A friend asked me today what I do when I’m stressed? That’s a fair question, especially since I’m in a city that has a stressful lifestyle. I actually thought about it for a moment and then replied: “I’m not an emotional eater. I don’t really drink so that’s not on my list, and I’m not a runner. So forget running up and down Kennesaw Mountain as a stress reliever. I try to walk the dogs every day but that is more for them than for me.”

The thing I do to relieve stress is to take my smallest camera and walk through the antique shops on and off the Marietta Square. That’s my stress relief. I photograph things that mean very little to anyone and not even me. In this photo I was totally impressed that someone felt like a fabric pillow made in Marietta was worth noting! Now, that is relaxing! At this point, my mind is off any work pressure and on something totally different.

Plus, I am fascinated by the fact that Marietta still makes tons of money off the Civil War. Here’s a large print of Lee’s surrender. I can’t see it in my home, but I guess someone could.

Honestly, it’s just relaxing to walk around with a camera and take photos of things—just meaningless things.

For example, all the important buzz words for Marietta. There’s more; trust me.

Messing around the Square and window shopping with my camera is a great way to “while away” the lunch hour. It’s important to remember that life really is good in Marietta.

Even if you are a trash dumpster that has become a piece of city artwork!