The Best of Both Worlds: Mountains and Beach

I recently returned from a visit to my hometown in the southwestern Virginia mountains where I was fortunate enough to experience spring all over again.  In Louisiana the spring flowering has come and gone, but all the dogwoods in my childhood neighborhood were still in bloom.  I had fun one cloudy afternoon walking around in front of my mother's house taking these photographs.  (You can click on pictures to enlarge them.)

My childhood home in foreground



Blooming dogwood trees around Wassona Circle

 

The gully in the middle of my childhood neighborhood

 

Unknown (by me) yellow flowers in Mother's yard

I've also enjoyed being back in Louisiana--celebrating the Mudbug Season by making Southern Faire's delicious crawfish bisque one night.  Check out this recipe and other treats on this cooking (and Southern hospitality) blog.  Friday night my husband made his famous (among our friends) shrimp pesto pasta.  A friend brought the sangria and a fine time was had by all!

Sangria reminds me of the beach, and I've been doing some summer beach reading--by that, I mean I'm reading books with beach settings while I myself am not at the beach. In truth, I enjoy reading about the beach maybe more than being at the beach. I'm not a fan of swimming in the ocean or walking in the sand and, as you can tell, I'm a big fan of the color green in nature, interspersed with flowering plants. 

Obsidian/Penguin Group, 2013, 292 pages
 

However, I'm fascinated with Key West and I totally enjoy Lucy Burdette's series featuring Hayley Snow, food critic for Key Zest magazine!  They are fun, cozy mysteries that don't take themselves too seriously.  Hayley is serving as a judge for a cooking reality show, which will launch the career of one lucky Key West chef.   When one of the other judges is murdered, everyone involved in the show becomes either a suspect or potential victim.  No one, including Hayley, is safe until the murderer is exposed.

This mystery is all about the setting and features some quirky journalistic types, so don't expect a complicated plot.  Lucy Burdette is the pen name of clinical psychologist Roberta Isleib so it's fitting that her books make you feel good--like you've been on vacation yourself.  For vicarious fun in the sun, I recommend this new release.