Eugenia Price, Benne Wafers: Savannah!

It was after midnight, and as I wheeled the carry-on down the dock toward our houseboat it sounded different, heavier against the planks. Must have been the extra weight from friend, Savannahian and tour guide, Harriet’s www.savannahsites.com gift to me: a first edition of author Eugenia Price’s 755 page epic, Stranger in Savannah:

Why did Harriet give me a book by Eugenia Price? Over one of our many lunches I mentioned that a significant character in my manuscript, All Things Unusual, is named Eugenia. Harriet reacted to the name and asked why I’d chosen it. As far as I knew there was no rational reason. It came to me while I was writing. Coincidence? Perhaps, but given some of our conversations, I’m not sure we believe in coincidence.

Harriet also gave me a tin of Savannah Benne wafers, but they never made it to my cookie jar on the west coast. If you don’t know what Benne wafers are, they’re low country, crispy, sesame seed Southern cookies, and you have added one more reason to your list of why you must visit.

Here’s what the historic district looked like over Memorial Day weekend — it was gorgeous:

This shot was taken on Jones Street, where my Eugenia lives. 

Relaxing on a bench in Madison Square on Sunday morning I mentally corrected a tour guide who had just walked past giving inaccurate information to a couple trying to keep up with him. His voice confirmed he was from north of the Mason-Dixon line.

What can I say? My research has transformed me into the kind of woman you can only hope you don’t sit beside on a park bench on one of the Squares on a glorious, lazy day. You just might find yourself learning more than you ever wanted to know!