Sometimes you just want to go somewhere that's pretty! I have photos here for you from a small restaurant that is only a few miles from our house, but it feels like you are in a faraway place. It is attached to a bookstore which makes it all the nicer for us. This is in a very old house that was once a fair size restaurant. Back when they filmed "Dukes of Hazzard" in the next county over, Carroll O'Connor was here almost every evening to dine. It was called "Michaelangelo's" then and he had good taste because they had very good food. (Once, he was behind me at a stop light. When I recognized him in my rear-view mirror, I mouthed the words, "I love you!" He did a deep bow even while seated in his car! That's a nice memory. Probably told you this story before but I don't see stars every day of the week!)
Abracadabra! Did you instantly think of a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat? I just learned that the word has been around for many centuries. It somehow means the equivalent of "I will create as I speak" or "I create like the word". It all seems a bit misty to me as the exact origin of it, but it seems that people felt a certain power to it and would write the word in a triangular shape (like I have shown you above) and have it above their doorways so as to ward off diseases. They did this during the Great Plague of London which was in 1665. Daniel Defoe (the same author who wrote "Robinson Crusoe") wrote dismissively of them doing so. If you get the chance, I wish you could read a bit about Daniel Defoe, I think his life story would make a very good film! One of his books, "The Storm" was about a hurricane that hit Britain in 1704. It is considered one of the first works of modern journalism as he gave first-hand accounts of those who had survived the storm. Florida has just now had another hurricane and I have been watching the news thinking of all those affected. Here is what Daniel Defoe had to say about the hurricane in 1704...
"No pen could describe it, nor tongue express it, nor thought conceive it unless by one in the extremity of it".
There, doesn't that sound exactly true? And perfectly expressed?
There has been such bad news recently but one piece of good news.... did you see the story of the children that were rescued from the cable car in Pakistan? It took them a while to figure out how to attempt the rescue, but they were successful, and all were saved! They showed a photo of the cable car itself and I remarked that it reminded me of a tin of Spam, it was very small, and it only had a metal gate at either end. (I am not criticizing in any way, just observing how small and open it would have been for them, dangling like that above those mountains!)
I have had this video on here before, but I really like it, I hope you do as well! Such a peaceful tune. It is the theme song from the movie "Up"....it is called "Married Life". (Thinking of our dear son and darling daughter in law who just married in the Spring.) xx
Hope you are all doing well, my friends. So many people are getting Covid! I bet we will have to start wearing masks again, you know I still have some!
I wish I could visit the restaurant. I enjoyed the video.
ReplyDeleteHey John! Wish you could walk around our little town with us too, as long as there are no film companies blocking the streets that is!
DeleteMy heart aches for all those in the path of storms, we've been there ourselves.
ReplyDeleteA good restaurant is a treasure.
Oh well, we just had a cup of coffee there. We had been hiking and I had on my old tromping about clothes but I wish I had had a fancy dress to sit on that sofa!
DeleteIf I went to a restaurant attached to a bookstore, I'd never get to eat because I wouldn't be able to stop shopping for books! It's been very windy with a little rain in my part of Florida. I'll have to clean up my yard, but we got off easy. I've read one book by Daniel Defoe: Moll Flanders. COVID will keep on mutating and part of our population will continue to refuse the vaccine. As the weather gets cooler and people are inside more, it will be spread more easily. It's been foolish for companies to bring their workers back to the office. I'm still working from home, and I want to keep it that way.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Luckily for me, Richard loves books as much as I do! We love book stores also, I do miss how many of them have closed in England. Stay healthy!
DeleteWhat an elegant restaurant, and I have always loved a little cafe with a book shop attached. This is so appealing. I did not hear about the rescue in Pakistan, but did see the initial news reports. What good news to know they figured it out and saved them. Covid has been around here during the Winter too - will it ever go away??
ReplyDeleteIt is quite interesting, the owner has her own insurance agency in the building and we think she has the restaurant and book store as a kind of sideline but it is quite nice. Keep healthy and keep looking for the good news!
DeleteI still carry an unopened mask in some of my handbags, my rucksack and my little red suitcase (weekender), too, but have not worn one in months. People are being ill left, right and centre here, too, so I may start to wear a mask on public transport again.
ReplyDeleteThe restaurant looks very stylish, and of course I like the yellow/mustard elements. What type of food do they serve? Great picture of you on that settee!
Ha ha, like I mentioned in my reply to another comment, we had been walking through town and I just had on my hiking clothes but when we stopped in here, I did wish I had on something nicer! I didn't pay much attention to the food, as you know Richard can't eat out much due to this diet, so we just had coffee there.
DeleteIt'a always a pleasure to hear good news. How wonderful they could rescue this people. I did think of magic when I saw the title of your post. Magic is all around us and happens more than we think. Hope you are enjoying the last days of summer! Love, ma
ReplyDeleteHey! I hope you are enjoying the last days of summer. We are seeing butterflies, although many of them are in their final stages of life but bits of wing broken off. The dear things don't live very long but they are so beautiful!
DeleteCan you believe that none of those children fell? Or that none of them tried to climb out to get help? It was a happy moment.
ReplyDeleteIt was an extraordinary story and one with a happy outcome, I was so glad to see.
DeleteCongrats to the newlyweds! Always nice to have a wedding instead of a funeral in the family. I like that restaurant and the side story. Way to go!
ReplyDeleteThanks for best wishes for our son! Our kids are the best, aren't they? I know you agree! You and David both take care now and stay healthy. Aloha! ❤
DeleteI've been purging my books! I have so many and it's time to cut down but oh how I love a good bookstore and a good, hold in the hand, book! That place looks amazing! I love the color of that couch and don't you look charming there! How fun to have met..sort of...a wonderful actor like him! It's hard to believe he's been gone over 20yrs. I loved that video and the song too. Congrats to your newly weds! We just celebrated 49yrs of marriage a week ago. Time goes so fast.
ReplyDeleteOh, happy anniversary to you two! 49 years, I know the time has flown by for you both! I'm the same way, I have so many books but then, I do love them! We have had a lot of stars here while filming but they usually don't mix with common people. Carroll O'Connor wasn't like that, everybody knew him and waved at him and he always responded and was so kind.
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