Lime green & purple

Charleston, SC   

Lime green and purple are not my color choices for a historic house but if it was up to me everything would be painted blue so I suppose it is fortunate I don't get to pick for everyone. Blue houses for you, blue houses for you and you and you! What do you all think about this color combo?

Trying out recipes in my new Instant Pot pressure cooker means either I need to invite people over to help eat or enjoy leftovers. The stew from a couple of days ago is now in the oven in a cute little meat pie. I love me some leftovers.

Signs & Messages

1st Class Hair Design, Line St., Charleston, SC   

Here are a few of the hand painted signs and quirky messages that caught my eye on a recent walk. Make of them what you will!

I watched yesterday's inauguration exactly where I've watched every important event in the last 40ish years - on a hospital television. These moments are imprinted in my brain, who I was with, what hospital, what waiting room. Yesterday's was one of the most awkward since if you don't know everyone you are with you can't read how a comment will be taken. Feelings are strong and raw. Healthcare is in a very uncertain time and that is one of my top concerns. All the best to us all.

King Market, King St., Charleston, SC 

Teeny, tiny houses of Charleston - Line St.

Line St., Charleston, SC     

I walked the line this morning - Line St. that is. I did this route last weekend in the dripping rain while today is warm and sunny. Adding to our series of tiny dwelling are these Freedman's cottages. Looking for information on these traditional Charleston cottages I discovered that there is actually a book about them. What a fun book to research.

The Charleston "Freedman's Cottage": An Architectural Tradition

Charleston’s “freedman’s cottages” are some of the most understudied and undervalued vernacular buildings in the city, found as far south as Council Street and as far north as North Charleston. Though these cottages have long been associated with African American history and culture, they in fact extend much further into the history and development of Charleston and deserve to be studied and understood. The predominant theory is that these tiny houses, often no larger than five hundred square feet, were constructed by and for freed slaves after the Civil War, due to a rising need for inexpensive housing. Who occupied these houses over time? What were their lives like? Most of them were ordinary citizens to whom we can all relate. Each one of these houses has at least a hundred stories to tell, many of which have been uncovered and recounted here.

Home of the Hand Wash

Above the Rest - Home of the Hand Wash, Line St., Charleston, SC    

All of us could use a gentle hand wash now and then and this auto-detailing shop on Line St. used to be Above the Rest. I revisit these hand-painted sign favorites often on my walks and was saddened to see how far we've slipped when I searched back on this very blog and remembered what it used to look like.

Musical Doors

Door, 79 Line St., Charleston, S.C.

Wonder what this fellow does for a living? He has made his occupation musically clear with art work. Googling his name I found a testimonial reporting that he is the best instrument repair person in town.

Beach Boys & Barsa

Beach Boys, Line St., Charleston, S.C.

I went to Barsa last night with the old gal's dinner club but apparently the Beach Boys discovered it before I did. New readers may not be aware but one of my early blogging projects was documenting all the sidewalk graffiti in the Charleston sidewalks. If your name is on the pavement I probably know where it is. Here is the link to one of my earlier posts about scribbles in pavement.

The Beach Boys inscription is in the pavement in front of Barsa and I consider that a good recommendation. They were right! It is a Tapas restaurant but I had the Seafood Paella and the Sangria it was delicious. We had a lovely evening catching up on old times. Many thanks to the gorgeous lady who came over and introduced herself as a blog fan - you made my evening!

I happened on the smiley face on Hassell St. on this evening's walk. Happy day!

Truthfully it's been an odd day full of people saying the strangest things. I've worn a "huh? do you have any idea what just came out of your mouth?" expression all day. Sigh.