lunch in...

...Tennessee today. I drove to Decatur on Sunday afternoon, to spend the night. We got up this morning and drove on to Chattanooga for lunch, after I made a quick stop at the store for some fresh flowers to take along. Tomorrow is her actual birthday, but I had a minor conflict, causing the celebrating to be moved up a day.

We have been going for several years, to have lunch and chat/visit/laugh. Last year when asked what her preference would be for good eats, she reported that the most favorite would be eating Asian food at the 'cook it on the table' place - something we did occasionally in growing up years. She just loves Asian food - always requesting going to eat at a little hole in the wall place when she comes to visit here.

We got to TN a little early,  and made a detour to a store you could probably furnish your entire house in if you wanted. Definitely a OneStopShop, with everything except food, and maybe roofing shingles. I accidentally purchased a plastic green house that comes in a box, as well as a couple of big pretty yellow mum plants to sit on the front step that will need watering at least once a day. A few open flowers and dozens of buds that will open in the coming days to add color in the coming weeks when they return home to St. Elmo.

After we returned the (day early) Birthday Girl to her workplace, we got back on the interstate to return to Atlanta. Safe uneventful drive to Decatur, then on back home by about 5:30. A lot of traveling, gas burned, but an enjoyable day. I noticed on Sunday afternoon when headed north lots of pretty blooms in the median of I-185. Great swaths of cosmos in brilliant yellow, as well as spots of white, pink and maroon deliberately planted and watered to provide beauty for travelers. In the way that spotting happy yellow daffodils in the early spring make you smile, I was surprised and delighted by the colorful nodding blooms, and effort put forth to make a mundane drive so cheerful.