Dear Reader:

I have come to the conclusion that it is  small comments or remarks in life that sometimes lead to the most exciting adventures! *It was Tom Hudson’s friendliness and sharing of the secret cemetery that lead us to that nostalgic discovery.

Then to kill time while we were waiting for Jackson to arrive in Georgetown (from Columbia) to meet us at the River Room Restaurant for our annual kick-off lunch, Brooke and I wandered in and out of a couple of boutiques like The Sly Fox and Sully & Bay on Front street.

While talking with one of the proprietors…she asked where we were staying in the area…Pawleys Island…and then immediately told us we would be able to witness the historical “move” of the Pawleys Island Chapel from its home in the marsh across the street to an empty lot for repairs to be completed.

Anybody who has ever spent any time on Pawleys …recognizes this famous little chapel. With only 202 seats it is full most Sundays with church services conducted seasonally…finishing up the last summer service on the last Sunday in August. Because several weddings were already “booked” through December…the move had to wait until February. Lucky for us to get to witness it.

The little chapel started out being a residence for the Pentecostal Holiness Church in Georgetown. In the late 1940’s it was dismantled and transported to the island where it rests on land given by Dr. and Mrs. J.H. Porter.

This “Little Chapel that Could” has survived many storms including Hurricane Hazel in 1954 and Hugo in 1989. Every time it has needed repairs the people of Pawleys and community organizations, like the Pawleys Island Rotary Club, have stepped up to the occasion.

*I found this excerpt from an article written by Tommy Howard “Pawleys Chapel to move for Repairs” which gave more history to the chapel. And thanks Libby for your website!

“...The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and DHEC had to give their approval because the Chapel is on pilings along the edge of Pawleys Creek.

The State Historic Preservation Office helps make sure historic places and structures are properly cared for.

Starting back in Colonial days, plantation owners would move across several rivers for the summer to Pawleys Island. Household goods and furnishings, clothing, food, and kitchen utensils would be loaded on wagons and taken across two or three rivers, perhaps – the Black, Pee Dee and Waccamaw – to spend the time on the seashore.

A major part of the reason at the time was to escape what they called swamp miasma or swamp fever.”

* It was during the 1800’s period of Pawleys Island history that the parsonage/rectory held summer evening services You might remember this rectory turned into Brooke’s friend’s summer beach home when their family bought it many years ago. It preceded the Pawleys Chapel.

The replacement of the Pawleys Chapel’s temporary home site was Brooke’s and my first stop as we headed out on our “mis-adventures” last Wednesday.

We could hardly get past all the construction on the narrow winding road around Pawleys. Other spectators had also stopped and were taking pictures of the little chapel’s temporary residence until repairs are made. I hopped out to join them.

Hopefully one day I will be at Pawleys during the summer and can attend a church service in this special little chapel. We always like to pull for the underdog and this little chapel has taken on some big hurricane adversaries and still has its doors open to worship God. It really is “The Little Chapel that Could.”

So until tomorrow…

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Tuesday I got back ‘in the groove’ walking again and this was definitely my ‘delight of the day’ or ‘beauty of happiness.’

All of us Ya’s are recognizing we are becoming more and more creatures of habit. We always talk about trying a new restaurant out for our end of the retreat evening…but then we always talk ourselves out of it…like Brooke said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

We love the little restaurant, Chive Blossom, located just off Pawleys North Causeway. It is conveniently close, the food delicious, and the staff friendly. *The only thing we have changed in the pattern is the date…we  go two nights before we are to leave instead of the last night…( it makes the dinner kinda sad.) Instead we eat all the left-overs the last night.

Susan Swicegood, Kaithlyn’s mom, who has one of Khaleesi’s pups, sent Khaleesi a pretty new outfit for spring. Go Mimi!