Lunch with James Farmer

While we were in Georgia, My Dad took babysitting duty so My Mom, My Sister, and I could attend a ladies' luncheon at their club, Cuscowilla.

Go ahead and roll your eyes at the notion of a ladies' luncheon at the country club. We did a bit, too. But we decided we couldn't resist the menu—and the topic for the luncheon sounded rather interesting.


And so we joined the ladies' club for a discussion, lunch, and book signing with author, landscape designer, and Southern Living editor James Farmer. We learned how James first became interested (from an incredibly early age) in gardening and cooking; how he taught his roommates to cook while getting his degree at Auburn; and how he sees landscapes, interiors, gardens, and food all working together to create truly fine southern living. He told a few entertaining stories ... and also talked about the process of getting his first book published and about the excitement of his book tour.

It's hard to believe, but he's actually the same age as I am. I never would have guessed it, but then again he did say a number of times that he's an "old soul."

After we listened to James speak for a while, we headed to the Waterside Restaurant at the club for lunch. And oh what a lunch it was.


We started with acorn squash soup, which had a pleasant hint of ginger.


And for the main course? Tilapia covered with lobster and blue crab sauce, sitting on a bed of polenta, accompanied by haricot verts (aka green beans).

It was a delightful lunch with my two favorite ladies.

A Week at the Lake

The little guy and I decided to ditch Conservative Hubby and Butter at home last week and headed to Georgia to visit My Parents.


They moved into a new townhome at Lake Oconee when they retired in August and we had yet to see it. Plus My Parents were, of course, dying to spend more time with Collin. And I couldn't pass up a chance to enjoy some nice weather and relax a bit.

It was a wonderful week, particularly because My Sister joined us for quite a few days. Plus Conservative Dad was there at the same time. And Kid Sister visited too. So Collin got to spend quality time with both of his favorite aunties. Plus he met Uncle H, Auntie R, and M.C.

What did we do all week? It was a rather strenuous schedule. We started each morning on the top balcony of the house, where we sipped our coffees and read our books or did crossword puzzles. That shot of the lake above? That was taken on the top balcony.

Then we'd move down to the main floor for breakfast and a bit of lounging on that balcony, or a little warm-up by the fireplace if it was a cool morning.


At some point in the day we'd take a nice walk, with Collin in tow in the Baby Bjorn. My Dad spent some time fishing most days, and sometimes we'd watch him in action.


We'd cook meals at home or hit up our favorite spots (Filet, The Yesterday Cafe, Mellow Mushroom, Silver Moon).


In the evening, we'd enjoy a glass of wine and play games.

Oh, and there was of course lots of time spent playing with Collin, holding Collin, bathing Collin, and generally just watching him be his expressive self. His Mimi and Papa couldn't get enough of him!

Sunset on the Lake

I don't think there is such a thing as a bad or boring or in any way disappointing sunset on Lake Oconee. Every sunset I've seen from P-Diddy and Lovely Miss L's deck has been spectacular.

Last weekend's was no exception.

I snapped a photo soon after the sun began making its descent, then headed inside to continue drinking my delicious tonic and tonic (my cocktail of choice on the lake trip--I'm a wild woman, aren't it?).

But then I realized the sunset was just getting going, so I headed back outside to snap a few more photos.


By a few more, I mean about 30. But I won't bother sharing all of them with you. I'll just make you look at a few of the highlights. Enough to have you itching to see a sunset over the lake in person.

I highly recommend it.

Living the Retired Life

Last weekend I spent a few blissful days pretending I was retired with this couple.

Looking at this picture probably leads you to a number of incredibly important questions, such as:

1. Who are they?
2. What are they doing?
3. Are they really old enough to be retired?
4. Why aren't they wearing any clothes?
5. Whose hair is longer?

These questions are all very important and so I will answer them immediately.

1. My Parents.

2. Enjoying an evening boat ride on Lake Oconee with Uncle H, P-Diddy, the Lovely L, and me.

3. Many people would argue they're definitely not old enough to retire but, alas, they did just that not long ago. Go ahead, be envious.

4. Trust me, they are. It may not look like it, but they are both fully (or almost fully) clothed here. My Mom just happens to be wearing a strapless dress and My Dad, although still wearing shorts, decided it was too hot to wear his shirt on the boat. It was not a nude boat ride. I promise.

5. That's a tough one. It may be My Dad. But it's close. This is the first time in the history of life as I remember it that both of My Parents have hair long enough to fit in a ponytail--although it's possible they had matching ponytails sometime in the '70s. But I wasn't around to witness it.

A Tale of Three Houses (Part III)

Go ahead and boo. I know I'm lame. I gave you a tale of two houses and then left you hanging for a couple of days. That was mean. But very unintentional—I promise.

I just got distracted by studying for an environmental law exam (I thought I had two weeks before I had to take it, then found out the other day it's next Tuesday—ack!), tackling a few around-the-house projects, trying a few new recipes, and going to a luau. You'll hear about all these things soon (well, except for the exam, because I am guessing you don't care to hear about nonattainment areas under the Clean Air Act and who is considered a generator of hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act—but hey, if I'm wrong, let me know).

But first, I owe you a tale of the third house.

This house came well before My Parents' condo and Conservative Parents' home. It was My Parents' first introduction to the Lake Oconee area and, if memory serves me correctly, it is also the place where the wheels started turning and Conservative Parents got serious about seeking out their own place in the area.

Can you see why yet? A nice-looking exterior (with an exceptionally steep drive). A wooded area.


All very nice. But the real draw? The reason I would drop everything and move in there right now if P-Diddy and the lovely L would have me. (And no, not that P-Diddy. But that's a swell nickname, right?)


The lake.


You can see the lake from their back deck.


And the screened porch.


And from the lower patio area under the deck (which includes a terrific outdoor fireplace). I do not have a photo of this, unfortunately, but it's a sweet spot. It's the entire lower level you see here. Now use your imagination.


But wait. I'm supposed to be showing you more of the inside of the house. Not talking about the views oustide. (Although, of course, when the weather is nice we spend most of our time outdoors.)

This is the kitchen, where lovely L has made many a fine meal and the rest of us have opened many a fine bottle of wine.


This is the formal dining room, where dinnertime takes place. Although on busy lake weekends, the bar in the kitchen, the kitchen table, and the table in the screened porch may be used for overflow seating.


This is the living room. Perfect for relaxing. If you aren't relaxed enough, from lounging on the deck, on the patio, on the dock, in the boat ... well, you get the idea.


Upstairs, you'll find bedrooms and bathrooms. Downstairs, you'll find more living space and an additional bedroom and bath. We were in the midst of a big, raucous, multi-family weekend at the lake when I took these photos, however, so I chose to be nice and leave the bedrooms and baths alone.

(You've heard about this place before, by the way. But only the lake. It make an appearance last year and earlier this summer too. Now you can say you've been there. Although, admittedly, the photos can't quite do the place justice. But isn't that always the case?)

A Tale of Three Houses (Part II)

Yesterday, I took you on a tour of the terrific little condo My Parents purchased in the Lake Oconee area of Georgia.

Today, I'm back with another family home. This one belongs to Conservative Parents.


Now I know what you're probably thinking right about now. Those conniving kids. Somehow Conservative Boy and Julie made their parents purchase retirement homes next to one another for their own personal gain.


That would have been brilliant of us. Really, I wish I could take credit for it. Only we had next to nothing to do with it. It just sort of happened. I swear.


You see, Conservative Mom and Dad had vacationed in the area a number of times through their vacation club and had even looked at a few homes they were fond of (which, they discovered, were quite expensive). And My Mom and Dad had also been to the area with Auntie R and Uncle H, to visit friends in the area (bet you'll never guess whose house I'm showing you tomorrow ...). They fell in love with the area too.


Then, last summer, both families were visiting the area at the same time (it was fortuitous, not planned). And my parents weren't just there for fun, they were there to purchase the condo they'd found. Which renewed Conservative Mom and Dad's interest in the area and motivated them to keep looking for a home in their price range.

Which they found. And bought. And love.

I love it too. Can you see why?


It's decorated and ready to live in, which is precisely what Conservative Mom is doing for the summer.


Yep, she's down there right now. (Hi, Conservative Mom! I'll see you soon!) Given the chance, they both probably would live there full-time already. And really, can you blame them?

It's so darn inviting. A great floor plan. Beautiful surfaces. Terrific colors. Comfortable furniture. Swell decorating. A location within walking distance of the golf course. What more could you ask for?

A photo of the exterior, perhaps? Or the kitchen?

I know, I know. I meant to show them to you. A cute cottage with lots of character and a nice open kitchen. Only somehow I can't find pictures of them anywhere. Sorry! Use your imagination until the end of the month and then I can take new photos of it for you.

Yep, I'm headed back down there soon. Someone has to keep Conservative Mom company. It's a tough job, but I think I'm cut out for it.

A Tale of Three Houses (Part I)

Once upon a time a long, long time ago—namely, at the end of May—an adventurous blogger promised her faithful readers that she would share with them a tale of three houses.

And then she got busy with other adventures and forgot all about that all-important promise, until one day at the midpoint of July. Then she realized the error in her ways and sought out the long-lost pictures of the three houses she was so excited to share. (Luckily for her, they weren't really long-lost. They were on her computer, right where she uploaded them.)

And then—finally!—she was ready to reveal the three houses to her dear readers.

So now, without further ado, she'll stop speaking in third person (go ahead, breathe a sigh of relief) and share with you the first of the three houses.


Only this house is not really a house, per se. Rather, it's a condo. It's a condo that belongs to the parents of a certain blogger who happens to enjoy trying new things. But to protect their anonymity, I won't say anymore about who My Mom and My Dad ... er, oops, I mean, these people, are.

Well, shoot. Now that I've slipped up, I might as well explain: My Parents live in Wyoming. They have lived in Wyoming pretty much the entire time I've been alive, except for a quick stint in Montana when I was too young to remember. But they don't really want to retire in Wyoming. Have you experienced a Wyoming winter? And the short growing season? Would you want to live there when you're in your golden years? Enough said.

(By the way, parents, I know you're a long, long way from your golden years. Just looking to the future here.)

Needless to say, it didn't take much for them to fall in love with the Lake Oconee area and snatch up a little condo that was for sale right next to the golf course they wanted to join. It had almost everything they were looking for: a great price, a terrific pool view from the balcony, and no lawn for My Dad to mow.


The only problem is, my parents aren't quite ready to retire yet. So rather than having their terrific new condo languish without visitors most of the year (and having two home payments each month), they're renting it out for now.

That's why, at the end of May, when My Entire Immediate Family converged on Georgia (yes, I know My Entire Immediate Family probably doesn't need to be capitalized, since there's only four of us ... but we're very important), My Mom spent less than a weekend whipping their new place into shape. No kidding. It went from a little condo pretty much devoid of personality to this. Nicely decorated, ready for renters, and a great place for us to visit if renters aren't around.


My Mom, of course, has plenty of other DIY projects she plans to do when she moves into this place for real. Like adding more color. And artwork. And replacing the carpet with cork flooring. And getting a few more furnishings.


But, for the few hours she actually spent on the condo (and considering the fact it's a rental right now), it looks pretty darn good, doesn't it? Particularly the guest bedroom, which looks so darn serene and vacationy.


The Queen of DIY even managed to put up a new backsplash in that short timeframe. (Don't act so surprised. She's done it before.)


She's quite the speed decorator, that lady who birthed me.


Remind me to show you the magic she worked on ... oh, every place I've ever lived in since I graduated college. Maybe I'll get to that sooner than I managed to start the tour of the Lake Oconee houses.


Maybe.

(Parts 2 and 3 are coming soon—promise!)

Thanksgiving at Reynolds

This Thanksgiving, we left L-Town behind in favor of a new, warmer location: Reynolds Landing in the Lake Oconee area of Georgia. It's where Conservative Dad and Conservative Mom recently purchased a lovely vacation home and where My Mom and My Dad actually purchased their future retirement condo too. (Entirely independently of one another ... crazy, isn't it?)

So here we are—my parents, Conservative Boy's immediate family, and Kid Sister's honey—having a lovely time. Last night we gorged ourselves on way too much Thankgiving dinner (including something you absolutely must try should you ever visit the area: buttermilk pie ... it's indescribable). We've also done quite a bit of relaxing. And, of course, golfing.

That's why, without further ado, I present some scenes from my round at Reynolds Landing (don't ask about the score though ... I was rusty).

The green of hole #2 and hole #3 (and a peek at the lake):



Looking back up hole #4 (and My Dad!):



The green on #14:



Happy Day After Thanksgiving!