FLOWERS, FLOWERS, EVERYWHERE - AND NOT A DROP OF RAIN!!

It turns out that the weather-man (or woman as in our case) is not always correct with their predictions. Big surprise right? Let's face it - it is probably one of the only professions where you can be consistently wrong and still keep your job. And I am soooo... thankful that "she" (who shall remain nameless) was wrong yesterday. One of the reasons she shall remain nameless is the last time I went on an outing with friends it rained all day when it wasn't supposed to and I complained loudly - repeating her name over and over in completed disgust as we trudged from house to house in the cold rain.  So I decided that yesterday was payback - it was supposed to be an 80% chance of rain and we only had a few drops near the end of the day. This made it a wonderful day to be on a Garden Tour in beautiful historic Charleston. Of course the day began with a stop at Dunkin Donuts to fill up on high test coffee for our journey. The drive passed quickly with chatter of clubs and current events.   

                         After our arrival in Charleston our first stop was at 82 Queen for a yummy lunch.

Next we made a few shopping stops.  First to Chico's for a quick return and then to off to Knit so Bonnie could get some yarn for her new sock project.  Finally it was time to the see the gardens.  Unfortunately it is against South Carolina law to take photos on private property but Charleston is such a picturesque city that it was easy to get lots of pictures on our travels from garden to garden!    

  The dazzling array of color was seen on front steps & window boxes along the way.  I certainly enjoyed the beautiful flowers but I am definitely not the gardener in my home - Joe is the one with the green thumb and he really should have been the one taking the tour! 


 But since I was here and he wasn't I did my best to document all the wonderful plants and flowers that I saw so he could look them up in his Southern Living plant book.  The ladies who so graciously invited me to attend are gardeners so they had no trouble identifying all the different species of plants. 

                     They were truly in their element and enjoying themselves! 

It was a wonderful day and I can't wait to return to this wonderful city - a lovely southern gem!  We have already have made plans to return at Christmastime to enjoy all the beautiful holiday decorations & celebrations.  I even got a wonderful little present for my hubby.  I know it is something he will absolutely enjoy!

Merry Christmas Honey!  Unfortunately the present is just the picture!!

What can I say - Another Wonderful Week in Paradise!

The beautiful Southern weather bring sunny and relaxing days - many of which are spent on the front porch looking at all the beautiful landscaping that is being nurtured by my loving husband.  He has always loved his plants and shrubs and it really shows.  They literally "grow like weeds"!   His expertise in this area is becoming a neighborhood topic and everyone enjoys looking at the fruits of his labor.

Just the other day he planted a beautiful strawberry pot full of herbs - just the things I'll need for all my summer cooking.  The next addition to his garden will be the flower I have been most longing for "Hydrangeas".   His plan is to plant them along the entire side of our house so I can have beautiful flowers to pick and bring inside from spring until early fall.  I know it will look amazing!

This was also the week of  the "Super-full Moon".  As you can see from Joe's photo it was an amazing sight in the clear Carolina sky.  I continue to be delighted almost every night when I look up into the starlit sky as it is easy to  identify almost every constellation.  The Carolina Sky is really a star gazing paradise!

We ended the week with a neighborhood "Happy Hour" at our home. 

As if we all aren't happy enough-we get together on a regular basis to get happier!!

My neighbor Karen was celebrating her birthday and of course we had to seize the moment to  congratulate her and celebrate some more.

 

I know that all the neighbors here on Wataugua Court will concur.  As always - it was a very good week!
Even George who is not smiling & usually is!  That's because he and Karen are headed back to NJ.  We'll miss you guys!!  
See you at a Wataugua Court Happy Hour soon.

Warm Weather Days are Finally Here to Stay

Finally the weather here is wonderful - just what I moved here for.  It has been consistently warm for over a month and I am loving it.  I have been very busy teaching classes but have made it a point to take some time to spend relaxing at the pool with my knitting buddy Bonnie.  I am truly amazed that in the middle of March I am able to sit by the pool in the beautiful sunshine and read or knit -- or knit & gab as we often do.

The water temperature was a perfect 85 degrees and as you can imagine there was no shock getting in or out of the water.  We just hung out in the water- no knitting but lots of gabbing- for at least an hour!












And my knitting projects have also taken on a relaxing tone.  Thank you to my dear friend Ilse who taught me how to knit a beaded bracelet.  It was a little nerve wracking at first, but once I got into a rhythm it was a breeze.  Now I am working on a shawl that I have been wanting to knit for a while.  I received some beautiful bamboo yarn in a Christmas gift exchange that I knew would be just perfect for my "Summer Flies" by Donna Griffin.  Kudos to Donna for a wonderfully written pattern that just flies off the needles.  No wonder that close to 1200 knitters have made this shawl!  And of course both projects are in my favorite color that reminds me of the sea!



I've knitted quite a bit in just a short time and hopefully will be wearing my new creation in no time at all.  After all, time flies fast all the time as far as I'm concerned!

Life's too short not to be Irish!

My memories of this holiday as a child are fond ones for sure.  My  father was 100% Irish and my mother was half Irish and this was a big holiday in our house.  My dad always brought the ladies - mom, my sister & me,  green carnations and I loved them!  As far back as I can remember to celebrate the day  I used to dye my blonde hair green with food coloring!  Amazingly it did wash out.  I guess I was a technically a punker and I didn't even know it.  

When we moved here to the south I was totally shocked to find out that Savannah has such a large Irish population and hosts the second largest St. Patrick's Day celebration in the United States.  Quite honestly, I think it is probably the largest since it goes on for at least a week.  They even have a countdown clock that runs all year long ticking off the hours, minutes & seconds until the big day!

A trip to Savannah is a must for Joe and I during this wonderful holiday.  We love to see the city decked out in green for the celebration.  This year rather than drive over we took the water taxi which is lots of fun and more convenient since you don't have to worry about parking.  Since I am a former girl scout I love to ride on the Juliet Gordon Low boat.  It amazes me that this service is free.








Of Course there is always lunch involved on our sojourns to Savannah.  On this beautiful spring day we walked from River Street to one of our favorite restaurants   "SoHO".   It was packed but was well worth the wait.









After lunch it was on to our primary destination"Forsyth Park" which is a city park that encompasses 30 acres in the historic district of downtown Savannah. The focal point is a beautiful fountain that was added to the park in 1862.  Every St. Patrick's Day they turn the fountain green to honor the Irish residents of Savannah. The fountain itself is a sight to behold but the shimmering Kelly Green water glistening in the sunlight is just amazing. 

The magnificent sculptures that encircle the fountain have mists of sparkling green water surrounding them and the look is magical.  If you visit Savannah you must see this beautiful site and if you are lucky enough to live here make sure that you gather some Irish Luck at the fountain in Forsyth Park! 

 Walls for the wind, 

And a roof for the rain,
And drinks beside the fire --
Laughter to cheer you
And those you love near you,
And all that your heart may desire! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone!

Loving Life!

How fortunate am I!  Today was a beautiful day in the Low Country.  The sun was shining when I awoke this morning and Joe and I decided to get our daily dose of exercise by walking outside.  I looked forward to the beautiful sun filled walk - anxious to feel the warm sun on my face.  Especially after spending hours listening to the devastating news unfold in Japan.  What a horrifying situation for the people who live there.  Thinking about them and their peril brings to mind what a small world this truly is.  We all occupy a single spinning globe - hanging on only by the force of gravity.  But are we tending to our planet the way we need to? With all the unsettling weather taking place across the world coupled with natural disasters such and this and the quake in New Zealand just a few week ago, I tend to think not.  Our life here is a gift and I believe that it is time for everyone to realize that we cannot continue to harm the environment and not expect any consequences.  Cutting down the forests, drilling on the ocean floor for oil, ignoring global warming - all of this will eventually catch up with our children, grandchildren and generations to come.  I thought about all of this as I walked in the beautiful place I now call home.  The creatures and people who are my neighbors were getting on with the business of their lives.  I stopped to chat with a friend

 as he walked his daughters dog.  He was so excited that she and her family here for a visit.


Our next stop was at the baseball field - today was a coed game!  

                                                                 A happy player turned and gave me a smile before she went up to bat.  It warmed my hear to hear her male team mates cheer her on!  Only in Sun City I thought as we continued on our way.






And then there was the tiny gecko - basking in the sun and waiting patiently for his photo-op.  He stoop perfectly still as I snapped his picture and then he quickly scurried off .
    


 Yes what a wonderful world this is.  Life goes on even as tragedy unfolds and thank goodness it does!  But lets all take a few minutes from our busy lives and say a prayer for the people of Japan.  They have a very long and hard road ahead of them.

The Subject of Willpower!

 I don't know where the time goes.  It sure is flying by.  Today started off with some exercise!  Well in my head anyway.  I absolutely will get to the gym tomorrow.  Joe and I have been really good about it - averaging three times a week - although I am still waiting to love it!   It is a necessary evil and is the only way we can stay in shape with all the eating we do. 

 Every activity here in Sun City revolves around food - and good food. Then there is the wine - oh the wine.  I thought about giving up wine for lent - but then I realized that wasn't realistic.  Then I considered sweets - OMG with my sweet tooth - not possible.  And I don't think my husband could live with me if I did that. After all, dark chocolate is a basic food group isn't it?  What about a ban on buying yarn - maybe I could do that considering I have two floor to ceiling cabinets filled with yarn. Well....no that wouldn't work.  Ilse, Bonnie and I are going to do this fabulous shawl 

out of Prism Light Stuff and I can get a good buy on it at Ravelry from someone who is trying to destash. (Isn't that what I should be doing?)  So.... that ends the no buying ban.  Well maybe I can give up exercise....yep that sounds like a plan - but not a good one even though sleeping late sounds like a great idea!  Guess I don't have any willpower after all. 

My New Love

Well I have finally crossed over and joined the ranks of Mac users and lovers!  For years I have toyed around with the idea of getting a Mac but there was always something keeping me from it.  The learning curve is too difficult, the price is too expensive, you can't interchange your documents with a PC.  Well I ignored it all - including the price - and off to Best Buy I went.  Or should I say we went.  My husband was actually the driving force in this purchase.  "You really should have one - it will make it easier for your creativity - it will be fun with your blog!" This was his gentle prodding to push me over the end.  And in the end it seems that the price is really the only barrier to making the switch.  I love the computer - it is easy to use - the learning curve isn't bad at all - you can easily interchange your documents with a PC as long as you purchase IWorks! 

So once I got over the sticker shock I realized that this is a very good fit for me.  So thank you to my love for dragging me to Best Buy and making me buy this computer.  I don't think anything like that has ever happened before nor will again.  Anyway, use a Mac and you'll never go back - that is my motto and I'm sticking to it!