Sunday, May 26, 2013

six on a sunny sunday



I love lots of things.


Lots of things to love.






...but for the sake of six, I'll attempt to narrow it down. 



Today, just...this.




1.  The street lined with American flags, waving in the breeze.


2.  Chatting it up with sweet Subway employees & teasing good-natured strangers
about Sunday afternoon silliness.


3.  Greeting Audrey at the door & giggling through her excited discussion of her oh-so-beautiful butterfly dress. 

(And the bow! in the back!)

(And the other bow! in her hair!)


4.  My VERY OWN, brand new North Carolina library card.


5.  Owo' hurrying outside to see "Gwanma & Gwanpa," my elderly downstairs neighbors, and his sweet wave and "hewwo" ...and their utter delight.


6.  Windows and doors wide open with nary a sneeze to be found!



Now you tell me if I'm wrong, but that's some pretty great right there, don't ya think?



I hope you're having a happy, happy Sunday :)




Friday, May 10, 2013

titleless. it can't be helped


Well y'all, first thing in the morning, after I pack a bag and make my bed
and engage in some marathon tidying, I'm on the road again! 

We're gearing up for some Big Graduating Fun on Saturday so I'm heading  home for a couple of days.  There will be caps & gowns & diplomas, along some hugs & eats and so forth.  My goal is to take at least three pretty pictures in the next 48 hours while simultaneously not eating more than my share of the chocolate cake.


I think we all know how that is going to go.




However, before I wrap this up and get down to the business of tossing and turning and not so much sleeping, I do want to ask you to pray for my step-dad.  He has a myriad of serious health conditions and was admitted again tonight with some blockages in his heart.  They will be doing another cardiac cath in the morning.  Because of his health history we're all really concerned about him and would surely appreciate your prayers!



Thanks guys - I hope y'all have a great weekend :)

Thursday, May 9, 2013

so it's still(!) raining...

 
 
 
 
Let's all assume a smiling position, shall we?
 
 
 
 
Happy Thursday :)
 

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

I guess I'll call this one



"Toddler In Time Out"



Alternately titled, "Naynay why are you taking my picture while I'm all sad and stuck in time-out and also I'm really MAD?"



(It can't be helped, Owo, you're just so daggone cute.)




Tuesday, May 7, 2013

old and new, and a little old



The more I get out and about, the more I find that Winston is a fascinating city. 

It's a really strange and fun (and sometimes disconcerting) mix of old and new, with a little more old mixed in.




I've yet to run across a truly "fancy" neighborhood.  Driving down the street I will pass a few gorgeous brick colonials, an old-school A-frame or two intermixed with comfy family ranches, and then the occasional mobile home.

It's crazy, man! 

I'm not sure there are a lot of truly "bad" or upscale neighborhoods.  They're all jumbled together in a delightful hodgepodge full of random.


And y'all know how I love me some random.




There are trees galore, even right in the middle of town. 
Frankly, I can't get enough of them.




No matter where I seem to go it doesn't feel anything like city life, (except for traffic!) and I'm soaking up the history, and character, and occasional sunshine, like a sponge.


These photos were taken just minutes from downtown, literally along the side of the road near a shop we visited on a whim.  

It wasn't a park or advertised, set-aside space, just a random little spot we happened upon that sports some ancient-ish history.




I wouldn't say it feels like home yet, but I'm really liking what I see...


Of course, the crystal blue sky & balmy temperatures on this day didn't hurt one little bit :)




Monday, May 6, 2013

we both vacated and recreated, and it was swell





So it's been another full-of-the-busy week, but the better kind of busy and not the cry-our-eyes-out kind.  Unless you are two years old or four years old or 15 months old. 

With that demographic there might have been the occasional cry-fest but that's only to be expected. 


Last weekend Donna schlepped all the way down 220 again and we finally(!) made it to the beach.  It's common knowledge that we have a bit of a vacation/road trip/plans-of-any-kind curse so it has surprised no one that we've scheduled said trip three times. 

The first postponement was due to dumb Sandy, and the second time we had snow and ice and also fluish miseries.  Therefore, we were so going to the sea this time.  It was now-or-never time, and never was not an option, come stormy weather or runny noses.  


So here's how it went and aren't you sorry I'm pretending you asked?


Friday afternoon was lovely at home, and we had a very nice day meandering around and getting tickled at stupid things and eating a super yummy lunch, and perhaps the best part of all, not freezing our toes off. 


Saturday was chilly but not awful, and the sun played hide & seek all day long, which made the drive pretty and happy. When we arrived we took a long stroll down the boardwalk, and although we laughed at the mere thought of swimsuits, we were mostly okay in our jeans & sweaters & sweatshirts & what have you.







Sunday was mostly great!  We contemplated sitting on the beach for approximately three minutes but ultimately decided there was nothing at all wrong with our oceanfront balcony, which was shielded from some wind that was trying to knock us around. 

We eventually donned capris and short sleeves and took a very long walk up the boardwalk.  At one point we stumbled upon a charity event and stood around enjoying the music and dancing and general family-ness taking place, and we might have proceeded to eat even more overpriced, ocean-front goodness while pretending we didn't have a care in the world. 


Note:  "Getting away from it all" is pretty much as nice as it sounds. 
Getting away...I'm a fan.


Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and it's all fun & games until the rain pours, which can mean only one thing...

It's time to find my reindeer jammies and warm socks, and on Sunday evening that's exactly what I did.  The rain came rolling back, and that was the end of the sunshine for the remainder of our vacation.  It's entirely possible we ordered room service and watched a lot of television that was just "eh" and loved every minute of it. 

We drove home Tuesday evening and I'm not lying when I say we never once saw the sun.  It was hiding but good.







I was kind've bummed that I had to work while there, but it couldn't be helped seeing as how my vacation time was g-o-n-e after the events of the last six weeks, and anyway I'm not allowed to complain because how many among us can take their work to the sea with them?  Not many that's how many.




And besides, I'm not sure you're even allowed to call it work when you can hear the surf pounding, your buddy is sitting alongside pinning like a fool for her son's upcoming nuptials, AND the Pepsi is flowing freely. 





Anyhoo, that's what I did last weekend a whole week ago. If things go well I might tell you about this weekend sometime before next weekend. I'm timely and relevant like that.



(p.s.  Sorry for the sad little photographs of us but I think we are all aware of my photographical limitations and someone once said better awful than nonexistent. 
Okay it was me.  I said it, but still...)



Y'all have a great Monday!

Sunday, May 5, 2013

so, since we chatted last...




I did a little of this...





...and a whole lotta this.





Rain or shine, seaside is still one of the happiest places on earth :)