How Are We So Busy?

Sunrise on Sunset Beach

First day

So, our timing was just about perfect.  We only booked the beach house a month or so before we left.  Hurricane Florence came and did her ugly destruction and departed.  We arrived after and the weather was perfect, even the humidity was much lower than usual.  The major roads/highways were just barely re-opened and the flooding rivers were beginning their decline. We had such a marvelous trip.

The rest of the days

We ate and ate.  And read and read.  And The Husband napped and napped a bit more.  We walked and walked on the beach, drove a bit to explore, and managed to get a bit of sunburn.  The Husband figured out how to use the rented beach umbrella up on the deck of the house so we could sit in view of the ocean, but still be in shade; close to the snacks (without having to lug everything down to the beach) and the bathroom (without having to trudge back to the house).  It was heaven and we spent several hours there each day.

We did have to buy some hats, forgot ours and they proved to be a necessity.

Yummy deviled crab.

The storm managed to pretty much pulverize the shells, so we ended up with only small fragments.  And the mosquitoes were the worst they'd been, they were big and black and nasty.  And yes, I received more than my share of bites.  Some of them still itch, along with the itchy rash that I always get from the sun.  Though I'm learning to keep as covered as I can to reduce that and it does help, even if I do look kind of silly in long pants and covered feet at the beach. (Sunscreen doesn't seem to help with this sun-rash. Which is fine with me, I dislike that and use it only under strong protest.)

We saw our friend the alligator, and lots of turtles and of course, the cute crabs.

Mini Free library.

Church on our Sunday there was their Fast Sunday, the first time they'd been able to have church in three weeks on account of the storm.  The children still had been unable to go to school.  There was lots of tree and roof damage, but overall, we were surprised it wasn't worse.  That little island, historically, tends to be protected from the worst of the storms.  We just love it there.  I'm hoping and hoping this won't be our last time there, but if it ends up being the last time, it was a wonderful trip to end our visits on.  One of the best.

Liver Pudding?  Brains?

And we came home to more complications with Medicare Part B (penalty premiums) and lack of membership cards in the mail.  This seems to be our lot in life right now, to struggle with how to slip gracefully into "retirement" (The Husband still has a hard time saying that word.)

But...I have caught up on all the laundry - only about an hour's worth of ironing left - I've vacuumed and watered orchids, we've done a few errands (bought a couple birthday gifts - next year our budget for such things will be drastically smaller, I'm glad we've been able to be generous in the past), mowed the lawn, replaced a kaput microwave and visited with a couple neighbors. Tomorrow we'll head to Logan for a couple weddings and it will be good once again to return home - my very favorite place to be.

We loved being able to watch conference on Sunday and are looking forward to being able to watch the recorded Saturday sessions.

Last of the tomatoes.

Before we left we did a final tomato harvest and pulled the plants down. It's been a good year for tomatoes and we've enjoyed having the garden, but I'm  kinda glad the season is over, I'm ready for some gardening "down time".

One of the talks on Sunday (can't remember which one - they all were so very uplifting) mentioned something about greeting people with kindness and pleasant demeanor.  Made me think of my morning walks and how often I refuse to meet people's eyes, don't like to say good morning.  I've been very jealous of my time alone on my morning walks, it's my rejuvenating time, my girding for the day time and my prayer time.  The guilt was strong as I listened to the talk.  I made a resolve to try to at least smile at everyone that passes me on the trail, or lift my hand in greeting.  I've only managed to be on the trail twice since Sunday, but both times I made an effort to follow through on my resolve.  And yes, it is better.  I hate to admit it.  But yes, I don't feel so mean-spirited and unkind.  I'll probably still wish people would just walk past (and yes, sometimes they do, it isn't only me that wants to walk the trail uninvolved with others) but I'll try to behave more as the Savior would do and hope that somehow it will be a blessing.  Try as I might to be a really social person, it doesn't come naturally to me.  Let's see how it all plays out.

And I'm grateful.  I'm so grateful to see The Husband being less encumbered with ridiculously unnecessary meetings, so a bit less stress.  I'm so grateful that he's willing to help take on the Social Security - Medicare maze of incompetence.  I'm grateful for a safe trip to the beach, a safe stay there and a safe return to our comfy lovely home.  I'm grateful for my own good bed and the luxury of soft water. I'm grateful for hope that we'll have enough funds to see us through the sunset of our lives - at least that's what the Husband says.  I have hope that he knows what he's talking about.  And I'm grateful for prayer that seems to be the thing I turn to for comfort - I'm counting on Heavenly Father hearing and answering according to His plan.