Tuesday, March 9, 2010

The Sojourn has ended


My sojourn came to an abrupt end when I walked in the door of 9853! The kitchen sink won't drain and the dishwasher is broken - thus a messy kitchen. I forgot to put "water the plants" on my list of things to do while I was gone - thus - dead plants. A few light bulbs through out the house need to be replaced but other than that I guess all is well here. It was just a little, tiny bit depressing. This morning there is no coffee but I am making some tea - this is a real downer - I have an entire house to clean, grocery shopping to do and then mail to organize and here I sit blogging.....but I have to finish the blog - just in case anyone is reading this.....

We left Aunt Mary's bright and late Sunday morning - our destination - Central City Cafe in Huntington, West Virginia. It's another place off of the TV show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. We were both excited to try out another one of the featured cafes - unfortunately it was Sunday and the cafe was closed - so we found a fantastic Mexican place and ate a nice dinner there. We decided to forge on and try to get to Lexington Kentucky before calling it a day. I drove - Mike slept. Before I knew it Lexington was but a memory. I was in the groove, cruising through the night listening to music. Mike woke up and said "If we are going to stop at Bardstown tomorrow we don't need to go all the way to Louisville" I said "Oh" He looked at the map and we got off the highway at 9:00 at night and entered into horse country! Too bad it was dark because the places we passed looked way cool. Hilly roads with what appeared to be rock fences surrounding the properties. Big houses, really big and lots of them had these elaborate lights on the roof. Really fancy lights - I commented on them and Mike said they were the horse barns! He said these horse people have lots of money and make lots of money off their horses so they take good care of them. If you have to be an animal pick being a horse in Kentucky! I will be going back there in the day light. Long story short we got all turned around in the back country but the GPS lady saved the day once again and we arrived in Bardstown at about 11:00pm. Got a hotel room
Mike outside the hotel room.

just in time to see the end of the Emmy's and then crashed. Upon awakening we headed out to the Abbey of Gethsemani. Years ago Mike used to go on retreats there and he wanted to show me the place. It is 2000 acres of beauty! We walked around a little bit and decided that we would both come back someday for some reflective thought. Next we went in to one of the cutest little towns I've ever been in - Bardstown! Which, by the way is the Bourbon capital of the world! We didn't have time to visit any of the distilleries so on my way back to the cafe in Huntington I'll be stopping Bardstown for a few distillery tours. Anyway we had lunch in Bardstown at a cute, old fashioned lunch counter - remember those???

Mike at the lunch counter -
notice my Black Cow on the counter
yummy.....
We ended our stay in Bardstown doing a little shop hopping on Main Street - then it was on the road again. Mike said he thought there was one more cute town to see in Indiana if we had time. I said "You don't have to be in court until 9am tomorrow - we have plenty of time!" So off we went and ended up in another one of the cutest towns I've ever been to! I'm telling you - forget Europe - I'm discovering America! Anyway this town is called New Harmony, Indiana - it's only 2 hours from St Louis......do I hear the words Road Trip????? Anyone? Anyone? I purchased a calendar from New Harmony that lists all of their events this year. I plan on going to at least one of them. While we were at Aunt Mary's we rented the movie Julie & Julia. In one of the scenes Julia Child and her husband are at dinner. They are talking and she says "I really need to find something do to - a way to spend my time." He smiled at her and replied "What do you like to do?" She looked down at her plate and looked up at him and said "Eat!!!" A light went on in my head and I thought "Hey - that's what I like to do." So my new adventure is going to be going to as many places from the TV show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives that I can. I'll do a write up and let people know if it's as good as Guy tells us it is on his show! Then I'll purchase a T-Shirt, take my picture in it and post it to my blog. What do you think? Is is a go? Will anyone want to read it? Will anyone join me at one of the diners, drive-ins or dives?

Sadly my trip has come to an end - I'm back in my kitchen where this whole adventure began. Now I have a house to clean, clothes to wash and a plumber to find. But - one last picture - of me in front of a cute, darling little store in Bardstown.....

Happy Traveling....
Even if it's only down the street
Do it was Gusto!!
(or just take Gus for a go!)

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Sitting at My Old Starbuck's in Fairfax, VA

And it all comes full circle - here I am back in Virginia in my good, old reliable Starbucks with the free Wi-Fi. My trip here has been interesting to say the least. Of course, this being a Clark trip it has been a cluster! Mike called me at the Bluff saying that his flight from Charlotte, NC to Savannah was cancelled and he would try and catch the next available flight to Savannah. This was on Tuesday and we were going to leave for Virginia on Weds anyway so I said "Just stay in Charlotte and I'll pick you up at the airport." I checked the map and it looked like about a three and half hour drive. Well...SIX hours later I finally arrived at the airport! I ran into a freak snow storm that started right near Charleston, SC and didn't let up. It was dark, snowing, cars off the road in ditches, snow plows out, snowing, snowing, snowing and here I am in the thick of it. I have to admit I seriously wondered what in the hotel I was doing, but I forged on to the end. I picked up Mike and we headed straight to a Pet Friendly Hotel (an extra $20 for a dog....bummer). Anyway all was well. On Weds as we were heading for Fairfax and I told Mike about a diner that I had seen on the tv show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in Richmond, VA. I asked him if he would like to stop there - being the game sport that he is he said "Yes". Thank God for the talking GPS lady because she led us right to Dot's Back Inn.



We loved it! At that point we decided to spend the night in Fredricksberg because I told Mary we would arrive on Thursday and I didn't want to call her at 7:00 at night and blah, blah, blah. So another night on the road was fine with both us. We arrived at Mary's on Thursday and have been "visitin'" ever since. We are leaving tomorrow to head home. The journey will be coming to an end. But I have a feeling that since I'm traveling with Mike there will be one last post! Who knows where we will stop on the way home! What Diner, Drive-In or Dive can we find between here at St. Louis???


Miss Scarlet assuming her favorite position

Dear, Sweet Aunt Mary's farm house.

Mike and Mary in her kitchen

Mike drinking coffee in a cute little coffee shop
in Fredricksberg, VA


And a good time was had by all....


Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Caipirinha's compliments of Maggie


Prior to leaving St Louis Maggie gave me a bottle of Cachaca Ypioca (Brazilian Rum) with strict instructions to make Caipirinha's (or as us South-siders call them - Brazilian Margarita's) for my new friends that I would make in Georgia. So one night I invited Jimmy, Lin and Paula to my cute, little cottage and served them this wonderful potent treat. They loved them! Thank you sweet Maggie for a night of wicked fun. (Joyce, Caroline, Peggy?)



Paula enjoying her Caipirina
(pronounced kay-peer-reen-ya)

Lin & Jimmy enjoying there's
Notice Jimmy in my Pink Snuggie
Poor Fella - he said he was freezing
in my house! (sound familiar anyone?)


Time to Leave the Bluff

It is with great sadness that I announce I'm leaving the Bluff tomorrow. Tonight at 9:30 my oldest brother, Mike will be joining me. Tomorrow we will leave here and go to Virginia to visit sweet Aunt Mary. It will be a short visit - only until Monday and then it's home again, home again, jiggdy jig. This has been quite an experience, and my life is fuller and richer and fatter and drunker because of it. It was fun meeting new people, seeing and living in a totally different part of the country. Here are a few additional photos I hope you will enjoy -



The pretty little baby all curled up...

Lin had a huge jump up last Friday night
probably around 25 people. This is a
pic of TC, Paula & Bob.
Then my camera ran out of juice and I didn't
get anymore pics of this great party....bummer

Bob & TC in front of an 800 year old live oak
at the Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation.
I love hanging out with the brothers -
they make my outfits look cute!

This is a picture of Greg and his wife Becky,
the owner of the Boat Shed
Two really good, nice people

Downtown Darien - this is the park
down by the river


The Shrimpin' boats dock at the Darien
dock after a hard days work.

This Church is right up the road from me
Peg and I stopped in to get some pictures

Cute little thing - isn't it?

Sister preaching her first sermon

And that is all I have to say about Shellman Bluff....
Forest Gump