IT WAS A FUN DAY!

Lately Hubby has been so excited about the new addition to his shop, which I fondly refer to as his cave. Just recently he was pleasantly surprised when he was approached by Chick-fil-A's CEO, Dan Cathy, to use the shop for one of his (Dan) new leadership tool kit videos. I am so glad we decided to paint the original section of his shop and get all the tools and other stuff organized.

Here are some photos of the film crew doing the shoot. A moving van arrived with the lighting and camera equipment. Then the crew arrived. At one time I counted 14 people in the shop. It was an all day affair. They arrived around 10:00 a.m. and was here until around 7:30 p.m.

This crew was a great group of people. They all were kind, courteous, and intense. It was so much fun to watch this group of professionals work getting all the lights and equipment assembled before Dan arrived to do the video. They all knew their jobs and went about doing them with a focus like you have never seen. It took hours to get the lights and cameras set up, to put amber gels over the outside of the windows to make it look like afternoon light for the duration of the shoot and then there was a smoke machine to give it the look they wanted. Shoot, Hubby could have just turned on a saw to give it the look they wanted, because it looked like sawdust was flying around in there. You can see in this photo that the smoke machine had been running. They did move the table saw to the side to make more room for the camera and placed the work bench at an angle.

After the job was complete they packed up all the equipment and we couldn't even tell they had ever been in the shop or around it. All the trash was picked up, all Hubby's tools and equipment was returned to their original location, and we didn't have to move a thing. I loved that.

This is Chick-fil-A country. Hubby has served on jury duty with Truett the founder, we know Dan and his wife from church, we run into Don aka: Bubba, at Wal-Mart, we have seen their entire family at a local barbecue place after a funeral, so these are hometown people. Dan's son and daughter-in-law were in this same place (restaurant) months later and because the BBQ joint didn't take credit or debit cards at that time (now they are high class and do accept the plastic) son and daughter-in-law had to leave and find an ATM to get cash to buy their meal. Truett and his wife still live in the house where they raised their family, which a very modest home. These people are a down-to-earth, loving and kind family.

Chick-fil-A is a privately-owned family business that lives their values and gives back to the community. This family and business is generous and giving and this is why they are so blessed.

We LOVE Chick-fil-A. Thanks Dan for such a fun day. You and your film crew are welcomed in our home/shop any day.

Ice Skating Anyone?

This is our front yard, a solid piece of ice. If I had ice skates I could be out there cutting figure eights, assuming I can ice skate.

It was in the teens this morning with a wind chill of 9 degrees. The sun is out which has caused some of the snow/ice on the roof the melt. The high for today is only 30 degrees, tomorrow is only 31. However, Friday we are having a heat wave, it's going up to 43 degrees. Get out your bathing suits. Who knew 43 degrees would be--warm?

The main thoroughfares in the Atlanta area are okay, but all the side streets and neighborhoods are still frozen. I bet there will be another snow day for all students in the metro Atlanta area again tomorrow, that will be four days. Don't get too excited teachers and students, I heard rumors those days could extend the school year by four days.

Well, I'm going to drive to the garbage can, which is still on the road awaiting the Monday morning pickup. I don't dare attempt to walk because of all the ice along our driveway. It is much like the yard. I'm just glad we shoveled paths yesterday.

WE HAVE SNOW!

The State of Georgia, for the most part, is closed. Middle Georgia and all parts north. The sleet started last night just after dark and then it turned to heavy snow. I don't know the official amount of snowfall at the Atlanta Airport. There are people stranded there because hundreds of flights have been canceled.

We walked to the road this morning and saw foot prints in the snow. It could be our neighbor's cat or a fox. We were so amazed at how quiet it was outside, every thing is so still. I love this as long as we continue to have power, even though I will be able to cook and have hot water. I just like to have heat. We stacked firewood on the side porch in case the power does go off. Hubby has heat in his workshop that does NOT require electricity. We can always migrate to the workshop for warmth.

This is our road.

Watching the local news there is no, I mean zero, traffic at the Atlanta Airport. Some guy (I'm being nice) just set his BMW on FIRE from spinning his tires. It was a huge fire. The news media caught the entire episode on tape.

We are in for the day(s). I'm going to make a big pot of soup and cornbread. Yum.

WE WILL MISS YOU

John Briggs
February 1948
December 31, 2010







We had big plans for New Year's Day. In the south pork loin, collard greens, and blackeye peas are a tradition on January 1st, so we were going to our friend's, John to share lunch and enjoy an afternoon of football, another southern tradition.

Last evening we received a call that John died suddenly. His wife of 28 years found him on the kitchen floor unresponsive. In spite of all the efforts of the EMTs and the emergency room doctors he didn't make it.

Hubby and John met when their employer sent them to middle management school back in the early 1980s. They immediate hit it off and became good friends. As a result our families became friends. We watched their children grow up, and now they have children.

We are devistated. We spend New Year's Eve crying our eyes out and much of today as well. Several years ago our friend asked Hubby if he would do the service when he died. Last evening when we got the word, Hubby said, "I don't know how I'm going to do this." Only through the support of prayer will Hubby be able to get through the service.

John had retired on disability back in 2000 after suffering a major heart attack. More recently he had been ill for several years with prostate cancer that had spread to his only kidney, which he lost. He had been on dialysis for over three years.

John, you are loved and will be greatly missed.

I'M DONE!

The shop addition is FINALLY finished. We have been painting since early September. The outside and the interior of the new part was easy. After finishing the painting of the new part the old part looked so yellow and dingy, so we tackled painting the old part. We had to move all the stuff off the walls and on the cabinet. It was like an explosion in a mattress factory. It has taken us weeks, but it has been well worth the effort.

Now there will be many hours spend working on more projects. Hubby keeps saying over and over, "I love my new shop." He working a workbench, but before that project is finished materials for the next one has arrived.

Yesterday lumber was delivered for a wood shed. Do you ever finish with projects around the house?

Honoring our Veterans, especially one

My hubby served in the Army National Guard for six years the first few years we were married. Yesterday we were eating at the best barbecue place in Georgia and a gentleman came in wearing a Vietnam Veteran's hat. My dear hubby got up and went over to him to thank him for going to Vietnam in his place. The gentleman was so stunned he was speechless. He did manage to utter a thank you.

I want to honor my dad here today. He served in the Army during World War II in Europe. He fought across France, Belgium and Germany. He was in that horrible Battle of the Bulge and was wounded twice. The last time he was wounded was after the war had ended when he stepped on a land mind. He was issued one of the last Purple Hearts during the conflict in Europe. My Mom says it was the LAST Purple Heart issued, but I can't document that statement.

I was shopping one day and found a book, "US Forces in Europe" by Ian Westwell and Steven Smith. Anything about WWII, especially Europe, always sparks my interest, so I picked it up. I opened the book and there at the beginning of the book was a double page photo of soldiers. The descriptions reads, "Previous Page: Armour--M10 tank destroyers and M4 Shermans--and infantry--men of the 'Big Red One' await the order to advance. The date is 1 March 1945 and US troops are deep in Germany. US Army via Real War Photos."

There stood my Daddy. I'm positive the fourth man from the left is my Dad. My brother thinks it our Dad as well. Unfortunately, our Mom has lost her vision and can't see the photo. My brother saw him in a documentary on the History Channel one day.

My brother told me one day, that our Dad marched a hundred miles in three days across Europe and THEN had to fight a battle. We don't realize what hardship and sacrifice these veterans of World War II did for our country. They surely are the greatest generation and I will forever be grateful to all of them for what they were willing to do to keep us free.












This last photograph includes a photo my Dad (standing alone with his arms crossed) sent to my Mom with a handwritten note on the back that reads, "Limback Germany June 1945" next to the photo in the book.

Retirement in the Fast Lane

I thought retirement was a slow pace of life. WRONG! We are living in the fast lane. Stop! Let's slow this buggy down, so we decide to do another project. This time it's more than a couple of days, it's major.

Hubby has been squeezed in his work shop for years. He could hardly turn around and had to use his table saw as a work bench. Sad, I know. So, we decided it was time for an addition to the original shop we built with our very own hands in 1973. Well, it actually took us years to finish that project. How many? I'll never tell, because it's just too embarrassing.

His 12' x 20' shop now has a 12' x 16' addition. It's kind of sad, changing the looks of the little building, but well worth it giving Hubby all the much needed space.

As you can see from the photo he has really been cramped in the old space.

The best part of this new addition? We didn't have to drive the first nail, but it was very frustrating watching the carpenters struggle to get the siding matched to the old part and level. Just a minor detail that drove me crazy. It took them three days to finally get it right, only after Hubby stepped in and told them what they needed to do to get the siding level. It was a long two weeks getting the structure finished. However, we did do the painting outside and inside. It took FOUR gallons of paint to cover that new drywall, two gallons of primer and two gallons of regular paint and a week of labor. The outside was a easy, we were painting primed Hardiplank.

The new addition makes the old part look really dingy, so now we are going to paint the walls/ceiling and trim. Oh my gosh! Look at all that stuff that we are going to have to move off the back wall of shelves to paint! The dark brown trim will be painted the lighter "bisque" color to match the new part. I'm sure it will help make the old part brighter doing away with the dark trim. It just occurred to me that it will probably take two coats of the light paint to cover that dark brown. Oh no! I convinced Hubby that the goldish color would better match the saw dust. You can see every speck of dust on that dark brown trim.


The new look seem strange to me still, but I'll grow accustom to it, eventually. There are still a few little things that need to be done outside before we are finished. The underside of the soffit has to be caulked and the windows scraped and cleaned. I just sloped the paint on those windows, because it was about about to rain, so I have to scrape the paint off now. I hope it won't be years before we get around to them.

Hubby is so thrilled. He wants to build a work bench and has been searching for plans. I think he will end up with a combination of several taking the best features from the plans he has found.

Oh yes, there are now tab curtains up in the shop. They actually add a bit of coziness to the place.

I would like to get this project off the to do list before Christmas. Do you think we'll make it?