Wednesday, December 4, 2013

End of November 2013

November 2013 is now gone.  Just our pictures are left.  It was a good month.  The weather was kind and we went on several trips, near and far.  Ten days after returning from New Orleans, Key West and Memphis we flew to New York City.  I have not downloaded the pictures yet only the two below.  Walking in Central Park in New York on a sunny afternoon was uplifting with all the fall colors still there.

Before we left New York City we walked along Riverside Park and the river - it was exhilarating. 

In my last three posts I showed the trips we took close to our house in early November - at Lake Allatoona, Allatoona Pass and Lake Acworth - all of them terrific outings.  It seems that this past November the fall colors were more radiant than ever and this cheered our spirits.

On a Sunday afternoon in mid-November we drove to an antique and flea market in Atlanta, the "Scott Antique Market."  The second week-end of every month this market brings many antique dealers and collectible vendors from several US states.  The market covers two huge buildings and more vendors are set up outdoor.  We have been there on and off for the last twenty-five years and have bought some interesting items.  Now, we do not buy much but enjoy looking at everything while getting a good walking exercise.  There is such a variety of goods there.  (Please click on collage twice to enlarge.)

Outdoor is more like a bric-a-brac.  It is a lot of fun to look at all the choices from books to hardware and including the kitchen sink!

There are a couple of restaurants in each building and fruits and veggies can be bought ouside the market as well as the baskets to display them.

The week before Thanksgiving we spent another afternoon walking close to home - about 3 miles or so away or a 9 minutes drive.  We had been driving in front of an old farm house for years and just realized that our county had bought the property.  It is being developed as a park.  So we parked in front of the 1864 house and walked around.  This house is called The Green-Bullard House or The Green Plantation.  There is an historical marker in front of the house.  (Click to enlarge to read the marker.)

Since it was still early that day we decided to drive another mile or so to another park, Lost Mountain Park.  The park is close to the Lost Mountain Community (about 12 minutes from our home) where another Civil War Battle was fought (there are many battle sites around our house...)  It think the 2000 ft hill is called "Lost Mountain" because as the terrain goes up it is hard to distinguish this mountain and it becomes lost to view.  We had discovered a small lake in the back of the park once so we drove there.

There is a trail going into the woods and across a small creek.

The trail also goes all around the lake.

It looks like some people fish in the lake as I saw some fishing lures hanging from branches.  You can see the little red fishing lure in the picture below.  It looks like a tiny red ball hanging in the air.

There is a small house at the top of the hill in the picture below - Lost Mountain is in the background.  This is the Senior Center.  We had never visited it, so we went inside this time.  We admired the wood workers' skill.  The plate above the chimney reminded us that Thanksgiving was around the corner.

A few days later we departed for Tennessee.  We celebrated our eldest grandson seven years' birthday.  He loved his chocolate cake - we did too.

For dinner, the birthday boy had chosen a Japanese hibachi steakhouse restaurant.  I had never been to one and was fascinated by the speed of the teppanyaki chef.    His hands moved so fast that it was hard for me to take pictures (would you believe I took 79 pictures and those below are the only passable ones?)

The children, and the adults as well, looked on, captivated by the chef's cooking maneuvers.  The soup was light and well seasoned and my dish, shrimp and scallops, was delicious.

The next day, Thanksgiving, was started with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on television.  Just two weeks earlier we had been there, at Macy's on 34th Street in New York City.

While some of us were watching the parade, others were busy cooking for the big meal such as making pumpkin ice cream, setting up the festive table then assembling all the succulent dishes.

We had reasons to be thankful this year - many reasons but two stood out for me.  The most important one was the good news our daughter had told us about our little granddaughter.  She was born last May with a heart murmur (see her picture in my post here .)  Her doctor pronounced her totally healed, with the murmur gone.  The second one was about me - I had a biopsy several weeks ago as the doctor was concerned about fluid in my stomach.  The results came out "normal."  I certainly was thankful to be normal.  The collage below include one photo of grandson number two, one of grandson number three and three photos of our little granddaughter - including one where she is sleeping in our nephew's arms.

November was a good month indeed!  Now we will be waiting for the end of year Holidays coming up very soon.


24 comments:

  1. What glorious excursions you take us on - and this post is no exception.
    And I am so very glad that your November news was positive.

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  2. Lovely pictures! so many nice things as usual. That chocolate cake is fantastic, I am not surprised your grandson loved it. The fruit and veg all looked wonderful too. And I was also reminded that I want one of those Tiffany glass panels, someday, although I suspect if it came to the point that I would only want it if it was REAL Tiffany glass from his own studio, which would make it far too expensive! Beautiful autumn colours. I hope December is as good for you.

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  3. Vagabonde, I do miss the 'old days' when Laurie and I would go to great antique shops (Briliant Antiques in Clayton MO) or flea markets (Kane County Fairground outside of Chicago) or even an auction...and actually buy something. Now, being retired, we're watching our money and trying to figure out how to unload some of our collectibles! Time does have a way of catching up with one... Great looking cake for your grandson's birthday! As usual, your photos are terrific. My luck with Japanese Grills or steakhouses hasn't been very positive. Still, it was stunning to see that that's where your grandson wanted to go for dinner! It was in Nashville, right? Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

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  4. My, those mannequins sure are perky.

    Your pictures are all beautiful. Fall is such a wonderful time to have a camera in hand. Every year I say it was the best ever, and it always is.

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  5. Wow -- I would be in seventh heaven at that flea market. And your Thanksgiving looks just perfect. Family, good food, traditions. That's really what it's all about and you certainly had it!

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  6. I'm so happy and relieved for you that the tests came back normal. That's always stressful. Your photos are all so beautiful, but your grandchildren are so very precious and gorgeous. That teppanyaki restaurant looks fabulous. I got hungry just looking at the photos.

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  7. I am grateful for your good health news. I love to travel along with you on your wonderful expeditions. I might take some time when I am down in GA to look for those parks. Great post.

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  8. Coucou Vagabonde.
    Suis enfin de retour.
    Je repasserai demain pour tout voir en détail. Pas le temps ce matin, je pars voir ma mère dans le Poitou.
    Bisous

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  9. So many very BEAUTIFUL pictures, my dear....I LOVE the one where you can see the trees reflected in the lake....Gorgeous! And such sweet pictures of your dear family and all the delicious goodies one could hope for. The Chocolate Cake is Sooooo delicious looking!

    And now onto the Holidays and a New Year, once again.....!

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  10. I always enjoy reading your informative posts, and love all of your photos! Looks as if you had a wonderful November, and that pumpkin pie ice cream sounds just yummy. Your little grandson also looks as if he had a wonderful birthday.. kids are so much fun at this age.
    The flea market looks like a great place to "browse around" and also love your new york shots! Hope that you have a wonderful Christmas season, and will look forward to many more of your shots for December. Thank you for stopping by my blog and yes, it is very sad when people are out on the streets with no food or shelter. There are many places available for people to go around where I live, however, you do have to be able to "get there" and that is often very hard to do when you have no transportation too. There is no city bus or transportation system around where I live, which makes it even more difficult. Not a good situation, and so much more visible when the winter weather arrives.

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  11. I am impressed with your pictures of the fall foliage, but then again, those pictures of your precious grandchildren are wonderful, too. Such a nice peaceful post, VB. I am also glad to learn you are "normal." :-)

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  12. I love your presentations of photos creating such an accessible story for each section of your blog post! The children, the fruit and vegetables, the collectables, and the vivid fall colors each take their place so beautifully. What a wonderful November -- and good health news besides!

    Best,
    mae

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  13. Thanks for visiting my blog. I would gladly share some snow with you! Pretty to look at, but heavy to shovel and slippery to drive on! When I read your profile, I noticed we have a lot of interests in common. The photo of me near the Tour d' Eiffel was taken last March when I took a group of high school students there. Christmas in Paris would be wonderful t see. Hope you can make it back sometime.

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  14. Amazing pictures, amazing holiday with family ;o) I love the birthday cake and the Japanese restaurant! The antiques were fantastic! Thanks for sharing everything! I love this post ;o) Big Hugs ;o)
    (thanks for your lovely comment on my blog)

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  15. What fabulous pictures. They make me want to jump on a plane and fly over to Central Park right away. I was lucky enough to visit NYC a couple of years ago but it is clearly time for a return visit

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  16. Dear Vagabonde, indeed, you have much for which to be grateful. I would imagine that the Joy that is part and parcel of this season fills your heart.

    I enjoyed this entire posting, but I spent time especially on the photos of Central Park in NYC. I recently read Linda Fairstein's lastest mystery--Death Angel--and it setting is mainly Central Park. As with all her novels, I learned a great deal about the park. I don't know if you read mysteries. If you do and haven't read Fairstein you are in for a treat. Her novels always take place in some historical place in New York. I'm so eager to visit there and see many of the places she's shared over the years with her readers. She must do so much research for each book! Peace.

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  17. You are always on the go and to such interesting places! I'm so glad your physician's report was normal.

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  18. Have not seen you in a while and was glad that I saw your name on something I had posted. Thanks.

    My wife and I and family went to a Japanese style restaurant like you described. We were all mouths agap at the speed the man made in preparing our meals.

    Your photographs are just excellent as I remembered them to always be. I am always envious of those who can travel since I am stuck, more or less to a chair.

    I did get myself a new camera X100S by Fujifilm. It is almost identical to one I bought back in 1954 and carried all over Japan with me and even on Iwo Jima. I got hooked up in the Canon and Nikon faze and DSLR cameras and lenses and had forgotten what it was like to take photos without mirrors inside the cameras. I love it.

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  19. You sure spent a very full November and took some wonderful autumn photos.

    So wonderful to hear good news when you worry with health concerns. I'm glad everything was okay.

    You have beautiful grandchildren.

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  20. Looks and sounds like you have been to some very lovely places lately!

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  21. ❀ ❀ ❀
    Hello chère Vagabonde et merci pour cette belle publication ponctuée de jolies, très jolies photos !
    Très beau partage ! MERCI.
    GROS BISOUS et passe un bon lundi
    ❀ ❀ ❀

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  22. Quel bonheur l'automne par chez toi!
    Merci Vagabonde, c'est toujours un réel plaisir de venir te rendre visite! Tes reportages sont toujours du plus bel effet!
    Et en réponse à ton dernier commentaire; je me ferai un plaisir de t'envoyer un plein colis de chocolat corsé si tu le souhaites!
    Il te suffit de me laisser tes coordonnées dans ma boîte mail...
    Bisous et joyeuses fêtes de Noël

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  23. I'm glad to know your health is 'normal' Vagabonde! I love your photos of small lake and paths and woods they are so pretty. And the kids are lovely, especially when they are small!
    Have a nice week!

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  24. I'm glad your tests showed nothing wrong with your health, Vagabonde.

    My goodness you do lead a busy life, but it looks like a most enjoyable one and I'm always so grateful that you share your travels with us. Your photos are, as always, superb!

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