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. 

Paris Part 2 and 3 continued

If you are following the story of my daughter Susan's modeling career part 2 is found at this link  https://accidentallyaging.blogspot.com/2025/02/a-love-affair-with-paris.html  so go there and then continue with this post (it's part 3)

It was time to leave this 'weird and scary' hotel! So, the two of us set out in search of anything nicer and we found La Louisanne Hotel on Rue de Seine and knew we had hit the jackpot. We had our own bathroom with nice, fluffy towels, a view out a window that we could open and just soak in the Paris vibe.

It was perfect.... and it was near Notre Dame cathedral. 

Susan had met a Parisian back in New York so she called him up and he showed us some of the sights. He drove us out to a Hugmonous flea market where he treated us to lunch and we wandered and drooled over everything we wished we could bring home. 

It was nearly nightfall when we parked near the Eifel Tower and watched the twinkling lights of the city. On another day Susan and I rode the lift up to the first deck of the tower and the view was breathtaking. 

We went to Versallies Palace. All I can say is WOW. We toured Notre Dame, ate in quaint little sidewalk cafes. 

At Versaille Palace

And, then the week was over. It was time to leave my 20 year old in Paris to begin her work, ALONE. 

Susan took me to the train station for the trip back to Brussells, Belgium. My plane would lift off early the next morning so I knew I  had an overnight stay in the airport. 

Once there, I settled in, the place was empty except for a lone traveler (me) sitting in a seat,  my purse wedged behind my back, my suitcase in the adjoining seat so I could lean over and sleep. SLAP, SLAP, SLAP... footsteps are approaching. I open my eyes to see a uniformed guard with heavy boots carrying a sub-machine gun doing his patrol. Should I be scared? Or should I feel safer? What the heck! I went back to sleep. 

The plane covered in snow

By morning snow was coming down heavy, flights were cancelled and so I spend the day in the airport waiting and waiting. Finally we take off for Newark Airport. Remember. No cell phones so no one knows I've been delayed. 

By the time we get to Newark my connecting flight had been gone hours ago... no more flights out so I settle down to spend another night in this airport. Sometime during the night I look out the huge glass windows and snow is coming down! Guess what. Flights are cancelled and I spent another day not knowing when I can fly out.  Finally after dark, I board a plane that has been deiced and I head for Alabama. 

My poor baby, my daughter I left behind has been worried sick. I was to call her as soon as I got home and here it is two nights and two days and I am still not home. When I did call,  she said she thought she had put me on the wrong train and had sent me to Siberia or some other cold, dangerous place. 

My husband met me at the airport. I hugged him and then said, 'Home, please. I need a hot bath.'

More pictures from our trip:

One of my favorite photos ever! Taken out the car as we sat waiting for the light to change.

Susan and me at the street market outisde our hotel

Susan with her Parisian friend

Susan beside the Seine River

How it All Began!

 I've had requests for more on a couple things that I have posted.... one was my daughter as a model and the other one was more about my Paris adventures. 

So, here goes.

As soon as Susan got to be a teenager, she started talking about wanting to be a model. Here we were living out in the country on a farm in north/central Alabama. Where did she get that notion? But, she was sure that is what she wanted to do. 

Her first model card

By the time she graduated from high school we had found a model agency in Birmingham, 40 miles from us and so we went over to see if she might stand a chance at being a model. They signed her and soon she was doing newspaper ads for a big department store there, some magazine work etc.

Newspaper Ad

Alabama Monthly magazine

a store catalog

 Eventually she started getting work in Atlanta. 

John Casablancas Model Agency in New York send a representive down to check out the girls in Bham and Susan along with 4, I think it was, other girls were chosen to fly to New York for try outs. We were so thrilled. 

                    The girls in their New York hotel room

When the girls flew out of Bham, a crew from the local tv station went with them, filming their adventure. They were featured on the local 'news magazine' program. 

At the airport

Susan and one other girl was signed with John Casablancas and then they came home. Susan was to go back to New York to start her career as soon as Christmas was over. 

But.............

We attended a wedding on Dec. 23rd. Susan and her best friend wanted to go to the mall instead of doing the reception so Elbert and I said yes. That's just what teenagers do. 

A short time later a man in jeans and corduroy jacket walks into the reception hall and calls out, 'is there a Mr. and Mrs. Barton here?'

Down the road our daughter sat in her car, blood everywhere.

Her car before it was hit.

 A drunk driver had hit her. Her head had crashed through the windshield. This was in the early 1980s so things were different then like seat belts etc. Glass shards were embedded in her scalp and forehead, a cut above one eye and a broken ankle. It could have been worse! 

with Mom in the hospital... it was Christmas Day

Months followed with surgeries, daily trips to the gym to build up strength in her leg, scarring to deal with on her face. Would she ever fulfill her dream? Her Dad and I didn't think so but that girl never gave up.

I had given her a music box that played 'New York, New York' and for months it had remained silent. finally one day I heard that music coming from her bedroom. I knew that she had faith in herself. Dad and I had to get onboard as well. 

Continued in next post.