The Reason we can Never Dance on Tables

On the shuttle between our hotel and the Nashville airport Saturday morning, a man on board commented on Hubby's bakery t-shirt, and we soon discovered he was the brother of Teen Angel's boss at the bakery. Within hours of landing in Destin and settling into our condo, we found out via Facebook that one of Teen Angel's classmates is staying in a condo just down the beach from us. We chatted with his parents while walking on the beach yesterday. AND tonight we were shoveling ice cream into our faces at a local shopping center when we bumped into our niece and her family.

Mama was right when she said it was a small world.

PS-It's official. When I retire we're moving to the beach so we can sun ourselves and people watch all stinkin' day.

Destin-Day 2

Our first full day in Destin. The weather was great with bright sunshine and wispy clouds. I can't believe how beautiful the water is here. The waves roll into the shore in a pale green that resembles jade and appear to originate in a deep green that's the shade of emeralds. It reminds me of Caribbean water, certainly not the typical water you see in the Gulf of Mexico. It's so clear, you can see the bottom, even when you're shoulder deep in the ocean. It truly is the Emerald Coast.

Our condo is nice. Our research paid off, and we are on the second floor of our building, right on the corner with an unobstructed view of the eastern sky. We are steps away from the beach, which is very handy. A quick flight of steps and a boardwalk is all that stands between us and the sand. I could get used to living this close to the beach, but I'd rather live in a cottage instead of a condo. A cottage tucked away in the trees, where Hubby and I could relax after a day of running his beach umbrella service and my art shop. A cottage where Teen Angel could bring our grandchildren for visits and swims in the ocean. It's good to have dreams, isn't it?

Today was a day spent lounging on the beach and in the water. A blissfully lazy day followed by a great dinner of half price prime rib and seafood and a little shopping that yielded me a clearance rack sunhat that Teen Angel thought was hideous, BFF thought was cool and Hubby thought was cute. For $3.84 I don't have to fix my hair the rest of the week. Priceless.

Other highlights today?

-Breakfast on the balcony with the warm sun on my face and a breeze in my hair.
-The constant stream of butterflies fluttering past our beach umbrella.
-The fifty to sixty jellyfish that floated in a clump near the edge of the water.
-A sleepy toddler cradled protectively in her grandpa's arms.
-The hilarious man on the beach pretending to read but secretly stealing peeks at the well endowed woman nearby while his wife and mother-in-law sat beside him.
-The smooth charming southern accent of the young man who rented us our umbrella and chairs.
-A vintage military plane that swooped close to the water, right in front us, practicing loops.
-A circle rainbow that lingered for a good fifteen minutes overhead.
-Quiet, peaceful time with Hubby that wasn't interrupted by someone needing a hearing aid battery changed, a drive to the doctor's office or a meal fixed.
-Listening to Teen Angel and BFF giggle uncontrollably in the nearby room as the day winds to a close but their energy doesn't wane.
-A glass of iced tea to toast a good day.

The Sounds of Serenity

As the flashlights of children hunting for crabs on the beach cut the darkness, I hear the crashing of the ocean's waves against the sand. Their rhythmic sounds lull me into peace, and I draw a deep breath that smells of salt. The ocean is my salve for the stress of recent months, and I bathe in its healing properties. It is here that I will spend the next few days, refueling my soul and resting my brain. I can't wait to sleep with the window open and to forget about anything but the sound of waves. Constant, soothing waves.

Leavin' on A Jet Plane

In about thirty hours. The Hula-gen's and Teen Angel's BFF are headed to Destin, Florida for a long awaited and well needed vacation. I plan to wade the emerald waters.

Squeeze the sand between my toes.

And generally spend the next eight days lounging in the sun.

I have four library books packed in my bag, just waiting for me to crack their covers, and aside from making sure that Teen Angel and BFF aren't getting into any mischief, I won't have to take care of anyone. Not one single person. Sigh. I can't wait. I'll post a little here and there, but mostly I just plan on being lazy and soaking up my last chance at summer weather for the next few months. Oh, and brace yourself. I'm sure I won't be able to control my picture taking impulses around all of those gorgeous sunsets.

I'm leavin' on a jet plane Saturday morning. Don't know when I'll be back again. Oh, I love the beach so........

You Know how I get on A roll and Can't Stop

I can't help myself.

Oh, I should probably warn you I've just found a really cool site where they have a weekly photography assignment. Let me apologize now for forcing you to live through my photography education.

Falling for Autumn

I’ve made it clear on these pages that I’m a summer baby who hates fall. Well, I don’t really hate fall, I just find it depressing. While the rest of the world is rejoicing over cooler temperatures and beautiful foliage, I’m mourning bare feet and sun kissed skin. This year, I’ve pledged to make a real effort at enjoying the beauty of autumn. I’m not making any promises, but I’m going to give it my best shot.

As my first step, I headed out to take some fall pictures for a photography assignment over at The Pioneer Woman. It involved bokeh, which basically is opening the aperature as wide as possible to create bubbles of fuzzy light behind your subject. I tromped out to the wildlife refuge near my house, figuring that was my best shot at fall colors. And an interesting thing happened. I learned that fall isn't so bad, especially on a beautiful October day with plenty of sunshine.

The lens of a camera forces you to focus on details, to hone in on the minute and appreciate intricacies you might not normally notice. The foliage in this part of the country hasn’t changed much yet, so we don’t have that knock your socks off color that New England does. Yet. But there is just enough color and subtle change to make things interesting. If you look. Really look. And I did. And I’ve decided that there can be beauty in death or at least the process of dying.

Word of The Day-Anxiety

Main Entry: anx·i·ety
Pronunciation: \aŋ-ˈzī-ə-tē\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural anx·i·eties
Etymology: Latin anxietas, from anxius
Date: circa 1525

1 a : painful or apprehensive uneasiness of mind usually over an impending or anticipated ill b : fearful concern or interest c : a cause of anxiety2 : an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (as sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it

Example: Deciding to paint the front door and shutters of your house a deep, dark red, then having to wait all day at work while it's being painted before you can see if it looks snappy and modern or horribly wrong like the neighbor's front door.