monday mash up, March 26

So how was everybody's weekend? We had a pretty nice time around these parts, despite it being gray and drizzly a lot of the time. I actually kinda like that weather, although the coffee was in heavy rotation. It's been creepy warm this winter and spring, as you can see from the thermometer in my car. And all those speckles on that picture? Um, yeah, that's pollen. Happy Spring, everybody! I was a good girl, and had a physical on Friday. I'm providing a picture of my lab results because it's the only thing I do better than Neel. My doctor said I looked like a poster child for someone who was taking cholesterol medication...IF I actually were taking cholesterol medication. Poor Neel, genetics really bit him in the butt on that one, so I had to show off! And check out my carpool reading. I love sitting in the carpool line. They have after-school dismissal running like a machine at Cal's school. With so many kids dismissing at once, they almost have to. I always get there a little early so I can have a few minutes to sit in the car and get a little break. My carpool reading is always light. This Friday, it was an article on migraines in this month's Vogue (U.S. edition). Some interesting (and hopeful) stuff on the horizon, but I'm still intrigued by botox!

Baseball season started, and I'll tell you all about that tomorrow. Baseball will feature heavily in our springtime around here, but I'll try not to overload you. And the picture of the giant foot? That's me. In Callum's shoe. Sniff.

Cal went to see The Hunger Games with a friend on Saturday night, and I'm so glad I don't have to take him. Not interested. Neel and I had a hot date at the grocery store ('cause that's how we roll) and came home and watched Bright Star. Maybe I'm not deep, but I didn't love it. Of course it was cinematically beautiful, of course it was. But we both found it slow to get going (kind of like the love affair itself), and Neel kept hoping it would end in a helluva shoot out. I think he may take Callum to see The Hunger Games next.

Other than that I had a giant pantry clean out (long overdue), and I racked my brain (and my Marth Stewart Livings) trying to remember where I saw the article about the two guys who had the super small condo/apartment/vacation home and had to do some crafty organizing - especially in their fridge, because that's next. All I could remember is that they got their stuff on organize.com which I suppose should be enough but I still want to see the article.

Neel just moved the car for me. That makes me so glad I made another jamble. Blackberries this time. I almost held out and didn't dig on the internets for the recipe since several of you offered to come for dinner (yes, please!). But here it is. I found lots of versions, but I liked this one, partly because you can convert it to metric. Although, I have to say, my pan looks much smaller. AND. We never add extra sugar. The fruit should make it sweet enough. If you make it, let me know how it turns out...and how about sending a picture?

And all day, as I thought about took pictures and thought about writing this, I remembered the tweet I saw, pointing to a blog post about good writing and how nobody wanted to read about your weekend!But I also remembered how Annie said she liked following along on Instagram and seeing what the pictures were about. Almost like a scavenger hunt. So maybe I'm not too boring. Still want to go read that post though. And I love hearing what you guys did on the weekends...

Maybe I'm not your average bear. Now go and conquer the week!

five things, march 23rd edition

1. I think I like Callum's new routine of waking to his alarm at five a.m. FIVE! I'm not sure it'll last, but he's waking up happy, and we have tons of time together in the morning. Leisurely mornings do this family good. However. My alone-time is impacted, but I'm alone all day. I think I'll survive.
2. I think I've been feeling really uninspired and blah about the meals I've made this week, despite the blog being rather food-heavy. Ever feel that way? When nothing you make feels appetizing or inspiring? I'm doing all the things I want to do (fish at least once a week, more fresh veggies, more and more interesting side dishes), but still, wah-wah.
3. I think I've received such moving comments about migraines here at SPL this week. Amie wrote this about about her sister: This piece really hit home. Not for me so much, but for my 15 year old sister. She suffers from chronic migraines, and has for years. It's to the point that she winds up, almost monthly, in the ER or Phoenix Children's Hospital. It has led to her having to be enrolled in online high school, versus traditional, which has cut her off socially. She has bouts of severe depression and weight loss due to constant nausea. She has severe anxiety whenever she is at a social function because she is so paranoid of getting a migraine. It's just awful, esp for a kid her age. I'm going to forward this blog to her, as i think she may feel a bit of camaraderie.

And Lauren (the other Lauren!) wrote this about her own experience: I get migraines about once a month, sometimes less, sometimes more, and they too seem to be related to barometric pressure and aged cheese, as well as a lack of sleep. I am so grateful that I don't get them more frequently, because they are so debilitating. I get blind spots, throw up, and have such excruciating pain that I literally cannot get out of bed. And then the migraine hangover lasts for two days after that. It is horrible when I get them when pregnant or nursing because I cannot take anything to prevent them once I feel one coming on. My paternal grandmother also suffered from them, and my sister. Crazy illness, it is.

My neighbor Jean also suffers from migraines and her insurance won't cover the meds that kill the pain for her. I know that when I'm hurting, she's likely hurting too, and we'll often touch base in the middle of the street and ask, "How was your week? ... Yeah, Monday was a bad one for me too."

It's remarkable to me that there are so many of us out there, all muddling through in our own way, trying to make it work somehow. All slightly different, but connected by the common aspects of this experience. If anything, maybe we can be a community and support for each other. I never dreamed that this would turn into a migraine blog, but I'm here for you if you want!

4. I think one of the many things I love about Neel is his thoughtfulness. One day last week, for unknown reasons, he'd backed the car I usually drive into the driveway so that I pulled out instead of backing out when I had to go somewhere. When I mentioned how much easier this was for me, he's been backing my car in ever since.
5.
I think that this week especially, I've been inspired and buoyed by my beloved friends and community around me. Theresa wrote this beautiful post (many of you will have already read it) about balance, Jenni wrote a great post about blogging that I've been meaning to reply to all week (I'll get there, I promise!), and Julie of White Tapestry wrote a post about figuring things out that still has me thinking. Finally Annie had a great post over at Insideology that had us all chatting. To top it off, a phone call with Mark that had me in fits of giggles (and still does) and lunch with my dear friend Marianne was just the balm I needed after last week's rough go. Clearly I need to do both of those more often. What we do without our friends, near and far? What would I do without you all?

inspired dinner {life}

I always come back from a vacation inspired to make changes in my life. Big or little, I want somehow my day to day life to reflect to ease I find when we're living at a more relaxed pace. I still think about breakfasts we had in Germany or Greece and wonder why I have yet to incorporate them into our morning routines. Evening cooking is easier, and last week I found it simple enough to look to Charleston when bringing one of our weeknight night dinners to the table.

I can't think why I don't make bruschetta for dinner more often. Callum loves it, and if we add some other components, as we did here, it becomes satisfying enough for a full meal. This night, making dinner flowed organically for me. While slicing the tomatoes, I saw that we had baby potatoes, so I quickly steamed them and added a dollop of sour cream. We had several chunks of cheese, including a gamble I took on something called Norwegian Ski Cheese (??), and a salami. That, with the potatoes and bruschetta seemed like the making of a pretty good dinner.

It was the first week of Daylight Savings and since our living room is at its best in the late afternoon and early evening, we carried our platters and plates to the front of the house to eat off our laps for a change from the dining table. I thought that I'd have bruschetta left for lunches the next day, but no such luck.

Lauren's Simple Bruschetta

1 small baguete, sliced
1/2 white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 small jar sliced ripe olives
diced assorted tomatoes (I used whatever I have on hand)
vinegar (choose your poison, balsalmic, red wine, whatev)
parmesean cheese
olive oil
parsley, basil, or any other herb you might have on hand

Preheat oven to 350.
Drop a couple of glugs of olive oil into a saute pan and add the onion and saute until translucent.
Add one clove of garlic and saute briefly before adding tomatoes and black olives.
Splash with vinegar and keep warm in pan.

Slice one baguette (I used whole wheat), and brush both sides of each slice with a mix of olive oil and garlic.
Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and add a dollop of tomato mixture to each slice.
Sprinkle some grated parm on top of each slice of bread.
Toast in the oven until just warmed up and cheese has slightly melted.
Sprinkle with herb of choice and serve
5-7 minutes.

Enjoy!

Obviously, this is just a starting point, and there are endless variations, but this, at its most basic, is a good place to start.

spring garden {life}

Neel's garden is coming to life.

He's worked hard all winter; I don't think there was a weekend, or even a day that he didn't spend some time out there, toiling in the earth. Planning and planting.

It's exciting to see the fruits of his labor, quite literally, come to life.

Sometimes the results are subtle.

Like here.

As the Japanese Maple slowly comes to bud.

And sometimes they're quite vibrant. Like here with this anenome (I'm so glad he's planted more of these!).

And here, with this spreading carpet of Evening Primrose. We saw a house in Charleston called the Primrose House, and it was painted just that shade of yellow!

Dandelions are not allowed.

If you are in the yard for any time at all, a dog will accompany you.

Everywhere you look, spring is bumping up against winter. It seems more acute this year, since really, we had no winter. The camellias bloom in winter here, brightening our dark days of January and February right into March. The red bud, in bloom down the path, is early, coming into bud as the earth warms up more quickly this season. It's making for a spectacular display of color, no question.

Neel will fill you in on all of his doings at some point (more guest posts!). He has the seeds started in the sun room and all sorts of plans. But the surprises are already starting to pop up. Sweet strawberries on the way.

jamble {life}

Before I start with today's post, I just want to say thank you so much for your thoughtful concern about my migraines on yesterday's post. I feel the need to move forward (enough with your whining, already, Lauren!), but I did respond with a little more information about my migraines in the comments section of yesterday's post. If you care to go and read. Anyhoo...

When Callum was a babe (pre size 8.5 baseball cleats) my grandmother bought him a book called Jamberry. I think my mom helped out with that purchase, but no matter. Man, we read that book a lot.

Neel's favorite line in the story was "Billions of berries in blackberry jamble." Our particular jamble, to which he referred, was from a recipe by Jane Brody. My mom (again) originally turned us on to this super-simple cobbler, and in our extreme youth I made it often. Despite the fact that Neel often asks, I haven't made it in years.

Bad wife.

I'm trying to make up for my failures. I wish I could share the recipe with you because it's super easy and takes no time at all. I'm nowhere close to being a baker, and even I can't screw it up. But I did no modifications (It's baking people, I can't tweak that!), and I'm all skeeved out about copyright and stealing and stuff like that. Just trust me when I tell you that it's fast, easy, delicious, and for a dessert, pretty healthy. I know! Healthy! Healthy enough that I might even pop it into the breakfast rotation.

Although it is pretty awesome with ice cream.

monday mash up, March 19 edition

I had another of those epiphany moments this past Friday like I had a few weeks ago about being grateful for my bounty. Remember that? So on Friday, I was sitting at my doctor's office for a regular appointment to get prescriptions refilled and have some blood drawn, and suddenly I just knew I needed to make a conscious decision to choose joy. Last week was rough. I think some of you have mentioned that you too suffer from migraines, but if you don't, there's a component to them that goes beyond the headache itself. In fact, the head pain is only one of many symptoms that make up a migraine. One component for me (and for anyone, I think, who suffers with chronic pain) is a sense of accompanying depression and despair. A feeling that you'll never feel well again. It's a pain unlike any other, and having lived with migraines for so long is, I feel certain, why childbirth was such a breeze for me. I'm not trying to be glib. Without the despair, I breathed through those contractions as if they weren't happening to me. No lie.

So, I upped my meds, and we'll muddle along, and I'm working at choosing joy. This isn't meant to be a whiny post. Just trying to keep it real around here you know? Sometimes things are great and sometimes they suck.

We actually had a really nice weekend. I stayed mostly headache free, despite the fact that we spent almost the whole weekend together! Friday night we enjoyed a fire pit with some friends and Neel attempted to recreate that amazing drink we had a Lana. Even though he wasn't completely satisfied, I was more than happy to have one or two! It being St. Patrick's weekend made the Guinness especially appropriate. After baseball practice on Thursday night, it was clear that Callum needed new cleats, so we headed out early Saturday morning (pre-baseball practice) for some new ones. Nothing more fun than new shoes. And the boy likes vibrant when it comes to his shoes. He went with the Addidas on the right. Last year he wanted us to go to all his practices, and we keep waiting for him to outgrow that, but so far not yet. It might happen this spring. Still, the sun was warm(ish) and the afternoon was long, so Neel and I took our lawn chairs and I took a book (that's my Tamar Adler book you see pictured) to watch baseball practice. Those boys are shaking the rust off for sure. First game next Saturday.

Did you know Neel is half Irish? Well that's a story for another day, but we had corned beef and cabbage (and Guinness) for dinner and a dessert sampler too. More on dessert tomorrow, can you wait? Other than that, we're erasing and re-writing our NCAA brackets (I kid, I kid!), and catching up on Project Runway (not gonna say a word about that one). I find that even though it kills my bracket, if I don't know either team, I pull for the underdog. What does that say about me?

Speaking of dogs, we have a little bonus for you.

Poor Lucy! That silly beagle. Before the other two dogs moved in, she used to make up games with Callum's back pack. And you can literally (and I mean literally) drop a piece of paper next to her, and she'll dart off in fear. So for about 20 minutes yesterday, while Neel was at work, she got herself in a bit of a lather. Jumping towards something clearly dangerous, and then away from it. Wagging her tail and barking. Dropping into downward-facing dog before dashing into the next room, toenails scrabbling against the wood floors, only to come back and bark at the nefarious intruder. The object of her concern, you ask?

The cardboard strip the you pull off the top of a box to open it up. You have to watch those things all the time. (Ignore the dust and dog hair. I had to wait for her to calm down before I could sweep that morning, because you know, the broom scares her too.) Here's to a great week, peeps. With a beagle around to entertain us, things have to be looking up.

five things, march 16 edition

1. I think I had to have at least one more photo of Spanish Moss for Erin.
2. I think that this week has been a bit of a bear. My friend Seamane asked how our re-entry was going, and really, my only complaint has been physical. Migraines all week have left me tired and irritable. Noreen sweetly checked in on me in yesterday's comments, and yes, it's this creepy (yes, I said it), early spring. I love the weather, but 30 degrees warmer than it should be on March 15? What's up with that? The pollen and surprising heat have wreaked their havoc on me. Seeing the doctor today. It might be time to up my meds.
3. I think I'm really glad I worked some personal grooming into the week. Thank god for my hair stylist and her magic bowl of brunette.
4. I think I always come home from vacation wanting to make different kinds of meals. We had a vacation-inspired dinner early in the week, which I'll share with you sometime next week, but on Thursday it was straight up hoagies to celebrate the first night of baseball practice. That, and I couldn't face the idea of cooking one more night.
5. I think I'm so glad that baseball practice started last night. He'll need new cleats (growing boy) and a new bat (changing rules), but oh, he's happy and so are we. We'll all have some adjusting to do to get used to this new routine, but after last spring when it was clear that lacrosee was...well, let's just say becoming less than appealing, it's nice to see my boy so happy again. Blue skies ahead. Happy weekend my ducks.

Wrap Up {life}

A whole week of posts for such a short get away? What can I say?

We stayed in a beautiful hotel.

And Callum took pictures.

We traveled with our breakfasts from a lovely local bakery.

We took a carriage ride and met a horse named Jasper. You saw some of the houses from that ride. Jasper was awesome. Every so often he'd pull over to the side of the road to "practice" his parking. Down one of the streets we traveled there was a cat sunning in the middle of the road. Freaked poor Jasper out. Once he got over his fright and the cat skitted away, he got curious and tried to follow her. Such personality in that sweet horse.

We took a boat ride.

And had a storm follow us to Fort Sumter, birthplace of the American Civil War.

The storm met up with us there.

When the rain still threatened, we took a bike taxi back to the hotel.

We wandered the streets, stopping in shops and admiring the views.

We wandered an old, old cemetery (see that Spanish moss? that sings coastal south to me) and met up with the caretaker who took Neel around, showing him some of his favorite spots.

Through it all, Callum took pictures. Chasing geometry across the city. You know, I like that kid. I'm looking forward to seeing our trip from his point of view.

Charleston Food {life}

Let me first say that after having an aunt give you access to a lovely hotel in a city you plan to visit, it might behoove you (if you at all can) to be friends with a food photographer who lives in a city you are about to visit. It helps.

When I came in December, Helene kindly emailed me a list of some of her favorite restaurants as suggestions for me while I was in town for the workshop. My first night there I had dinner at Carolina's, a short walk from my hotel, where the loveliness of my meal was almost surpassed by the uniqueness of eating it on my own. You probably think I can't remember what I had all those months ago, hmmmm? Oh! But I do! I'd have it again in a heartbeat. I often pull from the appetizer menu and eating alone this seems to make especially good sense: I had clams with a leek fondue, cannellini beans and tomato broth along with a roasted beet salad complete with bacon lardons and a poached egg. All of my favorite food groups.

But enough about me. When we got to the Mills House Hotel this visit, it was still pretty early. Tea time, perhaps? Cocktail time for sure. We dropped our bags in the room and headed down to the Barbados Room for some nosh. It was pretty enough outside that we ate in the courtyard by the fountain.

Neel and Callum had She Crab Soup (Cal loves him some She Crab Soup), and I had shrimp salad. Of course I had a gin and tonic too.

Dinner was nothing fancy. We needed something simple and fast to calm the savage beast that is the 12 year old boy. Local brewery. Unexceptional service. Callum had She Crab Soup (again). Neel and I split a flight of beer samplers. Beer is good. I had a lovely little plate of roasted garlic, flat bread, warm brie and a compote of spicy tomatoes and onions. Definitely gonna try that one at home.

For lunch the next day, we consulted Helene's list. And chose this. What the what? This my friends, is the kitchen at Slightly North of Broad, or SNOB.

When we got there, we were offered the option of a regular table or eating at the chef's table facing the kitchen. My son opted for this choice, and it was brilliant.

When we did our highs and lows of the trip, this meal ranked right up there among my highs. Although we couldn't completely see into the kitchen, we were right there and could feel the palpable energy that comes out of that kind of creative mayhem. It was awesome! I have to be extra careful with cocktails in general (headaches) and especially during the day, but hey! We're on vacation! Neel had an amazing margarita, and I had something called a Barn Raiser: honey infused bourbon, Blenheim's ginger ale and orange bitters with a twist. Yeah, it was pretty awesome.

We started with mussels, but after that things were hit and miss, food wise. Strictly operator error. Callum was making a real effort to be brave with his food choices (and he's not a picky eater, by any stretch), so he tried the fried chicken livers. No go. Neel had drum, which is a fish, so he switched with Cal, and I didn't really like either. Fortunately my beef carpachio was awesome. I shared with everyone.

Neel, who does not have a sweet tooth, surprised us by ordering dessert. As you may know, I'm not a fan of cooked fruit, but this was pretty lovely. For me, the most important part of a cobbler is the crust. This crust was pretty okay. Understatement.

But by far the best part about lunch at SNOB was watching Callum unfurl his interest in his camera. If I took a picture of our lunch, he took a dozen. We'll talk more about this, I'm sure, and his post about Charleston is coming up next week, but I'm so excited that he's excited. I'm hoping this is something we can share for a long time. And if not? Well, we had fun in Charleston, and that chef in the kitchen got a kick out of us too.

On to dinner! (Who else plans their vacations around meals? Come on, it's not just us!) I knew I wanted us to go to Lana (also pictured at the top of the post) for our last night in town, so Neel made reservations for Friday night. I don't know if we're messing Callum up or raising him right, but like us, he loves eating out (and nice hotels!). Still, we've done this often enough to know that when you're feeding kids, no matter how sophisticated their palettes, early is good. After a roundabout walk to get there, we walked in the door just after six as the place was starting to fill up.

Callum had tonic and lime first, then Sierra Mist (sprite), but Neel's cocktail was the best. Called the Velvet Whipping Post it consisted of Guinness, Espresso Vodka and sparkling wine. So smooth and delightful! When he brought Neel's drink, our server said he'd been skeptical about it at first so he had one... then he had five.

Neel had steak, Callum had rockfish, and I had the most divine scallops (again off the appetizer menu), but the best part of the meal was the antipasto platter, hands down. Nothing, except maybe the duckfat fries, compared to that platter. This was truly a delightful meal and a delightful experience. Helene (whose photos grace the walls of the restaurant) is friends with Chef John Ondo, who is an attentive presence at the table. Our own server took great care of us, but having the chef bring your dinner and check in on you definitely makes you feel well cared for. The atmosphere is warm and relaxed, and the pace is decidedly Southern: unhurried.

Our wonderful concierge at The Mills House told Neel that Charleston really became a foodie city within the last 10-15 years, and Husk is a perfect example of all the best that the city has to offer. Just across the street from our hotel, we met our friends Megan and Jon here for lunch on Saturday. We were lucky to get in. Another person at our hotel told us that it took her a week and a half to get reservations, for lunch, and as we stood outside waiting for our table we saw group after group take a glance at the menu, pop inside planning to eat and pop right back out again. No room at the inn.

Named Bon Appetit's Best New Restaurant in 2011 with a chef who was recently featured in The New Yorker, our experience and meal at Husk was everything I've come to expect at a Charleston eatery. Gracious and delicious. Warm buns with honey butter and delightful attention from our server who seemed genuinely interested and pleased to hear where else we'd been eating during our stay.

Their menu changes daily, and Husk is big on the pig (as was evidenced by the Bloody Mary with cured ham I showed you in my Monday Mash Up!). We shared two appetizers: bruschetta with pimento cheese & ham and pigs ears lettuce wraps. You read that right. Served on fluffy leaves of Boston lettuce with braised cabbage...I. HAVE. NO. WORDS. Sooooo good! One thoughtful note: each appetizer came in a set of five, which was the number in our party. So many times we've eaten out with these guys, sharing tapas or whatnot, and had to figure out how to divide a serving of three...this was a nice way to do it.

Callum, as you know, was on a kick of being brave, and this time it paid off. He had the crispy duck leg and loved it. Neel and Megan ordered one of the few menu staples: Shrimp and Grits (which I'm thinking I want to try to make sometime), and when I heard that the chef was working to perfect fried chicken, well, I had to try the fried chicken BLT. It's not pictured because it went too quickly into my tummy. Nom. Nom. Nom.

Can I pick a favorite? Don't make me! The Barbados Room had that elegant sink-into-vacation feeling coupled with gracious old South. My meal and cocktail at SNOB was awesome even though Neel's and Callum's weren't so (bad choices). SNOB was more about the atmosphere of sitting at the bar and feeling the energy of the kitchen right in front of us. That, and Callum getting excited about the camera. Lana had that antipasto platter and the Velvet Whipping Post along with the wonderful attentive service. Husk was all about atmosphere, from the joggling boards on the front porch to the warm rolls served in burlap bags. Phenomenal food doesn't hurt either. We didn't go wrong at any of them. More please.

charleston houses {life}

I have to say, I'm intrigued by the fact that I did not take a ton of photos while we were in Charleston. I think there were several reasons for this, not least of which was that I just needed to sink in and have some fun. We had some fun. I thought first I'd tell you about the houses, and then about the food and then maybe about some other stuff (If I haven't lost you all by then), and sometime this week or next you might get to enjoy a guest post by a certain 12-year-old who also enjoyed Charleston very much. But as I show you around and tell you about my own particular connection with the city, well "Please enjoy the view from the street."

This is what it looks like beyond that gate. As you can imagine, Neel got lots of ideas!

I grew up coming here for family vacations many, many summers in my childhood. Not Charleston specifically, but Isle of Palms, South Carolina, which is about 20 minutes from the city. Beach vacations were perfect for my family. We love nothing more than a stack of books tipped alongside our beach chair, a sturdy umbrella for when the sun gets too hot and an inflatable float for bobbing on the waves. (I married a man for whom this is less appealing, but we're both learning to adapt.) Our typical routine was to rent a kitchenette in a quirky, run-down beach front hotel (The kitchenette was good for making ham and cheese sandwiches at lunch time.), spend most of our days by the ocean, and go into Charleston in the evenings or one or two days during our stay. Just to mix things up.

Callum is actually now a third-generation Charleston vacationer.

Famously, and I say famously because you know how these kinds of things can go down in a family's lore, my mom came to Charleston when she was 13 with her Aunt Kitty and Uncle Wally. When I came to Charleston with my mom and dad when I was 13, we heard a lot about my mom's visit. My dad and I teased her mercilessly for all her reminiscing. I won't lie. Callum's bumping against 13, and I took care not to hark back on my childhood visits too, too much. But it's hard! I feel your pain, Mom. We had lunch with friends before leaving town on Saturday, and the wife of this couple reminisced about her parents bringing her to the Mills House Hotel when she was a kid. Once we were in the car, Callum pointed out, "See Momma, even Megan does it!"

When you had wonderful times, you want to remember them and share them.

The stately, historic neighborhoods of Charleston lie facing the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, along what's called the Battery. Charleston was once a walled city, and the Battery is the protective seawall and park where the rivers meet. The houses in the above photos face the Battery.

It's not a bad view.

Some of my photos are from my trip in December, but I couldn't not show you! Aren't they stunning? And huge. The fronts face the street, and they stretch back and back and back. Just ginormous.

While grand, those houses weren't my favorites. I loved better the tucked-away houses and the secret gardens of the side streets that lead down to the Battery. We took a carriage ride (more on that later in the week), and I honestly could have spent days behind the slow clop-clop of our horse Jasper, looking at these beautiful houses. This photo is of Charleston's famous Rainbow Row. Located on East Bay Street, they were originally constructed as merchant buildings in the 1700s and are now private residences. These houses stand out for their Caribbean color scheme–which keeps the buildings cooler during Charleston's sweltering summers.

My hands-down favorite was the single house. And this is where I'm kicking myself for not picking up my camera more. There were single houses everywhere, and I only really have this awkward photo from our carriage ride. Here's how they work: Single houses are one room wide (When I was in Charleston when I was 13, I remember them being called "shotgun houses" because you could fire a shotgun and the bullet could travel from front to back of the house.), with a two-story front porch running the length of the house. This set up provides great cross ventilation and takes advantage of the breezes off the river. The door you see above is not the front door to the house, rather it's the door to the porch.

Here's the porch side of the same house. You can see the front door to the house on the far right. But why a solid door to the porch? Well, Charleston gets hot (Neel refuses to travel back there this summer.) and ladies are modest. If you close the door to your porch, you can still sit out there and peel off a layer or two.

The view into these gardens isn't too shabby either.

When I was 13, and we went to Charleston we went on a carriage ride (did that), took a tour of Fort Sumter (did that) and wandered around the city (did that too). My mom and I toured a house in town, and we went to a plantation outside of the city. We missed those on this trip, but we have lots of reasons to go back. In the spring or fall. I'm hooked.

monday mash up, March 12

We went to Charleston! Of course I had to give you a whole extra row of photos! We had a wonderful time. I won't give you all the details today because I think those will trickle out over the week (I did use my real camera too, not just my phone, you know.) So how to sum up the trip? I thought about sending out this tweet: legs ache from walking so much; tummys ache from eating so much; cheeks ache from smiling so much. That's not so bad, is it? We had a lot of fun, and I think the trip was mostly about the food. I have no problem with that at all. The architecture of Charleston is stunning. I could look at it for ages. Neel was captivated by the gardens, and Callum was captivated too. He's taken to my old point and shoot with some awesome results. We'll tell you about that later. We took a carriage ride (That photo in the middle of the bottom row is of the bingo machine they use to determine the routes for the carriages. How cool is that?), and I may have had a cocktail or two. See that Bloody Mary? Garnished with house-cured proscuittio and a pickled green tomato. Hello. Callum got a new belt (He has to wear belts to school, and just now he tells us that he's tired of the same old brown belts. Who knew?) Callum has declared Charleston his favorite city (U.S.), and wishes we lived somewhere where we could walk everywhere. Vacation breeds discontent. Success.

We got home late Saturday just in time to lose an hour to Daylight Savings (maybe not my best plan) and I've been playing catch up. I did laundry. I went to the grocery store. We got Callum new shoes, a half size bigger than me. Can you believe it? It's both a terrible and wonderful thing, you know. My baby. Sniff.

I miss you guys. I need to catch up. Seems like quite a few of us had rough weeks. That's not good. Trying to keep my chin up, you know? I may be worn out, but I'm so glad we got away. What have you guys been up to? All your comments to me all week just meant the world. Lifted me up like nobody's business. Love you all, my ducks. What have you been up to peeps? xo

five things, march 9th edition

1. I think you guys know me pretty well. We came to Charleston for a few days. Thanks to some help from my dear (and only) aunt, we're staying at the delightful Mills House Hotel. Those of you in the U.S. may remember seeing the Mills House back a few months ago during the Republican primaries in South Carolina. MSNBC's Morning Joe was aired from here. The place was crawling with Republicans then. It's not now. At least not patently obvious ones.
2. I think I love really decadently lovely hotels. I may need to stay in them more.
3. I think I'm a miserable packer. I know I'm an over packer, but a shirt I was convinced I'd packed for Callum is nowhere to be found. We once went to visit friends in Charlottesville and had to buy Callum pants! What's wrong with me? Maybe I need to rely on lists more than I do.
4. I think I've had a pretty crummy week. I think, all things being equal, it's actually been a pretty crummy year, but this week was particularly rough. My balance is completely off and it's affecting my home life. I do not like that one bit. Fortunately it was Callum's spring break, and he was pretty much on "coast," but I'm really feeling like I need to get my crap together. Plus, I've really missed you guys.
5. I think I'm just going to relax and soak up this weekend. This really is one of my favorite cities in this country, if not the world. I'll have all sorts of stories to tell you next week, but my intent is to slough off my sadness and just sink into being here and being with my family. We're having lunch with some friends we haven't seen in ages, and I'm so looking forward to that. Maybe things are looking up.

monday mash up, March 5

Well, I can't not do Monday Mash Up, can I? You know, I made a conscious decision on Friday, and I can remember the exact moment. I'd just picked Callum up at school and we went to Starbucks to celebrate the start of Spring Break before coming home. As evidenced by photo number one up there in the left hand corner, I had a trunk (and back seat) full of product from Selma's to start taking photos for their website. I am beyond gleefully excited about this project, but I have a lot to do in the coming months. I may have mentioned (a-hem) that I feel a bit overwhelmed these days. Anyway, it was Friday afternoon, and we came happily home from school. Callum was gathering his stuff from the back seat, and as usual, I was ahead of him, up the steps and at the front door. I had my hand on the handle of our storm door and suddenly I thought, rather that feeling overwhelmed by all the work I have ahead of me, I'm going to be grateful for my bounty.

It's all about your point of view, isn't it?

We had a low-key weekend. Saturday morning we had a huge thunderstorm. Nothing like the horrors faced by those in the south and midwest. But plenty of thunder and lightening. My parents are in Tennessee, and my dad spent a portion of Friday night hiding out in the bathroom (storm shelter) during a tornado warning and high winds. My mom was at a play and after the show the audience wasn't allowed to leave the theater due to tornado warnings and heavy storms. They had gathered in the lobby but were then pushed back into the auditorium (which happened to be a storm shelter) for the worst of the storm. Everybody is fine.

I worked a lot, but it was all good. We did not do our Saturday dinner, but instead I made homemade macs and cheese (that's what's being whisked) and BATS (bacon, avocado and tomato sandwiches) early so Neel and Callum could go to the Harlem Globetrotters! How cool is that! They had so much fun. I would have loved to go, but sometimes it's good for a father and son to do these things alone together.

Sunday was my favorite kind of day. Rainy and cozy. I made breakfast sandwiches, hoping to try them for weekdays, and they were awfully tasty. I don't think I can manage bacon every day of the week though. Bummer. While I worked, Neel tended his garden, building a patio in the rain. It looks beautiful (and damp). Callum and his buds played Nerf basket ball in his room and watched basket ball on tv. It's so nice to relax knowing that Spring Break is here. Isn't that dark, glowy picture cool? Except for the weird smallpox effect, I really like it. He has a sleepover to look forward to this week and new shoes and a haircut (!). Later we're heading out of town to one of my favorite cities. I finally get to show Neel. Can you guess where?

five things, march 2nd edition

1. I think I know that everyone has been there, but I'm really struggling with balance and feeling out of control lately. Having Callum, then me get sick really threw me. I said to Callum at dinner one night this week, "This weekend we need to cook the Saturday dinner that we didn't get to make together last weekend." And then I thought, WAIT! That was TWO Saturdays ago. We lost TWO WEEKS. As if the year hasn't been messed up enough already. I'm behind in my work, I'm behind in my play (and let's face it, that's way worse), and right now there feels like no hope of catch up in sight. This too will pass, but right now I feel like I'm on a rocky sea.
2. I think I forgot to tell you, Neel fixed the dryer!
3. I think it's crazy that yesterday I had a conversation with a woman who was getting a foot or more of snow while I had my window open to 80 degree temperatures.
4. I think I'm going to start to take a lot of pictures very soon. And speaking of pictures. I'm so touched by all your dear comments on my Day-in-the-Life post. It was fun to do. Really fun. I didn't want to do words, but I asked and you people wanted words! Next month, no words. Also, quick camera lesson: RAW and .jpeg. I'm not even going to try except to say that by shooting in .jpeg, your camera does the processing to get an image for you. When you shoot in RAW, and you download the images, they aren't processed (therefore they appear flatter & less contrasty) until you process them. Shooting .jpeg takes less space on memory cards and is generally faster. RAW allows more room for editing, a lot more. But. All these pictures you see here are .jpegs. Even if I shot them in RAW, I process it and export it into a .jpeg.
5. I think that next week will be, by necessity, a light blogging week. I hate to do it. But it's Callum's spring break and we have work to do and breathers to be, well, breathed. Love you ducks. Happy weekend. xo