Faith, Folklore, and Friends

Jesus answered,  “ I   am   the   way   and   the  truth   and   the   life....  No one comes  to  the  Father except  through me."                          ~John 14:6

We couldn't wait to try some low country cooking when we got to Charleston.  First stop, Another   Broken Egg Cafe  . Here, Hub had shrimp and grits for brunch.  It was amazing.  AMAZING! I ordered this breakfast burrito with all kind of goodies inside.  Halfway through, Hub and I swapped plates so we could both try everything. Are we the only ones who do this? Next day, Hub had a shrimp omelet with grits for breakfast.  We learned that shrimp and grits are ubiquitous in Charleston. At Hyman's Seafood, fried green tomatoes with grits for an appetizer.  Yum. Slightly North of Broad is an upscale restaurant just across the street from where we stayed.  We had lunch there one day, and it was just the best.   This is white bean ravioli, and it was the best thing I ate the five days we were there. Hub loved it, too, and he usually won't touch anything with basil or pesto in it. The Hominy...

These are stepping stones from Charleston's historic district.  These stones were placed by the curb for ladies to gracefully disembark from their carriages. You can almost hear the carriages on the cobble-stone streets.  Wait!  You can hear the horse-drawn carriages; there are many, many of them loaded with tourists led by knowledgeable guides. We enjoyed a carriage tour, although it wasn't quite as elegant as some those lovely antebellum ladies rode in. There were also several hitching posts still standing.  I have searched diligently through hundreds of pictures and can't find the hitching posts, so you are just going to have to trust me on that. I love walking through old towns.  You never know what you will find next.

You can't go anywhere in historic Charleston without seeing church steeples.  They have so many church buildings, Charleston is sometimes called "the Holy City." A lot of souls have come and gone since Charleston was settled.  There are many graveyards and cemeteries to explore, and most are open all the time.  Unfortunately, time and acid rain has made many of the tombstones illegible. I was told the steeples were built to serve as navigation points for those returning from sea. While we were at Ft. Sumter, it was easy to pick out the steeples in Charleston's skyline. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food  until  you return  to  the ground, since from it you were  taken; for  dust  you are and  to   dust  you will return. ~Genesis 3:19

It was quiet on this little spit of land when I was there a few days ago.  The only sounds were the flags flapping in the wind, the gentle lapping of the sea reaching the rocks, and the sea gulls calling to each other. One hundred and fifty-four years ago today, April 12, 1861, the War Between the States began at Ft. Sumter.  Confederate General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard bombarded the fort, which was occupied by U. S. Major Robert Anderson and federal troops. After a 34 hour battle, Anderson surrendered  the fort on April 13.  It was the beginning, and it was the end. People from all parts of the United States and the world visit Fort Sumter.  Some have read books and visited grave sites and arrogantly speculate about what was right or wrong. They have never smelled the cordite and death, never written a letter for a dying soldier, never been hungry and cold, yet they feel qualified to degrade these men who were there. ...