"Someday" is Here

 Apparently, everyone in the world is touring Christmas markets in Europe this year!  It is really a thing now, at least for Americans...Europeans have been doing it forever, seemingly.  We had the pleasure of visiting some markets at the end of November and first week of December.  It was a trip that materialized on a dreary, lonely, afternoon and evening in September at the shore.  I was experiencing the "end of summer blues", and said to TJ, "Remember that trip to Strasbourg we planned and had to cancel?  Maybe it would be fun to visit and see the Christmas markets.".  All I had to do was plant the seed and within a few hours he had purchased tickets and put the ball in my court.  There was a time, or there were many times in our life, that the mere suggestion of a trip would have been met with sighs of, "someday".  As a result of many air miles, a retired and restless husband, an empty nest and our desire to see and do... "Someday" is here! 

Our trip began in Paris on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  Turns out the Saturday after Thanksgiving is a great day to travel abroad because everyone in the states is home with their families.  We celebrated Thanksgiving with our son in Kansas City, came home on Friday and left on Saturday.  Yes, there were moments I said to myself and TJ, "Are we crazy?  Why did we plan it this way?".  One reason we planned this way was that nobody travels abroad on the weekend after Thanksgiving which meant our upgrade to the flat bed seats came through!  "Someday" is definitely here.

Paris in November is gray and damp.  BUT...it is still Paris!  I really do love that city!  I have been many times and will go again...any time.  We stayed in the Montmartre area because our train to Strasbourg was leaving from Gare de l'Est and we wanted to be close by.  Montmartre is an area we know a little but not a lot, so I scheduled a food tour for our arrival day.  I like to have an activity on arrival day with someone to point me around and lead me in a direction, so I don't have to think.  Perfect.  We sampled many sweets, some wine and cheese, heard some interesting and tragic stories and met a new friend.  

Macaron?  Merci!

So French!  Oui, merci!

The next day was...wet.  What to do in Paris in the cold rain/drizzle?  I had heard that there are passages in Paris, covered walkways with shops and restaurants.  I had never seen one before, so we set out the find the passages.  What a great concept!  The shops were so cute, and we stayed dry!  We also toured the Pompidou Center and museum which we had only walked past and never toured before.  Both great choices and when we were finished, the rain had disappeared.  We had a lovely dinner, are there any others in Paris?  Went to bed pleased with our choice to fly into Paris en route to Strasbourg.  Paris is always a good idea!

A great way to stay dry in Paris!

The next morning, we walked to the, very close, train station and took a 2-hour train to Strasbourg.  Train stations in Europe are so different than the ones in the states.  They are so busy and many of them are just beautiful if you ask me.  They are also very utilized.  The Strasbourg station would prove to be a very lovely and unique building as well.  We found our apartment, ate lunch in a very local place and commenced our Christmas marketing!  The smells, the booths, the vibe, the food, the lights, the decorations!  All of it together just makes your heart swell.  

The markets below give a little perspective.
That Cathedral is huge!!!

Our routine had become explore the city in the morning, lunch someplace, walk/shop a bit and then go back to our accommodation until dark...which was 4 pm!  Around 5 we would go back out, do more exploring, have dinner and then really walk around and marvel at the shops and the lights. This routine resulted in an average of about 15,000 steps a day!  

As a coincidence, on our food tour in Paris, we met an interesting young woman from Australia and found out she would be in Strasbourg the same day we were.  We invited her to meet us at the restaurant we had reservations at on our first night for dinner or even just a drink. I mean, we are older...maybe she wanted to hang with some younger people!  We did not know if she would show or not. We did spend 3 hours together eating our way through Paris... why not?  Well...she showed up!  We proceeded to spend the whole night together, talking, eating, drinking and generally having fun.  We ended the night...shutting down a Christmas market.  Small world indeed. 

We visited Colmar, France the next day and my oh my!  For one, the sun was shining brightly for the first time since we left home.  For another, Colmar is the cutest place on earth!  We felt like we had been dropped into a fairy tale!  This was probably the most perfect day of our trip.  Sunny skies, market after market, buildings and streets decorated to the hilt, great food, and a very manageable size place to fully explore.  I would go back!

Love the use of all red locks on the bridge!

Christmas, everywhere you look!

Cute beyond words!

Welcome back to Strasbourg

Our next destination was Baden Baden.  Why Baden Baden?  It is on the way to Frankfurt, where our flight home was departing, smaller and famous for its thermal spas.  We figured we would be chilled to the bone by this point in the trip and in need of some warming up.  We were back to the winter gray skies and as we headed north it just got colder.  Luckily, Baden Baden was charming, easy to navigate and a lovely place to spend a day and night.  Yes, we did go to the spa, no, we did not opt for the "textile free" areas.  We enjoyed every pool we could, inside and outside.  What a luxury!  Good thing our hotel was nearby, I was so relaxed when we left walking was a challenge.  Of course the cold air woke us up pretty quickly.  I cannot imagine how dark these towns are in the winter once all of the holiday decorations and lights are gone.  They are so festive and alive during this season, but with sunset around 4 p.m.  winter is very dark!

Our only sprinkling of snow!

 Our last day was spent in Frankfurt. It was definitely a place that snapped us back into reality.  After spending time in places that felt like walking through a Christmas card, we were in the big city.  Frankfurt is BIG!  We could no longer just walk from place to place, although we tried and got to see the seedier side of the life in the big city.  Let's just say the red light district in Frankfurt is not nearly as charming as it is in Amsterdam.  Another reality check was the markets were shoulder to shoulder crowds and then we realized it was Saturday.  We were definitely on vacation, we had no idea what day of the week it was until then.  Everyone and their grandmother and their kids goes to the markets on Saturday.  Yes, they were just as charming, but there were times I had to tell myself, "You survived Mardi Gras in New Orleans many times, you can do this too!".  We managed to sample some food and found a happening wine bar and lucked out with a seat at a table, surrounded by people.  Guess we were so old, compared to the general clientele, that they gave us a chair.  You know...before we keeled over due to old age 😂

Absolutely loved this booth!

We had a great time, better than expected actually!  We were prepared for inclement weather and had mentally prepared for gloomy skies.  I really had no idea that the night lights would provide so much joy though.  

Just some of the calories we consumed, happily, and tried to walk off on our trip.

Christmas came early to the two of us.  As a result, Christmas may come a little late to our families!  Playing catch up on the gifting and greeting this year...their gifts will arrive...someday!

Hope your holidays are as merry and bright as a European Christmas Market!

Giving Thanks

As I was riding my bike, I had plenty of time to think the other day.  Used to be when I walked or ran, ah the good old days, I would come up with many of the topics I write about here.  These days I find myself listening to a book or a podcast instead of letting my mind wander.  Riding my bike, I don't listen to anything other than the cars approaching for safety reasons.  I think I miss the days of just not listening to anything while walking or just listening to music and letting my mind wander.  Anyway, my brain went immediately to the obvious, Thanksgiving is upon us and so I just started a mental list of things I am thankful for, not just in November, but always.  Every November I consider writing a daily blurb about something I am thankful for and year after year by the end of the month I have written zero blurbs, in spite of thinking about them.  Follow through is not my strong suite.  So this is me, following through a bit and wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope you have many things in your life to be thankful for.  And, this list may make it seem like life is just peachy all the time but rest assured, it is not and I am thankful for those not so wonderful times and things, because without them the good would not be possible. 

I am thankful for:

My faith.  My faith is my foundation, my compass, my joy, the place I go for comfort, a place to leave my fears, worries and troubles.  I am thankful to have that in my life because without it I would be lost.

My family.  I am lucky enough to be part of a loving and supportive family and to hopefully have created the same.  My parents were two very special people who taught us right from wrong, and showed us how to love and live.  I often wondered, when I was a child, why I was born into the family I was born to, in the place I was born, and in the time I was born.  I had trouble sleeping when I was young, so I had a lot of time to think!  But why am I the person I am, in this place and this time?  I could have been born to different people, in a different country under very different circumstances.  Of course, then I wouldn't be me. My family is a gift given to me.  I have 4 great kids, 7 beautiful grandkids, 4 awesome siblings and countless extended family members who make life beautiful.  

My husband.  Again, I would not be the person I am without him in my life.  He is loving, caring, someone who pushes me out of my comfort zone, supportive, occasionally annoying, a lot of fun, someone who makes me laugh, full of random hairbrained ideas, curious and seeking knowledge, and always game for whatever I want to do!

My health.  As I was riding my bike enjoying the breeze and the nice fall day, I was very thankful to be moving.  Having experienced a few setbacks with broken bones or that pesky ACL surgery I found myself immobilized, I vowed to never take my health for granted.  Being humbled by injuries opened my eyes to what many people face every day.  Through my recoveries I am so very thankful for the gift of my health and my body.  It certainly isn't perfect, but it is the only one I have, and it is still working.

My friends.  Many people have come into and gone out of my life.  I have friends I learned from, friends who inspired me, friends who have supported me and who I have supported, friends I laughed with, cried with, traveled with, worked with, shared secrets with, argued with, gotten into mischief with, competed with, prayed with, and sat quietly together with and I am thankful for each and every one of them.  They have all made my life rich.

My home.  I am blessed to call two places home.  Home is where I can just be me.  Home is the everyday routine and stability.  

Finally, I am thankful for all of my life experiences, the good the bad and the ugly.  What a lot of living we have done and hopefully still have to do!  

What are you most thankful for?  

Hello New York, It's Been a While

 You have heard the saying, "be careful what you wish for, you may just get it", this fall is proving it to be true.  There were times when I would have been thrilled at any opportunity to get out of town.  Lately, all I have to do is wistfully mention a place I'd like to visit, and TJ has booked a flight in a couple of hours.  Apparently, flight booking agent is his new retirement hobby.  This can be a blessing and a curse.  I think I need to be more calculating in the places I suggest...I've always wanted to visit New Zealand.  He has now planned for us to be out of town for at least a long weekend every two weeks for the foreseeable future.  We will be doing the "tour de children and grandchildren" until mid-December.  Add in one recreational indulgence I merely suggested, and my travel agent husband booked, and our year is now going to be lived in two-week intervals.  I would complain but then people might throw things at me.  Maybe this will also give me some good stories to share in the upcoming months.

Last weekend...or the one before, we took a trip that had been in the making for a long time...like 50 years.  It was TJ's 50th high school class reunion.  I find it absolutely mind blowing that we are old enough to be going to 50th reunions for anything!  I feel like I am only 50 myself!  (oh, I wish!)   If you recall, because I am sure you remember, his 40th reunion was an inspiration for me to witness.  I would say the guys picked right up where they left off 10 years ago.  Attending an all-boys Catholic school in the 70's forged some strong relationships among some very good men.  There were at least 50 - 60 attendees in my scientific guestimation.  The appreciation these men have for each other, especially after 50 years, was palpable.  Not only did they each take time out of their lives to attend, they also took time to speak to classmates whether they "hung out" in high school or not.  Common themes in conversations were - 1. retirement...are you retired, when did you retire, how do you spend your time now? 2. Children and grandchildren 3. Travel 4. knees, hips, shoulders and general health 5. and the inevitable..."remember when you"...or "remember when we?".  I tended to home in on the travel conversations and have concluded that we are certainly in the "see the world while you can" years.   One of the more eye-opening parts of the weekend was the school tour, which we had planned to skip, but due to the rainy weather ended up attending.  The level of technology in the school is amazing!  The high school felt more like a university!  I need to go back to high school!  (not!!!)  My hope is that today's students are able to forge the long-lasting friendships these men of years ago forged while living in our current instant and disposable society. 

I give you the class of 1973
Archbishop Stepinac High School

While we were in a place that experiences Fall as a real season and not just a calendar change, we drove up to a lovely reservoir on Sunday and hiked, hoping to see some leaf color.  The hike was lovely, the Fall color was just beginning.  We bravely drove into Manhattan and returned our rental car.  The next two days were spent getting in plenty of steps, eating great food, seeing and feeling all that New York can give and embracing it!  The last time I was in NYC was December 2019, before the world changed so drastically.  Previous to that trip we were frequent visitors and I really missed all that is the Big Apple.  The energy in that city is something special.  The entire weekend made me think about whether I am an introvert or an extrovert because I felt so alive being there.  Those of you who know me might be saying to yourselves, "total extrovert".  I would be inclined to agree with you.  The way being with people brings me to life and feeds my energy level is the sign of a true extrovert.  Upon closer examination, I wonder if while I do feel so much more alive after weekends like last weekend, I also look very much forward to coming home and just being.  

Teatown reservoir

This introverted extrovert personality sounds very much like our next few months.  We are going to be traveling and enjoying the energy of being around so many wonderful people only to return to our home base and enjoy the peace of being "home" with our batteries fully charged.  Too much of either can make me feel "off".  I have noticed since we got home that I have felt great!  The combination of all the socializing along with the energy of NYC brought me home feeling like myself.  I also noticed it made social outings easier than they are after a week or more in my comfy routine life at home.  I should remember this for the future...but will I?

Back to New York.  We only had 2 nights in the city and did not have any solid plans other than dinner reservations.  I am sure there was a play we would have enjoyed, when is there not?  There was probably any number of things we could have done but I just really wanted to walk around the city.  On Sunday, after we returned our rental car, we walked from 37th Street down to SoHo and just took it all in!  Sundays are such nice days to walk the city especially in nice fall weather.  We stopped here and there, we sat in the park and watched, walked a little more, sat outside and had a glass of wine, continued and finally reached our restaurant.  Our plan was to take a cab back but after dinner, but it was just so nice outside we decided to walk back and call a cab if our legs wore out, they did not.  We stopped in a bar around the corner from our hotel to watch the end of the Astros vs. Rangers baseball game.  The bar turned out to be an LSU bar!  Go figure.  We found our place.  19,000 steps later we slept very well!

Dos Caminos, a walk through the woods followed
by a walk through the city.

Watching the Astros surrounded by LSU swag in NYC.

On Monday I did have a few items I wanted to check off my list.  First, eat an authentic New York bagel for breakfast.  We stood in line to get bagels at Liberty Bagels, and it was so worth it!  The soft bagel sandwiched the most delicious schmear!  We wisely chose to split one sesame bagel with lox and dill as we raced to our appointed entry hour at The Summit.  I had seen this place mentioned in my researching and immediately knew I "had" to go!  I was a bit worried TJ would not love it as much as I would, but he loved it too!  How had I missed this place?  We found out it has only been open for 2 years, that's how I missed it.  Our eyes were treated to some of the most spectacular views NYC has to offer.  What a creative, mind bending and beautiful immersive experience, not to mention a photographer's delight.  We were also blessed with some chamber of commerce weather.  If ever there was a day that makes one want to return to the city, this was the day.  Lunch was at a random local deli and worthy.  Next stop on my walking tour was Central Park to find Phil Rosenthal's (Somebody Feed Phil) park bench.  We followed the directions and after a couple of tense moments spent questioning each other's intel, we decided to just walk a bit and found it immediately.  We paid homage to Phil and Monica, took our selfie, tagged Phil and hoped he would say "hi" back.  Love that guy! Then we pretended we had money and walked around the Upper West Side, shopped and enjoyed a glass of wine in a sidewalk cafe and watched people.  The best part of the day came on our walk home after dinner.  We passed a place named Keen's Chophouse.  TJ stopped in his tracks.  His father brought him to Keen's on his 10th birthday for dinner.  We just had to go in and see if it was "that" Keen's.  It was!  This was the exclamation point at the end of a weekend walk down memory lane.  

The Summit was a visual treat!

Mind bending

Somebody Feed(s) Phil, I feed TJ!

You should zoom in on this one and see the names on the pipes!  
TJ's Dad smoked a pipe too and I am sure he smoked his 
when he brought 10-year-old TJ here for dinner.

Walking down memory lane.

You would think nothing could top or even match NYC and most of the time you would be right.  Now, I won't say this topped the city, but it did provide a gentler re-entry to suburban life.  We were treated to an evening cruise down Buffalo Bayou in Houston the evening we returned home.  I had low expectations for this, aside from the good friends who we would be spending time.  Boy, was I surprised!  The chamber of commerce weather followed us home and downtown Houston showed up!  We were celebrating one of our good friends becoming a citizen of the United States.  It was a good way to remind us that home really is a good place too.  We need to explore our own city more like tourists sometimes!

Buffalo Bayou showing off.

Believe it or not...
this beautiful scene is the jail building.
The windows are only open at the very top section of each, and the rest of the window is fake...

Golden hour...over.

While it is nice to go away, there's no place like home.  Going away seems to charge my inner extrovert battery but coming home gives my introvert time to appreciate both the away and the home.  I am very thankful for both! 

Farewell to My Life "Away"

 This week is one of the most exhausting and bittersweet weeks of my year.  This is the week we shut down our life at the farmhouse and prepare to fly south for the winter.  I have chronicled this week many times over the years, and one would think after so many years doing this process it would get easier or that my mental state would be more prepared for what lies ahead, but alas, I am a slow learner.  Add to the clean out the fridge, put everything away for the winter, pack up your suitcase, wash everything you can lay your eyes on frenzy that is on my "to do" list, we had to prepare for a hurricane!  I think it was a blessing and a curse.

Hurricane Lee hit Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI last weekend.  We all knew it was coming and hopefully everyone prepared as well as we did.  Hopefully no one needed all of their preparations either.  All last week I kept saying we were going to over prepare and hopefully it would all would work out.  Well.. it actually did!  The hurricane came and went and it was one of the more interesting and lovely hurricanes I have ever seen!  Go figure!

Absolute favorite part of any hurricane I have ever seen!
I watched this rainbow move across the horizon for about 30 minutes!

Just had to go down at high tide to see just how high it was.

Hurricane Lee came and went and left nothing but muddy yards and rain weary people in its wake.  The past week has been dreary and downright depressing!  September did not win me over this year.  After what can only be described as a rainy summer, September has been more of the same.  My brain works so much better in the sunshine!  Add to the rain the cooler than usual temperatures and the mass evacuation for the hurricane and we were left with each other and the dreary gray sky in our final week and try as I might to get motivated to pack, clean and ready the house for our departure, I just kept dragging my feet.  I did manage to get "some" stuff done and the hurricane prep helped get all the flying objects inside, but darn if the day before we leave...yet again...is like a friggin' marathon!

One of us got to power wash not one but 2 lawnmowers, run the 
gas out of them and put them away for the season.

The poor garden had to be cleaned up and we harvested most of the available produce.
Can I say how much I am going to miss eating super fresh, organic produce 
every day?!

Last but not least we had to empty all of the potted plants that
have provided us with so much joy as they 
adorned our various decks and porches.
This truly is one of the hardest things I have to do every time we leave.

This week has provided me with many opportunities to reflect on what I will miss and what I won't miss when we leave.  I will miss a lot for sure, but after spending a solitary week in the cool and gray I am very much looking forward to some sunshine.  Of course, one week back home and I will be begging to come back to the coolness up here.  Such a quandary...but alas, we must go home at some point.

Things I will miss...

-The garden!  The thought of eating vegetables from the supermarket and not minutes old from the backyard is daunting.  I swear every summer my body thanks me for eating organic vegetables.  The vegetable from our garden taste so much better than anything I can buy at the store, and we get very spoiled.  Meals are usually planned around what we just picked out of the garden.  I have this, this and this...search a recipe and that's what we have for dinner!  Easy.  Add to the garden the brilliant flowers that we have up here and I am all in!

-Having people around who are happy to drop by or be dropped in on at a moment's notice.  Until recently when everyone escaped the hurricane, there was any number of people who would drop by for dinner or invite us over for dinner.  Back home it's just the two of us...every night it seems.  There are no spontaneous gatherings.

-The light.  The light up here is different.  For some reason, maybe it is just my shore-colored goggles, but everything is more beautiful up here...especially when the sun is shining.  The air is clearer, the greens are greener, the blues are bluer, and the air is clearer!

-The ease of life up here.  There is no traffic.  There are many open spaces.  The population is sparse.  The pace of life is a lot slower than the one at home.  When I first arrive these are some of the things that drive me crazy, then after a couple of weeks, I have slipped into the easier pace of life up here and greatly appreciate it!

-No TV!  I have not sat down and watched television since I left home.  If I must confess, I really don't miss it 95% of the time.  Then college football starts...or baseball season gets serious...and I feel very left out.  Add to those things one...or two lonely, gray weeks and I find myself resorting to watching Seinfeld on my computer at night just to pass the time.  Desperate times require desperate measures.  I much prefer the nights when digital entertainment is the farthest thing from my mind!

Things I am looking forward to when I get home...

-My hair salon!  Vanity of vanities!  

-A nail salon...my poor neglected feet!  More vanity.

-Eating out...within a couple of miles from my house!

-My golf club which is only 2 miles from my house and where I have made some very good friends.

-My car.  We have one, very old truck, up here and two people living 20 miles away from the nearest golf club or grocery store with one truck is a challenge.  The truck has been in the shop twice this summer resulting in no car...or borrowing cars.  I miss my car, the one with the backup camera and the blind spot warning and the comfortable seats and the Bluetooth connection.  That 2003 truck is nice and all but it is not my car!  I miss my independence!

There is a short list of things I will miss and things I am looking forward to when I get home.  Today has been a marathon and still it isn't all done.  The leaving is a slow and painful tearing yourself away from the idyllic life we are privileged to live in the summer up here.  Yes, I might complain about the details, but for 3 months of living in what can only be described as stepping back in time to a kinder, simpler life it is all worth it!

Until next summer, farewell to my home away from home.  I sure wish I could channel you when I need you in my "real" life!

Summer in Four Part Harmony

It has been a challenge to write the last two months because I'm not sure how or even what to say.  I have thought about it, I have journaled about it and yet I still don't have the right words.  I have considered several short posts, but who am I kidding?  I don't write short posts anymore.  I have started and even titled a couple of posts only to leave them neglected...for weeks.  Labor Day, the unofficial end to what has been an interesting summer, is now behind us.  One I will remember forever, for many different reasons and forget much of for the same reasons.  Maybe it can be explained in four sections.

Part 1

After our return from Spain, we entered what I will refer to as the Roseanne Roseannadanna part of the summer, because "It just goes to show ya, it's always something!".  Either it was the lawnmower that we had to repair not once but at least 3 times this summer for one reason or another, or you discover one missing shingle on your roof can cause a major flooding event in your attic that leaks down to the second floor through the doorways. Or you walk into your kitchen and discover your very old, very lame dishwasher is flowing all over the floor.  So, like Roseanne Roseannadanna says, "It just goes to show ya, it's always something!".  Life at the farmhouse is not all sunny skies, beautiful flowers and sunsets.

Super fun times in the attic catching rain.

How to get saturated insulation out of the attic and to the ground,
use a tarp and some creativity!

Once we said goodbye to Roseanne, we said hello to a short visit from a few rays of sunshine in the form of our daughter and her son and some actual sunshine!  This may have been the beginning of the very short "real summer" when it was hot, humid and sunny.  With my brand-new dishwasher, patched roof and operating lawnmower it felt like the tide had turned.  There were beach days, grandson smiles, lots of playing and seeing life through the eyes of a sweet two-year-old.  Little did I know these days would become the calm before the storm.  

Sweet memories!

He was "all in" on the beach!

Part 2

The day before they left, I got a phone call.  It was that phone call we all knew was coming...someday... but never want to answer.  "Mom is dying."  A few phone calls later and one frantically packed bag in hand, I was on my way to Baton Rouge.  When I arrived, Mom was being made comfortable in a hospice care facility and nearing the end of her life.  My sister, my brother and I (My other 2 sisters had seen mom the previous weekend and said what they thought might be their goodbye then.) spent time with her holding her hand, talking to her, reading to her, praying, and just being with her for the next week until she finally passed on July 26, 2023.  It was a privilege to be there with her for her final days. 

Watching someone in their final days, especially your mother, is profound.  I will venture to say, you never really know...until it is your mom.  Many of you have lost your mothers, and I sympathized with you, but I never understood so deeply what that experience was like...until it was my mom.  Knowing that there was a person in my life who loved me unconditionally was subconsciously comforting, something I knew deep down and probably took for granted many times.  Being a mother myself, I know that unconditional love because I feel it for my own children.  It is a love like no other.  Knowing she is gone brings it to light and leaves me feeling a bit lost or empty at times. She lived a good life, not without its challenges.  She believed in God, the value of hard work, marriage, family, a well-coordinated wardrobe, and dessert.  She always saw the best in us, even when we were not our best.  Her face lit up when her family visited, especially in her later years.  She was sweet and ever appreciative of the good things in her life.  

Surrounded by her wardrobe and smiling at her cottage.

She loved living in Louisiana.

In her happy place!

When I returned to the shore, I was different.  I was in the same place, with the same people I am with every summer, doing the same things, but I was not quite all here.  I am sure this is a normal experience.  Grief or some form of it?  I felt slightly detached.  Maybe due to my own exclusion or to the fact that when someone dies, other people don't always know what to say around the ones who are grieving.  I felt the same, or at least longed to feel the same, but I'm not the same.  I just muddled through this part of the summer.  

Part 3

There was then the part of the summer that was busy, active, full of family and provided me with ways to focus on other things.  I tried my best to enjoy where I was.  I have trouble doing this because I always know there is something happening somewhere else that I am missing during this part of the summer.  Yes, I am still 16 years old in some ways.  I really need to accept that when at the shore, there is always something else happening somewhere and currently we are unable to be two places at once.  My mantra has been, "enjoy where you are."  The only problem is, I was never completely where I was.  A little bit of me was missing.  

Here is a video of this wonderful, full time at the shore!

Part 4

The shore has slowed down now to a much smaller and quieter group.  The families with children have gone home for school and work and the seasonal vacationers have gone back to their "real" lives.  The colorful potted plants have been retired for the summer and the decks along the lane look starkly naked, the toys in the yards and on the beach are stored away until next year, the number of beach chairs on the beach has dwindled and the pull to sit on the beach is weakening.  We are here for a few more weeks and I have mixed feelings about this time.  Part of me embraces this time because I get to do the things I want to do and have put aside all summer.  This time is a quiet, slower paced, and less scheduled.  The weather this summer has been less than perfect...seemingly all over the continent!  We were the ones who got the very wet, cooler than normal summer weather.  As a result, I am embracing every sunny and remotely warm day like it was a newborn baby.  

Hoping there are more days like this left in our summer.

And hope to watch this show on repeat a few times!

I am taking this time to let it all sink in, all of the challenges and anxiety at the beginning of summer, the sorrow in the middle, the love of family and friends that followed and the peace and solitude of the end summer.  Will I remember everything that happened this summer?  Nope.  Will I remember one thing and how it was a turning point, yes.  Everything will go back to July 26, 2023, the day I joined so many in the world who have said that permanent earthly goodbye to both of their parents.  Now I understand.

  

Right Place, Right Time

 We recently returned from our "escape the June gloom at the shore" trip.  Not surprisingly, we returned to the same gloomy conditions we left and are wondering why we didn't take a longer trip!  I could complain but then I look at the extreme heat wave back in Houston and think maybe another week of cool, wet weather isn't so bad after all!  But one more week in southern Spain would have been even better!  Aside from that first day when the rain in Spain fell mainly on us, things could not have been better!

Not the sunny escape we were expecting.

Maybe they are smiling because
they get to wear those fantastic hot pink vestments!

Ever since our oldest daughter did her semester abroad in the fall of 2000 and took a trip to Seville, it has been on my radar.  She told me she just knew it was a place I would love and as I did my research, I was convinced it indeed was a place we should visit.  So, when we planned our "escape the gloom" trip, Seville fit all of our requirements.  It was warm, traditionally sunny, relatively inexpensive and offered a great mix of history, amazing architecture, great food and wine and did I mention sunshine?!  Aside from day one, the weather was just what we were hoping for!  The trip was even more than we hoped for, if you ask me!

We experienced a few "coincidences", or God winks, along our way.  We took a tapas and history tour one evening in Seville, and all had to share private nods to each other, as our first stop was the very restaurant, we ate lunch earlier in the day.  A place famous for its orange wine in Seville.  On the same tour, our final stop was next door to the place we ate breakfast in and also had a nightcap the night before.  We were so surprised that the choices we had made, randomly, in a city with hundreds of interesting and delicious places to eat were so close to those featured in the tour.  The tapas tour was really great, our guide was one of the best I've ever had on a tour.  Well done!  Add to the interesting, witty and educational narrative delicious food and drinks and all of us were stuffed by the end of the tour.

Lunch and orange wine

Tapas, a tour and orange wine.

In Seville, we heard many times about the huge processions during Holy Week where they carry large platforms or floats with various ornate sculptures mounted on them.  It seems there are many of these processions during Holy Week and the men who carry these large, heavy platforms train for weeks before the processions.  We had been told that the city would be celebrating First Communion that week and that was the reason the city was decorated with banners and flowers, plus, the Cathedral would be closed to the public for that time. We did try, several times, to tour the Cathedral but never got inside! One of our few wrong place, wrong time experiences on the trip. 

We walked past this earlier in the day and it was empty.
After dinner, it was hosting a free concert!

The artist Serafin Zubiri was performing with the National Orchestra.  The music was lovely, and the place was packed!  A summer evening experience we don't get back home.  

From Seville we drove down to Malaga which is on the coast.  It seemed much more modern and cosmopolitan compared to Seville.  I was really looking forward to seeing the blue water and the beach.  I was not disappointed!  The beach was calling our name as soon as we arrived.  Yes, I even went in the water, and it was beautiful.  Especially after the many miles we walked in Seville and the drive down to Malaga.  Nothing like bobbing in the waves for a while to make you really feel like you are on vacation.

Plenty of pedestrian streets with tons of shopping!

We opted for the beach!

Along with a few other people!

 The next morning we woke up early...for me...so we could hike to the top of the Alcazaba, an ancient palatial fortress that stands over the entire city.  It was a steep hike but the view at the top, as usual, was worth it!  It was Sunday morning, and I was having a bit of Catholic guilt because we were out hiking instead of going to Mass in the Cathedral next to our hotel.  We hiked back down the mountain and our path took us near the Cathedral where I stopped to look at a couple of birds on the fountain and TJ went to see why there was a uniformed band near the church.  It looked like a crowd was gathering and we went closer to check it out.  There were police gathering and the crowd was growing, so we stood there waiting to see what the commotion was all about.  We figured the band was going to play eventually.

Malaga from above.

The bullfighting ring.

This is what caught our attention.

As we waited for the band to play, the church doors opened, and people began to walk out.  I figured Mass was over but then the candle holders and cross bearer walked out, and the church bells began to clang and we waited.   We soon realized that today was the feast of Corpus Christi, and this was a huge procession celebrating the First Communion of all the children of the church.  The band played, the church bells clanged, and all the precious children dressed in white processed out of the church.  It was beautiful!  As a Catholic, it was so moving to see how celebrated these children were on this special day of initiation in the Catholic church.  There was a procession for over 30 minutes with the children first, then their families carrying banners and staffs, followed by one band and then the clergy and then the monstrance carrying the Blessed Sacrament on a huge platform of silver followed by yet another band.  I was brought to tears.  To witness such a beautiful tradition and see so many people celebrating these children was truly a blessing.  There was a level of pageantry we never get to see and while that alone does not indicate any level of faith, the mere fact that so many people came together to celebrate these children and their First Communion made my heart swell.  I felt the spirit in my heart.  If we had not gone for that hike so early in the morning and not taken that path back to our hotel, we would not have seen this celebration.  We were meant to be right where we were when we were.  We watched the entire thing.  

Some of the banners carried by the families.

They have got to be brother and sister...right?!

                                         This was the moment I teared up.  Turn your sound on.

The morning left me both physically and emotionally invigorated!  Mind, body and soul taken care of all in a matter of hours.  I had no expectations of Malaga other than the blue water and found myself wishing we were spending more time there.  It was the one place I made no plans for on our trip, no tours, no dinner reservations ahead of time, not much research on what to do or see, we just went because it was supposed to be beachy and beautiful.  It was so much more.  

Next stop on the agenda was Granada.  Granada, full of history, interesting neighborhoods, the Alhambra and free tapas!  A few words about tapas.  Every city treats it differently.  Who knew?  In Seville, you pay for tapas.  Many items on the menu can be ordered as a meal or as tapas, which means a smaller portion of the same food.  We wanted to try a lot of different foods, so we chose to order 2 or 3 meal size portions at dinner and shared them all and if there was something someone wanted in particular, we ordered the tapas size in Seville.  Tapas did not seem to be a thing in Malaga.  In Granada, which claims to be where tapas all began, if you order a drink, they bring you tapas for free.  Order another drink, they bring more food and on and on.  We embraced the tapas!  

Our own little patio at
our favorite tapas stop in Granada.

If you go to Granada, go here!

The life in Granada is easy.  I really liked Granada.  Several different neighborhoods and vibes from upscale and busy, to easy and relaxed to traditional with flamenco and cave restaurants.  The Alhambra stands on a mountain above the city and beyond it are the Sierra Nevada mountains.  It is a beautiful city!  Our hotel was across the street from the Cathedral, seems we have a thing for Cathedrals.  It was a great location!  Our first day was spend just wandering, exploring and testing the tapas theory.  We also enjoyed paella!  Yes, maybe we ate and drank a lot on this trip...but we did do a lot of walking every day too.  One highlight from our first day was finding the Mirador San Nicholas.  The perfect spot to soak in a little local culture and see the Alhambra in all of its glory.

That is what I call a nice view!

They all endured my daily "team photos"!

When in Spain...try the paella!

The next day was ABC... Another Bloody Church, and the Alhambra.  The Alhambra was amazing!  After seeing two palatial fortresses, I wondered how special could a place be?  I wondered if we'd seen one...or two...have we seen them all?  Nope!  The Alhambra is special!  It is such a masterful mix of Islamic intricacy and detail merged with Christian influences.  Luckily, the Christians kept much of the unbelievable details from the original Moorish designs.  My mouth was agape.  No picture will show just how inspiring this place actually is in person.  The views from the fortress are expansive and the gardens are meticulous.  When everything I read said expect to spend 3 hours here, I thought to myself, no way!  We spent almost 3 hours and could have spent longer.  Go figure!  It was the perfect exclamation point at the end of our travels together.  

One of the views from the top.

I loved the tile work and colors inside! 

And the details!!!

Peaceful and beautiful

One ceiling...photos cannot do it justice.

For the outdoorsy types.

Needless to say, southern Spain was exactly the right place to go to escape June gloom.  There was nothing gloomy about Andalusia.  I am so glad we were able to see these beautiful and amazing places.  Every day was a feast for the senses.  It would have been hard to not fall in love with Spain...again!