Occupying the Peach State

Apologies for the lag in posting. I've been a trifle busy.

You?

Let the catch-up games begin.

The weekend before Thanksgiving TG and I wended our way south and west for our first visit to McDonough, Georgia, since Erica moved there on the first of August, 2010.

Actually I believe it was my first-ever visit to McDonough (say McDonna).

Trivia: TG and I were married in Decatur, Georgia, a scant thirty-five miles from where Erica now lives.

On the first full day of our stay in the metropolitan Atlanta area, we checked out the school where Erica teaches fifth grade.

Peoples Baptist Academy is a ministry of Peoples Baptist Church.

This is the view of her church and workplace from Erica's driveway:

Convenient, no? And yes, she always drives it.

You can't tell from the picture because I zoomed in, but there is a busy road she has to cross.

The lobby area is sparkling and inviting.

Erica's students were in computer lab when we arrived so after providing us a brief tour of the building, she went to fetch them.

They walked briskly and quietly before stopping to form two lines. The armor-alled vigil-keeping mascotian knight figures are everywhere.

After I took my pictures and said hello, the children were introduced to Mr. Weber.

Later in the day Erica asked her students to give their impressions of her parental units.

From one child: "Your mom is nice and her hair is really cool."

From another: "I think if your dad looked right at me I would turn to ice."

There you have it. I'm nice and he's ice. Out of the mouths of babes.

After our time with Erica and her charges, we left to meet an old friend of mine in Marietta (say Mayretta), about an hour's drive north, above Atlanta proper.

Right on schedule we connected with my longtime girl pal, Sydney, and went to Sugar Cakes Patisserie for a late-morning breakfast.

Isn't she darling? 

In addition to being a loving wife and the mother of two high-achieving adult offspring, Sydney is a successful real estate broker.

Sydney and I had not seen one another since we both lived in the greater Chicagoland area over two decades ago.

She, her husband, and their two children moved back to Georgia in 1990.

Sydney reads this blog and will always be one of my dearest friends.

TG listened patiently to the girl talk while we awaited the arrival of our quiche.

Sydney gave me a beautiful cast-iron fleur-de-lis doorstop that could double as a bookend and vice versa. It's in use as a bookend at present because I can't bear to put it on the floor.

Thanks Sydney. You're a love and it'd better not be another twenty-plus years before I see you again.

After bidding Sydney farewell (she had a closing, yay!) we drove two blocks to a cemetery.

But not just any cemetery. I'd been planning to visit this one for some time: St. James Episcopal.

Wherein lies a special grave.

Fifteen Christmases ago six-year-old JonBenet enjoyed her last Christmas Day, her last Peace on Earth.

I love the True Crime genre. If you want to read a good book about this haunting and heartbreaking unsolved case, I recommend Perfect Murder, Perfect Town: The Uncensored Story of the JonBenet Murder and the Grand Jury's Search for the Truth by Lawrence Schiller.

JonBenet's mother, Patsy, is interred nearby.

Elizabeth Pasch Ramsey, John Ramsey's daughter from a marriage previous to Patsy, lies beside JonBenet. Beth died in an automobile accident in 1992 at the age of twenty-two.

Her boyfriend, Matthew Derrington, also perished in the crash.

Patsy Ramsey's mother, Nedra Paugh, rests a few spaces over.

If JonBenet's grave is directly at your back, this is the view:

The Garden of Peace.

St. James Episcopal Cemetery is perfect in size and situation as well as ambience and age. TG and I spent a contented quiet hour there.

TG has become my spotter when graving. I'm always looking for unusual monuments, names, epitaphs, symbols, and date patterns.

My man knows the exact tone of voice to use in a cemetery (one does not holler) and he intuits what will please me.

No, Clark Gable isn't buried there. Members of the Clark and Gable families are. But it's a great picture, don't you agree?

For a good twenty minutes I was absorbed in photographing gorgeous examples of nineteenth-century markers and wrought-iron fencing detail.

Then TG found this tersely humorous grave tablet and waved me over:

Well I never. He couldn't grow grass and now he doesn't have to.

This was my first time to see a star engraved beside the birth date and a cross beside the death date. It was everywhere in this cemetery. If you know the origin of that practice, please do share.

I'm too lazy to Google it.

I circled back around to see JonBenet one last time before we had to go. Pink camellias were blooming like mad so I picked one from a tree near her grave and left it for her.

The shadows were graying and cooling her spot. There was no hurry and practically no sound.

We drove back through thickening traffic to meet Erica for late-day and evening plans which we hoped would include a good dinner.

Therein lies a tale I'll tell you later in the week.

I was so bored while riding, I resorted to taking pictures of myself taking pictures.

And that is all for now, because I must go and decorate a tree.

Merry Christmas!

Comments

[Mari]

I love this post! What a fun visit and how cool to visit her class. "Nice and Ice" Funny, but I don't think the ice part is true - TG seems like a pretty great guy~! :)
The cemetery is really beautiful, and interesting too.

[Sue the Hobbit]

I love adventures. And reading about other people's adventures. Can't wait for episode two.

[Donna (Texas)]

McDonna???Hahaaa....I love it Already!
Aren't old friends God's gift? So glad y'all got to meet up...and Hubby is a doll for sitting through all those "girlie giggles" without complaining...sweet guy there.
Jon Benet? Oh my...I just got goose bumps....Bless her little heart.
Oh, and your daughter is Beautiful....Missed you!
hughugs

[irene]

You certainly have adventures. I love that you got to meet your daughters charges, I think it's so nice for students to realize their teacher has a mom and dad, even if nice and ice are how they describe them. And then to meet a friend en route. BUT WOW your cemetery trip this time was unbelievable.I can't believe it's been such a long time for Jon Benet, I know that it's not anything really but glad her mom is close by. Thank you for the recommendation of the book, not usually my genre, but I think I may stray. Anxiously awaiting part two.

[Glenda]

Well, Erica and her class are adorable, and you do have "cool" hair and TG could freeze them with a look! Old friends are Gods gift and yes she is darling. The picture of sweet Jon Benet's final resting place are just beautiful.

I really LOVE the picture of you taking a picture of yourself!!! You are adorable too!
(((HUGS))) from me dear friend.

[Debbie]

I knew there would be some 'graving' involved.

The school looks great, such a spotless place even the floors are gleaming. Reminds me of our grandson's private Christian school in Nashville. They cannot compare to the education, surroundings, and teachers in the Christian schools.

Love the picture of you in the side-view mirror.