Charleston, SC - Part 9

February 3, 2019 - March 10, 2019

During the past month or so I have spent more time in Sarasota FL helping my children’s grandmother, Claire, than in Charleston with my husband.  I left Charleston less than a week after returning from Sarasota when I received a call from Claire that she was in the hospital with pneumonia and obviously not doing well.  My daughter, Jessica, and her husband, Joe joined us a few days later.  Her son also came.  We took turns staying with her all day and night so she would not be alone.  Since she did not want to have heart surgery Jessica and I helped her to transition back to her apartment under hospice care.  Being home and surrounded by family helped her to rally for awhile.  All of her grandchildren and her great-grandson visited the following weekend and when they left she began to decline.  Her daughter-in law was with her for a week.  And I was to return the following week when I got a call from the nurse at the assisted living facility that she had shifted into actively dying.  My daughter Rachel got there that afternoon and called me the following morning (3/1) at around 3 am to tell me that her grandmother had passed.  I left as soon as I could the next morning for a whirlwind of activity.  Claire’s husband, Fred, came home from rehabilitation the following Tuesday and Rachel, Juan (Rachel’s friend), and I stayed to help him until his daughter, Sheryl, and her friend, Laurie, arrived on Friday afternoon.

Claire in 1994.

Fun times at Jessica and Joe's wedding.

Happy times - Claire and granddaughter, Rachel

Close to the end - Claire and grandson, Karl.

I’m now back in Charleston finally able to rest and grieve.  Claire had been a significant part of my life for over 40 years. She provided an immeasurable amount of help and support over those years.  The last two years we switched roles and it  was my turn to help and support her in her illnesses and life transitions.  I have been constantly in touch with her by phone and visited numerous times even flying over from the Bahamas one January to help her move into assisted living.  The past two months have been consumed with concern for her well being and visits to provide help and comfort.  So now she is gone and I feel a giant hole in my life, I miss her so much.  I feel like I have been set adrift with no purpose.  I know I will recover from these feelings quickly, but right now I am just sad and lost.  I have my husband, my cats, my children,my grandchildren, my sisters, and a wonderful life style.  It’s just hard to appreciate all of those blessings at this moment.

My next post will be about our final adventures in Charleston as we get ready for our trip back to Baltimore.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Charleston, SC - part 8 and Sarasota, FL

January 28, 2019 - February 3, 2019

The polar vortex that affected the upper midwest and east coast this week, also affected Charleston, but not so severely.  While Chicago was experiencing wind chills of 50 below zero Bob and I were complaining about the near freezing temperatures we woke up to for several mornings.  

On Wednesday we picked up the rental car that I was going to use to drive to Sarasota to meet Grace (my youngest daughter) and Ben (her boyfriend) so we could visit with Claire (my children’s grandmother).  I wasn’t leaving until Thursday morning so we used the car to visit a Joann’s Fabric store to look for a fabric we had purchased there a few years earlier. I want to make a curtain for the quarter berth.  We didn’t find the fabric there, but Bob located the fabric number so we can continue to search for it online.  Next, Bob and I decided to drive to Folly Beach for lunch and a walk on the beach.  

We stopped at St. James Gate, Folly Beach’s Irish bar, for lunch. 
The food was great and the atmosphere even better.

We drove to the southern end of the island to walk on the county park beach.

Sea grass and sand form the basis of the stark beauty of a beach in winter.

 Beaches that are left to nature and not cleaned up for tourists
 often have dead trees scattered about.

I left for Sarasota early on Thursday morning and arrived to check my daughter into the hotel at around 3:00 pm.  After a great dinner at Anna Marie’s Oyster Bar we headed over to the Assisted Living Facility to visit Claire.  Grace had not seen her grandmother for several years and it was a tearful reunion.  I stayed with Claire for the two nights I visited and we chatted and watched an old Western movie.  The next day we were all able to have lunch together in the dining room.  Claire’s husband was still in the hospital and was to be released to a rehab facility for him to regain the strength necessary to be able to take care of himself and return home.  I made a couple of trips to the hospital and the rehab facility to help him get settled in.  Fortunately, both were close to the assisted living facility.  I left to return to Charleston around noon on Saturday and arrived home by 9 pm. It had been a whirlwind trip, but it was great to see Claire, Grace, and Ben even if for only a few hours.

Sunday was devoted to resting up from my trip, having a PT session, going out to lunch, and watching the Super Bowl (which turned out to be a real snooze).

 We ate lunch at Leon’s Poultry and Oyster Shop
which is in a renovated auto repair garage.
It serves the best fried chicken I have ever had. 
Bob loved the oysters on the half shell, too.

One of the bonuses of living on the water is observing the wild life. 
Our dock has several egrets and herons that visit frequently. 
Bob even saw an otter in the water the other day. 
I regularly watch dolphins swimming in the harbor near our boat.

Thank you for reading my blog.

El Paso and Charleston, SC - part 7

January 14, 2019 - January 20, 2019

I spent the week with my niece, Amy, and her family helping out in any way I could.  She is still in a wheel chair and unable to walk, but she is remarkably adept at moving from the wheel chair to a chair, the car, her bed, etc. by herself.  She is expected to have a full recovery, but the healing process is slow with such serious injuries.  I enjoyed playing with the boys, Alfredo and Maxi.  I read bedtime stories, helped with their bath, took them to the park, fixed their breakfast, and generally supervised their activity while they were at home.  The baby, Ofelia, was a delight to help out with.  Amy could perform all the necessary care except moving her from her lap to a stable place while she moved herself from the chair to the wheel chair.  I felt like I was basically a nanny; such fun! It was great to see my sisters Laurie and Becky as our care schedules overlapped a bit.  I’m so glad I was able to go to El Paso to help out.  The trip helped me see that the family was recovering well from the horrible accident they were involved in.

 As you can see, Amy is looking great!

January 21, 2019 - January 27, 2019

After returning to Charleston I became sick.  It started with an extremely sore throat.  I doctored myself with hot tea, hot cider, and warm salt water gargles, but nothing improved.  On Friday, after a great lunch at Mellow Mushroom, we walked to an urgent care facility on King street where I was diagnosed with an inner ear infection.  I was thankful that I went to the Dr.s as quickly as I did as the infection could have only gotten worse over the weekend. My condition improved after a couple of days on antibiotics and steroids (for the inflammation), but I continue to be tired.

Because of my illness we didn’t do very much this week, but I did start photographing some of the particularly notable houses in Charleston.  The architecture of the city is amazing and varied.  The styles include Colonial, Georgian, Regency, Federal, Adamesque. Classical Revival, Greek Revival, Italianate, Gothic Revival, and Queen Anne.  I will make an effort to identify these styles in the photographs I post of the lovely homes and buildings.

This street scene shows the variety of the architecture downtown.

The Custom House is Greek Revival style.

This house combines styles of Greek Revival with
Victorian iron work.

Here is an example of Federal Style.

This Antebellum style house has a side portico.

Here's another type of an Antebellum house.

Hopefully this gives you an idea of the beauty of the Charleston homes and public buildings.  I'm not completely sure that I identified the architectural styles correctly so if you can correct me just leave me a message.

Thanks for reading my blog.

Charleston, SC - part 6

January 8, 2019 - January 14, 2019

The weather has been sunny and warm (70’s) with a cool breeze.  Bob and I have been  riding our bikes to run errands and visit our favorite restaurants for lunch.  No rain is expected until Saturday, but it will cool down towards the end of the week. Regular chores are much more pleasant when the sun is shining brightly.

My big problem this week is trying to brush and groom the cats.  They both have hair mats under their forward legs (what I would call their armpits).  Jack is easy to catch, but quickly becomes intolerant of grooming even if I am being as gentle as possible, and he wiggles away.  Lola is almost impossible to catch when she sees the brush.  Bob researched this issue and came up with the idea of gently brushing her repeatedly and giving her treats if she tolerates the brushing, but this has not been very successful.  I have to admit that I become impatient with this technique quickly.  I have never been able to brush her for even a minute before she bolts.  I’ll keep trying and hopefully find some success.

At Christmas Bob and I decided to spruce up the main salon with some new pillows.  Some of our old pillows were showing wear and were a bit boring.  We found the ones we liked on various internet sites and ordered them.  The pillow covers and pillow inserts all arrived at different times.  The final two got here on 1/9 traveling all the way from Estonia.

The blue fluffy pillow in the back is the new one.
 We got the fish pillow in the Bahamas and
 I made the gold one to match our curtains.

My favorite is the water color style flower pillow.

The red pillow was ordered through Etsy and came to us from Latvia.

Since we are spending the winter in Charleston
we thought the map pillow would be a nice reminder of the area.

We are finding that condensation is becoming a major problem on the boat because of the temperature deferential between inside and outside.  The dampness caused by condensation can lead to mold.  We have made several changes to lessen this problem (going to a warmer spot in the winter will eliminate the problem next year). We purchased a small dehumidifier which collects an amazing amount of water each day.  I regularly clean out our storage cupboards with white vinegar to kill mold and prevent its regrowth, and  I leave the cupboard  doors open to allow more air circulation.  One spot that we were not sure what to do to eliminate the moisture was under our mattress.  We bought a product specifically designed to be used under mattresses in small spaces and installed it on Thursday.  Let’s hope it works! 

Here is the product we installed under our mattress.
 The top is cloth and the bottom is a series of stiff plastic
 strings curled around each other randomly.

Even though I cleaned the mattress and the platform
with white vinegar the mold stains remain.

I’ll be leaving for El Paso, TX on Monday to spend some time with my niece, Amy, and her family.  Amy was involved in a car accident in which she broke both legs and her arm and our family is rallying around her to help her and her family, which includes three small children, while she is recovering. It will be good to see her, but I wish it was under better circumstances.

Thanks for reading my blog.

Charleston, SC - part 5

January 1, 2019 - January 7, 2019

The weather in Charleston in December wasn’t great.  It was rainy, humid, and chilly most days.  We had five days of sunny dry weather during Christmas week which we took advantage of and biked everyday.  Most days in December the bikes were stored under the fore peak tent.

I repurposed the fore peak tent to protect the bikes from the elements.

Because of the poor weather, Bob and I have been discussing some projects that we can complete while we are here on rainy days. One interior sewing project that I could complete using my standard sewing machine is a curtain to cover the side of the quarter berth.  Like many spare bedrooms our quarter berth has become a storage area which is less than attractive.  My plan is to create a curtain with textilene (for air circulation) at the top (about one third) and curtain fabric at the bottom. I’m hoping to match the curtain fabric we used in the main salon. We’ve already located the hardware we will need to install the curtain at Sailrite. 

 Does your spare bedroom look like this?

We, also, have an issue with the cats climbing onto our clothing shelves and snagging the fabric with their claws. The covers of the shelves need to allow easy access to the clothing and also air flow.  Bob and I have not quite figured out how to accomplish this project, but we will probably work it out on a rainy day this winter.

Lola, naughty cat number one

Jack, Lola's partner in crime

Before leaving Baltimore I cut out several pieces of fabric and have been completing those tops and dresses when I get the urge to sew here in Charleston.  There isn’t a lounge here like in Baltimore so when it comes time to cut out some more fabric I’m going to have to be creative in finding a way to accomplish that.

Loose fitting tops like this one with 3/4 sleeves
 are the most comfortable for this climate.

Of the  seven church spires in the Charleston’s skyline, I have now photographed four. 

Matthew Lutheran Church on King Street is a
Gothic Revival church designed by
a local architect, John Henry Deveraux,
and constructed between 1867 and 1872.

Grace Episcopal Church on Wentworth Street
has Charleston’s most ornate spire.

I have restarted my physical therapy treatment to help me overcome the back and neck pain caused by the injury I sustained when rear ended in September.  Getting 100% healthy is a major project for me now as it entails twice a week sessions and doing the prescribed exercises twice a day or as needed for pain.  I’m making progress toward my goal.

I’ll keep you posted on all of these projects.

Thanks for reading my blog.

Charleston, SC - part 4

December 27, 2018 - January 1, 2019

We didn’t do anything special between Christmas and New Year’s.  One of the highlights for me here in Charleston is bike riding.  The low country of South Carolina is very flat and most streets have light traffic making trips into town easy and safe.  I was an avid bicycler when I was in my 20’s and haven’t had my own bike since then until now.  I find myself thinking up errands just to have a reason to ride my bike.  Bob and I bike into town for lunch a couple of times every week.

This is a wall decoration at our favorite pizza restaurant,
The Mellow Mushroom.

Charleston’s nickname is The Holy City because of the numerous church steeples in the city’s skyline.  I always photograph the churches we pass so I should get lots of church pictures this winter.

This church is on Broad Street
near the French Quarter.

This church is also on Broad Street,
but closer to the marina.

The low country is distinctive in so many ways.  The large tidal range (over six feet) changes the shore line twice a day.  At low tide on the rivers the puff mud and tidal oysters clinging to pilings are exposed giving off a marsh mud fragrance.  At high tide the oysters disappear and the marsh returns to a spartina grass filled body of water. Charleston, specifically, has some of the best restaurants in the area - from five star elegance to neighborhood delis.  Gumbo, she crab soup, shrimp and grits, okra, and fried green tomatoes are some of the local specialties. The beauty of the tree and mansion lined old streets speak to the historical significance of Charleston. The residents are extra friendly and helpful.  One evening Bob and I were walking down a street checking our phone to locate a small neighborhood restaurant when a car pulled over and asked what we were looking for.  He gave us directions and then when he realized his directions were wrong he circled around the block and stopped to give us the right directions.  Overall, our winter in Charleston should be relaxing, yummy, and fun.

My next blog will be about some of the projects I may tackle while we are here.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Charleston, SC - part 3

December 18, 2018 - December 26, 2018

On Tuesday we took it easy, but were able to visit the Verizon store to register Bob’s veteran’s information to receive the veteran's discount on our phone service.  I did laundry and cleaned the interior of the cabin.  Keeping up with the cat hair is almost a full time job.

The first task we tackled on Wednesday was visiting the Apple store on King Street to try to get my iPhone unlocked.  Since before Thanksgiving, when we switched our cell phone carrier from T-Mobile to Verizon, I have been struggling with T-Mobile to get my phone unlocked.  I have spent hours on the phone going back and forth between carriers and Apple.  My last contact at T-Mobile was an "unlock specialist" and after following all of her directions my phone was still locked.  Her final suggestion was to visit the Apple store and get them to fix my phone.  I knew they would not be able to unlock a carrier locked phone, but went there anyway.  Of course, I was right and in desperation to end this headache I traded my phone in for an iPhone 7 and completed the set up process to port my number to Verizon.  I’m out about $200, but I’m done with T-Mobile, finally. 

Afterwards we visited the Mellow Mushroom for lunch and found a great pizza place that serves whole pizzas, pizza slices, and great salads.  Score!!!  We walked around King Street which is a shopping Mecca with small local shops and big national retailers.  Another good find!

Thursday and Friday were taken up with a minor repair to the facet in the galley and buying our groceries for the week.

Saturday was sunny and a good day to take our cameras on a bike ride.  Our first stop was Rainbow Row on East Bay Street.   

Rainbow Row is a series of 13 buildings that were restored in the 1930’s.

 It was named for the pastel colors they were painted
and are the most photographed buildings in Charleston.

Charlestonians are serious about their Christmas door decorations.

We stopped for lunch at the Brown Dog Deli.
The food was great. I'm sure we will be back here

On Christmas Eve we rode downtown for lunch at Blossom’s restaurant on Bay Street.  

I had a great cup of gumbo and this salad for lunch

The Christmas decorations in the restaurant were lovely.

Christmas was a quiet day for Bob and I.  Rachel (my daughter) is in Mexico with her boyfriend's family and face timed me in the morning.  I heard from my son and his family in Houston and my daughter, Jessica, who was in Cleveland visiting her mother-in-law. My sister’s and I all exchanged Christmas greetings by text message.  I enjoyed cooking a turkey dinner.

Turkey with all the trimmings!

Thank you for reading my blog.  Happy New Year!