I am very old

I am very old. North Charleston, SC

I spotted this sign by an ancient oak tree with low limbs on the old Navy Base and thought it would make a perfect birthday pictures so saved it for the occasion. Tada! I am old!

I have so many friends celebrating birthdays within these few weeks that it has become a good time of year to have a party. This year's theme was to cook a recipe from the old Charleston Receipts cookbook published in 1950. The party was hosted by my friend Josephine Humphreys and Tom Hutchinson at their beautiful home on Sullivan's Island.

It was a little tricky deciding what to make from the book and I flipped on past the Opossum pie, rabbit stew and Cooter (turtle) soup. I ended up making the traditional cheese log and eggplant au gratin but there were plenty of brave cooks and an amazing spread of food including macaroni pie, rum punch, red rice, chicken, peach cobbler and pralines. Fitting to the period most of us wore pearls and aprons. It was a perfect evening with good food and friends. Happy birthday to us all. I didn't take many pictures and I think these two were by Terry Richardson and Brandon Coffee. Thanks gentlemen!

Archie

Literary Dogs & Their South Carolina Writers

Cover dog Archie had his nose two inches from the pig roast table yesterday but did not go any further! That is not to say that he didn't flirt his way into some sneaky hand snacks under the tables.  Archie has his own sizable fan base on Facebook.

PIG!

Johns Island, S.C.

The directions included turning left at the church and continuing on the dirt road but the PIG sign took any doubt out of the next turn.

We drove past the wee little lowcountry cottage to the gathering area by the dock. I got there just as the pig was being lifted out of the pit for an appreciative audience. I felt fortunate to be invited to Josephine Humphreys and Tom Hutcheson's pig roast on Johns Island and to catch up with so many old and new friends. Besides the crispy roast pig and soup there were tables full of the most delicious pot luck dishes. I've been to this gathering before and each time I know that although I won't know most of the people there, they will each be fascinating in some way - writers, historians, photographers, tour guides, chefs etc. Tom and Jo have gathered the most interesting group of people in their piece of Johns Island heaven.

Rich in Love

Johns Island, S.C.

When my friend local author Josephine Humphreys' book Rich in Love was made into a movie, this sweet little octagonal cottage was part of the set. Instead of it being disposed of, she had it dismantled and put together on the bank of a marsh creek on Johns Island. The movie was made in 1992 and filmed in Charleston and Mt. Pleasant. It is already a little time capsule showing the old bridges and the former Wando High School campus. I love listening to Josephine's stories of the movie being filmed.

I had dinner on the dock at dusk last night watching the birds swoop down over the gold tinted autumn marsh. It was a perfect lowcountry evening. 

Literary Canine Companions

  Literary canine companions
Are dogs a writer's best friend? Seven
S.C. authors argue yes in new book    By Jennifer Berry Hawes jhawes@postandcourier.com  Josephine Humphreys Charleston native and author of "Nowhere Else on Earth," "Dreams of Sleep," "Rich in Love" and "The Fireman's Fair."

I love to write with my dog nearby because writing is lonely. At least when my dog's with me, I feel like there's another presence in the room, another brain at work, even if its frequency is different from mine. A dog is the only way a writer can be un-lonesome but still get work done. Ten other reasons for writing with a dog:

1. The dog never says, "When is your next book coming out?" 
2. The dog understands why someone might stare off into space for several hours. He won't think you're crazy. 
3. The dog believes you're doing something important. 
4. The dog doesn't mind frequent breaks for snacks. 
5. When you read a passage to the dog, he'll say "I love that!" with his eyes. 
6. Unlike a cat, he won't say "I don't get it." 
7. The dog will keep your feet warm while you write. 
8. He can bark at intruders and interruptions. 
9. He won't want to go to the movies the night before your deadline. 
10. By example, he reminds you that readers will trust you and follow you down a mysterious path into another world

I spotted the article by Jennifer Berry Hawes in today's Post & Courier. The book is Literary Dogs & Their South Carolina Companions and is available from Amazon and I happened to have a picture of author Josephine Humphreys' canine companion Archie.

Johns Island Pig Roast

Tractor Rides, Johns Island, S.C.

Truth is I've been posting more pictures on Facebook lately because of the instant feedback. I'm trying not to ignore the blog but FB offers the quick reward. Feel free to connect there!

What a glorious day yesterday was. I was invited to author Josephine Humphrey's post Thanksgiving pig roast on Johns Island. I know - I am too lucky. I went with my friend Pam from US 17 Coastal Highway blog. The theme was a "cuban pig roast" so I made a sticky sweet Tres Leche cake to take with me in case anyone had room for dessert. The food was incredible.

I noticed the gentleman in blue who was with Nathalie Dupree holding his microphone down to catch the sounds of the crackling pork skin and asked him later what he was working on. He turned out to be food journalist Richard Johnson from British Street Food working on a story for BBC about food in the south. Fun! He landed on perfect setting for his story - kids fishing, tractor rides, gracious and welcoming hosts, interesting guests and delicious food.

I hope everyone has had a good weekend. Back to reality in the morning. Too soon. Too soon.

My Kind of Town - Charleston, South Carolina

Broad St., Charleston, S.C.

When the Smithsonian Magazine asked authors to write essays about their hometowns, they wisely picked writer Josephine Humphreys to write about Charleston. A few years ago I went to Ashley Hall School to hear her read her essay out loud. I think you will enjoy it as well:

My Kind of Town: Charleston, South Carolina
Novelist Josephine Humphreys says the city is more than just her hometown, it's her life.

Josephine Humphreys is the author of four novels: Dreams of Sleep (winner of the 1985 PEN/Hemingway Award), Rich in Love, The Fireman’s Fair and Nowhere Else on Earth, an historical novel based on the true story of the Lumbee Indian outlaw Henry Lowrie. A former Guggenheim Fellow and winner of the Lyndhurst Prize, she lives in Charleston, South Carolina, where she was born.