It's been a busy time. We've gotten Mom through a winter of ups and downs and a gazillion doctors. We've gotten Mike through the flu (or so we thought) followed by a Feb. return of the flu (or so we thought) and then a late March gall bladder surgery. That was followed by a carpal tunnel surgery on the left hand, and a skin cancer surgery (they got it all...no expected return!!) on his right ear. Next will be a surgery on his right hand to release a 'trigger finger'.
Between meeting nearly every doctor in the county, and some very unusual onslaughts of too much rain, we managed to get a small vegetable garden planted. So far, it's been quite a disappointment this year. I think the excess water has done its damage on our cucumbers and tomatoes, though the latter are producing. The corn isn't quite ripe for picking yet...but will be soon. I hope the water has done that a favor!!
We had guests from NY in March. That's always fun and we totally enjoyed their visit. This past week, our former next door neighbors and our best friends, returned to SC for a visit with us for a few days, and the rest of the time with their daughter's family. We stayed up way too late, ate way too much, talked soooo much and enjoyed their being here to the hilt! I felt a let down as I watched them drive away. It'll be another year before we see them again, when they return for their grandson's graduation from high school. I already can't wait!
I spent a good amount of time and a little money shopping for some nautical themed things to put into the house. It's been so long since I've been to the beach...and I miss our hometown beaches like fury....so I decided that it was time to move the beach into our house. I put a light colored room sized rug on the floor in the living room, shed the dark couch cover to expose the chambray blue denim upholstery, hung semi-sheer sand colored curtains with 3 glass ball net buoys hung in the center of them. I began adding those reclaimed wood signs I painted with the names of back-home beaches. I dragged out the apothacary jar of beach glass I'd collected throughout my lifetime, framed some photos of the beaches and harbor-full of boats, placed grandkids photos at the beach, in an old window frame. I placed a huge glass net buoy on the table with a small, old wood box full of sea shells & beach glass, a couple of star fish and a few small bits of driftwood. Some colored glass bottles were placed on the mantle of the fireplace , a large wood fish shaped serving board was painted and hung over the mantle. A fish net was hung by small anchors over the guest room mirror, and a small row boat shelf was added. A carved sandpiper stands on one side of the pedestal sink, and a blue dish of soaps shaped like a flip flow and shells sits on the other side of the faucets.
Whew! I'm exhausted just writing all of that! Now I'm enjoying the peace and the sun shining into the sun room, with a cd of ocean waves crashing through the air. The ceiling fans offer my version of sea breeze...without the salt. I am relaxing..... and thinking of our vacation which is coming up, not soon enough. I think of the poem...." I must go down to the sea again...."
Yes, I MUST!!!
