A Stone's Throw From Heaven

 The perilous picnic began with the idea on Friday to eat our dinner down by the river.  I had never been before, but I convinced Dailey that it was a serene little place where we could sprawl on rocks in the setting sun and eat with the sounds of rushing water in our ears.  She agreed to the adventure, and we packed our basket and were off.

The plan, however, was thrown a little off kilter when we arrived at the river and saw a man with a gun.
What.
Crank the engine back on, pull on to the road, and get the heck out of there.   
Tout de suite. 

Next, we decided to maybe find a nice little (gun-free) field off the highway instead of the river.  After a few wrong turns and a really long dirt road that didn't have enough room to turn around on, we found the most beautiful field I have ever seen.

It was set against a radiant sunset, stretching as far left and right as we could see.  We hopped a fence, ran straight to the center of that sea of grass, stretched out a sheet, turned on some swing-era jazz.

 On the menu: mediterranean pressed picnic sandwiches, apples, and chocolate-dipped strawberries.

The pictures absolutely do not do the setting justice, and I had the sweetest friend imaginable with me. 

After all, what is more quintessentially summer than a picnic in the fading light?

Beyond the Sea

Two weeks back from that big, blue ocean and already the week has melded itself into a collective memory of every summer trip taken there.  All of my stays seem to mingle together and one year becomes impossible to separate from another.  It's sweet, though, and comforting. 

This year was exactly as I pictured it would be, and I enjoyed it more than you'd think something so familiar could be enjoyed.  Some slight variations made the trip exciting, however, and perhaps some new traditions were established.  A few moments-

Saturday

Dad, being the avid walker that he is, inspired us all to walk several miles first thing in the morning. We were all happy for the company and cool morning air, and the coffee upon our return was all the more appreciated.    

Sunday

The first of many days spent entirely on the beach.  This year had to hold the record for the clearest water; seaweed was nowhere to be found.  Clear water has an absurd amount of influence on my happiness level on the gulf.

Wednesday

To celebrate the fourth, we made our way to the very base of the pier to watch the fireworks (rather than watching the show from two miles away on our stretch of beach, as per usual).  We sat in the sand right underneath the dazzling lights- the closest I've ever watched such a brilliant show.  The sounds of each burst echoed off of the highrises behind us, every firework appeared twice as lustrous reflected in the ocean below.  

Friday

Pool games this evening were energetic and fun - who knew how exciting it is to find a toothpick floating to the surface of the water?  New and old friends, late night camaraderie, staying quiet so we aren't told to leave the pool after hours.

I unfortunately took only one picture the entire week (very typical, actually), and it really had nothing to do with the beach.  It was of a couple of racoons hanging on a tree outside our door.

And it was a fuzzy one at that.

Just have to take my word on the endless blue skies, white hot sand, and rolling ocean waves.  It was beautiful.

Beach Week: Prelim

The week that signals summer in my world is finally upon us- the annual Fourth of July Beach Week.
Hooray!

My family goes every year to the same complex at the same beach with the same people.  We eat the same food, spend the days the same way, and watch the same Fourth Fireworks show.  Every year.  And I love it.

So here's to spending this blasé Wednesday morning anticipating all of the things I love about beach week-

[Trail mix] Peanuts, raisins, m&ms.  Don't pick out all of the m&ms.  ...drives me crazy.

[Vegetable lunch at Ms Betty's] The best southern-cooked vegetables you've ever had.

[Rinsing off in the pool instead of the shower]  Quickest way to get rid of all that sand and sunscreen.  Whoops... I must have missed the sign that said to shower before entering the pool.

[The broken jacuzzi]  Seriously, it hasn't worked in six years.  Get on that.

[Barbeque on the Fourth]  Managing to shower and find a sundress, but not quite getting to the hair and makeup.  Also, so many side dishes. 

[After Sun Lotion]  We go through bottles of this stuff.  Bottles.  They should sponsor us.

[Pier Park]  Do a little shopping, eat dinner, see a movie, get ice cream.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

[Redneck Rivera]  The condo across the street from ours.  I have never seen so many confederate flag towels in my life.  Gracious - the war is over, people.

[Laying on the beach all. day. long.] Walking across the street after breakfast with an overstuffed beach bag and cooler in tow, setting up a fortress of canopies, tents, chairs, and blankets, eating lunch with sand in the sandwiches, waiting under the umbrellas for the afternoon thunderstorms to roll by, taking a few sun-soaked naps, floating for hours out past where the waves break so the raft doesn't tip, plodding back at the end of the day with salty hair, sandy skin, and pink on the bridges of our noses.

Three more days!

Intent

Congratulations to me, I am now a working girl!  Big, scary life in the corporate world starts for me next Tuesday, when I will begin my job as an elementary school secretary.  I'll line up with the ranks to punch my clock and and join the force drudging away nine to five (eight to three).

In the meantime, I'll conclude my little miniseries of musings on summer (parts one and two can be found here and here).  After worrying over the fact that my summer needs some sort of purpose, and feeling only a little peace about its current state,  I have finally decided to just accept this time.  The earth will keep revolving, heedless of how I am dealing with my trivial days.  C'est la vie, what can I do but embrace every moment?  To do this, I've laid down some intent for the summer. Nothing major - just a reminder that I am still burgeoning, still flourishing, though it may not always be in an overly obvious way. 

Intent for the Summer

In three months time, I will be closer to my family and closer to my God.  

I will be able to say that I have enjoyed the sunshine.  

I will not have let days go by without giving them a chance for adventure.  

I will have taken advantage of the time that I had to be still and rest.  

I will have cherished old friendships and created new ones.

I will have experienced something new, even if it didn't turn out as I expected.

I will have gained knowledge and perspective. 

This summer, I will use the days that I have been given to grow.

Deep Blue Sea

 In my last post, my thoughts about summer were slightly lacking in luster.  To cure this, a self-prescribed remedy was in order: a trip to the beach.

 The beach is absolutely one of my favorite places.  There is nothing more therapeutic to me than a day spent lying on the sand, soaking in the sun, and cooling off in the unending ocean.  Something about the waves rolling in and out, about the sun streaking silently across the sky reminds me that life is still propelling onward.  Standing out in the water, looking out over the vast blue invigorates me like nothing else. 

 I was infinitely thankful to have my friend Britt along with me.  We had a lovely day- the sun was warm and bright, the water crisp and cool, and the company couldn't be beat.

 The little excursion was just what I needed.  After all, what better way to welcome summer with open arms than to enjoy it in the most classic of ways?

Summer Thoughts

 All my life, I have been the classic summer lover.  I eagerly count the days each year until school is over, I make buckets lists to fill the long days, I stay up late with the lingering summer sun and then wish on the stars as they come out.  My skin turns a deep brown, but my hair turns impossibly light.  Summer is when I thrive, and every year it gets better and better, leaving me hoping that it will never end.

 A few months ago when I was caught in the bleakness of February winter, I assumed that this year would be no different.  Summer still seemed a long way off, and therefore had that shiny luster of things unattainable.  However, as the year neared closer and closer to its end, I realized that this year was different.  Summer meant that I had to leave my new life at school, which I had come to love so acutely.  Rather than happily counting the days until summer began, I was reluctantly counting the few days I had left of my wonderful freshman year. 

This brings me here- a little more than a week into being home.  I am slowly finding a routine for my days, but still searching for an overall direction.  I have decided that in order to make these months the most that they can be, I need to live very purposefully.  If I had put this three month break right here at this time by design, what would I use it for?  If summer had been completely my idea, rather than something purely circumstantial, what would I plan for it to be? 

Summer is just beginning, but I have a feeling that it will be gone in a blink.  I am committing to finding the joie de vivre that complements this time so perfectly, and when I do, I'll be sure to let you know.

"Then I began to notice how wonderful the breeze smelled.  It smelled like... sunshine.  Like sunshine and wild grass and pomegranates and rain!  I couldn't stop breathing it in, filling my lungs again and again with the sweetest smell I'd ever known." 

- Flipped

Invincible Summer

Today was terribly cold- which is especially shocking because it has been such a warm winter, and finally, out of nowhere, frigid temperatures have suddenly arrived.  I know that lots and lots people are happy about this because the unusually mild weather didn't feel right, but I have secretly loved the lack of cold, and I am a little bit sad that it is here. 

However!  To remind myself, and all of the other secret warm weather enthusiasts out there, that winter doesn't last forever, let's remember what we love about summer.  (This list is from an Anthropologie catalog that I journaled about almost exactly this time last year).

It's the little things...

A bit of shade, all-day grazing, everything green, bare feet, keepsakes, real books, remembering when, her famous recipe, sandal season, goofing off, dress-up, lazy Sundays, nowhere to go, fancy just because, Mom's tree, sleeping in, hobbying, sweet tomatoes, a light breeze, sun on shoulders, an afternoon nap, coming home.

"In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer."

-Albert Camus