Sunday was a beautiful day for playing admiral to the 2011 Historic Bluffton Arts and Seafood Festival. Congratulations to sister and brother honorees Nancy and Bill Schilling. Both of these water-loving siblings deserved to reign over this fun day in their watery kingdom. I wish them many more happy years of ruling their "subjects" in the waters around us.

This week will be filled with merriment in our little town. The seven-day festival runs through Sunday and is packed with events to please young and old. The artwork on display this weekend promises to be top notch. There will be all kinds of water and sea creature art for sale -- come early for the best choices. There will also be a fabulous food court featuring 24 restaurants and vendors. Don't forget: This festival is all about making everyone aware of our surrounding rivers and marshes, so don't miss any displays of the organizations that promote and protect our waterways. The most important thing, though, is to have fun and enjoy the events created just for you.

I just wanted to add a little postscript about my entry in the cake contest at the South Carolina State Fair. I made a Martha Washington Cake, which is a sort of fruit concoction, but not so cloying. This cake called for candied fruits, which I could not find anywhere so I made my own out of oranges, lemons and a tangerine. The only thing I left out of the recipe was soaking the cake in a cup of "real" French brandy, called for by Miss Martha in her original directions. I omitted this because I added a cup of Madeira wine and half a cup of whiskey to the batter. I didn't want to go hog wild.

My sister Catherine, my daughter Tat and I motored up to Columbia last Monday. The weather was awful, but we were determined to get there. There was a long line at the Moore Building where we were to take the cakes but, like little mice, we stood in line with our "children" to turn them in for the judging.

The contest is open to everyone and includes all kinds of cakes, cookies and breads. A vast array of beautiful creations and hopeful faces always greet us. Everyone kept remarking about how wonderful my cake smelled, but I just said thank you and nothing more. We spent several hours having lunch and sightseeing, then we were off on our journey home.

Two years ago, we won second place at the fair for our coconut cake. Last year, we didn't get any prize ribbon for the pound cake so of course I wanted a big blue ribbon to add to my collection. Well, I won second place for Miss Martha, and I'm thrilled. Now I have two red ribbons. Next year I must prove I really have what it takes to bring home the blue.

I am already sifting through my recipes. What shall I choose?

From 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 10, join us for the Bluffton Boiled Peanut Tasteoff on Calhoun Street. Peanuts will be judged on appearance as well as taste. There will be no cooking on site, so peanuts must be ready to taste. Entry fee is $25. Proceeds will benefit Calhoun Street Beautification.