Beginning Grandmother

But learning fast . . .

Georgia Marshall and grandson Charlie,
Piedmont Hospital, March 17, 2012

FYI: On the ballot March 6: 1% sales tax vs. higher water-sewer rates

The March 6 ballot includes a continued Atlanta local option 1% sales tax, to be dedicated to the completion of the City's water and sewer improvements currently underway. Without this tax being continued (in effect since 2004), city water and sewer rates would likely increase by 25 to 30 percent. These rates are already the highest in the country.

The logic behind the tax is getting 'other people' to pay part of the cost of the project.

Costa Rica

Robert & Georgia Marshall, Carol Sleeth & Don Kenagy;
aboard Star Flyer, Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica

Lullwater Estate residents Robert & Georgia Marshall (unit 54) and Don Kenagy and Carol Sleeth (unit 739) are traveling in Costa Rica this month. Robert has posted a number of photos from the trip on his Blue Fish Lodge blog (which is normally about their Lake Burton cabin).

Gold ribbons are up in honor of Patrick Chance

Thanks to all the neighbors that helped make the gold ribbons to honor Patrick Chance and his battle with childhood cancer (Neuroblastoma). Patrick will be honored and remembered  by hundreds (and probably in upwards of 2,000) friends and family tomorrow afternoon.  Druid Hills will be covered in gold bows - gold being the color representing the fight against childhood cancer- in honor  of Patrick and how he and his family  "pressed on" and lived life fully for 5+ years  in spite of the forbidding diagnosis.

I was so pleased to see how many neighbors offered their support! Here is a picture of our gathering and also want to thank Paul Murdoch for his assistance in putting up the gold ribbons this afternoon.

Carolyn Johnson, Georgia Marshall, Ann Owen,
Laura Lee Robertson, Clarke Weidlein, Peggy Fuller

Clarke Weidlein

Reducing water consumption

Atlanta is one of the most expensive cities in the country, for domestic water. For years, the City put off upgrading the sewer system, and now the bill has come due. We pay a bit more than 2 cents per gallon, and the average Lullwater Estate unit used about 91 gallons per day in 2011.

If you have a water meter in your unit, you can benefit monetarily by reducing your water consumption. And if that gives you a warm glow, other than in the wallet, so much the better. (If you don't have a meter, you should try to conserve water as well, but you'll have to share the benefits of your efforts with all the other non-metered units.)

Here are some things that will help reduce your water usage.

• Replace old (pre-1996) toilets with new low-flow toilets. Old toilets (like the ones originally furnished with our units, when they were built in the 1980's) use about 3 to 4 gallons of water per flush. New, low-flow toilets use just over a gallon. A low-flow toilet costs about $100 at Lowes or Home Depot. If you are even modestly handy, it's an easy project, swapping one out, and the instruction sheet included in the box is easy to follow. Or, hire a plumber. Replacing a frequently-used toilet can reduce your water consumption significantly (say, 20 gal./day).
• Put a flow-control valve on your shower head, and use it to reduce the flow to the lowest comfortable setting. This is a low-cost item available at the home-improvement stores, and easily installed if you can operate a wrench and a roll of teflon tape.

Flow-control valve

• Replace a top-loading washer with a front-loader. This only makes sense, economically, when replacing a washer is necessary, but it will save 20 to 30 gallons per load of laundry. Besides saving on water, you'll save even more on energy for heating water.
• Be aware of how much water you're using with other uses, like drip irrigation, for example. Check your meter before turning on the system, and then again, afterward. Water costs us about 2 cents per gallon; are you okay with how much is being used?

Lullwater lions

Don we now our leonine apparel,
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!

Lullwater's two lions, guarding the entry to the mansion, were gifts from Hilton and Peggy Fuller. The lions used to live on Oakdale Road, about a mile away, at the Fuller's house. When Hilton and Peggy moved to the Lullwater Estate, they retained ownership of the lions, but left them at the house to be claimed later. Later finally came in the Fall of 2011.

The lions are replicas of those found at the Court of Lions in the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, except that ours lack the water-fountain pipe in the center of the mouth. Can't have everything.

Should our lions be named? I'm thinking Ponce D. on the left, and Leon on the right. What do you suggest?

Board of Directors for 2012

Shirley Hollberg
Carol Sleeth
Todd Radde
Hilton Fuller
Laura Ash
Carolyn Johnson
Clarke Weidlein (alternate, Michael Plemons), representing the Mansion owners

Voluntary water meter program

When Lullwater Estate was developed in the 1980's, water was cheap. While the City metered our water consumption, there was no metering at the unit level. It just wasn't worth worrying about.

Times change. Water is now expensive; Atlanta rates are among the highest in the country. We pay more than 2 cents per gallon, nearly $1000 per unit per year. We want people to conserve water, but without metering, there's no incentive to invest in low-flow toilets, water-efficient washing machines, etc. And no dis-incentive to wasting water. Everyone pays the same for water, regardless of how much they use.

So, we've instituted a voluntary water-metering program. Each owner can decide to have a meter, or not. If you have a meter, you pay for your metered consumption. If you do not, you pay for an equal share of the un-metered consumption. Details follow the break, below (click on 'read more' link).

Contact information for contractors, vendors, etc.

Below the fold (click on 'Read more' link below) is a listing of contractors, vendors, consultants, etc., that the LEOA has worked with over the years. As new information of this sort is obtained, please post as comments, and the main list will be updated from time to time.

Critters Move In to Temporary Quarters

Clarke Weidlein was surprised on Sunday, May 8 (MOTHERS' DAY!!) when she saw that a mother possum had appropriated Kamile Rasheed and Cathy Moody's window well as home for her eight babies. Kamile and Cathy were out of town and by the time Clarke figured out what to do, Mama Possum had thought better of her choice of digs and moved the little ones two by two to another location (who knows where . . . watch out!!).

Photos from Spring Social

Harts, Hembys and Fullers

Ken Johnson, Bill and Shirley Hollberg, Carolyn Johnson, Anne Murdoch and Carol Hudson

Jim and Margret Newsome, Kamile Rasheed

Bob Kerr & Linda DiSantis, Robert & Georgia Marshall, John Hinchey

Ken and Jan Yancey, Bob Kerr, John Hemby

Spring comes to my garden

Pink hydrangea

Rainbow Terrace

The mansion portion of the Lullwater Estate was built in 1922, for Lucy Candler Heinz, by her husband, Henry Heinz. Lucy had the good fortune to be the daughter of Coca-Cola magnate Asa Candler, whose extended family scattered mansions around Atlanta, especially in Druid Hills and Inman Park. Henry Heinz was a banker, rising to become a Director and Vice-President of Citizens & Southern Bank. Lucy named her house Rainbow Terrace.

Spring Social

Our Social Chairman [saying that makes me feel like we're in a college frat!] Maureen Rollins has announced our Spring Social, on Sunday evening at 6:30, May 15, on the Mansion front porch. And I quote:

 “WHAT IS THE  BEST TRIP YOU HAVE EVER TAKEN”

IN ONE WEEK.

WE WILL HAVE OUR

“ANNUAL SPRING SOCIAL”

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EACH AND EVERY ONE:

WHEN:           Sunday, May 15, 2011

TIME:             6:30 P.M.

WHERE:         Lullwater.Estate. - In Front of the Mansion

WHO:             Residents, Friends, and Family

BRING:          Make and bring a favorite dish: casserole, fruit or dessert and your

                        choice of alcoholic beverage. 

                       We will bring Coke products,  juice and ice.

DRESS:          Casual

            We remembered, from the past, all the many times we brought our homemade casseroles to a party and enjoyed the tastings, so we thought we should bring it back into vogue.  If you don’t cook, an opportunity is available at Whole Foods.  And if time is of the essence, just bring yourself, because you are what it’s all about.  We just want to see you, catch up,  AND FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR MOST ENJOYABLE TRIP EVER!!!

Drill, baby, drill!

Ready to drill

Our irrigation well driller is Middle Georgia Water Systems, from Zebulon, GA. They came recommended by our hydrogeologist, and by Paideia School, for whom they drilled irrigation and geothermal wells.

They mobilized and started drilling on Wednesday afternoon, May 11, and finished by the next afternoon, 605 feet down through the rock. Next will come yield-testing to find out how much water we've encountered, then installation of pump, pipe and well-head. Our objective is to get enough flow to run our irrigation systems, in lieu of purchasing water from the City. We hope for a two to four year payback on the well cost, based on pre-drought irrigation water consumption at current rates. And having a well will enable us to irrigate when we need to, without regard to City water-use restrictions.

Lullwater Estate blog

January 2011 snowstorm

We are re-activating the Lullwater Estate Owners Association blog, which has been comatose since 2007. Every resident with an email address known to us will be invited to participate (read, comment and post). It will for reading by anyone, but only residents who accept an invitation to participate will be allowed to post or comment.

Our hope is that the blog will become a continuous newsletter, keeping us informed about the Lullwater Estate community, and about our neighbors.

We hope you'll express what's on your mind about the community, in a positive way. Let's avoid whining and personal comments. You should feel free to tell us what you've been up to, as well. Travel? Reading? Movies or theater? Hobbies? Tell it all, and share a photo or two, if you'd like.