Searching for Seaglass

Getting More Personal

2014-09-03T10:36:00.002-07:00

The name of my blog, Searching for Seaglass, is really a metaphor for how I would like to enjoy my life. The "seaglass" is the beautiful, colorful experiences found amongst the shards of the sharp glass of daily life.

Some of the seaglass in my life:

I have had horses for most of my life and This is Lookaway's Tell Me Why - aka Chester - my beautiful 20 year old Morgan gelding. He is the smartest horse I have ever had and I just adore him. He can go hunt seat and saddle seat and was taught to drive a buggy many years ago. I bought him when he was 2 and with the help of a horse trainer, we broke him to ride. I was the first person on his back and am the person who usually rides him. He is so responsive I almost have to just think a command for him to react. He is also kind of naughty, but that is what I like about him.

Chester loves Buddy. He will gently chew on him and groom him like he does to Gracie. This is a behavior that horses do to each other and apparently to other animals they like as well.

My husband Pat with Gracie Belle. This lovely Quarter-Arab Mare came to us with a profound distrust and fear. We have worked very hard and she has become a very loving member of our family. We bought her for Pat but he doesn't ride much. I am currently trying to get Gracie to load in the trailer. She is very fearful of tight spaces but we are getting there. Slowly but slowly.

Cooper James Flanigan joined our family via Atlanta Lab Rescue. He has the true, gentle Lab heart - very sweet and loyal. We just adore him. Last November, our beloved black Lab Sweetie crossed the Rainbow Bridge at age 15. We all miss her terribly but Cooper did most of all. But then about six months ago, Buddy showed up at our farm. He was microchipped but his former owner did not respond to our calls.

As you can see, they are real pals. My husband was not excited about adding Buddy to our brood, but he stayed and wormed his way in.

Buddy Boodles (right) is very young and is currently undergoing obedience school. He is very sweet but he has a horrible habit of suddenly running away if he is off leash outside - so basically he doesn't get to play off leash at the moment. This is kind of a pain, but we are working through it.

We have several breeds of chickens including: Rhode Island Red, Wyandotte, Buff Brahma, Seabright, Americauna, Americauna Bantam, several types of Polish (Tophats), Silkies, Mille Fleur d'Uccles and a recently adopted Barred Rock.

I challenge you to deny Silkies are the most adorable things ever!

The Milles are pretty stinking cute too. And very talkative.

A few of our "girls" and two roosters taking a dust bath. We are absolutely in love with our chickens. We thought chicken people were crazy until we joined their ranks. Now we get all the fuss.

AND chickens leave you presents!

Fortunately, our whole family are BIG cat lovers. We have a Burmese named Beau.

He has many nicknames including The String (he loves to chase string), Squats and Shtinkus and Minkus... among others. I just can't help but nickname things - including friends...

Beau has so much personality that many people meet him and decide they like cats after all.

This is the sweet Shelly or Miss Pants. I found her when she was a very tiny kitten and she had wandered in a busy intersection. She will be 16 this year and is doing great.

We call Shelly "the Christmas kitten" because she loves that holiday - especially all the boxes and wrapping!

Hazel is a very unique kitty. She was given to us by our vet because she needed to be an outdoor cat. She seems opposed to using a litter box. I call Hazel "Patimus" or "Miss Cat" and she is very special to me - despite her crazy peccadillos. She is about 15 -17 years old.

Another kitty that showed up at our farm one day is Woots. He is absolutely a dream cat. I have many nicknames for Woots including: Tooshie, Tootbag, CatDog, Tooshicle and Wooshie. Woots is better at coming when called and healing than are our dogs. He loves to be held more than any cat I have ever had. He wants me to hold him when we walk the dogs or just walking around the farm.

Here is Woots acting like a pillow for our beloved Sweetie. He is so gentle but he does not like it one bit when Cooper and Buddy roughhouse. If there is any growling involved, he will shoot across the yard and knock them apart. We call it "Tootbag Justice" and say "The Sheriff is in Town".

Woots is an outdoor kitty but likes to come inside and chill for a bit from time to time. He gets along with Beau and Shelly, our indoor cats, but he prefers outside. When it is really cold, he sometimes sometimes sleeps outside, but mostly he'll pop in for a quick visit and back out!

This is my little Scoots or Scootbag. He showed up as a kitten last January and fit right in with our two outdoor kitties. He and Woots are big pals and everything was fine until he suddenly disappeared one month ago July 31. He was much bigger than this picture and my husband doesn't think a coyote could have snuck up on him because he is quite skittish. I am so worried maybe an owl or something else got him but I keep praying he will come back. I call him every day and night.

This is our Chinese Red Pheasant Charlie. He showed up wandering around in the woods across from our farm about 12 years ago. I was worried someone would shoot him for sport so I stalked him for two weeks with food and treats. My long-suffering husband said if I caught him, he'd build him a coop. I don't think he believed I would catch him but I knew I would. And using a small animal trap, I did! He is very gentle and eats from my hand but pheasants are skittish by nature. He is also very aggressive and will kill other birds housed with him. We found out the hard way when we bought him a mate and he killed her and their offspring.

This is Bird and he has a wife named Birdette. He is pretty tame but she is crazy. I bought them from a breeder in California and they were shipped via USPS. Pretty crazy way to get birds...

This is Tiny Turtle, a Russian tortoise that belongs to our son Sean. He is in college so we are taking care of her - maybe forever! Sean always loved turtles and had a pet box turtle when he was little (also named Tiny). This Tiny has at least doubled in size since we bought her.

Cooper was very interested in Tiny but she was more concerned with digging. I take her outside from time to time for exercise and vitamin D. Even though she has heat and basking lamps, nothing is better than the real thing. Later today, I need to move her in to a larger aquarium. Our other son had some tropical fish at school last year and he rehomed them so we have a very large aquarium just waiting for Tiny!

2014-05-30T13:17:00.001-07:00

I have to be honest. I had never given Portugal a lot of thought as a travel destination. I knew it was next to Spain and Port Wine was from there. But I just didn't consider Portugal as much as its more "vocal" European counterparts - England, France, Italy, Germany and the like.

Fortunately for my husband Pat and I, some very good friends moved to Portugal for an ex-pat year and as they are some of the best traveled folks we know, we figured if they were crazy about Portugal we would be also.

Our wonderful, generous and gorgeous friends Mark and Andi, played hosts to us for the first week of our trip. We knew it was going to be great when we were picked up at the airport and went straight to one of Mark's favorite seafood joints in Lisbon - Romero's.

Dish after dish arrived at the table - smokily grilled Langostinos, succulent rock shrimp lolling in a butter-garlic bath and juicy BARNACLES! We really enjoyed the truly fresh taste of the sea in these unusual creatures.

The Portuguese have created a word that describes a feeling of deep emotional nostalgia and melancholic longing for something or someone that one loves: Saudade. We experienced this national saudade in their food, wine, music and friendship. We understand the saudade in Portugal. We also experienced "Obrigado". Much more than saying "Thank You", Obrigado means a gratitude, thankfulness, or appreciation as a feeling or attitude in acknowledgement of something one has or will receive. We received and gave Obrigada many times each day.

The Portuguese were some of the world's first real and true explorers and this map at the Monument to the Discoveries illustrates the travels of Portugal's great explorers and all the nations which were former Portuguese colonies - it was the first global Empire.

Today the Portuguese people experience a bit of that Saudade for their past worldly prominence by celebrating through architecture, their food and music.

Lisbon is a very exciting seaport city with a variety of distinct areas that highlight shopping, history, cosmopolitan living and exciting dining.

One of the things we enjoyed most was trying new foods. After walking around the Alfama, Lisbon's oldest district, we popped in to a little hidden cafe called Canto da Villa. The food was good but most memorable to me were these incredible grilled, salted peppers that are enjoyed as an appetizer.

Not hot, but with a little bite, these peppers are an addictive treat. I wish I could find out what variety of pepper they are. For now, they will remain a wonderful memory.

Europe's beautiful churches and cathedrals are always a highlight and Portugal's did not disappoint. Particularly haunting was Carmo Convent. It was destroyed in the great 1755 earthquake and only the walls remain. There are still plaques on the wall to former worshipers and in honor of naval heroes and explorers.

A great way to finish a day in Lisbon is a visit to Pasteis de Belem, the creators of the Pastais de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts). They are addictingly good; especially when sprinkled with powdered sugar and enjoyed sitting on a bench in the nearby park.

Our friends had rented a gorgeous contemporary home in the lovely village of Sintra. During their year there, they became close friends with many local people and in fact, Mark is currently on a golf trip to England with some Portuguese buddies.

One really lovely part of village life are the local watering wells, where residents bring their water jugs and fill them with crystal clear, pure spring water. This still happens today.

Cafe da Natalia in Sintra was our friend's favorite local hangout. Mark would go there every day (sometimes more than once!) to delight in their Portuguese Salame - which is a log made from chocolate, butter, sugar and pieces of Maria cookies, cooked and sliced into pieces. The cut pieces resemble salami - hence the name salame. Four of us consumed almost all of the above dishes in one memorable breakfast...

Next: The Moorish Castle, Castle Pena, Quinta da Regaleira, Ericeira, Evora, Vila Nova da Gaia, Porto and the Duoro Valley.

UK Graduation Trip in Photos - Part II

2012-03-09T14:54:00.000-08:00

We moved on from London to the picturesque Cotswolds. We rented a cottage in the lovely village of Blockley, right outside of Chipping Camden. It was about 5 km from the village of Snowshill where I stayed with my parents and sister when my sister and I graduated from Clemson all those years ago.

Our little cottage in Blockley. It was wonderful with pheasants and huge fat pigeons visiting every day.

These are the ruins at Kenilworth - one of my favorite of all tourist destinations. This is the great hall.The floor would have been at the bottom of the windows and then the servants would have made preparations down below .

Kenilworth

Very old grafitti. I normally detest grafitti but I do like seeing where people from ages past have "left their mark" - I just don't want people to continue to deface buildings. What a grouch - I know.

The River Avon behind Warwick Castle

My favorite guys on a bridge on the Avon. So peaceful.

Ruins at Warwick.

Warwick is a medieval castle built by William the Conquerer. During its 950 years it has been owned by 36 different families plus four different crown periods under six different monarchs. It has been involved in countless battles and wars including the War of the Roses and Hundred Years War and it eventually came to be a country home before being a National Historic Property. Winston Churchill came to visit here as a young man and the castle has a dungeon where torture was carried out in the middle ages. It is a fascinating place to visit.

Many pheasants wander freely at Kenilworth. Pheasantries are common in England.

UK Redux

2012-03-07T07:34:00.001-08:00

We took our two sons to England as a graduation celebration for our eldest son Keegan. A photo journey will follow broken into several parts:

We started in London and this photo is out of order but I put it first because we used it as our Christmas Card! It was taken in Castle Coombe, which is sometimes called "the prettiest village in England." It almost looks like a dollhouse. "Eagle-eyed" people might recognize the bridge from the movie "War Horse."

This is the Tower of London. Many famous people were kept prisoner here including: William Hastings, Anne Boelyn, Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey, Jane Rochford - all beheaded; the two little Princes Edward V and the Duke of York who were mysteriously murdered; Thomas Cromwell, Sir Thomas Moore and Anne Askew who was tortured for her Protestant beliefs as well as hundreds more who suffered unmentionable horror in this building. This tour is one of the most incredible tours back in time in all of England and will make you want to re-study your English history.

Traflagar Square - a model of Trafalgar's ship. The square has many wonderful fountains and statues as well as a countdown to the London Olympics for this summer!

The lovely river Thames at Warwick - more Warwick photos later

Keegan and Sean particularly liked the World War II museum. It is hard to believe this war was only less than 70 years ago.

We stayed the the Bentley Waldorf Astoria. This little gem of a hotel is hidden in the Knightsbridge Kensington section of London near Harrods and Chelsea. For us Princess Di fans, it is the heart of her famed "Sloan Ranger" territory.

It was the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and her Cavalry were riding in her honor. It was really spectacular.

More Tower of London.

A Londoner commuting to work. Love it!

No explanation needed.

Overlooking Tower Bridge and London Town.

Day one in London. Great day....

I'm Back

2010-07-20T07:10:00.000-07:00

For the few of you that read my blog, I took some time off from posting due to life events. Primarily, I planned my mother's wedding, keeping up with teen schedules with SAT and ACT tests, work and farm renovations!

Mom's wedding to Charlie

Look for upcoming stories about Merida, Mexico; Panama City Beach, Florida; Wisconsin and Washington, DC in the coming days.

Cheers!

PICTURE OF THE DAY

2010-05-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

Flowers at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), University, Mississippi

Sightseeing in Your Hometown

2010-05-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

I've lived in some of America's largest cities (Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Atlanta) and now my family lives in a small town outside Atlanta called Newnan, GA. For years, Newnan was often-recognized as the hometown of country music superstar Alan Jackson (his momma lives near us), and deceased humorist Lewis Grizzard was from nearby Moreland, Georgia. Many of our friends were shocked that we CHOSE to move to a 40-acre farm from bustling Pasadena, California and leave our 1908 Craftsman Bungalow. But we did and we have never looked back.

To me, small towns offer the opportunity to really get to know your neighbor. When you go to the grocery, it may take you twice as long because you have to stop and chat with friends in every other isle. But even little ole Newnan has not been immune to the influences of the outside world. Alan Jackson's song "Little Man" was written about his sadness over the changes taking place in our downtown retail area, where local businesses surround a lovely square with a stately 100-plus year old Courthouse standing sentry in the middle. Independent businesses and restaurants have been struggling against the influx by box stores and chain operators. We still have many independent businesses but like everywhere, it is tough to make it.

Newnan's Courthouse is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation including new copper roof

Small towns still remain some of the most fun places to find entertainment. Whether going to the town honky tonk to listen to locals jam, independent coffee houses for poetry slams and concerts or community art associations festivals and shows, small town life is rich with talent.

This past weekend, we attended a local concert called "Inspiration in the Park" sponsored by Newnan Presbyterian Church. It is hard to believe so much talent is running around loose on the street.

The "Men of Cornerstone" quartet sang inspired old-timey Gospel songs that stirred the soul and had the crowd clapping along. They started their set with an acapella version of the National Anthem and had a lot of fun on stage.

Newnan's beautiful Greenville Street Park and Ampitheater was the perfect venue. The day threatened rain but it never materialized. Newnan Utilities gave water to the crowd and old-fashioned church fans and a wind provided by the Lord kept it cool.

The singers from "The Greater Jehovah Baptist Church Sanctuary Choir" had people in awe of their vocal power. They were something to hear and I hope to have the opportunity to hear them give the glory again.

People of all ages enjoyed their outing in the Park!

For the first time, a hispanic group performed at the concert series and the "St. George Catholic Church Hispanic Chorus" had a large and enthusistic following. The crowd welcomed them warmly, and if they didn't understand all of their songs, they did reconize their final number "Cielito Lindo". (Ay, Yay, Yay, Yay...)

One of the crowd favorities is "The Newnan Chapel Male Chorus". Under the leadership of the twin Hussie brothers, this incredible group of men introduced an additional young male lead singer that had the crowd on their feet. They played a couple of old favorites and a medley of new and standard classics. These guys are a party in and of themselves.

The talent was rounded out by the incredible "Georgia-Indiana Mountain Gospel Quartet". This quartet, comprised by husband and wife Dave and Debbie Webster and husband and wife John and Lalla McGhee, sang their plaintive traditional mountain gospel tunes with an authority and professionalism that left the crowd wanting more.

Happiness is a dip in the local fountain!

I encourage you to go sightseeing in your hometown too. Naturally there is lots to see in the great big world and that is my passion. But when you are home, take advantage of the jewels offered around you. See what you have through the eyes of others and visit your town as if you are an outsider and you are likely to wish you could move there all over again!

No Wonder College Costs a Fortune!

2010-04-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

So our family recently returned from our Spring Break-a-thon tour of SEC colleges and it was quite something! If only I could go back to college again for the Univesities today are almost like resorts unto themselves - I'm exaggerating, of course, but visiting college towns and campuses is definitely a fun trip.

We started, after a weekend in New Orleans, in the lovely town of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, home of Louisiana State University (LSU Tigers). We enjoyed an thorough information session, where we learned any word that ends in the letter "o" is spelled "eaux" in Baton Rouge - as in Geaux Tigers! They take their Cajun heritage seriously there. We were told a story "or fable" (not sure of the veracity) about legendary Louisiana Governor Huey Long. Back in the 1920s, Long knew LSU needed a new football stadium but there was no money for one. So he petitioned the legislature for funds to build a new "dormitory" - wiht an open air center middle section for "crops" that was about 100 yards long' had rooms around the circumference and "classroom" seats in the stadium. May be a bit of a tale, but it makes for a good 'ol Southern story!

Both of our boys were very impressed with LSU and Keegan was relieved to know that he got the physics requirement out of the way this year as they do require it for admission - yikes!

We took a luncheon break at the famous Chimes restaurant (campus location) at the recommendation of our Pastor Harry Barrow ( a HUGE LSU fan and alum). We enjoyed incredible blackened shrimp remolaude, crab fingers and alligator. Then after lunch, we had the dorm tour and saw Mike the Tiger lounging in his multi-million dollar abode.

We left LSU very encouraged and were on to Oxford, Mississippi. See you there next.

The Big Easy, Redux

2010-04-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

Our College Road Trip started with a side venture to one of the world's great destinations, New Orleans. We drove from Newnan and only had 24 hours in the Crescent City, but our family packed quite a bit of adventure into our short time there.

After checking into one of our usual family-friendly hotels, the Hilton Garden Inn, we headed into the heart of the French Quarter for some meandering and food. Normally, we scope out all the hot restaurants and old favorites including Susan Spicer, Emeri Lagasse and Galatoise. We still miss our perennial favorite, the local hangout Uglesiche's. It opened in 1924 and was destroyed in Katrina. Their cookbooks are wonderful and work very well. This trip we were craving oysters and Cajun appetizers and we stopped first in a restaurant called Remoulade. Owned by the same folks who created the venerable Arnaud's, Remoulade is just as delicious but more low key.

They could't even wait until I took the photo before snagging one of the oysters!

We enjoyed oysters, shrimp bisque, gumbo and turtle bisque at Remoulade and then we sauntered back out into the Quarter. I took my requisite photo with the Big Ass Beers to Go guy

Still hungry, we stopped for barbecued oysters at Royal House Restaurant. Oh my gosh, These are crave-worthy and I think we will have an oyster roast at our farm soon because we can't wait until a return visit to New Orleans to enjoy them again!

We also had marinated crab fingers, po boys and red beans and rice. Yum!

The next morning was Easter and we went to church at St. Louis Cathedral. While we are not Catholic (we are Presbyterian) we have been to weddings in this incredible cathdral which is the longest continuously operating chuch in the US - since 1718. We got there early and it was a good thing since it was SRO.

After church we shopped, bought some art and went to one of our favorite places for brunch,

Restaurant Stanley. They have a sister restaurant, The Stella, that is also incredible. Restaurant Stanley is right next to St. Louis Cathedral and down the street from Cafe DuMonde.

Before we headed out of town, we attended one of New Orlean's ubiquitous parades - the Easter Parade! It was a gas and the participants tossed all kinds of stuff from the floats including of course, beads. We have now been to the Rose Parade and Easter Parade this year...we'll see what else is on tap the rest of the year.

We called this young man "The King of New Orleans" because he represented the cool, preppy sophistication of Southern Gentility that we know and love. We met him earlier and he was great.
On to Baton Rouge!

PICTURE OF THE DAY

2010-03-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

The Masters...Need I Say Anything Else?

2010-03-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

The first week of April is drawing near and for many of us Georgians, that means one thing...Masters Week! Oh, I know this year the media is trying to turn Augusta National into a three-ringed circus with Tiger Woods' return to golf. But he didn't pick Augusta just because it's the greatest tournament in the world. He also knew that the elite membership that runs the Masters would protect him from the melee and the fans would be respectful toward him.

Oops, the picture's a bit crooked, but it's Augusta...

My first visit to the Masters was when I was in college and a boyfriend was offered two tickets through a family connection. At the time, I wasn't aware of how big of a deal this was, but Steve soon filled me in. I found a cute outfit and when I stepped onto the course, I saw that it was unlike any other. I had been to other golf tournaments and nice courses, but this was "cathedral-like". My day was made when Jack - yes, Jack Nicklaus handed me one of his golf tees after teeing off on one of the holes. I kept that memento for years.

A few years later, I had a boyfriend from Augusta and I really found out what the Masters was about. That town slept, ate and breathed the tournament. Players were hosted in the homes of prominent citzens - I believe this is still the case. A future roommate of mine's family always hosted Jack, while another was Arnie's home away-from-home each year. For many years, young unmarried men in Augusta belonged to "The Bachelor's Club" (social organization) in Augusta and their social highlight of the year was a huge band party during the tournament. That party was incredible. There were hundreds of college age kids there from schools all across the Southeast. We'd all make plans to "Meet up on 16"(the green at hole 16). That's where the younger crown hung out. I had the incredible great fortune of attending the tournament 7 or 8 times over the years with various friends and appreciated it each and every time.

Quiet, please

As happens in life, times change; it's inevitable. The Bachelor's Club faded away, probably replaced by something else. And many local friends and people who had tickets to the tournament found out that they could rent out their lovely homes during Master's Week to top corporate sponsors and do very well on the rentals. They'd take off for the beach and watch the tournament on TV. When we moved back from California, I put my name on the lottery for practice round tickets. Over about ten years I have only gotten them once. That tells you how special and difficult it is to get tickets. We've been offered day tickets to the tournament a couple of times through friends and have been thrilled to attend. I have very good friends who are connected at the highest levels at Augusta National but I would never ask for tickets. You just don't do that. I'll take my chances and see what happens.

Tiger (right)

If you ever have the opportunity to be invited* to the Masters, do not pass it up, even if you are not a golf fanatic. I'm not one and don't really play but can appreciate excellence and the Master's is near perfection. There's something for everyone. They say it is the hardest ticket in sports. But once you are there, attendance will bring the highest pleasure. The crowds are the most polite anywhere. Let me repeat. Anywhere. The sandwiches are marvelously simple, delicious and so moderately-priced as to cause a double-take. The ladies dress up and look so lovely, its a mini fashion show. And the grounds alone are worth the trip...Amen Corner, Eisenhower's Tree, Butler Cabin, the carpet-like greens, the famous azaleas - it plays out like a dream. Getting exercise walking this course should always be so pleasurable. If you never get the chance to go, remember, The Masters is so much more than the place Tiger chose to return to golf. There's a reason he picked Augusta.

*It is technically illegal to scalp Master's tickets even though they are often offered for sale. Patrons who offer their tickets for sale will lose the use of their ticket forever. So if you use anyone else's ticket, guard it with your life. I heard about someone who lost a friend of a friend's badge and it was lost forever.

It's a Nice Day When You Wake Up in Disneyland!

2010-03-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of participating in Disney's "Give a Day, Get a Day" promotion over the weekend in our hometown's Keep Coweta Clean" campaign. Over 200 volunteers showed up and picked up trash around town and we earned a free ticket to the "happiest place on earth" for our time! I believe Disney has now reached their goal of 1,000,000 volunteers but I recommend going out and doing something in your community for the good of the deed. And I highly recommend a trip to Disney. I think my husband and I love it more than our kids. Enjoy this fun video from You Tube posted with the Disneyland by Five for Fighting... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0hNDaY78lA

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

2010-03-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

It's time to start planning our summer vacation and we usually have a pretty fun adventure planned. The boys and I are returning to Mexico to do some work in Merida with our church and we are excited about that. But when it came time to plan this summer's outing, I was kind of surprised at what our teen boys proposed. "I want to go back to Hilton Head" my youngest said, " we haven't been able to go there for three years". Several years ago, the school board changed the calendar to start school ridiculously early...the first week in August. This killed our family tradition of joining my mom (and my sister's family) during Mom's mid-August time share. For those of you thinking: why didn't she just change her time share? Not so easy when everyone with school age children is crunching summer into two months. Availability where she wants it is more limited AND it a shorter summer is bad for the economy. Anyway...

Sea Pine's Plantation on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, has been special to me since I was just a little girl of about 7 and my parents bought the time share there. My own family went every summer and I learned how to shrimp, crab and paint my body with lowcountry pluff mud. When we got married and had children of our own, Pat and I first brought them to the low country as tiny babies babies from our home in California. We were creating a family tradition, though we didn't know it at the time.

The boys and their cousins several years ago on the dock behind our timeshare

South Beach, Sea Pines, Hilton Head

Keegan, age 3, with my dad Jim Plumb holding Sean age 18 months while on vacation in Sea Pines

My daddy looked forward to his week in Hilton Head every year with an almost reverence and toward the end of his life, he extended one week to two. A memory "postcard" that often pops in my head is my father sitting on the little porch outide the Hilton Head spot, cocktail in hand, the requisite book in the other, surrounded by "his" girls; completely and utterly happy. And now "my" boys want to create the same kind of memories? I'm in!

The boys and I in 2007 - they are now both taller than me.

Pat hasn't been able to come with us to Hilton Head since the boys were really small (due to pressing work issues). Plus mom's place only had so much space; my sister's family and us Flanigans and mom made for a pretty chaotic environment. So when I mentioned that the boys wanted to rent a house there this summer, his response was..."Hilton Head? What can I do there?" Pat is a goer and a doer and just can't sit on the beach for long. He doesn't read books or relax well so I had to remind him of all the things we can do:

* Crabbing

*Fishing

*Shrimping

*Rent a boat/jetski

*Kayaking

*Bikes

*Tennis

*Golf

*Shopping

*Historical trips to Beaufort, Dafuski, Savannah and other surrounding areas

Crabbing on the dock

Some of the catch

Now my mom is happily getting remarried in May at our farm and she and Charlie will be living on Hilton Head at Sun City and we'd love to see them while we are there. My sister and her family live nearby in Savannah so we can visit with them too. But we might like to spend some of the time, just us together, in this magical place that I hope will continue to create memories for the "future" generations to come!

The famous Harbour Town Lighthouse

South Beach Marina from the deck of my sister's boat

Me, my niece and my mom coolin' off in the pool

PICTURE OF THE DAY

2010-03-10T06:57:00.000-08:00

This bull sea lion chased my son in the Galapagos - terrifying!

What's Food Got To Do With It?

2010-03-05T10:03:00.000-08:00

For inveterate travelers, the dining experience is as big a part of the trip as sightseeing or chilling on the beach. If you've read any of my blogs or seen some of my "Pictures of the Day", you know food plays an important part on our vacations.

One secret I've been withholding from you is my "foodie" past. I mention this because it gives you a little background and you'll see why I want to hear about your restaurant recommendations too. When we lived in Los Angeles, I was Vice President of a public relations agency that specialized in the food industry. One of the fabulous benefits of this job was I had the opportunity to work with many of the nations top chefs. When you hang around greatness, you can't help but pick up a bit through osmosis. I began experimenting with my own recipes and eventually decided to put them to the test by entering cooking contests. Unbelievably, I did okay. I haven't entered one in a few years but writing this makes me start to get motivated again. Here's a few of them:

A book given to me and inscribed by Certified Master Chef Victor Gielisse from his iconic Dallas restaurant "Actuelle". Chef Gielisse is now an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America.

* Won the Georgia Beef Cookoff
* Won the Cabot Creamery Recipe Contest
* Placed in the Sutter Home Build a Better Burger recipe contest
* Placed in the Sonoma Sun Dried Tomatoes recipe contest
* Placed in the Fresh Express recipe contest

A nice check I received at the Georgia Beef Cookoff. We used it for school tuition...boring but practical.

All the contests were fun but I think my favorite was the very first one I entered. It was an Amateur French Chef cooking contest, sponsored by Ma Maison/Hotel Sofitel in Beverly Hills, CA. Even though we lived in Pasadena, the six contestants and their spouses/guests were put up in a luxury room for the weekend, were treated like royalty, given a chef's jacket and tocque, had an unlimited free acess to 24 hour room service and were feted at a celebretory dinner by the hotel's Executive Chef Serge Gouloumes.

My Patand I had gone to Paris on our honeymoon and the trip was an inspiration for my recipe entry: "Sauteed Sea Scallops with Yellow Bell Pepper Coulis, Potato Cakes and Asparagus." We were judged by a panel of top French chefs from America and Europe as well as a host of celebrity judges.

An article from the Pasadena Star-News showing me plating my dish. I worked my way into sixth place out of six! But it was great fun and just being one of six out of thousands of entries was thrilling.
Presiding over the whole event was Sofitel Food and Beverage Manager Patrick Terrail (search his book Taste of Hollywood - The Story of Ma Maison). Patrick had recently sold his legendary Hollywood resstaurant Ma Maison, where the then fresh, young Wolfgang Puck became a superstar.

Patrick (l) and Wolfgang (r) with wait staff at Ma Maison.

(photo courtesy: A Taste of Hollywood by Patrick Terrail)

Every day, Rolls, Bentleys, antique and luxury cars lined up outside Ma Maison and celebrities lined the walls within.

(photo courtesy: A Taste of Hollywood by Patrick Terrail)

Flash forward a few years and we had moved to our farm in Georgia. While perusing Southern Living Magazine, I came across an article about Patrick Terrail and his then new restaurant Gaby's in nearby Hogansville. I went in for lunch and reintroduced myself to him and we talked food. Patrick was talking about opening up a cooking school and after we spoke more later, he asked me to help him organize and run it.

Patrick and I in article in the Times-Herald about our cooking school.

The school was quite successful and we had some of Atlanta's and Georgia's top chefs teach classes over a number of years. Eventually as life moves forward, so do we and both the school and Patrick's restaurant closed. Flash forward to today and Patrick and his wife Jackie are the Publishers and Owners of 85 South Out & About tabloid magazine. They asked me to contribute some travel features to this fun and informative publication and I'm enjoying working together again.

Patrick knows I am still interested in food and he recently sent me an email with information on the top restaurants in the United States. I always love "testing" myself against these lists and I've been to a few of them but have probably visited more of the past winners - which means I need to get busy!

Here are the top ten NEW restaurants as deemed by Gayot Magazine:

Bardessono, Napa Valley (Yountville), CA - fresh, locally-grown organic

The Bazaar by Jose Andres, at the SLS Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA - Spanish

Bourbon Steak, Washington, DC - upscale steak house

Marea, New York - authentic Italian

Ninety Acres, Peapack Gladstone, NJ - fresh, local seasonal

Osteria Il Sugno, San Antonio - Italian

Paces 88, Atlanta - American bistro

RDG & Bar Annie, Houston - American and Tex Mex

Terzo Piano, Chicago - Italian

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire, Las Vegas - fusion

The issue has many fun categories including Best Cheap Eats, Top 40 restaurants in America, Best Catering Trucks and much more. If you want to see the issue, click here: Gayot and search for the restaurant issue. Incidentally, Best Restaurateur? Wolfgang Puck.

If you are interested in culinary travel, drop me a line or call the staff at Uniglobe McIntosh Travel and we can plan some adventures. Want to dine both high brow and local digs in NYC? Let's talk. Craving the sunshine and trendsetting California cuisine? We can help. Incidentally, we are currently planning a culinary and wine trip to France (details coming) hosted by Patrick and Joseph Walker of Walker Travel Group. Patrick counts among his best friends many of the top chefs in France and his Uncle Claude Terrail was the owner of the world-famous Paris restaurant La Tour d'Argent so you can imagine the culinary delights that await. Since 3 of the top 10 new restaurants on the Gayot list are Italian, how about the real thing? We already have a culinary program to Italy scheduled for October 9 - 16, hosted by Chef Leonard Guillame of Mama Lucia's restaurant and Joseph Walker, Walker Travel Group. See my posting dated 1/20/10 "Wining and Dining Through Italy" for itinerary and details - count yourself officially invited! I'd love to have you on the trips.

PICTURE OF THE DAY

2010-03-03T06:56:00.000-08:00

Paperwhites in Pasadena

Dogs on the Beach, Dogs on the Beach, What you gonna do? Dogs on the Beach!

2010-02-26T09:10:00.000-08:00

Watching my 14 year old yellow Labrador, Chandler, who is arthritic and hip dysplasic, joyfully retrieve sticks out of water made my thoughts turn to dog beaches. Is there anything that makes dog happier than water, sand and their beloved master (or mistress).

Chandler's Fun in the Sun

Dog owners in the United States are becoming more active in pursuing areas where we can take our canine family members, but always being courteous of others, of course! My home town (Newnan, GA) will be having a Walk-n-Wag fun walk on May 22 with dogs to raise money to purchase more doggie clean up stations in our city. Not sure if Chandler's arthritis will allow him to walk but I'll take my other beloved lab, Sweetie.

Sweetie kickin' it and drying in the sun

There are many great dog beaches all over the country. I've been to a few and plan to enjoy more puppy vacations. DogFancy Magazine has a Get Out of the Cold feature in their March issue, highlighting three beaches.

Del Mar, North Beach - Dog Beach
When we go to Del Mar, our friend's home looks out on this very dog-friendly stretch of shoreline. Dog Beach is open year-round to dogs and they may be off leash from after Labor Day to June 15. During the summer months, dogs are supposed to be on 6-foot leashes. Del Mar is such a pet-welcoming town you see pooches and their family everywhere - jogging together, dining alfresco at cafes and even visiting the popular Saturday Farmer's Market. Americana is a great choice for outside dining with your leashed friend and DogFancy recommends a stop at Three Dog Bakery for excellent doggie treats. If you are looking for accommodations so you can stay and play, the Del Mar Inn offers dog-friendly rooms.

Panama City Beach, Florida
Florida has many great dog beaches and the sugar-white sand of the Gulf Coast make these destinatins family favorites as well. DogFancy didn't mention Panama City Beach, but I'd like to give them a special "bark out"! In 2007, Panama City Beach approved an official dog park on the western portion of the city-owned beach at Dan Russell Pier. This beach is conveniently located by Pier Park, an upscale and action-filled shopping plaza. There are many area parks that welcome leashed dogs including Aaron Bessant, Frank Brown and Zollie Young Parks. Shell Island is also a great choice for visitors with dogs. This uninhabited barrier island is only accessible by boat but is a treat for day trip. Click on Florida Pets for info on finding a pet-friendly boat rental to carry you there. Shell Island has some of the best shelling around. If you want to stay awhile, LaQuinta Hotel Chain encourage guests to bring their dogs and there is one conveniently located at Pier Park! Panama City is one of our favorite family getaways.

The DogFancy article also gave high marks to Bonita Springs in Florida. Bonita Springs is one of the top-dog rated beaches on Florida's west coast. Pet Friendly rooms abound at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort. LaQuinta also offers several nearby locations, including 2 in tony Naples.

Barrier Island off Savannah, GA
Florida's neighbor, Georgia, also offers many opportunities to bring your pups to paradise. Quiet Jekyll Island is known as one of the most popular dog destinations in the South. The Villas by the Sea Resort at Jekyll is a good choice for families traveling with pets.

For a list of doggie beaches across the U.S., click on this link: dog friendly beaches. I'd love to hear about your favorite canine adventures!

PICTURE OF THE DAY

2010-02-26T06:49:00.000-08:00

Canoe Trip - Wisconsin

PICTURE OF THE DAY

2010-02-24T09:47:00.000-08:00

Chicago Style Hot Dog prepared by Bob, owner of

Chicago Dawgs - Panama City Beach, Florida

He's moved from his restaurant location on

Richard Jackson Blvd (Beckrich Road) to a

catering truck on Thomas Drive near Capt. Jack's.

These dogs are awesome!!

College Road Trip - Take Two

2010-02-23T09:47:00.000-08:00

We braved snow last week on the way to Valdosta and on Friday of our Winter Break week, we faced an early alarm clock. But it wasn't too hard to get up with the dawn - we were heading to Athens to tour the University of Georgia! Back in the day, Georgia was a huge rival of my school, Clemson University, but I have many friends that are Georgia alumnae, so my feelings about UGA are more positive these days.

Sunlight streaming through UGA's famous arch - tradition is students should not walk through the arch or they won't graduate and prospective students will be jinxed

I've mellowed so much, in fact, that I actually loved the UGA campus. I've been to it many times over the years - I had a college boyfriend who was a Bulldog; my family has watched the "Dawgs" play on many a football Saturday and we've cheered our son on at swim meets at Georgia's incredible Ramsey Athletic Center. But this is the first time I have seen the whole campus from a prospective student's POV.

On the road, we stopped for breakfast at that most Southern of institutions, The Waffle House. If you are not from "Dixie" - The Waffle House must be a requisite stop on your next Southern visit. Pecan Waffles, cheese grits, hash browns scattered, smothered and chunked - we were fortified for the day ahead.

Downtown Athens

After a very informative and engaging information session, the kids had "puppy dawg prints" in their eyes. They were ready to see the campus. Fortunately, my friend's son is a current Honor's student at the University and he agreed to give us a personalized tour.

Her son is a member of the Demosthenian Literary Society and he told us all about the history of the society and even showed us the inside parlour of their lovely house.

I can't remember what all of these buildings are but they show off varied lovely architecture.

Like every University and College, UGA has many traditions and historic spots that are meaningful to its students and alums. There is the bell tower that students ring on days of import or when good things happen to them. Apparently the line is forever on graduation day!

The Bell Tower

We saw the University's original football field. The Dawgs have come a long way to Sanford Stadium.

The original football field

Sanford Stadium

We saw the dorms, used the student bus transport and enjoyed an incredible lunch in the East Campus Cafeteria. Apparently UGA does their own food service and it is excellent. It's a "far piece" from the "fried perch" and "cheese strata" days of my college food service offerings.

http://www.onemillionactsofkindness.com/

Bob and Bogart from "One Million Acts of Kindness" was on campus the day we visited and we saw evidence of his "work" in the ladies' room - someone had posted notes on the mirrors saying "You are Beautiful!" and "See your beauty". It was nice.

We had a great day and look foward to our next college adventures in April. Look out LSU, Ole Miss and Alabama!

PICTURE OF THE DAY

2010-02-23T08:32:00.000-08:00

Old Building, Newnan, GA

PICTURE OF THE DAY

2010-02-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

Dog Sledding in Wyoming

A Different Kind of College Road Trip

2010-02-15T11:36:00.000-08:00

When your babies are born, other parents warn how quickly time will pass by. You nod sagely and say "I know" but in actuality you have no idea until your little babies are suddenly grown and they are looking toward leaving for college. The college search is where we now find ourselves. The memories of fooling with carseats and and cheering at age 5-6 Pony League baseball games are still fresh in my mind. Now, the family is spending our high school Winter and Spring Breaks visiting college campuses for that inevitable day.

Our eldest son Keegan is a high school Junior and Sean follows right behind him as a Sophomore at Newnan High School. We actually started our visits during Keegan's freshman year with a visit to my beloved Alma Mater, Clemson University. They both loved Clemson and have also enjoyed visits to Georgetown, Auburn University and Georgia Tech.

Clemson's Famous "Death Valley" Football Stadium

Pat and I counseled Keegan about looking at different size colleges, so this weekend we visited Valdosta State, which is has an 11,000 person student body on its campus near the Georgia-Florida border.

Valdosta State University, founded 1906

We left our hometown Newnan around noon in order to miss the huge snowfall heading our way - we eventually got between 4" - 5". Georgia is extremely ill-equipped to handle the white stuff so we knew to "get out of Dodge"! We made the drive to Valdosta for Visitation Day in 3-1/2 hours but heard other Atlanta-area families got stuck in the storm and arrived after 7 hours on the road!

Everyone gets excited when in snows in Georgia!

We checked in to the local Hilton Gardens Inn and it was a rainy, gloomy day in South Georgia. We like Hilton Gardens because they have roomy suites for stretching out and offer a nice, hot breakfast buffet in the morning. Hilton Gardens aren't luxury resorts but they suited our needs perfectly for this trip.

Gloomy or not, we decided to drive around a bit and see the campus. Even through the sleety haze, we were able to see that Valdosta had beautiful architecture but we decided to wait until Saturday for photo ops.

The next morning, we went to the campus for the visitation day. We first met with different department heads to discuss academic curriculums and then toured the whole of the campus.

Valdosta State, Blazer's Basketball

The student-led tour was very informative and the kids were very enthusiastic about their school. We had the Student Body President as one of our guides.

"Mom, stop taking my picture!" (Keegan in letterman's jacket)

"Campus scenes"

This was the kickoff of our "college road trip season." We are off to the University of Georgia this Friday and LSU, Ole Miss and Alabama over spring break. Georgia Southern and Georgia College at Milledgeville are on the radar, as are other schools in the South.

Let me know your thoughts and schools you love. The road trip is to be continued...

PICTURE OF THE DAY

2010-02-12T16:48:00.000-08:00

Sunset over the Pacific

PICTURE OF THE DAY

2010-02-11T06:05:00.000-08:00

Boundary Waters, Minnesota