Black Friday at the Beach

Our second week at Edisto Beach was a bit more active than the first. My son, his wife, and daughters live in Charleston, about a 45-minute drive from the campground, which allows Helen and me to be hands-on grandparents for a change. No matter how much time we have with them, it’s never enough, but it’s better than FaceTime.

On Saturday morning, I woke early and noticed that the first light offered the promise of a lovely sunrise over the beach. I left Helen sleeping away, grabbed my camera, and walked around the giant dune guarding our campsite. An opening above the dune was a hint of things to come. I made it to the beach and witnessed one of the most stunning sunrises I’ve ever seen (pictured above). The only editing I did to this image was a touch of sharpening. 

Next up was a drive into Charleston to watch the girls play soccer. Cason, our youngest, was up first. Kickoff, set for 9:00 am, would require breakfast on the run. We made it with time to spare.

At age nine, Cason plays goalie on a team that plays hard but has met with little success. Nevertheless, she holds her own in the goal and always encourages her teammates to give it all they have. I was proud of her effort and assured her that next season would be much better.

Bennett, age eleven, plays on a team of exceptional young athletes. They rarely lose and travel throughout the south seeking the best competition. We’ve lost count of her medals and trophies, but they fill her room. Bennett plays defense and seldom leaves the game. I don’t know where she obtained her running speed or foot skills, but it certainly didn’t come from my side of the family. Those skills were on display in the afternoon game against a team from Augusta, Georgia. Our side won impressively. 

The following Tuesday was the last day of school for the week. Helen and I picked them up when the bell rang at 11:30 to take them back to Edisto for two nights of “glamping” and beach walking. They seemed eager to join us, which pleased us greatly.

On our way back to the campground, we stopped at Walmart to pick up a few supplies and the board game; Sorry. It has been years since I last played Sorry and, rather than read the rules, we jumped right in after dinner and played a few rounds. When we finished those two games, I sensed something was not quite right and decided that it might be a good idea to check the rule book…good idea.

I let the girls know we needed to hit the reset button and have a new session the following day. They wanted to play immediately, but I persuaded them that it would be better to let the anticipation build throughout the day. At around 4:00 that afternoon, we decided that we would play a game outside to make sure that everyone had the rules down. I asked Bennett to create a certificate that we would award to the winner of the 2021 Edisto Beach World Sorry Championship. She handled the task beautifully.

We began the familiarization game outside, but the chilly weather drove us in before we finished. We decided to have dinner then play the World Championship after dessert. As soon as the plates were in the sink, I asked everyone to stand. Next, I asked Siri to play the National Anthem. We all put our hands over our hearts and joined the singing. When the last note sounded, Cason looked up and said, “Now we’re going to war!” (Remember, she’s nine!) 

Big Daddy (me) won the game, but it was a dogfight. I was just plain lucky. We followed the rules explicitly, but these girls were so competitive, we had to endure a tantrum or two. Cason was the runner-up. I can’t remember when I’ve had more fun!

Early on Thanksgiving morning, we made the drive to Charleston. Collin, our son, organizes a neighborhood run/walk/bike ride, and the start time is 9:00 am sharp. About thirty hearty souls gathered to join the event at the appointed hour. When the start signal sounded, the participants took off on a three-mile journey except for Helen and me. Being the oldest by far, we chose the one-mile short route in the interest of time. Otherwise, we might still be out on the course.  

That afternoon, we enjoyed a fabulous smoked turkey dinner that Collin prepared on his Big Green Egg smoker. All the traditional trimmings accompanied the spread, including an over-the-top sweet potato dish. The weather was lovely, and we set the table outside to view the Charleston harbor. Our daughter-in-law’s mom, Carolyn, and her husband, Johnny, joined us for the feast. Austin’s good friend, Caroline, also joined in.

I’m going to sign off with some pictures of Christmas lights. Collin always goes Griswold (Christmas Vacation) for the season, and his house illuminates the block. I’m confident that the inspiration comes from the Charleston Festival of Lights at James Island County Park, which is one of the premier Christmas Light displays in the south, if not the country. We drove through the display on Monday. A few samples from our drive follow below.

Helen and I sat out Black Friday at Edisto while feeling the blessings of the Thanksgiving season during these two weeks, and returned home grateful for every moment. We attended one more event in Charleston that I will share with you next week. Please join us. In the meantime, have a terrific start to a holiday season filled with joy.