Showing posts with label Carter Center. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carter Center. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Farmer - Sailor - President - Humanitarian

Jimmy Carter has led quite the remarkable life. And very soon you will have an opportunity to meet him. Keep reading...

Growing up the son of a peanut farmer, Jimmy Carter would become the President of the United States, during a time of problems at home and abroad. While his 'perceived' mishandling of those issues did not win him a second term, his work in advocacy and diplomacy earned him the respect as one of the most successful post-administration Presidents this county has ever seen. 

Carter's 2002 Nobel Prize for Peace, the only native Georgian to win the Prize other than Martin Luther King, Jr., speaks to his post-administration efforts.


Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
Jimmy Carter Library & Museum

The Jimmy Carter Library & Museum is one of those museums that no matter how often you visit you're going to see something you hadn't seen before. And they offer an extensive amount of programming, book signing events, special exhibitions, and much more. The building was dedicated and the Museum opened to the public October 1, 1986. The research room was opened January 28, 1987.

The Carter Center, on the same complex as the Museum, was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide, which has generated remarkable results!


Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
Jimmy Carter Library & Museum

Jimmy Carter was in the U.S. Navy, as was I, and served submarine duty. I tried for submarine duty, but my math wasn't strong enough...good thing I enjoy writing. When I was in the Navy I did meet others who served on submarines and always found them fascinating. It's a unique assignment. 

Carter also got into photography, another passion of mine, but don't worry, I'm not pointing out similarities because I'm considering running for public office...I'm not.

In the Facebook photo album coupled with this post, you'll find a passage of "The Navy Wife", which in today's world seems downright archaic and not at all politically correct. However, if read from a 2014 perspective,it can be quite humorous.


Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
Jimmy Carter Library & Museum

Carter's father was a peanut farmer. When Jimmy was four years old, he and family relocated to Archery, a town approximately two miles from Plains, Georgia, Jimmy's birth town. 

It was a sparsely populated and deeply rural town, where mule-drawn wagons remained the dominant mode of transportation and electricity and indoor plumbing were still uncommon, much like my grandmother's home when I was two years old. I still miss her so much!


Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
The Oval Office was created in 1909, as part of an expansion of the White House. The room has grown to represent the authority and responsibility of the president. While you can't sit at the President's desk (like you can at Madame Tussauds in New York City—done that!), you do  get to enter the Oval Office to explore from one side of the room. 


Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
The 'Power of Hollywood' has convinced us that the 'Red Phone' was a hotline to the Kremlin, when in fact, during President Carter's Administration it was used to communicate with U.S. military command centers. You're going to be blown away by the number of artifacts in this museum!


Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
The Museum has on display quite a few of the items from other countries, as well as from the United States, that were gifted to former President Carter and former First Lady Rosalyn Carter, including this amber and gold necklace gifted to Rosalyn by President Joaquin and Mrs. Emma Balaguer of the Dominican Republic, and the gold broach with a semiprecious stone was gifted to Rosalyn by Queen Sirikit of Thailand.


Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
I've discussed the Crown of St. Stephen before, but I just couldn't not share it again. This, however, is a new photo.


Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
The Library itself is incredibly fascinating. It consists of an archives and a museum and is approximately 69,750 square feet...it's really more of a research facility, with a museum. 

The archives house approximately 27 MILLION pages of Jimmy Carter's White House material and papers of administration associates. And there are half a million photographs and hundreds of hours of film, audio and video tape. Researchers won't quickly become bored!

Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
Jimmy Carter Library & Museum

As I write this, which has encompassed stolen moments over several days, I'm watching The Colbert Report with Stephen Colbert who is interviewing former President Jimmy Carter. Wow! How much fun. I sincerely hope that at 89 years old, I am as much fun and will be as energetic as President Carter. I'm really impressed at how lucid he is...and I mean that with zero disrespect. In fact, I have the greatest respect for President Jimmy Carter and what he's accomplished in his life.


Jimmy Carter Library & Museum
Jimmy Carter Library & Museum

In the Museum, you'll get to see President Carter's Nobel Peace Prize, his Emmy Award, and his and Rosalyn's Medals of Honor (pictured above), which is the United States' highest honor for civilians. There are numerous other awards, bestowed on them, throughout the Museum.


When you first arrive, you'll purchase your modestly-priced tickets in the gift shop and then enter the Museum through a theater. I highly recommend taking the time to watch the brief film offered. It chronicles Jimmy Carter's life and notes his many accomplishments. It's well worth the time.

Speaking of time, plan plenty for your visit to The Jimmy Carter Library & Museum...there's so much to take in! But don't let that stop you if you have only a little while. I think you'll enjoy the experience no matter how much time you have.

I started this post by saying that you will soon have an opportunity to meet President Jimmy Carter, in person. He will be at The Jimmy Carter Library & Museum signing his new book, A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power, on Wednesday, April 9. The line (seated) begins at 4:00 p.m. and the signing begins at 6:00 p.m. 

It's not every day you get to meet the son of a peanut farmer, a sailor, a former U.S. President, and an incredibly effective humanitarian...all in one person!

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Freedom Farmers Market

"Thank you! Our first market was an astounding success! Over 3000 people visited the market its first day. It was incredible. You were incredible. Thank you so much for showing up. The market wouldn't exist without you." - Freedom Farmers Market


Freedom Farmers Market
Freedom Farmers Market

Wow! I was expecting great things from the brand new Freedom Farmers Market...and they delivered! I'd been reading about it for about a month and was already excited about some of the vendors—Riverview Farms, Garnish & Gather, Doux South, and so many more. And there was live music, too!


Freedom Farmers Market
Freedom Farmers Market

Vendors like the friendly folks at Doux South—makers of some pretty awesome organic pickles!—make a farmers market. You can have the freshest of produce and products, but if the farmers and vendors aren't friendly, you can just forget it. The vendors at Freedom Farmers Market I'm predicting are what's going to keep the market "an astounding success"!

Doux South was recently featured in Garden & Gun Magazine, a wonderfully unique publication and one that I've enjoyed immensely since first discovering it. The article on Doux South begins, "Sometimes, a pickle is more than just a pickle." Truth!


Freedom Farmers Market
Freedom Farmers Market

Today, successful farmers markets are so much more than vegetables. BUT...you have to have vegetables and they have to be superb! Farmers market shoppers aren't the granola hippies of yesteryear...to the contrary, we're discerning shoppers. Yes, I visited for insight for my tourist readers, but I personally really enjoy a good farmers market...and I'm thrilled to have found a new one that I really like.

The veggies at Freedom Farmers Market are indeed superb. Color me impressed. They were fresh, colorful, beautifully presented...the beautiful bok choy above was from Rise 'N Shine Organic Farm

I was so hungry by time I left the market!


Freedom Farmers Market
Freedom Farmers Market

And I discovered some new farms, too, including 3 Porch Farm. The customers who sampled their spice blends were all smiles! And they were featuring their rose petal sugar, rosemary syrup, and lavender syrup, and lots more! Again, super nice people.


Freedom Farmers Market
Freedom Farmers Market
I also ran into a few people I know...that's always fun. Helping out in the Moore Farms and Friends booth was my friend Tracy StuckrathCSEP, CMM, CHC (that's her in the photo above). Tracy is a food allergy expert—incredibly active in that arena—and she was recently appointed to the 2014 Atlanta Foodservice Expo Advisory Council, and an impressive council it is! Tracy's a busy woman!

I also got to chat with Anne Quatrano, Executive Chef and Owner of Bacchanalia, as well as several other restaurants. It's always a pleasure to connect with Atlanta's celebrity chefs, especially for a celebrity-spotter like me.


Freedom Farmers Market
Freedom Farmers Market

It was great to get to chat with the folks at Garnish & Gather, which I've been following for a couple of months on Social Media after a colleague told me about them. They're partners with a number of local farmers from whom they source. Garnish & Gather delivers full meals—all the fresh ingredients, ready-to-cook, for making a fresh, local, seasonal meal a breeze!

Check out their website for details on how to order, the week's meal selections, and check out their blog, too. Earlier this week they posted "5 Tips for Shopping at a Farmers Market"...good stuff!


Freedom Farmers Market
Freedom Farmers Market
If I sound like I'm head over heels for Freedom Farmers Market, it's because I am. What a wonderful experience! 

Now, I should share that the success of the first week caught a few off guard. If you weren't at the market early, or within the first couple of hours, you may have missed the wares of some of the vendors. I don't think anyone expected more than 3,000 visitors and a few booths ran out of product. But, all of them that I spoke with assured me that they'll be ready next week! I can hardly wait!


Freedom Farmers Market
Freedom Farmers Market

Freedom Farmers Market is centrally located between five major Atlanta neighborhoods and it's on the grounds of The Carter Center. After you've done your shopping, check out the Carter Center Museum—one of Atlanta's best kept secrets! 

I don't think we have to be concerned with Freedom Farmers Market being a secret, though. Remember your recycled shopping bags, cash is king, and plan to have a great experience!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Cover: Industrial Scars at the Carter Library

Industrialization and pollution have scarred Earth. In a photographic exhibition that opened at The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum, visitors can see the dramatic effects humans have had on Earth. The exhibition—"Industrial Scars: The Photography of J. Henry Fair" is on display through October 14, 2012.

The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum
The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum
I've seen a similar exhibit in Washington, D.C. It could actually be the same exhibit...the Carter Library often receives traveling exhibits from the Smithsonian, as well as other Libraries and other sources. Drama and thought provocation are in order for viewing these photographs

We're so accustomed to seeing the astounding beauty presented in National Geographic and cousin Marissa's vacation photos, but rarely do we think about what we do to the Earth just to have table salt. This exhibit is a glimpse at just that.

The Carter Museum is one of Atlanta's phenomenal treasures...you will truly feel like you've stumbled upon one of the greatest finds of the Century! There's LOTS to see...and it doesn't feel like homework!

This Facebook Cover Photo is of the ceiling of an exact replica, full-scale reproduction of the Oval Office as it was during President Carter's administration...the closest many will ever get to the Oval Office. I've actually sat at the President's desk, but that was at Madame Tussauds in Manhattan, so not the same thing, but cool nonetheless.

Enjoy this Facebook Cover Photo and then head over to wanderlust ATLANTA's Facebook Page to enjoy more Cover Photos and more information about what's happening in Atlanta! (Please "Like" the Page while you're there!)

Thursday, May 19, 2011

ATLANTApix: Sightless Among Miracles

Sightless Among Miracles
Sightless Among Miracles
The Sightless Among Miracles statue at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum is a solemn reminder and monument of the wonderful humanitarian work former U.S. President and First Lady Jimmy and Roselynn Carter have engaged in most of their lives and continue to do even today.

Although his global efforts are understated by many, President Carter has been one of the most involved world leaders, during his administration on Capitol Hill and since, in efforts to eradicate disease, poverty, and discrimination. The Carter Presidential Library and Museum chronicle many of the Carter's endeavors...much better than the media ever has.

Sightless Among Miracles, 1995, the first major work of art in the Carter Center gardens, is a monument to the Carter Center's efforts to end River Blindness. An identical statue is on the grounds of Merck's headquarters in New Jersey. The base of the statue reads:

"For hundreds of years, a child leading a blind elder has been the fate of families stricken with river blindness (onchocerciasis) in Africa and Latin America. Now the demise of this ancient scourge is in sight, thanks to a drug donated by Merck and Company and distributed to millions of people by the Carter Center, the River Blindness Foundation, and others. This bronze sculpture was created by R. T. Wallen and donated by John and Rebecca Moores."

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

ATLANTApix: Crown of St. Stephen

The Crown of St. Stephen
The Crown of St. Stephen
Included in the collections at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum are many gifts that the President and First Lady received during Carter's 1977-1981 administration, The Crown of St. Stephen included...kind of, that is.

The placard displayed with the Crown reads:
"For centuries, the Crown of St. Stephen was the sacred symbol of Hungarian political authority. At the end of World War II, U.S. Army officers agreed to take the crown to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Soviet army. For many years, Cold War tensions prevented the return of the crown to the communist government of Hungary. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter decided the time was right, and the crown's return led to the marked improvement of U.S.- Hungarian relations...On March, 18, 1998, this special reproduction of the crown was presented to Jimmy Carter by His Excellency Árpád Gōnez, the President of the Republic of Hungary."

ATLANTApix and ATLANTAvidz of the tourATLANTA blog features a daily photo or video relative to Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

ATLANTApix: Japanese Garden Moon Gate

Japanese Garden Moon Gate
My favorite of the surprisingly few Japanese gardens in Atlanta is the one found at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, immediately identifiable by its signature Moon Gate.

The Japanese Garden at the Atlanta Botanical Garden predates the Garden itself. It was started in Piedmont Park in the 1960s, even before the Atlanta Botanical Garden was chartered. The Atlanta Botanical Garden was officially founded in 1976.

On the day I took this photo, less than two weeks ago, I saw Miss Georgia in the Garden. She was dressed in a black sequin dress, wearing her sash and crown! She was there for a photo shoot. It was a Monday and the Garden is closed on Mondays so she had practically the whole Garden to herself.

The few other Japanese gardens I know of include one at the Carter Center and one at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Buckhead. There is one also at the restaurant Nakato, but not it's not a Japanese Garden in the traditional sense, but fun nonetheless.

There are many beautiful gardens in Atlanta...I'm glad Japanese gardens are part of our garden diversity.

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Friday, January 28, 2011

ATLANTApix: Hope

Hope
"Hope"
I've mentioned "Hope" (the sculpture) a few times in recent posts, so here's a photograph of what she looks like. Quite charming, I think.

Hope, a CherryLion Studios creation, is on the grounds of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in the Rose Garden. That particular capture was made recently, after cooler weather set in, but during the spring and summer the garden is spectacular.

There are several sculptures on the Carter Center's grounds and the Museum is a must-see. It's the only presidential museum I've been to, but I can imagine it holds its ground in prestige...it's really that remarkable. And President Carter himself is there from time to time...I had the pleasure of meeting him (for the second time) at a book signing only a couple of months ago at the Carter Center.

There are a number of book signings and other events that take place at the Carter Center throughout the year.

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!