Project Saturday 52:4 2013 Zombie Walk

So I had a blast at the Zombie Walk 2013. The new season of The Walking Dead starts Sunday and my friend Joe had let me know about it so I went down and managed to get some really great pictures!

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My friend Joe (we went to high school together many, many years ago!) and his son Noah. Joe is a Zombie pirate and I cannot tell you what Noah is.....

These girls started their make up at 11 am for an event that started at 530... wow

Zombie clowns... ewww

Zombie doggies!

Project 53:3 IRC

This weekend I drove up to Lebanon TN to the Indie Romance Convention. Yeah, this is my name badge. It's my first as a blogger for a conference like this! I really hope it is not the last!

Red Phoenix and I  Friday night!

Bethany, Holly R and I.... I just love Holly's books and she's got an amazing story to go along with it. We all ate Mexican Saturday night and then Bethany and I went to Red and her husband's party over at their hotel!

Red after getting all set up for Saturday's book signing!

Red Friday night. Yeah, these pics are not in order but dragging them around, uhmm not gonna happen!

Red Saturday morning before the marketing and promoting panel. Looking beautiful and confident!

Her gorgeous tattoo... this one is real!

Part of a demonstration Friday night... T using the violet wand on C

Yay! A Brie bumper sticker I can use on my ride! The first one I got was clear with black writing.. so it didn't show up on my car!

The new mask is hanging on the lamp and it's a bright pink/fuchsia.... now I have three!

We all put temporary tats on at the party at Red and her hubby! She took a picture and posted it to her web site! I have had two showers since Saturday night and it's still going strong!

Most of the swag I brought home from TN... the pink bag was heavy and I could barely carry it... there are also a stack of autographed books and two sets of glasses, a set of coffee cups and a bottle of wine! The throw and spa socks will get lots of use this winter and I don't think I have to buy pens for awhile now.

Project 52:2

September 28, 2013

The weather is unbelievable! Knowing that the plan was to get outside and do something, I found the Ole Chipley Town Fair up in Pine Mountain as an end point. 

I just got in the car... no gps... no map... no plan.... just me and a diet coke. And Alt Nation on my satellite radio. I headed up GA 85 toward Pine Mountain. 

I rolled the window down and turned the radio up... It was gorgeous outside and I felt myself relaxing with each mile. 

GA 85 veered off to Alt GA 85 and that seemed like a sign so I took it....went way beyond Pine Mountain on Alt 85 and I was enjoying the cool weather, the sun, the tunes. I eventually made it to GA 85 and went ahead and headed back South. 

Came into Manchester and found this cute little train car.... I held the camera up and could see the bokeh even through the viewfinder and knew I had my shot.  

I continued on South and eventually saw GA 209 and decided I'd take that... didn't know exactly where it would go but I "felt" like it was headed back perpendicular and guess what? 

I was right!

I took 209 over to GA 27 and went on up past Callaway Gardens... it's about time to go back there one Saturday once the leaves all turn... but from Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain is just down the road. 

I drove through the town... it was packed with folks visiting for Ole Chipley. I saw more mums than people it seemed like. Lots of people had set up yard sale tables and the place was packed. 

I didn't want to blow my relaxation buzz so I didn't really want to deal with all the people and after driving through town turned around and headed back down South on 27. 

Just on the other side of Callaway Gardens is this scenic over look... across the street from the Old Country Restaurant. I have eaten there a bunch of times and I love to eat at the big picture window that over looks a valley like this... just the other side of it.

But I pulled in and actually got out of the car and walked over to the fence. Views like this remind me of home.... although home is much better..... 

This will so much prettier once the leaves turn....

And I got back in the car and headed South. About thirty minutes later I was back in Columbus and realized I had been smiling almost all day!

Good times!

Yes I drew this as a map like representation of my journey today. I started with the line on the right. I headed north and looped around and then back over and up. before turning back south (the left line) and back home. It was amazing! 

Project Saturday: A Year in Saturdays

 

I read a post the other day about the number of Saturdays from the time a child is born until they go off to college. 

Now, I don't have children but the number astounded me. Something like 940.  That seemed so low to me. But it got me thinking. 

We put off things-- until the next day, the next week, the next month. 

We either live so far in the past or so far in the future. (And yes, by we, I so mean ME)

A former counselor of mine told me that one way to slow my panic and anxiety attacks down was to stop living in the past and future and be more mindful. 

So my new project. Project Saturday is a year of being mindful. Doing something and paying attention to that something enough to photograph it. For 52 Saturdays.

A Year in Saturdays!

And wouldn't ya know? The first Saturday was totally rainy. 

But I was with my niece so who cares, right? Water wont kill us. 

Granted it cut down on the number of pictures and certainly influenced which camera I was going to use. Hmmm the water proof or the DSLR? 

Yeah, I went with the water proof Fuji and my iPhone... 

But the first Project Saturday submission (and nothing like getting it up late... ) is....

the 2013 East Atlanta Strut. 

 

Yes, Lewis and Debbie went on to the Strut to set up and get it all ready. Princess E and I stayed at the house for a little bit and we did "projects" That included making a snake and a monkey.... hmmm where did my picture of the monkey go? I know I had one. 

 

 

Princess E goes to Burgess Peterson Academy and they had a thing for the parade. She wore her Daisy uniform and walked with her Daisy's... but it was raining way too hard during the parade to get decent pics no matter which camera I used. The bag on her back has her eye patch and her pirate head scarf... there was a  pirate theme to the kids play area this year. Both her parents were in full pirate garb and I somehow took so many of their daughter... I didn't take any of her parents. Oooops!

 

But when you get to the Strut early you get to be first at face painting. 

 

My little butterfly is just tooooooo cute. 

 

 

Aren't all pirate ships captained by Butterflies?

I think they are!

 

Yes it was raining. It was 71 degrees but hey it's the East Atlanta Strut so one must have a King of Pops... and this one was creamy coconut!

 

Had to get some obligatory rain shots... just to show ya the rain and that people were out anyway.

 

There were puppies at this table but they didn't like the rain... and they weren't quiet about their dislike either. 

 

The only reason I am including this picture. And P.S. cotton candy doesn't work in humid rainy conditions... but I saw this picture when I was downloading them and, of course, that is Emilia standing their with her hand on her hip behind her Mama. 

But standing that way she looks just like MY MAMA!  Mama would toss out that hip and throw a hand up and I can't count the number of times I saw her stand just like that!

 

 

After I saw my peeps walk in the parade, I headed on back to the house. I grabbed a sandwich and my iPad and I sat down on their back porch to listen to the rain while I had some lunch. 

I love the idea of sitting outside listening to the rain while I read and really want to do something like that to my back patio... 

It was very restful and calming and peaceful! I realized after a few minutes that I wasn't reading; I was just being... and that made it a perfect example of mindfulness.