Last Days

Summer at the shore is rapidly coming to an end.  I have said more "goodbyes" than "hellos" over the last couple of weeks.  Soon I will be saying my final goodbye and another summer will be in the books.  Well, I wish it were in a book...somewhere... but I never seemed to find/make the time to put it down in that book.  Maybe on the plane ride home I can recreate reality!  All I have to do is look through my photos of the summer and it will all come flooding back to me, only better, because who takes photos of the bad days?  There are no bad days here!

Not a bad day, right?!

I observed two of my favorite people go through their last days over the past week and it made it all too real for me.  Those last days are brutal.  The cottage closing and packing is mentally and physically draining.  Cleaning up the remnants of weeks or months of life at the shore may be the best way to make a person want to be home already.  By the time you have washed the red sand from the beach towels, put away the beach chairs, rafts, boats, kayaks, sand toys, and patio furniture you are ready for a break.  Not to mention emptying and cleaning the refrigerator...don't even get me started!  Nothing is simple around here.

The raft had another good summer...
but it must be put up for the season.

Raft removal team on the way!

It takes a village!

Even the younger members of the village helped!

And his mom makes this barrel look as light as a marshmallow!

Later that same day the children played like there was no tomorrow!  And if you think about it...there was no tomorrow, at least at the shore.  This day is a sad day for me.  Their last day always feels like it arrives too soon.  We were just getting into a routine, everyone was in their groove and it's time to leave?  The boys had another great summer full of playing outdoors, running on the beach, swimming, eating ice cream and chips, rekindling friendships (that hopefully will last a lifetime), reading Archie comic books and growing.   I think kids grow inches up here.  My theory is that all the fresh air, freedom and "fret free" living lets their bodies grow.

Boys being boys in a land they made their own.

I love that the dog is standing guard waiting for one of them
to throw him a rock!

We said goodbye to my daughter's family and my sister and her son and now it seems too quiet.  It felt so quiet that the other night while eating dinner with friends we decided to throw one last shindig.  We may have had some liquid motivation that made having a dinner party for 25 people seem like a great idea.  We gave everyone about 10 hours notice to come pick their produce from the garden and prepare a dish for the Annual Garden Party.  This time we opened it up to include spouses, because why feed 12 people when you can feed 25?!  Sometimes being spontaneous works, this was one of them.

The man can grow some vegetables!

We all ate our veggies today!

As my last week turns into my last days I find myself trying to pack as much into them as possible.  I want to see another perfect sunset, go on one more evening walk on the sandbars, take that photo drive I've been thinking about taking all summer, eat mussels and lobster one more time,  play one last round of golf, and stop by to visit (fill in the blank) one last time.  There is never enough time up here, even when you stay for three months!

Alas, it is time to move on to the next step...packing, cleaning and throwing away half  used bottles of ketchup.

Scenes from my Lawnmower

I mowed the yard on Saturday for the first time in a while.  The weather was absolutely perfect for a two hour mower cruise.  TJ has been doing most of the mowing and I was actually looking forward to some time in the yard.  The grass was deep and bright green because it finally rained!  As I rode around on my chariot I kept noticing little pockets of beauty.  

A seldom seen part of the yard back by the "swamp"

So much had changed since the last time I mowed.  The apple trees are full of apples.  The raspberry bushes are full of raspberries.  So many different flowers are blooming than the last time I had ridden around.  This property is an ever changing cornucopia of trees, flowers and vegetables.  Add to this the speed at which things grow up here and if you miss a week, you miss a lot!

I decided rather than make a mental note of spots I wanted to come back and photograph I would just get my camera and stop when the urge struck me and do a photo journal of the yard.  I had a lot of time!  Plus, I was never going to remember all the spots.  So, in no particular order here is a little ride through the yard.  No deep thoughts.  No metaphors or similes.  No funny stories.  Just a great appreciation of the beautiful world we get to call home for a few short months each year.

My chariot awaits

The garden, the play set and the shed with its awesome mural!

I love seeing my neighbors out on a walk!

Just some berries...for the bears?

And berries for the humans!

Purple hedge!

Possibly the best part of the yard...the amazing
mural by my niece Alex!

She looks so nice in this light with the grass all mowed!

Can't complain when there is a water view over the lawnmower!

Coming up the road...one side

and the other side!

Where chores don't always feel like chores!  Have a great day!  

A Different Kind of Hangover

It is the Monday after "Games Weekend" at the shore.  The sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the stifling humidity of the past week has finally subsided and there is nowhere I "have" to be right now.  All along the shore you can almost hear a collective sigh of relief, secret snickers about memorable moments, and groans from over exertion or over indulgence of one kind or another this past weekend.  The "Games Weekend" is a one of a kind extravaganza!

Heading over to the bocce games on Saturday morning.
Dad flying the American flag to "represent".

The "Games Weekend" is a three day test of mental, athletic and social stamina.  This year was the 44th annual games.  I was a teenager when they began!  They begin on Friday morning bright and early with a golf game.  We had around 60 participants from the two extended families and it came down to 10 strokes.  We (the Browns) lost the event. From the golf game we head back to the shore, suit up for the beach and cool off in the water before we go home, eat dinner and head out for a night of cribbage, Hearts and Trivial Pursuit.  This night has been known to go on into the wee hours of the morning for some...  It is always a great time and involves many people!

It was an intense game of Trivial Pursuit!

After our late-ish night, the weekend is off and running.  The rest of the two days include bocce ball, Frisbee golf, volleyball, a water relay, softball, a sack race and finally Ultimate Frisbee.  Every one of these activities requires major coordination of teams and venues.  There are over 100 and maybe 150 (I've never really counted) participants and spectators in these "games".  Three days, 11 events, one winning family.  We take our weekend sports seriously!

Bocce is serious business!

I can't throw a Frisbee but I can use a camera so...
I set up a photo booth in front of our outdoor shower for the Frisbee golf game.
I counted at least 96 participants...most were wearing clothes!

I can remember participating in almost every one of the games...in my younger days.  This year I participated in three of them and coordinated one event.  Everyone is included in these games from the children to the over 60 crowd.  It really is one of the most loved and sometimes dreaded weekends of the summer.  Dreaded only because life gets put on hold for three days.  There are no regular meals, laundry goes neglected, privacy is impossible during the games and sleep is fleeting which may lead to an element of dread for some.  I am not one of them.  I love this weekend!

At the end of the games we come together, both the Browns and the Christies and use up all the rest of our energy at the barn party.  What better way to make sure you leave it all on the field than dancing and partying all night long?

This year as I watched the crowd on the dance floor looking younger than ever...or was I just older than ever...I was reminded of previous barn parties.  There were years I danced every dance and drank way more than I should have only to continue the festivities into the wee hours of the morning.  The next day was usually met with a huge headache and many body aches brought on by playing sports I play once a year and dancing for four or five straight hours.  The hangover may have been epic.  Then came the years my children were those teenagers making questionable decisions and TJ and I stayed at the barn party "dancing and partying" just to keep a watchful eye.  Then there were the last few years with our adult children when dancing all night together made my heart swell.  I guess I really do love to dance and I love my family.

My cup runneth over at the 40th Games in 2014 !
I sure did miss them last night!

Today I woke up with a different kind of hangover.  I drank very responsibly last night so that was not the problem.  But....why do my knees, hips and feet hurt so much?  I have come to the harsh reality that I just can't dance for hours on a concrete floor.  Well...I can, but I feel it more than I used to.  Nothing a lot of water and a couple ibuprofen can't fix....so worth it!  Bring on the Mull River Shuffle!

Look for the Red Doors

We celebrated Canada Day this week three weeks ago with another fun day in Pugwash at the annual Gathering of the Clans.  There was the usual parade with plenty of  area emergency vehicles blaring their sirens, decorated floats, horses....one cow, and four marching bagpipe bands.  After the parade we perused the main street, ate some awesome food truck tacos, watched the highland dancing competition and listened to the piping competition.  All in all it was a lovely way to celebrate Canada!

He just wasn't sure he wanted to wave back!

Getting ready for their performances.

On our walk back to the car we stopped in a local photography gallery.  I enjoy his photos and admit to copying a few of his ideas.  What is it they say, "Imitation is the greatest form of flattery"?  He can consider himself flattered.  One of my favorite photos in his gallery is of an old weather beaten red door.  It is simple and to the point.  I had gone to the same house years ago and taken my own red door photos to have for all of posterity.  Unfortunately....I can't find them!  So much for posterity.  I mentioned to the photographer that they had torn down the red door house.  He said he knew and the owners had actually given him the red door.  He said it was in his gallery.  The framed photo of the red door was hanging on the red door.  My daughter and I both looked at the photo when we walked into the gallery but never noticed the door!  He said it had been there for four days before his wife, who lives there, even noticed.

That night I was reading my book and skipped to the back and read the teaser for the author's next book when the first paragraph leaped off the page.  "There are so many things we don't see...things that are right in front of us." I actually got out of bed, got paper and pen and wrote down the ideas that started flooding into my head at that prompt.  The characters were talking about not seeing things that are right in front of them.  The problem is that one of them was talking about the physical surroundings while the other was talking about feelings.  A classic miscommunication. When a theme slaps you in the face like that you just have to go with it!

I recently witnessed one of those situations where what wasn't seen to some was obvious to others.  This happens all of the time in much communication.  We only see what we want to see or what we can consciously absorb.

What do you see here?
Pretty purple flowers or red potatoes?

It never fails to amaze me when my siblings all have different recollections of the same events.  We all had the same experiences but saw them so differently!  We are limited by our own perspectives and none of us is omnipotent.

So...that's the ten minute blog for the....month?  I have been busy since the red door experience trying to fully see things around me.  It is harder than I thought! 

Give a Little...Get a Lot

Rome, Italy

So much water has gone under the bridge of life that I can't decide what to write about!  The good news is I am writing this from my computer!  I cannot tell you how much I missed it over the last month.  Our reunion was eye opening for me.  I had not realized what an intimate relationship I have with my computer, sad but true.  The large screen, the familiar keyboard, the easy access to my favorite sites, she knows me and I know her.  One interesting observation I have made is that I may have broken a habit because I have not spent nearly as much time on the computer since our reunion.  Using my stone tablet was a chore and may have cured me of my screen obsession....or not...don't touch my phone!

I spent much of one rainy day, while I was back in Houston, organizing the photos from our anniversary trip.  It may be the most documented trip I've ever taken.  Culling through over a thousand photos and trying to choose "favorites" is like choosing your favorite child...it can't be done! Looking through them is like taking the trip over and over again and it gets better every time.  Every once in a while I have an ache to just go back to Croatia.  But I guess you can't go back...or can you?

Puntalina bar and restaurant, Rovinj, Croatia,
 cold and closed for the season
March 2015

Puntalina bar and restaurant
sunny, hot...and fully booked for the night.
May 2018
I vowed to come back and I did!

Since this was an anniversary trip maybe I'll give you a couple of glimpses into what makes this thing called "our 40 year marriage" work.  TJ shared some very sweet sentiments with me on our way home and I was touched.  He referred to them as, "reasons I am still in love with you".  Always nice to hear and they give me reasons to still be in love with him!  They were two situations where we accompanied the other doing something they love.

On our second night in Rome the four of us were riding back to our apartment after a full day of sightseeing and walking many miles (over 20,000 steps to be exact).  We enjoyed a delicious dinner and decided to give our aching feet a break so we took a cab back to our apartment.  While crossing one of the many bridges in Rome I suddenly said to the driver, "Can you stop the cab?  I want to get out."  I was not ill, I had just looked out and knew I wanted to walk the rest of the way.  The night lights were reflecting on the river and the buildings were all lit up against a deep blue sky.  It was a picture, or 100, in the making.  TJ asked the driver to "pull over now" and we got out.  I don't even think he had to ask why I wanted to get out... he just knew!  It was a memorable evening stroll.

St. Peter's Basilica in the distance.
So worth walking the rest of the way home.

"O" baby!

We walked in the twilight and marveled at the lights on the river.  When we crossed one of the bridges we noticed a bridal photo shoot.  What an awesome location for bridal portraits! 

We also met this guy....

Come on...we had to say hello! 
He has on a UT hat and is doing his best to keep Austin weird
with his skateboard and bottle of wine.
Note the color coordinated hat and shoes.

Turns out he studied for a semester in Austin and was just visiting (don't remember where he was from) Rome, just like us.  Small world indeed.  Plenty happening on the bridges of Rome!  We went on our way over the bridges and through St. Peter's square oohing and aahing at the lovely evening.  It was one of those times I wished time would just stop.  Perfect place, perfect person, perfect weather ...what more can a girl ask for?

The next situation came on the island of Korcula in Croatia.  I had done my homework and suggested we rent bikes on the island and explore the towns and vineyards via bike.  As many of you know, TJ is a very serious bike rider.  I....know how to ride a bike.  He was very excited at the suggestion of biking!  The one day we had to bike was overcast and rainy in the morning.  We delayed the ride hoping for nicer weather.  The forecast gave us hope that the rain would end by lunch.  With the promise of sunnier skies, we went and rented our bikes from the local shop.  I did protect my camera in plastic and we both brought rain gear.  The blue skies were in the distance....

In spite of the lovely blue sky ahead of us....we were getting drenched!

I will preface this by sharing that we had already done one bike tour in Rome.  The bikes were e-bikes which meant any time we got to a steep hill all we had to do was activate the "e" feature, pedal and it was easy to get up the hill.  The bikes we rented this day were NOT e-bikes, they were good old fashioned road bikes.  I was not ready for this!  TJ however was in his element.  I did my best to put on a smile and pedaled my legs off.  The farther we got, the heavier it rained.  I needed windshield wipers on my sunglasses!  All I could see were raindrops and TJ in front of me.  We were riding to the town of Korcula, a mere 5 miles away.  It only seemed like 10!  There were moments I wanted to cry because the perfect leisurely day spent biking through the scenic countryside along azure waters on one side and majestic mountains on the other was looking a lot like pea soup.  As they say...the best laid plans of mice and men...

Blue skies are coming...I just know it!

We persevered up the hills and through the rain to Old town Korcula.  We just kept chasing the blue skies!  We were soaked when we arrived!  We quickly locked up our bikes and found a dry place to have lunch and wait for the sun to come out.  I just knew it was going to come out...hope springs eternal!

Why are we still smiling?  We made it!

We coincidentally went in to a restaurant that was full of spandex clad bikers!  They had all dried off, had lunch and were heading back out.  Good for them.  We had lunch, dried off and were thrilled when the clouds parted and the sun came out!  We explored the old town and then just because I had to get the iconic view of the town, rode up many switchbacks out of town for "the photo".  At least it wasn't raining this time!

We were rewarded for our efforts!

The day turned out just as nice as we had hoped it would....before the rain.  We were so glad we decided, in spite of the rain, to go on with our plan and make the best of it.  I would have hated to miss this lovely town and the perfectly clear blue waters and the views...!  Sometimes you just have to get soaked.

I could share those thousands of photos to show you just how beautiful Croatia is but then why would you need to visit?  I've said it before and I'll say it again...visit Croatia!  It is a charming and lovely country.

As for us two married folks...I love that he is more than happy to get out of the cab and walk along enthusiastically with while I take hundreds of photos of city lights and bridges.  He says he loves that I am willing to get soaked on a bike for the sake of a good ride and some spectacular views.  We both give a little and we both get a lot...that's how you make it 40 years in this thing called marriage.

Unexpected Blessings

The fact that you are reading this is a miracle!  I am writing this with my old Samsung tablet which is like using a chisel on a stone tablet.  I miss my computer!  It will truly be a test of my infinite patience.  I could just cheat and post lots of pictures but I'm not a cheater so here goes my tedious first (because there will likely be more than one) post about the 40th anniversary trip.  Rather than just give a play by play I thought I would write my first post about some of the special God Winks (coincidences, moments of Divine Intervention, random luck....call it what you like) that made this trip full of memorable moments.

Like finding the Roman numeral for 40 on the Coliseum.

Our trip began in Rome.  So much to see and so little time!  There was a church Roberto wanted to visit in Rome, St. Cecelia's in the Trastevere area.  We managed to find the church only to find it was closed.  We were "parched" so we searched the area to find a restaurant where we could sit down, have a drink and maybe a snack.  It turned out to be a full service restaurant and they were not happy with our order of drinks and a light snack.  Our waiter was a very surly chap dressed in a cross between lederhosen and old country Italian farm wear.  I think that is why he was so grumpy!  Anyway, as we left the grumpy restaurant we passed St. Cecelia's again and it was open.  We went in and were treated to a group of nuns on the altar chanting a mesmerizing song.  Turns out St. Cecelia is the patron saint of musicians. Wink!

Our first stop in Croatia was Dubrovnik and after we walked the wall around the city we agreed that the other sight in the town we wanted to visit was St. Blaise Church.  After all...we had just climbed a million stairs and saw the entire city from above and it was close to lunch time.  We found the lovely church and it just so happened they were saying Mass when we stuck our heads inside.  We, of course, went in and stayed for the rest of the Mass.  Roberto had been fighting a sore throat that day, which is important to know since St. Blaise was a physician and the patron saint of throats.   After Mass, to our surprise, they did the blessing of throats and Roberto and Belladonna were extra blessed that day.  Right place, right time!  Lunch at the restaurant right around the corner was delicious too.  Wink!

If it is this lovely at night, the inside must be beautiful too!

Our next stop was the Island of Korcula.  Our Airbnb host volunteered to pick us up at the ferry port and drive all four of us and our luggage to his home, about 15 minutes away.  Very accommodating and he was rewarded with an excellent review.  The next morning turned out to be dreary and a bit wet, with the promise of clearer skies later in the day.  I was a bit disappointed in the weather since TJ and I had mentally planned to take this day, rent a couple of bikes and ride around the island exploring, more on that in a later post.  Roberto and Belladonna wanted to enjoy the day regrouping since they had been traveling longer than we had.  While we were away, once it finally cleared up, our friends went out on their own exploration.  They stopped at the nicest restaurant in our small town and made reservations for dinner.  They may have mentioned both couples were celebrating our 40th anniversaries.  This became known on the trip as "playing the anniversary card".  We never expected it to work so well!  Boy were we surprised when we were shown to our table!  The waitress and her little 4 year old helper/daughter went out of their way to make our dinner special.

Our table awaits complete with roses, candle light and a killer view!

The entrance to the restaurant....no wonder they chose it!

Zadar was a town we had visited before and liked so much we had to share it with our friends.  We were treated to a nice sunset and a lively little town, unlike the empty town TJ and I visited three years ago.  May is a much better month to visit than March.  On Saturday morning we walked the town and happened upon a Slovak festival in the main square near our apartment.  My grandmother was Slovak and I remember my aunt and cousin dressing in similar traditional dresses and dancing these dances.  I searched the festival for some of my favorite pastries and found one!  A Slovak festival only steps away from our room....in Croatia.  Wink!

Slovak Festival!

Warming up for his performance

If you are like me, you like to have personal encounters when you travel.  It is nice to go and see monuments, museums and scenery but when you meet local people and get a glimpse into their lives the trip becomes more alive and dynamic.  Sometimes staying in a family run accommodation provides those opportunities.  Our rooms in Plitvice Lakes Park were that experience.  Firstly, the house was in a very rural area near the national park.  It reminded me of driving to our place in Nova Scotia....way off the beaten path.  We drove up to our accommodations and were greeted by the owner who promptly offered us each a shot of his homemade schnapps!  He insisted!  We toasted each other and it was down the hatch!  Since it was a Saturday, we asked if there was a church nearby and what time Mass was on Sunday.  His face lit up and he told us the church was only 2km away and Mass was at 10:30.  He also told us, in his broken English, that his grandson was going to be Baptized at that Mass and they were hosting a big party afterwards.  They were going to cook a pig and a lamb for the party, right there on the grounds outside our rooms!  We were treated to bread drenched in drippings from that roasting pig while we sat out on picnic tables with our happy hour wine and cheese.  We felt so welcomed!

Our host and his buddies roasting the pig

The view from our room...we loved it!

The next morning we packed up, went to church and witnessed the real community.  A church full of family and friends of the baby's family, the regular parishioners and four strangers who without understanding a single word knew exactly what was going on throughout the ceremony.  We left church feeling truly blessed and touched by God.  With so many choices of places to stay, for some reason I chose this one, something about it drew me in all those months ago.  I am so glad I listened.  Wink!

Apartments and Rooms Ruhige Lage in
Rakovica, Croatia

The best shot of Great Grandma I could get....
she worked from sun up to sundown!

The sweet church in Rakovica
translation "God is Love"

From our family baptism we went in search of Roberto's roots.  He had the name of the town his grandmother lived and it was on the way to our next destination.  None of us knew what to expect!  We found the town and found the church.  Every town has a church or three.  Croatia is 90% Catholic.  The name of his town is Hreljin and if you ask five people how to pronounce it you will get five different pronunciations.  The town is on a steep hill/mountain near the coast and according to our GPS every street is named Hreljin!  "Turn right on Hreljin", "turn left on Hreljin", "turn left on Hreljin" were the only directions we got from the GPS!  TJ refused to turn on most of the streets because they were blind drops!  Steep!  I am guessing Roberto's grandmother was in great shape if she navigated these streets!

Maybe these things don't seem unique to you and maybe they do but we noticed time after time the little things that happened that you just can't plan and never expected.  Part of enjoying travel is being open to the unexpected and unplanned treats.