Dear Reader:

I am so excited early on this Tuesday morning-I couldn’t even sleep last night! My mind kept thinking about all the items on my check-off list to do before leaving for Edisto Beach-one of which was this blog post!

I kept thanking God last night for the medical researchers and doctors who devised vaccines that ultimately allowed this opportunity to return to one of my favorite places in the world-to be able to talk and reminisce with Brooke without masks … to embrace just not each other’s company but a return to a sense of normalcy and security peppered in serenity.

Rest In Peace-even though the Ya’s have always laughed at the beach home name-it applies perfectly… the feelings of security and restful repose envelop its surroundings.

The Ya’s all admitted that we slept better at Rest In Peace than anywhere else! We could finally be ourselves and amid the laughter and contagious humor-we have also been able to throw away our masks and share the sorrows, fears, and insecurities that are a part of life!

Even my oncologists could tell a huge difference in all my vital signs while undergoing chemo, radiation or recuperating from surgery. They would wink at me and say ” I can tell you have been at the beach with your Ya friends ” – the best medicine in the world!

So until tomorrow I will be sharing with you scenes from Edisto with hopefully a few chuckles and “aha” moments -solving some of the world’s problems from Brooke’s front porch!

” Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

One thing before I leave… prayers please for Libby’s brother Boppy who is undergoing cancer surgery and for Ashley, Honey’s youngest daughter, whose latest flare-up with her Crohn’s disease has her hospitalized in Spartanburg with differing medical opinions on how to treat it! Very nerve-racking!

Goodbye to my garden as my beautiful long-leaf hydrangea makes its first appearance!