Favorite Charleston Things-Part 1

 My apologies (again) for the lack of posts! We've been out of town for a few days visiting our daughter at Indiana University. Always a great time!

I've been meaning to share some photos from our September trip to Charleston, South Carolina. It's been a really long time since I've been on an actual vacation. June 2010, to be exact. Sure, I've been to Indiana and Michigan to visit Bailey, but I do not consider those trips vacations. So I'm very glad we finally got away for a bit. It was a great mental health break!

When we first blocked out time to go "somewhere", I didn't even care where we went. I was at the point where I just needed to GO. After all the events of the past few years, I just needed a change of scenery to force me to think about different things. When Spouse suggested Charleston, it sounded good to me. Several people had recommended it as a nice, low-key destination. So off we went!

Turns out Charleston is a beautiful city. Other than the rainy weather we encountered, we had a great time walking around, checking out the incredible restaurants, and experiencing a bit of southern hospitality. Here are just a few of my favorite things from this trip:

Window Boxes

Beautiful window boxes are everywhere! Unlike my hair (which looked ghastly during the entire trip), colorful flowers thrive in the humidity. Each window box I encountered seemed to be more beautiful than the last!

Shrimp and Grits

 Along with She-Crab Soup, this is one of Charleston's signature dishes...and now one of my all-time favorites. In much the same way that in the Midwest everyone has his or her own meatloaf recipe, this dish varies from place to place. I tried three or four different versions of it and decided my favorite was this one from Hominy Grill. I can't begin to tell you how good it is. My lowly picture doesn't begin to do it justice. I've got the recipe and, since Spouse can't handle shrimp, I'll be making it the next time he goes out of town!

  Did I mention WINDOW BOXES?

Alligators! In the wild!

We visited a plantation just outside of Charleston. When the driver dropped us off, he told us not to wander too close to the ponds because of the alligators. I had no idea he was serious! See that dark spot along the lake in front of the tree at the upper right? That is an alligator. In the wild. How cool is that?

 

Oh, did I mention WINDOW BOXES? And gas lights!
I loved the combination of colors and textures in these boxes. I also loved the flickering gas lights on the fronts of many of the older buildings. So much prettier than boring old light bulbs!

 

Sheep! In the wild!

I know I'm from Iowa, but there was something very charming about seeing these sheep grazing on the plantation grounds. We don't have this kind of thing in Iowa! 

 

  Piazzas

Many of the stately old homes in Charleston have double porches, called piazzas. I've always wanted a porch and now I would like a DOUBLE porch, please! We toured this mansion which actually has two piazzas, one on the front and another on the side.

 We had a great time visiting Charleston! If you're looking for a quick get-away with fabulous food and great architecture, check it out!

jp

 

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Gaylord Opryland Hotel, Nashville

Scenes from the fair

My family spends a lot of time at the state fair each year. Here are a few glimpses into this annual tradition (click on the collage to enlarge).

* Baby animals abound at the fair -- ostriches, calves, ducklings, and more. Once a year, I remember that I'm an Iowa girl and allow a calf to suck on my finger. :-)

* You'll find beautiful flowers throughout the fairgrounds, but especially in the gardens just outside the Agriculture Building.

* August in Iowa is HOT. It's so hot that I'm even willing to put my hair at risk by walking through the misting fountain on the Pella Plaza.

* The granite plaque and lamp post in memory of my mom were installed over the summer, marked "Best Grandma" -- a title she wore proudly.

* The butter cow tradition lives on. While Iowans have supported a butter Tiger Woods, a butter Harry Potter, and even a butter Last Supper in years past, they rose up against the notion of a butter Michael Jackson. So this year, a rather benign butter Neil Armstrong astronaut accompanies the cow, along with a butter television and a butter American flag.

Watch for tomorrow's post: Fair Fashions.

One of my favorite places!

Today I'm posting a few pictures of one of my favorite places, Memory Bound! I spend a lot of time there planning and preparing projects for classes and store displays. As anyone around here will tell you, Memory Bound is not only a great store but a very happy place!

Here are just a few of the very wonderful people who work there: Jean, Katie, and Diane. :-)

This is a shot of the "seasonal" area of the store. Right now, it's set up for summer and Independence Day.

Plenty of ribbon, in rainbow color order, of course!

And my favorite area of the store...cardstock!

If you're ever traveling through central Iowa, be sure to stop by!

Trees in bloom

The weather was beautiful this past weekend! I decided to take the camera out and snap a few photos of the gorgeous flowering trees in our neighborhood. The blooms seem to be particularly profuse this year. But it's a fleeting pleasure...in a few short days, the flowers will be gone!

Back from Disney

I'd like to say I'm the one who is just back from WDW but alas, it's our daughter who has just returned from a trip to Florida with our high school band. Other than being a bit sick and having to spend 54 total hours on a charter bus, it seems like a great time was had by all.


(click on collage to enlarge)

She took just enough photos to nicely fill a 12x12 scrapbook...a good mix of people, places, and animals. I think a collage might make a fun introduction page.

I'll add making this album to my ever-growing list of scrapbooking projects. She may not realize it yet, but she will be helping with this one!

Flowers at the fair

At the risk of boring everyone to tears with my fair photos, here is one more installment in my personal state fair photo challenge: flowers. This was a very easy challenge to complete. There are some lovely garden areas at our fair, as well as several horticultural competitions. Some of the dahlias were as big as dinner plates!

Our fair hasn't always been this beautiful. There were many years during which the grounds and buildings fell into disrepair. Thankfully, that has all changed. A foundation now oversees restoration and beautification of the fairgrounds, assuring that this wonderful place will be alive and well for generations to come.

Fair photo challenge: Everything on a stick that I didn't eat

It seems that every year at the fair, you can find new and different kinds of food on on a stick. For one of my personal photo challenges this year, I set out to take pictures of things you could find on a stick. I quickly realized that I would gain a lot of weight if I actually ATE all the things on a stick in order to get photos, so I opted to take pictures of the signs instead.

The quintessential Iowa food on a stick seems to be the pork chop. Did you know there are more pigs than people in Iowa? It's true! But here's the deal...the stick is not really a stick. It's the bone of the pork chop. I do not eat anything on a bone. Way too Flintstones for me. :-)

Here's a new stand (at least someone told me it was new) featuring shrimp and chicken on a stick. Deep fried, of course. I don't eat deep fried things, either, but I hear this stuff is great.

Looking for a more healthful option? This is surely the way to go. Although I like salad, I didn't eat this either.

The corn dog is another traditional state fair food on a stick. Daughter eats way more of these than she should at the fair. Correct me if I'm wrong, fellow Iowans, but I believe this is the original/oldest corn dog stand at our fair. Oh, a couple of years ago I ate a corn dog, just because it seemed like the right thing to do. Won't be doing that again!

If you don't like regular deep fried cheese curds (I don't), you might try Cajun Cheeze on a Stick. No idea how this tastes. Although I love Cajun food, I'm not a huge cheese fan (sorry, Wisconsin friends!).

Need more fruit in your state fair diet? How about Deep Fried Pineapple on a Stick? If it weren't deep fried, I'd probably try it, except then it would just be Pineapple on a Stick. Which might actually be OK.

This stand has something for everyone: Deep Fried Oreos, Deep Fried Twinkies, and Deep Fried Candy Bars. You guessed it...all on a stick. And nope, I didn't eat any of it it.

So there you have it: A few snapshots of fair food (that I didn't eat) on a stick. For those of you braver than me, which food on a stick have YOU tried?

Rabbits at the fair

Today was the final day of our state fair. Our whole family loves the fair, and we spend a lot of time there every year camping with my parents. In fact, our daughter has practically grown up there, camping the entire time with her grandparents. She knows the fairgrounds better than anyone. It's like our backyard, only much better, of course.

But having lost my mom back in May, this year's fair was really hard for us. With her gone, I suddenly realized that one of the main reasons I love the fair so much is because of her. Whether it was checking out her latest blue ribbon dollhouse or watching her let a wobbly calf suck on her finger, she made it fun. Every day was a new adventure.

Without her, I had to work really hard this year to find fun.

That's why we took Lily to the fair in competition. That's why Daughter entered her dessert creations and photography. That's why we forced ourselves to camp this year, even when our hearts ached. It's what we've always done, and my mom would have insisted that we squeeze as much fun as possible out of every single day.

So in the spirit of finding fun, I gave myself a few photography challenges during the fair. Today's subject: rabbits. :-) To do this challenge, I spent quite a bit of time in the rabbit judging area. I got to pet a little gray and white bunny, and his owner told me that rabbits can actually live quite well with cats. In fact, the rabbits eventually end up keeping the cats in line! Don't worry...I'm not considering adopting a rabbit anytime soon, but it's certainly tempting!

(Click on the collage to bigify these bunnies! Find the Lily-colored rabbit. Check out the bunnies sharing a carrot!)

So here's to another fair. Different, to be sure, but the good stuff is still there. Like in life, I just have to look a little harder to find it.

Animals at the fair

(Click on the collage to bigify!)

Of all these animals spotted at the fair, can you guess which one is the wildest? :-)

A few state fair scenes

I've taken a lot of pictures over the past couple of days at the Iowa State Fair. Here are just a few, collaged to give you a glimpse into this great institution (click on the collage to bigify).

If you ever have a chance to go, don't miss it. It really is a slice of Americana.

Prairie in early June

Last summer, I started taking camera walks through the prairie which runs through our neighborhood. Over the course of three or four months, I watched the prairie change from brown to a sea of green, then to an amazing floral carpet.

As I've been trying to re-focus over the past couple of weeks, I've found that being in nature has helped me tremendously. This evening, I took a walk through the prairie to see what I could find.

Just a couple of months ago, the prairie was dry, brown, and seemingly lifeless. Now it has been completely transformed and is buzzing with new life: newly hatched birds, rabbits, crickets, toads, and more.

It's a little thing, but this transformation reminds me of the unending, blessedly predictable, circle of life.

And as hard as it is right now, it reminds me that I'm in really good hands.
Mom is OK, and I will be, too.

Pumpkin Picking 2007

Eighty pounds of pumpkins, strapped tightly into a wagon

Two scruffy cats, one soon to be a mama, weaving graceful figure-eights

A crisp fall breeze, a golden autumn sun

Brown leaves crunching underfoot

Warm apple pie, just out of the oven inside the orchard store

A girl, dancing on the edge of her future

Could time please stand still, just for a little while?

This is not me...

...but I do feel a bit like this today.

This is actually Big Red, the winning pig in the Big Boar Contest at the Iowa State Fair. Big Red weighs in at 1,203 pounds, which is actually NOT a record but certainly seems big enough to me.

See the picture? This is pretty much Big Red's daily agenda. He wakes up in the evening to eat five gallons of whatever big boars eat, then he goes right back to sleep.

I'm with Big Red. Eleven days of state fair fun (and state fair food) will do that to you.

Scenes from the state fair

We're midway through the fair and I can safely say that it has been one of the hottest fairs I can remember. Yet we're still having fun -- participating in competitions, watching shows, sampling free food, and enjoying this unique slice of Americana. At the same time, there is always something bittersweet about the fair. For us, it signals the end of summer and the passing of another year.

DD's baked goods were judged yesterday. This year, she won an Honorable Mention for her caramel chip bars, but no ribbon for her chocolate crackle cookies or zucchini bread. The Iowa State Fair food competition is actually the largest in the entire country: more cooking items are entered here than at any other state fair, so you know the competition is quite stiff. The good thing is that DD always has plenty of leftovers.

Both DD and DH also have photos on display in the photography salon this year. (I submitted one but it wasn't selected.) The salon receives over 4,000 entries each year. Only half are displayed, and just a handful receive awards, so having a photo exhibited is a big deal.

Here are a few glimpses from the fair so far
(left to right):

1) Colorful gourds in the Agriculture Building
2) View from upstairs in the same building, widely considered to be one of the finest examples of exposition architecture in the world. Definitely my favorite building.
3) Cow - isn't she beautiful?
4) Various junior-division breads ready to be judged
5) Sheep in spandex
6) Baby goat - awww!
7) Baby pig, just hours old
8) Garden area outside the Agriculture Building
9) Harry Potter and Hedwig, sculpted from butter
10) Apples in the Agriculture Building
11) Interesting gourds
12) Piglet nap time
13) Butter cow - a state fair classic
14) Colorful vegetables
15) Jams to taste and purchase
16) Lily at the cat show competition

So here's to a few more colorful and memorable days of the fair. More photos to come.

On the Road in St. Charles

Day 3: Before leaving Springfield, we stopped at Shea's Gas Station Museum. For a variety of reasons, we did not actually go into the place. But from this picture, you can certainly see what a quirky and extensive collection of gas station memorabilia looks like.

From Springfield, we drove to St. Charles. We used to live in Oak Park, so we know the Chicago suburbs pretty well. As we cruised through Naperville, we stopped quickly at a scrapbook store -- Cherish
What a beautiful store! All the latest and greatest products in a lovely, colorful setting. Too bad I only had about five minutes!

Once in St. Charles, we walked through the historic downtown shopping area, checked out the Fox River, and looked in the lobby of the Hotel Baker, a 1927 structure which is on the National Historic Register. We walked through some areas just north of the main street and found a lovely, historic shopping area. This bookstore is typical of the architecture of the area. Very quaint!

This evening, we're headed out for deep-dish Chicago pizza. That's one thing I really miss from our years living in this area. Hope to post again tomorrow.

On the Road in Springfield: Lincoln and Cozy Dog

Day 2: Well, we've completed another day of our mini-vacation and are still speaking to each other, for the most part anyway. Here are a few highlights of the day:

* Visited Lincoln's law office (above), where he practiced for 23 years, specializing in contract law. Very interesting.
* Walked through the Lincoln Library, a beautiful new facility which is actually a research library and does not house any Lincoln memorabilia. All of the Lincoln artifacts are now on display at the Lincoln Presidential museum, which was our next stop of the day. The museum is a "must see" if you happen to go to Springfield. The exhibits were thoughtfully designed with many creative presentations. In my opinion, this museum is actually better than parts of the Smithsonian.
* Enjoyed a late lunch at the Cozy Dog (below), an authentic Route 66 diner (although the current building is not the original, DH reminded me). A "cozy dog" is a hot dog on a stick, not unlike the corn dogs you can buy at the state fair. (Actually, it's exactly the same thing, but "cozy dog" just sounds cuter.)

Tomorrow we'll hit Shea's Gas Station Museum and then head out of town to historic St. Charles for a day. Then Wednesday evening, we'll be in Chicago to see "Wicked". I'm sure that will be the highlight of this little trip.

On the Road in Springfield: Two Houses

We are in Springfield, Illinois, for a few days, on sort of a condensed family vacation. In recent years, we have taken coastal vacations, so this summer we decided we'd stay in the Midwest and check out some historical sites in the Springfield area. Before we came here, I also found out that old Route 66 runs right through Springfield, and the idea of this excites me immensely. Probably much more than it really should.

Today, we visited two houses which could not have been more different: the Dana-Thomas house and Lincoln's home.

Below is the Dana-Thomas house, a fabulous example of the early work of Frank Lloyd Wright. Once upon a time, DH and I lived in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago which boasts a very high number of Wright's buildings. Living there, we had the opportunity to learn about his work and tour his studio. This home is larger and more elaborate than other structures we have visited. It also boasts more original furniture than any of his other buildings.

Wright's work is characterized by straight, horizontal lines, geometric shapes, and stylized designs from nature. These are all design elements that I prefer, so it's not a wonder that I'm such a fan of his work. It amazes me how fresh his designs look today. The only question is: When can I move in?

We also visited the home where Lincoln lived for 17 years with his wife and children. It was in this home that he received word he had been chosen as the Republican party's nominee for president.

In terms of design and decor, this home is the complete opposite of the Wright structure: ornately carved woodwork, patterned wallpaper and floor coverings, and heavily draped windows. I felt just a little bit better seeing wallpaper that was actually even less attractive than the wallpaper in our bathroom.

Tomorrow, we plan to see a couple of sites related to Route 66, notably Shea's Gas Station Museum (drove past this today and it actually looks like a junkyard--It's going to be SO FUN!!) and the Cozy Dog, home of the hot dog on a stick. The Lincoln Presidential Library is also on our plan for the day.

Stay tuned!

On the Road

We're on the road for a few days. My hope is to post a couple of interesting or fun things as we go. This is going to be more complicated than it really should be, and here is why:

* I'm going to have to compete with DD and DH for time on the laptop
* The laptop does not have a regular mouse...it just has one of those mysterious little areas that you rub and hope the cursor moves. I almost cannot cope with this.
* I don't have access to Picasa, my favorite photo editing program.
* I will have limited time for blogging, since we're actually supposed to be on vacation.

Meanwhile, Lily and Tinsel have gone to the Kitty Spa (aka my parents' house). I understand that they are enjoying their time immensely. There are lots of squirrels and birds outside the windows and plenty of soft places to sleep. Lily is up to her usual tricks: Every time Tinsel hops up on her favorite napping chair, Lily smacks her on the head and takes the chair for herself, if only to sit in it for a few seconds.

So sit back, lower your expectations, and maybe you'll be able to join us vicariously on this little trip. Believe me, you'll enjoy it more from afar.

Sunday Morning

It's Sunday morning and I wish I were in Seattle taking in the sights and sounds and smells of the public market. Wish I had a blueberry scone in a paper bag and a caramel latte from Seattle's Best in the other. A little chill in the air. The day stretching out before me. A perfect morning.

One of my favorite memories: Pike Place Market, Seattle, outside Seattle's Best coffee shop, July 2005.