Court Yard Hounds - Amelita Album Review

Amelita is Courtyard Hound's second album, released July 16, 2013, three years after their self-titled debut album.

Amelita is a little bit country and a little bit rock 'n' roll, a perfect balance of up-beat and mellow which reflects a new perspective, due in part to time passed since Robison's divorce.  Eleven brand new songs and I like every single one of them.  The violins! The banjos!

“I’ve been freed of all of those time-heals-everything kind of things,” says Robison. “Now, I’ve opened up to other ideas and ways of looking at life and the world. I think it’s not only a more hopeful album, but it’s more… well fun."

Fun it is.  Amelita has a self-improvement, keeping-your-head-up positive sound to it.....

Paddle Fest, Spartanburg: Kayak Tips

This past weekend, I crossed the Edisto, Saluda, Enoree and finally the S. Tyger rivers and inched my way toward the mountains, the South Carolina upstate.   You know how I feel about rivers -  ride a river.

I drove the two hours, leaving my house at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning, to attend Spartanburg Water's Paddle Fest on Lake Blalock, Chesnee, SC.  It was well worth the drive.

Watch the news video here - I'm the one with gnarly gray hair, in a brown vest, light blue kayak.  You'll see me on the front of the video before it plays talking to my new friend, Sandy, with the awesome kayak cart strapped behind her -- it's how she rolls.

Lately I've been doing some kayaking and thinking about buying a kayak for my birthday.  (does anyone else buy yourself a birthday present or is it just me?)

Paddle Fest was a free event that offered kayak and paddleboard lessons and races.  Sponsors were there to answer any questions about kayaks, paddleboards, fishing, water conservation and more.....

Rosemary Cottage by Colleen Coble: Book Review

Rosemary Cottage
Book #2 of The Hope Beach Series
By Colleen Coble
Published by Thomas Nelson



I have the perfect summer read for you:  Rosemary Cottage.  This book is as relaxing as a beach chair in the surf; the story just rolls right over you like a cool wave. 

Rosemary Cottage sits on the beach in the Outer Banks off the coast of North Carolina.  Amy Lange returns to the cottage to grieve the loss of her brother Ben and find some closure with his death. 

Amy meets an Outer Banks Coast Guard officer, Curtis Ireland, who is also grieving the loss of a sibling.  Amy and Curtis find unexpected correlations between the two deaths and soon discover that the pieces of this puzzle lead to countless unanswered questions.  Foul play, double lives and dangerous secrets unfold as Amy and Curtis are drawn together in a relationship that is a bit more than friendship.

Characters you'll love, wrestling with moral dilemmas in a risky adventure on a beautiful summer background make this the perfect book to take on your summer vacation. Then leave it at the beach house as a delightful surprise for the person who comes behind you.

Disclosure:  The product in this review was given free of charge. My opinions are my honest, tried-and-true views and were not influenced by any source. I was not compensated monetarily to advertise this campaign.

A Solitary Woman, Chapter One

The walls were closing in.  That was a good thing.  She'd had too much space for far too long.

Everybody needs boundaries.  Most people, in fact, need to be told what to do and what not to do.  Nobody admits that, of course not, but everybody needs it.  That's why people living alone with no requirements crash and burn.  Ask any homeless person.  Or just ask her.  On a good day, when she was talking.

She was easy to read, really, like a stop light.  Three choices.  Red, yellow or green.  Easy to read, easy to know how to respond to.    Red - leave her alone.  Yellow - approach slowly, watch the environment.  Green?  Have a great time!  You and her.  Run with it, fly even.

Quite simple -- the stop light theory -- but again, a boundary.  Same thing that tells you what to do and when to do it.  Like your calendar or work schedule -- if you have a job.  That you still do.

And she didn't.  Do it, that is.  Oh, she still had a job, but it was elusive and getting away from her.

Just like her marriage, her weight, her children, her keys.

Retaining a thought, taming an urge, recalling a promise - it had all become vague, hazy.  She was living in the fog that hovers on the mountaintop silencing the view, killing the euphoria, steering her to the edge.

Maurice's BBQ: Just Country Folk Cooking Good BBQ

There was a time when you could sell the south's best BBQ in the shadow of the Confederate flag and nobody cared, it was just good BBQ.  Back in the day when ol' Maurice bragged that he only made BBQ from the right side of the hog, never the left.

Those days are gone. When it comes to Maurice's Piggie Park BBQ:  The Next Generation -- there's no looking back.  The black sheep of the family has retired and they're putting all that behind them.  Confederate flag?  What Confederate flag?  The flags have been removed from all eleven of Maurice's BBQ stores in Columbia.

Now?  It's about the food, all about the food.  This generation of Maurice's is a new generation with renewed focus on pit-cooked BBQ, "To serve the best pit-cooked BBQ in South Carolina."  (and they do, trust me)

Maurice's grandchildren are in the cockpit and keeping mum about ol' grandpa.  Maurice, in his early eighties, is "relaxing, enjoying some time off."  That's the most you'll get if you inquire about grandpa.  For all I know, he's got duct tape on his mouth.  He's definitely in the closed chapter of the Maurice's BBQ book.   Google's the only one keeping that chapter open.  And maybe a few really angry people.

The lovely Carolyn Shvetz, social media marketer for Maurice's and Maurice's granddaughter, spoke to the Social Media Club of Columbia Thursday night about handling conflict in social media.   Shvetz runs a Maurice's Twitter, Facebook and Instagram account.  Maurice's is so current, some menu items even appear on the My Fitness Pal app....

Tractor Provides Percussion

If you didn't see this on my Twitter, Facebook or anyplace else this week, you should check this out.  These guys are using a tractor for percussion.  I love it.

The Empty Nest and Other Such Fables

I want to tell you that there is nothing more piercing than that which I’m about to tell you.

But I know that’s not true.

There are much more piercing things in life than what I have to relate.   But until one is pierced, one cannot know the piercing.  So this piercing is the worst I know at this time.

A mother who has invested her life and career in raising her children and making a home has to walk like an army sergeant through the battlefield at war’s end, tip-toeing over fallen soldiers, sifting through the debris – a cherished picture wrinkled and torn, a scuffed rabbits foot, a rusted key chain stained with blood.  

Look at them!  My babies!!

The Empty Nest.

It sounds so…. Charming. 

 Complete.

Accomplished. 

 A job well done.

In the town square, one wouldn’t refer to it as the battlefield.  But curled up on the bathroom floor, draped over the tub with tears running down her face, a mother wouldn’t call it an empty nest. 

Tip-toeing through the empty room, skirting the discarded stuffed animals, a mother gets little joy in a job well done.  Satisfaction, maybe.  Pride?  Oh yes.  But no, not joy. 

I know all the clichés......

Creamy, Cheesy Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe was floating around Facebook awhile back.  This is by far the creamiest, cheesiest macaroni and cheese I've ever tried.

 Momma's Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Makes 8 -10 servings.

16 ounces elbow macaroni (about 3 cups)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 ½ cups milk, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 lb (16-ounces) cubed (1/2 inch size) Velveeta cheese
8 ounce shredded Kraft Mild Cheddar Cheese (about 2 cups), divided
8 ounce shredded Kraft Monterrey Jack Cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
1. Cook macaroni in a large pot of salted boiling water until tender but not mushy, about 8-10 minutes. Drain well and pour into a large mixing bowl.

2. Melt on low the Velvetta Cheese and ¾ cup milk until melted (stir often)

3. Pour Melted Cheese Sauce over Pasta and Stir. Add in butter, ¾ cups milk, eggs, 1 cup shredded cheeses, salt and pepper. Mix well and transfer to a 2 quart baking dish. Pour the remaining cheese on top.

Bake until top crust is golden brown and casserole is bubbling, about 25 minutes. Serve hot.

The recipe came from "Kathy & Friends, Journey to a Healthy Life."

Growing Onions On Your Windowsill

Val asked me if I wanted to write a goodbye post. I thought that was a good idea, especially since I was partway through an experiment, of sorts. 

Have you heard that you can grow your own green onions on your windowsill? I don't mean from seed or sets, though that is probably a better way to go than this plan. 

I kept running into this supposedly great idea---on Pinterest, on the Food Network, on food blogs. Oops! Guess I blew the surprise ending when I used the word SUPPOSEDLY, huh? 

I really was game for this to work.....

Merritt Island National Wildlife Reserve - Great Place for a Long Weekend

 

Merritt Island, just across the river from Titusville, FL, and in the shadows of NASA's Kennedy Space Center, is a great place to spend a day.  Actually, you could have an awesome long weekend by staying in Titusville and visiting Titusville, NASA, and Merritt Island.

As a city codependent on the space center, Titusville has had its ups and downs.  She has finally grown up, gained some independence and become attractive for eco-tourism.  Redfishing, windsurfing, kayaking, hiking, beaching, etc.   Learning to navigate the delicate balance of nature and commerce, Titusville has a chance to change her image.  I'm hoping she does.  She's a great place to visit and could be so much more.

Kayaking - Visit Tom at the Kayak Store in Titusville (I think it's called Kayaks by Bo) before you cross the Max Bower Bridge to go to Merritt Island.  Rent a kayak or two from Tom and take it with you.    We dropped the kayaks in around Beacon 42 at Mosquito Lagoon where we could weave in and out around the small islands.  This was my first time in a kayak and it was a perfect experience.  There are several places to put in.....

SOCO Falls, Cherokee NC

SOCO Falls, NC - Do not miss this double waterfall if you are driving between Cherokee and Maggie Valley, NC on Highway 19.  The hike to the lookout is mild and accessible for any age.  The five minute steep hike on a maintained trail leads to a platform lookout with an incredible view of the falls.

At the Soco Falls lookout, you can hike more if you like, but it isn't necessary.  There are two other trails branching off after you reach the lookout for the glorious view pictured above.


One of the trails at the Soco Falls lookout leads up the creek a bit.  This is an easy hike for any age.  Take a folding chair, a book, a picnic and enjoy some time up the creek.  While the trail to the lookout is popular and busy, this trail up the creek provides solitude.....