Reading Flannery O'Connor

If you don't know her, make your acquaintance with her now! Flannery O'Connor is Georgia's most famous (and rightly so!) author. Andy has been reading her stories and novels many times over for years now. On Tuesday, July 14, he drove over to Andalusia in Milledgeville to visit the old dairy farm where she wrote a good many of her shocking (or so some say) stories. A devout and hard-nosed Christian (Roman Catholic, not Baptist), O'Connor has earned first-prize in America's literary circles. She died when only thirty-nine years old of lupus. Surely God has welcomed her into his everlasting arms; she suffered with and for Christ, all the while demonstrating what a writer can do when captured by the grace of God. Get her stuff and read it!

Culling for peaches

This morning, June and I drove over to Musella and Dick's Peach Packing Plant. We got there at 9 and after a short stay in line, picked well over a half-bushel of peaches. June is now upstairs, cutting them up and slicing them for the freezer. Just moments ago we both had a bowl of peaches with fat-free ice cream. Gosh, it's no wonder Georgia is the peach-state!

Merry Anna is going to South Korea!

On Thursday evening, the Greene side of the family all got together to celebrate Merry Anna's birthday and to wish her Happy Voyage as she flights to South Korea. Culture shock, here she comes!

Lora, Kirk, Madalyn, and Simone Come to the Lakehouse

Over the weekend of October 17 and 18, Lora, Kirk, Madalyn, and her friend Simone gave us a wonderful visit. It has been such a long time since June and I have been able to chat with our Nashville clan! With a lovely evening boat ride, some grand tubbing (so grand that Madalyn lost her bikini bottoms!), and lots of good food, beer, and wine to share, it was absolutely lovely. Madalyn repants herself in the water, we all went to St. John Lutheran Church on Sunday, and we found out that Madalyn, even as an eighth grader, has already scored 23 on her pre-ACT test. Cheers to you, granddaughter! And Simone was such a delight! On Sunday afternoon, later than we anticipated, we said good-bye to one another, and the Nashville Harnacks headed down to Charleston for a week on the beach. Thanks for coming, y'all!

Up and out to the High Museum in Atlanta

Yesterday June and Andy drove up to Atlanta's High Museum to see Monet's Water Lilies and other great artsy-fartsy stuff. Andy especially liked the folkart exhibits! Most of all, he was impressed with the work of Howard Finster, who painted this work, The Angel of the Lord, on plywood in the late 1980's. Take a look at life and witness of this fascinating artist. Try as we might (we were both patting his bottom!), we just couln't get Claude to smile.

Our July 4 Weekend

Last weekend Lisa, Tim, Katie, Amy, Kevin, Mary Carol, Jackson, Hayden, Carole and Hugh, Sara Beth and Matt, Chris and Stan were over (some for several days) for our Independance Day celebration and family reunion of sorts. The big news is that Jackson and Hayden, both of whom had never dared to tub before, gathered up their courage and danced the Big Bob on the lake. Then on the evening of July 4, we entered our boat in the Boat Parade and, singing "God Bless America" for all we were worth, somehow managed to get an "honorable mention" award from the judges (Amy swears it was "pity reward") with a crisp $50 bill. After that thrill, we join the hundreds of boats in a moonlit flotilla up river. It was absolutely wonderful, fireworks booming all around us. When we got back, Kevin and the kids put on their on booming display, and then we all went to bed, some with a beer, and all with good dreams.

For some pix of all that went on (but not all, what goes on at the lakehouse, stays at the lakehouse!), visit Photobucket (no password necessary; the whole world can take a peek!).

Our thanks go out to Lisa and Amy who submitted photos (as always, edited!).