Fill My Tummy with Great Food

 Food, of course, is always a highlight of any vacation. 

Shirley and I went to Hurricane Moe's one night and pigged out on seafood. Her go-to is always shrimp. Mine is scallops. We were not disappointed and in fact, I hurt so bad waddling out of that place but I did it with no regrets! 

We gals had Saturday brunch as our meal to mix for all those women. It was a huge success. Only meal made that entire week where scrapbookers were up from their tables, snapping pictures and oooohing and aaaahing. We DONE good! 

I'm making croissants filled with egg, cheese and ham. 

One of our trays. fruit, boiled eggs, cheese straws, plain croisaants and jam.

A more savory tray with sausages, the egg/cheese/ham croissants and avocado. 

And, Mimosas for everyone. Yum. Maybe it was the mimosas that made everyone so happy! 

A Week At the Beach

 Oh my gosh....

What a week. It was certainly different than our family get-aways, and because I don't scrapbook anymore it was different in that respect, as well. But, I enjoyed myself. I mean, how can you not enjoy someone else cooking your meals for you for 6 brunches and dinners! I didn't have to do laundry, go shopping, clean toilets or mop floors. 

Instead, I read one and a half books, I painted 3 watercolor paintings, I did numerous crossword puzzles, streamed a bunch of my tv shows and wrote every day in my journal. Good week, I'd say. 

There were about 2 dozen women in this huge beach house. And, all the furniture was moved out of the Main room on the top floor (except our tables where we ate our meals) and scrapbookers brought in their own 6' tables and all their scrapbooking supples and there was hardly any walking room in there at all. 

Because of a dune, we couldn't see the water's edge so missed out on watching the waves crashing or seeing the birds running around the beach line. 

Some days were very cool, windy. 

    Some days were warmer, sunny. 

Once when Shirley and I were having some key lime pie on the balcony, a bird (not sure which kind) came in hopes we'd feed him. Shirley said I'd better not, I'd get tons of birds flying in, but I did anyway. A few crumbs of the crust. He was happy and so was I.

And, no extra visitors wanting their share.

You should have seen me trying to get out of this tall Adirondack chair!

Got into it fine. But, could not get out! 

Shirley to the rescue!

Our comfy bed! 

More in the next post. 

Running away to the beach

 Pardon me while I enjoy the beach for a week... I would take you all with me if I could. 

Here are some photos from other trips I have made over the years... Nags Head, North Carolina

Happy Spring

I guess you can tell that I am one happy girl that today is the first day of Spring!!

I am realistic enough, though, to know that it won't  all be sunshine and daffodils. Chilly weather isn't gone yet. 

Wishing each of you a wonderful season of joy and color. 

 

Final post on Susan's modeling Adventure

 The final post on Susan's modeling adventure:

After coming back to New York from Europe, Susan picked up right where she left off, but now her portifolio was much more impressive. At one point she changed agencies.. that probably helped some but who knows. Modeling is a very difficult career in that if you don't have a stiff backbone and a drive that's top-notch it's hard. Susan is that gentle, kind-hearted, do anything for you southern lady. Being that kind of gal made it hard to make her mark over more aggresive girls.

a photo shoot done in 1987

But, she worked. She did modeling for Macy's Department Store,  runway for fashion week, catolog photos for several companies, was in Glamour magazine as well as Cosmopolitan mag. Women's World and several others. 

She had a national commerical for Ban deodorant and a whiskey company of which I can not recall right now.

A snapshot taken when the commercial was playing on tv. 

 She was on the cover of some books that were published. This one is my favorite. 

She shot in St. Croix, Chicago, New York and several other places. It was all exciting for her and her family was so proud of her. 

She got engaged to that boyfriend I told you about... they were married at Old First Church in Bennington, Vermont in 1989. It was a gorgeous wedding. 

Susan and her Dad entering the church

They had their first son in 1991, moved to the suburbs. Didn't want to raise a family in the city. Fourteen months later another son joined them. Susan was still working even though she was now a wife and mom. But, then everything changed.

The youngest baby was diagnosed with autism at age 18 months. We all were devastated. He needed constant care, 24/7 and still does to this day. He will celebrate his 32nd birthday in April. 

So much of Susan's time and energy has gone into O's care. On top of that she and her husband started a small organization out of their home to help educate, give resources to and fight for better legistation for autism on the national level. As you might assume, it grew out of their house and eventually joined with a couple other groups and formed what is known as Autism Speaks. The two of them over the years have raised around 20 million dollars for Autism Speaks through golf tournaments held each year. 

Yes, my little teenager with a big dream of being a model got to live that dream for awhile. But, her purpose in life paints such a bigger picture. She is still that gentle, kind-hearted woman, full of patience and grace. I couldn't be more proud.

Susan and Owen

Modeling adventure part #4

 Susan got busy right away with her agency in Paris, meeting photographers for photo shoots, getting some work, going on 'go-sees' (the term for auditions) and making a few friends. She remained living at La Louisanne Hotel where she and I had stayed so they got to know her very well. In fact, she took her Dad and I to Europe 5 years later. When we checked into La Louisanne the clerk greeted her with a big hug and 'Aw, Susanne. How good to see you'. Some impression my daughter had made!! Of course, it could be due to the fact that she was always having to use their phone for calls from her Mama who missed her terribly. 

She made the cover of Arpel Magazine in Paris 

some more pages from that magazine

Eventually she moved from Paris to Milan, Italy then on to Madrid, Spain. I was always encouraging her to 'go see the sights' but she was a busy gal living her own life. She wishes now that she had listened more to her Mama. 

This one is from Milan, Italy

It was during her stay in Spain that she was in a chair having her make-up done when she kept hearing the stylists chattering away. She knew little of the Spanish language but picked up enough to know that the country of Lybia and the U.S were into it somehow. Seems that Lybia had been bombed. The Spanish didn't take to kindly to that, so Susan started telling everyone she was from Canada, not the U. S. No sense in taking chances when you didn't have to. 

A billboard featuring Susan in Spain

Susan paid me back big time for me not contacting her that time I got stuck in the snow encased airports. She didn't mean to, it just happened. She and another girl were sent to Hamburg, Germany for work. They were to fly there on short notice so Mama didn't know that she wasn't still in Italy. I could not get in touch with her for days and I got scared. Where was my baby?

Susan feeling the swans in Hamburg, Germany

Seems that she and the other girl decided to not fly but to take the train instead. Now, they have some fast trains in Europe so they made the trip in a short time. That shouldn't have delayed a phone call home but soon as they arrived in Hamburg they were taken to a location for a shoot. I certainly was relieved when I finally got that call from her. 

Susan got homesick. She knew she should stay longer in Europe. Her portfolio was looking good but it still needed some more great photos in it to make it have the WOW factor. Being homesick won out. She packed up and flew back to New York and her boyfriend.