03 | June | 2013 | Notes From The Tomato Lady

Where did May go? This morning I went out sight seeing while my roommate got ready. I went into historic Beuafort, (there’s always a historic district in each town here) and looked at some of the antebellum homes. They aren’t the Biltmore, (but then nothing is quite like that 55 bedroom castle), but they were every bit as stunning. The symbols of gracious living amongst giant oak trees swathed in spanish moss. Broad verandas, sweeping staircases, windows on every level, probably for the breezes, and usually a gate of some sort around it, wrought iron or stone. Most of them with their backyards overlooking the salt marshes and river. I pictured sweet southern women in crinolines and corsets, drinking mint juleps, the men smoking cigars under giant fans.

Not to be outdone, this house was one I spotted in Georgia

Bits and Pieces

Camo is big here in clothing lines. I actually saw a guy dressed in camo sweat pants and tee shirt. The tee shirt I get, the sweat pants? Complete with elastic at the ankle.

We are still in the Bible belt. Lots of different varieties of Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, and non-denominational churches, probably pentecostal. Little churches tucked away in a glade.

Have I complained about the heat yet? hmmmmm I don’t know how people live here. It’s pretty but I wouldn’t want to go outside in the summer. And I’m an outdoors kind of girl.

We went to the graduation of a few good men (the Marines) at Parris Island in south Carolina, this morning. When I stepped out of the hotel at 7:30 it was like walking into a wall of water. And they it isn’t that bad yet. I wouldn’t want to be there when it is, that’s for sure. To my Washingtonian (state not D.C.) sensibilities it is dang hot. At the graduation It was like having a hot flash the entire time. I can’t remember ever being so hot for so long. I felt for the guys standing at attention on the hot pavement in their long pants and shirts and hats. The little guide book they give you about the marines at Parris Island, it talks about being forged in a furnace etc. and I thought that term was accurate. It’s wonder they don’t have all heatstroke! Yes, it was hot but I was very proud to be an American, watching those young men, knowing how hard basic training was, all for the job of protecting our nation. I was also very glad for all the support and love that the crowd gave them.

Cemeteries

I have never seen so many cemeteries in my life. It seems like every town has at least 4-5 and possibly more than that in the backyards. some are very old, you can’t read many of the headstones, others are grand, like the Beaufort National Cemetery. It is the only National cemetery in the country that has confederate soldiers buried in it. I saw a lot of headstones for men who died in just about every war, including WWl, WWll, Korean, and Vietnam. There were alot of older headstones that jus thad names or their name and usa or me. Not sure what that means but I’m assuming they are for the older wars. Possibly the Civil War. One of the cemeteries that I stopped at was called the Citizen’s Cemetery. Some of the names on the graves made me think that possibly these were for the slaves.