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!

Tilting houses

Amherst St., Charleston, SC  

Oh, oh, oh, it is so tempting to try to straighten a shot in post processing but I resisted. In this case the street was on a slope and the pink house was tilted in the opposite direction. There would be no fair game of marbles on the floor of this home. I do love that houses are painted such bright and happy colors in Charleston.

My birthday is tomorrow and this group stopped by my office with a mini cake and balloon flowers. Thanks folks!

Ninety four years and counting!

94 years young, Charleston, S.C.

I stopped by Publix to pick up a coconut cake for Mr. Heath on Friday. In my mind when you are 94 years old and volunteer two full days a week driving a golf cart shuttle in the hospital parking lot you deserve some festivities. Each year I try to drill a little deeper to find out what his secret is. He grew up in West Virginia, joined the military, was very athletic himself and then coached sports. He still has a ready smile. Twice a year he takes off on a solitary road trip to Maryland and West Virginia to visit his family members.

He is really quite amazing. Maybe it is the coconut cake which is a stand out favorite! I could do that.

Happy Days!

Charleston, S.C.

I woke up on this birthday morning feeling a sad loss. I used to have a ninety six year old gentleman who made it his business to plan my birthday each year and he passed away last summer. Parties were such a delight to him that we celebrated his birthday with cake and punch for his memorial service after he was gone.

I didn't need to worry! I work with such wonderful people. I was supposed to go to a meeting at Roper Hospital at ten this morning and called to say that, although it didn't mean anything to them, my birthday is like a state holiday at St. Francis Hospital and I just couldn't attend the meeting. Heheh. Two cakes, two bottles of wine (ssshhh!), chocolates, balloons, flowers and so many cards and facebook messages later it's been a perfect day. I even came home to find a can of white marine paint to paint my canoe. Thanks Tom, Dianna, Carol, Lynne and everyone who made it so much fun!

I had dinner out with my son at Fuel last night, go to see the Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Dock St. this evening, dinner at Husk tomorrow night and the ballet on Saturday. Not a bad birthday week at all! Wow. Thank you everyone!