It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

While we had a relaxing vacation with the parents, I did do a little work while we were there. My parents' house is on a tour of homes over the Christmas season, and Mom wanted to get a jump on her 4 (yes, 4) decorated Christmas trees. Behold...

The "standard" tree, complete with ornaments we've collected as a family over the years.

The candy tree (my mom is so clever), including real candy as ornaments

And then there's the gold tree, in their bedroom. Mom has an array of gold ornaments, including her favorite, the bell ringing Santa. I personally like the gold and glass reindeer.

She's been singing Christmas songs since Wednesday ;)

Say, Dr. L, what's Thanksgiving like in sunny CA?

Well, it's not terribly cold, if my dad's herb garden is any indication.



The roses seem pretty happy, too.

Especially the giant John F Kennedy roses

And what rose garden would be complete without a gorgeous red rose?

Thanks Mom and Dad for a lovely, relaxing stay for Thanksgiving. We can't wait to see you again and return the favor.

You know how I needed a trip to California?

Well, I got one. Visited my brother, SIL, and nephew in LA, and T treated us to a fruit plate to die for. Persimmons, pineapple guava, pears, apples, and pomegranate. I only wish I had a picture. Take that, PA checkout girl!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Wishing you all a happy Thanksgiving, whether with friends or family.

Tybee Island

I tell ya, nothing beats an off-season visit to an east coast beach town. You can gear up in hat and gloves and have the beach to yourself.

We visited the pier...



And watched the waves hit the shore.





And a good time was had by all...

And they called it a "Civil" War

While we were in Savannah, my friend Michelle rented a car so we could visit Tybee Island. We figured we'd hit a couple of Civil War forts onthe way and see what there was to see.

The first was Old Fort Jackson. It was originally built as an earthen fortress during the Revolutionary War, then underwent improvements during the War of 1812, and was used by the state of Georgia during the Civil War. It isn't a large fort by any stretch of the imagination, but it held a certain charm for me. The static displays were informative of what everyday life at the fort must have been like, and I just got a good feeling from the place. Here are a few snippets.


The storeroom for rations. I loved the "essence of peaches".



The moat. I'm trying to imagine August here, with heat, humidity, and mosquitoes. Yuck.

After our visit to Old Fort Jackson, we headed to Fort Pulaski. While it was under Confederate control early in the Civil War, by 1862 it had been taken over by Union troops, and remained so throughout the rest of the war.


The moat, complete with alligators. This was taken from the upper level, where all the cannon were arrayed to defend the fort.


Methinks this cannon has seen better days. But note the wheels on the back and the track it was on, so it could be positioned as needed.


For a time Fort Pulaski was used as a POW camp, and the Confederate soldiers were ill treated in retaliation for whatever was going on in Andersonville and beyond. There's a small cemetery that's part of the entrance to the fort to remind us of the horrors of war.

Georgia on my mind

For the last several years, I've wanted to visit Savannah. I attempted a girls' trip here with my mom in April, but--things happened, and plans fell through. My wonderful husband said it would make a great 40th birthday present for me. My college girlfriends agreed, and all 4 of us met up for a weekend together.

The picture above is from Forsyth Park, one of the many parks and squares in Savannah. We took a long walk through the area this weekend, including the riverfront. We even got into an open house for a historical home for sale along the park. Anyone have a spare $1.5 million?

The architecture in Savannah is gorgeous, as evidenced by these shots from St. John the Baptist Cathedral. I could have spent half the day in there looking at the stained glass and the frescoes painted on the walls.



A visit to lowcountry wouldn't be complete without pictures of Spanish moss. My mom told me that she and her mom used to dye it different colors for Christmas decorations when she was growing up.

And then there's the food. We got a package deal at the Marshall House, which gave us a discount at one of 5 fabulous restaurants in Savannah. We decided on The Olde Pink House, and we weren't disappointed. We each got a different appetizer to share with the table, and did the same with our entrees. We were a little stingier with dessert ;) I got the praline basket filled with fruit. Yum!

The husband and I definitely want to return to Savannah. There are a few more shops and squares we didn't get to see, and I know they're just waiting for us...