King Street - Charleston, SC

During our visit to Charleston, South Carolina, Ambassador and I stayed at the King's Courtyard Inn on King Street.



Quite simply, Ambassador could not have found a more charming and wonderfully located place to lay our heads at night. The staff were helpful, the room spacious and the wine and cheese at the end of the afternoon the perfect way to recharge after a hot day of photography and shopping.



And was there shopping. Window shopping in antique store windows.



The little boutique, Jayne, one of many along King Street, caught our attention because the sign in the window said "Yes, You CAN AFFORD to shop here!" And guess what? I could. I found the cutest summer jacket with ribbon and zipper detailing for a price that was insanely affordable.


I fell in love with this pharmacy sign. When we went in for various sundries, it became apparent we were in a Republican Party haven, complete with personal photos of various 2008 presidential candidates and the Republican Party chairman. The little old lady at the cash register even regaled us with anti-Clinton and Obama slogans. I still love the sign.

But the shop I loved was Lily. Not only for the wonderful items they sold (I literally shopped there three times while in Charleston) or the fact the shop was located in the first floor of our Inn. Or that it can be described as "swanky". I loved it for Kevin who co-owned the shop with his wife, Lin. He gave us tips including where to get drinks, suggested sites for photography and made us feel very special.



Because Charleston is a special place to be.

Travel to You - The South Carolina Mix

When I arrived, over an hour late, at the Charleston, South Carolina airport last weekend (a foreshadow of things to come) I found Ambassador waiting for me with open arms. We hugged, giggled and promptly walked the four steps to the car rental desk (the airport was this big - put your thumb 1/2 an inch from your first finger).





We found our car and, much to our glee, discovered it had a sun roof.

Which came in handy as we drove over the Cooper River bridge, taking photos of the span while blaring Ambassador's "Travel to You" mix of songs - one of my myriad of gifts from him from that weekend.

Chain Reaction - Steps

Don't Leave Me This Way - The Communards

Groove is in the Heart - Dee-lite

History Repeating - Shirley Bassey and Propellerhead

It's a Sin - Pet Shop Boys

Knock on Wood - Amii Stewart

A Little Respect - Erasure

Never Can Say Goodbye - The Communards

Pride (In the Name of Love) - The Groove Factory

Waterfalls (Workout Mix) - TLC

What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy) - Information Society

Allegra's Aria - Soprano Yanick Alexandre

It's Oh So Quiet - Bjork

Miss Chatelaine - k.d. lang

Everlasting Love - Gloria Estefan

Whispering Your Name - Alison Moyet

And the song I associate with these photos is this fabulous rendition of Don't Leave Me This Way by the Communards. You have not lived until you've sung this loudly in a car with Ambassador.

Any song that you have known forever and now have a fresh memory with it? Do share.

Sorry for the lack of Linky Love options. Just put a link to your post in the comments and I'll make a nice little list.

Remembering Neda Soltan

Today people are being asked to wear green and/or black to remember Neda Salehi Agha-Soltan, the Iranian woman whose death from a single bullet shot by government forces was captured on video seen world-wide. Her family has been forbidden to properly mourn her death.

This morning I explained to one son why I was wearing green. I showed him this week's New Yorker magazine. I asked him to read the by-lines of several articles. Then I showed him page 28. The Letter from Tehran is titled "With the Marchers" and the subtitle A resident reports from the streets and the rooftops.

"Do you see anything missing" I asked him.

"There is no name" he said quietly, rubbing his finger over the blank space where the author's name should be.

"That's why I'm wearing green" I told him.

To remember those who have died in Iran and support those who are protesting for their country who cannot say their names.

We could've staged a coup while visiting South Carolina

Unbeknown to Ambassador and me, and apparently the rest of South Carolina, this past weekend their governor - one of those Republicans who wouldn't take federal stimulus money "on principle" and was a rising star in the party - couldn't be found.

Governor Sanford literally walked off the job without telling people where he was going. At first his staff were saying that he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. Then on Monday it was disclosed that no one knew where he was.

Apparently he was in Argentina because he (I'm not making this up) "wanted to do something exotic". He admitted that he has been having an affair with a woman living in Buenos Aires.

Personally I don't care who people screw. I don't care if they are unfaithful. That is their business.

What I think is absolutely, completely appalling is that this man walked away from his job and was unreachable for several days. He was elected to take care of an entire state - a state I was visiting - and he couldn't bother to leave a number where he could be reached in case of an, oh, hurricane, explosion, flu outbreak.....

But good thing Ambassador and I didn't know. We would've staged a coup.

More photos tomorrow....

The bugs of Charleston

Ambassador and I were desperate to get together. It had been over a year since my visit to the Crescent City and we wanted to meet up somewhere "in between" for a long weekend. It was to be just the two of us and our cameras. We settled on Charleston, SC.



One subject I tried to capture, partly inspired by Ambassador's stunning images, were the various bug-like creatures we encountered in this southern coastal town.



I did alright but really they don't compare to the master's close-ups, depth of field and stunning lighting. I watched him get so close that any normal small creature would have flown away. But they stayed. I was also amazed at how dragonflies just found him. He has a smell they can't resist.



And while I captured a few good images, I am most proud of catching "on film" a bright red, skittering cockroach along a vine covered walk to a cemetery.



Radioactive Red there reminded me of his cousin who on our first night in Charleston jumped on my lap in a very swank hotel rooftop bar. They were both about the size of my thumb. And I have a big thumb.

Get Out of My House Lady Gaga - Dear Jake version

Dear Jake,

Oh. My. Word.

I can't stop laughing. I'll start with what you wrote for a comment to my post last month Get Out of My House Lady Gaga.

get a life.
music is music and people like to sing and dance.
who gives a shit what it means.
you cant bubble wrap children forever.
you crazy religious nut.

Jake, you are absolutely correct. I do not have a life. I am a 40-year-old working mother of three kids, ages 8 1/2 and 5. I will assume you can figure out how I can have three kids but only list two ages.

I will also not assume anything about you even though you have made several about me, without reading the entire post. If you had you would have noticed something I wrote:

I have no problem with her music, her lyrics or her video. Have fun madame Lady.

and

And let's not forget that I teach sex ed. In my church.

So I really didn't complain about Lady Gaga. I was complaining about parents that inflicted the song onto younger children (please reread the post to refresh your memory). As I note before, I explicitly tell Ms. Gaga to have a blast. She should enjoy her fame. People should enjoy her. People old enough to get the fun and humor.

8-year-olds and 5-year-olds are not in that club of people old enough to get the humor.

Please tell me what, ahem, "crazy religious nut" you know teaches sexuality education - including a panel discussion with transgender youth - at their church. Really. Tell me. Because you will then teach me that not all crazy religious nuts are close-minded bigots who fear their children growing up. Clearly, you mistook me for one of those folks.

I am not.

You are correct that I care about words. I care that my children may think that a popular singer is promoting losing consciousness, or worse, that abuse is part of love.

Because I won't assume that you are a white man in your 20's who hasn't thought of what it feels like to have your [future] kids sing and dance songs with cruel, destructive lyrics. Because dancing and having fun is important but so is the meaning of words. And when your future kids why "love isn't fun without a gun" get in touch with me.

Let me know how it feels.

With honest sincerity,
SMID

Dear Mother Nature - late Music Monday edition

Dear Mother Nature,

I never did hear back from you after my letter last week. I took matters into my own hands. I went south - real south - to Charleston, South Carolina. The temperatures this weekend hovered in the high 90's. The heat index was in the mid 100's.

It was hot.

And I loved it.

I loved the smell of the humidity. I loved the sweat that instantly collected on the back of my neck. I love the respite found on the shady side of the street.

I also love who I met up there. We hadn't seen each other in over a year. This week I'll tell you all about it but, Mother Nature, you will have to wait to find out who it was.

Just like you are making me wait for summer here in my hometown.

Really, could we please have summer? Now?

Pleading on bended knee,
SMID

"Too Darn Hot" - Erasure's tribute to Cole Porter from 1991's Red Hot and Blue. But trust me, Charleston was just right this weekend.