Have you been to the Aquarium? If you have and have seen the new penguin exhibit please let me know. We are getting ready for a grandchld visit in March and I wonder if a four year old would enjoy it. Comments welcome.
We now have 2 grandchildren. One in Indiana and one in upstate NY. Yes, it's killer....yes, I miss them. But it's not bad being known as the beach Grandma. It's one sentence to my grandaughter Edie, "Grandma lives in South Carolina at the beach". I hope she never forgets the fun times we have. Memories last forever.
My Grandma took me to the beach. We went off the coast of Long Island in NY. We changed clothes alll together in a cabana...my Nana, her sister and little young me. The visual is always with me....I thought they had "old" bodies but now I realize how gorgeous they were. Memories....forever.
When the first English settlers came to Mount Pleasant in 1680 it was inhabited by the Sewee Indians. I knew the indians had been here. I've seen the mounds of oyster shells they left behind as they worked their way down the creeks. It's hard for me to believe I am walking where they walked and where men fought to keep our country together as one....and some fought on the other side. We learn from our history or we are doomed to repeat it....who said that?
Every day we should remind ourselves how great this country is. The people that came before have enriched us with their history. No matter if they were Indian or English settler, union or confederate. They all contibuted to this big melting pot we call America.
Three cheers for the new year. A time to make changes; start over. Like a Home Depot do it yourself project....we get to redo ourselves. I'm not talking just "The Biggest Loser" I'm talking our state of mind; our direction; what do we want to be when we grow up.
It's never too late to do a do over. If I can rip all my plants from my garden and replant I can chage my perspective. If I can change my hair color in an instant I can change what I want people to see when they see me. If I can eat till I think I will POP I can stop.
Have a great 2010. You don't need resolutions. You need the desire to change and anything you choose is the right change for you.
Filed under: Announcements, wrinkle, Exercise, Diet, Hair, garden, Home Depot, The Biggest Loser, Resolution, 2010, Change
If you think you can't be wowed by holiday lights think again. Visit the James Island County Park and see their Holiday Festival of Lights and any tendency you might have had to be a Scrooge will be gone. The lights are on 5:30-10PM Sunday-Thursday and until 11PM Friday and Saturday until Januray 3rd so you have plenty of time to get there. There are over 2,000,000 gleaming lights....that's a lot of wattage folks. Bring a canned food and get $2.00 off your $10.00 admission ticket per vehicle. Local charities will benefit.
Load up the family and go for a ride!
Happy Holidays!
My grandmother used to tell me a story about a little girl and boy that ate too many berries, fell asleep in the forest...like after eating turkey...and then couldn't find their way home in the dark. It wasn't meant to scare me or get me to eat less. She just wanted to entertain me as my eyes closed to take a nap. (She fell asleep too and I always wondered how she got up without waking me...I slept longer.)
Now that Thanksgiving is behind me...I see it in the mirror as I walk past...I wonder why I plan and cook for days only to be left eating turkey till I can't stand it. My family leaves and refuses care packages....why oh why did I (we) buy such a big bird? I think it might be so we can entertain with our guess the weight of the turkey contest and see how big and outrageous it can be. Each year I say no more! But each year I feel like that berry eating little girl. I am lost in my own home after eating too much and may never get out. Help! Help! Oh well...I think I'll nap.
By the time you read this, the election in Mount Pleasant will be over. There should be a winner but with the way elections go these days I take nothing for granted. Four town council slots are up for grabs along with the mayor position. Unlike other cities around us- North Charleston and Charleston in particular- our mayor is a part-time position. Not all of our candidates think it should be full-time, but whether they like it or not it appears the residents may have a chance to vote on the issue. I for one think it should be full-time- I want my town/city to have a full-time mayor looking at our growth and economics. How can we compete for new business if it isn’t full-time? No one wants to call and hear, “Sorry- the mayor is out today.”
Our three mayoral candidates are all upstanding family men, and all appear to be conservative. They do not declare party affiliation. I still haven’t decided who I will vote for though the election is less than a week away. For council it’s a little easier- I know some of the candidates personally. Two are Realtors®.
If you are a regular reader you know I tout my city all the time. Great schools, great parks and recreation, great beaches nearby, great restaurants…it’s all good. I doubt this election will change that but I’ll keep an eye on our officials. And here’s a link to the website so you can too: http://www.townofmountpleasant.com/index.cfm?section=1.
Happy November and Happy Thanksgiving too!
Charleston is well known for its restaurants and cuisine. Prices range from a $4.00 burger to the daily rate for lobster. It’s been said there are no bad eating places because the town is too small and word travels fast. Now that I have lived here awhile I can totally agree with that.
The first meal I ever ate here was at Anson’s off Market Street, http://www.ansonrestaurant.com/
The flounder was like nothing I had ever tasted. As time went on we had the good fortune to be able to restaurant hop. McCray’s, http://www.mccradysrestaurant.com/ was where our daughter took us to celebrate her engagement….very yummy. When I have a chance to have some fun with friends or family I usually choose, “Fast and French” for lunch, http://www.fastandfrench.org/G&M/G&M_index.html
That’s not its real name but it’s the only one I ever hear people use. I order the same thing every time, but I won’t try and influence you. If you go to our website under Fun and Festivals you will see a list of restaurants. We could not possibly include them all we tried to choose the ones we know and love. I have to admit there is one at the top of my “want to try list”. It’s Oak Steakhouse, http://www.oaksteakhouserestaurant.com/
I have met Brett and am anxious to taste the great food he talks about.
So what does all this have to do with counting calories? That’s the point. When you come to Charleston don’t. Take a break. Everything in moderation and that goes for food most of all in my mind. Even if I have to multiply my usual 2 mile walk by four it would be worth it. Come one and come all….eat and have fun.
I am the oldest of four children. As I grew up and became an obnoxious teenager and exchanged words with my Mom….I hate you….and ran away from home I always thought she loved my next youngest brother best. When I verbalized this as an adult my Mom said, “You love the one the best that needs you at the time”. She followed that up with but you are “#1”. From than on I signed all my letters and cards to her “#1”.
When I had my first child, a son, I thought no one in the entire world would ever be as gorgeous and wonderful. He is and was my “#1”. Later when number two needed foot surgery he was the one I loved the best. When number three was in the hospital she was my favorite.
When my first grandchild, Edie, was born my heart swelled so I thought it would burst. Last night my second grandchild was born, a boy, Ian Mark. Again, my heart is bursting with love and joy. My daughter is a Mom. How cool is that? Today I love my daughter and her son the best. But Edie you are #1 and always will be.
Fall to me always starts the day after Labor Day. I am one of those creatures of habit that stops wearing white shoes as of that Monday and even puts away the light colored linen clothes. I can't help it. Old habits are hard to break.
But my latest fall joy fun started today. Cleaning up the garden. By cleaning I mean painting old patio furniture, trimming back hedges and sweeping the sand back in the grooves. Sand into grooves you ask? My courtyard is mostly Blue Stone. In between the stones we have rocky sand. When it rains that sand gets washed down the yard so I sweep it all back in the spaces. I know....obsessive sounding to some but why buy new sand if the old works fine. The hedges go nuts in the summer so now is the perfect time to say...move over, give me back my patio and yard.
Todays grunt work is done but there is so much more to come. That Creeping Fig needs a haircut, the Knockout Roses get constant "dead heading" so they bloom into winter and of course the sand....
Ahh, the joys of Saturday in the Lowcountry. Now it's time to eat my Pimento Cheese.
As school starts in Mount Pleasant, SC what am I thinking about? It seems like yesterday that I was sending my three off on their new adventures. That's what we called anything that could be fun and or scary....and a new year at school could be. From the first trip on the "big cheese" (the school bus) to the first day eating lunch in the cafeteria. It was all one big adventure for them.
Was I one of those Moms that cried as they left the house? Heck no! I didn't exactly cheer but I knew my down time was short lived. There were always car pools, sick days, after school activities and on and on. The few minutes in the morning that I had to myself were cherished. A cup of coffee while it was still hot? What a treat.
Do I miss those days? YES! Do I wish I could turn back the clock? NO! I am ready for this phase of life. But do I cry now thinking back? YES! I miss my little ones....the hugs....the smiles....the sick days with one on one time and most of all the adventures. The ones they took and the ones I took hearing about their days and walking beside them thru life. It was fun while it lasted.
When you are lonely there's a place you can go it's called downtown....my apologies to Petula Clark.
Charleston Place http://www.charlestonplace.com/web/ocha/charleston_place.jsp was ranked #22 of the top 50 large hotels in the United States and Canada in Travel and Leisure Magazines Worlds Vest Awards for 2009.
If you have been to Charleston and not walked on King or Meeting Streets and walked into the shopping mall that leads to the hotel or into the hotel itself you are truly missing something. The high ceilings in the lobby showcase the large staircase. At holiday time a train circles a wonderful display and delights all who visit. After enjoying lunch in the cafe walk outside.
No, downtown Charleston does not have large department stores. Of course it has the usual J.Crew and even a small Saks but the stars of our show are the boutiques. The small stores that think about every item they stock before they purchase it. The small owners that wonder who will buy this polka dot formal? (I did for my daughter's wedding.) We have a Ralph Lauren, but more boutique than mega like the Madison Avenue, NYC store.
Upper King Street has added furniture and design. Lamps and color such as what you find in Maine Cottage, a charming furniture and accessory spot.
When you come to town oh yes, do enjoy the beach but come downtown too. We have more than I can talk about in a blog...something for everyone.
If you are not a parent or grand parent you may not want to read further. But, if you are please share my pain. Today my almost 4 year old grand daughter went back home after a week at the beach with her doting grand parents. She didn't miss her parents for one minute....how could she we never gave her a free second to think about anything but fun.
She was fearless at the beach as the waves rolled over her little tanning body. She built sand castles, played pirate, dug a hole to sit in and found lots of shells that are on their way to Indiana.
We ate out, ran errands, shopped and ate at Costco, read stories, colored pictures, took naps (yes both of us) and had a ball.
Now I am miserable. Teary eyed and down right sad. I left my cell phone on the roof of my car and drove away (some nice man found it and called my home) as my heart kept thinking about her big blue eyes. I will recover. After all thanksgiving is only a few months away and there is next summer to look forward to.
Congratulations are in order! The town of Mount Pleasant opened the new Waterfront Park July 3rd. Job well done! It's user friendly, easily accessible, has a shop for food and souveniers and most of all....it's fun. The playground for the little ones was full this morning. The adults and kids alike walking to the pier were smiling from ear to ear. Between the breeze off the river and the shade from the Ravenel bridge, though it was warm and steamy we were not uncomfortable. Today parking was free but in the future it will be 50 cents. Not bad for a family centered fun time. You can fish with the proper permit if you follow the fishing rules....no bikes, scooters or skateboards please. Restrooms are convienient and many.
You can see Patriots Point and the Port of Charleston. Sit down and take a break....lots of spots are available.
Thank you Mount Pleasant! You have made us proud.
See some pictures on photo gallery page. More to come.
Families are touched by many things. At this very moment our family is feeling a "heavy touch" from heart disease. We are not strangers to it. My father had a bypass, Mark's mother had heart disease but this time it is too close. Mark has always had some heart issues but right now he we are being held hostage by his heart and it's not fun!
In April he had surgery that almost took him from us. The look of panic in his eyes when he woke up from a few days on a respirator is one I will never forget. Who wouldn't panic if they woke up and saw two of their children that lived out of state standing by the bed with tears in their eyes. Dahhh. Scary stuff.
As we wait until he is strong enough to have surgery again and decide what is the best course of treatment I have channeled this stress into something productive. The Charleston Heart Ball. The Heart Association does wonderful things but in this economy they need help funding all the great research grants waiting in the wings. Maybe a cure for Mark is right around the corner.
If you would like to go to Ball and or give us a hand, donation or be a sponsor let me know. I would be happy to meet with you and discuss all the options open. It's a great cause and I know better than most! 843.270.1207 or homes@charlestonfinehomes.
Franne
We have an adult special son. He is 32 years old and to look at him you would have no idea his youth was so challenging to him and his paremts....us. If you live in metro Charleston you may know him. He works in the bakery at the Park West Publix and I have included him in some of my advertising. Keep an eye out for a column on him in the Moxie Friday section in the Post and Courier.
One evening a week or so again during what he calls our "bonding" time, aka watching TV, I asked him what he would like to do if he could do anything. His answer was throw out a pitch at a baseball game. I was literelly thrown. Who would have guessed? Yes, we are a sports loving family. My oldest son is a freelance sports writer. The Mom in me screamed....you can arrrange that. And I did. Thank you Post and Courier for giving me the contact at the River Dogs and thank you River Dogs.
We haven't told him yet so if you see him shhh. Please come to see this great event Friday night, August 14th at Joe Reilly Park. Join our fun as we fulfill his wish. If you are out driving around and see 60 feet 6 inches marked on the sidewalk and a Mom out throwing a ball with a young man it will be us practicing.