Frogmore Stew

To truly inhabit a new place, one must dine on the local fare.  Greg embraced this theory in South Carolina and immediately, set his crab pot in the water for a good three-day soak.  Each day, he would send Wyatt out to count the blue crabs and Wyatt would bring back a full report.

           “We’ve got four blue crabs, one stone crab and a croaker.” Greg released the stone crab, but placed the croaker in the bait trap.

           “We’ve got seven blue crabs, one stone crab and a hermit crab.”  Greg released the stone crab and I used the hermit crab for an ecosystems’ science lesson.

           On the third day, Wyatt ran in, out of breath, and announced, “We’ve got fourteen blue crabs, some kind of wiry crab and an octopus!” 

This was something new so we all took off for the pier.  Sure enough, our crab trap held a gooey, squishy eight-legged octopus.  Greg gently pulled it out and set it briefly on the pier for closer examination.  We all stared, speechless.  How could such an odd looking creature exist on our same planet? Its slick, burnt orange skin shimmered in the late afternoon sun.  It lifted one tentacle revealing tiny suckers on its underside. Placing the tentacle back on the pier it lurched forward, trying to escape.

Anabel looked worried. “We’re not eating this, are we?”

“Not today, but take a picture, quick, before I put it back in the water.  This is definitely going on Facebook!” said Greg.  He shoved his phone in her hand and she clicked a few shots as the octopus clamored for the pier’s edge.  Greg deftly lifted it up and tossed it back in the ocean.

“Have a good life, Mr. Octopus! Next time, stay away from our crabs or I won’t be so nice.”  He hummed Octopus’s Garden as he and Wyatt loaded the blue crabs into our bucket.  Greg was starting to let go of our old responsibilities and enjoy sabbatical life.  Holding Emma’s hand as we made our way back to the house, I watched Greg’s shoulders relax as he told Wyatt and Anabel the ingredients he’d picked up in town for Frogmore Stew, tonight’s special dinner. (Frogmore Stew was invented in the Frogmore Community on nearby Saint Helena Island by shrimper, Richard Gay of Gay Seafood Company, when he was throwing together found ingredients for fellow National Guardsmen in the 1960s.  Everyone liked it so much, he shared the recipe;  today, many consider it the unofficial dish of South Carolina.)

“You need: 2-3 heads of garlic, 2-3 onions, 2-3 lemons, a box of Old Bay seasoning and a packet of Zatarain’s Crab Boil.  You put all that in a big pot and set it to boiling.”

“When do you put in the sausage? That’s my favorite part,” asked Wyatt.

“Not yet.  Next, you add to the water: 3 pounds of small red potatoes. After about 20 minutes, you add 6 ears of corn- cut in half, a pound of Andouille sausage- cut in sections and as many blue crabs as you can catch. And last, you add the shrimp- 2-3 pounds depending on how many you're feeding.  Immediately, put the lid on and cut the heat off.”

“Do the shrimp cook that fast?” asked Anabel.

“Yep. As soon as they hit the hot water, they’ll start turning pink.  When they’re all pink, it’s time to eat.  Remember, the two things most people do wrong are they under season and overcook."

“I’m hungry,” said Emma.  “When’s dinner?”

            “You’re always hungry,” I said giving her a huge hug and adding, "Soon!"

*Always serve Frogmore Stew (also known as Low Country Boil) with crusty French bread, cocktail sauce-heavy on the horseradish, a nice bottle of white wine for the adults and sweet tea for the kids.

OMG! Anabel's a Teenager!

"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" - Clarence Oddbody, AS2

Thirteen years ago, Greg and I were blessed with our miracle baby.  I know every baby is a miracle, but after ten years of marriage, five years of infertility, and two heartbreaking miscarriages OUR miracle baby finally arrived.  Anabel healed our pain and led the way for two more miracles: her little brother and sister.  Often, I think how different our lives would be without her… the empty hole her absence would leave.  Like George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, Anabel would have left quite a hole, altering our entire lives, had she not been born.  Our guardian angel, Clarence Oddbody (Angel Second Class), would show us a life with no kids, no snuggles and giggles, no small hands slipping into ours, definitely no sabbatical, and possibly, no marriage because I would have turned squirrelly and driven Greg nuts.  We may have had more money, but no one to share it with.

Thankfully, Anabel was born, and we have three beautiful, healthy children.  Our pockets are empty of cash, but overflowing with love and Zuzu's petals.

To celebrate our good fortune and Anabel's life, we spent a family day in Beaufort.  

After opening seven of her thirteen presents (each item from Bath and Body Works counted as a separate gift...even the two lip glosses), we headed to the Beaufort Inn for their very Southern Sunday brunch.   The spread included a grits bar, andouille sausage balls, fresh berry parfaits, shrimp cocktails, artichoke dip casserole with homemade chips, lox and cream cheese pops, caesar salad and beef tenderloin.  Anabel splurged on the the cooked to order eggs benedict while Wyatt and Emma dug their way through a mountain of cinnamon and honey French toast.  Greg and I tried a little of everything, but could have contented ourselves with the basket of popovers and strawberry butter alone.

One Word: Popovers

Did I mention the dessert bar yet?  Holy smokes!  Everyone sampled dark chocolate creme brûlée, banana pudding mousse, angel cake, and chocolate ganache pops. (Part of my recovery program is admitting to all of this.)  We waddled out through the back garden enjoying the Confederate jasmine and admiring the gorgeous day.

Our next stop was a surprise...

 Keeping a secret from Anabel is difficult.  She begs and pleads for you to tell her something and if you don't she drives you crazy asking questions and trying to guess.  Somehow, we managed to keep quiet this time until we turned on the road to Camelot Farms and she immediately shouted, "We're going horseback riding!"  She was excited and nervous.  She hadn't been on a horse since a brief scare last year during a riding lesson.  While being our most cautious child, Anabel is also our most accident prone.  With one broken arm and leg and emergency surgery in her past, I can't blame her for being a little hesitant to jump into dangerous situations.   However, I think there's an old saying about getting back on the horse so we poured out of the family truckster ready to climb on.

Since we were the only ones on the farm, our guide, Ned, let us help prep the horses for our marsh trail ride.  As he brought each horse up, we brushed, sprayed and made new animal friends.  I was very happy with the "getting to know you" period before the ride because it was Wyatt and Emma's first ride and I hadn't been on a horse in twenty years.  By the time the horses were saddled and ready, our nerves had settled and we were ready, too.

While brushing and petting, Anabel became attached to a horse named Shoes, but when Ned started assigning mounts he gave her the friskiest horse.  I was so proud of her for speaking up and asking if she could ride the horse she liked.  Sometimes it's hard to admit your kids are growing up, but speaking up for yourself is a difficult lesson to learn so I was happy to see this evidence of our daughter's maturity.

The trail ride was fantastic.  We went all over their farm's acreage at the end of St. Helena Island riding under mossy live oaks, near farmland and through pinewood forests.  After an hour on the trail, we hated to say goodbye, but we had gained more to celebrate: Anabel overcame her yearlong fear of riding again, and Wyatt and Emma found a new love.

We ended her birthday celebration with Anabel's all time favorite meal (yes, we were hungry, again.)  Crab legs, baked potatoes and iceberg wedges followed by strawberry cake were the perfect grand finale to a grand day.

Happy 13th Birthday, Anabel!  We love you!

Feeling Froggy

The Hammerz

I write to keep busy, to stimulate my brain, to communicate with friends and to record our experiences for our children.  Greg plays music for all the same reasons.  He has played in a band for twenty-five years which is to say- longer than I've known him.  Music is who he is, what he does, and how he communicates with others.

My Musicians

As music teacher of our little home school academy, Greg's lessons include guitar tablature, voice harmonies, piano chording and drum beats and fills.  While the girls have shown growth in voice lessons, Wyatt has soared at guitar.  His latest assignment was to learn the opening guitar melody for Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here.  As his academic teacher, I wish he put as much effort in his writing as he has in learning that song.  All I'm saying is: he could be the next Shakespeare if he worked on writing like he works on guitar.  Greg definitely struck a chord with Wyatt.  They speak a foreign language that I will never understand and that's okay.  The father/son bond was always strong, but now they share a secret that makes both pairs of eyes light up when they're discussing it.  It is extremely awesome to watch.

New Faces, New Friends

Greg has done more than teach music to the kids this year.  He has used his musical talent to make new friends.  For a boy who grew up knowing everyone in town and playing and writing songs with guys he's known for over half his life, that's saying something.  Apparently, you can teach my old dog new tricks.  As a non-musician, I am in awe every time I watch Greg play or sing, but I am speechless witnessing him step out of his comfort zone to meet new people and play new songs.  I mean meeting new people is hard enough without the added element of performing, right?

Jamming at the Foolish Frog

Sometime in early December, I saw a sign that read, Jam Session Tonight, at a fabulous local restaurant, The Foolish Frog, in Frogmore, SC.  I knew Greg was missing playing with other musicians so I suggested we go check it out.  As we walked up under a tree tunnel of live oaks and spanish moss, we heard the sweet twang of a banjo blending with the strum of a guitar coming from the marsh deck.  We rounded the deck wall just as someone started singing, Friend of the Devil.  Pulling out his guitar, Greg jumped in and hung on.  Mr. Darling would have been proud.  From that night on, if you're looking for us on Tuesday nights, you'll find us at the Frog.

Frogmo' Fo at Nippy's

While continuing to record a new album with The Hammerz, Greg's new acquaintances at the Frog have led to gigs with new bands.  He is now a member of the Frogmo' Fo which was initially three members and has grown to six; I have no idea were the "Fo" came from... I'm thinking someone only counts beats.  With Greg on drums, Kirk Dempsey on guitar and vocals, Adam Granade on bass, Tom Davis on guitar, Tim Devine on guitar, and Steve Johnson on trumpet, the band's next show is May 11th at Nippy's in Downtown Beaufort.  Between practices at the Dempsey Farm's Juke Joint (Kirk and Elaine's garage) and the actual performance, there will be many nights of entertainment to be had by all!

What a Smile!

New Groupie Girls

I believe life is sweeter with a soundtrack (I even created a special playlist for this year) and I've been fortunate to have an in-house musician to play our background music for almost 23 years.  Who needs an iPod with Greg and the kids around?  The icing on the cake is the new friends we've made thanks to that music.  I have new groupie girls to hang with, new playmates for the kids and new shoulders to lean on in times of trouble.  No worries...

Easter Island

Part of the draw of our sabbatical is the possibility of giving Anabel one more year of childhood, and consequently, slowing the speed of which her younger brother and sister's childhood passes, as well. Anyone with older brothers or sisters knows that when the oldest learned something about the adult world, they couldn't wait to spoil it for their beloved younger siblings.  Anabel has always been our imaginative child preferring to read, write or play pretend in her free time.  Unlike most of her friends at home, she still believes in fairies, Santa and even, the Easter bunny with all her heart.  I want to keep it that way.  No, I don't want her laughed at or ridiculed by her peers, but I don't want to see her innocent world of believing - of having faith in the unseen- to end.

Aren't we all asked to believe things we can't see?  I wasn't there when men walked on the moon, but I believe it happened.  I can't see the love my mother has for me when she berates me again for spending a year away from home, but I know it's there.  I didn't see Jesus heal the sick or turn water into wine, but I believe He did.  I can't see God while I'm praying, but I feel He's there.  How can we get through life without a little faith in the unseen? And oh, to have the faith of a child!  C. S. Lewis said, "Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason once accepted, despite your changing moods." Or your changing age, as the case may be.

Of course, it is easier to believe when you THINK you've seen.  Two years ago, Anabel caught the Easter Bunny in her room.  She woke to see a very tall shadow exiting her room and discovered a basket beside her bed.  She surmised that the shadow must have been the Easter Bunny, but instead of being thrilled by her discovery, she was terrified.  My goodness, he was big!  Now, I must sleep with her on the Saturday nights before Easter to guard against that massive bunny.

This year, Emma wasn't worried about Anabel's Harvey-sized rabbit; she fretted about having no Easter baskets as we had left our traditional baskets at home in Canton.  Unfazed, she immediately found a solution.  Laundry baskets.  They're bigger and hold more treats!  However, her fears were unwarranted as the Easter Bunny provided his own baskets this year.

As with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, we created new ways to celebrate Easter:

With a new friend from St. Helena Island, the kids hunted for eggs on appropriately named Hunting Island.

We shared our love of scavenger hunts with friends from Delaware.

The kids roamed the island in teams competing to find all items on the list to win a prize.  Some articles they took literally; some items they took figuratively.

For example, one item on the list was a photo of our neighbors, Steve and Mary.  Here's their beautiful portrait:

 Another item was a photo of a butterfly.  Now, I didn't think finding a live butterfly would be difficult thanks to our early spring, but here's what one team came up with:

I like kids that can see more than one solution to a problem!


Our Easter was unique this year in many ways, but the same in many others. While our children are not the little ones they used to be in their Easter dresses, suits and hats, we still celebrated our faith that the stone was rolled away and the Living Christ was not found with the dead, but among the believers.  While we shared the holiday with friends rather than family, we found communion just the same.

My Fripp Island

Fripp Island Sunrise

I fell in love with Fripp Island before I knew its name or existence.  Pat Conroy's descriptions of the low country resonated in my heart, calling my soul out to play:  

"I have heard it said that an inoculation to the sights and smells of the Carolina lowcountry is an almost irreversible antidote to the charms of other landscapes, other alien geographies. You can be moved profoundly by other vistas, by other oceans, by soaring mountain ranges, but you can never be seduced. You can even forsake the lowcountry, renounce it for other climates, but you can never completely escape the sensuous, semitropical pull of Charleston and her marshes.” 

This year's travels have proven his words true.  Time and again, we saw breathtaking beauty all around America, but none so glorious as a low country sunset.  

Fripp Island Sunset

And so, always, we return to Fripp.

Located nineteen miles southwest of Historic Beaufort, two hours from Charleston and just one hour from Savannah, Fripp Island is a private, gated community offering everything a person needs -or wants- in just 6 square miles.  Whatever image of Fripp you're looking for, you'll find it.  

Clam digging on Fripp

If you're searching for the low country of The Prince of Tides, it's here.  Home to Pat Conroy and his wife, author Cassandra King, Fripp Island's luscious low country landscape holds redemptive powers and inspires novels.  But if you're like me, you may be content with bike rides, long walks, and meditative moments sitting on a dock as the lapping of the water lulls you to sleep just as the sheepshead strikes your bait.  If you're more adventurous, Fripp gives liberty to try new passions like crabbing, clamming and shrimping, all of which boil up nicely in a fresh frogmore stew.

Fripp Island Blue Crabs

Frogmore Stew topped with crabs

If you're searching for pirate's gold like early Fripp resident Blackbeard's treasure, the booty may not be buried here (feel free to look), but the white sand beaches beg for pirate play.  So dig, drink, relax and be merry.  Like the t-shirt says, you can't sit on the beach and drink rum all day unless you start first thing in the morning. Of course, you don't have to drink to live the pirate life.  Pirates play golf and tennis.  Pirates swim, kayak, and play basketball.  If Camp Fripp has taught us anything, it's that pirates are unpredictable and abhor stereotypes.   Play and fun for pirates come in many forms. 

Pirate Tennis, Anyone?

If you are looking to lose yourself in pristine nature, Fripp Island has that, too.  From the wind sweeping through the live oaks dripping with spanish moss to the marshland habitat teaming with minnows and shrimp, snowy egrets and blue herons, from the dunes and tide pools on the beach to the reeds and sweetgrass of the inlets, this sea island abounds with life.  We could not have picked a better place to home school our children this year.  Every breath and glance outside is a science lesson.

Though we will be returning to our home in Georgia in three months, I know Fripp is now our home, too.  We have laughed and loved here; we have grown and changed here. And we've learned  some important life lessons here.  

A few of my favorites are:

• Giving kids some freedom helps them to grow confident and strong.
• Children are like the tides: they may rush out to the wide open, but return, eventually, to parental Terra Firma.
• Breathing salt air frees the mind and feeds the soul. 

What are your favorite island lessons?(Please share in comments.)

Check Out My Fripp Island...

Beaufort, SC- Our New Hometown

I'm sure to be named the next Miss Beaufort after this post... She looks just like me!

Our South Carolina home may be on Fripp Island, but Beaufort is our hometown.  Just 25 minutes from Fripp, we come to town to stroll the streets, talk to folks, shop, dine, pray, and generally catch up with what’s happening in the world.  Rarely have I felt so at home so I thought I would give my readers a little tour of our new hometown.

Beaufort's Waterfront Park

Located directly on the Beaufort River in South Carolina's Low Country, Downtown Beaufort consists of The Old Point and the Shopping District.  

The Castle - One of Beaufort's Finest (For Sale... only 3.9 million!)
The front live oak is estimated at 1000 years old.

The Old Point neighborhood contains many Antebellum homes thanks to the Union choosing to occupy Beaufort instead of destroying it like many other Southern towns during the Civil War.  As a result, Beaufort is one of the few US cities to have its entire downtown area designated as a historic landmark. (See my earlier post on Halloween in the Old Point.)

One of the cannons that unsuccessfully
defended Beaufort from the yankees.

History Break:  


South Carolina was the first to secede from the United States and the first to fight.  The American Civil War began when the Confederates fired cannons on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina on April 12, 1861.  


After a summer of fighting and significant Confederate victories at the Battle of Bull Run and the First Battle of Lexington, Union forces began their Southern Blockade by capturing Port Royal Island and the City of Beaufort in November of 1861.  With the papers for secession drawn up in Beaufort, the city had always been a top target for the Union, but its location made it a strategically important stronghold for the US Navy's coastal blockade preventing European assistance to the Confederacy.  Luckily, the Union soldiers used the homes of Beaufort as barracks, hospitals and offices, thereby, preserving them for future generations to use, love and enjoy.  


Also during the Civil War, Harriet Tubman ran several spy missions  and risked her life to secure the freedom of many slaves around Beaufort.  The first school for former slaves was established in 1862 at Penn Center on nearby St. Helena's Island. Beaufort born slave, Robert Smalls commandeered a Confederate ship in Charleston Harbor and sailed it for the Union for the remainder of the war as Captain.  He returned to Beaufort and was elected to the US Congress for five terms.

Verdier House is the only home open daily for tours.

Today, most of the homes in historic Beaufort are privately owned with the few exceptions of the Rhett House Inn, the Cuthbert House Inn and the Verdier House owned and open for tours by the Historic Beaufort Foundation.  

Don't miss the Fall Festival
of Houses and Gardens for
your one chance to see
inside these incredible homes!

Some homes of The Old Point open their doors to visitors during the Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens Tour on the third weekend in October.  This event  offers a rare view of how these historic homes have been preserved and modernized for our lives today.  I also recommend the Carriage Tour for a relaxing yet informative tour of the streets of Beaufort.

Bay Street

Downtown shopping consists of a five block square area offering fine to casual dining, formal to beach clothing, art to antiques home decor, souvenirs, jewelry, banking and my favorite public library.   We prefer the beach life on Fripp Island for overnight stays, but there are many lovely Inns and B & Bs in Downtown Beaufort.


For good food and an incredible view, the Bay Street restaurants are hard to beat.  They have the best of both worlds by fronting the main street and backing up to the beautiful Beaufort River and the newly renovated River Park.  Plums restaurant offers sandwiches with a southern flare, cocktails and sweet tea.  Luther’s Rare and Well Done has burgers and wings that can’t be beat and Q on Bay masters Carolina barbecue.  All three restaurants have indoor dining, but I prefer sitting outside along the river park.  Perfect for families, the deck allows parents to relax and enjoy their meals while the kids (who eat in less than five minutes) can run and frolic in the park to their heart’s content.  We like to follow up our play with a stop at The Lollipop Shop (if the kids have been on their best behavior, of course.)

Emma's favorite spot in town.

For Finer Food, I recommend Saltus on the River with its sublime seafood dishes and fireside dining by Waterfront Park and Emily's on Port Republic for terrific tapas.  The Tooting Egret by the library serves the best lamb burger as one choice on their fixed price Sunday brunch.  You may have to wait for a table, but shopping in their home store while smelling the fresh local food as it cooks is part of the fun.

As for shopping, be sure to check out the local art scene from contemporary to Gullah in the eleven art galleries of Downtown Beaufort.  There is a great arts and crafts community here and extremely helpful folks at Coastal Knitting and Coastal Art Supply for those of us new to the arts and crafts world.  For clothing, I love Bay Street Outfitters and Beaufort Clothing Company.  Both offer genteel clothing for any season.  Also, our family always enjoys strolling through Lulu's eclectic collection of gifts on Bay Street never knowing what we'll find, but usually seeing something that makes us smile.  Whether buying or just looking, I can spend hours wandering the streets of Beaufort.

Last year, Beaufort celebrated its 300th anniversary.  St. Helena's Episcopal Church is celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2012 having been established just months after the founding of the city.  This beautiful church and cemetery is open daily for free tours guided by its members.

St. Helena Episcopal Church established 1712

Hope you enjoyed my wordy stroll through Beaufort.  Come to the Low Country and let it be your new hometown, too!

A Low Country sunset can't be beat!