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Sea Breezes
What is wrong with me? I am addicted to free stuff and that includes nature. Here I am driving along Highway 17 this evening after a hard swim at the Y, wet hair and all. I was tired and anxious to get home. I haven't been home since seven this morning and, well, it's Monday. Anyways, I look over eastward and somebody has hung this huge, white, round moon smack dab over the salt marsh, painted the sky indigo and messed with the lights in pinks and purples. I almost had a wreck craning my neck to see a sight that I really couldn't afford to buy. The next thing I know, I pull my car over to the entrance to Two Way Fish Camp (for another post), I grab the camera and take a couple of pictures. My lens does not do justice to this beauty, but just try to imagine. I got out of the car, and the marsh grass danced in the cool evening sea breeze, I could hear the grasses rustling. When you get this close to marsh grass, you know you are at or below sea level, as the grass is higher than you are standing. Looking out over the salt marsh, in the horizon, is the Atlantic Ocean in the picture. Why doesn't God just let me go about my day? Why does He throw such beauty at me? He knows I can't afford to buy anything. I have promised myself to keep my camera handy. I hope He doesn't mind if I take a picture of His riches. He is so awesome. He knows I can't afford His stuff. Maybe that is what grace is all about.....a free gift of the best stuff.
Sea Breezes
Sunday morning I was ALMOST down in the dumps. My spirit was actually down in the dumps.....er....dump, that is. We drive by the county dump on the way to church. We don't live in the dumps, but we live near the dump. Now, our dump is a nice, pretty clean dump, right off the highway. Actually, it is the county refuse drop off point. We live in the county and have to haul our own garbage. We dump household trash there, and then the county takes it away to The Dump. I haven't been there, but back to the story. We locals call where we take our garbage, the dump. It even has a sign that says dump. We were driving by the dump to church and lo, there sat a piano and a rocking chair. I couldn't breathe for shock. Fortunately for Harold, he was driving. I would have turned into that dump in a second to check out that piano and that rocking chair. Let me admit to being a thrift store, other people's old stuff junkie. I love to poke. I really don't like garage sales, I like free, or almost free stuff. I am a junk junkie. My husband does not understand this obsession. I will tell you I have furnished my entire front porch from great stuff from the Salvation Army that I hauled home in the back of my little convertible. Needless to say, someone else got to check out or take home that rocking chair and that piano. Harold had to admit, the other day, that he actually did try to go dumpster diving. He was taking the garbage to the dump, when along comes a truck loaded with outdoor kid equipment. Nice equipment, he said. Good stuff to put outside for grand babies to play on...and free. He almost got there in time. A guy ahead of him in a truck got to the stuff before Harold could. The other guy asked the owner of the kids' stuff if he could have it, and he did get it. Harold missed out on a load of good quality, free kid stuff. So are we both down in the dumps? I have one child who has inherited this gene for reusing stuff. Blake, instead of getting in trouble during his high school years, spent a lot of his time at the city dump and the junked car dump gleaning parts for his cars. He enjoys working on his cars and his home and yard with other folks' discards. He has found some amazing things such as brand new French doors for his home and an almost new barbecue grill in his local city refuse place. A lot of people in his area, he says, put great stuff out at the street for the city to pick up, and he drives by to pick up, for free, some great deals. So in this bum economy, you might want to consider "gently worn" or "heavily distressed". You too, might get down in the dumps and have fun to boot! Let me know about some of your finds!
Sea Breezes
Ashantilly To Be Recognized in New Historical Marker October 25
The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) along with The Lower Altamaha Historical Society will unveil a new historical marker to recognize Ashantilly plantation. The dedication will be held on the grounds of Ashantilly, Highway 99, north of Darien, Georgia on October 25, 2009, at 3:00 p.m.
From one of colonial Georgia's most prominent families, Thomas Spalding was an influential planter who helped develop the plantation economy of the low country as an advocate for modern agricultural ideas including crop rotation and diversifying the crop varieties beyond the standard rice, indigo, and cotton. The Ashantilly property was inherited from his mother, Margery McIntosh Spalding. Although possessing a large estate on Sapelo Island, Spalding built the Ashantilly house as an inland domicile for his family. Accounts of the structure suggest it was classically designed; the building consisted of a central, two story structure and flanking wings. Like Spalding's homes on Sapelo, Ashantilly was constructed of tabby, a concrete like material derived from oyster shells, found in abundance in tidewater Georgia. The Spalding family sold the property in 1870 to William A. Wilcox, founder of the Ashantilly Press.
The marker text reads as follows:
Ashantilly
Built ca. 1820, Ashantilly was the mainland residence of prominent antebellum planter Thomas Spalding (1774-1851), owner of the nearby Sapelo Island plantation. The house, likely built by Spalding's slaves, was constructed of tabby, an equal mix of oyster shell, sand, water and lime. Ashantilly was named for Spalding's ancestral home in County Perth, Scotland. He died at Ashantilly and is interred in the family burial ground adjacent to the property. William G. Haynes, Jr. (1908-2001), proprietor of the Ashantilly Press, was the last private owner of Ashantilly. In 1993 the Haynes family donated the property to the Ashantilly Center, Inc.
Erected by the Georgia Historical Society and The Lower Altamaha Historical Society....borrowed from the GHS website
Here I go again...running after local Georgia history. I am going to tour Ashantilly this afternoon. Ashantilly is the summer mansion of Thomas Spalding, the builder of Reynolds Mansion over on my beloved Sapelo Island where my friends and I stay each summer. All of the above information will get you caught up, until I come home and share my pictures and tell you more. One of the best parts about living on the Georgia Coast is the never ending living history that is all around us. Ashantilly is maybe 10 minutes from my home, drive time. Folks in coastal Georgia are intense about preserving their history. I am intense about soaking it in. I have had the rare opportunity to speak to folks over on Sapelo Island whose great great grandparents were slaves. Oh my, and off I go again. We are the product of those who came before us in this sacred and lovely place.....the sweat and blood and sacrifice of the slave labor that developed the area I call home is important for me to understand. I equate it with the sweat and blood and sacrifice of my Lord who developed the area I will someday call home. These are my thoughts on this lovely October day in Darien Ga. Will write more later, I am off to Ashantilly....
Sea Breezes
We had a whirlwind grand baby weekend. After coming home from work, the Tennessee babies and parents drove up, camper and van and all. We were sooo glad to see them. They have grown over the summer. Henley is adorable in her glasses, Lander is more boy than ever, and baby Paisley is cute as a little bit bigger button. We enjoyed hugs, kisses, an easy dinner, frog playing, story telling and night night time. Saturday morning brought early risers. Talks of Disney World, a great Pop breakfast, a little early morning TV and more toad catching, brought the rest of the crew. Katie and gang arrived mid-morning, and we were off in the sunny morning to visit Holfwell-Broadfield Plantation, about a ten minute drive from our home. It is an old coastal rice plantation, and a state park. We had fun touring the old buildings and had a yummy picnic under a live oak tree. Back to our home for baby naps and hanging out. Evening brought us going to dinner at B&J's-a local seafood, any kind of food place. All of us ate well. All twelve of us. It is hard to believe we have 12 folks in our family. God has blessed us with ten children. Enjoy a picture of our grand babies. Have a great time in Disneyworld, Sartin gang. Have a great week Olliff crew! We love you all.
Sea Breezes
Ready, set, here goes, here come the grand babies, all FIVE (5)...Blake and gang are coming tomorrow evening, on their way to Disney World to go camping. We are so excited. Katie and her babies are coming for the day on Saturday, so chaos will be transpiring. How I look forward to these hours with all these children I love who aren't our children, but the children of our children. Scripture mentions seeing your children's children. What a blessing. We are so blessed. They add so much joy to our lives, these children of our children. I am so glad we had children. They are blessings and gave us grandchildren to be further blessed. Thank you Lord for these blessings that come in little boy and little girl packages. Please give us the energy and good health to continue to enjoy and love them. Amen.
Sea Breezes
Tobias "Toby" Waldemar Sartin passed away quietly in his backyard under a pine tree on September 25, 2009 in McIntosh County, Georgia. His best buddy, Trooper was by his side. Toby was 15 years old. He was born January 21, 1994, in Memphis, Tennessee, puppy of sire Eileens Garth Man and dam Arts Little Reba. He was the largest red long haired dachshund in his litter. Toby was registered with the American Kennel Club on January 13, 1995. His funeral service was held Saturday, September 26 in his backyard. After the burial, Trooper slept by the grave for a long while, tears rolling down his old eyes. This writer did not know dogs wept.
As a puppy, Toby spent his first four years in Dyersburg, Tennessee. He received his early education at dog obedience classes in Dyersburg. He took the class twice; the second time he won a fourth place trophy in the class.He always liked the trophy displayed low, so he could admire it. Toby was known for his love of himself, his toys, and sitting pretty and mooching. He hated cats and other dogs. He never bit a stranger. He only bit his own family. He also loved to sleep and burrow into beds. He never really cared much for house breaking. He loved the beach, walking and riding in the basket on the bike. He liked eating anything off the floor. He licked dishwashers and loved full garbage cans. One time he fell into the upright kitchen garbage can with his tail hanging out, still eating the stale food at the bottom. He loved water and baths.He loved his chew bones, but never really enjoyed them as he carried them around the house trying to hide them, so no one else would get them. He trusted no one or no thing. Toby was gay. We called him Sweet Boy. He and Trooper were known in the family as "The Boys". Toby was blessed many times at the annual "Blessing of the Pets" on St. Francis of Assi Day at many Episcopal churches, his family attended over the years, but he continued his nasty lifestyle of biting and poop eating. Toby moved to St. Simons Island when he was three and lived on the island until he was 12. He took to island life immediately. He loved the sea breeze blowing his red fur and was a common site walking the St. Simons beach sporting his orange and white Tennessee cap. He was known in the community as Island Dachsund. He hated every dog he met. He loved to be in the yard with Pillus, and he loved running off. When he was four, his family adopted mutt Trooper and the boys became constant companions. Besides Trooper, Toby leaves his grieving mistress, Phyllis, Pillus, as he called her and her husband Harold and boy Patrick, and girl Katie and boy Blake who all loved and hated him in their own ways and also their spousea and children, whom he tolerated. He also leaves many other friends from years past who loved him.Toby was handsome until the end. He was still red, slim hipped and could go up and down the stairs. He stilled howled in the night and kept everyone up. He still drew blood at the vet, the vet's blood. on every trip. Oh, he hated vets too. To his Pillus, he was loyal and loved. She loved his tenacity, his vibrancy, his stubborness and his playfulness. She will miss her sidekick who even sensed her mood by her very change in breath. He loved her with his very heart and soul, even though he bit her just two days prior. They walked many a mile together on road and beach. Tob could still do a couple of miles up until age 14. The last walk together, Pillus carried old Sweet Boy and wept the entire walk. How do you say goodbye to a friend, a love? Not goodbye, old friend, just until we meet again in the road and beach that has no end, only, rainbows and sweet sea breezes. I love you Toby. Rest in God's Sweet Peace.
