Christmas Snow

This was the morning view in Greenwood on December 26th.

Greenwood Festival Chorale

Thanks to John Eichelberger for accompanying me to this concert Tuesday night at Lander University. Christmas Around the World featured 64 voices celebrating the season with lullabies from Spain and eastern Europe, carols and hymns from Latvia, France and Haiti, and traditional songs like Silent Night, Feliz Navidad, Jingle Bells and White Christmas.

Kudos to my new friend from bells, Nickie Murphy, for her excellent soprano solos. Bravo to the instrumentalists, who were a big part of the "entertainment," especially the duet and 5-hand piano pieces.

I've already marked my calendar for the Chorale's next performance - March 6th at 4pm at First Presbyterian Church.

The Arts Center

Wow! I had a chance today to pop into the old Federal Building in Uptown Greenwood today and check it out. NICE addition to Uptown. Can't wait to go back.

Connie Maxwell Christmas

Alan and I enjoyed being part of our new community on Friday night. We took in the Christmas lights, music and other events at Connie Maxwell Children's Home. CM has been serving children and families for 85 years and for the last 11 has invited the community "on campus" to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas - the birth of Christ and the possibility of peace on Earth - with musical presentations, a petting zoo, and the ever popular horse-drawn wagon tours. It was a beautiful, crisp night and many were out with their children, enjoying the free hot chocolate while waiting to ride or to touch the steer, donkey, goats, bunnies, llama, and several baby goats born only 6 days ago. The children of Connie Maxwell played tone bells to several carols inside a packed Connie Maxwell Baptist Church, followed by 4 songs performed by the Emerald Bells, a community handbell choir.

We caught a late dinner at the local Outback Steakhouse, and I must comment on this chain because of the excellent service and new menu items we had. Greenwood was chosen along with two large market (maybe Cincinnati & St. Louis) Outbacks to test some new dishes. We really liked the size and taste of the Chicken Artichoke flatbread appetizer. Jamie was manager for the night and shared this news with us. Katie, our server, is a senior at Lander in biology and a Greenwood native, and she had a great attitude. So did the hostesses, who were scrambling with pagers that kept resetting just at the end of their busiest time. Everyone had a smile and made our visit terrific. I'm not a huge fans of steakhouses, generally, but I really enjoyed our time at dinner Friday.

Hydro One

What's great in Greenwood today is shopping locally - for your SPORTS DRINK! Yep, Hydro One is based right here in Greenwood, with a cross-border, Georgia connection (although production is in Upstate New York, I heard). I taste-tested their Green Tea, and orange-mango and pomegranate-raspberry sports drinks this afternoon. Best sports drink I ever had. Really.

Of course, I'm not a big sports drink fan. Usually too sweet or too salty for me. These were more like real juice drinks, just a bit watered down. Oh, and hyped up on vitamins. Can't wait to try more, including the women's, heart, memory, and joint health drinks.

REV, TRUE, and Bode - all natural, low calorie, sugar free, and nutrient-enriched. I might just give up water.

And I missed it

Apparently what was great in Greenwood this week was a performance by the Vienna Boys' Choir. Sadly now, I must confess that I did not go. I learned of it late (despite good adequate advertising), the tickets were right pricey (though completely worth it I heard afterwards), and we had a terrible storm that night, including tornado sirens. Still everyone I've talked with who went said it was great. Interestingly, many also reminisced about previous times they had seen the choir, so I'm sure I missed a memorable evening.

Even though I didn't partake this time, I am happy to live in a place that appreciates the arts and culture and supports it with attendance. The Choir performed as part of the Greenwood Lander Performing Arts series , which also presented the Choir in 2006. I'll definitely catch their next performance here.

The Y

Into my fourth week (ever) of membership at the YMCA and so far, I'm loving it. For three weeks I went three times a week to swim. This week I'm taking time off from laps to try out the pool classes - arthritis, silver splash, and aqua exercise. I've been studying the class schedule for yoga, pilates, and cycle lite, which I may try next week along with swimming.

The Y is a nice facility and convenient to our new house/neighborhood. But the best part has been the people I've met in the three classes I've been to so far. Really nice, welcoming folk who want me to enjoy exercising with them and come back. The staff have all been nice and helpful too.

Wesley Commons

I know I just moved here and am planning to stay put, but I've already picked out my next neighborhood. Wesley Commons is the Methodist retirement community here in Greenwood, and I'm moving there as soon as I am old enough.

We had dinner there last night, Thursday night "fine dining." The food was excellent - fried green tomatoes for an appetizer, salads, wine, filet mignon, and a delicious apple and ice cream dessert with coffee of course. Reasonably priced. Superior service. Maybe the best meal I've ever had in Greenwood. Ever.

Sites

Today we visited the Drummond Center at Lake Greenwood State Park to see the historical exhibit on the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp). Lunched in Ninety Six at Las Cascadas and then took in the Ninety Six National Historical Site. A great way to entertain out of town guests who are interested in history.

Uptown

Wayne & Sarah are here from Colorado. We met them first at Grits and Groceries on Highway 185 at Saylors Crossroads on Saturday for lunch. Shared our table with a couple from Anderson who turned out to also be friends with the Eichelbergers. Small world.

Then Saturday evening we went Uptown Greenwood so Wayne could see the cars at the Cruise In. We saw Santa but missed the tree lighting because we were shopping at Uptown Pizzazz. We skipped the carriage ride but it was a beautiful night to be out and about.

Today was another beautiful day, warm enough, blue skies. It's going to start raining soon and all this great weather will be over, but I'm loving it while it lasts.

Handbell friends

Two things are great in Greenwood today.

First, playing handbells with my old group, The Emerald Belles. They introduced me to the newcomers (since I left) as "her mom made our vests." How cool is that? I had a great time as the practice sub today and will be filling in at a few of their Christmas concerts next month.

Then a few of us went to lunch together. It was great to see old friends, ladies I really like, and catch up with the group this way.

After lunch I went to the Y for Swimming - Day 2. That was great too!

Fall color

Fall color is what is great in Greenwood today. This is the view in our backyard this morning at 9am. Stunning.

It has been rainy the past few days. Typical November weather in SC. Last night it got down into the 30s. (I put the electric blanket on the bed, turned up the heat on my side and slept great!) Highs are in the 50s. Breezy at times, to get the leaves off trees I guess. A beautiful time of year.

This week Alan caught the first large mouth bass we've seen in the pond. Good size, over a pound each. Healthy. 2 one day from the back yard, 6 the next from the kayak.

The New Library

Blew half an hour of my "free time" at the new Greenwood County library today. "NICE. Real Nice." I loved the old library when we were here before, but mostly because I liked two ladies who worked in the children's section who could always recommend a good read. But it wasn't hard to see (and feel) the shortcomings of that building, a bunker-like facility with air/heat management problems. The new 13 million dollar library is spectacular. Even smells new. Gotta go read the book I checked out. Yeah, Greenwood! Good job getting a new library.

Markets

Today I bought hoop cheese at Godfrey's Market in Hodges and coffee, wine and Boar's Head deli meat at Corley's Market in Greenwood. Yum O, as Rachael Ray says. I also picked up this week's Thump (see prior post) and a free copy of Greenwood ("the lifestyle magazine"). Just getting to know my new town a bit.

Welcome to Moe's

Today what is great in Greenwood is Moe's! I had a Unanimous Decision taco, Alan ate a Billy Barou burrito, and Savannah had the Close Talker salad. YUM! Good crowd on Moe's FIRST DAY in Greenwood. Happy Opening Day and "Welcome to Greenwood" Moe's.

Mums

Mama and I went shopping for flowers today. Checked first at Jerry's Greenhouse on the 72 Bypass. They had some beautiful flowers but we left without any. Mama kept telling me about this place we had taken her once before when we lived in Greenwood. It took me a long time to come up with it and even then I couldn't remember exactly where the place was, but we drove in the general right direction and eventually Emerald Greenhouse appeared, at the corner of Hwy 25 and Deadfall Road. We LOADED the car with the biggest and least expensive mums in all colors that we had seen in 2 days of looking. Happy Autumn!

THUMP

Saturday night we went out to dinner and I found this local newspaper. Cool! In Greenwood, no less. Now THAT is homemade genius.

My first group ride

Alan and I made it to the Thursday night ride from State Farm. Actually rode over from the house. Joined the small group of 7 riders on a beautiful night. Rode 17 miles in one hour, to Hodges and back. We decided Dixie is the best biking road in the area. When I can fly along at 22 mph without effort, that is a great flat road. Yeah! Happy Day !!

Alan also made it to the mountain bike ride Tuesday night. No report on that other than it was good.

For our first Greenwood ride, we took the tandem out Sunday afternoon about 4pm for 10 miles in 30 minutes from the house, a quick loop. GREAT!

Ride Ride Ride

Home Sweet Home

Wow! I will have to blog more about all we've been through since my last post. All good. ALL. But today I'm at home with my mama and her sister, Aunt Betty. We are just sitting at my kitchen table discussing how peanut butter is the staff of life. We got wireless internet at home yesterday and this is my first chance to try it. There will be more soon. I promise.