Gone Fishin'

Jimmy is determined to buy a new fishing boat. He set up a trip to Florida (his 5th to FL this year) for us to see a flats boat manufacturer followed by 2 days of fishing with a guide using one of the boats he's considering buying.

I haven't fished in at least 2 years! Our guide, Ron Harter, was great. He's an expert in fishing the mangroves for redfish. I was the first to catch a fish...a redfish that was around 5 lbs. This was followed by a nice speckled trout. Then I caught about a 5 lb. Snook! Ron said this trio was the "Grand Slam". Jimmy caught several catfish, and we each caught an oyster!

Sunday I caught 2 more redfish and a snapper. Jimmy finally caught 2 redfish, one of which MIGHT have been bigger than mine. And I managed to get a little sunburn even with a sunscreen. We had to quit at noon due to a thunderstorm.

Ron said some friends of his were in a Redfish Tournament nearby on Saturday and only 8 fish were turned in that day with 60 some in the tournament. Probably due to the wind, high tide and low pressure system. He said I would have won $3,000. with my big redfish. Oh, well. Money isn't everything!?!

All the fish were safely released and we arrived home safely last night. Although I had a wonderful time, I'm glad to be home.

Good Advice on Deaf Ears

Graduation. It's one of those "markers" that you use to measure things in your life, large and small. I still remember the politician who was our speaker at my high school graduation saying, "The world is your oyster..." It was 1965 and I thought the message was so cornball and uncool to say.

My daughter's high school graduation on the other hand had Willard Scott for a speaker. He was most entertaining and told the girls that they had been given much and, in turn, had much to give back. A great message! He also seriously instructed the girls, "When the temperature is 78 degrees, and the sky is clear and blue with a slight breeze, it's perfect to walk around nude!" How could you forget that!!!

Carey's college graduation featured the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Don Beyer. Beyer illustrated the importance of a written "Thank You" note citing when his family's Northern Virginia car dealership was looking for a new manager for Customer Service, after the hundreds of aggresive and innovative applicants and dozens of interviews, the person who got the job was a lady who was the ONLY one to write a hand-written "Thank You" note. I'm not sure how many deaf ears this message fell upon in that gymnasium but it is the backbone of the way Jimmy and I conduct our Real Estate business. Emails are a great way to share facts and casual information, but a hand-written note takes personal time and thought--something lacking in our busy lives. I've never had anyone comment on the email I sent them, but they'll go out of their way to tell me how they appreciated the note. I know I cherish the few I receive and can't bear to throw them away but have never felt the same about any emails I've received.

  

Life's Celebrations

I'm getting ready to leave for Reagan's graduation. She is five years old. This is the first of many. After all, this is preschool! Next year it will be Kindergarten. The only graduation I ever attended of my own was high school. Being an art student, I was too avant-garde to attend my college graduation. It was in the Richmond Colliseum and they just said, "School of the Arts, stand up". Most of these people I didn't know since there were only 25 (out of 75 our sophomore year) in our department graduating with a BFA in Interior Design. I didn't see the sense of dragging everyone downtown and paying for parking, the gown, etc. for that. So I picked up my diploma a couple weeks later. And I never have felt like I missed a thing!

The Assateague Lighthouse from afar.

  This is the painting I did a week ago at the Chincoteage National Wildlife Refuge. If you look really hard, you can see the lighthouse in the distance behind the trees. 

Memorial Day Weekend

We went to the Eastern Shore for the Memorial Day weekend, across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel to Cape Charles. It was a family weekend. Everyone who can comes and stays at the old motel. There had been a fierce storm with 70MPH winds that knocked out the power just before we got there. We didn't have electricity until late that night after we'd gone to sleep. I asked Jimmy which channel he wanted to watch on TV. Ha. One of the traditions is eating at "Sting-rays". It's an Exxon station that has a restaurant that serves fresh local seafood. They do a great job for locals and tourists alike.

Saturday and Sunday morning I was up at 4:30 AM to go and paint the sunrise. I painted 4 paintings total during the weekend. Jimmy went fishing with the boys everyday and they caught sharks, sea bass, croaker, & bluefish. Sunday night we had a big fish dinner and cooked it at a gazebo. The fish and hushpuppies were excellent.

Frances, Lou, Robin, Ellie, Kelly, Clay and I went to the beach. All kinds of treats came out of the coolers--from crackers and cheese to chocolate. The weather was perfect. Clear skies and in the low 80's.

You know for years I kept hearing this inner voice telling me to paint...to get emersed in art. In the design field I did tons of drafting and some rendering. I ignored the painting voice for years. Finally I decided I had some time and money to do what I wanted to do. It took me 2 years to get into the painting workshop I wanted to take because it filled up immediately. But it was the best thing I've ever personally done for myself. I've kept my art to myself for years. I felt it was a private thing. When we went to Victoria, BC last fall, the speaker was Mark Victor Hansen, co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. He saw the illustrated travel journal I had just started on this trip and called me up on the stage to share it with everyone. So much for private thoughts. He told me I had a talent and that I needed to share it with other people. Plein Air painting puts you out and in front of people. I had a lady walk up to me while painting on the beach on Sunday and want to buy the painting I was doing. I'm not ready to go there yet. Jimmy is being extremely supportive of my painting. He wants me to do a gallery wall here in the house. I guess I've got to put these paintings somewhere!

One of the things that hit me in the face since my 40th high school reunion is that there is only so much quality time left and so much I want to accomplish. Granted, I can't change the past. So NOW is the only thing I can impact. That's why I kicked my butt out of bed this weekend to paint. It felt good. It's easy to stay in a rut and procrastinate the time away. I can do that as good as anyone else, in fact, probably better than most. I've committed to a minimum of 5 paintings a week. This is a goal I have set and nothing can get me there except keeping my nose to the proverbial grindstone.

The Lighthouse

I kept waking up all night not wanting to miss the sunrise. The local news didn't report the time for sunrise and my alarm clock in the room wouldn't recognize anything but 7AM. I looked out the window at 5:30 and it was already getting light! I dashed out and drove to the Refuge.

I'd forgotten that NASA has an installation in the area. Driving by I'm always fascinated seeing the hangers and rockets on display. What a country. When I got to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, the gates were up but the toll takers weren't there yet...it was FREE! My first AHHH was passing the Assateague Lighthouse. Next I saw hundreds of birds, ducks and geese in the wetland areas. A great snowy white heron was near the side of the road. On the right, I could see the famous ponies grazing in a field in the distance. At the beach I found a perfect spot. I parked and set up my easel and supplies. I painted a wonderful scene of the cove with the island behind and the top of the lighthouse rising in the distance. This is my special souvenir of Chincoteague! On the way back, I couldn't help parking and walking to see the lighthouse. Lighthouses hold such appeal for everyone. It was interesting to learn that this lighthouse was brick and didn't get its red and white stripes until 1963.

This trip to Chincoteague (and Lewes & Easton) did my heart good! I'll return again soon.

Family

Thursday I drove up to Lewes to visit Aunt Dorothy. As a bonus, I saw Mary Ann and Grace Lee. Aunt Dorothy looked great. She was invited to have lunch with her best friend from high school. The phone rang about 8 PM and it was her friend's daughter calling to tell her Elizabeth had just passed away. Aunt Dorothy was quite distressed but knew that her friend was having some health issues. I'm glad I was there to help divert her mind from a stressful situation. Losing a close friend you've known for 75 years must be hard. Aunt Dorothy was handling it as good as anyone could expect.

I'm always amazed at the amount of energy and vitality Aunt Dorothy has. She's perky and has a sharp mind. She says she has problems remembering some names but who doesn't! She gets around pretty good. A little slower than in years past but she's careful as she walks as not to fall.

She told me a funny story. Years ago her mother and grandmother came to dinner. I think she said it was someone's birthday. Aunt Dorothy had made a chocolate cake. Her grandmother wasn't fond of chocolate but helped herself that evening to extra cake. She went home and didn't feel good and died. The joke was that Aunt Dorothy makes a killer chocolate cake! I think her grandmother was 94 years old.

As always, I try to swing by and see her everytime I'm remotely close. I'll see her again in July. And already I look forward to seeing her again. She is my only relative still living in the generation above us. Bless her heart!

One Goal Finally Achieved!

All my life I have wanted to go to Chincoteague! I left Easton, MD, and the Plein Air Workshop about 6 PM and had planned to drive straight through to home-4.5 to 5 hour drive. Our instructor, Ed Cooper, shared some gorgeous paintings he did in Chincoteague in a paint-off. Most were of the sunrise or the sunset...incredible views over the wetlands. I loved them. So, it wasn't a difficult thing to veer off course when I crossed the Maryland-Virginia line and go straight to Chincoteague.

I found a brand new Hampton Inn. There are a bunch of B&B's but I figured this would have a reasonable rate. The room is nice and I plan to get up extra early and head to the Refuge and do at least one small painting of sunrise. Then back here for the free complimentary breakfast and then head home.

So life is good. You know for YEARS a "trip to Chincoteage" has been on my list of written goals. I guess some goals just take a little longer than others. And other than staying in a B&B overlooking the water with rocking chairs on the front porch, it feels pretty good to be here. My brother owned probably the original version of the "Misty of Chincoteague" book by Marguerite Henry (I think). That was around 1954 and I would go in his room and look at that book. Since then I have always wanted to come here for the wild pony roundup. I understand the pony roundup is a mad scene these days--tons of people and hard to get reservations anywhere. Wish I made it to the pony roundup years ago before it was so commercialized.

But I'm here now. Nice and quiet. Everything I could see coming in was real quaint.

Meanwhile, Jimmy saw 4 tarpon while fishing in Florida today but nobody in the 15 surrounding boats caught anything. He said they are still "learning" about fishing in Florida. He'll be home sometime Tuesday.

Just thought I'd check in and let you know where I am!

The Sun is Shining!

Finally the sun is out again. Today is supposed to be in the 70's--Hallelujah! I sat on the back porch in the sunshine and had a cup of coffee this morning. Blue sky, birds singing, the willows swaying in the breeze. Life is good.

I like to paint. Jimmy doesn't. Therefore he doesn't like me to paint. Today's project is to paint the front porch railings. Yesterday I sanded and primed the wrought iron so the prep work is behind me. It's amazing how much activity you see in your neighborhood when you are innocently working on a home project. The point of view from the front porch is perfect for this. It reminds me of my childhood. Seeing neighbors come and go, the mailman, the UPS man, the school bus. Routine is a good thing. As much as I love to go, I love being home even more.

A Taste of Summer

Last night I finally got the tomatoes planted in the ground. Jimmy built two new raised bed frames for my garden and helped set them up--shoveled dirt and tilled in the peat moss. Thanks, Jimmy. I've bought a few new varieties of heirloom tomatoes--Black Krim, Hillbilly, Nepal, Persimmon, and of course, planted my favorite, Purple Cherokee. Oh, I couldn't resist getting Mortgage Lifter! I couldn't find my very best favorite, Omar's Lebanese. Better luck next year. Plus I planted a couple exotic eggplants, two green pepper plants and some herbs--Basil, Italian Parsley, Dill and relocated the big chunk of Oregano to the front of one of the new beds.

Today it's raining. One of those gray, cold, rainy days. But it couldn't have come at a better time for the garden. I can't wait to make a platter of sliced tomatoes drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with sea salt. Yum. That's the taste of summer!

Gardening Days...

This is day number 7 in the yard. This time last year we were preoccupied with Jimmy's health and spent our "extra" time primarily in the doctor's waiting room and the yard didn't get full attention. But that's a different story. For the past week I've been weeding and weeding (the roots go to China) and creating a crisp edge to the beds and borders. The bushes got a haircut, too. I trimmed all the borders with my new Toro electric trimmer. Jimmy has a macho Echo gas trimmer but it is so heavy and powerful, I'm afraid I'll do more that cut grass with it. My new one has a vertical trim feature that I really like (and Jimmy does, too) and other than miles of extension cords, it's easy to use. No gas engine to start. A truck load of hardwood mulch really sets of the plants and makes the front yard look like a magazine. I planted 3 new Endless Summer Hydrangeas on the side yard and hope they work out.

This morning I was weeding and mulching the crape myrtle near the driveway and a big brown spider jumped in the sleeve of my Tshirt. I saw something out of the corner of my eye and when I looked inside my shirt, it started jumping all around. It bit my arm--ouch. Then he took a leap into the front of my shirt. I started to shreek when he found his way out the bottom and he was gone.

I came inside and called Jimmy who was on his way to Newport News to play golf with the Uncles. He said to call the doctor. Meanwhile, I went online and the spider that bit me did not look like a brown recluse spider. It was kind of a cocoa brown, fatter and had thicker legs. So I'm washing the area off and applying good old Neosporine. If it worked on my horses years ago, it's good enough for me. The doctor just called and said there's not much you take, except some Benedryl. I told him it was like a bee sting.

Jimmy tries to play golf with the Uncles once a week, weather and schedule permitting. I've always pushed for him to do this since they are more like brothers than old uncles. You have to make time for the important things or they will pass you by. Jimmy was impressed by "Tuesdays for Morrie" and that has gone a long way to his creating time with them. There's an enormous amount of wisdom and intelligence in that group. Uncle Roy is 80. Uncle Phil is in his upper 70's, I think. We just lost Uncle Donnie to colon cancer a couple months ago. Golf with the Uncles has given them all some good memories of sharing time together.

The weather is glorious--clear, blue skies and up to 82 degrees today, and best of all, no humidity! I'm anxious to plein air paint some this afternoon. I might just stay here and paint the willow trees behind our house. But first I have to have everything ready for Jimmy to make me 2 more raised vegetable beds. There is a pressing need to get the heirloom tomatoes in the ground and growing.