This statue, which has adorned our deck for over a decade now, has brought me joy season after season. I call her… My Lady. I remember the day that we bought her at an estate sale and us hauling her up the steps to our …
I’ve been planning to revisit a particular show for months! The little and big things of life delayed my fuzzy plans. Poking my head back into the Art Institute’s galleries recently, I was struck by the opening text of this lovely show:
“It took millions of years for the creation of the earth and for nature to form beautiful green hills and valleys, bubbling brooks and magnificent tall trees, but even though we have abused it all of late, it has been well worth waiting for.
History tells us it took hundreds of years for the continent of Africa to regain its stolen freedom and independence and [despite] the fact that there are three areas still struggling for liberation, it was well worth waiting for.”
-Kwame Brathwaite
June closed with an explosion of fruit and flowers in the Black Garden. July promises even more.
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet the 2023 James Beard Award Best Chef Southeast winner, Terry Koval. Just a few days before connecting with him at his Decatur, Georgia restaurant, The Deer and the Dove, I had been sitting in the Lyric Opera of …
We were celebrating my parents’ marriage the last time we saw “Sweet Life” with a garden cake, sparkling flutes, joy, and a flashback to their wedding day. We’ve returned to the theme in all of its goodness.
I find that as much as I’m present right there and then, it’s impossible to absorb all of the ways that a moment is fantastic. Is it the sublime that’s indescribable? One moment, we’re sitting in the Black Garden chatting and laughing over coffee and pastries and enjoying the fruit on the platter and the plants. The next, we’re imbibing sugary bubbles and steam!
I’m often amazed at the wondrous things one can discover without having to travel halfway around the world. That was the case this weekend when we found ourselves in Eatonton, GA . The town is located about 75 miles east of Atlanta via I-20.
Looking for something to do while visiting Lake Oconee, we decided to visit Eatonton, where the writer Alice Walker was born and grew up. There is a driving tour to places that are relevant to her, such as the home where she was raised, her school, church, etc.
Walker’s life story is told in her own words and through displays and information from the museum’s guides. We were led on a journey of how she transitioned from a little Black girl in a rural town with a population of less than 4,000 to the best-selling author of The Color Purple and so many other books. Little did she know that the tragedy of losing an eye when she was a child would propel her to schools and places that she could never dream!
Her Books:
Her Quotes:
~ No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow.
~ Poetry is the lifeblood of rebellion, revolution, and the raising of consciousness.
~ Life is abundant, and life is beautiful. And it’s a good place that we’re all in, you know, on this earth, if we take care of it.
~ Yes, Mother. I can see you are flawed. You have not hidden it. That is your greatest gift to me.
~ As long as the people don’t fear the truth, there is hope. For once they fear it, the one who tells it doesn’t stand a chance. And today, truth is still beautiful… but so frightening.
~ What the mind doesn’t understand, it worships or fears.
~ I have fallen in love with the imagination. And if you fall in love with the imagination, you understand that it is a free spirit. It will go anywhere, and it can do anything.
•••
There is also the Museum of Georgia Writers where we found ourselves mesmerized. The town’s native daughter, as well as one of Georgia’s most celebrated authors, Alice Walker is highlighted. Walker was part of a wall of celebrated Georgia authors. It was fantastic! What added to our experience was the warmth and welcoming spirit of the individuals who operated the museum.
The Georgia Writers Hall of Fame
You really can’t travel to a town or city and not eat the food if you truly want to know the region. After popping our heads into several local restaurants, we decided to give Righteous Ribs a shot! They did not disappoint. Although it took an extra long time to get the food that we ordered, and there is no indoor-dining, our takeout meals were delicious. I would probably request pieces of ribs which are less fatty than some of the rib bones that we received. The ribs were tender, flavorful, and generous. The fish plate was delicious, too. They serve swai fish. The banana pudding was outstanding. We also tried the cupcakes which were good.
The restaurant is located at 282 M.L.K. Jr Dr. 678-891-9206. They appear to be open on weekends only (Fri.~Sun), from lunch to late evenings.
