Jekyll Island . . . It's All Good

If I told you all about our visit on Jekyll Island this post would never end.  I’m just going to attempt telling you about a lot of things in a short space.  If you decide to visit Jekyll (which you really should) this will give you a starting point. 

So . . . where do I start?  I suppose with the facts . . .

Facts: 

· A very low key, non touristy island. 

· 7 miles long and 1.5 miles wide

· It’s actually a state park.

· There are only 7 hotels on the entire island. 

· It’s a part of the Golden Isles which also includes St. Simon’s Island and Sea Island.  

STAY:
· Beachview Club.  This hotel is right on the ocean and built in such a way that the trees and design make it feel very cozy. 

· Jekyll Island Club Hotel.  If you are okay with not staying on the ocean then this should be your choice.  The oldest hotel on the island rich with history. 

Eat: 

· Latitude 31 was our favorite restaurant on the island.  What to order?  Oysters Rockefeller for an appetizer and fried or blackened shrimp for the entrée.

· Blackwater Grill which is located on St. Simon’s Island.  For you Food network fans Guy Fieri featured this restaurant on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

· Georgia Sea Grill also on St. Simon’s Island had amazing scallops!  Reservations are encouraged.

Do:
· Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island is literally a portion of the beach covered in old trees that have uprooted, turned over, and now are driftwood.  Kase loved climbing on the trees and they made beautiful pictures.  It’s deserted so you won’t see many others exploring.

· Red Bug Rentals are more fun version of a golf cart.  They can be rented and driven anywhere around the island.

· Golf. Jekyll Island was first started for hunting but quickly developed golf courses as another form of entertainment.  There are four courses to choose from on the island. 

· Bike Rentals.  Since the island is only 7 miles long you can ride from one end to the other.  Brandon and I enjoyed biking to Driftwood Beach and exploring different parts of the island on bikes.

· Look for local events.  We watched the papers for free events.  We found an arts and crafts festival on St. Simon’s Island (only 20 minutes away). 

· Lady Jane Shrimp Boat in Brunswick takes guests on a shrimping adventure.  It is a little costly per person but was well worth it.  The tour was two hours which included fresh caught shrimp cooked on the boat.  The crew drug the nets three different times, emptying the contents on a table for all to see.  They explained many of the species pulled up and even passed many around for us to hold.  There is a limited number of space so all the guests were able to interact and "feel" a part of the adventure.  Make sure to call ahead of time and reserve your spot. 
(Before you watch the video go to the bottom of the page and press pause on the playlist.)

· Sand dollars.  We easily found over 100 sand dollars during our beach time.  No, we did not keep them all because Brandon made us feel so bad for “killing” them.  However, we did keep enough for souvenirs.  Mom and I became addicted to finding them.  We had never been to a beach where there were so many.  We would get on our knees and start digging our hand into the sand until we found one.  It was endless the number we would pull up.  It became somewhat of a contest to see who could find the most.  At some point we lost track but Dad is convinced he found the most.  Brooke wouldn’t participate because she was scared to dig her hands in the sand.  Kase even joined in the action by throwing them back for us after we found them. 

· Relax on the beach.  We love the new adventures but we also love perfecting the art of beach bums. 

I couldn't resist including these random pictures.  I bought some treats for the boys when they got to the beach which you can see Brandon and Kase had fun with some of them. 

Also, Brandon, brought his kettle bell (he takes that thing everywhere) and Knox decided he needed a workout. 



On The Road Again

“On the road again

I just can’t wait to get on the road again

On the road again
Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again”

On the road again for a five hour drive to our next destination, Savannah, Georgia.  A trip to Savannah was not in our original plan.  However, when I started looking at the route from Carrollton to Jekyll Island I noticed that we were driving right past Savannah, so why not stop.  I adjusted our schedule and we made a bypass through Savannah for a night and a day which was definitely not enough.

Since Brandon and I are so busy I always enjoy our time in the car.  It’s a time we are guaranteed to be together.  I thought we might spice this time together up with the book I bought from the used bookstore.  We’re both pretty competitive so why not raise the stakes and make it a game.  I cracked open Battle of the Sexes and started firing questions at Brandon.  Then I would pass him the book for my turn.  It was super fun to see what the other one knew about the opposite sex.  We had many laughs and it came down to the wire but the winner was . . . ME!  (I win most games we play.) 

There was another noteworthy picture taken on the way back to our hotel after supper.  A man on the opposite side of the street caught my attention because he had something very large draped around his neck.  Despite my nearly perfect eyesight (thanks Lasik) I could not tell what it was so I pointed it out to B.  He immediately answered with very convincing confidence,

“It’s a snake.” 

“A WHAT?  No, it’s not!” I answered with just as much confidence.

At that time the man crossed the street to be within 20 feet of us and yes it was an extremely large yellow snake.  I did ask before I took the picture.  It was an albino python named Peaches.  As soon as I took the picture the man shoved the snake in the backpack in his hand and made the comment,

“You never know what’s in a backpack.”

I bet you won’t look at a backpack in the same way again.  I sure won’t. 

We were drawn to the wooden checkerboards in the lobby when we arrived back at our hotel after supper.  What better way to end the night than by beating B again!

The next morning, we were encouraged to start the day out with a Trolley tour to introduce ourselves to the city, so we jumped on.  The tour was a great introduction but also made me realize this one day was not enough time to explore and experience this charming city.  I could go on and on about everywhere we went but I’m just going to give you the highlights of what we liked best.

Trolley Tour – An extremely inexpensive way to see Savannah’s historic district at only $15 per person.

Lunch at Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room – A unique Savannah experience but get in line early or you might not get in.

Chippewa Square – The historic district is made up of 24 squares but this particular one is the location of the box of chocolate scene from Forrest Gump.

Savannah Bee Company – The fresh honeycomb was worth the price but you also must try the mint honey limeade is a must

River Street Candy Shops – Both the chocolate and traditional pralines did not disappoint.

Leopold’s Ice Cream - Opened since 1935, recently rated one of the top 10 ice cream shops.  We loved the traditional coke float!

 

Mercer House – The location of the novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt.

Upside down windows – in the grand scheme of things an extremely small blip on the historical scale of Savannah.  However, I found it extremely interesting.  The house was ordered from Sears and Roebuck Co. and was put together per directions sent along with the house which instructed the owner to put the windows on upside down. 

Andrew Lowe Mansion – This is the home of the girl scout founder and first girl scout meeting.  Come to find out there are a lot of “firsts” that occurred in Savannah. 

Now, I'm ready to turn around and go back.  But we must move on to Jekyll Island, Georgia.  Finally, we're going to get to the beach!!!

A Full Day

A full day in Atlanta started off with none other than the infamous IKEA!!!!! It has been a whole year since I've been and it was a like a whole new experience (they have so many new products). If you haven't gone to IKEA, YOU MUST! It is one of my favorite shopping experiences. I think part of the fun is exploring somewhere we don't have at home and it's unlike any home store you will find. It can be overwhelming but the products are so unique and soooooo reasonably priced which can make you feel like you aren't spending much until you see your total at the cash registers. Oops! For those of you from western Kentucky, the two closest locations are Cincinnati or Atlanta.

After we spent three hours, yes in IKEA, we ventured on for something to eat. After all that shopping we worked up an appetite. We traveled just a few miles away to R. Thomas Deluxe Grill. Brandon's mom introduced us to R. Thomas the last time we visited. I'm not sure what makes this restaurant more unique the fact that you walk through the kitchen to get to the bathroom or that there are cages of tropical birds lining the entryway. Yes I said birds; parrots, toucans, canaries, etc. Whatever it may be the food is amazing! It's hard to believe it is known for being a healthy dining out option. We dined over mango salad and cajun saute under the glow of green, blue, and red light bulbs on the covered patio. However, I must warn you, if you are one to order the same thing from most menus (like chicken tenders) and not willing to try something new then this may not be the place for you. If you're ready to take a chance and try something new while having a eclectic dining experience R. Thomas is worth putting in your gps.

Brandon and the toucan were having a stare down. 

I was enjoying the cajun saute while Brandon was keeping it fresh with the mango salad.  You can tell from these pictures that the lights are anything but white, notice the green glow from the bulbs. 

The night was capped off with an absolute hilarious showing of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) performed at the Shakespeare Tavern. For us hilarious and Shakespeare didn't necessarily go in the same sentence. But after our visit to this dinner theatre our perspective changed. (Disclaimer: I can only speak for the particular show we saw). Nicholas Faircloth, Matt Felten, and Daniel Parvis performed a hilarious mash up all 39 works by William Shakespeare. Oh wait let me apologize hilarious does not even come close to describing the humor and wit these three actors poured into this show. Later as Brandon and I continued to quote our favorite parts to one another I mentioned that it intrigued my interest about Shakespeare's plays and made me want to learn more about them. Brandon said that he thought that was part of the purpose. It was a comical glance at his works in order to peak interest. It worked for us. I'm not saying I'm going to go buy the complete works of William Shakespeare but I may rent a modern version. For example, the 2001 movie, "O" or the 2000 adapation of Hamlet starring Ethan Hawke and Julia Stiles. So, if you are feeling adventurous and want a unique experience this is definitely a place you want to check out.

Tomorrow we are on the road again to Savannah!

The Peach State

Well, our first official road trip has begun. First stop Carrollton, GA. Brandon's mom and step dad live in Carrollton so we are starting out our trip spending a few days with them. We started things off right by sleeping in. We'll not talk about how late that was. When we finally did get moving we explored the town square. What a quaint little area with locally owned shops and restaurants. We ate lunch at the Corner Cafe which makes it's own bagel chips and foccacia bread which are definitely worth mentioning. Since it was afternoon several of the shops were closed but we were able to stop in two book stores. One was a used book store, Underground Books. We don't have a used bookstore at home so I love to seize the opportunity to browse. The store was located in the basement of an old building hence the name Underground Books. Since we will be driving to Savannah on Monday we had been talking about the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil which is based out of Savannah. There was a copy for $4 (can't beat that) so of course I snatched it up. While looking around I also found a copy of Battle of the Sexes. Yes, that's a game but there is also a book that is full of questions from the game. Perfect for a roadtrip and also only $4 so I purchased it too. The best part of my purchase is that I found old newspaper clippings from 1997 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil movie reviews . It's so much more fun (and cheaper) to purchase a used book. You never know what treasures you might find inside.

(Proudly holding my purchases proudly at the entrance of Underground Books.  Brandon had to take this picture with his phone because I left my SD card in my computer.)

We then walked on to another bookstore on the square which boasts of being Georgia's oldest bookstore established in 1892, Horton's Books & Gifts. They have books, stationary, cards, coffee, and oddly enough three resident cats that are welcoming to anyone who passes through the doors. We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and cherishing the time we had with family.

Next stop, Atlanta.

It's not too late

One of my favorite things about summer is the fresh fruits and vegetables!  My Granddaddy Joe has always had a garden that we have been given privileges too.  This year since Brandon and I have our own home and a big yard we decided to plant our own garden.  Now let me clarify, it is no where close to the size or caliber of Gdaddy’s garden but it is a start.

I didn’t just want to throw some plants and seeds in the ground.  It was important to me that I learn about what I was doing.  So I made it my mission to read about different techniques, crop rotation, etc.  I made a trip (online) to Amazon books and three caught my attention. I never knew there was so much information to learn about when planting a garden.  How to prepare the soil, cool season crops, warm season crops, when to harvest, how to harvest, maturity dates, how to rotate, and on and on and on and on……..

So I read and read and read and discussed with Brandon until we came to some conclusions to get us started.

Step 1:  Pick the spot in the yard and mark the size.  We decided not too big because I didn’t want to get overwhelmed.

Step 2:  Till the ground (We used Gdaddy’s tractor to get started and then the tiller as needed.)

Step 3:  Rake the soil into raised beds.  This is a popular and supposedly successful technique in gardening so we decided to give it try.

Step 4:  Decide what to plant and when to plant it.  There are crops that need to be planted during the spring under cooler temperatures and crops that can stand and even like the hotter temps of June and July.

Step 5:  PLANT

Now, this may seem a little daunting to some of you.  Maybe you don’t want to jump in and have a big garden but you would like to have some fresh cherry tomatoes or peppers to add to your salad.

Well, I have an idea for you.

A very popular idea now is container gardening.  It is exactly as it sounds and super simple.  You simply choose a few vegetables that you would like to grow and plant them in containers.  Keep them on your back porch for easy watering and harvesting.  I chose rosemary, cherry tomatoes, and jalapenos.

Now, let me give you another tip.  When at Lowe’s I found one little sad jalapeno plant that didn’t look like he was going to make it.  So I asked the cashier if I could have it for free.  He smiled and said as long as I didn’t tell anybody (so please keep it between you and me).  I planted it as soon as I got home and watered it.  And believe it or not my free little jalapeno plant has survived and is growing very well. 

It’s not too late!  You can still plant some peppers, herbs, tomatoes, or whatever you can find at your local nursery.  I’m sure you have some old pots lying around and if not most of them cost less than $2.00.  This is also a great project to get kids involved. 

Not a bad way to top of sushi . . .

So if everyone else jumped off a bridge would you?  Well, no of course not but this isn't jumping off a bridge, this is just joining the blogger fads and welcoming a GUEST BLOGGER!!!!  Who you ask is the very first guest blogger of 8050 place?  Introducing, the one, the only Emily!  But seriously. . . today my good friend Emily is joining me.  She had a fun idea that I wanted her to share.  You have to try it.  And, as you will see, we've worked out all the kinks for you.  Also for a shameless plug, Emily and her husband have a blog you need to check out, The Entire Gospel.  So now without further ado . . .

   

What’s a girl to do with her super trendy waffle iron received at her wedding shower (one of four she received) and used only once the previous year? Make brownies of course.

In the name of convenience and cuteness, three friends and I set out to copy a sensational dessert we were sure would sweep toddler birthday parties and girls-only movie nights…brownie batter waffle sundaes. Who doesn’t have a dusty brownie mix in the pantry that could use a pick-me-up? Wendy and I (rather pleased with our secret dessert plans) dined at a local Asian bistro with two other friends and talked over spring rolls about how stunned they would be with our sweet ending (we have something of a reputation for making great desserts). Not to disappoint, the ingredients and iron were kept in a Whole Foods grocery bag until the unveiling after dinner at home. Needless to say, after pulling out the waffle maker and mix (complete with a ‘ta-dah!’), our friends were confused after such talk of raising the bar with our recipe but were quickly converted when we told them our plan.

With the quiet confidence of the Barefoot Contessa herself, we set out mixing the brownie batter according to package directions (maybe it was at this point someone should have asked if we had done this before or if we were following a recipe). The waffle irons were hot and liberally sprayed with Pam. Wendy delicately plated sensational toppings for our waffle sundaes: almonds, blueberries, sprinkles, colored sugars and syrups to name a few. Carefully, the batter was poured with a soft sizzle and spread evenly with a spatula. We only were left to wait for our creation to cook.

The smell of chocolate and char filled the kitchen; when we checked the waffles, they were still a rich brown color…no burning to speak of. Soft to the touch, we left them in the iron (probably eight minutes at this point). We tried to pull the first one and only fluffy brownie chunks came out. Since this was the deep, rounded waffle iron, we tried the batter in waffle iron #2 (small, square and cheap) in hopes of a quicker cooking time and better results. So we poured and we let it be. About 11 minutes later, with shouts of rejoicing, we extracted a full waffle! As the minutes ticked, we noticed it became harder and harder and inedible at best. A quick internet check revealed a few mistakes:

1.       Leave the water out of the recipe, even though the box calls for it.

2.       Cook short, cool long: turning the waffle iron off and letting it cool before removing it is key to a tasty (not rocky) waffle.

We had just enough batter to implement our new strategy (minus the water issue…too little too late). The winning batch cooked for about 4-6 minutes with a cooling and setting time almost the same. After pulling our successful brownie waffles, making them into sundaes was a reward worth the effort. With an evening of technique-refining behind us, we eagerly decorated and ate and made plans for an even better brownie waffle sundae event.

Figuring it out truly is half the fun. Anyone can buy a packaged cheesecake or settle for plain brownies. The innovative use of a somewhat neglected kitchen appliance gave us a night and dessert we will not soon forget…not a bad way to top off sushi!

-emily

Five Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes

Why is it that a song writer can sum up my feelings so much better than myself and they don’t even know me?  So is the case even today.  As the song goes . . .

“Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?”

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights,
In cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.”

This marks the amount of time I have been married to Brandon Kyle Wilson, my husband of one year (Five Hundred Twenty Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes as of today). 
If we truly were to measure in cups of coffee we would have had a good year because we drink coffee like it’s going out of style.  Or to measure in miles would take us off the charts because between the two of us we have logged a lot o’ miles.  However, like the song says . . .

“How about love? Measure in love . . .”

Now as cheesy as that might sound truly what better way is there to measure our marriage?  But I must clarify this love comes not from ourselves but from the covenant love of God.  God sent His son, Jesus, to die for me so that my sins may be forgiven.  There is no other love greater than this and it is because of this love I am able to love Brandon.  Loving Brandon apart from Christ would never be enough, never be satisfying, and would never provide fulfillment. 

However, we live in hope because we believe according to Ephesians 5:32 that our marriage is more than just about us and the roles we play as husband and wife are a picture of Christ and the church.  As John Piper says, “Marriage is meant by God to put that gospel reality on display in the world.  That is why we are married.”

The past year as Mrs. Brandon Wilson has been a blessing.  It is more than I deserve to have a husband that loves the Lord more than he loves me and challenges me to do the same. 

I love you Brandon! 

“It is not your love that sustains the marriage, but from now on, the marriage that sustains your love.” 

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer