It’s the Little Things

Since Monday's post was about my neurotic stressage, today I thought I'd tell you what I'm thankful for. It's the little things, isn't it?

First of all, I've had a great week of smile moments. A few days ago I did my bi-annual run to the recycling center in town. I absolutely hate this chore. The place is run by volunteers of old men driving fork lifts. This part I like. Because they're nice. And funny. And for reasons I can't guess, they're there because they want to be. And as I'm tossing my magazines in this giant refrigerator box filled wth other thrown-away mags, I spy the September issue of Southern Living. The one that costs five bucks. The one I had passed up just HOURS BEFORE in Wal-Mart. SCORE! And I got a new People magazine. DOUBLE SCORE! And I got street cred for dumpster diving.

Now we move on to last Sunday. Before I leave on a trip, I usually have a “Last Supper.” Often this involves eating at my mother's, as she is a fabulous cook. (She doesn't believe brownies come from a box. God sure knew what he was doing when he was passing out mothers.)  Sometimes the Last Supper is just going somewhere and ordering whatever I want, as I usually eat a pretty restrictive diet (despite my obsession and frequent mention of all things fatty and lacking nutrition). (Ice cream is gluten free, by the way.)  So that's what I did Sunday. After church, I joined my mother, aunt, and uncle in a nearby town for fried chicken at one of my favorite restaurants. Why Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives hasn't stopped by this place is BEYOND me.  I mean, just check out the beautiful exterior.

I think that pink paint is original. If they've ever repainted, I'm not aware of it. Neal's opened in 1944 and little has changed. It's a local landmark and they can cook, y'all. Check out this glittery chair.

That's real, genuine glitter. On your chair. You can't find that just anywhere. The rest of the interior is just as impressive.

What I love about this restaurant, besides their perfectly fried chicken, is that you can see millionaires dining beside farmers. Everyone eats here. This big guy hung over our table. I mean literally over us. If my mom had been a little taller her head would've been up his nose. This pink monstrosity of a diner makes me very, very happy. After I filled up on home cooking, I went to our local mall. It was a beautiful day (outdoor mall), and even though I had to give Banana Republic some super cute shoes back (seriously, have you seen their flats?), I was treated to the sound of a New Orleans style band right outside Banana's doors.

Aren't they amazingly good? I was so impressed.

And then I got to watch this dad dance across the lawn with his girl. And then my mom gave me an old family treasure I hadn't laid eyes on in decades. It's so valuable, I'm probably gonna have to get a super secret wall safe with a full-time body guard.

That's right. It's the original cast recording of Annie the movie, starring Albert Finney, Aileen Quinn, CAROL BURNETT (I love you Mrs. Hannigan!), and Tim Curry. I used to listen to this by the HOUR. And kids, the cool thing about records was you could open their covers and find all sorts of things to look at. I can still sing “I Think I'm Gonna Like it Here” on command. (Used to room…in a tomb…where I'd sit and freeze! Get me now! Holy Cow! Would someone…pinch me please?!)

So these were my little musical, greasy blessings this weekend. What about you? What are some blessings or cool things that have caught your attention lately?