Doughnuts For Thanksgiving? Krispy Kreme In Atlanta.

An early 1900's postcard with a girl eating doughnuts for Thanksgiving. Do you suppose they were Krispy Kremes?

I came across this old postcard tonight and had a laugh. Who puts doughnuts on Thanksgiving cards? What was on the mind of this artist so many years ago? But looking at that plate of doughnuts put something on my mind alrighty. Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

A little doughnut history.

The founder, Vernon Rudolph, worked for his uncle who purchased a secret recipe for yeast-raised doughnuts with a glazed coating, and a shop on Broad Street in Paducah, Kentucky, from Joseph LeBeouf of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Rudolph began selling yeast doughtnuts in Paducah and delviered them on his bike. The other family members joined in to meet the customer demand when the operations was moved to Nashville, Tennessee. The first store in the nation with the Krispy Kreme name opened on Charlotte Pike in 1933.

A visit to the Krispy Kreme web is a mouth watering treat. 

In Atlanta, visit Krispy Kreme at 295 Ponce De Leon Ave NE. When their "Hot Doughnuts" sign is lit - stop and pull in for a box of mouth watering glazed delights that melt in your mouth. One is never enough, two is good, three is better, and then who can stop?

I think I'll skip the pumpkin pie this year. I'm thinking Krispy Kreme, thanks to a post card of a lady eating doughnuts, on a Thanksgiving so long ago.

Wishing You  A Thanksgiving That Is Warm And Full Of Love.

Widow Lesson Learned:  When eating doughnuts it is sometimes best to do it alone. It is hard to explain how a dozen disappeared so quickly.

Meet Hank - And Welcome Guest Blogger Beverly Olsen

Beverly and friend

Beverly Olsen is a writer on Skirt's online magazine and a volunteer at a  no-kill shelter, Our Pal's Place, in Marietta, Georgia. I've borrowed her post from Skirt and reprinted it here.

Hank, a grand old dog that could use a home, speaks in her post. Beware there is talk about putting dogs down, but good news on changes in the law.

My name is Hank. I’m an overweight, middle-aged guy; but, the ladies say I have soulful eyes. I want to tell you about my current home. The house I live in at the moment is an old ranch that’s not in the best shape. I don’t mind, though because my space is under a great air conditioner and I have a comfortable bed. I get fed twice a day and get to go outside four times a day. It’s a pretty good set-up. The people who care for me are great! They really care about me and the others who live here. Our medical needs are taken care of and we are well fed. This place is meant to be a way- station, a layover, on the way to a new life for each of us.

The director of the facility where I live gives her heart and soul to this place everyday. It’s something called a 501-3C, which means that none of the great volunteers that work here make any money. They care for us because they love us. The director is the kindest, hardest working woman that I have ever known. She literally saved my life more than once! She saves multiple lives every month.

I asked a friend of mine to write this for me. Times have been tough this year since all the home foreclosures and we are busting at the seams here at Our Pal’s Place. The house is an old 1950’s ranch that could really use an “extreme home makeover.” It needs new plumbing, wiring and HVAC (whatever that is-my benefactor told me to put that in here). Last year there was a plumbing leak that got alot of the support beams wet and pretty well rusted out the central A/C. We stay cool with small window air conditioners. They are duct taped into the old windows which themselves are falling apart.

Now I’m not complaining because if I wasn’t here, I would be dead. That’s right DRT (Dead Right There). I would have met my fate with the gas chamber about 3 years ago. I know what you’re thinking, “What gas chambers? The United States doesn’t use gas chambers for execution. That was the Nazis in Germany.”

Well, guess what my kind have been murdered in your state for years in this brutal fashion. This year something wonderful happened. Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue has announced that he has signed HB 788 into law! This means by January 1, 2011, no county or city in the state can use carbon monoxide gas chambers to kill shelter animals.

Yep, I’m a dog or canine citizen as I prefer to be called. Here’s my latest photo!

Hank

I want to personally invite you to come visit me. I won’t lie, I am asking for your help. My dream is to raise enough money to build a new facility, so that we can save even more lives and expand our education program. We are in a great location and have enough land to expand. We need someone who has the financial resources to donate or to help in a major fundraising effort. If my little story has sparked your interest, please contact my human friend Beverly Olsen at beverlyo@bellsouth.net.

Thanks, Hank

 visit

Saturday Night Rumble!

SmackDown Superstars!

Are you ready?

How can we rumble? Everyone but me is sleeping.



Psst. I've got an idea.

The crowd starts to liven up

Well, a smackdown of sorts

Widow Lesson Learned: Sometimes your Saturday nights are quieter than expected. But it's always a party with a pack of dogs a snuggling.

Who has the popcorn?





Happy Halloween On The Romantic Side

Sharing with you some vintage early 1900's Halloween postcards. I love the idea that you can look in the mirror and see your true love!

He Is Your Fate

Who's Face You've Seen

In The Mirror's Face

On Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Widow Lesson Learned: I think it was easier to find a man in the mirror in Victorian times than it is to find one online today.

Book Review "I'll Always Love You"

During an interview when I was on tour with WOW, Women On Writing, I was asked what book influenced me most as a child. Well, my mind went blank, a senior moment perhaps.( Dear Heavens, am I really using that phrase?). I don't remember books from my childhood, but I do remember a childrens' book from my adult life that I love to this day!

"I'll Always Love You" by Hans Wilhelm. This charming, sweet book was published in 1988, by Dragonfly books, and can be purchased on Amazon online.

The story is a simple one. Elfie, a dachshund, and her young boy progress happily through life together. As a young pup, Elfie is full of pep and pranks; but as her master grows taller and taller, Elfie grows fatter and slower. One morning Elfie does not wake up. The family grieves and buries her, and the boy refuses a new puppy. He is not yet ready for another pet; but when he is, he will tell that one, as he told Elsie every night, "I'll always love you."  (Amazon review).

The naive watercolor illustrations add to the feel of this dear book. It is one of the best books I have read on dealing with the loss of a pet and the lesson learned is one, that as adults, is a good one to remember. Tell those you love that you love them every day.

Written for ages four to eight, it is a book that every adult, who has ever loved and lost a pet, will treasure.

I tell my dogs every day I love them. I tell that to my friends and family too. It amazes me that a book written for a small child can have so much impact on my life as an adult!

A perfect little holiday gift to show those you love, that you love them!

I have to add my own two cents worth here. When your pet leaves you, remember there are dogs that are grieveing for a forever home. Don't wait before you find another true love. We can't replace those dogs we love, but we can love a dog that is lost and needs love. There is no better feeling than to open our hearts to animals in need.

Check with my favorite rescue group, Animal Action Rescue, to see dogs that need your love.

Widow Lesson Learned: Sometimes a childens' book can point an adult in the right direction on how to deal with life. 'I'll always love you,' Foxy, Bray, Annabelle, Chloe, Rascal, Bray, and mother, and all my dear friends.

When A Dog Has More Style Than You, Or Finding Your Inner Beauty

Miss April In Paris, A Vision Of Style

That is Miss April In Paris. My rescue dog turned Diva. She has her own blog where she talks about visiting the city of lights. She has been a lazy Diva these last months and her diary has fallen behind, although her dreams are still large.

She looks better in hats than I do.

How sad is that?

Perhaps it is even sadder she wears a hat and I don't.

I am uncomfortable with anything sitting on my head. Yet, when April had this lovely, vintage, pink, rose chapeau placed on her head for a round of dog photos I was doing at Easter, she transformed from the shy dog that fell on her side to the ground, cowering, as I walked into the room, to a Diva. She was the latest rescue dog to come to my house. Number six. She had been here only a few months and had not found her place in the pack yet.

Suddenly wearing that hat, she had attitude. April did not seem a fitting enough name for her now. April was her name from the shelter. A fine name, but now plain for this Diva.

I looked at her and smiled. I put my hands on her face, bent down to kiss her nose and whispered into her ear, "I shall call you Miss April In Paris because you are so lovely."

She has transformed from a shy, panic stricken dog, to a dog full of confidence. She holds her own with the pack now. On any given day she comes up to kiss me right on the mouth. A bold move for a dog that was so timid.

I am amazed. The placement of that hat done without thought on my part, made such a difference for a shy dog.

Am I being silly? Maybe. Perhaps. But it is a true story.

Sometimes the smallest gesture can bring out inner beauty. If a dog's attitude can change with the placement of a vintage hat, during that moment something out of the normal is done, what do you think something out of the normal will do for you?

I like to open up to the possibilites of what if, even if they are silly and make you laugh. A big smile brings out more beauty than any other thing you can wear!

Originally posted on Skirt.com September 25, 2010, a few minor changes here.

When A Man Loves A Woman - A Favorite Percy Sledge Song

In this case it's more like when your male dog loves a doll! I came across these old photos of my late dog Jake, that ninety-five pound dog that showed up in my yard and ruled my life for twelve years. He passed away in April 2009 and started me on my hunt for rescue dogs to fill my heart. His was a good death. I did not have to make the choice to put him down. Although he had no use of his hind legs for months following the death of my husband, he had a spirit that loved every moment he was here. Even when he couldn't walk and I lifted him with a rear end sling he was smiling. He loved the attention and he loved food. Love and food, two good reasons to smile. And this dog could smile. He left me when he was ready. You can read about Jake in my book, The Unfaithful Widow!

Selling on Ebay for years, both my dogs, Foxy and Jake, were used to being photographed for my bio page (ME page) on Ebay. I slipped a little vintage handmade Raggedy Ann doll by Jake one day, and I think they fell in love.

Back in 1988 I started a newsletter, RAGS, on collecting Raggedy Ann dolls. Owned and published it for thirteen years. I sold it to a newspaper owner in Arcola, the birthplace of Johnny Gruelle, the creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy. It is now called Rags Magazine and if you love Raggedy Ann click here and check it out.

These photos brought back so many memories. Made me think of that old song by Percy Sledge and I am humming it as I post, but I think I'm singing when a dog loves a doll.

Old Jake sure loved this doll.

Widow Lesson Learned: Love knows no boundaries!