just another beautiful day in the coastal empire

thomas is a great husband. he always humors me in my silly ideas. as everyone surely knows by now, rhett butler's people---the prequel/sequel to the ground breaking, record shattering, one true great american novel, gone with the wind--- is just days from release. so thomas went along with my idea of a rhett butler's people weekend. those of you who know me also know that this trip echoed a gone with the wind trip we made to atlanta 3 years ago, which further fueled my obsession. (for the love of cross stitch, i have a daughter named scarlett! that is true love!) anywhooo, thomas is the best. i know that someday we will have many georgia bulldogs/athens weekend trips and, of course, one ronald reagan weekend trip. at least his favorite things involve real people. eventually thomas will have to visit me in the crazy people asylum and i will insist that we wear antebellum garb, including full hoop skirts, and thomas will have to call me miss scarlett and i will call him rhett. actually, thomas doesn't have to wear a hoop skirt, just a morning coat and cravat. and grow a mustache. and ride a horse. and have pistol duels to defend my honor and/or virtue. and, well, you get the idea.


to kick start our rhett butler's people weekend, i dropped reagan off with his mimi susu and bubba for a funfilled weekend of tractors and cows. then our southern living adventure officially began with dinner at paula deen's restaurant, the lady and sons, in historic, scenic downtown savannah. everyone needs to make a trip there at least once. it has become a southern institution.

delicious. some of the best hoe cakes i have ever had. finger lickin'. the cheese biscuits were yummy too. thomas had the crab cakes and i had the shrimp, sausage, and grits medley. thomas makes the best grits that i have ever had, but paula deen's were a close third (after the waysider in tuscaloosa). i can hardly recall my life before i discovered the delight of grits. it is a foggy memory. grits have changed my life and my palate. that paula deen must be smilin' all the way to the bank.

then, on saturday, we trekked 2 hours north to charleston, south carolina, fictional home of rhett butler. we walked along the battery and did some house hunting, you know, just in case we ever have a couple million lying around the bank, just taking up space.

it looks like a bright glare was in effect, but actually the south is always glowing.

i try and stand with my hands on my hips in photos because it is supposed to make you look taller and thinner. let me tell you, after i decided to consume enough calories at lunch/dinner to feed a school bus full of elementary school kids, i needed to do anything possible to support my back and disguise that belly bulge from lunch. thomas had the brisket sammich and i had the pulled pork barbeque sammich and we shared a plate of nachos. and we had to get homemade ice cream on the way home. if we are celebrating the south, then we need to do it right.



autumn is the best time in the south. mid 70s in november. ad that to football on the radio both coming and going and you are fixin' on pert near perfect. plus, if you wear a georgia bulldogs hat, people that pass you while driving down the road will slow down and update you on the score of the game. this next one is thomas in standing next to a plaque commemorating south carolina's sucession.
historical sites for the nerds in us.






i have an affinity for old school cemetaries. they are so spooky!
fun was had by all. i did find the need to point out in my mind every tractor, back hoe, cement truck, dump truck, bus, train, fire truck, big rig, horsey, horsey poo poo, cat and dog. that reagan has me on the lookout at all times.