A Very Beachy Hodgepodge

Does anybody know what time it is?

Hehe...silly question, I know.

It's time for HODGEPODGE, of course...

...where Joyce asks the questions and we answer them on our blogs.

Come on over and join the fun!

Carolina Beach, NC

I'm adding in some recent and not-so-recent photos of the sea

 since many of the questions relate to salt, sand and/or...yes, the sea, itself.

So let's get right to the questions.

1. "The cure for anything is salt water-tears, sweat, or the sea." (Isak Dinesan) Would you agree?Of the three, which has 'cured' you most recently?

I'd say that this quote can be quite true for most people...that is, unless you don't like the sea. All three of these things can prove to be quite therapeutic for me. Sometimes a good cry will do it alone. Getting involved in a big project can also be a great way to forget your troubles...the sore muscles and tired bones have a tendency to give you something else to think about! And who doesn't love a visit to the sea shore to just get away from the stresses of life? It has been several months since I have visited the beach so I would have to say that "salt water tears" have been my most recent cure, although I can't remember what I was actually crying about at the moment. Coming up in a couple of weeks, SWEAT will be the name of the game...putting my house back together after the new floors are installed. :O

2. What's something you can't eat without salt? Do you normally salt your food a lot, a little, or not at all? 

Mostly vegetables...and probably eggs too. I add a little salt but not too much. Too much salt is a good way to ruin any meal if you ask me...not to mention your health.

3. Sands of time, bury your head in the sand, built on sand, or draw a line in the sand...which sandy phrase could best be applied to something in your life right now?

Hmmm...since it still January for a few more days, a month when so many of us think about time and how it flies by ever so quickly, I guess the sands of time would apply here. Wasn't New Years Day just yesterday?? The first month in 2017 is practically a memory already.

Fort Fisher,NC

4. A favorite book, movie, or song with an island setting or theme? 

"Castaway" with Tom Hanks.

Speaking of desert islands, here are a bunch of few pics from a cruise to the Bahamas.

These are from w-a-y back in 2005.....talk about the sands of time!

These photos have been on a CD that got misplaced for years.

Cococay Island, Bahamas

They were straight out of my first digital camera (ancient point & shoot)

 and I was happy to finally get them edited just a bit for the blog.

Nassau, Bahamas

Just so you know, I did not enhance the colors here.

It was right before a storm and the sun was still out...

making the water a brilliant turquoise against the dark blue sky.

It was the most amazing sight.

Okay...now back to reality...

5. Yesterday-did you run your day or did it run you? How so?

Yesterday was just a regular Tuesday...nothing too stressful. In other words, it did not run me :)

6. You're on an island holiday. Will I most likely find you parked in a beach chair, shopping in town, on the back of a jet ski, or snorkeling off the back of a catamaran?

Here we are, back on vacation again. I'll let the photo below answer the question.


Carolina Beach, NC - 2016

7. What do you think we humans most take for granted?

Tomorrow. We just assume it's going to be there.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm ready for some sand and salty sea air! Who's with me??

Somehow, the snowflakes on my signature seem a little out of place on this post...

...BUT it is, after all still winter!

Sisters at the Beach

Well, I've returned from my little birthday excursion to the sea shore and it seems to be taking me a while to get back in the swing of things. I have been trying to get this post ready for days and I've barely looked at a blog since early last week. I've missed ya'll! Being away from my regular routine for several days can certainly make life a little crazy. I must also tell you to be prepared for photo and narrative overload! Consider yourself warned :)

 

The Lord was blessing our little get-away right from the start and at 64 years young, Sister Barb experienced flying for the very first time! Oh, but I'm pretty sure it won't be her last...she thoroughly enjoyed it and she had a wonderful experience. Any fears that she had were quickly put to rest as she sat next to a pilot who flew for Amazon! His calm assurance made her feel quite secure and she was really able to enjoy her time in the air. She had no doubt in her mind that her pilot friend was Hand-selected to be her traveling companion...put there just for her.

We had been planning this trip for a year or more and we had an absolutely fantastic time together. Barb is one of the most selfless people I know and she is always putting others before herself. Since she retired a little over a year ago, she has found herself possibly even busier than she was before, taking on many "grandma" duties, helping out her two working daughters. If there was ever anyone who needed a little time away, it would be her.

 

There's something kind of wonderful about celebrating getting another year older but behaving as if you've actually gotten younger! There were moments when we laughed so hard we could barely stop. There were other times when we reminisced about the old days and spoke of serious matters.

I beat the pants off of her in a game of 500 Rummy and we decided to go to 1000 and she turned the tables on me! We took more selfies than we ever have and I even invested in a selfie stick! I said I'd never get one of those...lol! How can you pass up a $6.00 selfie stick, especially when it's 50% off and especially when you have short arms?? Never say never! It was just great sister time.

Tropical Storm Julia was looming overhead, stirring things up a bit and she created the most dramatic sky show. What started out looking like a wet four-day weekend, became a beautiful mix of clouds with brilliant blue skies with stunning cloud formations.

We sat on the deck watching a passing rain storm,..

...intensifying it's appearance with a little help from my "UV filter":D

Cooking together played a big part in the fun as well. We had been scanning Pinterest and Facebook for yummy things to cook for months and as it turned out, we only ate out one time during our stay. Our first morning started out with a breakfast pizza....

...it had a hash brown crust topped with bacon, sausage, cheese and eggs. It was so good and we had the leftovers for breakfast the next day. That was Thursday, my birthday, and we spent the afternoon just sitting on the shore watching the show. There were very few crazy ladies others on the beach and at times it seemed to be just us and the seagulls. 

It was very windy and we knew the beach umbrella didn't stand a chance. There wasn't any sun to keep off of us anyway and then it started to rain. There we sat through about three different showers, getting pelted and soaked. We both agreed that it was reminiscent of times when we played out in the rain as kids. Then it finally stopped raining and this happened....

...oh it was just a glorious sight and we both agreed that only heaven could be more beautiful.

Afterwards, it was blue skies for the rest of the day. Between the wind and a short stint in the pool, we got a little....umm...pink. On our way out for my birthday dinner, this majestic sunset stopped us in our tracks.

Barb treated me to a fabulous dinner...peppercorn seared tuna with caramelized onions and balsamic glaze, the "house" mashed potatoes along with a great salad and home baked bread. The tuna was cooked to perfection and oh so delicious.

We had baked a pumpkin/pecan dump cake earlier and it was waiting for us back in our room. 

Who needs birthday cake, anyway??

The weather was much improved and the next day we headed out to ride the ferry to Southport. The island is loaded with cool little shops so we browsed a few of them and had some ice cream. Riding the ferry was so relaxing and the skies were brilliant blue.

Before we headed out out, we put our dinner in  my little vintage crock pot that I brought from home. We decided to make a simple chicken and broccoli dish...chicken breasts in the bottom, fresh broccoli added, seasonings and cream of mushroom soup poured over the top. We ate it over a multi-grain rice mix and it was delicious! The lovely aroma of eau de broccoli about knocked us down when we got back, as it permeated every nook and cranny our room. How is it that broccoli tastes so good but smell SO bad???

 

That was also the night of the Harvest Moon

 and it was a beautiful thing to see as it rose over the ocean.

A few miles down from Carolina Beach is Kure Beach and Fort Fisher, one of my favorite places to visit. I've shared photos of this area before in another post and I always look forward to coming here to this lovely part of the sea shore. It is also quite rich in history as it is the site of a major battle in the Civil War. There is a museum that tells all about it. We have brought the grandsons here many times over the years and they could probably tell you every detail :)

Yes, another selfie :)

So Sunday morning we had a little worship time on the deck before going out to get our feet wet once more before our departure. It had started out cloudy and rainy but soon the sky was blue with white billowy clouds. I recorded this video of us singing a chorus of "How Great Thou Art", a song which always comes to mind when I witness the vastness of the ocean.

We only waded in ankle-deep because the sea was quite rough, but we definitely got what we came for...and a free pedicure to boot! Sand does wonders on those rough heels :)

You know what they say about all good things. It was time to pack up the Jeep and head for home. We had a little more time to visit since her plane didn't fly out until Monday. It was one of the best birthdays I can remember having and I'm so thankful that God blessed our time together.

I'll close by adding these panoramic shots taken from my iphone.
~

Now that she's got that first flight under her belt, we may just have to make a habit out of this.

Same time next year, Barb???

So now I better get busy and see what everyone's been up to...
...OH...and Happy Fall, Y'all!

Sharing at...

Mosaic Monday

By the Sea

Welcome...and Happy April, everyone!

Spring break is over for us and we enjoyed our long weekend at the sea shore.

This is the scene that greeted us when we arrived on Thursday afternoon.

Even though we had temps in the mid 70's, the water was still quite cold.

They were brave enough to get in...

...but these tough guys couldn't take the chilly waters for very long.

They stayed on dry land for the most part.

  

 I was up every morning before daybreak...my favorite time to take in the wonder of it all.

 

The clouds blocked much of the sunrise but I was still in awe...

...and I never tire of this magnificent sight.

The breaking of each wave creates a totally unique picture than the one before. 

  

I sat on the sand for probably an hour just watching the seagulls as they anticipated breakfast. 

For the longest time, it was just me and the birds.

And speaking of birds, these big guys were quite the entertainers.

 This is the easy way to get the fish special for lunch...

...you just wait patiently until one of the fisherman on the pier throw one to you...

...and down the hatch it goes in one gulp!

See those boats way out there?

The one on the left is the Dredge Savannah, a dredger vessel,
 currently at work pumping sand in to help restore the receding coastline.

source

Here she is up close.

Can you imagine what a monumental task something like this would be?

~

So in between rain storms, we had plenty of fun and got what we came for...
a little sun, sand, sea and Britt's Donuts.

A trip to Carolina Beach without eating one (or five...or six) of them just isn't right!
Visiting here too often is definitely hazardous to your health....oh, but they are SO GOOD!

The view from eight floors up as Dylan soaks up a few waning rays
and finally, Sunday morning's sunrise.

Why is it that the best day at the beach is the day you have to check out??
It's all good though...just being here, no matter the weather is a balm to the soul.

Enjoy your week, my friends :)

Linking with:
Mosaic Monday