redding.) 

Lots of good writing ops ahead. 

Finally, my staff put on a fantastic tea party for mommies and their daughters. 
They ladies got to make tussy mussies, learn the "language of flowers," and go on an herbal scavenger hunt in our Victorian Garden.

Oh yeah.. one more thing.

What do you get when you mix Nutella + Bananas + Espresso?

THIS. 

Ocmulgee Trader's

Taking Life With a Grain of Salt... A Wedge of Lime...

The past two weeks have been a whirl wind of good times coupled with relaxation, with a dash of stress and concern. 

*smh*

Needless to say, my writing is sporadic... and I am trying very desperately to do something about that. As you may have read earlier this week, I do plan to do a little five-part blog post. That will start on Monday, but until then, let me share with you a little of what is going on in my personal life.

As you can see in the top pic, my cats are adjusting to the heat the only way they know how, by finding a nice, cool dark spot in my closet, way up high, right on top of my clothes. *sigh* I promise those t shirts were folded very nicely before those two made an appearance.

Speaking of cats - Zen has decided he also likes to crawl into the laundry basket. Oh.. let me just add - he is quite the mouser. Yes... he caught a mouse in my apt. I don't even want to know how that little guy got in, but I know he won't do that again. About midnight last night I found Zen walking through with a mouse hanging out of his mouth. I ran screaming thru the house, grabbed a broom, got him to drop it, and banged the poor mouse numerous times on the head screaming - Die! Die! Die!.. then I swept him out the door - only to see him scurry off. *shudder*

Salvatore feels much better. He has been dealing with some blockages in his urethra. Finally off his meds. 

My plants are doing well!

My Gerber Daisies look awesome. Most have bloomed!

I may very well be in love with this little fella.

My Niece came over and spent a little time at my pool with me. I'm totally digging her bathing suit!

Enjoyed a little coffee talk with my friends Stephanie & Andre

My cousins from Indiana, Courtney & Betsy, came through Georgia and visited with us. 

Here is my Uncle Bill and Aunt June from Indiana. We met up at the Pickle Barrel in Gray, Georgia. 

That little stinker. 

If you have not gotten by Roasted lately, you really should. Nothing like a Mediterranean Lunch

enjoyed a little time with my sister in her new house. 

There are some perks to living in an apartment complex. 

My roomie and I took off last Friday for the Golden Isles... the southern coast of Georgia. Took about 3 1/2 hours and we ended up in St. Simons Island, Georgia. We wondered the shops in the village - just to shake off the stiffness from driving those back country roads through Georgia. 

Here I am.. chillaxing on the pier on the Atlantic in St. Simons. 

Here is Lynn doing the same exact thing. LOL There were a lot of fishermen out... 

Packing for a trip is not for the faint of heart. 

After a walk about, we stopped by Iguana Grill on St. Simons. I opted for the coconut shrimp and a baked potato. Later we got ice cream cones to carry as we walked around. 

The beautiful light house in St. Simons. 

More of the beachy shops on St. Simons. Georgia is simply beautiful, isn't it?

Two dear friends enjoying a road trip!

Beach Selfie

Enjoying the view from the pier. Yes, the Atlantic is a little darker than the Gulf. :-)

We felt like we could just let the stress of the week disappear. 

Next we popped down the road about 20 minutes and drove on Jekyll Island, Georgia. We made a way around the historic district to the most beautiful hiking trails to driftwood beach. 

Jekyll Island's Driftwood Beach is really quite a fascinating place. See the land in the distance on the right? That's St. Simons Island!

It's almost magical. 

There were hundreds of hermit crabs scooting into the sand near this spot. 

If you look head.. you can see the light house. :-)

We headed out to go shopping in the historic district. 

The walking trails leading to the shops and the historic homes (of the Rockafellers, Vanderbilts, Carnegie's etc.)

Jekyll Island, Georgia

We drove past Jekyll to Brunswick, and down about 30 more miles to Kingsland, Georgia to see my friend, Lisa. We met up with her at her home. 

Later that night she took us into St. Mary's, Georgia for dinner. We had a great time.. but headed back a little early to get some sleep. It had been a long day!

The next morning, we headed to Amelia Island, Florida to get a little beach time in. It was Lynn's 38th birthday, and we could not think of a better way to spend her birthday. 

Lynn relaxing on the beach, scrolling FB, drinking her iced caramel macciato (sp). 

The sea gulls discovered my cheeze its. 

We were at the beach from around 10am until 2pm. Soaking up the sun... playing in the water... just refilling our soul! But hunger called.... 

We met Lisa at Cedar River restaurant on Amelia Island. I had the best shrimp scampi of my life! After lunch, we headed back to get ready for Lynn's birthday night out in historic downtown Fernadina Beach, Florida. 

Here is Lisa and I at the oldest bar in Florida - The Palace Saloon. This place used to be the stomping grounds of pirates!

A very cool place - with a great band! They played covers from the 90s. 

Lisa & Lynn

Silliness

On Sunday, we got up, packed up, gased up, and headed up I-95, about an 1 hr 1/2 to Savannah, Georgia to see our friends. 

We met our friends at this adorable little beach shack of a restaurant out in the marshes on the way toward Tybee Island, called Bona Bella. 

Was great to see PC & JJ!

I ordered the Banana's Foster French Toast. 

We had soooooo many laughs.... 

Here you see the whole group - Lynn, PC, JJ, Me, and Cindy

After a lovely brunch, we headed back to their house and chatted for an hour or so. Later, we hated to say goodbye, but headed north-westward for Macon.

I could not be happier with the way the trip turned out. I needed that. I came back to Macon, only to continue the fight for our funds to be reinstated in the city/county's budget. It looks like we may be okay.

So many changes will come this summer, and I am looking forward to making the next 1/2 of the year the best 1/2 of the year.