Exchanging vows

Meet newlyweds, Jill and Max

You met them here on my Sept 11, 2011 blog when I first realized that this was a SERIOUS romance!

One of the best things I did after we returned from our Southeast road trip was to attend the wedding of two of my former students.  They graduated from high school the same year that I retired.  Nine years later, how our lives have changed.

Meet the bride and groom tomorrow (although they already have been on my photo blog).

Recumbent Trikes

On our way out of Charleston we stopped at a filling station before we returned to Florida to take our flight back to  Minnesota. I noticed these unusual tricyles and knew there must be a story behind them.  We chatted with the owners, two retired adventurers from Oregon who were on their 3-month-odyssey touring the South.  Chuck and Susan indicated that it took about one month to plan their trip, began it in Houston and will end in Kannapolis, NC.  Because they are avid backpackers, the energy they needed for the trip was second nature to them.  Chuck made sure that I identify their vehicles as recumbent tricycles, which apparently are more stable than bikes.

Meet some South Carolina bloggers.

Part of the fun when visiting another city is meeting new people.  My husband and I were pleased and happy to visit with two bloggers from the area of Charleston and Mount Pleasant, SC.  Jim and I met Joan of Charleston Daily Photo one fine morning at the Market on Marion Square.  Suzi of Charleston and the Low Country and her husband Kirby met Jim and me for dinner at one of their favorite restaurants.

Suzie and her husband Kirby

(Kate and Joan below)

Kettle Korn, Anyone?

If you like kettle korn, that, too, is available at the market at Marion Square in Charleston, SC.  What more could you ask for...friendly people, entertainment, crafts and food!

A Southern Treat

If you like boiled peanuts this is the man to see at the Saturday market on Marion Square.  Matt sold me several packages to take back to Minnesota as gifts for the uninitiated.

History

Boiling peanuts has been a folk cultural practice in the lower Southern United States since at least the 19th century, where they were originally called goober peas. The practice of eating boiled peanuts was likely brought by slaves from Africa.  In July and August, when the peanut crops would come in, unsold and surplus peanuts would be prepared in a boiling, and extended families and neighbors would gather to share conversation and food. Like a fish fry, peanut boils have been organizing principles for social gatherings. Like okra, black-eyed peas, collard greens and pork barbecue, boiled peanuts are symbols of Southern culture and cuisine. (Credit:Wiki)

Max or Kyle?

On a recent trip to Charleston, SC, my husband and I met Joan Perry who posts on her blog from that fair city.  One fine morning we went to the Market on Marion Square with Joan and met the two purveyors of Holy Smoke Olive Oil whom you can meet here on her blog. I picked up their business cards, but don't know if this person is Kyle or Max.  In any event, both of them have been immortalized on Joan's and my blogs.  Check out their photos (see link above) on a group picture on Joan's blog.

Mother's Day

This post is dedicated to all the mothers of the world...for those of you who have children of your own and for those who have acted as mothers for other children, whether part of your immediate family or not.

May your day be as bright and sunny as these flowers!


"Some mothers are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together."  Pearl S. Buck

Mascot-Camera Critters

This is an interesting gift left by a graduating class of The Citadel in Charleston, SC.  There must have been a great deal of affection for the ferocious-looking canine.

To see more Camera Critters posted by bloggers across the globe, go here.

Top Ten List

Eating at Jestine's Kitchen is an experience all its own.  Here is the waitstaffs' Top 10 List, questions asked by inquisitive but unenlightened patrons.

Impromptu Concert

While walking back to our car after leaving the Hominy Grill in Charleston, SC, we heard some foot-tapping music.  In a narrow passageway between two buildings we met these four young musicians who were practicing for an upcoming gig.  All talented Southerners, of course!

Quintessential-ABC WEDNESDAY "Q"

DRAYTON HALL

"Drayton Hall is the oldest unrestored plantation house in America open to the public. It stands alone as the only authentic survivor of the Ashley River's colonial past - intact and in near-original condition.  Renowned  for it Palladian-inspired architecture and undisturbed, historic landscape, Drayton Hall is a living timetable representing centuries of change and continuity in the American South."

Credit:  National Trust for Historic Presentation brochure distributed during tour.  To learn more about 

Drayton Hall, go here.

To see more ABC Wednesday posts, go here.

Lodge Alley Inn

No, we did not stay at Lodge Alley Inn, but I think I would like it if I  had.  Tucked in a small area between two streets in downtown Charleston, I decided that I liked the place!

Take a step back in time at The Lodge Alley Inn. A collection of 18th century warehouses, the buildings have been restored to preserve their history while also providing modern-day comforts and conveniences.

The Lodge Alley Inn is conveniently located in the heart of charming downtown Charleston.

Arcade

After listening to Porgy and Bess for years, I knew I'd have to find Catfish Row, and indeed I did.  This is the arcade between the double house on Church Street that's known as Catfish Row or sometimes Cabbage Row, which was the setting for the Gershwin's opera.

Location Information 89 - 91 Church Street, downtown Charleston

By the 1920's, much of Church and East Bays Streets had degenerated into slums, and these buildings were crowded tenements with the residents selling produce on the street.  Sammy Smalls, a crippled black fish vendor who drove a goat-drawn cart and had a propensity for settling arguments with a gun or a knife, was known to frequent "Cabbage Row".  Just down the street lived DuBose Heyward, a scion of planter aristocracy (reduced to selling insurance) and an aspiring novelist.  The "Catfish Row" of his novel, Porgy, was patterned after this neighborhood, and his title character was a romanticized version of the foul-smelling fishmonger with the long criminal record.  Heyward later collaborated on the opera Porgy and Bess, renting for George Gershwin a house on Folly Beach from which the two ventured by boat to the isolated sea island religious services for inspiration.

Excerpt taken from; The Charleston Walking Tour by Alan Hartley

Camera Critter Twins

With the Hawaiian motif on one dog's shirt, I do believe he is not aware that today is Cinco de Mayo.

To see more Camera Critters today, check here.

What kind of basket?

While waiting for the ferry to take us to Fort Sumter, I noticed a woman weaving baskets.  She declined my request to take her portrait but she said that I could photograph her while she was weaving, which I did, and my camera captured her hands at work.  I don't know enough about sweetgrass baskets so I don't know if this one is or isn't one. After seeing some sweetgrass images on the internet and checking out a photograph of Suzi's from her blog, I don't think it is...but, what do I know?!

Terrific Choir

One of the many soloists at the free concert of spiritual and gospel music at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church.  A highlight of the trip!!  The children joined the adults for the finale, and they stole the show!

                   

Proud Fisherman-ABC WEDNESDAY

A portrait of a proud fisherman!

To see more ABC Wednesday posts from bloggers throughout the world, click here.

Pretty and Proud -ABC WEDNESDAY-"P"

Historic Charleston is best seen on foot and it rewards walkers with remarkable and memorable sights.  My favorite place to roam was Church Street, and I've been told that  it got its  name from St. Philips Church, which was built in 1710.  It is one of the original streets in the first plan of Charleston, drafted in 1672. It is not a street to be overlooked by visitors because of its beauty and historical homes.  Peeking through one of the gates, I saw this lovely rouge car parked on a small carport at one of the lovely homes.

To see more ABC posts, click here.

Batter, Boxes, and A Beauty! Theme Day-Bakeries

I'd like to take the Orange Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake home in that box that Lindsay is assembling! The desserts at Cafe Latte on Grand Avenue in St. Paul disappear quickly from batter to box. Many customers flock to the cafe to enjoy both the food and the desserts.


Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

 

The Angel Tree

Can you believe the size of this oak?!

The Angel Oak is a Southern live oak tree located in Angel Oak Park, on Johns Island, South Carolina. It may be the oldest tree east of the Mississippi River and is certainly one of the most beautiful.

The Angel Oak is property of and maintained by the City of Charleston, South Carolina. The tree could be as old as 1500 years but attempts to age the tree have failed. It stands 65 feet tall and the crown covers an area of 17,000 square feet. Its longest limb is 89 feet long.

A Beaufort Bridge

Unlike the Ravenel Bridge in Charleston, SC, this bridge in Beaufort is an earlier vintage.  Beaufort is located on Port Royal Island, in the heart of the Sea Islands and Lowcountry. The city is renowned for its scenic location and for maintaining a historic character through its impressive antebellum architecture. 


For more Sunday Bridges, click here.

Camera Critters-Who Could Resist?!

This puppy is doing what all little canines do...races around madly, rests a bit, and then collapses until the next go-around!

To see more Camera Critters, go here.

Recognition Day Parade

Recognition Day, when the Knobs complete their freshman year and advance to the next level, includes a parade on one of the main streets of Charleston.

The people of the city line the streets along the curb to view the cadets as they pass by.

We didn't know about this tradition, but were delighted to see this large group of cadets, including some females, as they marched along in their summer uniform.

This occurred several hours after we had left the campus...our Citadel day in Charleston.

A Citadel Wedding

Outside the chapel on The Citadel campus we saw these six handsomely uniformed cadets.  They were waiting for a wedding ceremony to end inside so that they could put the finishing touches on the event.  Like other military schools I assume that they will provide a traditional cross swords pathway for the bride and groom.  We left before the service ended so we didn't observe what occurred...something special and memorable, I'm sure.  We discovered that five of these young men are southerners but one  is from the East coast.