Dixie Before Disney -- great summer read!

M and I were doing some work in our library today, and I came across Tim Hollis's book, Dixie Before Disney: 100 Years of Roadside Fun. What a good read for summer! (click here for link)

Glad to report that J and I are making it through Seabird, even though it is lush and dense prose...makes a nice counterbalance to Henry and Mudge.

Oh! And, my meal planning did achieve the objective of eating at home most every meal last week, but I did not follow the Saving Dinner menus. I made Southern-fried pork chops tonight which coincided nicely with finding the Dixie Before Disney book.

What we're reading, what we're eating...

Upon my friend Rachel's encouragement, months ago, I bought the book Saving Dinner, and am now finally going to try a 6 day menu from it. It has taken me 4 days to do the shopping, and I still have a few items to purchase. Even with my imperfect organizational skills, I think the menu will save us time and money. Lynne Ely, the author, arranges her menus seasonally, which is fun.

J and I are still reading Henry and Mudge and telling stories and reading Grimm's fairy tales. JB likes the Amazing Days of Abby Hayes and she is drawing and writing alot lately. I started the lovely picture book, Seabird, by Holling Clancy Holling. The prose was too elaborate for J, but I am drawn in and hope to finish it.

Today I began Graham Greene's novel, The Power and the Glory. I hope to write about that soon.

All salty and sandy

We just got home from a week at a lovely beach near Charleston, S.C., Kiawah Island. Thanks to my friend Diana's good organizational skills, we ate meals from France, Mexico, Germany, Spain, Italy and the US. We took a break from the waves and sand castle building to tour historic Charleston by horse-drawn carriage.

And, amazingly, three different pet sitters had no problem with our eight animals that we left in Georgia.

I am so grateful for such a refreshing vacation and the blessing of coming home to everything in its place. Above is a photo off the internet of the 5-star hotel, The Sanctuary, where we ate breakfast one morning.