Looking at the whole...hole.

Day 6: Get the job done. Do it well. While I'm at it, gain a little insight.

To the disappointment of my husband, I'm not a golfin' kind of gal. I enjoy the concept and skill of the game, but there are quite a few other places I'd rather be than out "in the elements" on acres upon acres of highly-manicured green grass. I don't like collared shirts. I don't wear visors. I "just say no" to Caddyshack. (It's okay that I stereotype, right?)

Don't get me wrong - if you gave me a long sunny afternoon alone with JH, a small motorized cart, and a cute little cooler full of Corona, I'd take it in a heartbeat (second, of course, to a hot yoga class with a room full of strangers...wait, make that third, to an afternoon with no noise and a nap).

I regret to inform you that I am not of the athletic kind. I am a slight poser when it comes to my college football fanhood. I don't find much satisfaction in athletic apparel and sports drinks. Isn't that all that golf is? I mean, JH vanishes for five-six hours wearing preppy gear and returns home to talk about walking an entire golf course carrying a tremendously heavy bag on his back. That sounds fishy to me...who would enjoy that?

My skepticism has been silenced with three words: The Ocean Course.

I'll admit, I've been a little close-minded, perhaps even a bit judgemental when it comes to the sport of golf. Sometimes it's just easier to pass something off as "lame" because you have no insight into what it really is. (This is a fault I'm forever trying to squash.)

Enough with my -isms. Let me give credit where credit is due...to both the game of golf and my golfing husband.

Last weekend it was my job to produce a high-profile golf outing for local business leaders and, even though I've coordinated such outings before at other courses, I've kind of ignored the actual "meat" and just put the sandwich together. The Ocean Course is special and not at all what I'd expected This prestigious green (and I mean sustainably engineered) gem is located at Kiawah Island Golf Resort and offers panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean.

This is a beautiful place. It's tranquil. It's natural. It's oceanfront. It's brimming with wildlife and vegetation and miles away from anything that may interrupt a blissful afternoon on the course. I was pleasantly shocked to see that the particpants on the course that day were enthusiastic, not about the balls or the brand names at the Pro Shop or the lazy cart ride around the course. They were inspired by being outdoors, by the intense concentration involved at each hole, by the camaraderie with each other. I was a little inspired myself...

Now, I understand that what I was recently exposed to out at Kiawah is the top, it's king, the creme de la creme of grass and cart paths. I think seeing it this way helped me to realize what's important here. If it fulfills you, if it exposes you to some sunshine, and if you can be amazing at it...well, it's a pretty good thing.

My husband tells me that golf is his yoga. I used to laugh at such a silly notion. Now when he packs up his clubs and heads for the door, I wish him well with a loving "Namaste".

P.S. - I'll note for you all you golf-lovers that The Ocean Course will play host to the 2012 PGA Championships. And, there are four other great courses to enjoy, along with world-renowned spa, restaurants, and resort living. See you on the Island!

The very best place on Earth...

Day 5: EVO, part one

About three years ago, JH and I were enjoying an evening bike ride through our North Charleston neighborhood, Park Circle. (Visit the neighborhood 'zine here.) We have lived in PC for a little over three years now and have come to truly adore this area. It holds a "small-town" vibe, complete with elders and young families and tree-huggers and artists and activists and innovators all dwelling together in this garden-city-inspired community. It's a hidden gem, burrowed between ghetto and interstate...we believe that the seedy streets entwined with new sustainable and green developments only enhance the charm of this little suburb. We've led a happy, humble life here...we know our neighbors...we support area businesses...it's an easy place to live, work and play, (Interested in disc-golf? Park Circle is the spot!)

So, we were pedalling through the quaint "Olde North Charleston" main drag and were excited to see a sign that lets us know we'd soon have a new place to dine. We made foggy circles with our noses pressed up firmly against the glass, just dying to get a peek inside to see what this new place would be. The warm and very modern natural interior was intriguing enough to keep us awake at night, imagining our sticky little housemade marinara-dipped fingers. A few short months later, EVO Pizzeria opened it's doors at 1075 East Montague Ave and we've been a fixture ever since. The concept is simple: "wood-fired oven, hand-made dough, only the freshest local ingredients, an honest and wholesome taste ".


Proprietors Ricky Hacker and Matt McIntosh are inspiring, laid-back dudes with a passion for real food, slow food, local farmers, and great taste. Their wood-fired oven does miraculous things to food and the beer selection is something they can be proud of. Wait staff are always quirky and fit the dining room aesthetics. This the real deal, people. This restaurant is the biproduct of a great idea that started on a pizza cart, found each Saturday morning at the area farmer's market...they quickly gained a loyal fanbase and when they built (mostly by hand) this little corner space in Park Circle, we all came running...

JH and I became so infatuated with EVO that we begged Rick and Matt to let us host our wedding reception there on a Sunday in early September, 2007. They agreed and it was, by far, the best meal we've ever feasted upon. (Let this go down as "LK's Final Meal Request".) We offered no opinions about what we'd like to offer our guests, we asked not for a special tasting to make sure the chefs were clear on our expectations, we simply said, "Do what you do best." And they did...the menu was substantial and graciously gobbled up by our less-than-50 crowd...a specially-crafted menu of Lasagna and Tuna and Beef Tenderloin and Roasted Veggies and charcuturie and delicious cheeses and lots of wine and freshly baked bread...of course, the food was immensely satisfying, although the part that remains so vivid in our memory is that we got to celebrate such a magnificent moment in our life within this superb place.

It's amazing what these guys are doing. Bet it's not so hard for you to understand why this is such a high priority on the Charleston Bucket List. I encourage you to follow the EVO way: enjoy food, enjoy how it got to your table, enjoy the people around you, spread it around. And, we can all enjoy EVO any time Tuesday - Saturday (closed Saturday morning, Sunday-Monday). With just a short bike ride from our Little Blue House and in we go, to a dining room filled with scrumptuous aromas, friendly and famliar faces, and (my favorite part) shelves of well-used cookbooks right there next to our table.





Yours truly and JH, celebrating one year of matrimonial bliss at the place where it all began.


September, 2008

Oh, it is a divine establishment and it's really so much more than that - it's a movement. EVO is the kind of place that you'll always be loyal to, it's the kind of place where you want to meet up with your best of friends, where you want to celebrate life's milestones, where you just feel so damn good pulling up to the bar and having a locally brewed Coast IPA.

I'm a devoted disciple. This will be the hardest place to leave behind. This will be the first place we sit down when we return to visit the Holy City. This will always be one of our favorite memories. This is amazing. This is EVO.

(First EVO dinner date recorded on Bucket List - August 27, 2009 - consisted of tasting from special menu: green bean and blue cheese salad with pickled red onions and toasted walnuts, carrot soup (to just call it soup is borderline blasphemy), wood-roasted beef and brie pizza, and homemade goat's milk peanut butter fudge...one for each of us. Red wine for me, something off the tap for JH, little morsels of heaven for sweet GH.)

Brown Bag Lunch

Day 4: Compelled to get out of this office and into the sunshine during my lunch break.

...inspired by the notion of calm breezes and a waterfront view somewhere near the Battery. Stopped by a favorite spot, Bull Street Gourmet (follow their blog here), for a simple brown bag lunch...they never disappoint. Today's selection was the "The Famous Bull Street Chicken Salad Sandwich" with their signature Cranberry Mayo (delish!)...a fine choice, indeed. Wanted to dive in to the enchanting, affordable (and thoughtful) wine selection, but grabbed an organic lemonade instead and set out to find a shady nook nestled somewhere in the heart of the peninsula.



Geclee on Canvas, by Gordon Wheeler
Gordon Wheeler Gallery
180East Bay Street



Spot found: Shaded bench, Colonial Lake. Quiet and just enough sun for my pale legs and toes. Forgot my book so I dug out my poor, dusty journal - an unscratched black moleskin I bought several months back, hoping to reunite with my lifelong desire to create brief neanderings and sketches in a small, portable journal...this "volume" has barely been used. Opened it up and laughed at loud at myself. Remembered a little girl holding flowers at a graffiti art show from a sloppy drawing and pieces of her dried bouquet. Learned something about my past. Found inspiration to do something I love...

So I started to write...nothing of interest to note for this post, but I did feel amazing. I was BEing amazing in that moment and it made me realize this:

In not knowing the life you'd love to live, how will you ever enjoy it when you find "the life you've always dreamed of"?

Goal: Take 2-3 brown bag lunches each week and find every shaded park bench in Charleston proper that will allow for some relaxation, some inspiration, some much-needed sunshine, and a chance to just BE.

See you at the park...in the meantime, visit a few "Park Peeps":
Charleston Park Conservancy
Park Angels

8.26.09
... "Damn flies....trying for a taste of my sandwich...mother nature's way of telling me to wrap up the other half and save it for tomorrow...you've had enough for today, LK."

Big Nasty

Day 3: Indulge in the city's culinary delights (and, perhaps, debauchery).

This morning I enjoyed a truly divine breakfast with my son and husband. Hominy Grill, infamous Charleston eatery that's always visited by camera crews and travel writers. The outdoor courtyard became the spot for our indulgent behavior. First up: The "Big Nasty" (no need to explain this one- envision carbs (homemade biscuit) stuffed with fried (chicken, that is), smothered in gravy(packed with sausage and spices and love). Remorsefully gobbled up within seconds... Next to the table: the best Shrimp n' Grits in the lowcountry for our merry consumption. A tad tangier than others I've tried, but they always talk about the shrimp n' grits when Hominy Grill is featured, so we feel obligated to drool over it, too. Final course: Pulled straight from the special board, Braised Gold Shoulder Tamale with Coconut Hoppin' John...(insert sigh and bloated expression)

Oh, it was a breakfast to remember. I'll note that there's also delicious little folk-esque pottery on each table with delicious fruit jams...the locals are appreciative and never surprised, the tourists stand silently in line as they wait for their table and leave silently, stuffed.

Ideally, the August heat would have been weakened by the winds of Hurricane Bill's ascent on the northern coast...we needed at least a jaunt 'round the block to knock ourselves back into consciousness. No luck would find us, though, so we took our drowsy trip back home and went straight to bed for a glorious mid-morning nap.

Dinner (preceded by celebratory champagne in honor of a young and deliberate bride-to-be): Charleston Grill - an institution, a haven for foodies and jazz enthusiasts and culinary thrill-seekers. The menu is life-changing, the wine list is nothing short of bliss (and can be overwhelming without the help of sommelier Rick Rubin), the company I enjoyed was the perfect accompaniment. I'll encourage you to visit them soon for the "Dinner at Dusk" special...call Mickey for more info...you'll get more than you asked for (and it's worth it).

(Didn't make the cut: Charleston Pedicabs - Envision Cute C of C boys sporting Vans and thrift-shore tees and pulsating calves...could have been quite the thrill-ride for our girls-night out, although we opted for the less casual, roomier luxury SUV parked and waiting just past the bell stand. Nate, thank you for being the best driver I've had in Charleston, for entertaining us with brilliant trivia, and for taking our shenanigans with patience and grace.)

Late Night: Shine - new to the scene and outfitted for the modern-design-aroused Xers, this stylish spot offering "internaltional street fare" (complete will frilly bar menu) became our late-night locale. Flirting, loose tongue, affectionate banter...all taking place in a once-"ghetto" address waaaay down Upper King. Almost felt as if we'd turn the corner and be in Soho...but really, no. It's Charleston... and it's come a long way from it's colonial roots and rules.

Get out and enjoy yourself...there's much fun to be had in this holy city!

Goals accomplished:
1 - Chew Slowly as to enjoy every morsel
2 - Look my fellow diners in the eye and enjoy their conversation
3 - Take notes like any other travel/food writer would

Just Like That

Day 2 - Stay connected...to myself...no contradictions.

I wish I could say that I read a lot of books (can’t ever finish anything). I wish I could say I’m well-traveled (still waiting on my inheritance). Truth be told, I get my information from a limited amount of resources and I love, love, love anything related to the subject of food. That is why I watch an obscene amount of programming on the Food Network and some of my favorite personalities are the sex-symbol: Tyler Florence, the quirky enthusiast: Alex Guarnaschelli, and the culinary siren: Giada de Laurentis. I’m drawn to their passion for food that somehow translates (through the airwaves and flatscreen) into a passion for life. Life simple. The simple life - a tasty life, at that.

When I was young (probably 12 years old), one of my main chores was to clear the dinner table, wash the dishes, and wipe down the stove and countertops. My parents, already retired to their separate rooms, hopefully never heard as I hosted my own cooking show. I’d use the scraps from plates and pans and would create a “dish” that really spoke to my young imaginative spirit. Even as I scrubbed the Dawn into each casserole-streaked baking dish, with that dark green dish sponge and scalding hot water, I’d pretend that the world outside the kitchen window was watching with ferocious anticipation…they were engaged and I was giving them something really amazing, such as my very own corn and sweet tea tart with potato chip chiffonade. It didn’t matter what I was “cooking” with – I was having fun and I was being creative. It came so easily…God, I miss the bliss of youth. If only now that same task of washing dishes would feed my soul in such a satisfying way.

I digress…

My Sundays now are usually spent doing something at home with my one-dimensional foodies chattering in the background, making petite pastries or robust braised short ribs and pasta…My favorite is Giada. I love to mimic her casual, yet over-used expression “Just like that”. “Stir in the crispy pancetta…just like that,” she sings. “I’ll just pop this in the oven for 20 minutes…just like that.” Somehow those three words make every one of her movements so effortless, so undeniably intriguing in their ease and purity.

Hence, the name of this post. It is my hope that I can apply this simplistic principal to the enormous life-changing moment that awaits…I hope I can survive and move forward…just like that.

Self-Absorbed and So Amazing

Day one: Humble attempt at recording my life’s moments in the hopes that I’ll learn something.

Perhaps I’m just hyper-sensitive (true), perhaps I’m just overdramatic (very true), perhaps I just have an over-stimulated imagination (quite possible)…I'm still waiting for that "aha" moment, that life-changing insight that jumpstarts everything. And I want you to accept me. I don’t care about you, your values, your interests…I simply want you to accept me and adore me and give me lots of undivided attention. This is who I am and this is the reason for this self-absorbed blog - to track my own life, my own experience and to hopefully (and faithfully) gain some insight into what life is presenting.

I’ve been migrating East for the last 12 years (my first adventure beginning shortly after leaving home after high school in 1997). I’ve been up, I’ve been down, I’ve been in danger, I’ve been around…fast forward to 2007…my friend-turned-boyfriend asked for me to be his wife, followed by a wedding 5 short months later, coupled with a change in jobs, followed by the news that we were expecting our first child (within 2 months of marriage), followed by buying (and building) our first home, followed by another job change (holding breath, sigh), all culminating to selling our house just a year after we moved in (without even putting in the market), and packing our lives in order to move homeward to our families …it’s been turbulent, exciting., and overwhelming, to say the least. Oh, I forgot to mention the most important detail of these past two years (with the exception of the birth of my son) – I recently turned 30.

Here I am, today - Life spinning ‘round my head in chaotic circles, my soul questioning every decision I’ve ever made…How did I get here and how could I escape (if wanted to)…I haven’t found what I’m good at, I’m out of shape, I’m longing for simpler days when it was just me and my cats (R.I.P. Maximus) and my one beloved credit card. Life is pressed upon me now with such a force that I cannot run away. And here I go…

Migrating again soon, but this time back “West”. My husband, my son, my cat, and all my memories areg being packed up, we're selling our house, moving in with the in-laws, and starting a new life in a new town in a new state with no friends and our share of debt and (I hope) enough faith, love, and trust to see us through.

This blog is the only way I know how to cope. When my son was born (no, really when I started dating my husband), I stopped writing in journals and began to internalize every emotion and every urge…I let go of anonymity and accepted the responsiblities that come with having and providing for a family. Now, I’m realizing that if I don’t find a way back to my inner self, I may impose ridiculous and detrimental tendencies on my child…something I’d rather not do.

So...Goals:

1 – Return to self

2 – Create a bucket list for Charleston, this beautiful and remarkable city that I’ll soon be leaving

3 – Allow myself to be happy

4 – Become a better wife, mother, friend

5 – Experience…every day

6 – Start a mild revolution (whatever cause that may be)

Oh,and...

7 – Be amazing