When I went by the Yarbroughs’ house Thursday to take them their Halloween goodie bag, June gave me a tour to show me how all of her plants are doing. We had gotten her a hosta collection – she is very much a plant lover, and she just went crazy over the hostas that we saw when we were in Massachusetts for her birthday, and that just came in the mail a few weeks ago, when, according to Brecks when I ordered them, it was time to plant them in our zone. They have all started coming up, so we’re hoping they can live well and prosper.

Wednesday morning after Charlotte & I left the B&B we decided to drive the 45 minutes up to South Mountains State Park. A friend hikes there often & has posted beautiful pictures, and Charlotte saw that they had a really nice visitors’ center. The drive up was absolutely gorgeous, but when we got to the park, this is what we found 🙁 Damage from Hurricane Helene was still visible everywhere, and I guess they just hadn’t had time to get the park cleaned up yet. We’ll just have to go try again at a later date.

This week my friend Charlotte & I headed to Lattimore, NC – less than an hour down the road – to spend the night at a B& B that I’d read about. It was originally built by the B&B owner’s great grandfather, and he also made all of the furniture in it. It was a beautiful place – we had a great time. We had called ahead & the very nice lady in charge of the local history museum agreed to open it up for us. It really was interesting. Lattimore is a town of about 500 people, and it was cotton country back in the day – there were seven gins in that small town. I loved checking out all of the historical relics and clippings that were on display, including this wheelbarrow that was used to deliver the mail from the train depot to the post office.

After lunch at a great local restaurant, we spent some time driving around town and the countryside around it. We ran across this house with crazy Halloween decorations, so that night after supper we went back out to see it all lit up. It did not disappoint 🙂

Sunday after church Mason & I went out for lunch for a very late 15th birthday celebration for him. I told him that we could go anywhere in the county to eat, & made several suggestions – and he chose Subway. He does make me laugh all the time. I had the best time catching up with him – such a fun time.

Late Saturday afternoon Jeff & I headed over to Lindee’s house to see Clara and her friends head out to the Fall Military Ball. They all looked so beautiful and handsome. Clara and Wade have been big buddies at church for years, so I’m sure they had a good time together. Mailey is on the golf team with her, and her boyfriend Dylan seemed very nice, too.

Clara with Emmy & Pawpaw, her other grandparents.

Yesterday Meg & I headed to Sumter, SC, to the Jewish History Center there, to see the traveling exhibit, The Women of the Holocaust. It was on loan from the Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem. It was small but so well done, and so heartbreaking. There were displays on women and resistance, which this picture was part of, as well as art, motherhood, friendship, food, caring for others, feminity, love, faith. Maybe more that I can’t remember. Just such a horrible time in the history of our world.

Thursday evening Jeff & I headed to Catawba Ridge High School in Fort Mill for Adam’s last game of the season. After he got hurt a couple of weeks ago, and didn’t even dress out last week, we weren’t sure if he would play, but he ended up getting in the game quite a bit. I’m not sure why he was by himself in the middle of the field, but I got this picture of him during the playing of the national anthem.

The only action photo I got of the entire game. Adam’s #29, sort of in the middle of the outside ring of players. The Bearcats finished up 7-2. It was a fun season.

Last Tuesday we were in Lexington – outside Columbia – for the upstate championship tournament. It was the first time that Clover had qualified as a team in maybe five years – Mallory qualified the other years as an individual. It was exciting and I’m so glad these girls got to have this experience. Here is our girl in action.

Afterwards with her best golf buddies Addie and Sydney. Both of the other girls qualified to advance to the state championship next week – Clara missed it by two strokes. She said they are both seniors, so this was their last chance to make it – she says she’ll get it next year :-).

Traffic between Augusta & Murfreesboro was horrendous when Sherri & I headed over to go to Mrs Brooks’ funeral last weekend. It is always awful through Atlanta, but this time – maybe because I-40 is closed? – it took us three hours just to get through Atlanta. Oh my. So on the way home we took a break in Chattanooga & checked out the new Little Debbie Park – just opened last year. It is small, but so, so cute.

Of course I loved the museum-y signs that told about the history of Little Debbie. It really was very interesting. Such a fun way to break up our trip.