Coming home on the school bus on a Friday afternoon, my bus would let us off at the country store down the street from my house.  Before my sisters and I would head home, we would stop at the country store.  After I entered the store, I would make my way to the back of the store to the candy counter.  Standing behind the counter was Mrs. Crick with a big smile on her face as she greeted us.  She knew exactly why we were there, to purchase some sweet, tasty treats.

Mrs. Crick would open a small brown baggy, smaller than the brown lunch bag we would have for school.  There I would stand with my eyes wide open picking out all my favorite treats.  I would take out my little coin purse with my weekly allowance and pay for my candy purchase.  I was set to enjoy my goodies over the weekend.

Entering Cyndi’s Sweet Shoppe brought back all those wonderful memories of my childhood. This Old Fashion Candy Store is unique to downtown Aiken.  The store is showcased with individual candy jars filled with your favorite treats, from jellybeans to jawbreakers.  Just like the candy store I grew up with, they have mix and match candy like Mary Janes and Cow Tales.  Plus, you can treat yourself to truffles, fudge, and variety of nuts. 

If the candy doesn’t satisfy your sweet tooth, Cyndi’s has hand dipped ice cream that is sure to cool you down on a hot summer day.  As you watch the creamy ice cream being scooped, your mouth just can’t help to water in anticipation.  They have many flavors to choose from, my personal favorite is the butter pecan. 

If you are planning a visit to Aiken, make sure you add Cyndi’s Sweet Shoppe to your agenda.  This shoppe is most definitely worth the visit. I know the kids and I are planning our next visit for some sensational sweet treats.

For as long as I can remember my family has always had a real tree in our home at Christmas time.  At first, we would just get an already cut tree at the local tree lot but as I got older, we started the tradition of going to Wata Christmas Tree Farm in Quakertown, Pa.  It was owned by family that attended our family church.  Their sons were in the same youth group as me and my sister.  So, it was only fitting to start the tradition of cutting down a tree at this Christmas tree farm.

After cutting down our tree and coming home with the tree strapped to the top of my parent’s station wagon, my dad would prep the tree to bring into the house so the family could decorate it.  Every year, he would put our tree on a wooden platform that would be decorated with felt.  We had an old train set that would circle the base of the tree, tiny Putz houses that would be covered with snow and mini cars and people to create a little village.  A tradition that I loved every year and couldn’t wait to start with my own family.

Cutting down our own Christmas tree has been continued in the family my husband and I have created.  I remember our first Christmas as a family together, my husband, daughter Shelby and I would go out to Wata Farm to cut down the Christmas tree.  We would search the fields for the perfect Christmas tree.  Sometimes taking hours to finally find that perfect one.  You know, it couldn’t be too tall since our ceilings weren’t very high, couldn’t be too short since be had a bunch of ornaments we collected from our childhood and Shelby made at school, it couldn’t be too thin since nobody really wants a thin Christmas tree, and it couldn’t be too fat since you need to be able to move around the living room.

Shelby would run ahead searching for that perfect tree, my husband and I would follow.  The fields had hundreds of trees, both Fraser and Douglas Fir.  As she pointed out the perfect tree, my husband would take the saw and start cutting.  Shelby would hold the tree to help him out.  Each taking an end it to take the tree to our car.  As my husband tied the tree to the top of our SUV, Shelby and I would check out the reindeer on the property.  Seeing them, her excitement for Christmas would grow. 

As our family grew, the tradition would continue.  We went out to a local tree farm when we lived in Vermont.  Nothing about the tradition changed much except for the amount of snow we would trudge through to find that perfect tree.  By the time we found that perfect tree, we would all be frozen.  When we returned home, both us and the tree would need to thaw out before we could start decorating.

When we moved back to Pennsylvania, the tradition continue when we lived in the Hershey Area.  We found an amazing Christmas Tree Farm, Miller’s Christmas Tree Farm in Elizabethtown, PA.  After searching for the perfect tree, we would sit by a fire pit enjoying hotdogs, marshmallows, and hot chocolate all complimentary from the farm.  They would have amazing wreaths and garland you could purchase.  The best part, for my kids, was the height chart they would have out each year.  Finding their names from the previous year to see how much they grew was a priceless feeling for Ryleigh and Nick.  Knowing we would need to move, our last year searching for a tree was hard for the whole family.  The tradition of cutting down our Christmas tree was a tradition we hoped that we could continue and luckily, we did.

The first Christmas we lived in South Carolina, we were new and just went to the local tree lot to get our Christmas tree.  Last year, with the whole Covid thing we just put up one of the artificial trees we had.  This year we finally continued the family tradition of cutting down the tree at from a Christmas Tree Farm.  Searching the internet and getting referral from friends, we found a wonderful Christmas Tree Farm. 

After a lengthy drive up to Ward, SC, we found Wright’s Tree Farm.  The tree farm was a little different than what we were used to in Pennsylvania, but we embraced the adventure of picking out the perfect Christmas Tree.  As you get to the farm, you are taken down to the trees on a wagon pulled by a tractor.  They drop you off at one of the sections of your choice.  We chose an Eastern Red Cedar, a little different than the Douglas Fir and Frasers from years previous, but when in the south, get a southern Christmas tree.  While you are waiting for your tree to be wrapped up, you can enjoy some purchased goodies from the snack stand and sit by the fire enjoying roasting marshmallows and hot cocoa.  There is a bounce house for the kids to enjoy and freshly made wreaths for you to purchase.  It was a fun day for our family and a yearly family Christmas tradition continued.

A few months ago, my family and I began the process of transforming our yard into a wonderful, landscaped yard with lush flower beds and vegetable gardens.  After a year of living in our new house it was time for us to make it our own and work on some much-needed landscaping.  The flower beds were a disaster, there was only one tree in the yard and there was no garden in sight.  The owners before had done limited landscaping and it showed.  After receiving our first shipment of trees from the local nursery, we put our plan in motion.

We all worked extremely hard digging holes to plant trees, weeding the already established flower beds and building garden boxes.  Everyone had a different opinion of what they wanted in our yard.  My husband wanted a dogwood tree which reminds him of our childhoods in Pennsylvania, my son loved the look of the River Birch tree and my daughter wanted to add vibrant color with an orangish reddish Tree Rose and I wanted to add beautiful hydrangeas to my flower beds.

I began writing a blog about my family planting more than just roots in South Carolina.  All I needed to do was tweak my rough draft and take pictures of the yard we had transformed.  Unfortunately, before I was able to take pictures the deer ate my hydrangea plants and the tops off my tomato plants.  The beautiful orange roses on the Tree Rose disappeared and the tree is looking quite sad.  Where did we go wrong in designing our gardens?  When we lived in Pennsylvania, we always received compliments about our flower beds and gardens.  So, what was so different?  We are no longer in Pennsylvania; the climate and soil are not the same.

Luckily, the trees we planted are still growing nicely and the herbs I planted are producing an abundance of thyme, rosemary, and basil.  As for the rest of my gardens, it will be back to the drawing board and do a little research to find what is the perfect plants that will thrive in the southern environment.  Plus, I need to find how to keep those pesky deer from eating my plants.  Any suggestions, please send them my way.

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For me it has been over seventeen years since I last picked up the clubs.  My husband and I would have date days playing golf while our oldest daughter was at school.  We played at a course close to home in Pennsylvania.  It was the perfect way for us to reconnect while getting in some exercise at a nine-hole course.

Of course, life took over and the clubs went into storage for many years.  They remained in storage through two babies and three moves.  Every time I would search our storage lot looking for another item, I would see those clubs and say one of these days I am going to play again.  Well, that day finally came this past week.  The nudge came from my son and his journey with starting to play the sport and making the school golf team.  He first played at Mount Vintage and wanted to go back to play again.  We decided to make it family thing (minus my youngest daughter who had another activity that day). 

The course at Mount Vintage is so beautiful and peaceful.  Mount Vintage Golf Club, located in North Augusta, SC is a 27-hole golf course.  From the moment we drove up to the club house I fell in love.  The club house is a Piedmont Plantation House from the 1840s transformed to include Pro Shop, locker rooms and The Grille restaurant.  The old stables now house the club golf carts.  The three nine-hole courses include breathtaking views with stone bridges and walls, ponds and creeks, and lined with towering trees.  You can’t help but be amazed with the beauty of nature while playing golf.

Had a blast with my two guys golfing at Mount Vintage.  Mount Vintage was the perfect place to pick up the clubs for the first time in years.  The beauty and the peacefulness of the course made is such a relaxing day to get back to the love of the game and enjoy an amazing day with my guys.

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This week marks a year since the pandemic hit South Carolina and everything was locked down.  My kid’s schools were first to be shut down for what we thought would only be two weeks but ended up being the rest of the school year.  Then my husband was told to work from home.  All the restaurants and shops except essential businesses closed.  Everyone needed to be six feet apart and wear a face mask.  Life as we knew it changed.

We moved to South Carolina a few months before the pandemic happened.  The boxes were finally unpacked.  The kids started to settle into their new schools.  My husband became accustomed to his new routine.  We began to become regulars at a new church.  All we needed now was to make new friends and plant our roots in a community.  So, what happens when everything shutdowns?  How do you plant roots and make new friends when you cannot go anywhere?

When everything shuts down it makes meeting people extremely hard for a new family in the area.  Even when things started to open back-up we were still limited.  Going to the community pool was a scheduled activity with time slots.  Getting to know the neighbors is near Impossible when you are the only family at the pool.  Becoming a part of a new church family is difficult when the church is closed and only streaming on YouTube. I even joined the PTO at the beginning of the school year but making new mom friends is not easy when there are no school activities. 

As we entered March 2021, the light at the end of tunnel is starting to shine.  My kids are now at school 5 days a week.  The PTO is beginning to have in school events.  The church is now welcoming the congregation through its double doors.  After school spring sports are beginning again.  My son is excited to be a part of the school golf team and a new baseball team.  With any luck, my family will now be able to become a part of this community and plant some roots.

Opening day for little league baseball in Pennsylvania was always the first Saturday in April.  There would be an opening day ceremony on the field followed by the first games of the season.  Prior to the games would be team pictures and other festivities.  Let’s just say this day was never as pleasant as it would sound.  The first Saturday morning in April in central Pennsylvania consisted of one of two things rain or snow.  It was always so frigid, and you could feel it right down to your bones.  I never looked forward to this day and was always happy when it was canceled due to snow or ice.

The first part of the season was never much better than opening day.  I remember many games sitting on the bleachers watching a game in the middle of snow showers.  At times it was so white you couldn’t see the white ball in the midst of all the snow.  By the time the ump decided to call the game, both my son and I were soaked and frozen.  Nothing about this was enjoyable.  It didn’t get to be my idea of baseball weather until the end of May.

As I’m writing this, I’m at my son’s first practice of the season in South Carolina. It’s mid-March in Aiken and the weather is sunny and 65 degrees out.  The sun is nearly down for the day and the lights turn on.  My son is up to bat, the pitch comes in, he swings, and you hear the crack of the bat. This right here is what it’s all about and what my idea of baseball weather should be.  As my son and I are getting to know his new team, we are looking forward to many nights of baseball in our new hometown.

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One of my favorite activities to do is antiquing.  I am so excited to explore a new area and find all the neat treasure coves in the south.  The best part is sharing all my neat finds with all of you. 

The first antique store I found in Aiken is Aiken Antiques and Uniques.  The first time I entered this store, I was hooked.  I find myself visiting this store as often as I can.  Luckily, it’s right next to one of the food markets I frequent that it gives me the perfect excuse to take a peek to see what new treasures are available.

Every time I enter this store I am greeted with a lot of southern warmth.  I love to browse the store taking in all the treasures.  Some take me back to my childhood when I see an item that my parents once had.  Other items just scream to me as they know they need a place in my home and my heart.  I don’t think I have left this store without coming home with a new treasure.

My hobby is rubbing off onto my son.  He has been treasure hunting with me ever since his first time at this store.  He found this really neat ammo box to store many of his treasures.  Let’s just say, like his momma, he is hooked too.

My oldest daughter came for a visit from Pennsylvania.  She wanted to check out some of the antique stores in the area and the first one I thought to take her to was Aiken Antiques and Uniques.  She was in love with this store the moment she walked in.  She found a black antique clock that reminded her of Pop Pop.  She had to get it so every time she sees the clock, she will always think of him.

When we left Hershey to move to Aiken, we purged a lot of our stuff to make our move easier.  It has been a real adventure to go out exploring new stores and finding those perfect items to make my house a home.  Can’t wait to see what new stores I will find and what new treasures I will find.

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Born and raised in Pennsylvania, that’s me.  I have lived most of my life in the state of Pennsylvania.  I grew up in a small town about an hour north of Philadelphia.  I never traveled far from the Northeast.  Most of our family vacations were spent at the Jersey shore.  Pretty much everything I knew about life and the world was from living in the Northeast.

Moving away from my family was something I never considered when I grew up.  My family was very close knit.  I grew up in the house that my Mom and her sisters grew up in.  We all went to the same church my grandparents and great grandparents attended.  Most of my extended family lived within an hour of our family home.  So, when I first married, it wasn’t a surprise that our first house was on the same street that my sister lived on and a street away from my other sister.  Living in another state was never something I imagined but life tends to throw you curve balls.

Being adventurous was something I would never have considered myself to be.  I am a homebody, curl up on a couch with a good book or a hallmark movie and I’m very content.  Traveling and moving away was never really a thought that crossed my mind.  My husband, though, is completely opposite of me.  Eric served in the Navy.  He saw a good portion of the world and absolutely loves adventures; the more adrenaline filled the better. 

The first test of my comfort zone was our honeymoon.  Being a navy guy and loving the sea, Eric wanted to cruise the Caribbean.  This would be my first real adventure and let me just say I was terrified, but I trusted my husband and knew he would not let anything happen to me.  So, with my fresh new passport, we hopped on an airplane and flew to San Juan to meet our cruise ship.  We traveled the southern Caribbean with port calls in St. Thomas, St. Lucia, Grenada, Guadeloupe, and the Dominican Republic. The week was the longest and most exhausting week of my life, but it was also the greatest adventure I had ever had.

Yup, you guessed it I was hooked.  The door to new possibilities was opened.  So was the idea of living outside my immediate comfort area.  I still didn’t want to go far from my family but due to my husband’s job opportunities we made a few moves within in Northeast.

My husband works in the nuclear industry.  Our first major move was to the mid-state, Hershey, Pennsylvania.  Not far from family, a little over an hour.  The distance wasn’t that bad for us.  We didn’t all live in the same town, but we still were able to have plenty of family gatherings.  The area was beautiful, and we enjoyed living in Hershey.

A few years after our move to Hershey, my husband’s work took us to Brattleboro, Vermont.  This was a little farther from family.  We were still living in the northeast.  Family gatherings didn’t happen as often as before, but we did manage to visit often.  It didn’t take long for the cold, the few feet of snow and the living in nowhere to wear on us.  After two years, we were ready to move back to Pennsylvania and that is what we did.

Back to Hershey, Pennsylvania is where we headed to.  I was ready to plant some roots and make a home for my growing family.  Moving anywhere else didn’t seem like an adventure I wanted to take anymore.  I was perfectly content staying put in Pennsylvania.  I still wanted to take adventures, but my adventures would be done through traveling.  For ten years, that’s exactly how life was for my family.  We were happy in our little home in Hershey, Pennsylvania, but again life likes to throw you curve balls.

Life is taking my family on a new adventure.  After the closing of the nuclear plant my husband work for, we found ourselves moving south for a new job opportunity.  Everything moved so quickly, from the time he accepted the new position to the time the moving company came and packed up all our belongings was a short month.  After the final signatures on the sale of our home, we packed up the car with our two kids, one dog, and a bunch of house plants, saying goodbye to our life in Hershey.  We traveled five states, six hundred forty-two miles and four days later we were in our new home in South Carolina.

Living in the south was something I never considered.  The only thing I know about living in the south is what I read in a Nicholas Sparks novel or a Southern Living Magazine.   After we settle into our new surroundings, my family will be ready to embrace our new adventure because we are southern in the making.