Yes, I see them every day. I appreciate, admire and even photograph them. I just don’t get around to organizing them properly for a worthy blog representation for Norm Frampton’s #Thursday Doors weekly event. You should visit his place for lots of great ‘doorscursion’ posts.
We can always count on Dan for a great selection of doors with a history lesson as well. If you’re a Pittsburgh fan, head on over to his place!
Meanwhile, in my little world…
For yummy tummy delight.
We found a new ‘old’ little sushi place near home.
And since we left Texas, there seems to be no finding great, authentic barbecue. There’s just no competing with true smoked brisket like they serve at County Line. But, we finally found a place that comes close AND they know how to make hush puppies! 👏🏻
Just go in these doors to Williamson Bros.
Yeah, that IS fried okra. 😋
There are more churches than restaurants in Georgia, I swear. Many are so beautiful! I need to do an entire post for themTaken in Little Five Points. Sorry about the photobombers and in a moving vehicle. I want to go back!Loved this architectureVisited a new antique store.Where you can find little treasures like this. Furniture a bit pricey.
And saving the best for last!
Our friends at Tiny Doors Atlanta have a brand new door at an iconic venue in Atlanta. I tell you, this gal is on fire with her projects. The crew at Tiny Doors does an amazing job and we love them. I can’t wait to stop by and see it in person. Ironically, we actually drove by the Fox just a week ago! Congrats TD!
Happy Thursday folks! Wishing you a smooth slide into home plate and the #Free48! Hugs!
I guess that must mean it has been a good 48 hours! Plus. Well, it has. Although the weather has kept us tap dancing between sun/no sun and the occasional misting rain, we managed to get out for a few mini adventures. I didn’t want to leave the fun behind without sharing it with you, my good friends. I hope wherever you are, you are finally feeling the gentle nudge of Spring and have been able to get out for a bit of fun and some sunshine. For many of you I hope that sun does a dandy job of melting ice and snow!
On good weeks my Free 48 starts on Friday afternoon and last week was no exception. We normally like to do something fun then since many people are still at work and there is less crowding as well as traffic. It was on my Free 48 wish list to see the new hit film Ready Player One. This film is based on the best selling book by Ernest Cline. It is a great film for both young and old, especially if you left part of your heart or your boogie shoes in the 80’s. Filled with pop culture references and based on the best loved video games of that era, this movie is action packed and good for the entire family. I am currently reading his second book Armada. I knew it would be action packed so suggested we go for the 3D theater which I never do normally and we did not regret it. The AMC venue had full reclining seats with completely separated aisles. That translates to ‘better-than-at-home comfort and no one to kick our seats. They were motorized and the temperature and volume were absolutely perfect too. I would recommend it to anyone. An extra bonus was that the entire film was in 3D so no taking the glasses off and on.
This is no ordinary movie theater! Bowling, pool, laser tag, games..we had trouble finding the theatre!
Ready to be thrilled!
OMG! New Potter film alert!!
Ummm….seriously? What fun.
Nice giant living room right?
So much glitz. My young boys would have loved this place!
That was just the beginning. We knew we were hungry but our first stop at Copeland’s was a bust. When we asked to sit in the bar they put us at the table right by the steps in the direct path of all traffic. There were other tables open but still they sat us there. After a few minutes we got up and left. Know what they said over our shoulders? “Thank you for coming in!” WTH? New age service….
So we headed to The Battery where we were ignored or treated with ho hum attitude in three more restaurants before going into the newly opened Punch Bowl Social. The venue is pretty incredible and the ideas behind what the owner is doing are noble. There are three bars, all kinds of fun stuff including a mini bowling alley, pool tables, fooseball, ping pong, and giant scrabble. There is a nice patio upstairs as well. BUT….the prices were ridiculous and the food fell short in a few ways. They are trying some eclectic and healthy selections but the portions were too small for the money. My Old Fashioned was awesome but hubby’s drinks were not worth the extra money and the beer selection was limited although they did have some local craft brews. I can’t say it will be a regular hang like Wahlburgers has become. Well…see for yourself.
Old Fashioned was pretty on point
Fried chicken sandwich was Gluten Free but way over cooked.
One of hubby’s drinks.
The bowling alley really caught my eye.
Giant scrabble is a win-win for me.
That wrapped up our regular week. Sleeping in Saturday morning was nice since we knew it was due to rain and be cold all day. I planned to do some jewelry work and we did get out to Michael’s for some supplies. Oh. And I made some gnarly waffles for our brunch. 😊
Waffles and bacon……New pieceMy most recent collection
On to Sunday. I really wanted an outing but the destination I hoped for was closed today so we headed back up to the Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Park. We didn’t get to hike and there were so many people but I did get out in the old section we visited before to get a few shots. The area is so amazing. We enjoyed the drive as well. After that we treated ourselves to dinner at the Marietta Diner. It is always such an experience. Good food for the money and seriously great service. The dessert deserves a restaurant all its own….
Good old friend
Yeah, I brought it home so it wouldn’t be lonely. Mocha caramel.
There are actually TWO of these cake cases and one with just pies and cheesecakes around the corner! n😱
Not sure what this tree bloom is. But I love it!
The cannons
The king of diner’s here as far as we are concerned.
The dogwood dotted the woods like cotton in the trees.
Tour of Greece platter. Kabob and gyro
Their Greek version cream of chicken soup with lemon. Such an amazing flavor
Young bluejay
Old fashioned Bacon Cheeseburger. Comes with slaw, fries, onion rings. Oh and I had Corona!
What’s not to smile about?
What’s left? My dear lovelies in the yard are knocking themselves out in spite of the chill. The Rhododendron is on fire with color. And I will leave you with these. I hope everyone had a peaceful weekend and that your week is brilliant. Hang in there guys….
One of this season’s most profound and thought provoking episodes of the X-Files calls attention to our ever increasing intrigue, dependence and worship of robotics, electronics and human-less encounters. Watch this clip of the episode; but when you can, catch the entire episode on youtube or the Fox channel app.
While this is not a new concept or fear where artificial intelligence is concerned, this episode adds a new slant on the previous “robots get angry and run amuck” scenario by adding the all-too-human aspect of sarcastic bitter aggression.
Let me just say up front that we are good tippers. We tip the minimum expected for mediocre service and definitely more for exceptional service. Still….it is a ‘tip’. I can still remember my sense of horror as one of my son’s former girlfriends described how she chased a guy leaving the restaurant where she worked, demanding to know why he was such a jerk as to not leave her a better tip. Please don’t misunderstand. I get the emotion. This is a really sweet girl also. What I have a problem with is the new idea that it is perfectly okay to act on every emotion a person is having. We seemed to have skipped the phase of allowing oneself to have negative emotions without judgment and gone straight to venting them all and acting on them. This unleashing explains a lot of what is going on in our country, in our world.
Decorum, discernment, dedication, delicacy and diplomacy are all words of the past. Relics, like me. Like any of us non millenials. I have wonderful sons who fall into (barely) that category but are not in any way typical, as many are not. Still, in too many places, in too many situations, I am seeing the ugly truth of this label-and I hate labels. In the sixties, the idea among many of the youth was to try and connect with the ‘older’ generation, to establish a new level of mutual understanding. In the 70’s we started viewing our parents as real people, joining us in many of our fun times. In the 80’s began the decline of respect for any authoritative roles, breaking down the myth that parents and adults were above reproach and always right. Funny stuff. Ferris Bueller, Weird Science, Bill and Ted, all the John Hughs films. I loved them all for the honesty and laughs. What isn’t so funny is how adults have now become mere caricatures of their roles in families and have remained so for film and commercial purposes. They are too often portrayed as evil killers, stupid jokes or simply missing in most family situational films.
Oh there is the Family Channel where sugar runs to diabetic level, but that is not what we need either. Add to this lethal concoction the fact that most young parents want above anything else to be best buddies with their kids and…well…you have no parenting at all. Gadgets, film, games, entertainment, video, social media and friends are what are raising many of our newest generation. That leaves Mommy and Daddy free to play as well.
So, who wouldn’t be enthralled by robotic everything? For greedy non-tippers it will be great! No tip for the robotic server. No lip. No argument over the specials….no smile. no special orders. no banter. no connection. no jobs for the college student, the inexperienced fresh out of high school kid, the art or film student, the starving actor, the writer-come-ophthalmic tech who dreams of being a bartender at night. 😞
Today her prompt was passive/aggressive, which put me into a more serious frame of mind which actually began last night. When you have to go to four different restaurants to get the hosts to even LOOK at you and still not offer service before you end up in a bar where you feel most comfortable, it does something to a person’s TGIF morale.
And, speaking of bars, check out my night job over at Dan’s Place. I love it! Those guys keep me on my toes and laughing all the way home with my tips. That is, until the new generation robifies us all….
Be kind to everyone you meet, for we are all fighting some kind of battle. Love and hugs to everyone on this weekend!
I wasn’t sure I would squeak this out but with the Academy Awards booming in the background, I am bound and determined to share my 2nd installment of my new theme #Free48, my weekend tribute to those hours which are afforded to me that belong to me. Sometimes they are quiet, sometimes busy, manic, lazy or productive. But, since I am the conductor of my 48 hour train, I vow to attempt a new journey each time it pulls away from the station.
This 48 started out lazy on Saturday morning, sleeping in and doing my morning reading. After watching the birds enjoying the gorgeous day, we decided to head out in search of junktique and thrift stores, with an eye peeled for something to hang over the new bed. Our online search pointed us in the direction of Marietta, so we dressed appropriately for the suddenly chilly temps and headed out. What a beautiful ride!
I can only imagine the beauty once Spring actually springs! Of course we had to take a slight detour on our way to the antique village….cuz we couldn’t miss out on seeing….
The BIG CHICKEN This iconic bird is a landmark, legendary as one of the oldest Kentucky Fried Chicken stores in Georgia, although it started out as Johny Reb’s Chick, Chuck and Shake restaurant. It is pretty impressive and the beak and eyes are motorized, the beak opening and closing and the eyes rolling. And I thought the giant bucket was pretty special when I was a kid. 😏
During our U-Turn we spotted a promising looking thrift store, Value Village, so decided to hop out for a quick look around. An hour or so later……
I have been unable to find any sweaters this season at half a dozen stores….
Until yesterday!
Nothing was over $6
This angora is in pristine shape.
But this was my prize. I love, love corduroy
Grand total? $59! Hooray for detours and side trips. I love recycling! Makes me so glad for all those bags of clothes I have donated over the years. It all comes back in the end. 😊 Next stop….The Antique Village!
This place was huge and well laid out
Loved this vintage sign room. Hit it Jake and Elwood!
I should have bought this one to bring home….so true.
We did pick up a few treasures here, but I didn’t really find what I was searching for. Maybe at the next one. So….three hours later and my stomach was screaming at me.
Where else could we go but to another icon in Marietta, famous for its great home cooking and for being featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives-Marietta Diner ! What a grand place. We were not disappointed. This restaurant serves up thousands of faithful and new patrons daily and the staff really know how to provide a great experience. It has a bustling diner feel but elegantly chic at the same time with professional and friendly servers and better than quick food arrival. Everything is made to order and tastes like someone’s Mom made it. 😉 With love.
Click on the link above for the full history of this NY family’s successful history of restaurant greatness and the different restaurant venues they have added over the years in Atlanta. What follows is a pictorial of our own adventure there; and I can only say I hope there are enough Free 48 weekends to make our way through the entire, extensive menu. 😱
The building just screams…”Come inside for good ess!”
I was stuck in the parking lot beneath the glowing marquee!
How about these doors, Norm?
We know what we love…
Gratis appetizers…the best spinach pie and freshly baked loaf of Greek bread.
Caesar salad and seafood bisquehhubby’s Greek gyro platter
Seafood Platter. Fried catfish, flounder and shrimp with a seafood stuffed mushroom and fries all over the place!
And then there was the complimentary beer from the owner…just because!
Thank you #Marietta Diner for such a wonderful meal and experience.
Oh…who could pass this up?! We got ours to go.
Hubby’s treat was a luscious Lemon Meringue pie slice. Me…must be chocolate and there were many options. Of course I chose the Death By Chocolate Cake which was so large a sluce it is lingering on. So far I have had three desserts out of it. And there is still a bit left for breakfast. 🙊
Now we are settled in watching the Academy Awards. I hope your weekend has been all you hoped for or needed; and I hope you had a bit of this in it as well..
That’s what I said when hubby recently suggested we try a local food venue for the first time. We are slowly branching out and trying new restaurants in and around our city. Atlanta in general is a food and shopping mecca, and our little section of it has plenty to offer. So, when our son said he was coming up from the city for a visit we suggested brunch at Muss and Turner’s for our meal, a funky little casual place with some intriguing menu choices. While the seating and ordering process are not ideal to our liking, following more of a NY deli style arrangement (images of Seinfeld’s ‘Soup Nazi’ fill my head), the one thing that was a selling point for me was the description of the little bar that is tucked away, Speakeasy style, behind this unassuming, seemingly utilitarian door.
I mean, it is exciting enough to think that delicious future dinner items might be behind there; but to find the magic of being transported to a cool little bar with knowledgable, friendly bartenders was almost thrilling. Sadly, our brunch plans were cancelled but we still had to pop into that bar…
This is the lovely lady for whom the bar is named, Eleanor Seale.It was kind of scary creeping around dark cornersAnd down this hall
And I must apologize here for not having a photo of the actaul bar. I have a phobia about taking photos in bars where there are other people present. I don’t know them ,or their circumstances, nor do I want to irritate anyone. But you can look it up online and see for yourself and perhaps our next visit I will be able to snap a quick photo.
I did get a photo of the absolutley delish and unique wings we had as well as the perfect Old Fashion the bartender made for me. There was also a lovely little drink made with Breckinridge whiskey called Beauty and the Beast. Yep, I tamed the beast. 😉 He made a couple of great tequila drinks for hubby that he enjoyed as well, stepping away from his usual beer choices. We will definitely be back to visit Eleanor’s again very soon.
My Old FashionMoroccan style wings…so good!
There are two locations in our area and we hope to try them both at some point. So, welcome to Muss and Turner’s!
And for more great posts visit our host and fellow doors Aficionado Norm . You will find the rules there, and if you follow the little blue froggy you can see some wonderful doors and add your own!
Happy Thursday. Which brings us another day closer to Saturday….💕
"I have enough time to rest, but I don't have a minute to waste". Come and catch me with your wise words and we will have some fun with our words of wisdom.
Dreaming Reality 
You must be logged in to post a comment.