Dear Reader:

Sunday night, as I sat in the dark, I got very creative with shadow games to keep my mind occupied. I put my one, trusted tiny flashlight, against the table (silver) pumpkins by accident and suddenly two huge pumpkin shadows filled the opposite wall. It was so cool!

Then I used my white sofa to make animal shadow puppets…I had forgotten how much fun that was…..I will have to say that Sunday night and Monday night I probably slept the best that I have in awhile. With no electricity I went to bed by nine both nights and slept until the rays of the sun woke me. I think, biologically, that is how man probably should live (and did for most of time prior to the 2oth century) because I have felt so rested!

I didn’t get my power back on until yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon and I was so happy….it took awhile but eventually the cable kicked back in too…though it is very slow going this evening…like my computer is not happy to be back “at it.” (I think it was delighted to have a break from me while I was gone.)

I went to Asheville with Tommy and Kaitlyn Thursday morning and we did make the most of our two day mini-vacation. We stopped at the Sierra Nevada Brewery and Cafe for lunch going into Asheville and later met Walsh, Mollie, and the boys for supper.

Friday we ate breakfast in Biltmore Village and went to the Grove Park Inn for a mini-lunch, hot cocoa, and drinks. Then back again to the Grove Park Inn  to go to the Edison restaurant/bar for supper and to watch the Clemson/Boston College game in front of a huge fire place. Not bad, huh? On Saturday we went to a wonderful used book store downtown that served drinks with the names of famous books…it was wonderful and also crowded…wonder why?

We met more people from the low country than we did Asheville natives…we low country refugees hung together and just had fun…leaving Matthew in God’s Hands because it was certainly out of ours.

First Stop: Sierra Nevada Brewery for lunch

Second Stop: Our Refuge from the Storm: When we found the house we were staying at….(a friend of Kaitlyn’s -Emily- who was out of town) it was adorable! A treasure hidden on a hilly road surrounded with roses.

Thursday night we met Walsh, Mollie and the boys and found a home-cooking style restaurant (Early Girl Eatery) downtown that we all filled up on. *Rutledge was in heaven because a fire truck came roaring down the street right in front of him and Lachlan….they had front row seats.

Friday morning we went to Biltmore Village and wandered around…started with breakfast at the Corner Kitchen. Would have loved to have stayed longer in the “Village”  but Friday and Saturday we had showers on and off throughout each day. Tommy and Kaitlyn showed me where they stayed last year when they came up for Kaitlyn’s birthday weekend…The Grand Bohemian Hotel.

Later we went to the Grove Park Inn.…I have been fighting a throat/chest cold and I got a hot cocoa….tasted so good! Then we actually got to sit down in front of the blazing fireplace for a few minutes before they called us for lunch….the best potato soup I have ever put in my mouth….just what the doctor ordered!

We spent the afternoon walking around and seeing the spa…maybe one day….it was beautiful! I didn’t realize how many famous people had stayed at this hotel for meetings and vacations….President Obama returned twice as President and on one occasion played golf there. It was so interesting to just wander…we even heard about a ghost story based on (perhaps) the murder of a woman (guest) falling (or being pushed) from a high railing there.)

We returned that night to meet Walsh and Robertson to watch the Clemson- Boston College game….somehow Robertson knew the chef (he seemed to know everyone) and not only got us a table but free dessert for the table…compliments of the chef.

The Grove Park Inn at night is unbelievably beautiful!

There were many Clemson fans packed into the bar/restaurant which made it even more fun. *Robertson, thank you for showing us such a good time!!!! (By the fourth quarter Kaitlyn and I figured Clemson had it so we went to Elaine’s which had dueling pianos and just sang along until the boys came to get us.) A fun last night.

The last thing we did in Asheville Saturday afternoon was to go to a popular used book store ( Battery Park Book Exchange) which also serves drinks with classic novels’ names like these two drinks here. (L to R- The Great Gatsby and the Secret Garden) We just got  three mimosas….but the atmosphere was so much fun!

Dogs were allowed in the book store so it was a fun place to see all the activity going on….

After listening to the weather reports and talking with friends and family in Summerville and Mt. Pleasant we decided to try to avoid the Sunday return traffic and get home late Saturday evening…we ran into very little traffic on the way home but from the time we left Five Points in Summerville….suddenly everything grew darker along Highway 17. By the time we turned into Miler…it was obvious there was no power.

So we went in and checked the house and walked around the yard…satisfied there was no structural damage. I, then, continued on with Tommy and Kaitlyn spending Saturday night in Mt. Pleasant with them. (Strange how family in Mt. Pleasant and Isle of Palms had power and I didn’t….I reckon it is just the way the tree falls.)

I was anxious to get home, however,…power or not…and was glad I was home Sunday since I got a lot of help from friends and neighbors cleaning up. (Sam and Donna got back Sunday evening so Sam came over Monday morning and got my cleaned-out fridge/freezer bags to dispose of in the dump!) Bless you Sam and Donna!

I am still doing some raking but overall I am so pleased, relieved, and blessed for the minor damage to my home and my family’s homes when it could have been so much worse! Thank you God from Whom all blessings flow!

I have missed all of you the past two days and thought about each of you and your stories of Hurricane Matthew. Some of you probably have longer “shadows” (issues) to deal with than others but hopefully everyone escaped with no bodily harm. Would love to hear from you and hope everyone and their loved ones are safe and sound….including your homes too.

So until tomorrow….As I was rocking and looking at the giant fireplace in the Grove Park Inn I noticed that one rock had an inscription on it.

Thank you Thoreau…I need to be reminded of this every chance I get…I hope the Race for the Cure coming up this weekend falls under the second category.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* A shout-out to Doodle who told me to stop by and take a shower yesterday…she left okra soup and pound cake to boot. It was while I was cleaning up and feeling human again…that my neighbor called and said our street now had power. Doodle and Harvey were gone but had provided everything I needed and more….love you both so much! And look at their home…somebody has been working…you would never know “Matthew” came to visit.

*John and Mandy took advantage of this unexpected free time to take the kids to Huntsville to spend their “mini-vacation” with W.T and (Joan) B.B. The kids had a wonderful time with their grandparents. Mandy said surprisingly it was quite hot in Huntsville while they were there…much cooler here…that rarely happens. But everyone is back home….safe and sound!

*The largest moon flower of the season greeted me back home Sunday evening…

*It was Tuesday morning while still waiting for the power to come on that I happened to glance up at my Confederate Rose and there it was… the first bloom off my newest bush. I had tied string around the trunk stem and then attached it to the screen on the pottery shed…no way it should have held but it did and now here was its first bloom smiling down at me!