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SOLSC #12 – Anniversary

Published on March 12, 2023

It is Tuesday and time to write a 'Slice of Life." 
Thank you  Two Writing Teachers for creating this supportive community
of teacher-writers!

Happy Anniversary, to Tony and me! We were married 35 years ago…which I understand is the ‘coral’ anniversary. It was appropriate that we were at a beach last week, I guess.

We are actually apart for our ‘anniversary day’ this year. He is traveling to visit with family, while I am in Connecticut for a bridal shower (as I mentioned in yesterday’s post).

The bridal shower cake – isn’t this exquisite?

There have been several years where we have had to be apart on our anniversary day, so we plan a celebration before or after the date. When the kids were young, and money was tighter, we didn’t always go out for our anniversary – but we had a ‘date night’ in, with the children ushered upstairs to bed as early as possible, followed by a special dinner for just the two of us.

Now that we are retired (my third year, his seventh year), we are awed by how much fun together we can weave into our life. We have so much flexibility to head out on a local hike or a walk in our favorite park, pretty much any day of the week. Thirty-five years in, we still enjoy being together very, very much.

We have never been big gift-givers with each other, and the older we get, the less we seek having more stuff. We love time together and new experiences, a time apart from others, just the two of us. A couple years ago, we tried to write a list of what we did each year to celebrate – and we were so surprised by how many years we simply could not remember. What are our favorite places? The mountains, without a doubt. Hiking – yes, sheer joy. A room with a view of water or the ocean – ooh, that’s nice. A new city or town, to stroll around and investigate. It’s all good!

Truth is, I love the touch of his hand with mine, as we fall to sleep – we can make that happen anywhere.

I sent Tony this photo collage first thing this morning – every photo is less than one year old. We are truly blessed!

Happy Anniversary to us!

SOLSC #11 – Shower

Published on March 11, 2023

It is Tuesday and time to write a 'Slice of Life." 
Thank you  Two Writing Teachers for creating this supportive community
of teacher-writers!

This month of March has coincided with a lot of unusual travel for me. We were at the beach for our anniversary, and now I am up in Connecticut for the bridal shower of my college bestie’s daughter. Talk about shifting gears – I went from lazing about outside in the warm sun to being in the midst of snow all around (more falling even as I write) and a very busy household setting up and preparing. The older sister of the bride, who is the hostess of this fun event, has planned every last beautiful detail. The theme is an Italian brunch, and she is a true gourmet, making everything from scratch. The house smells heavenly! I have helped create signage, wash dishes, move furniture – hopefully, many hands are truly making light work. We are all ready…and the guests arrive momentarily! I offer a simple poem for the day.

The view from my bedroom window, first thing this morning.

Snapshot of a Bridal Shower

a shower of the heart
a sister lovingly plans 
a fabulous party for the bride
feting her, before the wedding day

a shower of cooking 
a detailed menu 
choreographed timing 
a gourmet brunch 

a shower of surprise snow
waking to gentle flurries 
a kiss from mother nature
to welcome all

a shower of joy 
friends and family gathering 
they come bearing gifts
laughter and stories

SOLSC #10 – Jazz

Published on March 10, 2023

It is Tuesday and time to write a 'Slice of Life." 
Thank you  Two Writing Teachers for creating this supportive community
of teacher-writers!

You make me!
You make me!
You! You!  You! 
You make me!
You. 
Make. 
Me. 
Feel. 
Like. 
A. 
Natural. 
Woman.

I was absolutely enchanted as the jazz singer improvised this Aretha Franklin song. Her name is Louise Spencer, and I particularly enjoyed how her voice dropped lower and lower as she “punched” those last eight words, the title of the song. She sang every song in the set with such gorgeous volume, playing with the lyrics – adding syllables unexpectedly, using repetition for emphasis, varying the range of her voice within a single phrase. What a joy to hear her, to be in this jazz club listening to live music by these gifted musicians. 

All day today, I’ve been reliving the fun we had this last night of vacation, visiting the local jazz club and listening to the Lavon Stevens Band. 

Of all the ‘ear worms’ I’ve had stuck in my head - this is one of the very best!

SOLSC #9 – Beach Finds

Published on March 9, 2023

It is Tuesday and time to write a 'Slice of Life." 
Thank you  Two Writing Teachers for creating this supportive community
of teacher-writers!

I love my long walks outside, and it’s been particularly delightful to walk the beach these past few days. I’m not a big swimmer; I am not a sunbather, either; no, I like to walk and explore. There are so many new and exotic sights. I love the feel of the sea breeze and to watch the ocean waves crash onto the shore. The water is cool and invigorating, washing over my feet – and that’s a thrill, too, to walk barefoot; I don’t do that when I’m walking in the woods back home.

There are very few seashells on this part of the Hilton Head beach – I feel as if that’s always been true, for as long as I have visited here. My parents retired here back in 1988, and I had many vacations here over the years, before my parents moved back north, closer to us children, in their frail elderly years. This is our first time back to visit the island since 2017, a bit of a nostalgia trip in some ways.

So, yes, back to my walks on the beach. Here, at low tide, the beach is vast and wide and flat and almost entirely soft and bare. Every now and again, you’ll come across something novel, such as a horseshoe crab or a jellyfish, beached on shore. Let me share photos of my special finds these past few days –

Check out this jellyfish – it is easily more than 12 inches in diameter, bigger than my big ol’ foot. There were several on the beach that were perfectly clear, but this one was different – I could see undigested small shrimp and other crustaceans, oh my. TMI, lol.

There are beautiful grasses and sponges in a variety of colors. I imagine these riding waves, feeling the ocean in and around their being.

Check out this strangeness. This blob was about 12 inches long, a gooey gelatinous mass. Google helped me identify it, labeling it a “sea pork.”

Last but not least, here’s my favorite sighting – I always feel as if I have visited Hilton Head, if I see a dolphin in the ocean:

Today’s our last day at the beach – let me go enjoy!

SOLSC #8 – Refuge

Published on March 8, 2023

It is Tuesday and time to write a 'Slice of Life." 
Thank you  Two Writing Teachers for creating this supportive community
of teacher-writers!

We walked the Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge in the late afternoon, about an hour and a half before sunset. I took so many photos of this glorious area, where you are surrounded by salt marsh and tidal creeks. I could imagine what the Lowcountry terrain looked like before all the developers discovered this jewel of the south.

Our first wildlife encounter truly startled us, when an armadillo crossed our path – right in the midst of all of us. We would see another, later in our visit. I had only seen these as photos (or, sadly, roadkill, out west). What funny little beings! These two seemed absolutely oblivious and uninterested in us; their mission was to gnaw on decaying trees, in pursuit of protein-rich bugs, I suppose.

The trees were rich with all sorts of birds, well-hidden by the pines and Spanish moss. We heard them singing and calling out. My sister-in-law opened up her bird app on her phone, and multitudinous birds were identified – woodpeckers, gnatcatchers, marsh wrens, mourning doves, and so many more.

We walked to a pond on our trail map, and witnessed a gorgeous rookery, filled with white ibis, heron, and egrets, all settling in for the night in their respective tree nests. Let me share a few of my ridiculous number of photos from here –

As we watched from the pond’s edge, my brother noticed a large alligator in the pond…and a baby alligator right along the pond’s edge, much nearer to us. Okay then! This sightseeing is done for the day. We walked quickly away from this precious interlude, thinking these wildlife should enjoy their beautiful evening all to themselves, without the distraction of us.

Another gorgeous day in the Lowcountry.

SOLSC #7 – Salt Marsh

Published on March 7, 2023

It is Tuesday and time to write a 'Slice of Life." 
Thank you  Two Writing Teachers for creating this supportive community
of teacher-writers!

Here’s a little poetry about our gorgeous afternoon in kayaks. Among many sights I mention in the poem, I saw a waterbird that was new to me, and I thought I’d share a link for this: anhinga .

exploring the salt marsh 
Lowcountry waters of South Carolina 
two at a time tandem kayaks 
double-headed oars in hand

sun so bright temperature soft 
not yet filled with summer heat

calm waters quiet current
glistening sundust sprinkled across the tide 
we maneuvered slowly 
around small nesting islands of Broad Creek
tiny islands that do not host humans
only birds lizards fiddler crabs
edges thick with mud and tough cord-grass 

clams blue crabs shrimp
fish fish fish
most of South Carolina’s seafood
spends all or some of its life
in salt marshes
oyster beds surround
lining pier posts 
lining sides of the creek
lining boats on the water

how essential this environment is

oh, how the waterbirds charmed!
heron gliding elegantly through the sky 
landing on the sludge of shore
muted grey-blue Great Blue Heron
snow white black-legged great egrets
laughing gulls with bright orange beaks
small seabirds indistinguishable and numerous
and several silvery-black anhinga, 
with a flopping dives into the shore
opening like hand-held fans 
as if camouflaging themselves
as fallen weathered palms 

one lively dolphin surprising us
dancing up from the water 
so close to our kayaks
swiftly we paddled
trying to follow the dolphin’s path
she was much too quick 
for our oars

such an extraordinary day
to witness

SOLSC #6 – Blocked

Published on March 6, 2023

It is Tuesday and time to write a 'Slice of Life." 
Thank you  Two Writing Teachers for creating this supportive community
of teacher-writers!

“I had a newborn and a three year old when I met my first husband. They were both boys. He had a two year old daughter. I married him for security, really. You should never do that, it is a very bad reason to marry anyone, just for security. But with two kids, I really needed his money. Sure, he had money. But he was cruel. He hurt my kids, I feel so guilty about that still. I left him.”

This confession was offered to me by the gray-haired grocery store clerk at the checkout, as she bagged our groceries for the week. (What’s the first thing on the to-do list on a vacation? The grocery store, of course!) I have no idea why she opened up to me in this way or what precipitated the life reflection. I felt as if time stood still as she spoke – I was so uncomfortable with the intimate details this complete stranger was sharing with me.

It didn’t help that she was moving oh-so-slowly to fill the bags themselves. I practiced my quiet breathing and said a silent prayer or two on her behalf, thinking how tough her life.

Back at our rental condo, as we put groceries away, I was telling my husband about this surprise and intimate sharing, chuckling at the awkwardness of it. Likewise, my sister-in-law was animatedly talking with my brother about our shopping, and I thought I heard her describe the grocery clerk by saying,

“She was a block away.”

I burst out laughing – “Wait, how did you describe the woman at checkout? ‘She was a block away.’? I have never heard that said, but what a clever and funny way to describe someone who really isn’t ‘present’ with you.”

My sister-in-law looked at me confused – “No, I was saying, we put that first block of cheddar away and got the other one.”

This sent me into fits of giggles – I was totally dreaming up language! I guess I was the one who was ‘a block away,’ hahaha.

Here’s a couple photos of our gorgeous location – we are here, at the beach!

SOLSC #5 – Car travel

Published on March 5, 2023

It is Tuesday and time to write a 'Slice of Life." 
Thank you  Two Writing Teachers for creating this supportive community
of teacher-writers!

We stopped for the day in Fayetteville, NC, leaving us only a four hour drive today. What a joy to be retired, allowing us the flexibility of time to not do all the driving in one day.

I am so grateful for this time with my brother and sister-in-law; it has felt as if we’re on vacation since they arrived at our home this past Thursday.

Before going to dinner, we had a nice walk in downtown Fayetteville. Look at the beautiful redbuds in bloom! Oh my, this is sad and glorious – they used to bloom here in mid-April, this is early March…

We visited Lafayette park, where I could only think about Daveed Diggs, singing so fabulously, in Hamilton, lol. Fun coincidence – we were here on the exact day nearly 200 years after the Marquis –

I really loved the city murals … here are just two –

Road weary from the day, I fell asleep easily,

wondering . . .

what brought the first one? And, oh my, many miles later, a second one? And still much further down the road, a third one? No sign of broken down vehicles, and yet, there were three different pedestrians walking the side of I-95 south. What are their stories? What a hard and scary place to be walking, with vehicles alongside you at 80 miles an hour.

Car travel leads to so many interesting sightings…

SOLSC #4 – Wind Wisdom

Published on March 4, 2023

It is Tuesday and time to write a 'Slice of Life." 
Thank you  Two Writing Teachers for creating this supportive community
of teacher-writers!

We have a strong, loud wind today, as we head out on our road trip south. This slice imagines the wind sharing her wisdom with me…

hellooooo

gooood morning!

Pardon my bluster, I didn’t mean to startle you. I assume I’m invited, too, yes? I’m planning on traveling south with you.

Wait, is this gusty of me?

We get along well, yes? I’m not misunderstanding?

Please don’t get all puffed up like that. I’m excited for you, and I’m not going to interfere with your travel. Let me help you load the car – for me, it’s a breeze.

Oh my, look at your face! I can read right through you: you old introvert you! You always need your quiet and your space to think, but packing the car and hitting the road together is never like that…here you are, caught up in the whirlwind of everyone’s breezy conversations…

Let me help: take a deep cleansing breath along with me. As we breathe deeply, bend like the mahonia, sway like the butterfly bush. Yes, yes, just breathe.

Now, get your list out, let’s read it together and double-check.

headphones?
journal?
computer and cable?
I know you have your phone…did you pack the cable?
extra jacket

Okay.

Yes.

We blew through that checklist!

You’ve got this. Lock the doors of the house – head out on the open road! Whirling twirling wonderful togetherness ahead. I’ll be with you always, and we can catch our breath, together.

To the day! To our fun travels!

SOLSC #3 – All In

Published on March 3, 2023

It is Tuesday and time to write a 'Slice of Life." 
Thank you  Two Writing Teachers for creating this supportive community
of teacher-writers!

Thank you for visiting my blog.  Clicking the title of any post will open a comment box at the bottom of the page. I love hearing from you.

In the quiet of my kitchen, I prepared a meal for the ten of us. My brother and sister-in-law were arriving later in the day, and I invited our family to join us for dinner. I wanted our family to have a chance to connect with their uncle and aunt before we ‘old folks’ disappear on our road trip to the beach.

Three adult sons, one daughter-in-law, two granddaughters, and a few dietary allergies and restrictions thrown in the mix.

What’s your go-to ‘flexible’ meal, that allows you to meet everyone’s needs?

I went with enchiladas, and, honestly, I had so much fun preparing these. I set out a variety of bowls of ingredients: Peruvian chicken from our favorite vendor, black beans, roasted sweet potatoes, sauteed spinach and garlic, shredded cheese, rice, salsa, avocado. Then, I assembled four separate pans for the different dietary requirements, using the appropriate ingredients for each – and I was sure to use distinct pans, as well –

the square pan for the dairy allergy,

the salmon-colored clay casserole for the vegetarian,

the glass dish for the meat eaters, and

the last one was a large round dish for the “anything goes,” mixed-bag, combination, all in, everything but the kitchen sink, chef’s surprise and delight, lol.

I was amazed at my concentration, as I created these yummy foods – and thankful for the quiet kitchen. By the time everyone arrived, I didn’t need to have my thinking cap on anymore. I simply set out the buffet, and enjoyed myself, in the company of everyone I love so much.

I’ve had friends say – wow, your family is a pain to cook for! It’s true, it would be so much easier if we all ate from the large round ‘anything goes,’ but life isn’t like this, is it?

“If you can’t change something, change the way you look at it.” – Maya Angelou