The Pink House

In the evenings before going to bed, we have a time for reading stories. Ayden loves stories and since we have been reading books since he was a small, he can recite most of the tons of books in his room. A few years ago on a trip to Edisto beach, we walked into a book store while waiting to eat breakfast at the Sea Cow. On the shelf was a book called the Pink House. I recognized the pink house on the cover right away because it was the family beach house of one of Andy and I's friends. We had been to that house several times and it had recently been renovated. The book was a children's story about a family that spent their summers at the Pink House on Edisto Island and was written by Kate Salley Palmer, one of the members of that family. It turns out that she is kin to Andy and I's friend Hinchy. We purchased the book and have taken it back with us to Edisto Beach several times in the past few years to share with our friends and family. It is one of Ayden's favorite stories. Last Christmas, Nana gave Ayden another book by Kate Salley Palmer. This is a story about general Francis Marion (the Swamp Fox) that fought British troops on South Carolina soil during the Revolutionary war. On Friday, Nana called us to let us know that Kate Salley Palmer was here in our town signing books. I decided to surprise Ayden after school and take him by to get his book signed and have his picture made with Mrs. Palmer. He was so excited. When we went in, there was a gentleman there with her. Ayden told her how much he loved her story and the gentleman asked Ayden if he remembered Uncle Jim from the book. Uncle Jim loves to fish off the beach at Edisto...of course Ayden remembered. The gentleman told Ayden that he was uncle Jim. On the way out, Ayden asked me...."Was that the REAL Uncle Jim?" Here is a picture of me and the kids with Mrs. Kate Salley Palmer taken by UNCLE JIM and a picture of the Pink House book.