For any of our immediate or extended Sunnyside family  concerned about the oil spill, we want to spread the word that we  have been very lucky. There were just a few tar balls found on the very west end of the beach but none on “our” beach.  I believe the closest it ever was to us was at Orange Beach. We hope our good fortune holds out.

We continue to update the cabin. Somethings are visible, like the kitchen, the queen size bed, cable TV, couch,  toaster oven and  microwave and some are invisible (like the war on the hated palmetto bugs, roly polys and the cacti in the back yard). Sometimes we do find it  hard to part with ” the way it has always been”  but then we all seem to love the new stuff.  Haven’t heard single “oh how I miss those cabinet doors that would never shut or ” I wish we still had that pots and pan cabinet that was as deep as a cave and held rustic relics from another era.”  On my last trip,   I ran across beat up  aluminum pot and pondered keeping it or pitching it.   Then, I remembered my grandmother shelling peas on the porch…in that pot.  In those way back days when we came down from Georgiana, we would stop at produce stands and pick up stuff like purple hull peas, pole beans,lady slipper peas. These would join the squash, tomatoes and onions that came from the garden at home.   Big Mommie would have us all shelling peas and she would even fry cornbread for lunch. (probably in the cast iron skillet that is there now!) I can only imagine the temperature in the kitchen.  I shared the pea shelling story with  Jack  who quickly offered to fetch some peas to calm my nostalgia. I expected to see it headed off with the trash but later realized he had set the pot off to the side to join some other memorabilia. If anyone has an urge to shell peas while you are there….we will tell you where  the pot is. We had a good laugh at the fact we hardly cooked anything there now  and we start our beach days with a  pre-sliced Panera bagel and a conversation of “so where are we going for dinner tonight?”

As we wrap up the 2010 season, we are still sad to see what the spill  has done to tourism in the panhandle. Please plan to revisit the coast next year. Come and see the changes  you help to make possible by lovin’ Sunnyside.  We are in the early planning stages of a deck so  you don’t  want to miss  the improvements …. “You know you want to be there”