It's been a great week to spend some time at home. I've loved being here. Allergies are hard. Bugs in the honey locusts are a pain. Visits with grandchildren are great. Going to the movies with The Hubby is an all time favorite thing to do.

Vacuuming the house can certainly make it feel clean!

Visits with the grandchilluns have no equal!! I love the hugs I get from the three oldest ones (that live close enough to get hugs from) - it is pure heaven for my soul! I love to be loved by them. One of them actually fell asleep in my lap last night - she's nearly 7 - she just curled up in my lap, I gave her some leg caresses, and in a bit she was gone. Our 9 year old grandson hasn't yet reached the stage where he doesn't want hugs and I dread when that happens.

The weather has been fabulous. I'm loving my peonies, the birds are resting in the clematis, the roses are starting to bloom and it's great to be here.

We drove to Logan yesterday after the Hubby finished grooming the jungle surrounding the house that grew up while we were gone. My Mom is so miserable - I really hate to see her this way. She practically begged us not to leave. We continue to pray for her.

I was so afraid that I would miss the blooming of the peonies. My plant is just thriving and I love it so. Particularly in light of it's history. But - they are just now blooming and are so lovely. I didn't miss them after all!

We're home - YAY!! It was so great to get here. Our daughter took care of everything so well. She was so gracious about doing all the little stuff that takes so much time.

The two unbroken sand dollars that we found on the beach on our special day didn't survive the trip home. But that was really the only casualty / adventure. We generally have some weird thing happen on the way home.

Church this morning in Cary, NC was interesting - we ended up in a Spanish speaking branch, so couldn't understand a thing. But the important part of our being there didn't matter that we couldn't understand.

My bed is calling- my own bed!

Last day of a wonderful vacation. We've had so few in our 38 years of marriage - I treasure each one of them. I'm sad to see it end, but so looking forward to my own bed, and shower, and familiar surroundings.

Last night we went off to find some BBQ. We drove 30 minutes (which we would never do at home for food) and found this highly rated place. I had a little trepidation going into it, it looked like such a dump. (Everything here in the south has sanitation scores posted prominently on the wall somewhere - not so this place.) But it was the best Carolina style BBQ I've ever had. The pork was so tender it basically melted, no chewing required. Their hush puppies were a bit overcooked for me, but the Hubby enjoyed the fried okra. Even their coleslaw was extraordinarily good.

After church today we'll head to the airport and soon be landing in our lovely valley that we've missed. The Hubby so loves the trees here, but I get a bit claustrophobic. I'm a desert born gal and like the wide open spaces. (Can't stop thinking about all the critters residing in the trees, waiting to drop on my head.)

Thanks, My Love, for a wonderful time. "Don't ever leave without me!"

We're sitting in front of the rental office for the last time this visit. Even turned in the house keys already. It's sad.

Yesterday was wonderful! We walked to the east end of the island for some shells to take to the grandchilluns. Low tide is great for finding them, we wandered out to some sand bars w-a-y out there. Even our backs felt good, bending over often to pick up some treasure in a few inches of water. Though, once the Hubby was reaching for a shell that looked interesting - only to have it skitter off. It was the prettiest blue crab! Good sized, too. I also dug up a conch, it was about 10 inches tip to tip, and I would have loved to bring it home. Unfortunately it had a resident and I can't bring myself to kill them, so we left it on the beach.

On Tuesday we found two unbroken sand dollars. So the shelling was more successful than expected considering there haven't been any big storms out in the Atlantic for awhile. That's when it's really really great.

I know I whine a lot about being away from home and how hard it is for me. I still always really enjoy our vacations. It's such great fun to be constantly with the Hubby and I never tire of the beach (only the sunburns I can't seem to avoid!). It is almost discouraging to have it all come to an end and have to head back to the routine: lawnmowing, groceries, and other responsibilities. I am so grateful to have had this time, it's been perfect.

I did a really bad thing today: told the Hubby that I was ready to go home. I know, sad. But I'm not good at that relaxing thing at the best of times. The beach is fabulous, I never tire of watching the waves, or walking along the water's edge. But I do get restless for my home and the stuff I enjoy doing there.

I even had to suggest a burger tonight - we ended up at Five Guys and I loved it. Even their fries tasted yummier than usual. I was just ready for something other than deep fried fish.

Went on a long long walk to the end of the island. A brochure says the island is 2.5 miles long. I'm certain that we walked much much further than that. Got some more sun, but at least had the sunblock on thicker today, so the feet are fine.

Lots of clouds today. Yesterday the only beach time we got was walking along the water's edge. Today we tried to sit out, but the wind nearly took us down the beach, so we ended up on the deck at the house, which was almost as good. We had leftover Carolina BBQ for lunch and are hoping to find some seafood for dinner that is NOT deep fried. I'm amazed at how quickly we got weary of that. Although not the hush puppies.

My feet sure hurt - in spite of sunblock I managed to get the tops of them thoroughly sunburned. It happens every time we get to the beach. I'm going to have to figure out how to toughen them.

Praying for better weather our last two days. Can't believe we're almost there.

Lots of rain yesterday and this morning. Makes is hard for the laundry to drip dry. The beach is still fun. Off for some shrimp and hush puppies. Hoping for some SUN!

Yesterday I managed to get the tops of my feet sunburned - in spite of only being on the beach for a couple hours. Church was fun, feels good to be able to go and know what to expect, etc. even though we're across the country. Shrimp last night was good, the hush puppies not as yummy as I remembered them. I hope I can manage to relax enough to enjoy our stay here. The house is nice; the place we stayed the last 3 times is being turned into one giant place, but the new place is good, although no internet. That will be interesting.

We're finally on our way to the house on the beach! Perhaps next time we'll try to leave out that extra day. Although we enjoyed the Aquarium, had time to see "Angels and Demons" and found some pretty decent pulled pork and hush puppies. I think the Hubby just likes to mingle amongst the natives and listen to their sweet accents. He might be wishing he hadn't worked so hard to rid himself of his own S. C. accent. Here's hoping the weather improves.

Getting up at 3:45 a.m. was no fun. Neither was having to undergo a "groping" at the airport for refusing to go through the full-body scan. (I was grateful Hubby was there to help me stand up for myself. He's a gem.) Sitting in the plane for half an hour waiting our turn to take off, barely making our connection in Atlanta and then renting a car in the rain: none of those was very fun, either. BUT...spending the day with My Love and chatting, sharing M&M's and half-price wings was really great.

The forecast for the entire week at the beach is rain, rain, and more rain. Sigh...I guess we'll go see a movie.

Dinner with friends at the Cheesecake Factory - what a fun evening. Now to bed early, early flight in the a.m. We're praying for good weather.

Ok, the beach is calling. I truly hate the getting there, don't travel well at all. But I so love the beach: the water, the sun, walking along the water's edge looking for shells. What's not to love! I get more and more frightened of flying as time goes on, and it is so not pleasant anymore. The forecast for our beach place is thunderstorms day after day after day. The Hubby says he doesn't care, he an excited kid about getting away. I just hope we have some really good sunny beach time. It would be too sad to come home without any sun showing on our faces.

I always say I don't want a fuss made over me for anything, but I do so love it when my Hubby makes an extra effort. I pretty much always feel important to him, but sometimes he kind of goes overboard, and I love it. He is so good for me!

Family get-togethers can be great fun, but it's so easy to eat w-a-y too much. My favorite thing is when the kids like each other (at least seem to) and get along and enjoy being together. It really helps to have enough outdoor chairs for everyone.

Found a quote I like: "Gardening and friends--life was good. Not always perfect, not always what a woman wanted it to be, but good. And for now, good was just fine."

Yesterday my hubby saw the first oriole of the season. They are so beautiful with their bright orange color. We were glad to have the feeder out for him.

A new iPod can sure make my morning walk more enjoyable. Smelling the lilacs and trees in bloom along the way also enriches the journey.

A ride in the afternoon (to the airport to help with some luggage - met some new people who we think are great), a great burger / dinner out with the hubby, and a well groomed lawn helped to make a Monday way more fun.

I heard someone say today how she would never be able to pay back the love from all those who had given it to their family. That really made me think. I guess I've always thought it was an endless circle just growing to include more and more people. I think I understand where she's coming from, and the need we sometimes feel to "balance the scales". I'm certain she'll get her turn to show that love to someone else in need down the line a bit. I was grateful for the impetus from her to ponder this a little more.

It's unbelievably great to have a computer expert in the house - comes in handy when I need help with anything technical. Thanks, My Love!

On yesterday's bike ride, I accidentally ran over the tail of a snake. Made me squeal.