Still walking...

It's true - move to the beach and people will come.  And come, and come, and come.  I have loved every single minute with visitors both family and friends, and we've more company a'comin' in August and September.  This is the longest I've gone without blogging in quite some time! 

We've shared sunrises and sunset together, eaten our weight (and then some) in fresh seafood and amazing local produce, traveled the ferry multiple times, strolled charming beach front shops and explored historical areas.  Each visitor brings something new to the overall beach experience.  This is a joyful time I shall always remember.

My personal journey ebbs and flows like the tides.  Sometimes I grow in great, repeating splashes and sometimes my growth curls into itself like a wave sloshes around in an eddy on the beach - going nowhere fast.  That's okay for I recognize the patterns now.  It's just part of the process.

Just like after each passing storm my personal beach changes.  Sometimes I'm all wonky, going up and down like the back of a dragon.  And at other times I'm flat, saving my sands for another day.  At times treasures crowd my sandy feet arousing my curiosity while the next day the sea refuses to share.  I've found fossilized white shark teeth, metal and wood from shipwrecks, the fossilized carapace from a sea turtle, corroded 50 caliber machine gun bullets and other items yet to be identified.

Today is the 2nd anniversary of the hubby's fall off a ladder.  He is doing very well and we are counting our blessings today.  Pop the cork! 

Friends

Skyring, Bob and Dave

Clearly, I've been MIA for a bit. Over the past couple of weeks we have moved from the lake house, been through closing (I didn't go) and have been schlepping all manner of junk hither and yon. If ever a case for Minimalism can be made it would be in ours. Holy moly. We don't need a bigger house - we need less Stuff. We've made the vow so let's see how well we can adapt to it.

In the middle of the move and closing we were visited by our Wisconsin friends, Dave and Skyring. "Skyring" is a family name - it was her grandfather's name. This visit had been planned for months. We'd all been looking forward to it with pleasure. There was no way we were going to miss this opportunity. Therefore, we worked like mad the week and weekend prior to their visit and only had to go back one more time for the "dregs" and cleaning. In between, while they were here, we played. And rested. And caught up.

Overlook at Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge

Dave and Sky had been fascinated by my posts on Lake Guntersville's Eagle Awareness program so we'd planned to go spend the day looking for eagles. The migrating eagles are about gone so we did not see them in abundance as Carroll and I did in January. Still, we saw one way up high and think we saw another but weren't sure. Actually, the best part of the day (besides lunch) was right here. Sitting in the sunshine overlooking Lake Guntersville talking and lounging. Often, we would grow quiet, lay our heads back and just soak in the sunshine and sounds and the peace. For it was indeed peaceful and perfect.

Me, Bob and Dave

Such a relaxing day with good friends. We tried a little hiking but Bob isn't quite there yet. He did really well however and I can tell he's getting stronger. Instead, we drove the loop and saw all the deer, enjoyed a fabulous lunch at the restaurant and walked around the Lodge. It's all good ya know.

We hated for it to end. I didn't bring the tripod and was just too dadgum lazy to ask someone to take a photo of the 4 of us together. Sometimes, those details are just not that important. One detail that is important is that Skyring drove us to the Lodge in their new Subaru Outback so that I could soak up the luxury. I LOVE Subarus! Thanks, Sky!

Bob and Dave

Bob and Dave were best friends in high school and have kept up with each other through the years. Skyring and I have become friends as well and have so much in common. You may remember our trip to Wisconsin to see them a couple of years ago. If not, you are welcome to go here and read about our visit to that lovely part of the world - sans snow. It's our turn to visit them next. They live close to a lake so we are looking forward to driving up and resting and sunning beside a different sort of lake. What fun, what fun.

Happy Sunday, ya'll. (...a little Southernism for grins...)

COMING HOME!

Hubby's being released sometime today. Why does it take so long to check someone out of the hospital? One friend suggests it's their abacus that causes the delay. Regardless, I'm more than ready for this little episode to be over. That said, it's time for a little rant - some bad, some good.

#1 RANT: Parking token machines. The bank doesn't make dollar bills crisp enough for the freakin' parking token machines. There ya are standing with a bag of clothes to take home and wash, your purse, books for reading - standing in line with a gazillion people similarly loaded down - and the stupid machine won't take your stupid money. You try dollar bill after dollar bill after dollar bill...then finally cuss loudly and stomp out the door, putting the $2 charge on your freakin' credit card....when THAT machine decided to take it. I wasn't the only one cussin,' believe you me.

2. People in HUGE pickup trucks and SUVs who park on the end rows making it nearly impossible to see what's coming up the ramp, around the corner.

3. People driving up the parking garage ramp going 2 miles an hour or less. Hell, I could'a walked from my HOUSE and gotten on the 3rd floor faster. Guess they were having trouble seein' around those huge honkin' pickup trucks and SUVs.

4. Parking in one county, walking a mile to the garage elevators only to go down to the ground level, walk to the next county to the public elevators then go up again. Crazy, crazy, crazy. One would think I'd'a lost some weight, but no.

5. The hardest chairs in the world to sit in for hours and hours and hours watching someone sleep.

But there was good stuff....

1. The bestest friends and an awesome family, including the teenager who went above and beyond to help me. Definitely showing some maturity, I must say.

2. The bestest ever hospital staff, ER staff and ambulance paramedics. Friendly, always there, took time to explain things, always always always answered the call within 5 minutes or less, amazing people.

2. Starbucks Coffee.

3. Firestone, who helped me for free when I had a car problem during this hospital gig.

I'm still waiting for the COME 'N GET ME call but wanted to post that our little hospital episode is over. FYI - hubby had pneumonia. Not fun, lemme tell ya. However, he's on the mend and is looking forward to sleeping in his own bed tonight!

Tree Meets Sun!

Yippie Ky Yi YAY!

Eve and I finally had a lunch date after lo these many months of conversing - e-versing, actually! The Mexican restaurant was filled with the locals, and seemingly the entire Emergency Management team whose emergency vehicles ringed the building like horses tied up at the local saloon in a western movie.

These shots were Eve's idea. Both of us are camera shy, preferring to be behind the lens. Hi Eve! After our scrumptious lunch we drove a short way down the road to experience the beauty of The Greenery - gifts and plants and garden goodies. We both were wishing to be independently wealthy from the moment we walked in. Oh, my goodness.

Eve's shot of "her" table is far more artistic than mine, but here it is in all its glory along with Eve! You get a sense of place from this photo. We loved everything we saw, and learned a lot about each other through the experience. For example, I learned that Eve also has a rock collection from various places AND decorates using pretty stones in bowls. So there. I'm not alone.

It was HERE that a photo of some exquisite pear shaped candles were inserted, accidentally deleted, and attempted to reinsert - obviously without success. I'm getting used to a new computer and Vista and I can't figure out how to do it! Dang it! Anyway, we LOVED these cute little pear candles...and one day I'll show them to you!!!

Windchimes of all colors and shapes and sizes.

These candles are gorgeous. This is the table upon which we saw a bowl of polished rocks and discovered our shared love of rocks and a natural, easy decorating "style."

We also fell in love with this Hobbit House neatly arranged on a hytuffeta-whatever planter filled with soft mosses and frilly ferns. Can you see Frodo? I'm not sure why Eve didn't buy this cute little thing - it was only close to $500. LOL!

Toad houses in abundance! I was quite taken by all these cute little houses.

While Eve purchased her plants I wandered amid the beautiful flora.

Eve and I probably stood in the same place to take our photo of The Greenery's front! After hugs and smiles we parted ways vowing to get together again. In fact, she wants to see the lake house before we have to move out - that's a story for later - so expect another Adventures of Debi and Eve post soon.

Baylee and Dakota Valentine

Baylee watching me take photos of the dock building process.
She can barely contain her excitement.

This is a story of two dogs. Baylee, my "Berniel" and Dakota Valentine, my mom's new sheltie. For the sheltered among you, a Berniel is a cross between a Bernese Mountain Dog and some sort of Spaniel....and a few other breeds. Kayla and I made up the breed name 'cause we just think Eukanuba and Westminster dog clubs should make Berniels official. But that's not the story. The story is about the developing friendship between these two dogs.

Baylee is very laid back. She lumbers here and there, but can get all excited. It's not a good idea for a 55 lb. dog to get excited when her mama (me) is only 5'2 and little.

Dakota is NOT laid back.

Little spirited Dakota Valentine has fallen in love with Baylee. He thinks she's beautiful, this tall, leggy brunette with bedroom brown eyes and a breath that is so stinky. And other parts that smell good to Dakota. They romp and play; Dakota turning quick circles around Baylee who gets bewildered and does her best to keep up. They love sitting on my mom's "sunny beach porch" while she and I have a bit of the grape. This was their first porch sitting.

Dakota is like "Hey, I like you! I really like you! Can I smell your breath? Look at me! Can't you see me? Hey, I'm down here! Hey, I really like you! Hey! Hey! Look down here! Hey, Baylee, play with me! Let's run some more! Oh please oh please oh please!!!!!"

"Help?"

Dakota isn't ready to stop. "Hey!!!!! Hey!!! Ruff!!! Ruff!!! Baylee...let's pllllaaaaaaayyyyyy!!!!

Finally, Baylee wins and Dakota stops. For a minute. Then the playing begins all over again. These two are so funny together! They love walking together and chewing on sticks together and chasing birds together.

Dakota and Baylee sittin' in a tree....kis, nah...just kidding. They're both, um, fixed. LOL!

Creative Slump

I cannot seem to shake this creative slump I'm in. I've no interest in taking photos or writing. Part of the reason is that my car is sick and we're not going to repair it because it's old with high mileage and the repairs would be in the thousands. So, I'm trapped at home unless the hubby or daughter are home and I can use one of their cars. Long story. I love my house on the water so at first this wasn't much of a hardship. However, over time I've started feeling trapped. I'm used to taking spur-of-the-moment adventurous road trips in my trusty All Wheel Drive Subaru Forester (love that car) and discovering places I've never seen. I can't do that now. Yes, I can take photos of the water and sunrises and all that stuff but I've "been there, done that" and am feeling the call of the wild. I can't even go see the pelicans or drive to the dam and watch the cormorants. I'm home bound. It's messing with my mind and my spirit.

I was whining recently to my artistic road trip buddies, Carroll and Bobbie, and one of them threw me a challenge. She basically kicked my butt and told me to start photographing things I'm not used to photographing. Mundane things that normally hold no interest for me. Be creative with the mundane. Yeah, yeah...I know, I know. Preaching to the choir. She threw down the gauntlet. "Send me creative photos of SHOES."

Well, I didn't do it. One morning she sent me this missive; "I've rushed to my computer every day, anxiously awaiting shoe photos. I imagined a shoe in a tree, a shoe peeping from beneath a big rock, empty, ragged shoes walking down the middle of the road, and on and on. Where are they?? Come on, Debi, show some sole! If shoes don't spur your creativity, find some lizards :)" I laughed out loud!

It was raining, but I immediately donned my rain jacket and L. L. Bean dog-walking shoes and went outside. This oily puddle beckoned. In 5 minutes I was back inside downloading the first spur-of-the-moment photos and sent it to Bobbie. My first thought was "good, now she'll stop bugging me," but I really want her to bug me. She wrote back "That is so great! Debi, do you see how the scalloped-like trim on the shoe matches the patter of the water? And the face is incredible! I know you see the face at the toe of the shoe. Turn the photo upside down and the shoe becomes the "hair" of the face. The face in the water reminded me of someone, and THEN I remembered -- looks strikingly like Wilson in Castaway!!! There is a lot of stuff in that photo and it's all good." Bobbie is a painter and has a wonderful sense of color and playfulness. She saw something that I didn't see.

Creative people need coaches and cheerleaders. Artists, photographers, writers, designers, gardeners, cooks, weavers, quilters, sculptors, architects and managers - all of us create on some level. We each get into creative slumps and need people to shake us up. One cannot create in a vacuum, one needs input and fresh air, new surroundings, and occasionally a kick in the pants. Thanks, Bobbie, for a must needed boost.

Humbled

So there I was slumped back into the sofa, looking up to the ceiling after another chat with my teenager when the fan and its shadow caught my attention. There were no more words left for the teen so I shot into the air. I hate this fan 'cause it's just ugly and shows every cobweb, but it does cool the house. But, I digress.

Foiled again by the wily lass I schlump back to my lair (office) to log on and check out my blogging buddies. While one teenager disappoints this particular evening another teenager has honored my blog. Michaela at Floodwaters Photography has been a source of inspiration and delight to me since discovering her a few months ago. She is witty and smart and compassionate and extraordinarily talented. That she likes my humble blog just made my night - thanks, Michaela.

Accordingly, I must share this award with seven people whose blogs fill me up with beauty, thought, reflection, or whatever it is that draws me in. There are many blogs that do this for me, yet some that refuse awards, so I thought about it and here's my list.

Rachel at Blue Algae Creative: http://bluealgaecreative.blogspot.com/

I used to lurk at Rachel's blog simply because I felt it too beautiful for any insipid responses from me. Her blog is an artistic masterpiece. The colors she uses appeals to me just like a clear mountain stream. Thanks, Rachel, for creating such a soothing place to visit.

Nancy at Soliloquy: http://nancybond.wordpress.com/

Nancy Bond's blog draws me in every time with her extraordinary photographs and amazing poetry and prose. Her words and images are so vivid that I can feel them deep inside. They warm me softly and create a pool of contentment in my soul. I visit here every day because a day without Soliloquy is a day without sunshine.

Daniel at Nature at Close Range: http://www.natureatcloserange.com/

I met Daniel last year when he and his wife and 8 kids (you read that right) rented a house across the street while their family home was being repaired after burning. Daniel and I first noticed we loved nature photography, then we discovered we both blogged, and then we found out we were both self-professed Nature Geeks. Daniel and his son Sebastian are particularly close and love exploring nature together. Heck, some of the rest of his brood may be going out with him as well by now! Anyway, Daniel is a walking encyclopedia about birds, bugs, spiders, snakes, fish, and all the etcetera this area offers. Thanks, Daniel for being such fun and I miss you guys being across the street!

Lisa at Greenbow: http://greenbowgardens.blogspot.com/

Each and every time I visit Lisa's blog I learn something. She outlines so much about her garden and her life, punctuating each post with lovely photographs and heartfelt descriptions. Lisa just did a scrumptious piece about autumn berries that I loved, and she has Jerusalem Artichokes growing in her yard. I envy her backyard and it's lovely blooms. Oh, and I love her dog! Thanks, Lisa, for delighting me every day!

Robin at Robin's Nesting Place: http://robinsnestingplace.blogspot.com/

Robin's macro photos of butterflies and blossoms leave me breathless. Her recent post is about raising black swallowtails on her parsley and fennel, complete with pics of the chrysalis' and the caterpillars and the newly-dried butterflies with wings outstretched. I went through this process last year as well. Robin's blog is a whirlwind of gardening frenzy that I love, love, love and her photos ... as I said ... are indeed amazing! Thanks, Robin, for sharing so much of yourself with us!

Carol at The Blessing Counter: http://theblessingcounter.blogspot.com/

Carol is a long-time friend who is an amazing wife and mother of four of the bestest kids I've ever met. Carol is a talented writer and photographer and is my spiritual mentor. (she doesn't know that, but I reckon she will now) I met Carol 14 or 15 years ago when I hired her as my assistant at our television station. I tried hard to keep her at arm's length but our friendship and bond was too strong. Today, we remain good friends and always will. She's become quite the blogger and I know you'll love her as much as I do! Thanks, Carol, for being my friend.

and Outer Banks Mom: http://outerbanksmom.blogspot.com/

Outer Banks Mom is the greenest lady I've ever known. I visit her blog daily for inspiration, information, knowledge, and to get fired up about issues that truly matter. I also visit her blog for cool-o recipes, like the Cilantro Margarita that's amazing! Besides which, Outer Banks Mom lives, obviously, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. North Carolina is one of my favorite States, period. It's the perfect state with wild, wonderful seashores, tides as wide and long as a summer day, lighthouses and wild horses, waterways and seashells and shrimp boats to the east, and rolling emerald hills, clear mountain streams with glorious rocks and cliffs and rapids and old growth trees to the west. Visiting Outer Banks Mom's blog is like visiting my favorite place....without using any gas..and teaching me what it's truly like to be Green. Thanks, OBM for being there.

DANG! I forgot to put the award in here, so here it is!!!! But putting it in messed with my spacing, drat! Rats! I don't have time to pretty this back up but it's all heartfelt.