Memorial Daze.....X*ACTly right

We had special friends over for Memorial Day cookout......Dottie and Don, Helen and Jon.... Larry did his magical things on the grill and everyone was delightfully full and happy. Lots of good food and catching up on each others lives, as we all come and go.... Lots going on with new grandchildren arriving and special traveling.

The Complete Works of Shakespeare (unabridged) was presented by the new Xenia theater group X*ACT, in Kettering this weekend. Their new theater in Xenia is being revamped. Quite a funny show all done by three local guys. Three fun couples attended...Marsha and Tom, Judie and Ken, and Larry and me......and enjoyed a yummy dinner beforehand at Figlios.........long live Peasant Salad and a little vinotherapy........

Wild Violets Dine in Elegance

My special group of friends, the Wild Violets, met for dinner this week at the home of Superintendant Reno and his wife, Melanie. He is superintendent of the old OSSO Home (now caledLegacy) outside of Xenia. The campus is beautiful and much rebuilding is going on. They live (of course) in the old, beautiful superintendent's house. Melanie's children are grown and she enjoys cooking and entertaining. We had a wonderful meal and were able to sit at a large dining room table where we could all talk to each other! We plan to return every month! Thanks Melanie!!!!!!!! More pictures next month, I promise.

Julie and Julia, and Me

My book group had an interesting project this month......Read a food memoir and prepare a recipe from it to share at a book club luncheon. We had a list of seven to choose from or pick your own. I left my list at home accidentally when we left for Kiawah...my thought was to email Helen and have her send me the list, then buy it in SC. But, upon entering the Kiawah house..... there was a basket full of great books to read and one of the books was on my list!! Meant to be, right? The book was Julie and Julia, the true story of a girl, Julie, turning thirty and to commemorate it, she decides to prepare EVERY recipe in The Art of French Cooking by Julia Child IN ONE YEAR. That is almost 600 recipes! The fun part is that she blogs about it daily and picks up "Bleaders" (blog readers) from all over who encourage her. The book is a riot! I just learned that Nora Ephron is turning it into a movie!

Soooooo I am blogging about a blogger today. I decided to make Potage Parmentier (Potato and Leek Soup) to share at the luncheon. It was the first recipe Julie made and the very first one in TAoFrCo It was delicious!! Larry liked it even if everything was pureed and he likes his soup chunky.

THE MARY LOU HOLLAND SCHOLARSHIP

Last Monday evening, Larry and I attended the Fairmont High School Academic Awards and Recognition Program. The $1000.00 scholarship that I offer to a graduating senior who was in my fifth grade classroom, was awarded to Lloyd Shannon! Presenting the award is Matt Wahrhaftig, (no, I didn't misspell it.....I can't even say it!) the head of the Kettering Education Foundation. Lloyd is a VERY deserving individual who will be majoring in accounting at UD. Besides being a talented math person, Lloyd is STILL a big fan of cherry Jolly Ranchers! Congratulations Lloyd! I am SO proud of you!

Hmmm Folks, having some trouble getting my pictures posted..... Check back.

Bohicket to Charleston

Bohicket Road is the old two lane road to Kiawah from Savanna Highway. The towering live oaks and Spanish moss make a magical ride in and out of our paradise. John's Island is the next island over. Ernest Taylor, a native islander who works at Rosebank Farms, signs my book of the History of John's Island where he is pictured! Ginny's is one of our landmarks...it used to be a fruit stand,..... it has been slowly collapsing. Each time we come to Kiawah we wonder if it will still be there.

Charleston is a small city on a peninsula between two rivers, the Cooper and the Ashley. It has a massive history during the Revolutionary AND the Civil War. There is a lot of ornate ironwork in the city. Some of the designs have been incorporated into jewelry! This is a pic of the staircase at Charleston Place, a hotel with all kinds of cute shops. There are mansions at the end of the peninsula, The Battery. Some of them are open to tour, but most are privately owned and occupied. Rainbow Row is a famous old wharf area. They painted the buildings colors when they began the restoration of the city. Taking a horse and buggy ride is a very popular way to tour the city. This is a Charleston Single House. The piazzas (most have two an upper and lower...this one just has a lower) always face south or west for breezes...it gets hot here in the summer...I can't imagine living here before air conditioning!

We ended our day meeting Ohio friends Wes and Betty for dinner. They are native Charlestonians who have returned home to retire.

A Day at the Beach

I am turning brown!!! The Kiawah Goddess! My last day on the beach was soooo peaceful. The waves were roaring, a gentle breeze kept me from getting hot, and I read and slept and slept and read....and then I walked! One lesson I learned was not to put your beach chair too close to one of those little bitty holes in the sand. I did get to watch the resident sand crab enlarge his home however. Click on his picture and look at his cute little eyes on top of his head!

Other happenings on the beach today was an older fellow who kept diving into the waves which were quite rough. He was having SUCH a great time! Another kayaker had some trouble and got washed into shore. He tried his best to get back out, but the waves were just too powerful today and he gave up.

I got home to find Larry installing out flag and finishing off the South Carolina treat....... boiled peanuts!