I'm a Basket Lady! Jk. I wish :)

A few wks ago I was flipping thru our library's monthly newsletter and came across this AWESOME class (among dozens of others).

I called immediately and was able to secure 3 of the 12 spots for me, my MIL & SIL. 

This is such an honor to me. Sweetgrass baskets and the weavers that make them are such a huge part of the Gullah & Geechee culture down here in the Lowcountry. Slaves that were brought over from West Africa, hundreds of years ago, brought the skill with them. And it has been passed down from generation to generation. 

And now we have this FREE opportunity to learn from a weaver that has some of her work displayed in the Gibbes? An artist....sharing some of her secrets with us. Amazing.

So we made a date of it - perfect timing for my MIL's bday ;)

 Lunch at Glass Onion (butterbean falafel - say WHAAAAT? So good).

Headed to the library and met Ms. Mae Scott Hall. 

She had bags put together for us with materials that included the knotted beginning of the basket weave. The best gift she gave us (other than her instruction) was a nail bone. These are THE tool used to make these baskets - they used to be fish bones and now they are spoons that have been cut off and hammered down.

She had us weaving in no time but everyone quickly realized what a painstaking process it was. Now we know why these baskets are so expensive to purchase.

The library staff were awesome too and it seemed like several of them had some experience so they came and helped us every now and then.

Ms. Mae Scott Hall had baskets on display too and passed some around for us to really inspect.

And this was a very special one her daughter made her as a gift:

So this is what a finished coaster looks like. (Mae Scott Hall's)

After two hours mine looked like this and  she had started it for us too! (Mine is on the left...obvi)

My SIL was a bit more ambitious and hers turned out great!

 

We had such a lovely time and the takeaway from this blog is CHECK OUT YOUR LIBRARIES! I'm a huge fan of our libraries here in Charleston County and am constantly taking the kids to events and library programs. And this is the 1st time I've ever really looked into what they offer for adults and look what a GEM of a class I discovered! 

Thank you to the library and to Ms. Mae Scott Hall for sharing this piece of her culture with us!

Sea Turtle Releases make me so EMO!

Back from my moving hiatus! This summer has been consumed with our move. 

And now I've realized summer is coming to an end and I'm scrambling to find fun things to do with the kiddos so they don't remember this one as the summer that sucked. Lol

So this morning was perfect. We got an email from the SC Aquarium letting us know they were releasing two rehabilitated sea turtles back into the ocean on IOP. We jumped on this opportunity! 

Tab and I had seen this once before when I was prego with #1 and I bawled my eyes out - it was so beautiful! 

(Hormones? Probably.)

The release was scheduled for 10am and people start lining up at like 8am. It was out at the Isle of Palms County park. 

We got there (me, two kids, Nana and my nephew) around 9:30am.

We let the kids run and splash in the tide pools while Nana and I secured a spot where the kids could squeeze thru to see the turtles. 

Betty & Louis found friends :)

Nana ran after these two.

And I chased this one...who constantly wants to throw himself into the ocean.

Two turtles were being released today: a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle named Bay and a loggerhead named Mitchel.

Bay went first and they brought him around for us to see before they released him. He was THE CUTEST.

 

Then came Mitchel.

HE.WAS.AWESOME.

Amazingly huge.

Flapping his flippers as hard as he could - trying to get back home!

We made such a big deal about this bc I wanted the kids to really appreciate what they were seeing and I think they did! Which makes me so happy!

We were cheering GO MITCHEL!!!!

Well, this kid was really into his graham cracker and this puddle...but I think the older two appreciated it!

It's so amazing. To know these turtles were hurt or sick, nursed back to health and are getting to go back home. When you hear the crowd just go wild when the turtle hits the surf and the turtle is just flapping those flippers - it can't get in the water fast enough. When you see the big curve of their shell slowly inch out into the water until it's deep enough for them to swim and they disappear under the waves. It just takes your breath away.

And it wasn't hormones last time. It made me emotional this time too. Bc it's just such an experience.

But I couldn't reflect long...the little one giggled and ran into the ocean. And he's quick. So I went and saved his life for the 34th time that morning.

We played a bit more, chatted with several James Island friends who crossed the bridge for this event, and headed home.

Gorgeous morning.

We wish you well Bay & Mitchel!