What I learned on vacation

-At home no one picks up your wet towels, spritzes your pillows with a heavenly lavendar scent or lets you sleep until 9 a.m.

-Long ago they painted the ceilings of porches a beautiful sky blue. They did this for a few reasons, the first of which, of course, was superstition. They believed the ghosts only haunted at night. So, if the porch ceiling was painted a daytime shade of blue those stuck in the afterlife wouldn't enter that particular home. Oh, and it also messed with the depth perception of bugs.

-We went from 39 feet above sea level (on the third floor of our inn) to 2,136 feet above sea level when we entered the mountains outside of Asheville. I am blaming all poor directional decisions on lack of oxygen.

-If you watch too closely, you'll miss the dolphins as they emerge from the water. They sneak up on you. I had no idea they were sinister.

-Wine is good. Wine is very good, but it can make your stomach gurgle for days.

-Charleston is known as the Holy City due to the number of churches scattered throughout. It is also known for its hauntings and ghost sightings. I am not sure how the two coincide.

-Avoid using terms like "Civil War" in Charleston, they seem to recall that little insignificant era in American history as "The War of Northern Aggression."

-If you are at a historical site and they offer to take a cheesy picture of you for $20, let them, the results are so worth it. I am still giggling over the fact that it appears as if we were at Fort Sumter at the start of the War of Northern Aggression. "Don't mind us, we're just sight-seeing, go back to loading that cannon." (By the way, you can never have too many photographs of cannons. Trust me.)

-When in a relationship, certain duties must be divvied up to the most qualified. Cynical is hereby the official navigator of all travels. I am the official packer and organizer. You want a tissue, I got it. Need a map, I got it, just don't ask me to read it.

-Family is family. They drive you nuts. They push your buttons. They bring out your worst. But, family is family and you can't change that.

-If you are careful and protective of your attitude, you can carry your vacation-mode self into the work week. Just beware of anyone trying to nix your vacation high.

-We're heading to Seattle this weekend for a work-related trip. It's as if I am pulling my skivvies from one suitcase and cramming them into another. This time we're flying. After hauling that huge, heavy suitcase from Folly to Asheville, I am going to give this whole "traveling light" thing a go.

-I am pouting because not only are we not going to be home on Halloween, we also don't have an excuse to buy yummy candy and store it within arm's reach in a big caldron.

Saturday (And our family grew)

On Saturday morning we gathered to prepare for a very momentous occasion, one of those occasions that will be recorded as part of your family history, will be forever part of your collective memory and will always be recalled with a smile.

As we hung the garland handmade by my brother and his new bride, as we strung lights, put jars of fresh flowers from their garden on the tables, as we placed tiny lights along the pathway leading into reception hall, as we laid home-made crisp cookies at each place setting, we were all taking part in what would be their wedding.

There couldn't have been a more perfect setting: a small green lawn surrounded by autumnal trees, situated among the mountains. The nearby reception hall reminded me much of the grange halls I had read about. Her dress she had refashioned using the fabric from her mother's. My brother was handsome in his dark suit. As we watched them exchange vows, vows they had written, you could literally feel the sincerity.

The wedding and events leading up to and following were non-traditional, but perhaps more appropriate and fitting than any I had been involved in. They celebrated the couple, they honored family and they recognized relationships. From outdoor family dinners to picnics to fiddles at the ceremony, everything was suitable and reminiscent of the duo.

The decorations, as I mentioned, were all created by my brother and his bride, as well as their friends. The couple had collected tea cups, saucers and dessert plates throughout the year, all mismatched and encouraged their guests to take home one of each.

And yesterday my family grew by leaps, as we welcomed not only my new sister-in-law, but her wonderful family as well.

(And the cake was amazing! Light frothy icing, blueberry filling. . .mmmmmm.)

We're headed home.

Photos:
Signs and flowers leading to the wedding.

Mounds of cups waiting for coffee.

Friday (Picnicking in the park)

Our day began with a misting rain, which soon cleared. However, that wasn't enough to lure us from our room. It seems we were a little lazy this morning, choosing to stay inside until time for lunch. We joined my parents for lunch at Jack in the Woods and a little time downtown.

After a few wedding-related errands, we went to yet another nuptual event: a family and friend picnic at a beautiful park. This was a great opportunity for us to spend some quality time watching my tiny nephew sleep and my active niece play.

All is well and we are relaxing, as tomorrow is the big day: wedding bells will be ringing. And then sadly, on Sunday, we'll be coming home.

Photos:
A shot of a little shoppe that seemed appropriate for this here blog.

The walkway at the site of the picnic, autumn is here.

Thursday (We are a family)

On Thursday, admist wind and rain, we bid farewell to Charleston and Folly Beach, as we made our way to Asheville. Four hours of travel later and we were checked into our hotel. We ventured downtown for lunch, a visit to the Earth Guild, Purl's and Malaprop's Bookstore.

Afterward we met up for a family dinner to kick off the festivities leading up to my brother and soon-to-be-sister-in-law's wedding. They hosted the meal in their beautiful and unique backyard. As we all sat along a long table at the center of their gardens, we shared food and drank wine as the two families and groups of friends got to know each other a little better. Fireworks topped off the evening and we said our goodbyes.

Meanwhile our "hometown" was pelted by horrific storms and perhaps a tornado. Trusted friends checked on the house and thankfully all is well. However, the steeple on my church was torn off and tossed into the sanctuary, several houses were damaged, some buildings destroyed and trees, powerlines and poles scattered around town. Apparently 11 people are injured, but gratefully no deaths reported thus far. The tornado is one of 10 potential ones in a four county area.

I am not certain what today holds, but there is a picnic and "field day" at 4. Wish us luck, as the athletic gene has not been passed among our clan.

Photos:
Shot of the dinner table and one of the candles scattered throughout the yard.

Monday (Lowenstein, Lowenstein)

We began our day with a boat ride out to Fort Sumter. For those of you that don't know (we were among you until today) this is where the Civil War began. After a lunch at Sermet's Corner in downtown Charleston (mmmmmm!); we were forced to return to the inn to download the photographs we had taken today (as we had *embarrassingly* filled our memory card in the first few hours alone.)

After a bit of a respit, we headed out to Mount Pleasant to tour Boone Hall, a plantation complete with beautiful gardens. Portions of the mini-series "North and South" and the movie "The Notebook" were filmed here. We got there in time for a tour of the house and a Gullah presentation. As the sun started to sink we headed back to Folly, where we paused to watch the sunset over the marsh. We dined at a tapas restaurant, 11 Center Street, and wrapped it all up with a fondue dessert.

Photos: The top few are shots from Fort Sumter. You can't get enough of the cannons, can you?

Next is a shot that had us saying "Lowenstein. . . Lowenstein", as we recalled the scene from "The Prince of Tides" where Nick Nolte (Tom Wingo) is driving across the bridge, recalling his brief love affair with Barbra Streisand (Susan Lowenstein).

Next up is a shot for all of you house flipping fans: Trademark Properties downtown offices.

A butterfly at the Boone Hall garden. Shot of flowers and trees dripping in Spanish moss.

Sunset at Folly Beach.

And finally, sweet dreams.

Sunday

Three hours of drive time today. Made it to Charleston and Folly Beach. Stopped at outlet mall along the way. Ate a peaceful lunch on the rooftop of a place called Snapper Jack's in Folly, best part was the ocean breeze. Walked along the beach, wading out into the water.

Checked into the inn, admired the incredible bathroom. Enjoyed the balconey. Ventured to the marina in Charleston and then downtown for dinner.

Ate an incredible meal at Magnolia's, drove around a bit more.

Settled in wearing our luxurious robes after a dip in an incredible shower.

Plans to visit Fort Sumter and spend that afternoon at Folly tomorrow. Might even search for the lighthouse here.

Photos:
Our feet on Folly Beach.

It's been so long since we've seen the ocean. . . The tide moving in.

The door handles at Magnolia's and our cozy robes.

Driving for decompression

Cynical and I, antsy to get our trip underway as soon as possible, hit the road early this morning, determined to make as much headway toward Charleston as possible. We also wanted plenty of time to stop whenever our heart desired. Unexpected stops are the entire reason we decided to break our drive up over two days. The joy is in the journey as well, right? We never know when we might run across a Strawberry Festival or a yard sale that is screaming our name.

We crammed all of our wordly belongings into my car, opened the Trip Tik and soon we were on our way. And now we sit, safe and sound in a hotel somewhere in Spartansburg, South Carolina, glad that we are stopping for the night, already settled into our pajamas and an incredibly comfortable bed. I estimate we only have three hours more of drive time before we reach our destination.

Thus far the trip has been wonderful, simply spending time along with my Cynical is as always, a treat. We sing with the radio (we do a mean "Maneater" duet), we chit-chat (about everything from knitting, believe it or not and our desire to rip W'04 stickers off cars that we pass), we make big plans and we daydream outloud. It always surprises me how as we put the miles behind us, I can literally feel myself decompress and begin to relax. My shoulders begin to drop, my mind begins to wander and I begin to feel more like myself. It's amazing and welcomed.

In addition to searching through oldies stations on the radio, we did get to make a few of those unexpected stops. Our first rest from the road was at Cumberland River where we found a spot and stretched our legs, admiring the beautiful clear water. That was enough to rejuvenate us and further spur us along. That is until I spied a sign that said: "Yarn Patch". It was worth crossing a few lanes of traffic and holding onto the seat white-knuckled. A few miles off an exit somewhere near Crossville we spied the tiny yarn shop. Inside I found a great assortment and came home with a few goodies of my own; thus far this trip is fruitful in more ways than one. (I hadn't anticipated any yarn-related stopping.)

Eventually it was time for sustenance. And our search for food landed us at PF Chang's. The fortune was telling, I felt. A quiet dinner, much spicy chicken and some plum sauce later and we were ready for our next stop.

. . . A big ole used bookstore, McKay's. We had noticed it from the interstate and thought it looked promisng. It was truly every reader's dream. Aisle after aisle of well organized books, CDs and movies. When we walked in I literally heard a collective gasp. Cynical and I soon separated in search of our own treasures. I scored two Cowboy Junkies CDs much to my delight.

We decided to stop for the night, nabbed some dinner at Chandi's Bistro and are resting up for tomorrow's adventure.

Photos:
The boat dock along the Cumberland River.

The Yarn Patch in Crossville, Tennessee.

PF Chang's fortunes. . . they speak the truth?

So many books. . . so little time. A shot from the catwalk at McKay's.

The road not yet traveled.