I have so enjoyed being with my daughter Jodi, for some reason
still pictured her as the little girl who left home so many years ago, however, she is truly a highly respected professional in the Metro area of Atlanta. She has not lost her true self, the simplicity she possesses and her love for nature and all it has to offer her down here in the south.
My first night here was a major adjustment, Shanti and I had our own room on the lower level of Jodi's split foyer home, I even had my own bathroom with private shower! Nice!! My own quarters! As I slipped into a new bed bought just for me and Shanti, I laid there and listened to traffic, not too bad, but all of a sudden a train whistle, at 11PM!! No way!! I soon learned that the State of Georgia made sure not many trains crossed road ways, I mean how could they with millions of people heading to work every day at various times of day? Why the whistle? I was told the tracks do cross a road down in the historic Kennisaw area, which was several miles from here. In all I counted 8 trains in one night heading to some place and each and every time the whistle would blow. The poor people who live by the tracks in the road, but then maybe they are use to it as I am of the sometimes deafening silence in Harmony.
I had a small bucket list for my visit down here and I have crossed everything I wanted to do with the help of my daughter driving me. Gone with the Wind Museum was one, so we headed to historic Marrietta, Ga. filled with so many quaint stores selling the history of Georgia, however, after doing some research on the internet I found they were nothing I wanted to visit due to the cost of things. Jodi and I enjoyed the 60 degree sunny day walking from the parking garage to the museum. Lots of people enjoying the same thing as we did, oh so many people! As we entered the GWTW museum I felt almost giddy, you see GWTW is my most loved movie. The place was awesome, pretty replicas of Miss Scarlett's dresses, some of which you could purchase...OUCH!!! We did make a few purchases there because believe it or not the prices were reasonable. It was a great day!!
We stopped at a candy store where we both bought our favorite candy and Jodi bought a piece of homemade cheese cake, I forget the flavor but it was oowie and gooey and looked delicious but I am not into cheese cake, give me chocolate cream with home made whipped cream thank you very much. As we were walking around I heard a Harley coming my way, I never saw it really until it passed me, and there I stood as if almost in a trance, it was a sound I heard often in Harmony when Bill rode his, and so a reaction happens that one has no control over the tears begin to flow. I quickly regained my composure and walked hand in hand with my daughter back to car.
Now those of you who know Jodi know she has a laugh that starts at the tip of her toes and travels through her body like a wild fire. Well her appetite is exactly the same way, and she still only weights like 125 pounds of a 5'9" body frame. Well anyway, we get in the car and she can no longer maintain her eagerness to devour her cheese cake, I swear she inhaled that cake in like 12 seconds. I laughed till I cried..God Bless her!!
As we left Marietta I noticed the Confederate Cemetery, we did not stop there that day but we did visit it. EERIE!! is all I can say about that. So many granite stones with no names on them however names are on a wall with States of which they served. When these men were first buried their markers we nothing but a piece of wood which eventually decayed or burned in a fire. The saddest part of the cemetery was the area entitled "SLAVES", one instantly gets feelings of how these slaves were treated and that they died as slaves and will be forever known as such.
My journey to Georgia has been one filled with many emotions and many experiences, I had a couple of Krispy Cream donuts, a specialty of the south, in all actuality I prefer dunkin Donut glazed, but that is just me. Had my 66th birthday here with Jodi where we ate at a southern style food restaurant which did my palette no good, I suppose one much acquire a taste of that kind of food. We ate out a few times to various restaurants including Chinese, Arby's, and Italian my most favorite!!
It has been great here, and now I prepare for the third leg of my journey to Virginia! I am excited about that also, no bucket list for the area as yet, but I am sure there will be places to visit there too even it is back to Jacqueline Avenue in Virginia Beach where I lived 39 years ago.
