Finds....

Yesterday Randolph and I set  out with no real agenda other than to get to our debut at Harolds Country Club by 6:30 pm so we headed out for a  drive south in search of nothing really but time together... one of our favorite things... time and roadtrips ... we never like to take the highway - if there is a backroad that will get us there at least the same day ....we're off trail and running !  We find the most beautiful things , places and people this way.. and many times our best conversations on life , love and the pursuit of happiness occur on these drives ! 

Today we experienced all of the above. 

First stop ... a little shack on the side of the road in Adams Run .. we had been kicking around the idea of a new dining room table - not just any table ... one that would reflect our love of all things old, that would be a place where many friends would surround for a hearty home cooked meal and share laughter and stories ... one that could tell a few stories of its own .. you know the table ... the one that you will want to pass down and your grandkids would say... THAT was my grandmothers table and they would reflect on the many great memories made there. 

Well who would've thunk that our perfect table , all dressed up with just the right shade of shabby chic blue as if she were smiling at us &  saying - "take me home " ,would be waiting patiently for us in Adams Run!  After a little romance dance around the perimeter of the store we got closer... fearful that she may carry too high a price tag ... we didn't want to fall in love... not just yet ... what if she didn't fit ?

Again she called ... finally, as we prepared our exit Randolph made the approach ?  Do you want this table he asked ?  I don't know ... how much ?... he just said .. do you want it ??  I did but seriously ... we weren't out to actually BUY a table today ... but there she was like most great finds ... ready and waiting ... so love had already taken hold ... she was ours ... and she was out for her first big adventure ... All loaded up in the back of the Surburban we head further south to Walterboro ... Randolph had never been and I had not really wandered around Walterboro .. ever ... wouldn't you know ... we wandered into the most peaceful environment ... peaceful  like a  museum or library  ... the Artisan Center in Walterboro ....  There we found more clues in an artist named Bernadette Cali .  She knows   a store on Wadmalaw that we too have fallen for ... another romance in the making... this one however may take a lot of courting ... be patient dear ole' nine mile ... we will find our common ground in time !  However I do have high hopes of making another friend in Cali Arts ... a beatiful artist who seems to know much about our beloved store .. excuse me ... schoolhouse...  I can't wait to know you Ms. Cali and soak up your stories of island life and travel ...

Onward and upward we continue our adventure ... upward to the next store that is ... by now I'm getting hot and hungry ... but Randolph is now on a mission ... our girl needs chairs to complete the family... again ... in and out of stores ... lots of cool things ... then ... we spy the ones ... 4 beautiful ladder back chairs right in the window ... mismatched with a wobbly old table.  We came and went and came again after justifying .. I negotiated what I believe to be an incredible deal ... the family is complete... no more looking ... we are so excited ... and still hungry .. so we drove "the family" around some more ... when what did we find next ... DAIRYLAND ...retro and ridiculously yummy - chili dogs classic , onion rings, soft serve and iced cold coke with rabbit pellet ice ! My somach is jumping up and down in anticipation ... DAIRYLAND - you did not disappoint !  When it can't be Jacks Pink Rockets a trip to W'boro for Dairyland is worth the gas...

After filling up on chili dogs we head for Yemassee - more food ... but on the way  - one last stop for serenity at Old Sheldon Church ... That in itself is another blog but not to be forgotten ... What peace lies there in that beautiful place.



We did make a 15 minutes of fame stop in Beaufort to see if we wanted to make a day of it on another trip but now back to Yemassee and Harolds ...
Harolds is a delight ... we arrived and found parking right up front ... we dusted off, straightened our shirt tails and made our way in ... past the gas tanks and right in the front door ... first things first ... when you don't know anyone - go to the bar ... or the bathroom !  Rand gathered our liquid courage ( a bargain at $ 5 bucks )  while I visited the loo.   I loved the people watching but was in great anticipation of THE CALL ...  The call for dinner  that is ... Randolph called early, ordered our steaks as we had been instructed, and shortly the lline opened ... lord child ... you should have seen that place move - like the Dixie Stampede they ran .... old and young.... now being a veteran I'm not so sure what they were running for because once you pay up and get through the turnstile , Gladys finds your name on a sheet , highlights it , and hands over the goods... rib eye - well done - it's all well done thought they do let you believe that the three pans of steak hold med rare, medium and well just for shits and grins ... jokes' on you ... all well done ... but then again .. it's not grain fed texas kobe beef so ... probably a lesser health risk ... well done it is !   Move on to the salad bar - or shall I say ... iceberg ,  1000 island ,  baked potato and a roll.  There is a pile of A1, parkay spread and sour cream likeness... and don't forget the ketsup ... lord i've never seen so much ketsup on adult steaks in one place IN MY LIFE ...

So as much as we loved our Harold's experience , the new family was waiting ... we were excited to get home and make introductions ... and as etiquette goes, it's really not polite to stay too long anyway  - especially on your first visit .... We we thanked our hosts , bid adieu to Harold and headed back home ...  It was the PERFECT day .... and we are excited for our first dinner guests to share stories around the table ...

Lost time ...

WOW ...when you are young , an hour seems like a lifetime ... when you are older - you'd give anything for just another hour .  Time - just like pigs - really CAN fly .... Since my last post I have started a new job as a sales manager at the Courtyard by Marriott ... it's been fun getting to know new people , new methods, and have new motivations.  Thank you guys for a warm welcome .. I look forward to a long successful run with you all ...

 I have also been busy performing some of the most beautiful weddings and tomorrow I once again attempt a dual language English - German ceremony ! If nothing else my sweet tea southern accent coupled with years between me and a schnitzel should break any nervous factor for the couple ... again ... a time I'd love another hour to practice my gutteral deutsch sounds ... ha!  It will be beautiful and if the wind continues to power through like it did at the rehearsal today , people will likely just think I have something stuck in my throat .. Heather - if you stumble on this post I hope you are laughing and not crying .. I promise I'll do my best... I love you guys ...

Speaking of nuptials , aren't Kate and William are all the buzz  with their big to do ... and to do .. and to do ... I mean isn't it about time for the TA DA !!??  and do they really have to do it at 4 AM ..??? Come on guys - get with the networks like any other sporting event and plan it around the media .. I mean are we going to be watching them set up the palace and polish the pews at the cathedral ??  All joking aside, thank you to kate  for providing our next wedding trends ...

Well other than the work and the weddings , and looking for more hours in the day ,  we've just been collecting eggs, enjoying endless enjoyment with the feathered ones - a topic worthy of it's own post very soon I promise...

I hope those of you who may find this blog are having great days and finding something in every day that makes you smile !

Until later...

Change

Change - by definition is to make different... I haven't written for a few weeks because of just that very thing ... I've been really busy with change ... lots of change ...change in my house in town, change in jobs for both Randolph and myself which leads to more change - ie the house may just have to have some judge hair on the floor.... I'm so happy for Randolph who is working hard in Jim - N - Nicks BBQ  management ... they are lucky to have him - and he seems to have found his niche and even despite some VERY early mornings ( we can now attest to the fact that 5 o'clock actually DOES come twice in one day - more change  ) he is really embracing his new digs ... I have one more week with Planters Inn & Peninsula Grill before going to Marriott - i'll only be a few blocks away- I always have a hard time with goodbyes and since I'll be back to officiate weddings it'll only be " see you later "   - I thank you guys for a great 2 years ..
I look forward to new chapters with Marriott and will write more about that later....
 Thank goodness for the  change in the garden - oh  how it is  growing... lettuce and radishes and onions, oh my! It makes for happy deer, happy rabbbits and a happy girl here ... Thank you to Rand and G for planting enough for us all ... Getting your hands ( and knees ) in the dirt is therapeutic.  I appreciate that the guys have done the hard work and let me come "play" when I need to get my "grounding" on...

So like Jimmy Buffet says, changes in attitudes can make all difference with  the changes in life ... and why not ... after all , life would be pretty boring without change!

Early Spring

Have you ever seen so much pollen in March ?? Seriously ?  It's so bad I had to recall my "out" shot against my opponent in Thursday nights match ... we were on hard courts but the pollen was so bad that I could see the ball mark ( and my mis-call ) ... UGH!
But it has certainly been the perfect weekend at Little Rockland - to catch you up , we took delivery of 10 Rhode Island Red laying hens Tuesday evening ... and they started laying eggs on Wednesday ! Not only are they the most entertaining girls - lined up on their roosting poles like the NY City Rocketts ... they are putting out some beautiful eggs ... They must feel at home in their designer digs ... Thank goodness ...
It's been a busy week at work and Randolph has started his job as the catering manager at Jim N Nicks - it seems a great fit with his passion for pork and his sincere support of the SFA, something that he and Jim N Nicks share  - and I'm certain that soon they will learn that he is most effective when he doesn't have to rise before the sun !  He has been a good sport about it however and Judge and I have enjoyed some early morning snuggling ...
The weekend brought my high school bestie and her family to the beach this weekend ... I can't believe her son is 16 and over 6 ft tall .. WOW ! What an amazing job she and Ed have done with him - They have got to be proud ... not many kids turn out like Wynn ... Kudo's to you guys !
Then the reunion brought old college friends - I could not be happier to catch up with my friend Valerie and her mom... Thanks to everyone for making the trip to our little piece of paradise !
So as I sit here and enjoy the breeze in the open windows, loving dog by side  - and handsome cook in the kitchen , I am once again pinching myself of the great life I have ... it's a simple life - but it's my life and I love it ... and I love that each of you take part in shaping my chapters ... with that - have a great week ...

Until next time.... C.

Music to my ears ...

It must have been a happy man who took it from the caveman grunt to broken english  to the Queens English then added tunes .... Isn't it amazing how a song can make you feel ?  It certainly can make you happy, sad ,even at times a bit angry .... It  evokes memories of friends or a place in time  -  it's all encompassing on the emotion scale... but I dare say any of us would agree we would be worse off without music in our lives...

I think I like not just one or two songs - but era's .. who could not possibly love Willie and Waylon, Bluegrass and Banjo's , Sotuhern Rock and Sultry Soul ???  I even have one friend who is teaching me to "hit da' flo" in some  apple bottom jeans ... reality I've seen her on a video clip and she can really hit get those " boots wid da fur" movin ' - you go Mel...

Isn't it  fun to really belt out a ringer sometimes  - Roadtrips, Showers , and how secure and happy I feel when I hear Randolphs deep voice ring through at Church ... and it makes me smile when he's singing those country songs at home - there tends to be a natural smile on his face when he's a country star ... now give it a few beers and that's a different story - it becomes less musical talent and more comical .. but that's what I love about him ! Whatever the moment he seems to smile when there's music and THAT makes me happy too !

Anyway,  I don't know who you were in the beginning but I thank all of the singers and songwriters for giving me one of the biggest joys of my life !

Sing on everyone ! Sing on ...

Water

I learned a lot this past weekend from two things that I love  ... cooking and water... Water is so complex and after my MANY ( try 15 ) attempts at icing for my Lady Baltimore cake ( more about that later )  my eyes were opened about the many uses  of water ... First ... I don't think I could live somewhere where there was not water close by ... even though I  probably take it for granted too many days , there is nothing like the calm that envelops  you when driving over the bridge into downtown on your way to work ,  waking to a high tide, seeing heron in the marsh ... you know the feeling...  Then comes the great feeling of water ... when you are cold a good hot shower can warm you right up , when you don't feel well a nice long bath can ease the pain , when you are hot  - a plunge into the ocean provides a refreshing reprieve ... and the fresh smell of your spouse just after a shower is pretty comparable to that of air dried linen on a sunny day ... Just the thought makes me feel all happy inside...  These things just scratch the surface about water but ...
To bring it full circle, I've been desperately trying to decide how I'm going to drop a few lbs before summer - really before April when Randolphs family visits... so as I was busily pulling bread out of the oven and attempting the Lady Balitmore cake from my trusty Charleston Receipts ( I know - not on the diet )  I realized that it's true what the diet demons say ... water will TRULY FLUSH FAT ...Insert the ATTEMPTED Lady Baltimore icing ... I used a flat ( 18) eggs , a bag of sugar, and 1/2 bottle of KARO light corn syrup trying to get that sticky perfection right - after each attempt , the only thing that would soak the pan clean was ..... you guessed it ..... H2O  - If it can get stuck hard sugar off of a pot it MUST be able to flush some fat through your body .... so it appears I"ve realized my first step on my ongoing journey to drop a little weight ... drink the water - just like they all say ... so bottoms up!

Living for the Weekend

Funny how on Monday the topic of conversation is " How was your weekend ? " , by Wednesday it's 1/2 way to the weekend and Friday - well Friday is technically the weekend !!!! YEAH!!!!    This week is a little different .... the week is rolling along like the whole thing is a weekend... the energy of the Wine & Food festival coming to town brings so many friends and more good food ..... We are excited to have friends visit this whole week ... Melany arrives today to experience  Little Rockland for the first time ... boy do I think she will be suprised.  Then Harriss arrives tomorrow for a 2 day stint in the country - bring on the good wine :-) ... the our good friend Jennifer will hit the "farm" on Sunday .... boy won't she just love the new chicken chalet ! We've been busy getting the place ready - a real work in progress but we find hours of fun building on our little piece of paradise each week... so pack your bags or even just your daypack and head on out ....