At the Shore

 What a relaxing, enjoyable time at the beach! Let me tell you, there's nothing any more fun than doing nothing! Right? 

We gals lay around, talked alot, watched the ocean waves, lay around some more... watched some tv, especially on Saturday when Alabama beat the socks off of Missoui. That was my kind of game! 

The three of us (Shirley, her friend Jackie and me) went to Basnight's for seafood one night. I am such a scallops girl and I was not disappointed. After Jackie left Shirley and I went to Waterfront Millers and I was sacreligious.... I ordered Baby Back Ribs in a seafood restaurant! But, man, were they yummy. And, that was the only two times we were out of the condo for 5 days! Like I said, fun doing nothin'.

I'll share some photos .. I'll make another post for some more pics. Just don't like making my posts too long. So.... here goes. 

Jackie, me and Shirley awaiting our seafood at Basnight's. 

My plate of scallops, baked potato and root vegetable medley

me, just watching the waves come and go....

early morning from our balcony

Old friends catching up on the latest news

an evening sky

to be continued................

Let The Adventure Begin

 

I'm taking a break from blogging so I can spend a few days at the beach (Nags Head, N. C.) 

The ocean is calling, my tummy says it's ready for scallops and my soul needs something besides these 4 walls. 

Tootle oo.... 

Saturday's Ups and Downs

 It was COLD Saturday morning.....

and we were having a Fall Festival ... not advertised, mainly for the residents...

And, man, I dreaded it. I'd been sort of roped in to manning the pumpkin painting. 'Cause I paint, the organizer said. Oh, geez, how hard is it to paint a teeny, tiny pumpkin. But, I said I'd help so I headed downstairs.

As you can tell, I wasn't in the mood but it started warming up and I was inside. And, people started mingling. 

I took a break and got a few pictures, even did the pie walk* and won me one of those individual pies you get in a grocery store. It was lemon! 

And, then we all had free hotdogs and chips for lunch. So, I was a pretty happy camper! 

Later on that evening I watched MY ALABAMA football team lose to Tennessee. Bummer, double bummer. What a day. 

* to do the pie walk it's sort of like musical chairs. You walk around and when the music stops, if you are on the lucky spot, you get a prize. 

My Going-Away Box

Well, I up and did it!  I opened my mouth when I should have kept it shut! 😐

I'd just read a book written by a hospice nurse so when I ran into a couple of residents chatting about dying my interest was peaked. And, I ended up offering to conduct a meeting about 'That Next Step' that we all will take one of these days.

It was on Monday night, a small crowd. I already knew quite a bit and I had spent a couple weeks researching online for more information. The meeting lasted an hour and a half and I was complimented and thanked afterwards. I had given them something to think about, new things to set into motion. 

                And, I had taken my 'Going Away' file box to show them. 

This box holds all my original certificates, notes on my wishes for, say, my funeral, my care before I die. There's a handwritten letter to each of my children that they can open after I am gone. Even the passwords to my online accounts. My will, Durable Power of Attorney, Medical Attorney and Advance Directive (Living Will) are all in there, as well. 

And, my children won't have the heart-breaking task of trying to find where I stashed stuff. It's all in one place. 

I felt really good about what I had done, maybe the little help I had given others. I've always been involved in organizations and clubs who have a purpose, who lend a helping hand'. So, it was pretty neat putting 'that hat' back on for a brief period of time.

Do you have your affairs in order? I am talking to you younger gals, too. We are not promised tomorrow. Anything can happen. 

I can't imagine a loved one scrambling around in the back of a closet, looking for an old shoebox that might have the house deed in it, or your cemetery plot deed. And, to make decisions instead of you having done that for your children already! 

What a gift. 

 

Fun On The Farm

 

After 22+ years in the Navy, my husband retired and we headed back to Alabama from 'whence we came'. We had 60 acres, part of it flat, part of it hilly and a creek ran through the corner of it. 

Perfect place for the kids to grow up and learn about nature, country-living, how to survive.

Michael was 12, Shirley 13 and the youngest, Susan was 6.

What a time we had, learning how to be country folk after years of moving around from city to city during our Navy stint. It was exciting but man, was it challenging!

When we had some 'down' time we'd head to the creek. Most of the time the kids would play on a large flat rock that was there. They built a dam across the creek and set leaf 'boats' sailing down the water. Then they would try to sink them by bombing the boats with pebbles.

Sometimes Elbert would fish. He never caught much but he was having fun. Me? I would just sit on the bank and watch my family having the time of their lives. 

We'd go for hikes in the woods and pick wild blueberries which I carried home in a large cowcumber leaf that I had pinned into a bowl using thorns. 

We'd find maypops, trillium and wild iris blooming near the bluff. Yes, there was a bluff by the creek and the kids loved exploring that. 

We left that land in 1999, having lived there for 30 years. The kids were all grown with children of their own.  We'd taken the grandkids on hikes in those same woods and they played in the creek. It was time for a new adventure.

What memories we made in Blackwater Creek on our farm.

Behold, a feast!

                             What a day Friday was!! 

As I have said before, our new staff is unbelievable, doing so much for us, getting things fixed and making plans for the future.

Ashley, our new project manager! 

As a sort of 'We're here for you' sort of appreciation morning, they served us breakfast yesterday morning.

They Thanked Us! It's the other way around

 Everything was decorated so beautifully and I have never in all my life seen a spread like they put out.

 All I could think of that was missing was one thing I really love and that's southern country 'thickened' gravy. But, there were fruit trays, cheese trays, mini chicken biscuits, 3 kinds of meat, a big pot of grits, scrambled eggs, waffles and syrup, bagels and several kinds of sweet rolls. They truly outdid themselves!! But, I'm not complaining and I didn't hear anyone else doing so either. 

A few of the younger, more capable residents pitched in to get it all ready. 

Everyone had a lot of fun and if anyone left there hungry then I am sorry, it was there for the taking! 

Oh, and I failed to mention that the refreshment table held carafes of 3 kinds of juice, lemonade and there were mini sodas on ice. Good lordy, How did we get so lucky to get such a wonderful crew.