In Search of a Mellow Mushroom

When Mike and I were in Gulf Shores this past winter we discovered The Mellow Mushroom. Mike loves pizza and he fell in love with their pizza. When we returned to Georgia we began a search of the nearest Mellow Mushroom. We thought we had lucked up on one in Columbus and were all set, mouth watering, for a fabulous lunch when we discovered they were closed for renovation. We were disappointed but not beat so we began our search again. This time a Mellow Mushroom turned up in Carrollton, Georgia. So this morning we prepared for our journey to Carrollton for a lunch of pizza at the Mellow Mushroom.

 

Carrollton happens to be a “blast from the past” for the Jones family.

Our old home in Carrollton.

About 19 years ago Mike’s job took us to this nice west Georgia town. We lived there for five years. When we moved there Stephen was in the second grade. I taught at Carrollton Elementary School which at that time was brand new.

It was deservingly called “the university” since it housed grades K-5 of which there were some 13 classrooms per grade level. We had over 2,000 little elementary folks under one roof. Quite large… but it ran like a well oiled machine. It was indeed a superior elementary school. We are so glad Stephen was able to attend school there in grades 2 through 6^th  

grade. 

Mike was the Food Service Director for University of West Georgia. At that time he worked for a company called ARAMARK. He ran the large dining hall called Z-6,

to this day we aren’t sure how it got that name. He also opened the first food court on campus that offered “branded concepts.” That would be companies such as Chick-Fil-A, Pizza Hut plus ARAMARKS own concept brands. A really neat place for students to meet and eat. Of course, this is no longer a new concept on campuses today but it was back then.

I discovered several years ago that a famous actress, Susan Hayward, lived for a time and is buried in Carrollton. She is from that bygone age….. being my mother’s favorite actress of all times. It happens that she married Eaton Chalkley, a Carrollton rancher and businessman in 1957. At that time they purchased a beautiful farm in what is now called the Center Point Community in the northern part of Carrollton. She lived there with Eaton until his death in 1966 being only married to him for 9 years. She was named “Best Actress in the World” in 1955 because of her performance in I’ll Cry Tomorrow. She received an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1958 for her role in I Want To Live. She died from a brain tumor on March 14, 1975. She was buried next to her husband in the cemetery of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. A little before my time but an interesting journey for an afternoon in Carrollton.

 

Susan and Eaton’s home

It was a great day. We found our Mellow Mushroom, toured several familiar places in Carrollton where we lived and worked and discovered a little Hollywood history. Now we are back at the motorhome ready to enjoy a nice evening together. Hope your day was a good one