Waterlogged we may have been, but the group you see at left could not have been more excited for we were spending the weekend together in beautiful Charleston, SC. It was windy and rainy (at least on our Harbor tour) - but the dolphins were out and the Bloody Marys were just the right amount of spicy!After many years of Girls Night Out dinners in NYC, we finally got our butts in gear and planned our Girls' Weekend to coincide with the Food and Wine Festival in this historic city (Food? Wine? How could we NOT attend?). This charming city offered us glimpses of its antebellum past (through a plantation visit and a carriage ride through the Harleston area) as well as the enjoyment of its current plentiful treasures (like the quirky and colorful Charleston Market). We found new loves - shrimp and grits, Firefly sweet tea vodka drinks, and lovely hand-woven baskets. We walked and talked and shopped and drank and learned and laughed. We got to spend time together, we got to spend time in small groups, we got to catch up individually. We even got giddy enough to start planning NEXT year's vacation (St. Patrick's Day in Savannah - Woo-hoo!!).
Admittedly, it wasn't all magnolias and sweet tea. We were missing one of our GNO members (Mary Cannon you better be there next year!); I did get sick enough with a head cold to miss Saturday night dinner (where Jackie somehow managed to spray wine onto the restaurant wall - don't ask!); the rain came down heaviest during the Festival so it was a bit of a madhouse inside the tents; and we didn't get to spend as much time walking the city as we'd have liked. But who can complain when our weekend ended (for most of us) with a cocktail on a rooftop bar bathed in sunshine and with a view of the Charleston rooftops? Cue the sigh of contentment.
For me, I am grateful for the friendship these women provide and for their unique ability to make me forget all about my health troubles. Jackie, Patti, Mary, Patty and Elisa - you truly provided me with Southern comfort last weekend and I remain humbled and blessed by your friendship.
Blessings and Love to All.
