Life is Like a Box of Chocolates

Welcome!  I'm glad you're here!  I want to share one of my favorite places with you.  What a discovery!

When you park in front of the brown awning and step out of the car, you know you're at a special place.   Before you even go inside, you can smell it.  The unmistakable aroma of chocolate,  so strong that it totally bombards your nostrils.  The Chocolate Tree has grown to become a Beaufort landmark and a visit to the area isn't complete without going there.

"Forrest Gump" was filmed in part in Beaufort.  "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.", Forrest quotes his mamma, but it is only partially true.  At the Chocolate Tree you know exactly what you're gonna get.  Mouth watering, creamy, chocolaty chocolate!  They have other candy as well, all kinds of fudge, every nut brittle imaginable, gummy everything, but there's nothing anywhere that tastes like their solid dark chocolate.  A bite lasts forever on your tongue, rich with chocolate flavor as it melts, oh so slowly.  If you're a milk chocolate fan, The Chocolate Tree can satisfy you as well.  "They" say when Tom Hanks was in Beaufort for the filming of "Forrest Gump" he would walk to The Chocolate Tree every day for a sample.  He also treated the crew, cast and everyone connected with the movie daily.  The man knows his chocolate!

Walking on the beach and picking up sand dollars is one of my favorite things to do.  They're beautiful and plentiful on Hunting Island beach.  It's hard to compete with Mother Nature, however the chocolate tree makes a good attempt.   Their solid dark chocolate and milk chocolate,  yummy, sand dollars would make even her mouth water.  My perfect,  perfectly self-indulgent day, includes a walk on the beach, chocolate safely tucked in my backpack, ending with just sitting and letting my five basic senses go to work.  One of those little things that make you say Ahhhhhhhh......

Thanks for stopping by.  Hurry back soon and wherever you are.... enjoy!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Hi!  Welcome.  I'm glad you're here.

The days are flying! We're finishing the guest room we call the "kid's" room and baking cookies. The lights are strung, tree is up, candles in the windows.  Little beach house is almost ready for the biggest birthday party of the year. 

I was worried about my favorite holiday being different in the low country.  I shouldn't have.  Christmas is like home. It lives in your heart.

Jerry and I were privileged to attend A "Gullah Christmas" at USC-B (University of South Carolina Beaufort) Saturday evening starring  'The Gullah Kinfolk'.  What a joy!  The Gullah's are decendants of slaves brought to the sea islands of South Carolina from West Africa.  Gullah Kinfolk depict the history of their culture in drama and song.  They sang some of the best gospel I've ever heard!  "Amazing Grace" was beautiful, spiritual and emotional. There were many wet cheeks in the audience, mine included.   And there was food.  Lots of food!  Tables were filled to the brim with possibly every rice dish ever concocted on the sea islands. There was Low Country crab and shrimp gumbo, Frogmore stew, fried chicken, Bar-B-Que,  sweet potato everything, corn bread and tables of cakes, pies, cheese cakes, etc.  I had my first taste of collard greens and loved it.  The audience filled their plates, some several times and ate in the auditorium before the show started.  It was a wonderful evening and I can't wait to go again next Christmas.  

Funny coincidence today, A friend fell in the snow.  She wasn't hurt,  thank goodness!  I, however, tripped on my husbands foot, in my bare feet, on dry floor and broke my little toe. Go figure!    

Speaking of friends, we were in Wal-Mart yesterday and saw two couples we know.  Both permanent Beaufort County residents who retired and moved from Ohio.  Funny...four out of the six had on an OSU article of clothing.  Just proves once a Buckeye, always... etc....also proves how great it is to see a friend! 

Thanks for stopping in.  See you soon and until then...enjoy!

A Dog Gone Day

HI!  Welcome to SHIbuckeye.

I am SO glad we moved south to keep warm!  The freezing of body parts has begun.  Toes and nose most especially.  It is NOT supposed to happen here.  But it is.  It's 37 at the moment.  The high was around 47 today.  I guess I have gotten used to being warm because 37 in Ohio felt like a Spring day!  They tell me it's unseasonably cold.  I heard the same thing in the summer, only then, it was unseasonably hot.  I choose hot!  We had 4 different companies here today giving us estimates on picket fence to contain Grace and our two Grand dogs when they visit.  One of the dogs is the famous Mulligan.  Darling little guy.  Trying to figure out where to put the fence so he can't eat the outdoor furniture cushions is a challenge.  If they don't satisfy him, he will probably eat the fence, so maybe to keep him from getting indigestion, we should forget the whole thing.  This is the dog that ate the fourth roll of toilet tissue during the cottage remodel before Jers came unglued.  I was in Ohio and missed the fun but I was told it was an eye-watering, knee slapping, bend over and laugh until you can't breathe moment.  That was before Mulligan ate the blinds in the living room and two bedrooms.  Oh, did I mention the couch?  The poor little guy has issues.  He needs someone to "whisper" to him, desperately!  Grace, being the angel she is, is horrified by his behavior.  I casually mentioned the other day it won't be long until he will be here and she'll have a playmate.  She looked at me in terror and ran to cower in her bed.  She's still there!  Anyway, I digress.  It was during this running in and out that I got chilled.  I finally got warm and we went to dinner.  The big chill is on again.


Today was one of those days where nothing was accomplished..  The tree is up, naked, with the exception of a few lights and an angel on top.  The outdoor lights are waiting for a warmer day to be put on the bushes and trees.  Flour,sugar,butter, brown sugar and other goodies are on the counter with expectations of their separate parts being mixed into cookies sometime soon.

SHIbuckey just decided to publish its self before I had edited.

Yep, one of those dog gone days.

Thanks for stopping by!  I'll see you soon. Until then, enjoy!

Beach Surprise

Hi!  Welcome!  I'm glad you're here.  I hope you had a great day.   

You never know what you'll see here on the beach.  Today was an extra special surprise.  A group of women were there with their horses.  They had the beach to themselves until Grace and I, our neighbor and her grandchildren came on the scene.  And what a scene it was!  Like out of a movie!  They were having a great time galloping on the sand and in the surf.  There must have been at least a dozen riders.  I had a meaningful conversation with one of the them as she galloped by.  Me:   "That looks like fun"!   Rider:   "It is but so is walking your dog on the beach!"  Very nice comment meant to make a granny feel better about being on foot instead of on horseback, however, I remember trail riding up to 30 miles a day. It is not the same.  No way.  My hair was not blowing in the breeze.  I didn't have saddle sores.  There were no bugs in my teeth.
Just saying..... 

While I was gone, Jerry was simultaneously watching WVU/Rutgers, SC/Auburn and putting Christmas lights on the roof.   He has 5 strands of icicle lights strung, 300 per strand, and the job is about half done.  We're going to play "watch the meter go 'round!"  Sparky Griswold has competition this year! He told me the bushes and palm trees are my jobs. I've never put lights on a palm tree!  I think I'll see what's new on the beach instead and let my Sparky work his magic.  If you hear of a BIG outage in the south...
it's not terrorists.

Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you soon.  Until then, enjoy your days! 

Homeward Bound

Hi!  I'm glad you're here!  We're back on St. Helena after a great two week visit in Ohio. Snow is falling in the buckeye state with two to four inches expected this weekend.  Brrrr!  Driving across Fancy Gap was scary both ways.  Fog, rain and yuck!  How could we be so lucky?  Although the video shows the poor visibility, hold on to your hat!  The road is a little bumpy!  This shows the return trip.  It was actually worse going north.  You'll note the only happy people is "Sugarland" in the background.

  

While in Ohio, we helped with yet another move. This time it was our daughter and son-in-law doing the moving and one we didn't have to see to the end.  We left them still living in box chaos filled with "stuff!" 

 Definition of "Stuff": 

 a:  unspecified material 

 b. Household or personal items considered as a group  

 c worthless objects.

Yep, that's about right.  It's all of those things! 

After a beautiful Thanksgiving with family and friends, we braved the elements at 6:00 A.M. for black Friday bargains.  What an experience THAT was and one I don't think I'll repeat.  We live on Beaufort time and it doesn't have a 6:00 A.M. or crowds or lines. Saturday, we watched THE Ohio State University beat that team up north and I caught up on girl talk at the local pub in the evening. 

We were glad to see our church family Sunday morning, attended a birthday party in the afternoon and an open house in the evening hosted by Pastor Bracken and lovely wife Kimberly.  Afterward, we enjoyed helping decorate the church. Below are the professional garland untanglers hard at work. 

The finished project is below.   Pretty little church, we'll be

 thinking of your special candle light services Christmas Eve.

On the return trip we stayed overnight in Statesville, NC.  We usually drive straight through, but having driven over the mountains safely, we decided enough was enough!  Pet friendly rooms make traveling with Grace worry free.  She sniffed the room out for at least half an hour before she declared it a worthy place to curl up on her bed.  Say "cheese" Gracie!

This morning I woke up in my own bed.  The birds are singing. The sun is shining. Spanish moss is gently waving in the breeze.  Jers is grooving to Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way".  Little beach house is rocking!  There is no snow.

Life is good. 

Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy your day!  See you soon.