Paging Dr. Sock Monkey

Calhoun St., Charleston, S.C.

I often get email requests for photo use but this was a new one. This blogger needed a picture of Doctor Sock Monkey and sent me the link to her entry. A doctor's work is never done.

More of last year's sock monkey fun here.

Holiday Activities

Horse Barn, Charleston, S.C.

There is so much going on in Charleston it's almost hard deciding what to do. Here is the event calendar from Charleston Scene for the holidays so you can plot your festive activities.

So far I bought tickets for the Gospel Christmas Concert at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church for Saturday. Listening to someone belt out a spiritual never fails to put me in the holiday mood.

Any other recommendations? What is your favorite holiday activity?

Under Foot

Those Who Give Up Freedom For Security, Deserve Neither.

You know I did it. I am so fascinated by what people chose to write in wet cement I kept stumbling, tripping tourists and back tracking to take pictures of the pavement in San Francisco.


Buy More Drugs


Lower Haight Rocks


Goonies


It Could Not be Helped


Jesus Loves Bob ( I sent this one to my brother!)


Queer Love

Charleston Harbor

Charleston Harbor, Charleston, S.C.

I am so tickled that I can be on the west coast one day and the east the next that I had to walk to the water this morning. It is a bright and shiny day.

I spotted this gentleman picking things out of the pineapple fountain and for a moment wondered if he was taking coins. In fact he was going for his walk and picking up trash along the way. He showed me his little bag with soggy candy wrappers and cigarette butts. He moved quickly and roved all over the water front park spotting litter and picking it up. He said he lived five miles away but came into town for church and tried to "be a good example for you young people". Wow.

Home again, home again....

Napa Valley, CA

I'll get back to Charleston Daily Photos tomorrow!

My friend Andre' happened to be in California spending Thanksgiving with his son and family not too far from where my daughter and I were in San Francisco. They picked us up on our last morning and gave us a royal tour of Napa Valley wine country. We had such a lovely day tasting wine at three different wineries and ended with dinner back in town. What a beautiful part of the world. I love being in places that I have heard about all my life and discovering that they live up to their reputation.

Many thanks to our kind hosts!

I had to have a 3:45 am wake up call to catch my plane this morning (yawn) and it's nice to be back on my couch having a grilled cheese sandwich this evening. I suspect it will be an early night. I hope to have a chance to snoop around everyone's blog and catch up with all your Thanksgiving festivities. Thanks for all your kind comments while I've been traveling.

For Marcheline - here are my shoes, babeeeeeeeeeeee!

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!