Center Antiques Estate Sales

03/22/2026

I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he had just finished a rough first day on the job: a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric drill quit and his ancient one ton truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation.. His face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss. Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier. ‘Oh, that's my trouble tree,' he replied 'I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, those troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children.. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them. Then in the morning I pick them up again.' 'Funny thing is,' he smiled,' when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before. THIS ONE IS WORTH SENDING ON. Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance. We all need a Tree!

03/21/2026

In the year 2000, long before the world would come to know him as a Hollywood icon, Ryan Gosling walked into a quiet animal shelter in Los Angeles—and unknowingly stepped into one of the most meaningful relationships of his life.

Among the rows of eager, barking dogs was one that barely moved. George—an old, scruffy soul with tired eyes and a silent presence. No wagging tail. No hopeful tricks. He wasn’t cute by shelter standards. He was just… there.

Everyone else walked past him. But Ryan didn’t.

He saw George.

Not for what he looked like, but for who he was.

Without hesitation, he brought George home. And from that day on, they were inseparable. George became more than a companion—he became Ryan’s shadow, his constant, his quiet reminder that love doesn’t always arrive in a perfect package.

George was there on film sets, in interviews, on long walks and red carpets. Ryan once joked on The Ellen Show, “George never thought he was a dog—he thought he was a rockstar.” Even at 17, he still had his quiet charisma.

But behind the humor was something unspoken… something sacred.

George wasn’t just a dog. He was family.

Ryan wore his tag on a chain, printed his face on t-shirts, and spoke about him the way you talk about someone who’s changed you. Because George had. He’d given Ryan a kind of love that asks for nothing—and gives everything.

When George passed away, Ryan didn’t just mourn a pet. He grieved the loss of a true friend, a presence that had silently shaped his heart.

But the story didn’t end there.

One day, driving with Eva Mendes, Ryan saw a dog darting through traffic. No cameras. No fans. Just instinct. He turned the car around, got out, and saved the dog.

No applause. Just compassion.

Over the years, Ryan has spoken out against animal cruelty, supported adoptions, and quietly stood for the voiceless—not for praise, but because he knows the truth:

Sometimes, it’s the ones the world forgets who love us the most.

George wasn’t a one-time miracle. He was proof of something bigger. Of the thousands of dogs still waiting behind cold steel bars, hoping someone will stop… and see them.

Because sometimes, all it takes is a moment—a glance, a decision, a soft place in your heart—to change a life.

And sometimes… they change yours right back.

"Don’t shop. Adopt. Because they’re not just looking for a home.

They’re waiting to teach you how to love."

03/21/2026

Yesterday in Athens, my daughter Avery suddenly had to go to the bathroom REALLY bad.
We ran into the closest place we could find — a Subway in downtown Athens — and rushed straight toward the restroom.

An employee stopped me and said the bathroom was for paying customers only.
That’s when I realized… I didn’t even have my wallet with me. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I told him I was sorry and that we would leave.
Before we could even turn around, two young men sitting nearby spoke up and said,
“We’ll buy her a cookie so she can be a paying customer.”

Just like that. No hesitation.

Because of them, Avery was able to use the restroom, and I was honestly so grateful I could’ve cried.
When we came back out, they were still there, so I thanked them again and started talking with them.

Turns out… they both play football for UGA.
We ended up laughing, talking football, and just having one of those conversations that restores your faith in people.
(Go Dawgs ❤️🖤)

To some people, buying a cookie might sound like nothing.
But to a mom in that moment, it meant everything.

These two college kids don’t even have children of their own, yet they helped us without thinking twice, without asking for anything in return.

The world needs more of this.
More kindness.
More stepping up for strangers.
More doing the right thing just because you can.

Thank you, Latavious & Jaylen.
Fine young men and a perfect reminder of what love really looks like.

“What the world needs now is love, sweet love.”

Credit: Christie Williams Myer

03/02/2026

HE DIDN’T MEASURE LIFE BY HITS — HE MEASURED IT BY WHAT HIM GIVE. They knew Toby Keith as the loud, fearless hitmaker with 33 No.1 songs and stadiums at his feet. But that wasn’t the whole story. Long before his own diagnosis, Toby Keith quietly built OK Kids Korral for children fighting cancer. Long before the headlines, he stood in desert heat on 16 USO tours, playing for 250,000 soldiers who just needed to feel home again. In September 2023, thinner but unshaken, Toby Keith stepped onto the People’s Choice stage and joked, “Bet you didn’t expect skinny jeans.” Then he sang “Don’t Let the Old Man In,” the song born from Clint Eastwood’s words. Tricia wept. The room froze. And Shelley Covel later said, “He measured life by what you give.”

▶️ Enjoy the song in the 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 👇

03/02/2026

Today, as we were on the way to visit family, we stopped at the Wendy's off 211 in Candor. What happened next just made my family's day.

We walked in and heard 'Come on up here pretty lady and let me take your order!' The cashier/man behind the counter was speaking to the lady in front of us. He was all smiles and full of joy!

When our turn came, he started joking with the kids. Ella chats him up and proceeds to tell him that tomorrow was her birthday.

This man...this cashier, who does not know us from Adam, asks everyone in line (LONG line,beach traffic) to please give him just a second.

He comes around the counter, scoops our little Ella into his arms and sings her happy birthday. Several other guests chimed in with him. It was PRECIOUS!

Not stopping there, he pulls money out of his own pocket and bought Ella and Davis a frosty!

This man's name is Curtis Chambers.

Curtis, our family was Blessed to meet you and I'm sure you Bless every single person you come in contact with!

Joy is CONTAGIOUS! Spread Joy! Love God, love people!

Credit : Kimberly Potter

03/02/2026

They stayed together till the very end.

In the quiet stillness of a small-town veterinary clinic, beneath bright fluorescent lights and the soft hum of machines, two Labrador Retrievers lay wrapped around each other on a cold exam table.

The yellow Lab was weak, an IV line gently taped to his paw — proof that someone was doing everything they could. His breathing was slow. Tired. Fragile.

And holding him close was his best friend — another Lab, cream-colored and strong, but completely still. Not pacing. Not whining. Just pressing his head softly against his buddy’s neck, eyes closed, as if memorizing the moment.

When the staff stepped in, the healthy Lab didn’t move away. He didn’t panic.
He just tightened his embrace.

As if to say, “I’m right here. You don’t have to be afraid.”

People often talk about how Labrador Retrievers are friendly, playful, easygoing family dogs.

But this is the part they don’t always see.

They don’t always see the loyalty that runs bone-deep.
They don’t always see the empathy in those soft brown eyes.
They don’t always see how a Lab will stay — through fear, through pain, through the hardest goodbye.

That Labrador chose to stay on that sterile metal table.
Through the unfamiliar smells.
Through the long hours.
Through the uncertainty.

He chose love over comfort.
He chose his best friend over everything.

Before you scroll, really look at this photo.
Look at the way he’s holding him.
Look at the quiet strength in that embrace.

This isn’t just a “family pet.”

This is devotion.
This is brotherhood.
This is a Labrador heart — steady, faithful, and impossibly big.

Sometimes the most familiar breed carries the deepest kind of love. 🤍

02/28/2026

02/28/2026

This. This is the America I believe in.”

Driving home this afternoon, I spotted an older white woman lying flat on the sidewalk at Peoria and 49th. A young Asian woman was kneeling beside her, trying to talk to her.

Without even thinking, I made a U-turn and pulled into the Burger Street parking lot. At the same time, another car stopped, and a young Black man jumped out.

We rushed over. The woman had fallen backwards, her walker tipped over, and she’d hit her head on the hot concrete — it was nearly 100 degrees out.

I called 911. The young man ran to his car, grabbed his jacket, and carefully placed it under her head so she wouldn’t burn.

Then more people came.
A young white woman brought an umbrella to shade her from the sun.
Another grabbed towels from her car and gently tucked them under the woman’s arms.
A Hispanic employee from Burger Street ran out with a bucket of cool water and a clean rag to place on her forehead.

We didn’t know each other.
We didn’t ask for names, politics, or backgrounds.
We just helped.

Black, white, Asian, Hispanic — all of us working together to comfort an elderly white woman who’d fallen.

That’s the America I love. ❤️
Compassion. Kindness. Humanity. No labels, no hate — just people showing up for each other.

02/28/2026

Last summer, an 83-year-old man was about to step onto the down escalator at the Holyoke Mall in Ingleside, Massachusetts, but suddenly stopped. Fear was clear on his face, and he was shaking. A 23-year-old named Alonzo Johnson noticed the man’s fear and could tell he was really scared to get on the escalator. So, Alonzo quickly walked over to him and asked if he could help. The man said yes, and Alonzo gently took his arm. Together, they stepped onto the escalator carefully.

A friend of Alonzo, who was with him in the mall, took a photo of the moment and posted it on Facebook. The photo went viral, getting more than 420,000 likes and over 25,000 comments. One comment said: "In about an hour, the news will remind us of all the bad things happening in the world—division, race wars, politics, shootings, and heartache. But today, this moment shows that kindness can go beyond race, age, and other differences. One person just helped another."

Alonzo, who didn’t know anyone took a photo, said: “My mom always tells us to be nice and do the right thing. It’s the way I was raised.” And from what we can see, Alonzo’s mom did a great job teaching him those lessons.