Missing Summer?

How can you miss summer when it isn't over yet? 

With the cooler days and nights, I have visions of cloudier days and staying inside more than out.  Yes, the flowers are in full bloom inspite of the drought we had here in Indiana, and the days are warm and beautiful--oh, I yearn for this all year.  I understand more than ever why people move to warmer climates.  I'm just one of those people who like the warm nights that require just tank tops on that evening boat ride and warm days that make you relish the slower pace with ice in your glass instead of outside on your car or on the road. 

The mornings start later, and the nights are earlier now.  I am already missing the longer days.

Appreciate what remains every day.

Soooo Glad

Time and Place of Departure: a Mickey D's in Indianapolis on Friday, July 13, 2012, 9:30 a.m.

Destination:  St. Augustine, La Florida--a 3 bedroom ranch with pool; 10 minutes from the Atlantic Ocean; over 1800 miles round trip

Who:  6 adults with 2 vans; 4 children, ages 3-7; and 2 adult labs

What:  A first time Family Vacation

Why:  To bond?  To get away?  To challenge?  To face the Unknown?  To talk about something this winter?  To just see if we could do it?!  To dream?

Reflections on our first family trip 

It took communication to get this trip together--a good exercise for any family.  Minds and ideas changed back and forth.  Would someone drop out?  Would the dogs go or not?  Could we really make it all work for the good? 

When we met at Mickey D's in Indy, we knew we were on our way one way or another.  We finally arrived when we faced the house we rented.  What lies behind that front door with a palm tree?  We were all smiles as we entered with relief--the house was fabulous as we walked into the kitchen!   We were flooded with relief and feelings of "Let this family vacation begin!"

 

First on my list of reflections was the Best Food Eaten.  It may surprise you that the best food for me was not in La Florida but in Atlanta, GA on the way down at Mason's Bar & Grille--chicken quesidilla with mushrooms and 3 sauces and then Tennessee on the way back at a Waffle House in Chattanooga with a terrific vegetable egg omelet and grits--wonderful grits!!!  The best drink though was in St. Augustine--a mojito at the Santa Maria Restaurant on the wharf after our pirate ship adventure--cold with limey mint.  The shrimp wasn't bad either.  The White Lion Restaurant near the Bridge of Lions was very good in Old Towne in St. Augustine, too.  Maybe we needed to talk more with the natives to find the finest seafood. 

Best Activities was my next thought.  Of course, nothing could top the Atlantic Ocean's sound, sight, smell, feel, and taste.  I could sit on the sand for hours with an umbrella, chair, and cold beverage to experience this natural wonder along with my family and others dancing with the waves and sand.  Not enough time to slow it all down, linger, and absorb this new landscape.  I am not a water lover, but I was mesmerized by the monstrosity of it all.  We also saw real parrots and lizards just hanging around the house we rented.  I learned about coquina which is a shell laden composite to build forts and homes.

 

You can't beat the St. Augustine Red Train Tours--sights at your fingertips and feet.  Jump on and off at any of the 8 miles and 21 stops to enjoy attractions, shopping, recreation, and dining.  Sure beats walking or driving.  The best attractions were the Pirate and Treasure Museum and the Pirate Ship Black Raven.  Sailing on the Black Raven, the grandkids heard pirate stories and songs, dueled a pirate with soft swords, overtook Captain Hook's and Blackbeard's ship, and ended up with treasure boxes filled with jewels and doubloons.  Aarghhhhh!  It was a mighty good time for all! We had to sign a paper saying we didn't mind being videoed for a video ad on Facebook.  We'll have to check:  www.FaceBook.com/BlackRavenPirates

If you love forts, St. Augustine has them.  We went to Fort Matanzas and the Castillo de San Marcos.  Both are engulfed in history of St. Augustine, our nation's first city.   Some of our group went on a Kayak Tour, others to the Wax Museum, and some just wandering around trying to find Crucial's Coffee Cafe. 

If you've ever wanted to see all the alligators you wanted to see, then The Alligator Farm was for you!  They had 23 species of crocodilians with rare and exotic birds, mammals, and reptiles.  Talk about heat and humidity. 

My son, Eric, was the only one to make sunrise on the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, July 19 with Sienna and Shadow, the greatest lab travelers of all Indiana.  They knew they had gone where no Indiana labs had gone before.  They were the best dogs ever!!  Kudos to labs everywhere!  Sunsets had to be found--maybe another few days, and we would have figured that out!!!







Eric and Steve were signed up for a biplane flight over St. Augustine, but the flight was canceled twice due to weather, and then the plane wouldn't start.  Sounded like a voice from above to me.
Some of us took individual trips to be with our own families.  It might be a trip to the ocean, a walk, or visit to an attraction or shopping.  We also celebrated Amanda's birthday with cupcakes at The Conch Restaurant.

Lucas, Lilly, Noah, and James got to play not only every day at the ocean but in a pool together, too.  Lilly liked the pool best, and the boys were mesmerized by the pirates and forts.  A pillow fight now and then didn't hurt either.  How much and what will they remember?











We all shared in the responsibilities of our new home in St. Augustine.  From the start, each family signed up to make a meal, and that made 4 dinners for the 7 days we were there.  Breakfast and lunch were up to each family.  Some shared their breakfasts and lunches. Amanda's Ginger Chicken/ Broccoli and Pasta with brownies led the feasts on Sunday night.  Monday was Eric's Jambalaya with Rice and chocolate chip cookies for dessert on Monday.  Then there was Tam's Taco Tuesday with ice cream.  Thursday was Tim's Grill Night--from chicken, brats, hamburgers to grilled veggies.  Steve and Ben helped with breakfasts.  The pool was always waiting for us when we needed that extra cool down, and wee all tidied up and did laundry throughout the week.  We got our complete deposit back in the end!!  Was it our cleaning or the leftover sausage, hot dogs, water, and beer that did it????

We were sooooo glad we attempted this family vacation and successfully did it.  What were we waiting for?  Eric had the best thoughts:  Take that vacation, and don't sweat the small stuff.  Relax and be with the people you care most about.  I can see why families try to vacation together every year.  

La Familia in La Florida.  Bueno!!

Lessons and memories to last a life time

Nature At Its Best--Again and Again

Anyone a bird watcher? 

I never intended to be,

but I think it comes with retirement. 

One has the time in the morning and throughout the day

sometimes to actually watch and listen to what is going on in the backyard--

always a place of wonder.

Our latest find is this Pileated Woodpecker.  We have various sizes/kinds of woodpeckers all the time throughout the winter, but this is the first time we have had one this size.  It's the size of a crow and can weigh up to 12 oz.  They peck their way into dead tree bark to create nests for their eggs. 

We usually don't feed the woodpeckers after the days warm up because the suet melts all over the ground and deck, but I think we will continue feeding farther into the warmer days just to continue to enjoy this proud fellow with the bright red mohawk and an equally red streak across his cheek!! 

Any Seed

Something, oh, so small
No one shape or shade
Every way unique

Plant and nurture in time
Fresh and new to all
Origin of the whole

Growing plants or thoughts
A brand new spirit
Bloomed for all to see

Any seed will grow
Given the chance at last
To come to be.

31 Slices, 2012

Thinking over the SOLS Challenge of 2012, I feel stronger and more confident about my writing than I did a year ago when I created my blog and wrote every day during the 2011 Challenge.  At that time, I spent a lot of time revising and revising until I was frazzled at times.  This year, I seemed to just write what was on my mind.  It worked!

I worried at first about coming up with ideas, but Ruth started us off with her 31 Slicing Ideas.  I pasted that into my writers notebook and added ideas to the page. 

Before I knew it, I wasn't even looking at that page of ideas but was enveloped in other bloggers' posts and gained inspiration from them and tried new forms of writing.   This year I almost felt like we were writing letters to each other when we commented, creating that community of writers again. 

I still have some ideas that I didn't use for the Challenge, so I'm poised to continue on SOLS Tuesdays.  Hope to see many of you there. 

Grateful

Things I am grateful for just today.
 

I'm grateful for:

feeling part of a group.
working at our library's spring book fair.
being with people who love books.
finding 16 excellent childrens books for $8.00.
seeing the little girl hugging a book and saying, "I just love these books."
meeting a neighbor of mine I never knew before.
talking to friends I haven't seen for awhile.
listening to good music all day.
eating a homemade granola bar.
finding and reading a good book.
leaving with a sense of accomplishment and appreciation.

"Where I'm From"

Inspired by Margaret at Reflections on the Teche and George Ella Lyon

I'm from the Steel Mills of Gary, Indiana where black soot
covered my bare feet in the hot summer months
when I could see the chimneys of fire from the steel ovens.

I'm from a three room apartment on 6th Avenue
where I lived with Momma, Daddy, and my brother
in the same building as my aunt and cousin, uncle, and Baba.

My memories recall Miller Beach and sand,
thunderstorms with lightning, and wading in the waters
that streamed down our alley, sailing our homemade boats.

I'm from a school that went from Kindergarten to 12th
that held the teachers that saved me
with their lessons that taught me to love words.

College lead to teaching and finding true love
and miraculously giving birth to three sons
that lead to four grandchildren and two granddogs.

I'm from a lifetime of jobs--cake decorator, bottle washer,
Bargain Box Assistant Manager, secretary, trainer, substitute teacher,
22 years of teaching 7th graders,
and 2 years of retirement that have lead me
to still love words.