The Marietta City Council recently approved agreements that are going to allow the Marietta Conference Center & Resort to become a Hilton Hotel. 

Does this mean we'll be seeing Paris Hilton around town?  Ladies, lock up your husbands and sons!  :)

Read more about the changes at the Conference Center & Resort here.

There's more and more talk around town about the very real fact that we could be looking at a summer without swimming pools if the drought doesn't ease up soon.  According to this article in the AJC, unless we get more rain soon, pools wil be included in the outdoor watering ban for summer 2008.

Granted, I'm not all that excited about getting back into a bikini in a few months, but I can't imagine a hot, humid Georgia summer (especially with bored kids) without having access to a cool, refreshing pool full of endless fun and hours of enjoyment.

Just think about all the activity that goes on around a pool in the summer:  swim team,  birthday parties, neighborhood cook-outs, etc.  Not to mention the effect it would have on house values, neighborhood associations, local industry (pool maintenance businesses, hotels, etc).  There are even safety concerns to consider due to the stagnant water left sitting in 90-100 degree weather all summer.

This got me thinking....how can I conserve more water in my own home?  We're already trying to conserve, but I found this list on the Georgia Environmental Protection Division Website that really opened my eyes about ways that I can do even more.  For instance, I didn't even consider that leaving extra lights on could waste water resources!  

- - SAVING WATER - -
Inside the Home
TIPS
Turn off the lights when you are not in the room and cut the air conditioner back when you are not at home. Energy is produced using large volumes of water. Reducing energy demands can reduce the water needed to produce that energy.
• In the KITCHEN
o Refrigerate a bottle or glass of water instead of letting a faucet flow until the water runs cold.
o Prepare food efficiently. Speed cleaning food by using a vegetable brush. Spray water in short bursts. Faucet aerators cut consumption.
o Defrost sensibly. Plan ahead to defrost foods overnight in the refrigerator. Don’t use running water. Use the microwave or put wrapped food in a bowl of cold water.
o Reduce dishwashing. Use rubber spatula to scrape dishes clean to limit pre-rinse. Let really dirty pans or dishes soak to speed washing. Most newer dishwashers don't require pre-rinsing. Limit dishwasher use to full loads.
o Reuse clean household water. Collect all the water that is wasted while waiting for the hot water to reach your faucet or showerhead. Use this to water your houseplants or outdoor planters. Do the same with water that is used to boil eggs or steam vegetables.
o Garbage disposal alternatives. Avoid using your garbage disposal. Compost leftovers fruits and vegetables.
• In the BATHROOM
o Don’t use the toilet as a trash can. Every flush you eliminate can save between two and seven gallons of water.
o Use a glass for rinse water when brushing teeth instead of letting the faucet run.  Shave the same way. An electric razor also saves water.
o Fix leaking faucets and toilets. Research has shown that an average of 8% (or more) of all home water use is wasted through leaks. Test for a leaking toilet by lifting the lid off the toilet tank and putting a few drops of food coloring into the bowl. Wait a few minutes, then look in the bowl. If the food coloring has made its way there, you have a leak.
o Install a low-flow toilet. Low-flow toilets need only 1.6 gallons per flush, saving thousands of gallons per year. Unlike earlier models, low flow toilets available today receive high marks from consumers for overall performance.
o Conserve water in the tub. Take showers instead of a bath and save 30 gallons. Filling the bathtub uses about 50 gallons of water. Try filling it just half way.
o Shorten your shower by one minute. Cut back on your shower time and you will rack up big savings in water and energy. If you really want to try and save water, limit your shower time to five minutes or less. Also, install a water-saving showerhead that uses two-and-a-half gallons per minute.
Information compiled by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (www.gaepd.org) and collected from UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental Science (www.caes.uga.edu), the Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force (www.mass.gov/dep/water), and EPA WaterSense Program (www.epa.gov/watersense)
• In the LAUNDRY
o Wash only full loads of laundry. You'll not only save water, but energy as well.
o Consider purchasing a new water- and energy- efficient clothes washer. Look for the Energy Star labeled products and save more water in one year than a person drinks in a lifetime. These units create less wear and tear on clothes, clean better, and use less detergent. Some electric utilities offer rebates for qualified models. See www.energystar.gov for more information.

At the Cobb County School Board meeting last week, the board supported asking the public to extend the SPLOST tax.  The current SPLOST expires December 31, 2008.  Read more here.

I recently finished reading Rhett Butler's People, the second "sequel" to Gone With the Wind.  After hearing mixed reviews from die-hard  Gone With the Wind fans, I wanted to find out for myself.  Of course, being a Georgia girl, I love  Gone With the Wind and the author, Margaret Mitchell, is well esteemed as a local hero.  But I have to admit that it has been quite some time since I've read the original (it's on my to do list now) or even watched the movie.  

I've never read the 1991 sequel Scarlett  by Alexandra Ripley but Rhett Butler's People intrigued me.  I've always loved the character of Rhett and wondered what this author would offer to develop the character.  Donald McCaig, the author of  Rhett Butler's People,  also wrote the Civil War story Jacob's Ladder.

The verdict?  I truly enjoyed the book.  It was not just a sequel or a pre-quel, it followed the life of Rhett Butler from his boyhood in Charleston and parallelled the original book for much of the story.  It explains his beginnings and, in my opinion,  makes Rhett seem less like a rebel renegade and more like a misunderstood altruist who does so many things to help others without ever being truly understood or appreciated.....not even by Scarlett.

The book delves into Rhett's past and relationships, especially with his sister Rosemary and the notorious Belle Watling.  There is an especially touching scene between Rhett and Tunis Bonneau (a son of freed slaves and Rhett's boyhood friend) that had me in tears.

I've read critics' complaints that some of the scenes portrayed Scarlett quite out of character from the original, but I felt that it just showed a different aspect of Scarlett's character. After all, don't all true Southern women have many layers of complexity?

One thing I feel modern readers will appreciate is that McCaig's version of the Civil War and Slavery were more historically accurate than the original which portrayed a much more romanticized perspective.  He did take a few liberties, but he points them out in the Acknowledgements section.

If you like Southern novels or Southern history, then I really think you will enjoy this book that compliments Margaret Mitchell's legacy of  Gone With the Wind...."the greatest love story ever told" .

You can purchase Rhett Butler's People at Amazon.com.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Rom 12:12, NIV)

Sometimes I feel like this verse is my mantra.  It seems like such a simple command.....
but is it?

It's interesting to me that the order of the commands goes from easiest to most difficult.
I mean, come on, if it ended at "Be joyful in hope..." it would be pretty easy, right? Being patient in affliction is another story.  But the most difficult for me at least is to be truly faithful in prayer. 

Our lives are so busy and so full of everyday stuff that taking time to meditate and pray sometimes gets unintentionally pushed to the end of the to-do list, when it should be at the top.

Nobody has good days 100% of the time.  Every single person in this world is dealing with some kind of hardship or affliction on some level.  And if you're going through a difficult time, some days even the "joyful in hope" part is difficult. 

But I've found that if I go backwards and start with the most difficult and most important, being faithful in prayer, then I have the strength to be patient in affliction and hardships. And only when I've survived those hardships do I truly understand what it means to have hope.  And that, in my experience is where true joy is found.

It's time for Upward soccer again!  Evaluations are being held today at McEachern UMC in Powder Springs between 11:00am and 3:00pm.

If you haven't registered yet, don't worry!  Registration is open until February 2nd. and there will be make-up evalulations on Feb. 2nd for all boys and girls ages K4-9th grade between 11:00am and 1:00 pm. 

 Find out more about Upward Soccer at McEachern on McEachern UMC's website.

Upward is a sports program that promotes salvation, character and self-esteem.  FInd out more about Upward here.

Last night my family and I were driving down the East-West Connector on the way to Austell to have dinner with my parents. I was reminded of the days when the East-West Connector was not there at all.  (The West Cobb portion is now known as Barrett Parkway).

I remember when the they began the Connector that can now take you from Cumberland Mall all the way through Cobb County to Town Center Mall. My Grandparents lived where the Target Shopping Center stands today on Austell road and it was very exciting to consider such a major thoroughfare going through our little community.  At the time Bankhead Hwy and South Cobb Drive were the nearest major roads.

Much of the road no longer runs East or West, as my daughter pointed out while looking at the GPS last night, but much of the original section (seen below) was East to West.

I recently found out an interesting fact....Unlike most major roads, the Connector was funded by Cobb County and not with state funds.

One of the first sections in our area ran from Austell Road to Powder Springs Road.   The next section was built between Austell Rd. and Hicks Rd.  When that section was almost completed, but not yet open to the public, my father took me out on the new road to test my budding driving skills. Now every time I drive down that stretch of road I'm reminded of my old 1982 Toyota Tercel!



A portion of the East-West Connector in Cobb County, Georgia

There are some new tax proposals being tossed around the Georgia state Legislature that could have a tremendous effect on our local schools.  Basically, they are considering going to a state sales tax to fund education rather than local property taxes.

Schools in Cobb County are opposing this proposal because it would greatly limit local control over tax dollars.

Read more about it at the Cobb County School District's website.

My oldest daughter has got to be the pickiest eater in Cobb County.  What I have yet to figure out is if it's somewhat due to my lack of creative cooking skills.  She even proclaimed one night at dinner last year (admittedly, another bland chicken concoction) that she couldn't eat it because she was going to become a vegetarian.  (Although I'm not quite sure she fully understood what that meant because her "exceptions" were hot dogs and pizza.)

But for the past few weeks, she hasn't stopped talking about the "Dorito Chicken" that EVERYbody else's mom knows how to make.  After hearing "When are you gonna make Dorito Chicken? All the other moms make it." a hundred times, I finally called one of my neighbors last night and got the recipe that would undoubtedly redeem me in my daughter's eyes.

I have to admit that cooking is not my favorite thing to do....especially when I go through a huge effort to put together a meal just to watch my kids picking at it and pushing the food around trying to make it look like they ate something.  But this recipe was SO easy and it only took 5 minutes to put it together.

Who would've thought that a bowl of Doritos and a few chicken cutlets could make my family so happy?  There were cheers and applause all around our kitchen table and every bite was eaten.  Everyone was happy and full but the dogs....because they didn't get any food slipped under the table last night!  

The recipe is from the Southern Living Our Best Easy Weeknight Favorites Book. 

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons mayonnaise                    2 skinned and boned chicken breast halves (I used cutlets) 1/4 teaspoon salt                                      3/4 cup crushed Doritos (about 30) 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning   1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

Directions: COMBINE first 3 ingredients; spread on both sides of chicken. Dredge chicken in crushed chips. Place chicken on a lightly greased baking sheet or jellyroll pan. Drizzle with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is done. Yields 2 servings.

When parents are dealing with autism, one of the most important things they can do is to educate themselves....the earlier the better. Early intervention is crucial for children with autism/pervasive developmental delay.

I think it's so great that the Cobb County School District is offering this for parents. Many parents do not realize that their children might be eligible for educational services and therapies through the Cobb County School District as early as age 3.

Bravo to Cobb County for being so pro-active in helping parents and children living with autism!

Autism Workshop

Do you need information about autism? Does your child have difficulty in social situations? Do you need help teaching basic skills to your child?

Join us at the Cobb County School District Autism Workshop
Where:Kell High School, 4770 Lee Waters Rd, Marietta, GA 30066
When:Saturday, February 23, 2008, 8:30 AM-12:30 PM

Topics Include:Visual Schedules, Social Skills, Toileting, Speech/Functional Communication, Sibling Issues, and more!

Please call the Cobb County Special Education Parent Mentor Office for additional information and registration: Judith Steuber(770) 529-0046 or Ijeoma Ajoku(770) 529-0046

Child-care is provided. Pre-registration is required for child care.

West Cobb.....there's no place like home!

I was born and raised in Cobb County and in my lifetime I have seen it go from a quiet, small-town, rural bedroom county to a vibrant, growing, ever-evolving modern community. But in many ways, West Cobb has managed to hold on to that "small-town" feel even with a booming population and all that goes with it. One reason I created this blog is to assist in preserving the sense of community in West Cobb County.

I am a stay at home mother (aka: Domestic Goddess) and I currently live in West Cobb. With 2 kids (3 if you count my husband), I am just like everybody else in Cobb County.....busy, busy, busy! But part of the reason we have stayed in Cobb County for so long is that there is so much to do here and the people are so wonderful. It is such a great place to live, to work, to raise a family, to retire....to just "be". There is a wide variety of interesting people, places and history right here in our own community. My goal is to create a fun, energetic, and informative environment that highlights all of those things from a personal perspective.  I also want to promote people and organizations that are doing positive things for our communtiy.

I love talking to local people, local businesses, church leaders, and service organizations, etc. So if you would like me to interview you or someone you know, or write about  your business or organization then please feel free to contact me...I'd love to chat with you!

Also, if you have photos to upload or stories to share, go to the photo section or contact me.   And if you want to add calendar events for your organization contact me and I will post them.  I want this site to be all about community and that means talking to wonderful West Cobbers just like yourself!

I'm also looking for people that share the same love for West Cobb and our community to submit articles or be guest bloggers. Again, if you are interested in contributing, just contact me.

I hope you find the site interesting, informative, and fun!



~Amy

What did you do in the snow last weekend? At our house, we pretty much spent the weekend curled up in front of the fire with our laptops and books and hot chocolate. My new puppy played with exuberance in the white stuff while our old dog stood at the back door refusing to go out and looking at at the pup like he was crazy.

My oldest daughter had a blast running around with the neighborhood gang having snowball wars and building snowmen. Their only regret was that it snowed on a 3 day weekend so they didn't get to miss any school!

I have friends from other parts of the country that think we are crazy when it snows here; the way we run for bread and milk and close the schools and businesses at the first fall of a flake. But, in my opinion, that's part of what makes it so much fun!

Oakleigh is a local neighborhood that has some great pictures of the snow on their website. Click here to see the Oakleigh pics.

Do you have pics of the snow? We'd love to see them....just go to our Photos section and hit upload pics.

Do you have stories of your adventures in the snow? Please share them with us! Just contact me.

The brand new library opens today in Powder Springs, Georgia.  The beautiful new building on Atlanta Street is a 10,000 square foot modern facility that will have a meeting room and public internet access. 

I can't wait to see the new building.  It was always difficult to park at the old location and the old building was so small and cramped. Now there will be more room for story time with the children and more room for meetings (the meeting room can hold up to 50 people), and the best part is there will be room for more books! The new library is located in the Ford Center Complex in downtown Powder Springs where there is also a senior center and a reception hall. 

Click here to visit Powder Springs Library Home Page

“Just go to the Big Chicken and turn ….”

If you’ve lived in or around Cobb County for any period of time you have surely heard that phrase before. People around here have been giving directions based on the popular landmark for decades. I remember as a child the sheer delight of gazing up at the Big Chicken from the backseat of a car heading up 41. And now my own children get excited when they see the moving beak and rolling eyes of the local icon.

In 1993 the structure was damaged in a storm and they were going to tear it down. But there was such a huge outcry from the public that KFC was forced to re-build it and our local bird-hero was resurrected.

Recently, I met a gal who was visiting Atlanta from Charleston, South Carolina. She asked me how to get to the Big Chicken because even from as far away as Charleston she had heard about it and couldn’t leave Georgia until she saw it!

For more history about the Big Chicken, check out this article on Wikipedia.