Don, Daisy dog and I have returned to the U.S. for a few months in anticipation of our daughter Darci's graduation from SCAD in beautiful Savannah, Georgia. We are so proud of her and have linked her blog so anyone interested can see her amazing work. She recently found out one of her pieces will be on display in the Library of Congress and we know she has a bright future ahead!

While we are here, in order to make the most of our time on land, Don is doing a remodel on one of our apartments in Beaufort, South Carolina, about an hour drive north of Savannah. Being the builder that he is Don can't seem to go too long without the fine dust of sheetrock and smell of fresh paint filling in the air! As usual I am the laborer, painter, errand runner and today, after my twentieth trip in as many days, desperately wishing we had bought stock in Lowes.

Beaufort is a beautiful southern town on the Intercoastal Waterway. This is where the historical Articles of Secession papers were drafted by Edward Rhett in 1844 which eventually led to the American Civil War. Miraculously Beaufort survived the Civil War due to its strategic location on the Beaufort River and the Union Army's use of its many gorgeous homes as hospitals during the occupation. When the Starship returned to the states in 2005 after five years abroad this is where we landed. The incredible natural beauty of the marshes, wonderfully restored and intact historic mansions, and the famous hospitality of the south made it a delightful and picturesque home away from home experience for us.





Huge live oaks dripping with Spanish moss, chirping cicadas, and the heavy perfume of jasmine and honeysuckle all brought to mind a long ago era that we West-coasters had never experienced. Here we learned quickly you had to order your ice tea unsweetened if you are not extremely partial to sugar, that grits are best mixed in with your scrambled eggs, and macaroni and cheese is considered a vegetable. For us health conscious most of the time vegetarians, the southern adage "If its not fried set it aside" took some getting use to and introduced us to the delightful discovery that fried okra is manna from the gods.





Considered the "Most Romantic City in the East" by Life Magazine and "Best Small Town" by Southern Living, don't forget NOT to stand up when you take that sight-seeing carriage ride!