My favorite thing about writing is bringing people together. I love it when people read something and reach out to meet me. But I also love building communities of people who like to interact with each other. It’s work, and I don’t always feel like I do the best job these days, but I made up for it on Saturday night.
MTM and I threw a party for Kate Shrewsday and her family. It was an opportunity for Kate to meet some readers who found her writing through mine. She also got to meet other people with whom she’s interacted on my site.
Twenty people showed up at our place for frogmore stew, pinxtos, and drinks, and they mingled with Kate and her family for several hours. Given that I was playing hostess, I have no photos.
(Okay. Really. I was too busy stuffing my face with frogmore stew and the insane pimiento cheese Marshall Deutsch made.)
I love that reading can create bonds and unite people. Whenever I despair on this path I’ve taken, I try to remember how many friends I’ve made, how many other people have met because I decided to write or to read.
If you’ve never heard of Frogmore Stew, it’s an indigenous South Carolina dish. One pot. Dump on newspaper. Eat with fingers. Swipe everything into the trash at the end. The perfect main course for a party.
MTM made the recipe here: Beaufort Stew Recipe
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TODAY’S MERIWETHER LEWIS BIRTHDAY MONTH TRIVIA QUESTION:
SACAGAWEA HAD A BABY ON THE EXPEDITION. WHO ADOPTED HIM AND RAISED HIM AS THEIR OWN?
Yesterday’s Meriwether Lewis Birthday Month Trivia Question: WHO WAS THE OFFICIAL COMMANDER OF THE LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION?
ANSWER: Meriwether Lewis was. He insisted that William Clark be named co-captain, and he always treated Clark as an equal on the expedition. However, the US government never awarded Clark that title, and they paid him at a lesser rate than they paid Lewis.
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To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis is just $2.99 on Kindle during August in celebration of Meriwether Lewis’ Birthday Month.
Click here to read an excerpt.
Or click below to buy it.
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To check out the entire Meriwether Lewis Birthday Month Series, follow the links below:
Lewis and Clark: Screwing Their Way Across a Continent
Lewis and Clark and Sex Bombs
Who Was Meriwether Lewis Godfather?
If Meriwether Lewis Had Lived to be 80
Lewis and Clark and Old Blue Eyes
The Lion Will Lie Down With the Lamb
My Natchez Trace Walk Featured in We Proceeded On
Dead People Follow Me And They Talk To Me
Is Suicide the Final Arbiter of a Life. For Robin Williams. And Meriwether Lewis.
WordPress Is Killing Me
Fate’s Fickle Fingering
Happy Birthday Meriwether Lewis
I Just Can’t Come
Guardians of the Neighborhood
Did the Vikings Walk the Natchez Trace?
I’m an Idiot Who Doesn’t Do Details
Friendship Makes the World Go Around
30 Comments
The Frogmore stew was excellent – at least the sausages I was eating out of it were. And the pesto. And all the other food. And sorry for being “that person” who spilled wine on the floor. But it was white wine, and on tile, and I cleaned it up. 🙁
Every party needs “that person”. I was wondering if you were there. 🙂
You actually invited Carnell to your party, Andra? What is wrong with you? Now you know why none of the other guests had sausage and why your floor was sticky! Next time he will be spilling Red, and I know it’s the kind from one of those boxes, so it will be super sticky.
I knew MTM did the cooking as soon as I saw the photo. If I ever throw a party, I will fly him out here to cook.
Please send me some of that Pimento Cheese.
Oh, the party sounds as if it were an extreme amount of fun and it’s so cool that you’ve made friends through your writing and blogging – friends that you can hang out with on a Saturday evening. The food looks delicious too, although I would not throw that lovely stew onto a piece of our local “turn fingers black” newspaper. Ew.
it sounds like so much fun and no reason for photos, you had your hands in/on the stew, as it should be! it looks great. i also like to be the conduit for different people meeting, my friend told me he read something that classified people into different categories, he said that i am clearly ‘a connector’, and it sounds like you are too. )
Lovely Frogmore Stew. Perfectly done. That’s MTM at his culinary best. And superb company was the best thing…
What a lovely evening! The stew looks amazing.
That stew sounds wonderful. And how lovely that you celebrated your connections! I’m sure your guests had a great time.
What a fun time seeing everyone, the “Shrewsdays” are such wonderful folks.
Charbonneau, the randy trapper, who was part of the expedition. (Answer)
What fun, Andra; for you and I’m sure for the Shrewsdays and your guests. Felix and Maddie will certainly have some tales to tell when they get back home.
You are remarkable at bringing people together. I know it is a lot of work – and a lot of fun, too. Well done, and a stroke of genius with the Frogmore Stew. Read through the link and I am thinking how fun this would be here on the Cutoff in the summertime. We’ve participated in Door County Fish boils, which MTM surely knows about. It was a well attended autumn fundraiser for many years for Tom’s Rotary Club. Then, there was a shrimp boil in Houston; a rehearsal dinner at a private home. We ate on newspapers and it was delicious, though the hosts made no apologies for their disdain that we were Yanks. Ah, well . . . I may just try your Frogmore Stew with a tablescape of newsprint one of these days. Looks delish. 🙂
That stew was fabulous. I think the majority of the shrimps disappeared down Phil….and what a fabulous occasion: so many familiar faces we have never met before. Your hospitality has been incredible, and we can’t thank you both- and that great circle of Charleston friends- enough. From the Brits: thank you.
Ps: I have photos. The minute I get back I’ll trumpet them 🙂
Sounds (and looks) kinda like a good ol’ Louisiana shrimp boil, but maybe with more varied stuff. Looking at the photo, I can actually smell it and feel the warmth rising as I lean over it to scoop something into my cavernous maw.
Oh, this is delicious; the post, the party, the photo!! I’m so sorry I no longer live there. After 14 years in Charleston, I’ve still never eaten Frogmore Stew, in any variation — every event somehow seemed to revolve around the ubiquitous “Oyster Roast.” 🙁 [I like my oysters fried.]
It is delightful the twists and turns that life takes us. You could not possibly have known that embarking on a writing career would bring the additional dividend of worldwide friendships.
I’ll refrain from additional comment here, except to say “like minds” were at work yesterday.
** Trivia Answer: Capt. Clark adopted Sacagawea’s children (both Jean Baptiste and Lisette) following her death at age 25.
Oh yeah, forgot about Jean Baptiste Charbonneau…he stayed with Captain Clark, who put him through school in St. Louis. He lived a full life, was a trapper, interpreter, and adventurer.
One more thing…there’s a small community just south of where I’m sitting right now named Charbonneau, after Jean Baptiste. Lot’s of connections around here. There’s also a park named for him up in eastern Washington, near Pasco.
Ay, que delicioso! Looks amazing, Andra & MTM! What a wonderful thing to do as part of hosting your friends. They sure got the royal treatment between the walking tour and this gathering! 🙂
Oh, what a party! I’m glad the States are treating the Shrewsdays well!
I love the place I live, but if I didn’t…I’d be your neighbor. 😀 I’m one of the many that is absolutely thrilled that you write, and I’ll always be grateful to Kellie Raspberry for turning me on to you.
Bike trip is set! We’re going to do the full 84 miles. Put tubeless tires on my bike and getting it tuned up as we speak/write. I’m so excited to put on the shirt you and MTM got me. Hopefully the wildlife will stay far away as I’m speeding down the trail with my sis. You’re such an inspiration and I’m very thankful for you, your writing, and the never ending love you and MTM share – it gives me hope.
It was a bummer I couldn’t eat any of the delicious things you guys made and had but I still had a bunch of fun talking with everyone! Thanks for putting it together and inviting us!
I had Frogmore stew last week. We call it shrimp boil. Sounds like fun
I have never had Frogmore stew but it looks divine.!! I always learn something new here 🙂
Good friends, good time, gracious hosts, fab food. I’m trying to pretend I didn’t eat as much pimiento cheese as I did. Luckily, he only makes it every once in a while.
Thanks for inviting me. It was lovely to meet Kate and her family. The stew was delicious!
They call it that bc the leftovers make more for the frogs to eat? Or bc it is more than frogs? Sounds like it was a fun party!
Howq delightful. No, I’ve never actually heard of Frogmore Stew. I looked at the recipe that MTM used, and I’m very happy to see there aren’t any frogs–the ingredients do look yummy! I’m absolutely certain it was a fabulous evening!!
One other thought… how did such a refined British woman find The Frogmore Stew? Did you have to provide a fork?
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