Here’s the thing about the deep south, and cities such as Charleston, Beaufort and Savannah, it’s kinda like no other place you’ll ever visit in the US.  But then again the same can probably be said about the Pacific Northwest or the Southwest or the Midwest Bible Belt.  But then again… the history of the south is, well, like no other.

As I write this post we are in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  Myrtle Beach, not Asheville, North Carolina which is where we’re supposed to be, where it’s about 36 degrees and where the rain has been falling in torrential buckets for the better part of the day.  We spent over two hours this morning in a nearby coffee house nursing cups of hot steamy goodness while watching the downpour.  Now back in our hotel room, we are basically here in Myrtle Beach to wait out the storm.

I can’t be 60-years-old.  I simply cannot be 60.  Six-oh-no!  When did it happen?  How the hell did it happen?  I remember my mother at 60.  Sixty was my mother, not me.  Sixty sounds so old. But, the day has arrived. No matter how I fought it. It arrived. Today.  My birthday.  Can I just skip this day?

I first introduced you to Amy and Andrew just shy of 3 years ago, February, 2013.  They were gearing up to take off to travel the world indefinitely.  Honestly, I don’t even remember how I first came upon their blog, Our Big Fat Travel Adventure, but I did and there was just something about the two of them that touched my heart.  Fast forward to December 2015 and our paths happily crossed in Washington, D.C.  It really is a small world.

We’re about to ring in 2016.  For the life of me I’ve never understood the hype over ringing in a new year.  Over a million people in Times Square?!  I’ll pass.  Home in front of the fireplace watching a classic movie, munching popcorn and popping a bottle of bubbly at midnight (if we’re still awake) is what I call a good idea.

The Monday after Thanksgiving.  Cyber Monday.  Are you shopping online today while eating a turkey sandwich? I just finished off the last piece of pumpkin pie. So good.

On Being Thankful

I’m thankful.  At a time when the world at large seems to be caught up in a manic spin cycle, I’m taking a moment to remember the good in the world; goodness we’ve been gifted with in our lives. I think it’s something we all tend to forget to do, I know I’m guilty of it.  Especially, in the past few weeks with the fueling of ignorance spreading like wildfire by presidential hopefuls and the mass media.  Why not lead the news with acts of good and kindness such as the little boy who wants to personally thank all of the NYPD?

I had you at the word, chocolate, right?

Like so many, Paris has been on my mind.  Sadly, for all the wrong reasons.  And, it’s not just Paris.  The day before the Paris attacks, 43 were killed and 239 wounded in Beirut, all due to suicide bombers.  Let’s not forget the loss of life on the downed Russian airliner in Egypt, the refugees fleeing Syria and sadly, the continual loss of life here in the United States due to gun violence.

I caught the gist of the phrase based on what I was hearing on the news, but I have to admit I still went to everyone’s back-up source and Googled the term.