Throwback Thursday-The Return Trip

Can you call it a throwback if it happened only twenty days ago?

I like to make my own rules here in blogland so the answer is yes. The thing is, I was looking through my draft file and found some pics from our trip back to NJ from Canada via Maine before we moved to South Carolina, and who doesn't want to hear about that?

When last we spoke (on this topic) hubs and I were in Prince Edward Island for a friend's daughter's wedding. We didn't get to stay on PEI nearly long enough, because we needed to move south, but we did manage an overnight in St. John, N.B, and then two nights at our friend's house in Maine.

I was never interested in Maine as a kid, or even as an adult until more recently. I've known people who vacation there every summer, but in my mind Maine was too far north and far too chilly and the beaches were rocky and the water frigid, and none of that sounded like summertime fun to me.

I was so wrong.

I mean I was correct in that it is far, far north and it's chilly compared to say Florida, and yes the beaches are rocky and the water cool by southern standards, but somehow those factors combine to make for a super relaxed, outdoorsy, creation-is-so-unbelievably-amazing, kind of place that speaks right to my soul.

Oh and there's a lighthouse. Don't you just love a beautiful lighthouse? We spent a few hours one day, walking the coastal trail around the Portland Head Light and the scenery is absolutely stunning. 

Hubs and our friend climbed down onto the beach and skipped rocks, because the sea was calling.

There's a technique to skipping stones and hubs has it mastered.

Pretty sure it's all in the wrist. 

We had dinner one night at the local lobster pound, and fresh lobster never ever disappoints. Hubs had a whole lobster, they called it a newbie, which meant the shell could be cracked by hand-no tools required. 

                                       

Normally eating lobster is a fairly messy proposition (at least if you're me it is), with bits of shell flying, and butter dripping and splashing, but this was so much better. You didn't need a shower when you finished. 

I'm not the only one am I? 

Maine is full of some of the most beautiful views on planet Earth. I see why authors like Maine. It's mysterious. Nature looms large here, a character in the play of life. The sea crashes with great drama along the rocky, rugged shoreline, but the cool night air is soft and whispers in your ear...slow down.....breathe deeply...sit for a while.  

Maine, as it turns out, understands summer very well.

Back to School Hodgepodge

Welcome to the latest edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thanks for joining in here today. Answer the questions on your own blog, then add your link at the end of my post. Be sure you at least say hi to the blogger who linked before you because that's what good neighbors do. Here we go-

1. Way back when (the Hodgepodge bicentennial to be precise) several of you submitted questions as part of a giveaway I was hosting. I went back to that list for inspiration today and found a question  submitted by Marla, who blogs over at Marla's Musings. Thanks Marla! 

She asks-At what age did you feel like a 'grown-up'? What keeps you young now?   

Officially age 24 1/2.  At age 24 1/2 hubs and I moved from Tennessee to Virginia, a new to us town and state without any family nearby. I remember thinking, 'I guess there's no more looking around for an adult to solve a problem. We're the adults.' 

What keeps me young today? Um, my hair dresser? Actually she only keeps me looking young. Age is a state of mind, and I think young. It helps to spend time around younger people, to move forward with technology as best you can, and I'm also going to say travel. Travel keeps me young. Exploring new places and learning about all sorts of things as a result definitely helps me feel sharper and less foggy headed.  A foggy head makes me feel old. 

2. When did you last buy a vehicle? Was this by design or because you had no other option? Was the car/truck purchased for your own personal use or was it bought for someone else to drive? On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being delightful and 1 being 'pass the Excedrin') how would you rate the experience?

We bought a new vehicle on June 16th. We moved on June 11th so I won't be rating the experience a 10, but once we knew we had to buy a car, the process went smoothly. We like what we like, so deciding what to buy wasn't difficult, and the salesman was nice. I'll give it an 8 because I don't know that I'd ever rate buying a car as a 10. That's not my thing. 

We weren't planning to buy a car, but mine needed a very expensive repair, and we decided it didn't make sense to put that kind of money into the vehicle. I'm really happy with the new car, and if you read here you know I've spent a lot of time on the road since June, so we made the right call. 

3. Corn bread, corn chips, corn pudding, corn on the cob, cornflakes, corn chowder-your favorite of the corn-y foods listed? What needs to be served alongside your selection?

I don't dislike any of those foods, but corn on the cob is my favorite.  What needs to be served alongside? Something grilled...a burger, chicken, a salmon fillet...add a plate of sliced summer tomatoes and I'm happy. 

4. What's something in your life that regularly requires you to 'put your thinking cap on'?

That's easy-coming up with the Hodgepodge questions week after week.  Sometimes I have to crowbar them out of my brain, but remember...I'm helping you stay young! 

5. Share a favorite movie set in a school or classroom, or whose theme relates to school days in some way.

The Breakfast Club is one of my all time favorites no matter the category, but in this category I'd also add Mr. Holland's Opus. Two completely different movies, but both are films I can watch over and over again.  

6. Reading, writing, and 'rithmatic' are commonly referred to as the three R's. What are the three R's in your life right now?

Road trips, relocation, and  restaurant dining.  We've moved twice since June, and when we weren't moving we were road tripping, hence much restaurant dining. Too much in fact. I'm ready to do some home cooking, but I don't have all my pots, pans, and tools here which means the idea of cooking is more appealing than the reality. 

7. What's something you've learned or tried recently you can say was as 'easy as ABC'?

So much of what I've learned recently has not been 'easy as ABC'. The house build process, all the bells and whistles on my new car, a new cable TV guide...that last one I still haven't mastered. Like I said in #1 though, these things keep me young. They force my brain to think in ways it resists and that's a good thing. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

We are really enjoying living near one of the most beautiful college campuses in America. 

Hubs and I have done some walking here, and look forward to making that part of our routine. 

Once we quit with all the road tripping I mean. 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 232

Here are the questions for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share your answers. See you there!

1. Way back when (the Hodgepodge bicentennial to be precise) several of you submitted questions as part of a giveaway I was hosting. I went back to that list for inspiration today and found a question  submitted by Marla, who blogs over at Marla's Musings. Thanks Marla!

She asks-At what age did you feel like a 'grown-up'? What keeps you young now?   

2. When did you last buy a vehicle? Was this by design or because you had no other option? Was the car/truck purchased for your own personal use or was it bought for someone else to drive? On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being delightful and 1 being 'pass the Excedrin') how would you rate the experience?

3. Corn bread, corn chips, corn pudding, corn on the cob, cornflakes, corn chowder-your favorite of the corn-y foods listed? What needs to be served alongside your selection?

4. What's something in your life that regularly requires you to 'put your thinking cap on'?

5. Share a favorite movie set in a school or classroom, or whose theme relates to school days in some way.

6. Reading, writing, and 'rithmatic' are commonly referred to as the three R's. What are the three R's in your life right now?

7. What's something you've learned or tried recently you can say was as 'easy as ABC'?

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Yards Not Miles

Some people are lucky enough to have their grown children living nearby. Their whole family in fact pretty much sticks close to the town or at least the state where they were born. They have lunch together on Sunday afternoons and send the leftovers home with whoever wants them. They borrow coats and books and angel food cake pans, and they say hey, let's see a movie next week. They go to ballgames and the farmers market and that new restaurant a neighbor said was good.

And some people live in England while their babies attend university in America.

Or they live on the East Coast while their little girl and the boy she married live on the West Coast.

Or they teach school like a grown up in South Carolina, miles and miles and miles from you.

If your grown children live nearby you may not relate to the cycle of feelings one experiences when children live a day or flight or ocean away. How you start counting down the days on the calendar until 'next time' before 'this time' even gets here. How the anticipation and excitement of seeing your child in the flesh bubbles up in the weeks before a visit, and you know you need to squash that down a little, because they will come and go in what feels like the blink of an eye. You want to throw your heart wide open, but a part of you understands the need for a little self-preservation too.

You know from years of practice that after every hello there will be a goodbye, and that goodbye will hover over your time together if you let it. You understand all too well the supreme effort required to push the end of a visit to the actual end so you don't spend all day Saturday thinking about that airport run on Sunday. You learn something important.

You learn to be present.

We are those people. Those parents whose children have lived away from home since graduating from high school. Whose every trip back to us, to home, has required massive logistics, airports, delays, dollars, lost luggage, traffic jams, toll booths, connections, and hour upon hour in a car-train-plane. We've made peace with this because you cannot show your children the world, tell them it's theirs for the taking, and then demand they live next door.

Can you?
No I don't think you can.

Do  I want to?
Only sometimes.

Mostly I'm so thankful to see my daughters flourish in a world that is hard and often harsh. To see them chase their dreams and live out goals they set for themselves before they could even articulate them as such. To watch as they seek out and follow God's call on their lives.

I absolutely love having young adult children. I love their wit and their style and their compassion and their brains. My once upon a time baby girls have grown into the women I always imagined they would be, only better. They're interesting, independent, funny, and smart. I'm completely amazed at the way genes combine to give us children who are uniquely themselves, yet so much like us we recognize a turn of the wrist or a tilt of the head...their smallest hint of displeasure unexpressed and the drive behind that furrowed brow. A smile that springs from somewhere deep.

If you're in the throws of toddlerhood or living out the drama of the middle years, know the young adult years are worth every ounce of sweat and love and prayer you're pouring in today.

Keep loving well.

We moved into an apartment in South Carolina last Saturday. The same apartment complex my Daughter2 calls home. I can't explain how much I love our new living situation. Yesterday hubs and I were pulling out of a shopping center and noticed someone waving to us from the red light across the street. It was my girl! I guess that sounds a little silly, but y'all we're neighbors and just knowing she's nearby, within walking distance actually, makes my heart sing.

We had breakfast with her last Sunday, I helped set up her classroom on Monday, she walked over for dinner on Tuesday, and on Wednesday she and I enjoyed an hour of mindless but awesome TV aka Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making the Team.  Then I walked the few yards home and she did some work to prepare for the new school year.

When your family lives hundreds or thousands of miles away, every trip back, every single visit, requires moving in with them, operating out of suitcases, interrupting routines, settling for makeshift-it's only for a few days-kind of living. We're used to this, and since our extended families are spread out still we'll continue doing so because it's family and we love them.

But I feel like I've been given a little gift here. A bright spot in the midst of what has been literally nine years of schlepping bags and boxes, of longing for just one more day, one more hour, one more minute of in person time with my girls.

Sometime in the next year we'll move again, still nearby but not within walking distance. Daughter2 will also re-locate one day, and Daughter1 will definitely move from the west coast to ???, maybe closer maybe further and I celebrate that, I really do. I celebrate their willingness to meet life head on, to set down roots, but also to pick them up and re-plant somewhere new when change comes calling.

And it will come calling, again and again and again, which is why I'm going to settle in. I'm going to breathe deeply and embrace with my whole heart this season of geographic nearness. Years of hello and goodbye have taught me a great appreciation for the now.

My feet are so ready for the now, for walking yards instead of miles....

... and loving every single step. 

The Hodgepodge Highway

It's that time again! Thanks for playing along here on Wednesdays, and know that newcomers are always welcome to join the fun. Answer the questions on your own blog, then add your link at the end of my post. Here we go-

1. When was the last time you relocated? Did you move yourself or leave it to the professionals? Are you happy staying put or is there a move in your future? Best thing about moving to a new city or town? Least favorite and/or hardest thing about moving house?

I moved on Saturday. Prior to Saturday's relo I moved June 11th. Yes twice in one summer, and we're only in Phase 3. Also, relo is the term those of us in the business use when discussing relocation. I'm not actually in the relo business, but quite often it feels as if I am. 

We won't be staying put. This is a four phase plan and we're only in phase three. There's definitely another move in my future, but not this calendar year. And I'm a firm believer in leaving it to the professionals whenever possible. 

Best thing about moving to a new city or town? I love having somewhere new to explore, and I enjoy meeting new people wherever we roam. Worst thing? Hmmm...definitely a first world problem, but finding a new person to cut my hair ranks high on my list. Then there's all the bureaucratic rigmarole. We were at the DMV yesterday, twice!!, and still don't have a license or our cars tagged so there's that. 

Moving is a process and I know it takes a good year for a new place to feel like it's truly my own. 

2. When were you last 'moved to tears'? Explain.

We attended a wedding recently, and I am always moved to tears at that first glance of a bride on her father's arm at the back of the church. Pass the tissues please. 

3. Do you have rules about eating in the car...any forbidden foods? What's the last thing you consumed in your car? Your go-to car snack when traveling long distance?

I don't have a lot of rules about eating in my car, but there are a few. No fast food because I can't handle the lingering smell, and nothing greasy or drippy. My feelings are crumbs can be vacuumed up, but hubs has a strict 'non-particulate' snacks only rule. I think he likes to say that word, but we all know the ones he means.  

Daughter1 rode to TN one time with her aunt (hubs sister) and she phoned hubs to tell him they stopped for snacks and the nephews chose sunflower seeds and pork rinds. Hubs could hardly stand to think about it. My go-to car snack is Twizzlers, and that is also my most recently consumed. 

4. Share a favorite song relating to cars and/or driving.

Life is a Highway by Tom Cochrane. I like the Rascal Flatts version too, but the original always makes me think of Daughter2. I actually wrote a post about it when she graduated from college (here if you're curious), but in short...Daughter2 latched onto this song as a happy, chatty toddler, and to this day whenever I hear it I flash back to the sweetness of her at age two and a half, strapped into the car seat, singing to her heart's content. 

5. What's your most frequently visited drive-thru...Starbucks? the bank? the pharmacy? some other window?

There wasn't a Starbucks in tinytown, and Dunkin Donuts didn't have a drive thru. I never use the pharmacy window, so I'm going to say the ATM because I do seem to be there a lot.

6. "He who hesitates is lost"...would you agree? When it comes to making decisions do you generally act quickly or do you more often than not fall into the 'lost' category?

Would I agree? Not always. Sometimes it's wise to hesitate and mull things over before diving in. Of course there is such a thing as too much hesitation, which is probably where I land too much of the time, but I'm a thinker and sometimes 'he who hesitates keeps from making a big blunder'.  

7. When was the last time you got lost? Was it stressful or an unexpected happy adventure?

I rely on my GPS and am thankful for technology that keeps me mostly on track.  I have absolutely no sense of direction, and at least once a week we'll drive somewhere and hubs will say, 'You have no idea where we are, do you?' Guilty. 

We've taken some wrong turns and side routes that were unplanned, but I'm not sure that's the same as being truly lost. Here's how we roll-

We're driving along and realize we missed a turn, are on the wrong road, or the GPS can't 'find' us. Some lively discussion ensues as to which one of us is responsible for this new turn of events before we regroup and carry on, trying our best to make it a happy adventure.  

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I have so many random thoughts percolating right now my head is in a constant state of spin. I'm stockpiling random thoughts for future blogging, so am kind of reluctant to throw one out there now, which I know makes it sound like you should brace yourselves for some really deep and interesting bit of writing down the road, but don't. It's more like I have so many stray thoughts I don't know which to keep and which to discard. Which ones I want to blog about and which ones I want to forget. How about this-we have a small road trip this weekend. I know! We are officially insane.

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 231

The Hodgepodge is back after a brief summer holiday. We moved over the weekend, so I do hope technology smiles on my poor neglected little corner of the Internet today. I have at least three posts written in my head, but as the saying goes-business before pleasure. Today's business is the DMV so whoohoo!

Thanks for hanging in there with me...don't forget to hop back here tomorrow (Wednesday) to share answers with the rest of the movers and shakers.

1. When was the last time you relocated? Did you move yourself or leave it to the professionals? Are you happy staying put or is there a move in your future? Best thing about moving to a new city or town? Least favorite and/or hardest thing about moving house?

2. When were you last 'moved to tears'? Explain.

3. Do you have rules about eating in the car...any forbidden foods? What's the last thing you consumed in your car? Your go-to car snack when traveling long distance?

4. Share a favorite song relating to cars and/or driving.

5. What's your most frequently visited drive-thru...Starbucks? the bank? the pharmacy? some other window?

6. "He who hesitates is lost"...would you agree? When it comes to making decisions do you generally act quickly or do you more often than not fall into the 'lost' category?

7. When was the last time you got lost? Was it stressful or an unexpected happy adventure?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Drive On

We've been on the road, which might be the understatement of the century, and I have a lot to say. Really I just need somewhere to put my pictures and I'm still on my mom's computer so the editing is tricky. 

When I say we've been on the road, what I mean is we've driven roughly 3,000 miles in the past two weeks. Also, we're moving to South Carolina this weekend which is another 650, but pshht...we laugh at 650. 

And yes, we're finally moving into our apartment which I'm sure I'll blob about later, but for now let's head north to the land of Anne with an 'e' and moose as big as your car.

For the record, we did not see a single moose. Boo. With the number of signs posted we fully expected one to tear across the highway, but not a single creature crossed our path. 

I think this recap will need to be
fivetwo posts because we jammed a lot into those 2000+ miles up and back. Except I'm moving this weekend and blogging and moving do not play well together, so we'll see. 

We were invited to a wedding on Prince Edward Island, and I never miss a chance to see the land of Anne. Crossing the bridge onto PEI feels like driving into a storybook. Very special friends live on the island, and catching up with them in person is always a treat. Their daughter and our daughter1 navigated teenage life together in the UK, and we wanted to be there to share in her big day.

It's about 1000 miles up and another thousand back, but we made some stops along the way and turned it into a holiday. Maine is stunning. Seriously, one of the prettiest states in the whole of America. I love the coastline and the woodlands and the charming seaside towns. 

Oh, and also the lobster.   

Maineacs know how to make a proper lobster roll. 

We spent the first night in Freeport Maine, home to LL Bean who've got to be ranked number one in customer service around the world. Hubs dropped off his duck boots for resoling, duck boots he purchased 27 years ago and which still look fantastic. They'll resole the shoes and mail them to us in a few weeks, so easy peasy. Their flagship store is open 24/7, 365 days a year because I guess there are some crazy folks who absolutely must buy a kayak on Christmas Day. 

We had a wonderful dinner at the Jameson Tavern situated just behind Bean, and enjoyed our seafood al fresco with live music and a cool breeze.  I don't know that I'd want to winter in Maine, but summers here are absolute perfection. 

On Thursday we drove just under three hours from Freeport to one of my happy places-Bar Harbor. I am in love with this town and all it's natural beauty, charming shops, and wonderful seafood. 

We stayed in the Bar Harbor Inn which sits perched beside the rocky shoreline, and spent the day walking along the coast and in and out of shops.

We might also have eaten more lobster. ahem.

Bar Harbor was fogged in for a good part of the day, but still so so pretty. In case you're wondering, the moose atop that building is not real.

We got an early start on Friday, and while we hated to leave, we had another seven hours of driving ahead (plus you lose an hour when you cross the Canadian border) so it was back into the car and on to Prince Edward Island. Also one of my happy places. 

If you're a fan of the Anne books and have never been to PEI, rest assured this lovely island is all your childhood imagination ever dreamed it would be. 

The bride's parents were hosting a little event after their rehearsal and dinner, so hubs and I had a leisurely meal ourselves before heading over. 

                                         

Champagne and oysters at the Claddagh House on Sydney Street. Hubs makes friends wherever he goes, so naturally was invited behind the bar to shuck an oyster. After dinner we moved next door to meet up with our friends and their friends and of course the bride and groom.  

Daughter1 tried so hard to work out her schedule to be there, but just couldn't make it happen. I'm standing in with her high school besties. They're all grown up now, all three married and living about as far from one another as geography allows, but still close in heart. That's the bride on the right. The lighting was a little dim for a picture, but we were missing you Daughter1! 

Saturday morning hubs and I wandered around Charlottetown, in and out of shops, down by the waterfront, and up and down the tree-lined avenues near our hotel, The Great George.  

The wedding was held at one of the oldest churches on PEI, in a part of the island known as South Rustico. The weather was absolutely glorious, and the bride and groom adorable. 

Fathers of brides are pretty cute too. 

Just sayin'. 

Hors d'oeuvres were served here, with a gorgeous view and fresh oysters shucked on the patio by a very skilled oyster shucker. Dinner was served in a beautifully decorated room indoors, and was four courses of deliciousness. The mother of the bride has some serious foodie connections, and the chefs were top notch. Thankfully there was dancing after all that dining. 

I need to get moved y'all, and step out of vacation mode. 

For reals. 

I also need to wrap this up because we've been at my mom's for 56 days and it's now time to remember where I've stashed all those bags, bins, and boxes we arrived with way back in early June. I'd much rather talk about our holiday, but these suitcases won't pack themselves so it looks like there will be a part two after all. 

I'm a little overwhelmed by all there is to do in the next few days, but in the words of my favorite Anne...'It's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.'

Even moving.