A little Homage to Decatur: Happy Hannuchristmakkah or Merry Chrismahannumas

This afternoon, the local farmer's market was filled to the edges with buggy-to-buggy traffic, a scene more common on a Saturday than on a Wednesday. I consider myself to be a very lucky person to live a couple of miles from one of the country's most diverse, interesting, and reasonably priced international markets, and if that means burrowing my way through the crowds every so often, then I'm okay with that. The market is open every single day of the year with two exceptions: Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. That's it. Besides having a little restaurant inside with a vast array of homemade ethnic hot and cold dishes for under $5 a pound, the DeKalb Farmer's Market is a true melting pot of cultures from all over the globe. It's one of my favorite places in the Atlanta area, not just for all of their selections, but because of the way I feel when I'm there. The sounds, smells, textures, and colors all blend together with the smiles of all the people who shop and work there, and it's rare that I don't bump into at least one person whom I know whenever I'm there.

The market happens to be walking distance to another very cool Decatur landmark, Kudzu Antiques Flea Market, one of the longest running antique flea markets around, and one of the few places that has been around longer than my business! My very first shop location was about half a mile from Kudzu, and I still know a majority of the dealers who have their shops there. Karen Kennedy is one of the dealers there, and her vintage clothing and jewelry remains to be some of the nicest and most authentic around.

Speaking of my first shop, I originally rented out an old mill house in Scottdale, GA, a little city adjacent to Decatur. The rent was cheap and the financial risk low...Old Mill Antiques, owned by Jerry Kicklighter, who was also my landlord, specialized in refinishing furniture, and to this day, they are still a very "old-school" type antique store, owner operated, and to my knowledge, no website or online presence. Mr. Kicklighter had been an accounting professor at a local college before he retired and invested in a string of old houses and turned them into a little antique village. While times have certainly changed immensely since he first put out a shingle and set up shop, on the rare occasion that I stop by, there is a certain old time charm that remains everpresent.

I guess being the end of the year, I am finding myself a bit reflective, possibly spurred by my trip to the market earlier, a reminder of my little home and life that I have created and remained in for so long now. Even as I am setling into my "true" middle age status (yikes! that sounds kinda scary!), and I have my plans to downsize as I pursue my yoga and nutrition studies, I still can't see myself moving away from this area. While I plan on eventually selling my home, I would be perfectly fine to move a block away in a smaller place. I guess you can say I truly love the neighborhood...no, the community...in which I live. A place that has continued to be there for me, and I can only hope to be able to continue to reciprocate. Twenty five years ago, Decatur was a sleepy town with only a couple of restaurants and bars and a shop here and there. Today, it has become a real hot spot and a great alternative to going OTP (outside the perimeter) for shopping, culture, and entertainment.

I've only touched the surface of the many gifts Decatur has to offer, of course. Besides the antiques here, I am also very grateful for Decatur Yoga and Pilates, a little yoga studio where I had only planned on taking classes initially, and now I find myself immersed in yoga both as a student and a teacher. Life can certainly throw you a curve ball here and there. While I have probably have spent 99% of my time on the planet within about a 10 mile radius of where I am sitting right now, I have no regrets thanks to the beauty and grace that can experience by being here. Yes, Paris is great, the Greek Isles were amazing (and I cannot wait to go back...soon!), and I want to see the world all I can, I have a feeling my heart, my home, will remain in Decatur.