Welcome to August.

This is the hot-hot month of summer or used to be. This year all the summer months have been hot and no end in sight. August represents the ending of summer vacations and the beginning of a new school year. I watch the parents in stores check off the list of school supplies and the happy faces of children as they put their new items in the basket. Then as the ages go upward, the faces are not excited, rather the "oh, another year" look. Except if you are going back as a Senior and then it's another story. "Hey, only one more and......" Freshmen students in college are once again elated at starting another turn in their life.

What do you remember about your school years? It's a brain exercise for me to think back that far, but I did enjoy school. It was fun to be with so many of your friends for the first few years. Then we had to change classes after each period and the halls rang with laughter and clatter of running feet to get there before the bell rang. We used to call them "races in the hall." These school years dragged on and on and on, then when graduation time rolled around, it was as if Kindergarten had only happened. 

I do remember my worst class and worst grade  in Home Education, a required course for females, while the guys got to take "shop". One of our project was sewing. We had to make something to wear from a pattern all the way through cutting it out, piecing it together, sewing it, and wearing the finished product to class. There were too many students and too few  tables to lay material out and cut. Too few sewing machines and it involved after school hours to get it done. It was chaos. I got my skirt cut out and ended it. No way was I going to fight over a sewing machine or stay after class, or wear it to school. I hated sewing. That part of the class got me the lowest grade ever. But with the other parts -- budgeting, planning, cooking -- I did fine. Now my sewing consists of replacing buttons, once I get thee thread threw the needle, and that's all.

A big art gallery not far from my home, Tula, has started back with their "First Thursday Nights." Years ago it used to be "First Friday Nights," and it ended as the studios closed, one by one. It was so sad to see the artists empty their studios and lock the doors. Tula is a huge building with art studios on the top floor and also on the lower floor. Except, the lower floor is also the workshops of many artists. You can walk through their spaces and watch them work. This past First Thursday Night in August, I enjoyed seeing the building full of activity, beautiful paintings and photography. In one studio, it looked like winter. There were photographs of winter scenes shot in Roswell and Alpharetta, Georgia. The young gentleman had captured all the snow, leafless trees, ice, and streams in the lens of his camera. Then the other part of the studio was filled with the black and white artwork of his partner. He had painted his own version of the photographs. It was like seeing double, but not quite. Unique and interesting and cool.

Atlanta has many opportunities for the residents to see, learn, and enjoy. One thing I want to see is the "Tree Top Walk" at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. You can walk across the gardens on a walkway higher then the trees and get a birds-eye view. But, I will wait until the cooler weather sets in and then tip toe across. I hope to get a few pics to upload and let all of you see the view.

Until later, stay cool and happy writing.


Patricia

Please check out my writing contributions to LoftLife Magazine under the section of Culture Walks and "Curtain Call." 

Just enter http://atlanta.loftlifemag.com/ and enjoy.

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