Teeny, tiny tree houses

McClellanville, SC 

McClellanville is a dreamy little town. Grab a book and a pillow and come on up.

Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance - Georgetown, SC

Love Chapel, Georgetown, SC 

I take more pictures of churches than I actually attend but this might be the perfect one for me. I found the Love Chapel in Georgetown, SC and the signs caught my eye. Sinners Welcome! If you are looking for the perfect church, this is not the one!

Sinners Welcome!

The South Carolina Praline Trail

Sweeties, Georgetown, SC  

I've done a couple of Thelma & Louise day trips lately (minus the convertible, the cliff and Brad Pitt) exploring up and down the coast and we've discovered that after a little sightseeing and a tasty lunch we conveniently happen upon a praline shop for dessert. Meant to be! Nothing is better than a field trip with a little brown sugar and cream treat to cap it off. Savannah, Beaufort, Charleston and now Georgetown - bingo! Pralines.

There isn't much to review since you can't really hurt brown sugar, cream and butter unless you burn it, but I am willing to keep tasting and testing until we find the best pralines in South Carolina.

Today's sample is from Sweeties candy shop in Georgetown.

 

Welcome to Sweeties Sweets. Cindy Hedrick & Skip Yeager are the Sweeties, since 1996.  Some of the Sweets we make are displayed and available on this site but to get the full effect, aroma, and feel of our products you need to come for a visit to Historic Seaport Georgetown, SC between Myrtle Beach and Charleston on Hwy 17. Come walk the Harborwalk, eat fresh seafood, relax and enjoy.  While there look for the Old Clock Tower, we are just a couple doors down at 707 Front Street.
 

Charleston - I love you this much!

White Point Gardens, Charleston, SC   

I know I have featured this little gal before but I love her. I visit her every time I walk at White Point Gardens and practically lay on my belly to get a picture of a different angle each time.

Did you have a good week? Did you get all your work done? I had a good week but was rushing like a race horse to get my work done. If you had any idea of the paperwork I have to have completed on every volunteer who works in a hospital you would...I dunno....maybe buy me a candy bar or something. It is completely unreasonable. I have over 350 good spirited folks volunteering and I have to keep current files on each and every one of them. Some days I feel like all I do is feed a data base.

Pony up to the Hat Man

Hat Man at Broad & Church St., Charleston, SC  

The blinders might keep the horse from being startled by the Hat Man mural at Church and Broad St. Boo! 
The Hat Man mural was painted around 1892 and is made up of 16 different hats in 12 different styles. It probably promoted a hat store but happily for us it remained to become a favorite landmark and is freshened up periodically. 

It's been a big day in South Carolina. May tomorrow be a good and peaceful day. 

Summertime Gifts

St. Julien Plantation, Eutawville, SC  

Yum, yum! It's hard to resist such an attractive roadside stand. I've already gobbled up my tomatoes and I made mini peach cobblers for dinner last night. This is the St. Julien Plantation roadside stand on Hwy 6. Enjoy!

Self respecting Southerners

Pro Aris Et Focis, Coming St., Charleston, SC  

Just for kicks and giggles I asked Google about "self respecting Southerners" and this is what we came up with:

• No self-respecting southerner uses instant grits
• And one thing no self-respecting southerner should be caught without a properly stocked bar.
• After all, no self-respecting Southerner would dare vote for a Northerner
• No self-respecting Southerner would hop aboard a boat wearing black slacks.
• No self-respecting Southerner would think of leaving fresh pineapples out of their Christmas decorations
• No self-respecting Southerner would ever be without cheese straws
• No self respecting Southerner makes cornbread from a box” 
• No self-respecting Southerner, I boldly say, would let New Year's Day pass without at least one bite of black- eyed peas
• No self respecting southerner would say "ya'll guys"
• No self-respecting Southerner uses any mayo besides Duke's 
• No self respecting southerner would eat the biscuits you get out of a peel and pop tube
• No self-respecting Southerner who would serve baked possum would serve it without sweet potatoes
• No self-respecting Southerner would ever put bread crumbs in their macaroni & cheese
• No self- respecting southerner would be so rude as to hang up before saying a proper thank-you, followed by a goodbye

Thank you, and goodbye!

Savannah College of Art & Design Museum

SCAD Museum, Savannah, GA 

I paid a quick first visit to the SCAD Art Museum in Savannah this weekend. I say quick because that is all it took. I was pleased to find them open on the holiday weekend but they had most of their main galleries closed for updates and offered a discounted admission. What they did have on display was pretty impressive!

Vivienne Westwood Exhibition: 'Dress Up Story – 1990 Until Now' The exhibition design takes inspiration from an eccentric English party: “A postmodern romp of a weekend party where the swells meet the activists, where the rogues go vogue, and the vogues go rogue," Talley said. Selections from SCAD Museum of Art’s Earle W. Newton collection of British and American paintings hung salon-style create a backdrop for the revolutionary flair of Westwood’s designs. Westwood added, “Our costumes are romantic and theatrical, inspired by history. We know the characters they belong to. Whoever chooses to wear them recreates the clothes in her own image, making them classics. She inhabits a parallel world — like this one but more ideal. Andreas and I have been designing for 25 years, living and working together. It’s our story. We always dress up.”
This exhibition is curated by André Leon Talley.

 

Savannah - holiday weekend trip

Savannah, Georgia

I have already made the most of my July 4th holiday weekend - thank you America! Savannah is just over 100 miles down the coast and a perfect weekend get-away. Stretching the budget we stayed at a Courtyard Marriott midtown and then found a deal for Friday night at the Inn at Ellis Square in the historic district. Good planning!

Checking my phone step counter yesterday we walked over ten miles - parking at Forsyth Park and heading all the way to the river and back exploring all the beautiful garden squares along the way. We ate a praline on the river walk, visited the city cemetery, St. Johns Cathedral, the SCAD shop and museum and splurged on the Old Pink House for dinner. This morning we did a drive through Bonaventure Cemetery and visited friends before heading back to Charleston. Thanks Savannah!

Happy July 4th everyone!

Historic Savannah

The Waving Girl statue, Savannah

Forsyth Park Fountain, Savannah, GA

Now we are three - leopard tripletts

People's Building, Broad St., Charleston, SC  

I always stop to say hello to the leopard statues in front of the People's building on Broad St. if I am in the area. I was heart broken when vandals destroyed one of them and pleased when the talented folks at the American College of the Building Arts built a new one to keep the twin company. Yesterday I learned on facebook that both of the leopards outside are new replicas and the original is safely protected inside the building.

Wikipedia: Mullaly installed the two white marble leopards at the main entrance. Carved from Italian marble by an unknown 18th-century artist, the leopards were brought to Charleston from an estate near Boston, Mass. In 1990, a plan was approved by the Board of Architectural Review which would have replaced the leopards with gas lamps, but the plan was not executed. The leopards were removed for repair in 2003 and reinstalled the following year. In June 2011, the leopard on the right of the entrance was destroyed by vandalism. The remaining statue was moved indoors, and both were reproduced in 2013 by Kevin McLean, an art student at the College of Charleston.

Facebook: Professor Simeon Warren with help from incoming freshman Josiah Vice installed the People's Building lion statue in their lobby today. Simeon created the base to house the one surviving statue safely in the lobby. (photo below from their facebook site)
 

On the road - Mudcat Festival

Dunnville Veterinary Clinic, Mudcat Festival Parade, Ontario, Canada

I am taking you out of the lowcountry again with this evening's photos. My recent trip to Canada was timed to arrive at the Perry family reunion which this year was being held at my brother Bob and wife Elaine's home in Dunnville, Ontario. My brother is a Veterinarian and it happened to be on the same weekend as the Mudcat Festival.

My brother Roger's Perry Trucking company truck pulled the Vet clinic float, assorted nephews and my son rode in the truck cab and the rest of the family waited along the parade route to whoop and holler. Woohoo! I want a parade and fireworks show for every family reunion. It couldn't have been more perfect.

 

 

 

Stop! She has ruined me

She has Ruined Me, Charleston, SC  

Don't deface public property. You know that.

But if you do, write an entire book on a street sign.

I can't be everywhere but luckily I have spies roaming the lowcountry saying to themselves, "Joan would like this!" Thanks Dr. G!

Our Nation's Mayor

Spencer Art Gallery, Broad St., Charleston, SC 

At recent public events I've twice heard Mayor Riley being introduced as Our Nation's Mayor. He is Charleston's mayor but since we've been fortunate to have him in office for almost forty years I think we can generously share him now.

This New York Times article asks Is Joe Riley is the Most Loved Politician in American? We may not all agree with everything he has done but most of us were comforted by the fact he was still in office to help steer Charleston through the recent violence. Thank you Mayor Riley. He has been the mayor since I have lived in the city and I have felt very fortunate. It is still hard to believe we will need to consider new candidates for the role. Big shoes to fill!

Flowers grow to the sun

Charleston, SC  

I am calling on my lowcountry sleuths to solve this one for me. What is the white floral object on the peak of the roof? A friend of mine from the upstate noticed it when she was visiting Charleston so I tracked it down myself this morning. The bottom photo shows the enlargement and it really does look like a flower. What do you think?

 

Jiggety Joggety

Joggling Board, Hopsewee Plantation, SC 

I haven't added to my joggling board sightings recently so here are a couple of shots to start the morning. This joggling board is on the grounds of Hopsewee Plantation up the coast from Charleston on the way to Georgetown.

A joggling or jostling board is a long, pliable board that is supported on each end by wooden stands. The board is springy and a person sitting on it can easily bounce up and down. Sources differ on the origination; its usage in the Lowcountry of South Carolina around Charleston in the early 19th century is however rather well-documented. Traditionally, it is painted Charleston green. The joggling board's popularity has slowly been coming back, mostly as decorations on lawns and front porches.

You say Tomayto, I say Tomahto

Tomato Pie Recipe Contest, Mixson Market, North Charleston

It is tomato pie season!

I don't know which one won the contest but I snuck in to see the contestants lined up. I hope I got a picture that includes the recipe. These look a lot more elaborate that the recipe I use. So far none of the juicy Johns Island tomatoes I have got my hands on have jumped straight into my mouth.

Brunch at Basico

Blue & White Day

Charleston Strong, Charleston, SC  

What a week, what a day!

Dreadful sorrow to inspiring and uplifting eulogies. I've been consumed with sadness for days and yet this evening I can't stop smiling. I admit to doing the minimal amount of work today. I had the live viewing of the funeral services for Reverend Clementa Pinckney minimized on my desktop and tried to work around it. By the time President Obama gave the eulogy I stopped pretending.

Watch what I and so many people watched and if you don't listen to the entire speech at least fast forward to the last few minutes and hear our President break into singing Amazing Grace.

Thanks to everyone who participated in Blue & White Friday in solidarity and to those who dropped off donations to Mother Emanuel AME Church.

 

Bring in the Clowns

Caring Clowns, Charleston, SC 

I had lunch with a bunch of clowns. The Caring Clown program in Charleston enjoyed their annual luncheon get-together at Café Fork today. The clowns from different medical facilities in Charleston met each other, traded magic tricks tips and said farewell to Dr. Shutterbug one of our first local clowns.

Thanks to Dr. Geezer (Bob Mason) for bringing the program to South Carolina and Café Fork for being such wonderful hosts!