Hey it’s Terrific Tuesday again. How’s everything in your neck of the woods?

I am back from a trip to Savannah, Georgia which is a great city. The Roanoke City Manager  came from there to here. I cannot imagine why he left unless of course he is getting paid a lot more. The way they do business is exceptional from eco friendly shopping centers and  stores and big box areas, to walking all over the city. Just park and walk.  Walking is really fun in Savannah.

I went to movie sites mostly. “Forrest Gump” and “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” I went in the Piggly Wiggly, too. I haven’t seen one of those since I was a child.

My daughter Brittany, the one  from Vermont, treated  me and her little sister and a friend to the trip. We had fun. Poor Brittany  mixed up with a jellyfish on Tybee Island.  It won.

We ate at a seafood place that has a lot of alligators and a lot of three legged cats.  Somehow I believe they are  related…. Hmmm, change up–the food was really good.

I sang with a street  performer named Jeff who moved to Savannah from Michigan. We sang “Country Roads,” one of my fav John Denver songs.  He had a dog named Chicka that wore shades. How cool is that.

I went on a ghost tour with my daughter Julia that was pretty entertaining. The girls took me for an early bird buffet at Paula Deen’s “The Lady and her Two Sons.” It was fun. Paula has some good food, the corn fritters to die for, but I think The Home Place in Catawba does as well. More than that, Momma and my grandmother could country cook her under the table. Vesta Mills my “Mam” as we called her, could fix cornbread with the best of them, fritters included.  Mom knew no equal in beans of any kind. “Paula, your pork loin was just plain tough–I can cook you under on that one. You have deep fried your chicken like a paid cook would.” My mother and grandmother pan fried that stuff to perfection.

But Deen has millions to show for it –according to a press release Paula Deen made 17 million last year, the 4th highest paid Chef in the country.

I did get to go there  and was happy for the experience and thank you very much, doubt I would go back to eat with her again.  I ate at cafe from the “Midnight” movie and it was exceptional and cheap! Clarys Cafe est. in 1903. They know how to do “old” in Savannah and those moss drapped trees add to the spooky feel.

We had a great time all in all. The ride down and back uneventful though I slept most of the way home. I felt well rested to come back. It is weird though to come back to sameness. I am wasn’t ready for it to return so quickly.

I have always been a gal who liked a change up. We are being challenged tomorrow  in a Roanoke Times meeting to do something different for 31 days. I am contemplating just not working so much.  I doubt that is what they had in mind!

I try to cover as much as possible, but I need more time– one for me as this has been a rough year for too many reasons, two– I realize how fleeting the last child at home will be with me and  well, often I get plugged in  on  the last minute, “Why can’t you cover this?” That is what I am saying. We have a submission process, so I don’t have to cover everything. Everyone has a digital camera or cell phone practically. Most people like to send in stuff from photos to events– so send it in! news@botetourtview.com

No one else works 24-7, so maybe that is what I will give up for a month and that should make the paper happy. No overtime in August. I hardly think my extra efforts will be missed.

See ya next week– the 40 hour one!

Savannah Fruit Tea:

Six  Luzianne tea bags, 1/2 cup Lemonade mix, dried fruit like raspberries and blackberries, maybe peaches. Prepare the tea in 2 quarts boiling water for three minutes. Allow to steep for 3 more off heat. Add lemonade mix. Remove tea bags. Stir. Add sugar or  Stevia to the mix to taste. Add the dried fruit.  Cool at least 20 minutes. Add 2 quarts ice water. Stir well and dispense through a jar with a tap into ice cube filled glasses. Pretty and tasty.