Headin' South Part Deux

Have you ever painted cement block?  I can now say I have.  Week 2 of our time in the South was for our church's annual Mission Trip.  A full week of hard work, fellowship and fun!  This was the 4th trip for our family and was no less impactful than the other years we have gone.  This year, God hit me over the head with a 2 x 4.  Thankfully, not literally! 

My older daughter and myself along with 2 other young ladies and one other adult cleaned and painted the exterior of a home. We were safeguarded by 4 dogs the entire time we were there.  They weren't exactly friendly, but after the first day, we were no longer strangers.  Here are a couple of them resting in the shade (that is how they spent most of their time): 

Painting cement block is an interesting feat.  Being porous, it soaks up everything!  There were 2 or 3 coats of paint already on the house prior to our application of a new color.  I was shocked how much it took to achieve a fairly even coat all over the house. 

We had a lot of fun working together.  One of the young ladies entertained us by singing.  It certainly makes the job easier when everyone has a joyful attitude.  

Our Sunday morning worship experience set the stage for the week.  We worshiped with the congregation at Wesley United Methodist Church in Hollywood, S.C.  With drums and a Hammond organ, that church rocks on Sunday morning!  Worshipers sing loud praises to God, making sure He will hear every "Praise be to God!" and plea for mercy on His children.  Last year, one woman was so overcome by the Spirit, she had to be carried out of the sanctuary.  After that kind of experience, how can we not have an attitude of joy and gratitude to God for all that He does?

Sunday afternoon is our time to do whatever we desire.  Some people go to the beach, some to Charleston.  This year, we opted for Charleston.  I have always wanted to get out to Fort Sumter.  In a macabre sense, it holds a special meaning for me.  I was born 110 years to the day after the first shots of the Civil War were fired on Fort Sumter.  The fort actually has quite a history prior to its role in the Civil War and beyond.  If you should ever visit, make sure you go early enough in the day to request an extension of your time on the island.  Otherwise, you are given only an hour to take it all in since you must take a ferry to the island.  It is worth the time to see.

Wednesday was our picnic at Edisto State Park, about 30 minutes from where we were staying in Hollywood.  How many men does it take to start up a gas grill? 

Apparently, 3! 

Just before we were leaving, the Sea Turtle Patrol appeared.  They were there to inventory nests that had already "boiled" or hatched.  All along the beach, the nests had been identified and were roped off to protect them.  When the turtles hatch and leave the nest (which is up to 2 feet below the surface of the beach), it looks like the sand is boiling.  A female Loggerhead can lay around 100 eggs per nest.  Once the nest has boiled, the Patrol inventories to track the number of eggs in the nest and the number hatched.  If a turtle is in the process of hatching and is far enough along, the egg is set aside and the turtle makes its way to the water.  There were 3 turtles ready to head for the ocean-boundaries were set and we watched the turtles make their way.  The rest of the eggs, hatched and unhatched, were put back in the nest after counting.  It was pretty cool to see those little turtles flopping themselves down the beach into the undertow and swim off. 

The week was actually quite tough for me.  Unknown to most of our team, I had abdominal surgery less than 4 weeks before our trip, but I wasn't about to stay home and wish I was with my family and church friends.  The week in Savannah wasn't too bad since I could rest as much as I needed.  I did my best following doctor's orders on the Mission Trip, but if you know me, I don't sit around, especially when there is something to be done.  Those on the team who did know, made sure I wasn't pushing myself too hard.  Even though I survived the week intact, albeit very tired, I don't recommend a big trip so soon after surgery!  Does that mean I will take my own advice if this should happen again?  Of course, not!  I'm too much of a stubborn donkey.

So, I alluded to a revelation at the end of my opening paragraph.  It isn't really a revelation because God wasn't telling me anything new.  It was more of a "WAKE UP!" call.  In a conversation I had with the cousin of the homeowner of the house I was working on,  I realized I have not been trusting God.  God was never even mentioned in this conversation, but He was there.  It took two months for me to even realize God had used that person to talk to me.  The cousin, Rosalynn, had a house fire over four years ago.  She is living with another relative while she waits for her home to be restored.  The house is a mess; one exterior wall is completely gone, exposing the home to the elements and further damage.  Yet, she is confident that her home WILL be repaired and she will live in it once again.  That takes trust-and my first thought upon seeing the house was tear it down and start over.  Four years of rain, cold, damp, wind, animals and insects in and out of the house and she still has faith enough to believe it will be fixed for her.  I don't doubt that her faith is well placed; it does take time for homes on the list for Rural Mission, Inc. (the organization we work through) to get the attention they need as the list is in the hundreds.  I realized that all of the things I have been holding on to as tightly as I can, I need to relinquish and let God do His thing.  I have to trust God to take care of all the things I worry about.  I look back on my life and see how many times He came through for me, even when I wasn't acknowledging His presence in my life.  Why should I not be trusting Him now?  The evidence is there.  He has done wonderful works in my life and brought wonderful people into my life.  2012 has been a good year for me and the 2012 Mission Trip will forever be a reminder of God's love and mercy.

Headin' South!! Part I

Two weeks in the South in the middle of July...not the best time to go if you and summer heat don't get along!  Our first week was spent in Savannah, Georgia.  Our oldest daughter, SAW, was spending a week at SCAD, Savannah College of Art and Design, to take a couple of classes and get a glimpse of what to expect of college.  The rest of us spent time wandering around Savannah, getting to know the city.  Our budding artist had a wonderful time playing college and created some pretty cool artwork.  Here is a sampling: 

Her task was to draw a how-to.  This was in a Sequential Art class.  The other class SAW took was Animation:  Bringing Artwork to Life.  I am not able to show you that sample, but it is pretty cool!  She drew 62 pictures for about 4 seconds of animation.  At this point, she thinks she will major in Sequential Art and hopes to be a storyboard artist/cartoonist.  She is committing to attend SCAD next fall.  Pretty scary sending my first child off to college so far away!  At least it is Savannah, a beautiful, enchanting city.

While she got to know SCAD, my husband, younger daughter, JMW, and I found things to do.  We spent a lot of time walking around Savannah.  Even though we had a full 4 days, I'm sure we did not see even half of the city.  This was not our first trip to Savannah, so we skipped the museums and historical homes in favor of strolling around.  Savannah is not a city to rush through.  When you hurry through, you miss quite a lot.  Sitting on a bench in one of the many squares, watching the tour buses cruise by and the tourists and locals traversing the town on their way to wherever is recommended.  People watching in Savannah was more interesting to me than getting a canned tour in a home turned $20 museum.  Quite interesting. 

The most fun I had was visiting a couple of cemeteries.  The Colonial Park Cemetery in downtown has some unusual tombs.  The most curious thing about the cemetery was the playground just outside the main fence. 

We took a trip out to Savannah's most famous cemetery, the Bonaventure Cemetery.  The rich and famous are buried here.  We saw maybe 1/3 of the cemetery and spent a good hour, hour and a half there.  I took the most pictures here.  Talk about spooky-so many statues and mighty oaks draped in Spanish moss.



In addition to seeking out the dead amongst the living, we ate at some really good restaurants and took a trip out to the Atlantic to look for dolphins.  The food was great and the dolphins performed beautifully.  I'm excited SAW will be going to school in such a wonderful city.  It will make our time apart a little less painful.  And it doesn't hurt that we will have to spend more time there ourselves.  I'm thinking  maybe I'll just move down there with her......

Colonial Williamsburg Part II

Despite the length of our stay, we did not see and do everything there is to do in CW. Numerous craftsmen and women ply their trades just as the earlier citizens of Williamsburg did back in the day.

Here is the weaver's shop. Not much was happening here. They were preparing the loom for the next project. That takes many hours to prepare. Weaving, spinning, dyeing, any part of textile production took place at the weaver's shop.






The printer and bookbinder was interesting. The demonstration and talk was very informative (as are all of the trades we visited, much to our surprise).










The food is well worth the cost. We dined in Shields Tavern and Chowning's (pronounced chooning) Tavern. We knew for a family meal, it would be pricey, but as you can see, the amount of food (and the quality) deems the price not out of line.













Evening programs round out the day. We saw a witch trial and went on two ghost tours-one was a pirate tour. This picture was taken in the gaol (jail) cell where Blackbeard's pirates were held until their executions.

Colonial Williamsburg

I am now hooked. Dress me up in long, hot skirts and serve up some Sally Lunn and braised leg of pork!



CW has been on our list of places to visit almost since the day we moved East. It took 13 years, but we finally made it! Now that we have visited, it will stay on our list of places to go (again and again and again...). We had a leisurely 6 1/2 days to spend in the Historic Triangle, thanks to hubby's work travels (thank you hotel rewards!). That was enough for our daughters, although my husband and I could have stayed longer.

The plentifulness of experiences available are incredible! Every facet of human life in the late 18th century is played out daily by the people who live and work in CW. Everything is as authentic (except where legal code demands otherwise) as historical research has revealed. All around town, artisans ply their trades, politicians and citizens have meaningful discourse over the issues of the day, ((late 1700's day) with each other and visitors) and servants and slaves attend the gentry. Nowhere will you get a better history lesson than at Colonial Williamsburg. Learn by immersion.


Important events in our nation's history are dramatized daily. Events are portrayed as the citizens of Williamsburg would have learned about them in colonial times. To see them acted out in front of you as our founders and ancestors may have experienced those events, is vastly different from reading about them or even seeing a movie portrayal. One can get a better understanding of the impassioned emotions that induced a revolution. Main acts take place on Duke of Gloucester Street while other acts are played out behind the coffee shop. Citizens of Williamsburg react to the threat of war, the glimpse of freedom from the royal government and their futures as citizens of the new United States. A reading of the Declaration of Independence starts off one day that ends with the dramatization of the march to Yorktown and Victory. Slaves, too, play a prominent role in the history lesson. We learn how they reacted to the realization that freedom from the King did not translate to freedom from slavery. All, very poignant and important to our understanding of what it took to become the United States of America.

I believe a few days in Colonial Williamsburg is worth more than a trip to Disneyworld. The educational value is worth more than the cost of a college history course. CW is the closest thing to time travel.

St. Mary's Part II

Originally an all-girls college, St. Mary's College of Maryland was founded in 1840. It is a publicly funded college in Historic St. Mary's City. During the summer, the college hosts the River Concert Series, funded through corporate sponsorships. They are able to bring in world-renowned muscians and vocalists to perform with the Chesapeake Orchestra. The series takes place outdoors with the sun setting on the river, creating a beautiful backdrop to the perfomance. The whole event is casual and a wonderful evening out. Vendors selling food are located nearby but out of the way. Concert goers picnic as they enjoy the music. The listening area is divided up into three sections: closest to the stage is for serious listeners, the mid-section is for casual listeners and the back section is reserved for those who are there to socialize with the music in the background. It was a perfect start to our weekend away.

We spent Saturday exploring Historic St. Mary's City. We could have easily spent more than a day. It's tough to say which was a bigger highlight: spending time on the recreated ship, The Maryland Dove, or sifting through layers of soil dug up from a midden heap at the archaeological site. The Dove is a fully operational ship. On Sunday, they had a practice run and we went down the river to watch it sail.



As we were ending our visit, we stopped in at the dig site. The college hosts a ten-week field school. Students were excavating an area that has had multiple structures. The area of focus the day we were there was the dump for the last residence and possibly previous structures. Sifting through the soil, we found bones, buttons, a piece of smoking pipe that dates back to the original founding (1634) and was made in England, earthenware pieces as well as ceramics and items made from iron. It was a cool experience, finding all these treasures in someone's trash heap from 200 years ago and earlier. Our finds are contibutions to a better understanding of how the colonists lived. On the web, visit www.stmaryscity.org

We ended our trip with a visit to Point Lookout State Park. This peninsula is the result of the confluence of the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. A beautiful natural area, this piece of land became the site of a major POW camp for the Union. In addition, an innovative Civil War hospital was built. It featured a wagon wheel type construction, with wards for different ailments as the "spokes." It was believed to allow more air-flow between and in the buildings.

Southern Maryland has much to offer: history, outdoor sports, good food, wineries (fairly new to Maryland) and friendly people. Someday, it will be a spot we revisit.

Trip Number One...

was to St. Mary's, Maryland. As usual, we stumbled upon this hidden little treat by accident. A lot of the trips my husband and I have taken over all the years we have been together (20 years now-oy vey!) have turned out that way. This time around, we were looking for a long weekend get-away to celebrate our anniversary. A little quiet spot not too far off. Someone recommended St. Michael's, MD, but I lost the scrap of paper I had it noted on. When I began my internet search, I couldn't remember St. Michael's and St. Mary's kept popping up in my head. As far as I know, I had never heard of St. Mary's until I googled it. Boy am I glad I did. The whole weekend was perfect from start to finish.

We are history buffs and spend a lot of time visiting historical sites (whether our daughters like it or not!) near and far. St. Mary's is an early colonial settlement, former capital of Maryland and a significant player in the Civil War. It is also home to St. Mary's College of Maryland, a public university. And for those of us who are the outdoorsy type, there is plenty to do.

I have to mention for the benefit of all of the Central PA people, the B&B we called home for the weekend is owned by an LVC alumnus and his wife (who was the College's president before retiring). Jim Grube frequently sang the praises of scrapple over the course of our stay. His truck bears a bumper sticker reading, "Scrapple, the Other Gray Meat." If you ever decide to explore St. Mary's County, plan to stay at Woodlawn Farm. The main house, built in 1798, is an historic piece of architecture itself. It even made an appearance on the HGTV show, "If Walls Could Talk." Visit Woodlawn Farm at www.woodlawn-farm.com

Friends and reviews led us to a restaurant at the end of a gravel road for dinner one night. The best way to describe the place (and the reviewers did too) is a dive. Incredibly fresh seafood, great service and a very relaxed atmosphere was the perfect way to end an evening. This Kansas girl surprised her husband with her accomplished cracking of the crabs steamed up and placed in front of her. Oh, they tasted soooo good. Tom, the owner of Courtney's Restaurant and Seafood, still has his own traps out on the Potomac River, so there's a chance the crabs you order were caught just a few yards away that morning. You can't get fresher than that unless you're catching them yourself and have the pot boiling before you take 'em out of the tidewater. A stroll down to the dock had us sitting on the edge of the Potomac watching the crabs that got away. One thing I learned about crabs on this trip: they swim sideways. I had never seen nor even thought of how crabs swim. Just always assumed they spent a lot of time on the bottom, scuttling around. Who knew? Not me!

St. Mary's Part II coming up...