Bringing out the best in kids

West Ashley Optimist's Club, Bessinger's BBQ, Savannah Hwy, Charleston, S.C.

Every year at this time I make you recite the Optimist's Creed. All together now:

The Optimist Creed
Promise Yourself
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

The Optimist's Club Mission is to:
Mission Statement
By providing hope and positive vision, Optimists bring out the best in kids.

How charming is that? If it didn't require meetings, I swear I'd join myself. Each year they have a Community Service Recognition Ceremony and I am allowed to nominate a couple of teenage volunteers. I broke my self imposed quarantine (head cold) to go to Bessinger's BBQ and proudly introduce my students. These kids represent service work done in hospitals, parks and the aquarium etc. Congratulations!

The only fund raising project of the West Ashley Optimist's Club is selling Christmas Trees on Playground Road each year. Make a note of it! I wouldn't get my tree anywhere else.

Grave Humor

Bethany Cemetery, Cunnington Ave., Charleston, S.C.

I feel very wicked posting during the day on a weekday. I still sound congested with a head cold and people are so paranoid about catching anything that I slipped into my office to make sure the day was in order, made a few calls, did payroll, put a sign on my door and came home. Normally I'd work through this but these are funny times so I have an unexpected free day!

Here is a cemetery joke to celebrate:

An old man was on his death bed, and wanted to be buried with his money. He called his priest, his doctor and his lawyer to his bedside. "Here's $30,000 cash to be held by each of you. I trust you to put this in my coffin when I die so I can take all my money with me."

At the funeral, each man put an envelope in the coffin. Riding away in a limousine, the priest suddenly broke into tears and confessed, "I only put $20,000 into the envelope because I needed $10,000 to repair the roof of the church."

"Well, since we're confiding in each other," said the doctor, "I only put $10,000 in the envelope because we needed a new X-ray machine for the pediatrics ward at the hospital which cost $20,000."

The lawyer was aghast. "I'm ashamed of both of you," he exclaimed. "I want it known that when I put my envelope in that coffin, I enclosed a check for the full $30,000."

Bethany Cemetery is a lovely spot. If you head up Meeting St., turn right after the railroad (just past Santi's). It is on the right before Magnolia Cemetery.

Quiet afternoon at the Clubhouse

Joanna, S.C.

I was going through an old "backroads South Carolina" album thinking of doing a "guess what small town?" feature when I came on this one. Heheh. Aren't I the lucky girl? I'm sure it was just quiet because it was on a Sunday, right?

Looking to fritter away a couple hours on the coolest links? Visit Ample Sanity. I don't know how she finds them all.

Fun Charleston Blog: Caroline in the City.

Wildstorm has been taking some beautiful pictures.

I am off to bed. My throat is feeling scratchy so I am going to go to sleep and pretend it isn't. Thank you all for your kind comments.

Shrimp & Gritness

SNOB, East Bay St., Charleston, S.C.

My, my, my. I'm not a lowcountry cook by birth and have tended to avoid messing with the sacredness of grits in Charleston. That may have changed. I was snooping around the spicelines blog and found her adaptation of the Slightly North of Broad recipe for Shrimp and Grits. I licked my plate. I served it to a Charleston native and happily passed inspection with flying colors. Yum.

S.N.O.B.’s Spicy Shrimp and Grits with Tomato, Country Ham and Cayenne

(adapted from chef Frank Lee’s recipe for Maverick Grits from Slightly North of Broad)

To serve four
Ingredients for the grits:
1-1/4 cup stone ground yellow grits (see note)
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup cream

Method for the grits:
1. Rinse the grits in a large bowl of water. With your hand, scoop out any bran or hulls floating on top of the water. Drain well.
2. Combine the water, salt and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the grits and stir. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 28 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the grits stick to the bottom of the pan, reduce the heat and stir more frequently. As Bill Neal notes, “a long slow cooking is necessary to produce the correct, creamy consistency which is still punctuated by a slight pebbly contrast.”
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Keep warm.
Note: Check the directions on the back of your bag of grits. I used Carolina Favorite Stone Ground Grits, which called for 28 minutes of cooking time, which seemed about right once the grits were done. Other brands may take longer. It also called for more salt, but I used Lee’s recommended 1/2 teaspoon.

Ingredients for the topping:
2/3 pound shrimp, 26-35 ct.
2 tablespoons butter
4 ounces country ham, julienned
4 ounces smoked pork sausage, or one link andouille sausage, cut into rounds
1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
Pinch of Cajun spice, or cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 cup fresh tomato, seeded and diced
4 tablespoons green onion, tops only, chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock or water

Method for the topping:
1. While the grits are cooking, peel and devein the shrimp. If desired, swish the shrimp in a bowl of cool, salted water to remove any impurities. Repeat. Finish with a cool water rinse, drain and set aside.
2. When the grits are ready, prepare the topping. In a large skillet, sauté the shrimp in a tablespoon of butter over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until they are just cooked through. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, sauté the country ham and sausage for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through. Taste the sausage for spiciness.
4. Add the garlic and cayenne, if using, and sauté 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and green onions and sauté 30 seconds.
5. Return the shrimp to the skillet, add water or chicken broth and simmer briefly. Swirl in the remaining tablespoon of butter.
6. To serve, spoon four equal portions of the grits into four bowls. Place 5 or 6 shrimp on top of each portion of grits and spoon on equal parts of the topping, including some of the liquid. Serve at once.

I skipped the country ham and didn't miss it but otherwise pretty much followed the directions. I'll be cooking this again. It's worth a try. I promise.

Bollywood Lowcountry Style

Fur Bollywood, Memminger Auditorium, Charleston, S.C.

I put together a monthly column on volunteerism for Island Life newspaper and in return publisher Linda Benedict occasionally includes me in invitations to events that she serves as media sponsor for. Tonight we went to the Pet Helpers annual Fur Ball at Memminger Auditorium. The catch was that this year it was the Fur Bollywood. Fun, eh!?

I had talked to Lily in the hospital mail room and she brought me a bag of chiffon saris and draped me in her wedding necklaces. We stood in the mail room in the midst of the bewildered young men who work in hospital transportation and tried to remember how to wrap a sari.

I thought I was pretty set up with a cheery red chiffon sari until I saw the amazing outfits people came up with for this event. Wow. I was like the village girl at the big city party. These folks were dripping in heavy gold, embroidered silk saris and sequins. Quite an amazing production for a theme event.

I suspect that the closest an actual Indian came to the event, was in dressing me!

All for a good cause though, Here is the link to the Pet Helpers site.

All proceeds from the event fund the Pet Helpers Adoption Center and Spay/Neuter Clinic. Their new facility houses over 250 homeless animals on a daily basis, where they are all medically cared for and given TLC in an open, bright and cheerful environment. All of Pet Helpers animals are kept until adopted.

Surprise honor

Magnolia Plantation, Charleston, S.C.

Check this out, kids. Wow. SC Photographer award.

Things to write in cement

Cawabanga Dude! Warren st., Charleston, S.C.

People after my own heart. The Worth1000 community called for submissions. Category? Things to write in cement.

Some of the entries:

Now Approaching Mafia Burial Ground...
You wanted concrete evidence ...!?!
This building is situated on the location of a former construction site
Dance here to win awesome prizes!
Help! I'm trapped in the concrete mixer!
If you continue to stand here, you will gain great wealth and fortune. Your life will be perfect. Have fun!
If you can read this...Your blocking the sidewalk!
This cement is dry
My heart is like cement; at first soft as butter, then hardened by years of misery and monotony..
HERE LIES JIMMY HOFFA. 1913-2009
Made in China.
Bending your neck to glance down at something strains your muscles and can cause permanent damage to your spine.
STOP! I'm glad that you stopped to read this. There are thieves in the bushes planning to steal your wallet.
I came, I saw, I stood, I thought, I wrote, I admired, I conquered, I went.

In other news.....

Charleston, S.C.

In other news...I asked Lily (mail room Lily from Goa) if I could borrow some of her Indian jewelry for an event. She brought me all her wedding jewelry. I've been parading around the house draped in high carat gold and I can't get the earring off. I have an Indian Wedding earring stuck in my left ear.

I may need to marry an Indian.

If Charleston were a person.....

Charleston, S.C.

If Charleston were a person - the Australian News
If Charleston were a person, she'd be an achingly beautiful debutante in a white dress, with gardenias in her hair. From a venerable old Southern family mother's in the United Daughters of the Confederacy, father's a wealthy shipper she has impeccable etiquette (Charleston has been voted "Best-Mannered City in America" for 11 years running) and is schooled in all the aristocratic arts.

But just when you want to hate her for being Little Miss Perfect, she takes her hair down and becomes, well ... cool. Charleston has a lot going on lately, from a hip new food-and-wine festival to a recently debuted annual Fashion Week.

The streets just southeast of the College of Charleston campus are dotted with trend-a-licious boutiques selling everything from vintage cowboy boots to Pop Art teapots. Charleston may be historic, but she's not stuck in the past.

What a lovely night it is. I had arranged for a post Heart Walk recognition for my team captains and we stopped at Fiery Ron's Home Team BBQ on Hwy 61. They set a buffet outside with pulled pork, chicken, slow and their famous macaroni and cheese. After a couple of Coronas I almost forgot all the work it took to raise $69,822.00. We sat outside after all the certificates and pictures and had a perfect time.

By any other name - JCP

Salad Caprese, JPaulz, Charleston, S.C.

My sisters keep changing their names.

I'm one of eight kids, you know that. My ever practical parents didn't waste middle names on daughters. It was assumed that if and when we married we could simply take Perry as a middle name. My brothers got elaborate family names - James Murray, Robert Stewart, Roger Cameron Perry carrying on long lines of Scottish and Canadian ancestors.

I've been Joan Perry since I was born.

They didn't count on a lot of things. They took five daughters and three sons and raised us in one of the few matralineal societies in the world. In the Khasi tribe of North East India women own the property, the youngest daughter inherits and the children carry the mother's name. With that background it didn't make any sense to me to change my name when I got married. Besides a brief period when I was eleven and told everyone my name was Josephine (Little Women) I've been content with my short and simple name.

My sisters started doing odd things when they turned fifty. Grace added a "y" and announced she was now Grayce. Barbara started signing her name Barbra Rose. Third in line, I've let the team down. I haven't done anything creative yet besides add the occasional St. in front of my name for Halloween in honor of St. Joan. I work at a Catholic Hospital with floors named after saints and did campaign unsuccessfully to have our new fifth floor named after me. I mean named after her.

I should take a middle name of something I love......mushroom, blue, chocolate, avocado, muenster, maple butter, Johns Island tomatoes, tea, braised lamb. Let's make a drool causing name. Joan Maple Butter Perry?

I've decided. Caprese. I have been eating armfuls of fresh tomatoes this summer cut up with melt in the mouth buffalo mozzarella, fresh chopped basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil and reduced balsamic. I eat it at home. I order it in every restaurant that mentions it. I slice it perfectly, I chop it madly. I use red tomatoes, orange, green and cherry.

Capreeeesay. You have to say it like an Italian and wave your arms to make the name flow.

Joan Caprese Perry. JCP for my monogram. Hint, hint.

When next you order insalata caprese, please say, "Hey! I know the lady who was named after that salad!"

Oink, oink...

Hadrian's Wall Hike, U.K.

If you receive an email from the Department of Health telling you not to eat canned pork because of swine flu............ Ignore it. It's just Spam.

Haha! I stole that one from Ian May. The photo isn't from the lowcountry either. We don't have stone like that. I took it when I hiked coast to coast England last year following Emperor Hadrian's Wall.

Speaking of swine I got my vaccine today. Now I am invincible. Right? Y'all gonna get it?

This House

Hwy 176, S.C.

This House

This old house has seen the sunshine
of many different years.
This old house has seen some happiness
This old house has seen some tears.
This old house now seems so empty
Since you left with last goodbyes.
The smiles and talk, the happy laughs
Echo above the lonely sighs
Whether leaves are green in springtime
snow leaves lightly on the ground
This old house will hold the memories
Of all the old families sounds.

Edna Howard White

From my "South Carolina back roads" album. I don't believe I even got out of the car to grab the shot. I check for changes if I am traveling that way and the house has been worked on lately.

It does seem dark and late doesn't it? Thank you for all your kind comments and emails. They make my day.

Theme Day - Doors

Doors, Society St., Charleston, S.C.

The first day of the month is "theme" day in the City Daily Photo blog community and today's theme is "doors". Click the link to see other pictures on this theme submitted from around the world.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

I love these doors. Luckily they are on my route back from the grocery store since it is hard to catch them without a car parked in front of them. I can never decide if a car adds to or detracts from the shot.

Here are a few of my other door shots - not all from Charleston.

Tomatoes for Grace

Grace Episcopal Church, Wentworth St., Charleston, S.C.

I spotted the church leaders painted on the scaffolding surrounding Grace Episcopal Church the other day and made a note to go back for a picture.

Today they were selling tomatoes and assorted veggies to fund the renovation work. It is a beautiful church all wrapped up in scaffolding at the moment. Here is the scoop on the renovation project.