On the road - San Francisco

San Francisco, CA

Climbing hilly streets in San Francisco, sipping tea in coffee shops and drinking coffee in tea shops. I liked Rani's reflection in her glasses.

Found the painted lady houses but I've been ruined living in an old house too long and can only see what a nightmare they would be to paint. We walked through Haight Ashbury and then spent yesterday afternoon in the SF Museum of Modern Art. I felt so incredibly lucky to find that the special exhibition was on photography especially Henri Cartier Bresson. Wow.

My daughter does the travel research and I am happy to be led to her discoveries when we are together. We found a Burmese restaurant Monday night and French Vietnamese last night. I believe she has an Ethiopian dinner planned for this evening. The best thing is, she actually has a job now and I am not paying for every meal. Miracles happen!

San Francisco - Day Two

San Francisco, CA

Day two in California. We have walked and walked up and down hills! This is clearly not the lowcountry. We bought a bus pass but it still seems tomakes sense to walk most places. Coit Tower, Telegraph Hill, Chinatown, Lombard St., City Lights Book Store, City Hall. The amazing sculpture above was a happy surprise! With the time difference I'd be ready to pack it in for the evening but my daughter has discovered a Burmese Restaurant for dinner.

I bought new shoes so wacky I won't have anything to wear with them and will need a whole new wardrobe, haircut and perhaps a new house to go with them.

Y'all behave while I am away.

San Francisco Visit Day One

Balmy St. San Francisco, CA

I am watching the sun set over San Francisco from our tenth floor hotel room, resting my legs after hiking up hills all day and enjoying a cuppa tea. Not much to complain about here. We've had a lovely day starting off exploring the Mission District mural neighborhood where I was just in the nick of time to help with an emergency delivery on Balmy St.

We had giant burritos for lunch, headed (very briefly) to the chaos of Fisherman's Wharf and back through Chinatown. You know how I am about sidewalk graffiti and this is a wonderland of messages in the pavement. I keep tripping up traffic to read what is underfoot. I've also learned that MBT rocker bottom shoes are not necessarily the best for climbing up and down hilly streets.

Y'all be good! We can't all stop working and run away.

That Magical Time of Year

Angel Tree, Charleston, S.C.

It's that magical time of year, kids! If you hurry you can sneak your name and gift list on Angel trees going up all over town and just wait for nice people to buy you everything you hoped for.

Oohhh, I'm just kidding. Kinda.

In other news it is after 4 a.m. Charleston time and I am settling into bed in a Nob Hill hotel in San Francisco. I am wide awake and have been catching up with my daughter. Can't wait to see what adventures we find in the morning!

Our Health Care Heroes

Health Care Heroes Banquet, Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston, S,C,

I just got back from the Health Care Heroes event sponsored by the Charleston Business journal at the Francis Marion Hotel, an event that leaves you feeling very good about people in health care.

Kristy Hill, the nurse pictured above with her husband, actually donated her own kidney to a gentleman who needed it. I nominated the lady to my right below, Estelle Whitney for her years of volunteering with newborns in our nursery and Dr. Blake Ohlson was recognized for his work with amputees. I work with a pretty impressive group! Congratulations folks!

Bin Loaded

Sego Palm shadow, Charleston, S.C.

Aaaargh. I simply want to know if tomorrow is a recycling day. Everyone on my street dragged their blue bins out last Thursday. They were left spilling all over the sidewalk but we figured it was Veteran's day and smacked our foreheads...duh. We left them out another night in high hopes of a make up day but that just left one more night for tipsy college students to kick them over.

Our pick up schedule is every other Thursday so surely the county web site can make sure we are on track with a handy dandy calendar, no? No. Instead of a simple calendar you type your address in for exactly nothing to happen.

Red Cross

Smith St., Charleston, S.C.

The Smith St. house that has the red cross painted on it was actually the local headquarters of the American Red Cross during World War I. It housed the administrative services of the Red Cross as well as the Blood Bank until 1989 until it returned to being a family residence.

This seems a good time to congratulate fellow lowcountry Canadian Eugene from Imabug who just won his second annual award for amounts of blood donated to the Red Cross. What an amazing gift. Think of the lives he has saved. Congratulations Eugene!

Sea Fever

Folly Beach, S.C.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

By John Masefield (1878-1967).
(English Poet Laureate, 1930-1967.)

It was that kind of day, wasn't it? So bright and warm it felt wrong to be inside. I wish I knew the head-stand gal's name so I could send her a copy of her picture. The lower photo is of my friend Debby who invited me to walk the beach on this perfect morning.

I hope everyone has had a good weekend.

Our Lady of the Organic Garden

Highland Lakes, North Carolina

I was a passenger in a car today and spent my time flicking through old pictures on camera cards pleased to come across this set I took on a visit to North Carolina some time ago. The statue is in the garden of Highland Lake Inn near Hendersonville. I've been in that area a couple of times through the years as everyone from Charleston has during the heat of the summer, and each time made a point to visit her.

I've been told the area used to be a Catholic Boy's and Girl's camp called Our Lady of the Hills before it was taken over by the Inn. Now she oversees the organic garden. I finally found some of the background history of the property on their web site.

Food Strolling

Marion Square, Farmer's Market, Charleston, S.C.

I had every intention of photographing the AIDS Walk this morning and set my alarm (eeeew....alarms on the weekend) accordingly. I grabbed the camera and flash card I used last night only to discover the dreaded "unable to format card" message. Luckily there were other photographers to cover the event so I slipped home and did my walk-about town happily landing in Marion Square in time to be handed a warm bowl of the most delicious bread pudding.

Sarah O'Kelly from the Glass Onion and farmer Celeste Albers had just done a cooking demonstration as part of Les Dames d’Escoffier International and were ready to serve. Thanks ladies! It was amazing.

You can see why I have to walk so much. If I am going to have delicious treats handed to me as I march through town I'd better add another mile or two to my routine hike.

Walking on I saw this line up winding around the yard at Gaillard waiting to get in to the Whale of a Sale. I decided to pass on that event.

Mac-Off

MacPerry here, reporting on the first annual "Mac Off" the Macaroni & Cheese Bake-Off at the Visitors Shed. I came home weighing considerably more than I did when I left the house. Groan.

What an incredible success. I went with the expert, Notoriously Nice Mike whose son owns the Cheese-ology Restaurant in St. Louis. We didn't try every single one but each had a clear favorite. Melanie (above) served up Mike's favorite truffled Macaroni & Cheese from JPaulz while I voted for Crave's version. Scrumptious!

Help me. I am so full.

Event Website.

Charleston Garden Club Gift

West Ashley Cancer Center garden, Charleston, S.C.

I walked over to the opening of the West Ashley Cancer Center this morning just in time to catch the Charleston Garden Club dedicating the garden project they have been working on. Members of the Garden Clubs gathered and formally "gave" the garden over to the hospital. It was lovely. The idea is that patients receiving chemo could enjoy the garden while they are there for treatment. It appeared to be a project dear to many of their hearts. What a lovely gift.

Today the garden was blooming entirely in pink flowers and I believe this sculpture represents the shape of a petal.

Veteran's Day - Thanks Mum!

Miriam Cameron
Royal Canadian Air Force
Thanks Mum!

Hanging out with the creative folk

Music Farm, Charleston, S.C.

Just back from the eighth Pecha Kucha event at the Music Farm on Ann St. where we listened to creative types explain what makes them tick and what they are fired up about at the moment. It is exciting to see the people behind what is happening in this city.

I grabbed Mary Edna Fraser and Dr. Sperry for a photo op after she presented on the batik fabric art she creates after capturing the lowcountry with aerial photography. Wow. I love her husband just as much since he was my kids pediatrician many years ago. :)

Whoopsie. Two beers and I forgot how to spell "aerial". Thank you spell checker. Thank you Pecha Kucha coordinators.

Tuesday Blog Hopping

Charleston, S.C.

It's too dark already to be worth carrying a camera on my evening walks so I get to dip into existing albums for my pictures. I love these old doors. It is rare to catch them without a car parked in front. We need a sign asking that only photogenic vehicles area allowed to park in that spot.

We are used to being admired as a beautiful city but now Travel & Leisure Magazine has decided Charleston also has the most beautiful people. What an odd category. Now are polite and pretty. Hmmmm.

I am a sucker for a good "baby birthin'" story and Beach Bum's tale left me smiling.

Pamela visited the meditation garden at my hospital with her camera. No wonder I take so many pictures there! Thanks Pamela!

What do you do when your wedding invitation goes viral? Helen and Josh got creative with their wedding invitation and it got lots of attention. Congrats Fuzzco!

Pecha Kucha is sold out for tomorrow night! Happily I reserved my tickets early.

I may have been one of the oldest people in the audience at the Wolf Parade concert last night but I am so glad I had a chance to see them live. Dan Boeckner is married to my niece Alexei Perry. How exciting to have them here in Charleston at the Pour House. Thanks for the free passes Dan!

Macaroni and Cheese Cook Off on Friday and I am going with an expert! My friend Mike's son owns Cheese-ology in St. Louis.

This Saturday is the second annual AIDS Walk sponsored by the Ryan White Foundation so think of coming by Hampton Park that morning. Not that you enter these things for the prizes (ahem) but they have some great ones lined up for fund raising walkers.

G'night kids. Thanks for all the kind comments. They make my day!

Old tunes

My sister Shirley went over to the Khasi Hills where we grew up, to visit my brother Jim and was invited to sing in a folk festival. She hasn't been there for 33 years but tried her best to speak entirely in Khasi while she was there. Wow. I am impressed! I know I couldn't do it. Here she is giving a tv interview in the local language. My brother was born and lived there still so he had no trouble. Apparently Shirley was a big hit!

Painting in Washington Park

Rick Reinert, Plein Air Painting, Washington Park, Charleston, S.C.

My artist friend Gina Brown alerted me to the annual plein air painting event at Washington Park yesterday. Area artists set up their easels in the park and surrounding streets and let us all watch as they paint scenery, live models and still life scenes. The art work is framed and auctioned later in the evening benefiting the Charleston County High Schools' fine art programs. Cool, eh?!

In my next life perhaps I will be a gifted artist. Meanwhile I am an admirer of these talented folk and love watching them at work.

Wolf Parade comes to Charleston

Wolf Parade comes to Charleston, S.C.

You might not expect me to be promoting the Montreal based Indie rock band Wolf Parade coming to the Pour House on Monday night but in this case Dan Boeckner (on the left) is married to my also very talented niece Alexei Perry.

Here is the scoop from the City Paper. Looks like it's time for me to stay up past my bedtime again. These gentlemen can fill concert venues internationally so it is a treat to have them performing in the lowcountry. Link to their My Space site. Note: I did not take this photo but snitched it from the City Paper site.

Early dusk

Charleston, S.C.

It's getting dark so early I have a hard time taking a picture for you on my evening walk.

I am just getting back from all day meetings in Columbia late enough to have missed my matinee at the Terrace and it's been a crazy week. There is a lot going on in town this weekend and I just might not do any of it.

Fog in the Garden

Charleston, S.C.

John Prince asked in comments if I'd taken any fog pictures. He likely asked the question as I detoured through the hospital's meditation garden on my way in to work this morning. How lucky am I to work in a place like this?

Today is Volunteer Program Manager's Day. You didn't hear about it because we don't blow our own horns. We celebrated privately and took care of ourselves....volunteer managers from hospitals, aquariums, parks, outreach missions, food banks and senior centers...hundreds of thousands of hours of service flow through us in this town alone. So cheers to me and my hard working partners! Happy Volunteer Program Manager's Day!

Heart Walk Wrap Up

Heart Walk Captain's Thank You Party, Fiery Ron's, Charleston, S.C.

I hosted a little thank you shin dig at Fiery Ron's Home Team BBQ last night as a heart walk wrap up. I am the company leader for Roper St. Francis Healthcare and I have the most incredible team this year.

We were more whackily creative than ever this year with projects from cupcake decorating contests, book sales, men in red dresses, wine tastings and zumba classes. We raised over $56,500 (our goal was $40,000), had at least 700 participants and I am proud as punch.

I hosted the event, did the certificates and awards but someone turned the camera on me at the end. Thanks kids! You are great, great, great! I've seen such advances in the care and understanding of heart disease in my lifetime it is a cause I am honored to be part of and I hope you can picture me blowing kisses to any of you, my readers who contributed to the cause.

The Morning After

Charleston, S.C.

My friend Scottie woke up to find herself a Congressman's mother. How must that feel? Tim Scott brought her flowers this morning as he does every Mother's Day. Congratulations Congressman!

Cocktail in Place of a Photo

Middleton Place, Charleston, S.C.

I frequently post a Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance so it made me smile to see Cocktails in Charleston post a Charleston Photo in Place of a Cocktail.

Check them out if you are looking for a drink recipe or review. Their tag line is: Working My Way Through 1000 Recipes, One Drink at a Time.