Fire at Bogard & Rutledge

Rutledge Ave., Charleston, S.C.

I can't even imagine waking up to this but luckily someone did wake up and got everyone else out. No one was hurt although I'm sure they lost almost everything. The Post & Courier site has a lot more photos here. Fire is always a worry with these old wooden houses.

Almost finished

Charleston, S.C.

My brother is almost finished painting the house. Unfortunately what is left is the hardest, highest part. Yikes.

Pull up a bike and sit a spell

King St., Charleston, S.C.

Pull up your bike and sit a spell.

I never thought of bikes as seats. I don't think this is the first time these gentlemen have used them this way. They look quite comfortable.

Knock, knock, knockin'....

Door, Charleston, S.C.

Knock, knock, knockin' on the weekend! Yipee. I am home early and have a long weekend ahead. With my brother visiting I decided to tack Canada Day on one and and July 4th on the other. It is the perfect storm of a long weekend and I am so ready. I finished a couple of big projects and hit the road home.

Thanks to Ed Fennell from the Post & Courier for the article on my summer SCRUBS Camp today. Made me very happy!

You look familiar

Charleston, S.C.

I pause these days when someone says I look familiar. I try to look blank and say I don't know where they might have seen me. My hospital uses employees and volunteers for all their ads and commercials and with my white hair I've been used a couple of times lately. My face has popped up on tv and web ads in an Incontinence commercial. Yikes. Then, this has been in the paper recently.

At least I get an adorable grandchild in this photo!

I've suggested that they might want to prove that they can cure me. Surely they can't leave me leaking forever. I am picturing some happy healthy pictures taken on a beautiful resort beach or cruise to prove that our health system cures what ails you.

Truthfully it has all been good fun although as you can imagine, I've taken a lot of teasing lately.

Blue, bluer, bluest.

Charleston, S.C.

I've been coming home to dramatic changes. My house looks better every day. My brother Jim is a whirlwind of efficiency and is making the most of his Charleston visit painting my house. It is a big old barn to paint but it is coming along nicely. He still has the wicked high peak of the house to do tomorrow which makes me nervous. It gives me butterflies in the stomach just to think of climbing that high. I ordered a climbing harness for safety.

I can't imagine painting in this heat myself but he hasn't complained so far. I even cooked him a big dinner tonight.

Monday Hodge Podge

Dell's Deli, Cannon St., Charleston, S.C.

Dell's Deli makes a colorful scene on Cannon St. I walked too late for photos this evening but stocked up on my weekend marches.

We have Monday whipped, kids, and a long weekend to look forward to. Friday of course is Canada Day (y'all knew that, right?) and Monday, July 4th so I am recommending a four day weekend. If any other countries would like to toss in a bonus celebration I'll be happy to consider the offer and make a package deal.

An Evening with Stephen Colbert is on Friday night at Gaillard Auditorium. Can't wait!

In Their Eyes: Joshua Curry from the Charleston City Paper is heading to Haiti to teach what he does best - teach photojournalism, to street kids. More info here. I can't wait to see what he comes back with. He is accepting donations.

Woohoo...Caviar & Bananas is one of the shops open in the renovated Market Building. How can they open on a day when I am at work? The paper said it closed at 6 p.m. so I knew I wouldn't make it but their web site says 7 p.m. Maybe I could make it down there for coffee and dessert one of these nights. Have you tried their Duck Confit sandwich? Yummers. They are my new picnic packing pick up spot.

Local blogger and writer Andra Watkins has written a book and has it ready for publication. If you are on Facebook, click "like" on Andra's page and support her efforts. Go Andra!

A friend came by to visit me at work today after years in Iraq. He brought an album of the most incredible and frightening pictures and I kept staring at him and thinking, YOU, you are alive and safe. Thank God.

Time to settle in for the night. Y'all turn the lights out. Don't stay up too late.

Raining handkerchiefs

Read Brothers, Charleston, S.C.

Who uses cloth handkerchiefs any more? Not surprisingly Read Brother's on upper King St. must still have enough in stock that they can use them to decorate. Walking into Read Brother's is like entering a time warp of dusty sewing notions, toys and cloth, all next door to the stereo annex. I love this yelp review.

Their window decorations are whacky fun. If they have such a quaint and odd collection of items for sale on the shelves, I can't even imagine what is tucked away in the attic.

Monday morning is peaking around the corner, kids. Are you ready?

Yo Mom!

George St., Charleston, S.C.

Awwww....I didn't know my kids were so sentimental. I found this while walking down to Caviar and Bananas for picnic sandwiches. I assume they did it for Mother's Day and just left it as a surprise. Right?

Heheh. I take what I can get.

Ocean View

James Island, S.C.

I gave my brother a break from painting and took him to the ocean.

We went to see Super 8 at the Terrace Theater. I didn't realize I was going to an alien monster movie. I read the first part of the review and assumed it was all about Super 8 film. It was actually a fun movie although unexpected.

The Terrace Theater is breeding baby theaters. Behind every door another movie is playing. They now have four separate little theaters. This afternoon we were in theater two where you exit facing the menu from Zias. It isn't a bad evening so we sat outside and enjoyed the cooler break.

This bit of graffiti is in the back parking lot at the Terrace Theater.

King St. walking

The Belmont, King St., Charleston, S.C.

I left my brother high up a ladder painting my house while I walked up King St. to the Piggly Wiggly this morning. I laughed uploading the pictures because it is so tempting to straighten the images, but old buildings in Charleston are simply not straight. They always tilt one way or another. Usually the road goes one way, the house goes another and I hold my camera at yet another angle. I decided to line up the lamp posts. The building featured in this shot is The Belmont Lounge.

My own house is looking good. Still blue of course but deeper and brighter and I am enjoying catching up on all my brother's adventure stories while he is here. Let me know if there is anything I should take him to in Charleston next week.

Meanwhile, I've decided to travel to north east India in November so we are lining up things that he thinks I need to see over there. Fun!

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. I need to jump in the shower and head to an 80th birthday party.

My very own mannequin

Local Coffee Shop, Hwy 61, Charleston, S.C.

A couple more from my walk this morning because they make me grin every time I look at them. How fun is this? Thanks to my friend Leah Sparks and coffee shop owner Chase, they dressed the mannequin in my honor. Not everyone can say they've had an aqua mannequin dressed for them. Coolness abounds my friends.

I think I will sleep tonight.

Hiker/Biker Challenge success!

Charleston, S.C.

Made it! I didn't sleep much last night and was awake to turn the alarm off at 5 a.m., then nodded off only to leap out of bed at 5:36 remembering that I was supposed to start hiking at 6 a.m. from Roper Hospital. No leisurely tea and toast this morning. We were so lucky that the rain last night settled the smokey haze and cooled things off just a little. It wasn't bad at all.

I made good time and met a couple of friends who stationed themselves along the way (thanks Tom, John and Dianna!). I was tickled at the Local Coffee shop on Hwy 61 to find that they had dressed the mannequin in my honor (thanks Leah and Chase!). While I was walking eight miles to work, my CEO Allen Carroll was riding his bike from Mt. Pleasant Hospital, about thirty five miles away. We knew he had been sent off in style but hadn't heard from him since.

I arrived in about two hours as expected but there was no sign of him. Since this was eleven months to the day since his serious bike accident I was worried and very much relieved when he called to say he was fine. If something had happened to him I would have had to pack up and leave the state. We had hooked him up with a helmet cam to record his ride and it turns out he got carried away recording interesting sights along the way. He rode the bridge, rainbow row, the battery - anything to make his video more interesting. I had to laugh.

The hospital had a fun reception committee with balloons, a recycled medal for me and the ambulance waiting to resuscitate us. Heheh. It was a fun little prank that has already raised over $2,000 for the American Heart Association. I took a shower in the Rehab Gym and now have to do a little work before we head for a celebratory Happy Hour at O'Charley's across the street.

I love working with such fun creative people.

Marching Orders

Charleston, S.C.

I need to get myself to bed! Tomorrow morning is the day I walk eight miles to work. My CEO Allen Carroll challenged me - he is going to ride his bike 35 miles to work if I walk 8. We work at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital West Ashley. He will begin at Mount Pleasant Hospital and I will begin at Roper Hospital. We aim to arrive at work ready for cool showers at 8:30 a.m. Wish me luck!

People have sponsored us donating money to the American Heart Association and so far I have raised over $800. Cool! Thanks to everyone who has made this fun. The most important part is that Allen Carroll was in a terrible bike accident last year and we are so happy that he has recovered and is back on his bike again.

Donations still accepted here and happy hour at O'Charley's across from the hospital at 3:30 tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Wentworth St. walk

Wentworth St., Charleston, S.C.

My brother Jim is visiting Charleston and while I am at work he has been scraping and painting my old house. In the evenings we grab a bit to eat. Sesame first, on the way to leave my paycheck at Lowes in trade for paint, Thai food on Monday, the new Patat Spot on George St. and today ribs at Sticky Fingers. Yum. I think I'll put the scales away for this visit.

After dinner this evening I walked on to Harris Teeter and back on Wentworth St. past the fire station. I love peaking in on the old engines on display. Turning the corner, the fire engine had pulled up on King St. while the gentleman made their regular yogurt ice cream run.

There is a haze all over Charleston and the smell of smoke but I understand it is from the fires in Georgia and nothing local at all.

What if books were just invented?

College of Charleston, Charleston, S.C.

I got a kick out of this entry from J-Walk Blog titled, What if Books were just Invented:

In this dimension, humans have had e-books for thousands of years. That's how we read. Then, all of a sudden, somebody invents an actual physical book. What would people be saying?

Do you mean you have to find a place in your house to store them all? We just don't have the space.
Yuk! Mice will be eating them!
It takes two hands to hold one. How can you read while you eat?
So when you're finished reading it, you can sell it to someone? Publishers won't like that idea!
How do they know how many to make? It's like they'd need to be psychic or something.
It just seems so… primitive!
You're saying that I have to carry around my entire library? No thanks.
They cut down trees for these things? Why?
You have to drive to a store to buy one of these? What if I want to read it right now?
I don't see any way to copy and paste.

Don't you wonder if books will gradually disappear and seem like novelties? I haven't gone kindle yet but then I'm not the bookwork I used to be.

Greetings from Camp Puff'n Stuff

Camp Puff'n Stuff, College of Charleston, S.C.

Every June I get the call and every June I meet the kids from Camp Puff'n Stuff for the group photo. Camp Puff'n Stuff is coordinated by the American Lung Association for kids with Asthma. The kids are so darned cute I am always happy to do it.

Happy to see me!

Coming St., Charleston, S.C.

Sega palm - new growth.

Lowcountry Live

Lowcountry Live, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

I started my day appearing with my CEO Allen Carroll on the Lowcountry Live show this morning. We went on to promote the American Heart Association in general but our hiker/biker challenge in particular. On Friday morning Allen Carroll will ride his bike to work at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital (about 35 miles) while I walk to work from Roper Hospital downtown (about 8 miles). Naturally we picked the hottest week of the year so far to do it. Whew.

People have been handing me cash in the hallway! Between you generous online donors and cash donations we have raised over $800 for this good cause just by getting to work. Nice! Here is the donation link: Hiker/Biker Challenge. I am personally enjoying the fact that I have raised more money than my CEO and I have some of you to thank for it! Wooohoo!

Happy Hour at O'Charley's to follow. I hope early afternoon. I'm going to need to find a shower, some clean clothes and a ride home.

Yesterday's walk

Charleston Place Hotel, Charleston, S.C.

What a magnificent statue and fountain. I hardly ever see it since it is at the back of Charleston Place Hotel. Cars pulling up to that entrance get the dramatic effect but the rest of us miss it. Yesterday I walked through the hotel, out the back door and passed these colorful displays from the Mellow Mood shop on Hassell St. There is always something new to catch my eye on a Charleston walk.

I hope everyone is having a good Father's Day. My family is getting together this weekend in Canada and I am missing it. My younger brother Jim, is back from India for a visit and he is flying down this afternoon to spend some time in the lowcountry and paint my house.

Sometimes ya gotta....

Kiss a lot of frogs!

Mugdock Castle

Middle St., Sullivan's Island, S.C.

I only had a little pocket camera with me this evening but couldn't resist taking pictures of this old church building. I've wanted to get in and snoop around for a long time and this evening I was there for Matt and Sara's wedding party and was happy to be able to wander freely.

The building was originally constructed as the Chapel of the Holy Cross. It replaced Grace Church, consecrated in 1819, but destroyed in 1863 during the Union�s 545-day bombardment of Sullivan�s Island and Charleston.

The first church service was held on July 10th, 1892. On September 12th, 1895, Ellison Capers, the seventh Bishop of South Carolina, wrote in his journal: "Consecrated this day to the worship of Almighty God a beautiful stone edifice erected on Sullivan's Island to be known as "The Chapel of the Holy Cross."

I am sure it costs a fortune but what a fun place to stay Here is the web site with more photos. The weather was beautiful. Many happy anniversaries to the bride and groom.

Sago Palm Veil

Sego Palm, Charleston, S.C.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

All well. The SCRUBS campers had a great time and invited all their parents to graduation. I however, am whupped. Keeping twenty two teenagers on their toes all week wore me out. Could someone please carry me around the house, make me dinner and feed me wine and chocolate bonbons for a couple of days?

I took today's photo through the window on a walk through Charleston Place Hotel. The Sego Palm fronds looked like a green veil.

SCRUBS Camp 2011

My baby health care providers are ready to graduate tomorrow afternoon. This is pretty much all I've done this week but it's been good. Whew. Deep breath! Today was a highlight with visits to the Operating Room and a ride in the ambulance. They have a graduation ceremony with parents and the CEO Friday afternoon. Fun.

I owe huge debts of gratitude to everyone who helped me pull this off! Picture me blowing kisses!

Guess where Charleston?!

Charleston, S.C.

Here are a couple of puzzle shots for the local crowd. I took all three on my walk this evening. Can anyone identify the locations? Not so much fun for the non local crowd but colorful shots anyway.

G'night kids. I've been den mother to twenty two teenagers this week and by this time of night I am nodding off. Zzzz....

SCRUBS Camp 2011

SCRUBS Camp 2011

This is my week! This is the gang at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital. Another group of twenty two are at Roper Hospital. Up and at 'em kids!

Second Sunday on King St.

King St., Charleston, S.C.

On the second Sunday of each month King St. is closed to traffic. I never time my walk for the festivities but usually catch them as they are setting up, putting out the sidewalk sales and tables for outside dining. One of these days I will be more organized and enjoy sitting for lunch at a table in the middle of the street.

More scoop here: Second Sunday on King Street.

Okay kids, Monday is biting at my heels. I have twenty two teenagers scheduled to arrive bright and early in the morning to learn about health careers for a week and I am den mother. Wish me luck! I won't catch my breath until Friday.