Beach House in the Burbs

I love that my Dad's family is so much fun, so generous, so full of smart, interesting people, who really seem to like each other. Or at least they fake it real well for the one weekend every couple of years that we have a family reunion. Another reason the reunion is such fun is that it happens at his cousin's house, a circa 1780 plantation house that was used in the movie, The Ultimate Gift , several years ago. (It's a sappy, feel-good movie, you can feel comfortable watching with everyone from the kids to the grandmothers. But the scenery and setting are fabulous!) The Big House We've been going to these reunions for many years, but this year, for the first time, we got to stay at the Big House, as it's known. (Usually they run out of room in the Big House with members of my dad's generation, but a broken leg opened up a bedroom this year. Sorry, Joan! We'd have traded the plaid room to have you with us!) So, here's what a 1780 Southern plant...

Not only do I blog here at the beachhouse, but I also write for pay--gasp! I've done freelance work for years, writing about things as varied as health care and home improvement products. Now that it looks like the interwebs will be around for a while, and I'm doing my best to populate them with interesting, educational, fun, helpful copy, I'll link to some of the things that I've enjoyed writing and researching. 'Cause sometimes the research is half the fun. First up, "Why do people yell Freebird at concerts?", which I wrote for howstuffworks.com . As a Southerner, raised in Sweet Home Alabama, this was a very fun assignment. Enjoy!

It's dangerous to give a woman who's having a mid-life crisis over an upcoming large birthday the idea that it's never too late to do BIG THINGS. But that's just what Chris Guillebeau, author of The $100 Startup , has done with his blog post How to Do Big Things . He makes me want to live my life bigger and better every day.

I can't believe we have to wait until January to see the sparks fly between Maggie Smith and Shirley MacLaine.  That is too long!!! 'Downton Abbey' sneak peek| accessAtlanta

I've been job hunting this spring and summer--long, stressful story about contracts not renewed. And the other night I dreamed some convoluted dream--you know how they can be--about a job involving pasta, the beach and blogging. These are three of my favorite things, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to make a career out of them. • Pasta: I love to eat it, but who's going to pay me to do that? And I'm not a cook--good or otherwise, so the chances of my making a fortune off some brilliant pasta recipe are slimmer than the skinny jeans hanging in my closet that I can't get into anymore. • Beach: I can't afford to live on the beach, and that's where I'd want to be, right on the water, the sound of the waves soothing any other dreams I might have that aren't as good as this one. (And, besides, Chris doesn't like the beach enough to live there, so I'd have to go alone.) • Blogging: If I sat around in my pjs all day blogging (N...

I swear, this is the last post about our weekend trip to the NC mountains. You'd think from all the pictures I took that we traveled half way around the world or spent at least a week there. But it was so peaceful and green! Cashiers has a walking trail around the town. It goes in and out of the woods, through a park and around the shops. We walked it Saturday morning, enjoying the easy path and cooler weather. (It had been 104 in Atlanta that week.) The trail is well marked and an easy walk. It goes through a park with a yoga statue. I couldn't help myself. It meanders past a lovely pavilion. Tin roof ... RUSTED! (with thanks to the B52s) I loved the deck rail around the pavilion. They had banners all around the park, just right for handsome men to pose under. I don't know who the woman was who inspired this bench, but it was lovely and fun, with poetry and pictures of dogs and flowers in the top. This building was in downtown Cashiers. It looks like...

I'm not much of a shopper. (Shhh! Don't tell. I work in retail) But I love, love, love looking in unusual shops when I'm on vacation, which is about the only time I have to browse. Here are some pics taken in and around various retail establishments on our mountain getaway last weekend. First stop: An antique shop in Dillard, GA. Where they had this sign: I wanna party with her! Or her--or is it him? The funnest shop in Cashiers, NC Who can resist a taxidermy shop? and Free Wildlife Exhibit, all in the same place. Taxidermy or wildlife. You decide. Either way, it's for the wine drinker who has everything! I wanted to bring this guy home just 'cause he looked so embarrassed. Finally, here's the wildlife. Two very friendly goats. From live goats to really cute metal ones--and their equally adorable dog friends. The world's most rustic Wendy's. It looked just the same as a regular Wendy's inside. Best use of a tractor E...