Sparkle City

Cause it goes down in the SC where I'm from

That's right. I am from a hip-hop/rap town. You didn't know I was street? I probably just gave myself away saying "hip-hop/rap." C'mon bird. This weekend, with bf down in Savannah (hopefully getting some good info for another Savannah post), I thought I'd drive on home and visit my folks.


I woke up early on Saturday and headed out on the 2.5 hour drive....


Stellar in front (of course... he's the eldest)

White Demon... I mean, Chum, in the back

 I had downloaded a bunch of new songs and the ride there was a breeze!

 Before I knew it, I was curving around the windy roads that lead to my favorite house in the whole USA. I have turned on this street 1 gagillion times. I could do it in my sleep. I'm sure I have. 

This turn was infamous in high school. Its the kind of turn you practically have to stop to go around. I remember when all of my guy friends began driving they would boast that they "totally went 60" around that turn. Completely impossible and supremely dangerous. I was always scared I would roll down.

Then, the trees open up and shout "You're home! You're home! We've missed you so!"

A little veer left and there is that driveway. The driveway that I stormed down 100 times or ran after my sisters down. Where we used sidewalk chalk to welcome my dad over from an overseas trip or the driveway that my brother's car rolled down after he forgot to pull the emergency brake. I always love seeing it. I think its so funny that its the driveway I couldn't wait to never pull into again and now, 8 years after I moved away, I want to lie down and kiss it hello. 

My home. I love love love this house. To me, its the perfect house. If my parents ever wanted to sell it, I swear I would sell a kidney and buy it. 

My mother is a superb home decorator. She lives for holiday decorating. I can't even imagine where she gets all this stuff. It's EVERYWHERE! From the hand towels to the soap to the food. It screams HALLOWEEN! when you walk in. Seriously. It scares the crap out of me when I walk in. 

She even put a witch hat on the baby statue thing. Or maybe its an Asian man. I have no idea what that statue is of!

The weather was divine in Sparkle City. It was about 75 degrees and mom and I made a couple of turkey sammies and sat out on the deck. 

While we ate, we played with our family dogs. Stellar and Chum were in the kennel because Ol' Lucy and Buster are a wee bit territorial. Lucy is 15 (my poor beebee!!!!) and Buster is 13ish. 

Then Mud (my mama's nickname) sprinkled popcorn on the ground and the dogs scattered and vacuumed the deck floor. Pretty entertaining. 

We stepped inside and I had to document some of her amazing Halloween decorations. I can't imagine the hours and days she spent on this. My house, you never know what season it is. It always looks the same. 

This thing is totally creepy. When you walk by it gives you advice. My mom loves it and I can totally see her playing with it when she is home alone. 

Watch this video to see how creepy it is. You can watch the video here on Vimeo!

Who takes the time to do this!?

These candles were awesome. I want some. They're just soooo halloweeny. Dripping blood....

This bowl is by the door and every time you walk by it scares the crap out of you. It says "want some candy" in a totally creepy voice. I jump each time. Then I hear my mom laugh from somewhere in the house. She thinks its hilarious that we are all so startled by it. 

Oh, and she's not done. She has to do the yard too. 

Aren't you loving that interesting circle pot-thing next to the Halloween sign? Guess who made it? Meeeeeeeee..... in high school. So fabulous/what was I thinking.

I love the table setting. 

And of course, she displayed some of my sisters' and my drawings about Halloween in my bedroom. 

 I love coming home. And it definitely wasn't lonely without my siblings like I thought. I got to be the center of attention the entire weekend. Every middle-child's dream come true!

I'm Comin' home

It is so rare that 

a. I have a weekend alone

b. my parents are in town

c. I want to go home

d. it is my Grandpa's 79th birthday

So since a, b, c, and d have all become reality, I am headed home to Spartanburg, South Carolina to spend Saturday and Sunday with my parents. I have an older brother and two younger sisters, but it will just be me this weekend. I can't remember that last time that it was just me and my parents at our house. I think since I was in college and the twins (my sisters) had recently been shipped off to Myrtle Beach to attend Coastal Carolina University. I had friends who still lived in Spartanburg (a.k.a. "Sparkle City"), so even if I was at home "alone" I could/would still hang out with my pals. Now we are older and most everyone has moved away. And I have a more important task to attend to: the birthday of my Grandpaw, Bobby. 

Here he is with his only Granddaughters...

Well, Old Grandpaw is surely one-of-a-kind.

 

It'll  be fun, but... It's just that.... well, I was lucky enough to grow up with 2 really fun (sometimes I may say mean) sisters. We have always had so much fun together and they are the only two people in the world that I always want to spend time with. If there is something fun going on, I always wish they were there. So, in Spartanburg, where there is no shortage of nothing to do, we can still have fun. 

 

(Gawd, that shirt is so unflattering! Nice bra, bird. You really are country.)

So, I'll miss them this weekend. I know I will be wishing they were there. Twins, if you are reading this... I miss you. 

But, besides my Grandpaw's 79th (wow) birthday, I also have a birthday present to get and I hope hope hope one more special item from my mother. My parents also recently had a renovation done in their once "country kitchen" (as bf calls it) and I am really excited to see it. Below is a photo of bf and the twins in the once "country kitchen" on my 23rd (wow, that was 4 years ago!) birthday.

And then me and the twins arguing in the kitchen one Christmas. This picture better displays the age of my parents' kitchen. 

 

I will miss my sisters, but I will also miss my stinky brother. Sometimes I can't believe we all lived in that house at the same time and no one died. 

This is an old Christmas card photo attempt.

And another... how quaint. 

 

Who will I sneak beers with?

 

I guess my parents will suffice. They are fun too. Even though instead of sneaking beers they will want to sneak in jogs and bicycle rides. 

This is my mom at a triathlon a few months ago. 

My dad is fun too. Here we are in NYC.

 

But as fun as my Triathlon running, non-beer sneaking, funny parents go.... these are the 2 people I most want to hang with...

 

Happy almost 79th Birthday Grandpaw!!!