Traveling On....

Friday was such an incredible treat!! I left Kaiti, Collin, and Kelly behind and headed out for Wilmington. About a year ago - I had the pleasure of "meeting" an incredible woman online through this thing called blogging and Beth Moore's blog. We were able to meet last December and share a Christmas hug and lunch together. Yesterday, we met again for lunch in her "neck of the woods". Lunch on the water, in the sunshine - smelling and feeling the salt air - talking, catching up, laughing, getting to know each other even better - life is good!!! Then back on the road again - I decided to take Highway 17 most of the way to Mom's house. It is so much more fun than taking a boring ride down I-95 - just lanes of traffic going north and south. 17 winds close to the coast and through numerous little towns. And THEN - you hit Myrtle Beach - woa!! Now, that was exciting!! Just a week earlier - there was very little traffic and not much going on. Not even a wait at a good restaurant. Well, a week later - schools are out -and it was just plain crazy there!! Don't they call this the Redneck Riviera!?! Anyway - it looked like an invasion from New Jersey to me!?! So on through MB, then Surfside, then Garden City and finally the traffic is thinning out. A couple of quick stops at some favorite shops that I needed to revisit, a couple of special books for a very special little baby boy, the ever important "arrogantly shabby" t-shirt from Pawleys and I was headed home. So I punch "home" into the GPS so that I can avoid the interstate again - off of 17, and onto some backroads - now I mean BACKROADS here!! I love the GPS - for someone as ADD as I am - this is a real source of entertainment. You have to remember that it is summertime here in the south - 100+ degrees outside - and acres and acres of tobacco fields on both sides of the little road - as far as you can see. No one in sight - just too hot too work in the middle of the afternoon. Then out of nowhere comes this beautiful farm - a daylily farm!!! I couldn't believe it - the bright flowers in every color!! I wish that I had taken time to stop and get some photos - but I didn't. I was too ready to get home, and make it without getting a speeding ticket. But the beauty of the daylilies stuck with me, and was a true little gift and surprise from God - a little sercy in the middle of a hot afternoon. So after touring most of the farmland in the middle of the state, I arrived home. This is a wonderful way to end my little vacation - spending time with my mom, the Steel Magnolia - who, by the way, turns 86 on July 14 - if anyone would like to send her birthday wishes - tpearl227@aol.com She would LOVE it!! Time to eat some fresh veggies, get some REAL barbecue and hash, and see the rest of the family. You CAN go home again....oh, and the shopping is great, too!!