Author Anna--The Adventurer

American History and Coffee at Lake Keowee

Anna--The Adventurer Leave a comment

A little adventure date with yourself…..a perfect way to spend an afternoon, even when it’s windy!

Choosing a place wasn’t on the agenda, simply driving until a potty break was needed. Asking the local gas station attendant, I inquired about local points of interest and the young man (not to come across as a senior lady but he was truly very young!) and he directed me to Mile Park at Lake Keowee.

While it is a residential lake (meaning that I could see homes scattered around some of the perimeter of the lake) it’s stunning! The wind made the docks click and bag, the whistles going under the planks and zip through the leafless tree branches.

A leisurely walk around the edge of the lake, I chose a picnic table with a great view to enjoy my coffee (gleaned and purchased at the gas station), I read and replied to a letter sent from my brother in Colorado, soaking in the sunshine.

The bit of history, as seen in the photos, was a pleasant perk to the day as well.

Happy Adventures!

https://youtube.com/shorts/q9Ph7pwaRlE?feature=share A short little video of Lake Keowee

A spicy twist!

Anna--The Adventurer Leave a comment

Homemade salsa, a wonderful way to get more flavor in your food with minimal effort! This recipe is a medium level on the spice scale but super easy to make!

Ingredients:

2 medium tomatoes

3 medium raw jalapeños

1 tsp minced garlic,

Sea Salt and pepper

1 medium onion

3 medium poblanos

Put all the raw ingredients in a medium pot on low heat with 2-3 cups of water. Simmer for about a hour until all the ingredients are tender. Turn off the heat and let cool for a bit, doesn’t need to be ice cold, just not boiling hot any longer.

Put contents of the pot in a blender, puree until it’s the consistency of your choice. I put the salsa into upcycled food jars (jars that previously held other things, like marinara sauce or olives, jar and lid thoroughly washed and dried before re-use).

Serve with chips, top on roast beef as a “marinade” or in any way you prefer. Great with a variety of dishes and sides.

Chilly Day Chili, simple and delicous

Anna--The Adventurer Leave a comment

It’s January in the northern hemisphere and baby, it’s cold outside! While I do live in South Carolina, the chill is even here, having snowed last week, the snow is melted but the cold remains. With the holidays now over and most of us wanting to cut back on expenses or curb spending, a homemade meal is an easy way to accomplish both, why not make something easy that also brings a bit of warmth to the body as well?

Ingredients and Instrutions:

1 pound of ground turkey or ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped up

Salt, Pepper, Chili powder, italian season blend

Cans of assorted beans

2 cans of diced or crushed tomatoes

Brown the ground meat, dump in the cans of everything, add spices to your strength preference. simmer for 45 minutes. Enjoy! Adding a dollop of sour cream on top or shredded cheese is also delicious.

Multi-Generation Family Adventure–Beaufort, Lady’s Island & Hunting’s Beach, S.C.

Anna--The Adventurer 2 Comments

Who knew that going to the beach in January could be so much fun!

As per their annual tradition, my parents made their winter road-trip across the country, stopping in South Carolina after the New Year to visit their daughters (my sister and I live relatively close together, within an easy commute of each other), Papa (my mother’s father) and of course, my brother-in-law and to meet my Sweetness (he lives close, too!)

So what do we do? We spontaneously decide to hit the coast while playing games over a family dinner Thursday night and we left promptly Saturday Morning!

Along the drive to Beaufort, the place we decided to stay for the night, the Spanish Moss indicated how close we were approaching the ocean, with every mile, it became thicker, creating a mystical “fog”, draping from the trees, power lines, and every place it could position itself, with all of its silver-miller and mossy green and grey hues.

We easily checked into our hotel and enjoyed the recommendation of the hotel concierge by dining at a local restaurant called “Dockside”–and it was lovely atmosphere and good food, especially the raw oysters! Nothing like a good local meal to finish off the drive there.

Sunday Morning, after we had breakfast at the hotel and checked out, we drove over the bridges, across Lady’s Island, through Port Royal and headed to Hunting Beach, on the Atlantic Coast, and enjoyed a heavy day of finding seashells and enjoying the surf and feeding the birds, generally enjoying each other’s company, with laughter as I donned my swimming suit and my mother wrapped up as she felt chilled…but all laughter and fun as we fed the birds and just enjoyed the day.

A late lunch at Port Royal, much later in the day, at the Fish Camp was a great way to wrap things up. While waiting outside for a brief moment, enjoying looking at the ships with all their riggings, I spotted a dolphin breach and play in the firth. What a lucky and fortunate spotting!!! Alas, I wasn’t fast enough with my camera to capture the beautiful dolphin, but it did smile at me when it came up!

My parents, Papa, and Sweetness enjoying the sand and surf

Hunting Beach Seagulls Video

A Southern Winter Wonderland, Snow Days

Anna--The Adventurer Leave a comment

While the holiday may be over, a winter wonderland is still something beautiful to behold. While living here in the lovely state of South Carolina, snow, true snow (not a powdered sugar dusting) is a rare event…and something to be cherished for sure.

While it’s true that I grew up in Colorado, living there sporadically through my adult life, I greatly missed experiencing true snow days (which I greatly underappreciated when I was in my teens, taking the break for granted.)

Technology and forecasting predicted the snow, which is a new-age perk, allowing those in the affected area to be able to prepare for inclement weather, which is a blessing on many fronts (pun intended). Forecasted fun and adventures, though, when there is a white out? Naturally!

Adventures at home are a true joy–a stay-vacation! While there is always a list of things to be done, a snow balling accumulation of chores to be done, projects to be finished (or begun), sidewalks to be scooped, animals to feed, etc.

The forecast allowed my Sweetheart and I to clean out and re-line his chicken coop with fresh straw before the storm hit, preventing chaos and worry about the health and well-being of his flock, avoiding the need to go out in the snow and icy roads to retrieve much needed items for the animals and house (and finding a place that is open)–like with any good adventure, a bit of pre-prep work is essential, allowing a much more enjoyable.

Speaking of a bit of prep work, while out and about, purchasing feed and straw for the flock, I did remember to pick up extra wicks for my oil lantern, just in case the electricity went out (which does tend to happen from time to time with bad weather.) My sister, on the other hand, already had the foresight to retrofit her house, when she purchased it, making the fireplaces and her stove natural gas (which is awesome, even without power, the stove and fireplaces still work!) But why prep in advance, one could possibly have everything at one’s hand or delivered while on an adventure? Well….things can get icy without a bit of forethought (okay, cheesy puns aside, nasty weather does make things a bit more challenging!)

And the adventure part? The flurry of choice is an endless blizzard. For me, the adventure is being able to get to read a book, unhindered, delving into the pages, skating through the characters’ lives, snow shoeing through the plot, enjoying the snow day, exploiting the comforts of my love seat as the gusts of a zephyr wind howl outside.

Pottery Pendant Necklaces…a pretty accessory

Anna--The Adventurer Leave a comment

There are several fashionable scarves and pretty pendant necklaces available on my eBay, all handcrafted and locally made here in South Carolina, perfect for the last-minute stocking stuffers and prices that will make Santa go HoHoho.

The items on my ebay are not only handmade and locally crafted (AKA made in America) but the sales also help support me and my travels. Thank you for shopping my eBay

Mystical Unicorn…a fantastical piece

Anna--The Adventurer Leave a comment

Unicorns may be a creature of myth and fantasy…while you might not be able to tame or ride one, you can now have “proof” that they exist!! A jewel and gem hued painting is available, by American Artist Anna Potthoff, and your purchase supports the artist and their endeavors and adventures.

Click here to purchase/make an offer, free shipping within the USA, international shipping is also available!! Easy shopping and guaranteed safe transactions on eBay

22.x28 Framed Unicorn Painting
Blonde mane on Unicorn
Signed by Artist Anna Potthoff
Rhttps://www.ebay.com/itm
224739162144
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224739162144

Handmade, Hand-painted, Hand Crafted…

Anna--The Adventurer Leave a comment

‘Tis the season to be merry and bright…and perhaps a bit chilly! There are gifts to help cut the chill and still won’t rock all the jingle off of your tree. Handmade-knitted scarves are still available, as are necklaces and more on this artist’s eBay! Order soon and the items will arrive in time (sent to USA addresses) in time for Christmas! International shipping is available as well!!!

Yes, I made every item listed on my eBay and a percentage of all items sold will benefit the Wildlife Sanctuary in Keensburg, Colorado. Everyone wins this way!! Click here to shop and there is the “Make an Offer” button on each item, don’t be shy, make me an offer! (P.S. Not only does every sale help the Wildlife Sanctuary, but it also helps me to adventure!)

Season’s Greetings…a family tradition.

Anna--The Adventurer Leave a comment

Season’s Greetings, a “newer” way to greet the universal crowd to wish them a happy holiday season when one doesn’t feel a “Merry Christmas” is warranted in the situation. In our home growing up, though, the expression of “Season’s Greetings” meant and means something entirely different….in a magical kind of way.

There are 4 children in my family, grown up now, living lives of our own but we continue to celebrate our Season’s Greetings. Each of us have something “unique” about our birthdays, a conjoined “event” that was highlight, the 4th of July, Bastille Day, Santa’s Birthday, and yet, the youngest of us, my brother, when small, asked what was special about his birthday and inquired what Season’s Greetings was (he was learning how to read at the time.)

Being creative, as most mothers are, our mother explained that Season’s Greetings was his birthday “buddy” holiday, a special day when the North Pole aligned with the North Star, allowing all the elves to roam amongst us, being Santa’s helpers to look for all the good little boys and girls, and it officially started December 1st. The elves would watch for goodness and other such loveliness amongst us, leaving elf treats as a reward, inspiration and more….and thus began the tradition of Elf Treats and Season’s greetings.

As we grew older, the elf treats customization, of course, grew with us and now, as adults, elf treats are delivered by the help of the mail system instead in lieu of the winds of the Northern Zepher and help of a volunteer flying reindeer for giving….adding a flare of fun and spice amongst us.

Elf treats now are often fun but sometimes, they are also little gifts of help or need as well and aren’t limited to giving to each other-paying for the coffee for the person behind you in line, donating of time to a neighbor or babysitting for a family, sending kibble to an animal shelter in need, sharing a bubble bath basket for a stressed out relative, the possibilities of sharing an elf treat are endless, and the size is often on the smaller side but sprinkled with the magic of the season.

My sister and I live relatively close to each other, in terms of physical distance, now and since. Season’s greetings parties have been made, inviting the neighborhood, making new friends, and even the pets get involved, because whom doesn’t need a good jingle jangle from time to time? And with that, I wish you a very Merry Season’s Greetings and may you be the best of yourself and a good Elf this year and always.

Here are some elf ideas, in case you want to share! (And I have tried to be a very good girl this year!)

The Christmas Booth is open!

Anna--The Adventurer Leave a comment

Christmas and holiday gifts available until December 10th at the Belton Art Center, Belton, SC

While the market went live on November 16th, the shopping is still great for the pickings through December 10th at the Belton Art Center, Belton, South Carolina. Yes, my booth is the one featured in this article but there are others to shop from as well!

Hand knitted scarves, oil paintings themed from Christmas trees to the mystical unicorns and more, Chinese Flying dragon trees that bear bitter citrus fruits, and more are available at my particular booth. All items are affordably priced, making a perfect assortment to choose from for Christmas and holiday gifts or simply to get an exquisite treat for yourself!

The Belton Art Center is located at 306 City Center Square, Belton, S.C, 29627, Business hours are Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m EST. Phone: (864) 338-8556.