Thursday, April 29, 2010

Chasing my Dust Dragons


Posts have been few and far between lately due to a sudden disgust of dust and stuff. Here are the laundry room before and after pics. I'm now going to go finish my bedroom which I started yesterday morning. Laurel tells me that ten minutes of hard housework is worth one exercise point in Weight Watchers. I earned quite a few of those yesterday. I was flipping the mattress, shaking rugs over the balcony, and dusting down the walls.

I love working hard. Sleep is sweeter at night.

Monday, April 19, 2010

A Caped Crusader


Here's a little known fact: When Superman was a toddler, he wore a red cape AND had a pacifier. Here are the pictures to prove it.

Actually, this is my third grandson we affectionately call Thing 3. He decided to be a caped crusader at our church picnic on Saturday. I couldn't resist snapping a few shots of his incongruous apparel. I love this kid!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Embracing the NOW

"Most of us spend so much time thinking about where we have been or where we are supposed to be going that we have a hard time recognizing where we actually are. When someone asks us where we want to be in our lives, the last thing that occurs to us is to look down at our feet and say, "Here, I guess, since this is where I am." Taken from An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

More Images from the Balcony

The cherry tree is in full leaf now; blossoms are gone. The Mermaid rose on the arbor is beginning to put on its thousands of yellow blooms. It's so heavy that the arbor is about four inches off the ground in the front. We tried straightening it up, but it was useless. I guess when the whole thing comes crashing to the ground, we'll pick up the pieces, cut the rose bush to the ground, and start over. I had no idea that it would get so big. It's even trailing into the cherry tree.
The little table was once painted all white, but rust and birds have done their work. Yes, birds. I kept hearing a strange pecking sound on the balcony. When I looked out, I saw a bluejay peeling off sections of paint! I don't know if he ate them or made his nest waterproof, but he took off almost the whole top. Craziness!

We've got the sweetest little bluebird couple nesting on the front porch, but I'll save that for another day.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Being Creative


"Unless we are creators, we are not fully alive." Madeleine L'Engle from Walking on Water

She continues, "What do I mean by creators? Not only artists, whose acts of creation are the obvious ones of working with paint or clay or words. Creativity is a way of living life, no matter what our vocation or how we earn our living. Our freedom to be creators is far less limited than some people would think."

Do something creative today, then come back here and tell me what you did. I'm going to create a birthday memory for my oldest daughter who turns 29 today.

Monday, April 12, 2010

The Shrimp Shack



This tiny restaurant is highly recommended by Pat Conroy in his cookbook. He says their shrimp burgers are so good that he used to dream about them while living in Rome, Italy.
He and his daughter stop and get one as soon as they come back to Fripp. Side note: We didn't see him last week while on Fripp, and it wasn't for lack of looking. Boo Hoo.

So after buying groceries on Tuesday, we stopped to see if we agreed with Pat and his assessment of the famous Shrimp Burger. It was good but nothing to rave about. We were both a little disappointed.

Laurel had a conversation by the pool with a native islander, and he said that sometimes they're a little slimy. That was our conclusion. We must have hit a slimy Shrimp Burger day. My faith in Pat was restored. It was the cook's fault. I'll try one again next visit.

P.S. Mr. Conroy said in his cookbook that he has tried and tried to get the recipe for the Shrimp Burger, but the owner won't give it to him. I bet she'd the one in the above photo glaring at me!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Family Ties

Here's "Aunt Darcie" and her four nephews on Easter Sunday. There were some unhappy faces, because I made them pose BEFORE Sunday dinner. They wanted to eat first and take pictures later. But I know those clothes wouldn't look the same AFTER.

When Laurel and I are together with these five young ones, most people think they all belong to her; even though she doesn't look old enough to have one or two much less five! Of course I look like the grandmother of them all. I wonder if anyone ever thinks that they're all mine? Nah!

For those of you who don't know us, Darcie is my youngest and Laurel is my oldest with three boys sandwiched in the middle. I had four little ones, all two years apart, who are now ages 29, 27, 25, and 22. Eleven years later I had Darcie. Surprise!

It sure has been a lot of fun; first with having four teenagers and a toddler and now having four adult children, an eleven year old, and four grandchildren. I feel very blessed.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

A New Day Begins


Conversation heard at 6:14 this morning at the beach house.

Darcie: "Shut UP bird!"
Debbie: "It's a Whip-o-Will." Meaning, isn't is beautiful?
Darcie: "Sounds like a car alarm." Meaning, shut up bird.

Different perspectives, I guess.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Springtime in Georgia

This is what I see when I look over the balcony off of our bedroom. This is the most glorious tree in all the world. It's a Japanese Ornamental Cherry. I don't remember its exact name. It's name should be The Most Fabulous Cherry Tree in All the World.

If there's a prettier place in the springtime than Georgia, I haven't seen it. I remember driving through the state in 1977 with my new husband as he worked here temporarily. There were baby goats playing together in the fields. And the wisteria! I had never seen it before. Lilac clusters hanging like grapes all the way to the tops of trees. And they smelled like grape Nehi. Do ya'll have Nehi up in Yankeeland; those of you that live north of the Mason-Dixon line?

This week I'm writing from my beloved Fripp Island, SC. I came over late yesterday evening after everyone had gone home. We hosted all our kids except Garrett =-(, their families and in-laws, and our adopted college student.
I spent last night, today, and tonight alone. Sheer bliss. Laurel, her kids, and Darcie will be joining me early tomorrow morning. I'm meeting them at Publix in Beaufort around 10:00 to stock up on groceries. We're having another friend and her children join us mid-week and our husbands will join us for the weekend.

So I'll hopefully be posting every day while I'm here. I spent a lot of time today just cleaning up my computer. More on that later.