Salt In My Hair Love In The Air

Where to begin? How about at the beginning? I mostly record these sorts of trip memories for my own benefit, and fully admit they feel a little bit like inviting someone in to watch my vacation slides. 

I mean honestly I would totally come view your vacation slides if invited so...come on in...

Hubs and I were invited to a wedding on July 4th. In Florida. Yes it was hot. It was also hot in South Carolina, but there we'd have been in our swim suits, not wedding clothes. 

We have a hard and fast rule that we are not away from the lake on the 4th of July, but we made an exception this year. The bride's parents are some of our oldest and dearest friends and we've known the bride since the day she was born. She and my daughter2 are the same age and spent their earliest years together in NJ, and then in a fun twist of geography, ended up graduating from high school together in the UK. 

Daughter2 wasn't able to attend the wedding, but we talked about her-ha! Hi Daughter2! 

Since we were trekking to Florida in July we decided to tack a couple of days on to the trip and have a little bit of beach time. The wedding was in Tampa, which is not the beach, so we opted to stay in St. Petersburg about a half hour away. 

We stayed in the Don Cesar Beach House Suites which are pink like the Don Cesar, but more apartment-like. We had a sitting room, kitchenette, bedroom and two bathrooms, plus a balcony overlooking the pool and out to the beach. 

You have all the benefits of the Don in terms of dining, the spa, the pools, etc. and are just a short walk down the beach to the main hotel. 

If you're not familiar with the Don she's a beauty. The Don Cesar is known as the pink hotel and is castle like in appearance. It was built in 1928 and has hosted many a celebrity, politician, and famous sort of guest for decades. 

It's beautiful inside and out and is a landmark in St. Pete. 

Our location had a great pool and fabulous beach so while we did have a couple of lunches at the main hotel, and I had my hair done there on wedding day, and we did do a lot  some shopping in their very lovely shops, we mostly just hung out at our location.  

There was a cabana boy who set up chairs and umbrellas every day, and the private beach wasn't crowded. The cabana boy actually worked at a club on our lake very recently which was a fun discovery, so we talked all things lake and Clemson sports with him. 

The trip began with the long drive down to Florida on Wednesday. We like a car trip and didn't want to be dealing with the airport nonsense on a holiday weekend. We started listening to our 40-hour book The Last Lion (Volume 1) and there's a prologue and an introduction and three hours in we finally got to chapter one. Whew! This is the life and times of Winston Churchill and really really good, but there are three volumes in the series, all equally as long, so it will be quite a while before I do an actual review. 

We stopped for breakfast/lunch in the little town of Bowman Georgia at a place called Bowman House which featured southern cooking. It was full of locals which we always take as a good sign. 

The drive took about nine hours with stops, but we had no hiccups which was nice. We'd dropped the dog off at the kennel that morning and put Waze on, which had us avoiding the interstate we'd normally jump on very close to the kennel. Thankfully we listened to Waze because we learned later the interstate was completely shut down both directions all day and overnight too due to a spill. 

See, this is why my recaps are so long. I feel the need to explain why we took route B instead of route A. Likewise I think this post will be a part B and part A. 

We got checked in to the hotel then walked out on the beach to see what we could see. Standing in front of the ocean never gets old. 

We went down to Passe Grille for dinner at a place called The Hurricane. Our plan was to eat fresh Grouper every single day and I think we almost managed that. Passe Grille is a little beach town at the southern end of St. Petersburg, and our hotel was less than five miles away. We shared some peel and eat shrimp too which is another favorite of mine. 

After dinner we watched the sun set. 

It's a whole thing on the Gulf y'all and it is not to be missed. When our girls were young we vacationed on the Gulf and we used to tell them the sun was going to bed and they thought we worked some kind of magic to make it drop into the sea just as we said good night. 

Thursday the plan was the beach. 

That's it. The whole plan. 

We spent most of the day on the beach, then moved up to the pool which was beside the beach and also very lovely. 

We did walk a few steps down the beach for lunch at the Don Cesar beside their pool which was also nice. I had the most delicious blackened mahi wrap with a pineapple salsa and hubs had the Grouper sandwich as predicted. 

This coco solstice was refreshing too-coconut rum, lime juice, coconut water and club soda. 

We relaxed by our pool and even played some ping pong before changing for dinner. We tried to go to this particular spot (The Wharf) the night before but there was zero parking so on Thursday we decided to try again and took an Uber. Ironically the Uber driver's wife went to my high school in NJ and we are here for all the small world connections. 

We had a seat on their dock and I had fried shrimp while hubs had...the Grouper. Afterwards we went back to the hotel and got in our car for a short drive to  Treasure Island. Hubs vacationed there as a boy and wanted to see if the pirate still stands. 

He does. Once that was confirmed it was back to the beach for yet another glorious sunset. 

Friday morning we decided to have a nice breakfast out and walked to a place called Azura Coastal Kitchen. 

It's located in the Hotel Zamora which has a very mediterranean feel and I loved the vibe. 

Our table overlooked the Intracoastal and we had a mimosa followed by a delicious meal. Avocado toast for me and lemon blueberry pancakes for the hubs. 

We walked back to our hotel and spent some time on the beach before changing for the drive in to Tampa. We had plans to meet up with friends before the welcome party hosted by the bride and groom. 

Traffic in Tampa is nuts. 

Carry on. 

I've 'known' Terri (Your Friend From Florida) since my early blog days and we decided to try for a meet up. The timing was tighter than we would have liked, but if there's anything blogging (and life) have taught me it's Carpe Diem. So we did. 

She lives about an hour away and said she'd drive in so we could meet at the welcome party venue, American Social, and have a chance to visit before we had to be at the party. American Social is a sports bar type of place and it was loud. With a capital L.  It was a happening place and there was some questionable attire, but we made the most of it.  A heated World Cup match was on all the TVs so there was a lot of cheering on top of the conversations happening all around, but fortunately we were given a booth which helped. 

Originally hubs was going to join us, but then a former long-time work colleague who lives in the Tampa area decided he'd like to catch up too, so he also drove in and met hubs at the same time. They hadn't seen one another in more than a decade, so they sat at the bar and Terri and I sat in a booth and chatted. She saw pictures of my grands that I don't share here but it was fun because she knows my daughters from the online world too. She used to follow both of my girls when they blogged and has kept up with them since their university days.

I will say that the bloggers I've met in person have all been exactly who they seem to be online and Terri was no exception. So sweet and genuine and it felt like talking to an old familiar friend. Which she is, and now in real life too. 

In yet another small world moment, as we were wrapping up we walked to the bar where hubs and our friend were sitting and it turns out our friend and Terri had all sorts of people in common. They had a nice little chat and now they're Facebook friends too. 

The internet is quite the connector don't you think? 

At this point the bride made her entrance with her whole big posse in tow, and lots of hugs and more noise happened as we greeted and congratulated and got ready to move out to the patio for the evening. Pretty sure the bride hugged Terri and possibly the groom did too. Weddings put everyone in a joyful mood, plus our friends are their friends and we love that. We said our goodbyes to Terri and joined the welcome party in full swing. 

Did I tell you it was hot? 

The patio at American Social overlooks the harbor and it was a covered space, which did provide shade but also seemed to hold in the heat. We had a grand time seeing all the bride's family including siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and some friends we also know, along with the groom and his family.  We've lived a lot of life with the bride's parents and they are some of our most favorite peeps in all the world. 

I think I'll save the wedding and beyond for Friday's post because I like detail and don't want to skimp in an effort to make this short. Less long? Whatever. Come back for Part 2 on Friday. 

Peaceful Easy Hodgepodge

Hi friends. Long time no blog. We've been out of town, and only arrived home Monday night. We've hit the ground running here with a full week and then company starting on Friday. I want to recap our time away, but that won't be quick (probably not short either, just sayin') so will save that for Thursday's blog.  I think? 

Today let's Hodgepodge. If you've answered this week's questions answer on your own blog, then hop back here to share answers. Before you rush off, be sure to leave a comment for the blogger before you! Here we go...

1. What's something you enjoy now that your younger self would never have appreciated? 

A great nap.  Another thing would be a vegetable plate. I wasn't crazy about vegetables as a child, but I could make a meal off of them now, especially in the summer months. 

2. What was peaceful about today? 

Early morning sunrise and that first cup of coffee...

3. It's National Blueberry Day (July 8). Will you celebrate?  You can have one of the following right now-a slice of blueberry pie, a warm blueberry muffin, or a stack of blueberry pancakes...which do you choose? 

A slice of blueberry pie please. I made one a couple of weeks ago for some dinner guests and it was delish-

This or that-blueberries or raspberries? 

blueberries or strawberries? 

My answer is blueberries. 

I love blueberries. Also blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and boysenberries. Not sure I can pick a favorite berry, but blueberries are near the top of the list. 

4. Do you need a break? From what? 

I've just been to the beach so right now my answer is no. 

Gulf sunsets carry the stress right away. 

5. What has surprised you most about getting older? 

Probably the way I  feel on the inside not matching up with what I see on the outside. My mom used to tell me she didn't like people to know her age because once they know they sort of discount what she has to say. I get that now. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Today this beauty turns 96 years young. 

Happy birthday to my mama who is loved more than words can say. 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 661

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog then hop back here on Wednesday (July 8th) to share answers with the universe. See you there!

1. What's something you enjoy now that your younger self would never have appreciated? 

2. What was peaceful about today? 

3. It's National Blueberry Day (July 8). Will you celebrate?  You can have one of the following right now-a slice of blueberry pie, a warm blueberry muffin, or a stack of blueberry pancakes...which do you choose?

This or that-blueberries or raspberries? blueberries or strawberries? 

4. Do you need a break? From what? 

5. What has surprised you most about getting older? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Share Your Shelf-May/June

It's the first Thursday of the month which means it's time to share what we've been reading. I had a busy spring, draining in many ways, so didn't read as much as I would have liked. I didn't post my May books so am lumping them in with June in today's post. Here we go-

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

A somewhat confusing fictional tale that follows author Grady Green after his wife, Abby, disappears on the very night his newly published novel reaches the bestseller list. A year later, he's gifted a stay on a remote Scottish island, where nothing is quite as it seems. Grady becomes convinced he's seen Abby, despite believing she's dead. The story unfolds through alternating perspectives, with chapters told from both Grady's and Abby's points of view.

This is the kind of psychological thriller that's incredibly popular right now, but it's not a style I particularly enjoy. The story started off strong, and I was genuinely excited to see where it was going. Unfortunately, the second half completely lost me. 

This was my book club's June pick, and while some members really enjoyed it, we all found ourselves scratching our heads as we tried to connect the dots and make sense of what had actually happened.  

Like Mother Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreight

Billed as a domestic thriller, and I'd say the description fits. NYU student Cleo arrives home to find her seemingly perfect mother, Kat, missing and blood on the kitchen floor. As the police search for Kat, Cleo begins investigating on her own. In the process, she uncovers secrets about her mother's past, including her childhood in a series of foster homes before being placed at a home for teens called Haven House, as well as the truth about her current job as a fixer for a powerful corporate law firm.

The story is told through alternating first-person perspectives from both Cleo and Kat, with news articles and therapy transcripts woven throughout. I was drawn into the mystery from the very beginning, and with so many possible suspects, the story kept me guessing until almost the very end.

I enjoyed this one. It's a fast-paced, engaging domestic thriller with plenty of twists. 

Lost, Found, Kept: A Memoir by Deborah Derrickson Kossmann

I went to high school with the author and when her book was released several months ago she let us know on our class Facebook page. Our high school was huge and we weren't close friends back then, but everyone knew everyone at least a little bit, and it's been fun reconnecting with classmates-turned-adults online. 

I found the topic intriguing and added the Audible version to my library right away. I didn't get around to listening until this past weekend, and found the book well-written and the story gripping. I listened start to finish in almost one sitting.  

When her fiercely independent, aging mother is involved in an accident and suddenly needs help, the author returns to the childhood home she has not set foot in for more than two decades. There, she discovers the staggering extent of her mother's hoarding and is faced not only with the daunting task of emptying the house, but also with confronting long held family secrets and the pain of her past.

Told with gentle yet unflinching honesty, Lost Found Kept reads like fiction. Kossman's voice is compassionate and engaging,  drawing readers into both the literal and emotional mess as she navigates grief, memory, and the complicated bonds between mothers and daughters.

The Nowhere Child by Christian White

When Kim, a photography teacher living in Melbourne, Australia, is approached by a man who claims she may be the victim of a U.S. child kidnapping case from 26 years earlier, her life is thrown into turmoil. As she investigates the striking connections, it becomes increasingly apparent that she could be the missing toddler, Sammy Went. Desperate for answers, she travels to the small town of Manson, Kentucky, determined to uncover the truth.

I expected this to be more of a mystery, but it leans instead toward a story of family dysfunction and the fallout from that. Parts of the plot felt cliche to me, so I didn't love it. I did want to see the mystery unraveled so stuck with it, and was rewarded with a twist I hadn't anticipated. 

 

The Shepherd's Life:A People's History of the Lake District  by James Rebanks

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you'll know I have a bit of a love affair with the English countryside. A book about a sheep farmer set in England's Lake District? Yes, please.

Born in 1974, the author grew up on a small sheep farm owned by his grandfather and worked by both his father and grandfather. In this memoir, he chronicles a year in the life of a traditional sheep farmer in northern England. Organized by season, the book captures both the harsh realities and the quiet beauty of farming in the Lake District.

Throughout the book, the author defends the increasingly rare way of life of upland sheep farming. He writes about his determination to remain connected to his family's heritage, preserve the landscape, and pass down generations of agricultural knowledge and traditions to his own children.

This won't be a book for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. It's a slow, thoughtful read rather than one to race through in a single sitting. It offers a glimpse into a way of life that's completely different from my own, and now I need a trip to the English countryside.

Summit Lake by Charlie Donlea 

This book was excellent, but it's also incredibly heavy. A sense of sadness lingers throughout the entire story, making it an emotionally intense read. I don't usually include content warnings in my reviews, but the rape scene is especially difficult to read. Despite that, the writing is beautiful, the characters are richly developed, and I was completely invested in the story. I'll definitely be reading more from this author.

Set on Summit Lake in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the novel unfolds in a place that seems far too beautiful and peaceful to be the setting for such a horrific crime. Becca Eckersley, a first-year law student and the daughter of a powerful attorney, has been brutally murdered, leaving the police with more questions than answers.

Investigative journalist Kelsey Castle, still recovering from a violent assault of her own, arrives in Summit Lake to uncover the truth behind Becca's vicious rape and murder. As she digs deeper, she's drawn into a tangled web of secrets and what feels like a cover-up of some sort.

I really enjoyed the structure of the novel. The chapters are short, which kept the story moving at a great pace, and the narrative alternates between two perspectives. We follow Becca in the months leading up to her death and Kelsey in the present as she investigates the case. Through Becca's perspective, we also get to know her college friends, and those flashbacks add depth to both the mystery and the characters. Altogether, it made for a compelling and engrossing read.

To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

This checks two boxes in terms of my current reading goals, as it's both a classic and one of the titles mentioned in The Correspondent. 

To the Lighthouse is a 1927 novel by Virginia Woolf, and centers on the Ramsay family and their visits to the Isle of Skye in Scotland between 1910 and 1920. 

The story centers on the Ramsay family and their guests during visits to their summer home on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Much of the novel focuses on the characters' inner thoughts and emotions rather than external events. A planned trip to a nearby lighthouse is delayed, and over the years the family experiences loss, change, and the effects of time. When they finally make the journey to the lighthouse, the trip symbolizes acceptance, reconciliation, and the enduring power of memory.

The novel is known for its stream-of-consciousness style and its exploration of themes such as time, perception, family, art, and the search for meaning.

I say it with every classic I read, but the writing in these novels always feels so elevated. When I sit down to summarize the plot, it often seems as though not much actually happened, yet that isn't how the novel feels while I'm reading it. It's rich with depth and emotion, and leaves me with plenty to think about.

If you've read something you loved recently send it my way. Share Your Shelf is hosted by Joanne (Slices of Life) and Dara (Not In Jersey) , so hop over there for some recommendations and reviews and to add your own books to the link. 

Happy 4th everyone! 

Three Cheers For The Hodgepodge

Welcome to July and to our weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go...

1. What do you love most about your country? 

Her resilience, her optimism, her beauty, and maybe most of all her hard fought freedoms. 

2. Your favorite patriotic song? 

America The Beautiful

3. Red, white, or blue? Stars or stripes? Something you own besides a US flag with some combination of those colors or decorations as part of its design? 

I like red, white, and blue alone, two of them together in some combination, or all three together. My favorite I guess is blue, but it depends what we're talking about. I like striped tops, striped fabric, striped umbrellas, candy canes, and the Clemson tigers : ) I like stars in the night sky. 

Something besides a flag with those colors or decorations? I have a patio pillow that fits the description-

4. What's one thing you want more of this summer: fun, rest, adventure, connection, quiet, or confidence? Elaborate. 

While they all appeal to some degree, I'm going to choose connection. I want to be intentional about reaching out. I want quality time with the people I care about. I want deep conversations, shared meals and conversations, and memories made with friends and family. 

5. What was your ultimate, go-to summer activity when you were a kid? Do you still do any version of that today? If you answered yes, does participating in this activity as an adult make you feel like a kid?  

Definitely swimming, and yes I still swim and I still love it. In some ways it can make me feel like a kid. Diving into deep water and swimming across a pool without coming up for air definitely takes me back to my childhood. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Have a safe and happy 4th everyone!