Summer Excitement Picks Up By James E. Boyd A Friday phone call - TopicsExpress



          

Summer Excitement Picks Up By James E. Boyd A Friday phone call from our dear friend in Baxley, Ga., Rita Williams, alerted B. J. and me that she was out of school for the summer and was ready to romp. The call put us on our toes. Rita wanted to get things livened up with a week on St. Simons Island. There is never a dull moment with Rita. “I’m leaving Baxley now,” she informed us. Rita, along with her grandson Carter and nephews Tripp and Tyler would meet us at Old Times Buffet in Brunswick at 6:00pm and kick the week off with a seafood supper. Enthusiasm was in her voice. We have traveled over a good portion of the world with Rita and she is anxious to get something going again. B. J. and I got our act together and headed over to Old Times. As I was reining, B. J.’s feisty Mustang, into the parking lot, I saw in my rear view mirror a familiar SUV tailgating me; it was Rita’s big Lincoln Navigator. We parked pretty close together, exited our vehicles and eagerly greeted each other with mushy hugs. After several minutes of happy chatter, we headed inside the roomy restaurant. Today was the seafood special and we could hardly wait. We found a big table, got comfortably seated and made for the bountiful buffet which we attacked with ferocity. The tasty salads came first. Next were the savory shrimp followed by “just right” whole fried catfish, tilapia filets, fried clam strips, seafood gumbo, and crawfish-- “crawdads,” Rita called them with a sick look. Nobody cared for the “crawdads.” After the pleasant supper, B. J. and I joined Rita and the boys in her plush Beach Club Condo on St. Simons for more fun and fellowship. We retreated to her inviting second floor balcony that overlooks a glorious enchanting garden replete with attractive fountains and relaxing hot tubs nestled among flowering foliage between two huge towers. Trails through the flourishing flora in the garden lead to a grand swimming pool surrounded by umbrella-covered tables and colorful lounge chairs. A boardwalk at the south end of the pool area ascends upward and though a gate to the beach. The atmosphere and décor is a study in artful design that appeals readily to Rita’s taste. During our delightful carrying on, we planned a cookout at Neptune Park for Saturday. Rita’s hubby Carroll Williams would join us on Saturday. Saturday it was grilled hot dogs, potato chips, baked beans, coleslaw, cold drinks, and a lot of fun under the big oaks at Neptune Park. After great food and merriment at the park with our friends, we moved back to the Beach Club where we spent the afternoon loosening up and lounging at the pool and in the cool condo. Carroll is a University of Georgia man and an avid fan of the Georgia Bulldogs. His son Chip, too, is a Georgia graduate. Carroll never misses an opportunity to talk about his favorite school and team. It was getting late. Someone brought up the subject of food. After hashing the matter around a little, we opted for steaks at Outback. Things were just getting started. After church on Sunday, our friends Cindy and Sonny Doerhing invited B. J. and me to join them for lunch at Iguana’s, a popular seafood restaurant near the SSI Pier. We had a fundelicious time with Sonny and Cindy and some other friends that were present. Following lunch, B. J. and I drove to Magnolia Manor at St. Mary’s where I preached and served communion. We had a great attendance and some delightful fellowship with the charming residents. Our lovely, lively and affable administrator, Diane Feine, dropped in for some spirited chitchat. While being an efficient Administrator, Diane is a fun person. She loves to “go fast” in Big Red. It was raining when we left Magnolia Manor on the way back to St. Simons. We had hardly cleared the premises when our car phone rang; it was Rita. She wanted us to come to the condo for spaghetti. Well, We couldn’t say no to Rita’s spaghetti. So we found ourselves back at the Beach Club for a fantabulous meal while doing some serious planning for a summer vacation together. At this writing, I am boiling a pot of water for a Low Country Boil with Rita at our house. Oh, by the way, our family is coming to our house this weekend for Father’s Day, they want shrimp and oysters, and granddaughter Whitney wants to go fishing.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Jun 2013 21:23:16 +0000

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