Catch a tiger by the tail

My husband is in London today. It's his first trip back since we moved. Tonite he's going to see his buds at the Indian restaurant we loved in the little village where we lived. I'm only
extremelyslightly jealous. Yesterday I got an email from someone new to England. A friend there suggested she visit my blog and she did and I wrote her back and spent some time thinking about how it felt to be new and all that was in front of us that we had no clue was in front of us. The combination of these two things has left me feeling a little bit homesick.

Hubs phoned yesterday after he got checked into his hotel and he did have a small rant about the iron being bungeed to the ironing board in his room and the outlet being in an inconvenient spot which is always the case with outlets in the UK. I used to have a six foot extension chord plugged into my bedroom wall so I could dry my hair in front of the bathroom mirror because there were no outlets in the bathroom itself. Gotta be careful with 220 volts and water in close proximity I guess.

Thinking about those little annoyances should help but for some reason the quirkiness is something that makes me miss it more. Its a funny thing because when you leave you imagine all the things you will not miss and for sure using an extension chord to dry my hair ranked right up there. Yet, I think about that and I smile. Go figure.

So how about I talk some more about my vacation? Aren't you so glad you stopped by here today? Really there is not too much more to tell because other than the wave runner outing we spent most of the week sitting in beach chairs, swimming in the ocean and then maybe mixing it up with a swim in the pool, reading stacks of books, and walking for miles. Oh, and eating a lot of seafood.

If you've never been to a beach in this area you might have a hard time imagining the shells. The beach is just a mass of shells and of course alot of them are broken but there is also no shortage of beautiful whole shells of every size shape and color. No we did not bring home any live starfish...that's a big no no.

My daughter said it felt like cheating because you could literally just look down at your feet and pick up something pretty all along the beach. You didn't really have to work too hard.

Luckily.

We were on vacation after all.

There is a public beach in Marco called Tigertail and we like to go there to collect shells and also because you can walk to the far end and its likely you will not see another soul. Its pretty amazing to think there are beaches that are not wall to wall people and noise but there are and this is one of those beaches.

Apparently you can walk around from the car park but we always take the 'short cut' which involves crossing some water along with several school of assorted fish. This little bit is also the teensiest bit squishy which I do not care for. At all. I try not to think about the critters under my feet. Shudder.

We saw this guy just as we were taking our first steps. I started referring to him as a squidray because he looked like a cross between a squid and a stingray. My girls are petite so coordination was required.

As soon as we got to the path we saw millions of little bitty crabs. eww. I love crabs but they must be cooked. And these little guys scattered as soon as we stepped onto the path but they made so much racket. I couldn't even get a picture because I was too busy trying not to step on one in my bare feet. ick.

When you get out to the beach it is worth all the trouble. It is one of the most peaceful places I've been...so quiet and beautiful.

We did have a little bit of company...

I love to watch the pelicans...such funny creatures.

I started this post last night and things always look a little better in the light of day. The sun is shining, my pup was supposed to have a little surgical procedure today which was cancelled because the mysterious 'bump' is no longer a mysterious bump, hubs will enjoy seeing friends in our old stomping grounds...

and will especially enjoy his very spicy curry with a side of diced chilies because they will remember that's how he likes it...and as for me?

I think I have a few shells to clean and sort.

Only one? You've got to be kidding

It's once again time for the weekly Random Dozen hosted by Linda over at 2nd cup of coffee. I found this week's questions slightly stressful...not because I didn't have answers to give but because there is a little play on the concept of one. I'm not good at picking one thing or giving one word answers to questions. If you read here I think you know I require a lot of words, even if you are asking me a yes/no question.
Hmmm...perhaps this should have been my answer to #7?
You're invited to answer this week's questions on your own blog...just be sure to link your post over at Linda's for all the world to see.

1. What is one really fast, know-by-heart "go-to" meal to fix in a pinch?

Teriyaki chicken with baked rice. Easy and really delicious. Not a lot of ingredients and I typically have them all in my pantry. And most importantly everyone loves it.

2. What is one item you won't leave home without. (Purse and license do not count.)

my phone...hubs will say I can't always get to it in the Black Hole that is my purse but I do have it with me and that's the important thing, right?

3. Where is one place you never tire of visiting?

Just one? London.

Also Italy, Marco Island Florida, and a certain small town in South Carolina where my girlies reside.

4. Share one factoid of your family's history.

As in my immediate family or my ancestors?

I know. I overthink.

Hey, that could have been my answer to #7....is that considered a quirk?

Here is a nice straightforward fact: my parents were living in Hawaii when it became a state.

5. Complete this sentence: "Once upon a time I ...."

had lunch with David Cameron, the new Prime Minister of England.

Just to clarify, it wasn’t just the two of us...there were approximately 20 guests. The luncheon was held in a private dining room in the House of Lords...

I was nervous and giddy and the only American there so I tried not to say anything ridiculous. I was seated beside Felicity Dahl who was Roald Dahl's second wife...it was a very exciting day. At the time I was President of the American Women’s Club and we had done some fundraising for the National Society for Epilepsy...they organized the luncheon and I was invited as their guest. David Cameron served as a board member for the NSE...he and his wife had a sweet son with epilepsy who sadly passed away just over a year ago. Mr. Cameron was a guest and also spoke briefly at this particular luncheon, which was held to kick off a campaign for the NSE.

6. If you could win a one year's supply of anything, what would it be?

This feels like it should be easy but its not…how about a housekeeper? I have all the time in the world to clean house but I do love it when someone else does it for me.

7. "One quirky thing you may not know about me is ...."

I wish my hubs was home to provide the answer to this question. I don't think I have a lot of quirks but I'm pretty sure he would disagree. I talk to myself. Don't most women do that?

8. You have one dollar in your pocket. What will you buy?

Remember when you could really buy something with a dollar? Does a dollar even buy a pack of gum now? USA today costs $1 and I like their crossword puzzle so maybe a newspaper. That answer sounds super lame when I read it back but even a bag of peanut m & m's is more than $1 now.

9. "One thing that always makes me laugh is ...."

the Etrade commercials...I love the babies in these ads

10. What is one thing you could do today to help yourself reach a personal goal?

Hit the gym. Walk the dog. Steer clear of the sweets. And the carbs. Bet you can’t guess what my personal goal is? And I already explained that I am not capable of naming just one thing. Obviously.

11. What is one thing you could do today to bless someone else?

I have a few notes to send so will hopefully get those done today.

12. What is one thing you're looking forward to soon?

The Eagles concert on June 10th...they are one of my favorite bands and they'll be performing in the New Meadowlands Stadium along with The Dixie Chicks and Keith Urban. Can't wait!

I feel the need...the need for speed

One of the fun things we did last week was a wave runner tour of the 10,000 islands. No we did not go to all 10,000. Technically Marco is considered the biggest and northernmost island in the chain which touches on the Everglades.

Let me back up and just say that on occasion I have to be talked into doing things like riding a wave runner. I am not like the rest of my family who asks the cute cabana boy things like, 'How fast are we allowed to go?' My family knows this about me so by the time I arrived at the rental center the cute cabana boy let me know that my family was not going to allow me to drive. Apparently they did not want me slowing them down. My daughter1 would drive and I would be her passenger. Which was fine with me because I have been on the back of a wave runner with my hubs before and told the cute cabana boy that he was the one they should be worried about. I think cute cabana boy had already figured this out.

This is cute cabana boy. He looked a lot like Chris O'Donnell...

I was distracted by our upcoming adventure so I neglected to hit the zoom. Plus my girls would have found that embarrassing and I'm pretty sure mom on the wave runner was embarrassment enough for one day.

We all put on the very attractive life jackets and I'd been wearing a baseball cap all morning on the beach but had to stow it because apparently we were going to go fast...nothing like some lovely hat hair to complete my look. Why don't I look adorable in my life jacket like daughter2?

Cute cabana boy gave us the basic operating instructions but the only thing I really heard was to leave a lot of space between the wave runners in case someone stops suddenly and also the part about if you go flying off to move away from the wave runner so your hair and/or life jacket are not sucked up underneath the machine. Won't this be fun?

In fact it was lots of fun. Lots and lots of fun. Actually, while I generally have to be pep talked into stuff I do love to go fast. Daughter1 was an excellent driver and hubs only scared daughter2 once or twice. He liked to drop way way behind us so he could then zoom up at supersonic speed. Cute cabana boy pretended he didn't notice.

In all our trips to Marco we'd never been out to the islands. Technically you don't go to the islands, you ride around them. There are mangroves on these islands and they are interesting trees. They grow in salt water and the roots go as deep as the trees are tall. They are able to filter the salt water themselves and the mangrove forests along the coastline here help protect Marco from storm surges and hurricanes.

We didn't see any manatees but we did see lots of beautiful birds and some crazy jumping fish and we got up close and personal with some dolphins...he's right beside us here-

It's not easy to take a picture of a moving animal while sitting on a bobbing wave runner in the Gulf but we tried...

We rode for about an hour and a half and only saw a handful of boats in all that time. It felt like we were the only people on the water and it was a gorgeous day.

I may have needed a little coaxing to get started but by the time we returned to the beach I was thinking maybe we needed to buy a wave runner once we got back home. And I guess a house on the Gulf to go with it...I mean we'd have to park it somewhere right?

By the Sea By the Sea By the Beautiful Sea

Whew. Where to begin? I'm back home after a week of vacation and am drowning in photos....graduation photos and beach photos both. Wait, don't go...I'm not going to post them all. I can't promise you I won't post any but I for sure will not post all. That's mostly because I have a lot of pics of my girls on the beach in their oh so cute bikinis but it doesn't feel right to me to put those out in the blogosphere. There are also a few of me in my swim suit which I guarantee you will not be going on the world wide web for altogether other reasons, so you can relax now.

We wrapped up the graduation celebrations late Saturday night and flew to Florida Sunday morning. Marco Island is just south of Naples and is one of our favorite family vacation spots. We've been there many times and its a special place for us...we all have lots of happy memories from holidays in Marco. Here is the view from our balcony-

I tried to talk my hubs into retiring straight away but then he reminded me that we still have one in university and we have a house we're still settling into in a state far far far away from this little slice of heaven and btw, he's not quite old enough or even ready to retire just yet. We both love the water though so someday. Do you see how easily sidetracked I am?

With another school year winding down and hubs travel schedule getting ready to go into overdrive we all wanted a vacation somewhere we could put our toes in the sand...

read lots of books...

talk for hours

eat fantastic seafood

wonder at the beauty of a sunset on the Gulf

and reconnect as a family.

Marco is just such a place. Most mornings hubs and I would walk to the point and look for shells. The beach is literally covered in shells but there are a couple of places where piles are dumped by the sea and we especially like to hunt in those spots.

Of course hubs is not content to pick up some of the billions of shells sitting in plain sight...he must climb out and over the rocks to get what? Better shells?

Dolphins love to play at this end of the island and early morning is a good time to see them.

We did a fun wave runner tour one day which I think I'll save for part 2. Yes patient readers...there's more. I'm sure you can hardly wait because we all know how much fun it is to see other people's vacation photos. I've been working away at my scrapbooking backlog but that is s-l-o-w going and I've got a ways to go before I catch up to present day. In the meantime my blog has become a good place to record
every random thought I havewhat is happening in my life as I live it. Blogging helps me hit the pause button for a minute...to see the specialness not only in life's big moments like a university graduation, but also in life's little moments. Like a walk on the beach.

One day you are walking on the beach with your little chicks...

and before you know it...

you are walking on the beach with your little chicks.

Sometimes the little moments are the big moments.

Can the Random Dozen be answered while on vaca?

Why yes it can. Actually I have no time to talk...must get back to my lounge chair....In the meantime, why not answer the random dozen questions on your own blog this week? Link back to Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee to share your answers...

1. Please share one memory of your high school graduation. Pics would be great!

I don't have strong memories of my high school graduation...my class was huge, about 950 kids...I remember going to dinner afterwards with my family and then a party after that. But I don't remember much about the actual ceremony at all.

2. What is one "emergency use" item you keep in your vehicle at all times?

my mobile phone? I guess I feel like if I have that I'm safe

3. In your region, do you celebrate graduation open houses? Addendum: (If so,) how many open houses/bridal showers/weddings are on your upcoming events calendar?

no, not that I know of...we will be going to a wedding in October which we're excited about...it's a destination wedding and we'll be seeing lots of old friends there so should be a great time

4. Tell me one truth you believe about motherhood.

'Children and mothers never truly part -
Bound in the beating of each other's heart.'
- Charlotte Gray

5. What was the last thing you broke?

a fingernail?

6. On average, how many pieces of junk mail do you receive daily?

a lot...maybe four or five per day...a-nnoy-ing!

7. Do you like to shop by catalog?

I love to look at catalogs but I rarely buy from catalogs...I need to touch and try on.

8. Is lawn maintenance at your house a "his job," a "her job" or "his/her job" or "that's why we have teenagers" job?

oh, definitely a 'his' job...I like to garden but I have nothing to do with the actual lawn care. ew.

9. Which room would you like to redecorate in your home?

my daughter's room...which is used mostly as a guest room except my kids don't like it when I refer to their bedrooms as guest rooms.

10. Do you read a newspaper regularly, or do you read most of your news on line?

I love a real newspaper, mostly for the crossword puzzle but I still prefer to read my news in paper form as opposed to online.

11. Do you believe everything happens for a reason?

yes...sometimes things happen thru no fault of our own, sometimes things happen as a consequence of our actions, and sometimes things happen for a reason we may not understand this side of heaven.

12. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?

doing the right thing. for sure.

Welcome to the Real World

Well, not quite yet...I'm actually looking out at the beautiful Gulf of Mexico as I type this and we think next week will be soon enough for the new graduate to start dealing with the real world. If only sitting in the sand watching the waves lap your freshly polished toes were the real world. Sigh.

Graduation weekend was perfect. For starters, the weather was positively amazing. Crystal clear blue skies and a breeze. Friday night we had dinner with a big group of daughter1's friends and families. The parents all said the same thing, "Weren't we just moving these girls in to their dorms?" And the soon to be graduates all said the same thing too, "Can we really be graduating?"

Yes they really can be graduating. And they did. Saturday morning while they were at rehearsal hubs and I wandered thru the farmers market downtown, had coffee by the river and took a walk. We met up with all the family for gift giving and a celebration lunch a little later in the day. Lots of fun and laughter and hugs, and maybe a tear or two.

A couple of hours before the ceremony start time we headed over to campus to begin the picture taking frenzy. Lots and lots of family pictures and lots of pictures with the friends too. The campus is gorgeous and there are beautiful gardens and fountains and buildings everywhere so no shortage of photo ops.

Daughter2 would say we managed to hit them all.

The ceremony was held in the football stadium and the graduates walk thru the campus and all the way down the 'mall' to the stadium.

You could see them approaching, a huge purple 2010 banner waving out in front, and of course the band was playing Pomp and Circumstance which is always good for a few tears. You feel it all welling up inside of you at that moment.

The program was so beautifully done and except for the uncomfortable stadium seat, it was altogether perfect. Note to self-when daughter2 graduates in a couple more years bring a seat cushion. They called every single name and, fyi, its nice to be near the front of the alphabet. Across the stage she went, smiling and accepting a handshake from the university President along with her diploma. And that was that....from student to alum in a matter of minutes.

We made our way down onto the field when it was all over and took more pictures and hugged all the friends and congratulated everyone and admired their hard earned diplomas.

The graduates were in a state of semi-shock...'Did I really just graduate? Is college really over?'

I'm so glad we planned a mini vacation this week...

...its amazing how the sight of the sea combined with the knowledge that we are now paying tuition for just one can help ease the pain of sending your baby out into the big wide world.

Hello my name is Joyce and I blog

It's a sickness...I just can't stay away. In my defense though, I feel like if I don't write a little as I go then I won't ever be able to catch up.

The end of a school year is always bittersweet, particularly for the graduates, but also for daughter2. She is one year closer to stepping out into the real world too, and she's very close to many of the graduates so she also has friends scattering far and wide which is hard. My girls have some of the sweetest friends and even hubs and I feel a little sad to think about them moving on. We're happy for them of course, it is such an exiting time of life. And these 'kids' make you feel proud...they are smart and funny and caring. We seem to hear so much of the bad when the media talks about this generation but these kids make me feel hopeful. And we're going to miss them. On the bright side...it's summertime and who doesn't love that?

We have lots of dinners and lunches and photo ops and moments to enjoy and we are...well, except for the moving bit. We could do with a little less of the moving bit. We've done a whole lotta moving in the past four years. And girls have so. much. stuff. Hubs always starts off full of energy and ready to go but sometime after he has carried bin #8,122 down the stairs and around the building and down the hill and then jammed it in the back of the car and then taken it a few miles down the road to the storage unit he starts muttering about how he is so over it. Did I mention its hot here?

Oh well, the moving bit is done at least until August when we'll come back and do it all again but we won't think about that right now. This morning the girls and I are going for mani-pedis...gotta have beach feet right? Hubs will run a few errands and this evening we're joining some of daughter1's friends and their families for a fun dinner downtown. My mom is here so last night we went out to my sister's to have bbq with family. We might have eaten bbq on Wednesday night too...hey, we're in the land of bbq and sweet tea and we take it when we can get it! My inlaws arrive today along with my brother and sister in law. Daughter1 will have a big cheering section. Hubs likes to tease her and tell her he brought an air horn. She laughs. Sort of.

Once the moving dust settled yesterday we went over to campus to see Daughter1's design project which is still on display. Actually there were lots of projects on display as they left the art show up for parents and visitors...lots of creativity in that room and it was fun to see a wide range of artwork. We also made a stop in the campus bookstore to pick up the official cap and gown. It wasn't crowded so I snapped a picture...hubs got a new hat too.

Look at that smile...you don't think she's happy to be DONE do you?