Light on Mostly Wordless Wednesday

"I have been here before, But when or how I cannot tell: I know the grass beyond the door, The sweet keen smell, The sighing sound, the lights around the shore."
-Rossetti, Dante Gabriel


Light hearted...

Where there is a crack in the darkness...light shines through...

A hole in the wall...

up way too early...

blinded by the light!

"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it"

- Edith Wharton

"It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)Sun-Shiny day."

Johnny Nash " I Can See Clearly Now"

There is so much light to be found. Wishing each of you a bright, sun-shiny Wednesday!

Everybody Loves a Parade

Everyone loves a parade, right...men, women, children of all ages gathered around to cheer on the SOS Hall of Fame dancers, shag clubs and apparently anyone with a golf cart or convertible as they rolled down the drive to the sounds of beach music. All except this guy...The word anal is missing from his t-shirt. This man took his job to a whole new level. Oh, Mr. Parade Official I think all the grown ups here know to get out of the way of the floats and stuff.

A few of the "floozies" watching the parade...floozies tend to wear hats for any occasion!

The Diva has been repeatedly asked to ride on the "floats" however she maintains...why ride on one float when you can be a part of the whole parade? Quick Connie, take a picture because I want one of these umbrellas later...sounds like another arts and crap project for me!

Ugga Chukka Ugga Chukka...Shagging, so easy a Caveman can do it...yeah right...they haven't met this Cavegirl

Livin in the wild, wild west...one of my favorites...love the music...love the can can girls and the cannot "girl" up top!

Well of course she's gonna hitch a ride on the nearest horse...did you expect otherwise?

A parade at the beach always requires at least one boat!



And what kind a parade would it be without a clown or two? Do you watch from the sidelines and cheer everyone on or do you stay away? A GREAT time was had by all this day!!! Too many pictures to share to little time!!!

Life is a Beach

Who doesn't love a beach party! Home to many fun filled, idyllic days in the sand and surf...and shopping, eating, dancing, parades...I love the coast...anywhere...I love bodies of water large and small.

Ashes and debris on the sand as a result of wildfires near the coast of South Carolina.

Amidst a ranging wildfire whilst recovering from respiratory ailments may not sound like a good idea...however...the smoke was minimal at "our" end of the beach. I was quite saddened by the damage and destruction due to carelessness...I could go on about our stewardship to the environment...that's a story for another day...today...we embrace the beauty of the coast and the joy of having delightful, wonderful, caring friends!!!!!

I witnessed a phenomenon that occurs in the Spring, Autumn and Mid-Winter on the Strand as the multitudes flock to the coast for SOS (Shagging on the Strand) Activities abound to tickle your fancy...one can do as much or as little as the heart desires! The floozies (with the exception of moi) have attended SOS for many, many, many years...to clarify, I do not dance much, if ever, so I was not inclined to attend the festivities...during our tea party (see previous post) as the conversation turned to SOS, I was invited to spend the weekend...the lovely Rhetta drove Debbie and I to the beach on Thursday evening, the Diva and the Princess of Quite a Lot prepared dinner and a fun, relaxing time was had by all! A MOST HEARTFELT APPRECIATION goes out to the Diva's boy toy, TOM...delightful and lovely man that he is...cooked homemade buttermilk pancakes and BACON for our Friday morning breakfast...thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Afterwards a girl's morning was spent at the vineyards followed by a scrumptious seafood lunch at The Grapevine. Naps were taken and some took off for an evening of dance and merriment. The parade on Saturday deserves a story of its own and will be forthcoming! I cannot express the delight and joy of the long weekend spent with such WONDERFUL FRIENDS (thank you all!) Along the way I made the acquaintence of a few new friends...

This little guy was torn between following his master down the beach or staying with me!!!

I didn't know the Easter bunny stayed over at the beach...How about you do you love a gorgeous coastline?

Happy 25th Birthday Baby Girl!

Happy 25th Birthday "Ree Ree". You have brought such joy and adventure into our lives! Our bargain hunter, shopper, bungee jumping, parasailing wonder...where did you get that sense of adventure? You always love to have a good time!!!

"Ree Ree" and "Meech" (also know as Shellie Poo) circa 1984ish

Sullivans Island near Charleston, SC...

St. Augustine, Florida (with Katharin and me in one of my jumpers)

Any beach is still one of your favorite places to be...actually I think you just love water! You couldn't stand it when your sister and cousins would swim in the "deep" end...so you jumped off a diving board (much to my horror) and started swimming! People were always amazed to see such a tiny girl diving and paddling in deep waters.

Now that is funny, I don't care who you are... (this past weekend at "Big Buck")

Love ya bunches! And yes, my sweet girl, I am making your favorite "bunny" cake for your party on Sunday!

Please pass the Vodka???

February 22, 2009 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina....cold, windy and beautiful!

I just bet that got your attention! Having dinner with my friend Jayne always helps me to put things into perspective. With her vast knowledge of so many subjects including the ones she teaches plus an incredible memory of everything she has ever read Jayne always has a helpful tidbit to keep your life sane plus she is not preachy. We spent two hours chatting over chips and salsa and delicious entrees at Chili's. It was a much needed respite for me and I woke up this morning feeling more calm and optimistic. Jayne and I often talk about "our tribes" We discussed a little about telling those you care about and admire how much you care and admire them. I am so grateful for "my tribe", the individuals both far and near that I call friends...those I spend time with in my day to day wanderings, my book club tribe and my blog friends. I have been amazed at the kinship I feel with some of my blog family, Hayden coined the phrase, I-Family and I think it is an awesome and very apt definition. Stephanie takes the everyday mundane chores, rants and raves a little, adds her humorous twist and you leave amused and less annoyed with life. Natalie, well you never know what she will be up to and she makes me laugh! Other members of the tribe include Tracie and Tracey and so many more that inspire me and leave comments that color my world Happy! Ruth writes technically, professionally and creatively...sometimes I worry about my obvious misuse of grammar and flagrant misuse of punctuation, however even she comes back and leaves lovely remarks. Jayne and my daughter, Michelle were the impetus for starting my own blog. Prior to that I only lurked around blogworld! Many thanks to my blogging friends for your continued support! To each of my friends I thank you for your individuality and for all the ways I am inspired by you.

How does your blogging go...I generally get an idea and just start typing...I know there are a few of you shaking your head this very moment. I never have a rough draft and do not edit overly much. Thus I never know where I may end up with a post. The title of this post was inspired by an article on The Daily Green that listed ten uses for vodka...my favorites...soothing a toothache (duh?) freshening your laundry (so that's what my aunt was doing out there) an insect repellent...it suggests using the bottom priced vodkas for these household uses... no Grey Goose in the laundry room. The article caught my eye mainly because I am always on the look out to an alternative for every day stuff. Did you know that vodka helps with jelly fish stings (you pour it ON the stings) and poison ivy...? My friend Kristi chose the book "Alas Babylon" for our book club recently and one of the characters purchased cases of alcohol in preparation for an end of times scenario...it became a very valuable commodity particularly since no medicine or antiseptics were available...I'm not saying go out and buy a year's supply of booze...

I have been blogging a little over a year and I have FINALLY learned how to include links!!! I am so excited...it is the little things that make me happy (STOP shaking your heads)!

Other things that make me happy today...

a cool, crisp beautiful day
the bunches of tulips I bought for each of my daughters, shh, it's a surprise!

the daffodils tilting their lovely heads towards SPRING (hey DotDot, I am thinking of you each time I see them)
planning silly headgear/hats for an upcoming bridal shower

beaches

and as Hayden says, you can never have too much cuteness....

The Light Will Come

It's easy to fall into fear and despair regarding the depressing economic news, but it's important to remember that spiritual principle transcends all that. God's laws are higher than economic laws, and God never goes into a recession.
Marianne Williamson

Fear is an illusion. Our craziness, paranoia, anxiety, and trauma are literally all imagined. That is not to say they don't exist for us as human beings. They do. But our fear is not our ultimate reality, and it does not replace the truth of who we really are.
—Excerpted from A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in. (unknown)

One of my favorite songs by singer, songwriter, Michael McLean states...hold on the light will come...

As we are stumbling through the darkness we must hold onto the surety that we are loved and that we are so much more than our problems and concerns...everything is a test...some days the test is a piece of cake...other days, not so much. The key is to take the trials and learn from them and move on...there is ALWAYS "a light at the end of the tunnel"

I find that when I close in on myself and stay in the dark...my spirit shrinks. When I choose to open the windows of my soul, express joy and love...my spirit expands and soars!

My plan for the weekend is to "get out" of the house, so to speak and expand my spirit in whatever way is presented.

We live in uncertain times...we have trials and troubles...joy and happiness still abound, sometimes we have to dig a little deeper to experience Life to its fullest!

I saw a card recently that basically had someone jumping for joy and it said "Any day above the ground is a GOOD day!

My soul longs for the sea...a walk along the shore casting troubles out with the waves...yep...maybe this stinking cough will go out to sea as well. May each of you feel loved, feel joy and have a most wonderful weekend. God has created a beautiful world for us and for this I am deeply grateful!!!

(photos were taken by me on various trips to the Florida and South Carolina coasts)

Inspiration

Rain is splashing in puddles on the concrete, there is a chill in the air. A new season is beginning. A leaf or two begins the subtle change from green to orange, yellow and red. It's a glorious season one I love for reflection, meditation and making improvements. Preparing to hunker down for the winter to come. Or for us in the South the promise of Winter. It is a quiet Friday and I am prone to daydreaming...the dripping rain beckons me back to the window! Browsing thru some shots of things... I derive inspiration for future projects...
This humble cottage would make a lovely vacation home in the mountains. It's definitely a fixer. It is in fact in the Smokey Mountains. Can you just hear the rain tapping on the tin roof? A couple rockers on the porch. Pure Ecstasy.

The clouds rolling over the Great Smokey Mountains...all around one is engulfed in this smokey haze...it has an ethereal feel to it.

The lines of this bench and the way it felt against my back...I could nap here. Oh yeah...Me and Moe, our feline son.

On a walk in the country at the family ponderosa...I have no idea what these are...reminded me of some alien pods........

What's not to love about this wiggly, little guy. Can you look at him and not smile for all his being so very "twee" (as my friend Dorothy would have called it) This was on the dash of my friend Kelly's car. He was rescued from a thrift shop in Florida.

Nature's beauty discarded from the sea for us to look upon and enjoy. I could sit there for hours and sift my hands through the fragments. Some shells were selected to be added to jewelry projects...nature graciously provided holes for them to be re-used as jewelry or in other art.

Kinda what today looks like, shades of gray...behave... we are not talking about my hair! This day has a reflective, meditative, silent deliciousness about it...hope you enjoy your weekend!

Sun, Sand, Sea and Tattoos!

A return to sun, sand and sea beckons me like no other place. Sorrow, grief, frustration flows away with the tide...joy, delight and awe return with the tide! Doors open enabling the sounds of the waves to rock you to a peaceful slumber. Majestic colors of Sky and Sun reflecting on water. The delightful giggling and shrieking of happy children (especially grandchildren) racing to get busy digging, building, running and splashing. A return to childlike wonderment and delight.

A bright new day filled with possibilities awakens with the glorious sunrise!!! Morning begins with a swim in the pool with very excited grandchildren! Hunter isn't still long enough to be photographed. Anna must look at and touch everything.

It's a quick shower and off to be tattooed! Henna that is, washable, safe and fun! As we rode along the boulevard enjoying the "tourists" (Jayne, a former coastal resident for 30+years, Kristi and I being South Carolinians and a couple of hours away do not consider ourselves tourists!) we spyed an accommodating location to get our tattoos...so many to choose from...hmmm...

Yes, my lower back is a might ticklish and I am concentrating on being still!

Oh My Stars and Garters! I decided on a swirly star with a curly garland as an anklet! I love it.

Several women, later in the day asked me if it hurt and I said no because it is only dye and not permanent! I am too fickle to have anything inked on me forever.

Jayne decided to have stars, moon and dragonfly a wee bit higher up the leg...

Some much needed retail therapy and silliness after a scrumptious, fine dining experience at Abuelos. Great food, wonderful atmosphere and the best service I've had in a long time! Along with fajitas and yummy chips and salsa were these delicious papas con chile' (mashed potatoes on steroids) After an attempt to sample the "hot stuff in little silver cups" I quickly downed about 5 diet cokes!!! Reminder to self...do not drink 5 diet cokes when you must use many public restrooms! Goodbyes to Kristi and Jayne, return to the condo for me! Sunday was yet another beautiful day...exhausted children and great grandma...we let them sleep in and slipped downstairs to the restaurant for breakfast. We had our own private "worship" service on the beach. We usually do not shop and go places on Sunday, that is reserved for church service and rest...however being at the beach for a limited time we took the children and the great grandma to the aquarium to view the most amazing heavenly creatures! Michelle's husband was injured on a four wheeler while racing (note.. frowning here) we decided to depart early for home.

A lovely time was had by all...to my friends enjoying shagging (dancing) at the beach have fun...I may see you gals at the "grapevine" on Friday!!!