At various points during the year, I can predict with some certainty that a flurry of questions will come my way about some particularly unusual flower or a striking plant that the questioner must find out what it is. The questions often come from visitors to the area, but not infrequently it is locals who have only recently determined to find out what this plant is, perhaps something they’ve only recently noticed.

Even though it sounds fancy, dining al fresco just means eating outside. And since we're becoming a bit more social while we're social distancing, eating on the deck has started to become part of our quarantined routine. Vince and I had two of our besties over for dinner last week for a Greek style picnic supper. The entree was Grilled Pork Souvlaki with Dilly Cucumber Sauce from my cookbook, Celebrate Beaufort. The side dishes were new creations and I'm sharing them all with you.

Recent stories of teachers going out of their way to insure students can continue learning as they shelter in place prompt me to reflect on the important role teachers have played in my life. One individual, George Brooks, stands out.

What comes to mind when you hear the term “bunker mentality”? When I think of this state of mind, I think of a literal bunker with sandbags, thick walls, and guards to keep out all sorts of deadly and operationally disruptive things and people. I’m reminded of the time I visited the Normandy region of France and crawled down inside one of the bunkers occupied by the Germans on Sword Beach (one of five landing sites for the June 6, 1944 D-Day invasion of continental Europe).