About Last Week

Good Monday morning friends. Trying to get back in the groove here after a week away so lots to catch up on both in real life and in blog life. Grab your coffee because I'm going to jam a week's worth of activity into a single post. It's my niche. 

Actually I have one more related anecdote to share in it's own post so there will be a p.s. tomorrow. 

Linking with Holly and Sarah and their Hello Monday hop, and also with Kym and her most recent Everyday Image photo prompts, which this time around are -at home, station, selfie, beginning and/or end, pebbles, and scenery. 

Let's get to it...

We live on a lake so typically stick close to home in the summer months. We haven't taken a whole family vacation since my oldest daughter got married, so this year we decided to get the entire gang together and head to the beach. 

We chose Hilton Head because a.- it's beautiful and b- it's a reasonable drive from here. Daughter1's hubs couldn't stay the whole week due to his work commitments so we wanted to make the location somewhat convenient for him. 

~scenery~

Hilton Head is beautiful. It's lush and makes you feel like you've escaped somewhere tropical.  The whole island is very well planned and signage is low, so you're not looking at billboards every few yards. 

~scenery~

The landscape features beautifully manicured lawns and golf courses, soaring Palmettos, threadlike Spanish moss dripping from the trees...

...and beach grasses growing along sandy dunes. 

~scenery~

We rented a house through Airbnb and it worked out well. It was situated near the front end of the Palmetto Dunes section of HHI and the location was perfect. 

~at home~...for the week anyway

The property backed up to the lagoon,  home to so much beautiful and interesting wildlife including huge chatty osprey, blue heron...

...or the grandpa birds as my grands call them, and something called snake birds. If you've never seen one they're wild. They look like a snake as they come out of the water, but then when you see the body you relax because you realize its a bird and not a snake.  

Of course there was the neighborhood alligator present too, because no trip to the island is complete without one. 

The house had a little dock perched over the lagoon and it was not designed with little people in mind. 

I think they left one section open to pull kayaks in and out, but we kept a tight grip on the kids eager to watch the gator. 

The pool was a big hit...

The house had three suites on the lower level and two bedrooms upstairs, one with bunks, for the kids. There was a big table for dining and we ate most of our meals in because dining out with five under the age of 8 is not an every night kind of thing. I'm sure I don't need to explain lol. 

We all drove separately and hubs and I took our time getting there. We took the back roads because I-95 is one of the worst roads in America and we love small town USA. My favorite thing about a road trip is seeing something new, especially if it's historic. A sampling of my google history from the drive shows the following-

Gold mines in South Carolina, Redcliff Plantation, images of purple sage (relating to our audio book), egrets vs. herons (all egrets are herons but not all herons are egrets), the Long Cane Massacre grave, does Spanish moss kill trees-the answer is no, and what is a Barbados nut plant

There's more but you get the idea. It was a nice ride and there was zero traffic. We stopped for lunch in Bluffton, about thirty minutes before reaching HH, a casual spot that had the most delicious blackened mahi taco-

So good, and they came with a warning-ha! 

As we got nearer the ocean I could just feel the tension leave my body. Salt air does that. 

Initially when we saw the forecast for the week we were a little nervous. There was a lot of rain predicted and while we did have some rain it was mostly overnight and we had beach time every day. We had rain one afternoon just as we got back home, but mostly the cloud coverage and breeze made it really pleasant for sitting, especially with small children. Daughter2 brought a tent with her but they only set it up a couple of days.  The sun shone but the clouds kept it from being too much. 

This is where I planted myself pretty much on the daily-

                ~my station~

We arrived Saturday afternoon, unloaded and set up house, then grabbed dinner at a beachside spot in Palmetto Dunes. The weather was threatening but didn't let loose until we were back home. 

We typically spent mornings at the beach, and half of us packed lunch and stayed into the early afternoon. Daughter2 and her crew went back to the house for lunch so they could settle Sugar for an afternoon nap. Our house was about a quarter mile from the beach so a super easy walk on a wide paved trail designed for both walkers and cyclists.  

I didn't walk. I drove, and actually hubs drove me because I'm still nursing my ankle. I wore the boot off and on and kept it wrapped while on the beach. I didn't do any swimming which was a little bit sad because I love to be out in the waves, but that didn't seem sensible right now. Hubs and I did take a couple of short walks. The sand was flat and packed and the beach is wide, so really nice for walking. 

Everybody thought so...

Daughter2 and her family also drove to the beach because the amount of gear with kids this age is a lot.

Daughter1 pulled a wagon loaded to overflowing with sand toys, boogie boards, a beach bag and her little miss, and then the two oldest boys rode their bikes. What a treat to ride a bike on the beach! 

The first few days we were there hubs also hauled his surf rod and assorted fishing gear down to the ocean to see what he could catch. Not a lot, but he and the boys had fun.  

Afternoons were spent mostly in the pool, napping, working puzzles, and in general relaxing until it was time for dinner, usually eaten at home. My son-in-law picked up fresh shrimp to go with the steaks he grilled. We each took charge of a meal and that worked out well. 

We went out for a big family dinner on Monday night-Skull Creek Boathouse for those who frequent HH.We went on the early side and didn't have to wait. It's a great spot, with a pier you can walk out on, wonderful food, and a pirate ship playground for the kids which they loved. 

Little Miss rocks the beach waves. I'm having fun buying matching dresses for the grandgirls when I can. These are from Stitchy Fish and they were so cute, and the fabric was really nice. 

As an aside, I try not to post pics of my grandbabies faces on my blog these days. Every now and then one will land there, but I check with mom first. My oldest especially doesn't really want their faces on the Internet and I'm also not posting swim suit pics, which is what most of my beach photos are. 

Okay, back to what I ate because I know that's why you're here. I had stuffed shrimp and it was scrumptious. Our server took a pic of us all at dinner and we took a few snaps of the whole family out on the pier later. The weather was delightful and I'm so glad we were there this week instead of the one prior when all anyone could talk about was the heat. Which was outrageous. 

One night we went to Shelter Cove for ice cream. I had Eskimo Kisses which was coconut ice cream with chocolate truffles covered in fudge. Yum! One grandson who shall remain nameless dropped his before we left the shop, but the server was really nice and gave him another. Vacationing with kids is not for the faint of heart lol.

The boys were skeptical when we told them the pebbles under their feet were mostly crushed oyster shells. True story though. 

~pebbles~

Hubs and I went back to Shelter Cove Friday afternoon to browse a gallery I'd seen that had some pretty things. Still looking for jut the right thing for our outdoor dining space. My son-in-law grilled fresh swordfish and more shrimp for dinner that evening. We taught the oldest grandsons how to play Mexican Train dominoes this week so there was one more game before everyone did some packing for our Saturday check out.  

Can't forget the selfie prompt. This is as close as we got...

~selfie~

A man on the beach noticed our attempt and helpfully intervened. Also, he was from some small town near St. Louis where hubs mother lived a long time ago, so a lot of conversation happened too. Hubs is firmly in the 'never met a stranger' camp. Not sure why I'm not wearing my sunglasses, but it was evening and I guess not bright? 

Except I'm squinting so it was bright enough. This is why I don't take selfies. Too much overthinking. 

And suddenly it was Saturday. Leaving is the hardest part. You wake up and take your coffee outside like you've done every day since arriving, and you smell the sea air and then sadly you remember you're getting in the car to head home instead of to the beach. Boo. 

Here's how it started-

~beginning~

Til next time...

~the end~

Hop over to Hello Monday and Everyday Images to see what others have been up to lately. 

Blueberry Waffles With A Side Of Hodgepodge

Welcome to another edition of The 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. August 24th is National Waffle Day...what's something you've 'waffled' on recently? 

Booking hotels for an upcoming trip. I spent so much time reading reviews and comparing prices vs. value vs. convenience and yadda yadda yadda that it was hard to hit the reserve button. But I did and it's done and that's that. I'm not a huge waffler, unless you ask me where I want to eat. 

2. Do you like waffles? Make your own or 'leggo my Eggo? Any favorite toppings or add-ins? Waffles or pancakes-which do you prefer? 

I like a home made waffle and I definitely prefer waffles over pancakes. Pancakes are usually too heavy for me.  The only time I have frozen waffles in the house is when the grandboys are visiting because they like waffles of all kinds. As far as toppings go, there must be butter and a little maple syrup. Blueberry waffles are my favorite and I like mine with a side of bacon to help cut the sweetness.  

3. Do you have any momentos from this summer (or past summers)? What do you do with them? 

Do words count? Yes they count and I put them here-ha! I do have seashells from past trips to Marco Island which is where we used to go when our girls were young (er). They're in a jar in one of the guest room baths. Occasionally we'll buy a t-shirt or ball cap but we haven't done any of that this summer. 

When we traveled around Europe we bought furniture and prints and my favorite-pottery. I enjoy it all still today. 

4. One thing you'd like to do before summer ends? 

A sunset boat cruise. We just need to put it on the calendar and then the weather needs to cooperate, but I'm pretty sure we can make it happen. Plus, PSA- even though we're all sliding in to autumn mode, summer doesn't officially end for another month.  I get it though, because fall is my favorite and for some reason feels like a shorter season than all the rest. 

5. Life is too short to argue on the Internet.  

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Speaking of booking hotels, I did something stupid recently. We are doing a little road trip in September where we'll be making several stops en route to a wedding. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out where those stops would be and where we should stay once we decided. About a week later hubs asked me about a charge on the credit card for a hotel we had considered but hadn't booked. I shrugged and said maybe I'd booked using one of those deals where you pay in advance. 

Oops. That wasn't it. 

Apparently I did book it only I booked it for July not September. Bother. The hotel even tried to call me late one night while I was at my daughters and when hubs asked who it was I said SPAM. It was 11:30 PM and because I didn't recognize the number I didn't pick up. 

Bother. Bother. Bother. 

Life is too short to beat yourself up about stupid stuff  Right? 

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Just Add Water

I can't remember a summer as full as this summer has been. Guest room sheets have been washed on the weekly, sometimes twice weekly with people coming and going. I look for blank spaces in the calendar and see none. Almost none. I've spent more time with my mother and my daughters and my grandchildren this summer than at any other time in recent history and I'm not mad about it. 

In fact, it's been pretty wonderful. 

I need to catch my breath, except remember that calendar with no blank space? Rolling in to fall we'll be looking much the same. Daughter2 asked me to send her a list of Sundays we might be able to travel over for baby boy's dedication service and I said there are three. Three between now and the first of November which sounds crazy even to me. 

My heart feels so full of family right now and I've realized that this is the antidote to all the icky noisy angry stuff and nonsense going on in the world today. Circle the wagons and love your people. My daughter has a verse in her kitchen that I also have tried to keep in mind, this summer especially-

'And aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, 
as we instructed you.' 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Now I know you're probably thinking it's not real quiet here, but in the sense this verse implies we are living a quiet life. To me that means having a close circle of family and friends, filtering out distractions, appreciating the gift of beauty found in creation, and enjoying the small things.  

Let's talk about the beach. 

I haven't had my toes in ocean sand since before Covid. We do have islands in our lake that have sandy beaches, but ocean life is different than lake life. 

Daughter1's hubs had a medical conference in Kiawah Island SC and they invited us to come along for the first half of their trip and the in-laws to come along for the second half. Whenever I say inlaws hubs reminds me we are also 'the inlaws' but for the sake of my blog I use the term to mean them, not us. 

We stayed in one of the 3-bedroom villas at The Sanctuary and had an absolutely marvelous time which included sun, sand, and an 8 PM bedtime for everyone-ha! Almost. 

We loaded up the wagon after breakfast most mornings for the short easy trek to the beach. Along the way we crossed a little foot bridge with marshy river water on either side and hubs had the boys saying 'we're in Gator country now'. Which we were. Alligators look like they're sizing you up when you pass by, don't they? 

We live in South Carolina so we made the kids walk on the inside of the path which may sound a little paranoid but better safe than sorry. 

Every day we counted the alligators and turtles, heron and skink. 

We counted moments and smiles and how many times Nana and the mancub climbed that great big ladder at the resort pool, the one that led to the swirly twirly twisty turny water slide for a fun fast ride down.

A lot. A lot, a lot. In fact Nana lost count of how many a lots but there were a lot. 

Besides swimming and sliding and beaching and nature observing we had fun dinners, a favorite being fresh fish and fries at the Salty Dog Cafe that sits beside the marina-

One evening we sat and sipped Prosecco in the Ryder Cup Bar overlooking the famed Ocean Course. If you golf you know this course is a big deal, and if you don't just know the Ryder Cup Bar is lovely and the views wonderful. Also don't try to go when the President comes to town. 

Fortunately we left town before the President arrived or we wouldn't have been able to get through the gate.

Or on the green-

Days at Kiawah found us with our feet in the surf...

and fish on the line...

...in hand too...

There were boys on boogie boards-

sandy hands-

sandy bottoms-

sandy castles-

and sandpipers-

There were beautiful reflections-

beautiful sunsets-

Ice cream dreams...

Memories made...

...and more love shared than a heart can hold.