PICTURE OF THE DAY

The Masters...Need I Say Anything Else?

The first week of April is drawing near and for many of  us Georgians, that means one thing...Masters Week!  Oh, I know this year the media is trying to turn Augusta National into a three-ringed circus with Tiger Woods' return to golf.  But he didn't pick Augusta just because it's the greatest tournament in the world.  He also knew that the elite membership that runs the Masters would protect him from the melee and the fans would be respectful toward him.

Oops, the picture's a bit crooked, but it's Augusta...


My first visit to the Masters was when I was in college and a boyfriend was offered two tickets through a family connection.  At the time, I wasn't aware of how big of a deal this was, but Steve soon filled me in.  I found a cute outfit and when I stepped onto the course, I saw that it was unlike any other.  I had been to other golf tournaments and nice courses, but this was "cathedral-like".  My day was made when Jack - yes, Jack Nicklaus handed me one of his golf tees after teeing off on one of the holes.  I kept that memento for years.

A few years later, I had a boyfriend from Augusta and I really found out what the Masters was about.  That town slept, ate and breathed the tournament.  Players were hosted in the homes of prominent citzens - I believe this is still the case.   A future roommate of mine's family always hosted  Jack,  while another was Arnie's home away-from-home each year.  For many years, young unmarried men in Augusta belonged to "The Bachelor's Club" (social organization) in Augusta and their social highlight of the year was a huge band party during the tournament.  That party was incredible. There were hundreds of college age kids there from schools all across the Southeast.  We'd all make plans to "Meet up on 16"(the green at hole 16).  That's where the younger crown hung out.    I had the incredible great fortune of attending the tournament 7 or 8 times over the years with various friends and appreciated it each and every time. 

Quiet, please

As happens in life, times change; it's inevitable.  The Bachelor's Club faded away, probably replaced by something else.  And many local friends and people who had tickets to the tournament  found out that they could rent out their lovely homes during Master's Week to top corporate sponsors and do very well on the rentals.  They'd take off for the beach and watch the tournament on TV.  When we moved back from California, I put my name on the lottery for practice round tickets.  Over about ten years I have only gotten them once.   That tells you how special and difficult it is to get tickets. We've been offered day tickets to the tournament a couple of times through friends and have been thrilled to attend.  I have very good friends who are connected at the highest levels at Augusta National but I would never ask for tickets.  You just don't do that.  I'll take my chances and see what happens.

Tiger (right)

If you ever have the opportunity to be invited* to the Masters, do not pass it up, even if you are not a golf fanatic.  I'm not one and don't really play but can appreciate excellence and the Master's is near perfection.  There's something for everyone.  They say it is the hardest ticket in sports.  But once you are there, attendance will bring the highest pleasure.  The crowds are the most polite anywhere.  Let me repeat.  Anywhere.  The sandwiches are marvelously simple, delicious and so moderately-priced as to cause a double-take.  The ladies dress up and look so lovely, its a mini fashion show.  And the grounds alone are worth the trip...Amen Corner, Eisenhower's Tree, Butler Cabin, the carpet-like greens, the famous azaleas - it plays out like a dream.  Getting exercise walking this course should always be so pleasurable.  If you never get the chance to go, remember, The Masters is so much more than the place Tiger chose to return to golf.  There's a reason he picked Augusta.

*It is technically illegal to scalp Master's tickets even though they are often offered for sale.  Patrons who offer their tickets for sale will lose the use of their ticket forever.  So if you use anyone else's ticket, guard it with your life.  I heard about someone who lost a friend of a friend's badge and it was lost forever.

It's a Nice Day When You Wake Up in Disneyland!

I had the pleasure of participating in Disney's "Give a Day, Get a Day" promotion over the weekend in our hometown's Keep Coweta Clean" campaign. Over 200 volunteers showed up and picked up trash around town and we earned a free ticket to the "happiest place on earth" for our time!  I believe Disney has now reached their goal of 1,000,000 volunteers but I recommend going out and doing something in your community for the good of the deed.  And I highly recommend a trip to Disney.  I think my husband and I love it more than our kids.  Enjoy this fun video from You Tube posted with the Disneyland by Five for Fighting... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0hNDaY78lA

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

 It's time to start planning our summer vacation and we usually have a pretty fun adventure planned.  The boys and I are returning to Mexico to do some work in Merida with our church and we are excited about that.  But when it came time to plan this summer's outing, I was kind of surprised at what our teen boys proposed.  "I want to go back to Hilton Head" my youngest said, " we haven't been able to go there for three years".  Several years ago, the school board changed the calendar to start school ridiculously early...the first week in August.  This killed our family tradition of joining my mom (and my sister's family) during Mom's mid-August time share.  For those of you thinking:  why didn't she just change her time share?  Not so easy when everyone with school age children is crunching summer into two months. Availability where she wants it is more limited AND it a shorter summer is bad for the economy.  Anyway... 

   Sea Pine's Plantation on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, has been special to me since I was just a little girl of about 7 and my parents bought the time share there.  My own family went every summer and I learned how to shrimp, crab and paint my body with lowcountry pluff mud.  When we got married and had children of our own,  Pat and I first brought them to the low country as tiny babies babies from our home in California.  We were creating a family tradition, though we didn't know it at the time.

The boys and their cousins several years ago on the dock behind our timeshare

South Beach, Sea Pines, Hilton Head

Keegan, age 3, with my dad Jim Plumb holding Sean age 18 months while on vacation in Sea Pines

My daddy looked forward to his week in Hilton Head every year with an almost reverence and toward the end of his life, he extended one week to two.   A memory "postcard" that often pops in my head is my father sitting on the little porch outide the Hilton Head spot, cocktail in hand, the requisite book in the other, surrounded by "his" girls; completely and utterly happy.   And now "my" boys want to create the same kind of memories?  I'm in!

The boys and I in 2007 - they are now both taller than me.

Pat hasn't been able to come with us to Hilton Head since the boys were really small (due to pressing work issues).  Plus mom's place only had so much space;  my sister's family and us Flanigans and mom made for a pretty chaotic environment.  So when I mentioned that the boys wanted to rent a house there this summer, his response was..."Hilton Head?  What can I do there?"  Pat is a goer and a doer and just can't sit on the beach for long.  He doesn't read books or relax well so I had to remind him of all the things we can do:

* Crabbing

*Fishing

*Shrimping

*Rent a boat/jetski

*Kayaking

*Bikes

*Tennis

*Golf

*Shopping

*Historical trips to Beaufort, Dafuski, Savannah and other surrounding areas

Crabbing on the dock

Some of the catch

Now my mom is happily getting remarried in May at our farm and she and Charlie will be living on Hilton Head at Sun City and we'd love to see them while we are there.  My sister and her family live nearby in Savannah so we can visit with them too.  But we might like to spend some of the time, just us together, in this magical place that I hope will continue to create memories for the "future" generations to come!

The famous Harbour Town Lighthouse

South Beach Marina from the deck of my sister's boat

Me, my niece and my mom coolin' off in the pool

PICTURE OF THE DAY

This bull sea lion chased my son in the Galapagos - terrifying!

What's Food Got To Do With It?

For inveterate travelers, the dining experience is as big a part of the trip as sightseeing or chilling on the beach.  If you've read any of my blogs or seen some of my "Pictures of the Day", you know food plays an important part on our vacations.

One secret I've been withholding from you is my "foodie" past.  I mention this because it gives you a little background and you'll see why I want to hear about your restaurant recommendations too.  When we lived in Los Angeles, I was Vice President of a public relations agency that specialized in the food industry.  One of the fabulous benefits of this job was I had the opportunity to work with many of the nations top chefs.  When you hang around greatness, you can't help but pick up a bit through osmosis.  I began experimenting with my own recipes and eventually decided to put them to the test by entering cooking contests.  Unbelievably, I did okay. I haven't entered one in a few years but writing this makes me start to get motivated again. Here's a few of them:

A book given to me and inscribed by Certified Master Chef Victor Gielisse from his iconic Dallas restaurant "Actuelle".  Chef Gielisse is now an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America.

* Won the Georgia Beef Cookoff
* Won the Cabot Creamery Recipe Contest
* Placed in the Sutter Home Build a Better Burger  recipe contest
* Placed in the Sonoma Sun Dried Tomatoes recipe contest
* Placed in the Fresh Express recipe contest

A nice check I received at the Georgia Beef Cookoff.  We used it for school tuition...boring but practical.

All the contests were fun but I think my favorite was the very first one I entered. It was an Amateur French Chef cooking contest, sponsored by Ma Maison/Hotel Sofitel in Beverly Hills, CA.  Even though we lived in Pasadena, the six contestants and their spouses/guests were put up in a luxury room for the weekend, were treated like royalty, given a chef's jacket and tocque, had an unlimited free acess to 24 hour room service and were feted at a celebretory dinner by the hotel's Executive Chef Serge Gouloumes. 

My Patand I had gone to Paris on our honeymoon and the trip was an inspiration for my recipe entry: "Sauteed Sea Scallops with Yellow Bell Pepper Coulis, Potato Cakes and Asparagus."  We were judged by a panel of top French chefs from America and Europe as well as a host of celebrity judges. 

An article from the Pasadena Star-News showing me plating my dish.  I worked my way into sixth place out of six!  But it was great fun and just being one of six out of thousands of entries was thrilling. 
Presiding over the whole event was Sofitel Food and Beverage Manager Patrick Terrail (search his book Taste of Hollywood - The Story of Ma Maison).   Patrick had recently sold his legendary Hollywood resstaurant Ma Maison, where the then fresh, young Wolfgang Puck became a superstar.
























Patrick (l) and Wolfgang (r) with wait staff at Ma Maison.

(photo courtesy:  A Taste of Hollywood by Patrick Terrail)

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Paperwhites in Pasadena