Had a mojito. Feeling decadent.
I had never had one. And wanted to try. It was good. But I think I would like it sweeter.
Its lovely. Cooling off as the sun goes down. Light breeze. Happy hour. light meal on the patio outside. I had Asian chicken lettuce wraps, Dave had bbq chicken flatbread with smoked gouda and caramelized onions.
Dave: that was good. And we aren’t over stuffed.
Both of us in unison: Yet
We ordered dessert
On our way to Destin FL
Beaches
If any of you get to Jacksonville Florida I highly recommend Hanna park. Its a city run campground with beaches and a lake. It feels wild and old and lush. Native vegetation, hugh tree tunnels, spanish moss, palms. Wish we had a week to explore. Ponce might still be in there somewhere.
Our clock
At Joe’s Crabshack
In Jacksonville FL
I’m so tired I can’t think. Awake with adrenaline. Too much fun today. Lots to think about. I need an off switch
I’m an idiot. If I’m wishing for anything it should be an on switch.
Oh. They make switches that do both. Yeah I needs me one of them things.
Somewhere near Darlington NC
A misty moisty morning
When cloudy was the weather
I do love the rain
————–
They use dayliles in the median! It’s beautiful.
ts a cold day. We are in VA – still. Nearly finished. Then we will be heading south towards Jacksonville. Stopping the night along the way. Got to get to Clermont to see long time friends too.
We’ve got to stop making value judgements about body styles. Skinny is no better or worse than fat. Curvy is no better or worse than strong or weak or thin or green. And women are the worst culprits. Start with your best friends. Look at them without those filters of what they “should” look like. And if you do it right, maybe it will be easier to be pleasing to your own eye. Which is what we need.
I wish we could just start there. From square one. What you look like is just fine. Don’t believe otherwise. Anyone who says differently is not seeing you. They are parrotting fads and fashion, which do not last and have nothing to do with value. So stop that kind of thinking in its tracks.
This has been another awkward psa from someone who loves you.
Excuse me, whose soapbox is this and can someone help me as I step down?
————
I blame social pressures. But if that’s to change I have to start internally. Shedding those (now) internalized expectations. Replace what society currently states every single day. – with something more accurate. Hopefully more humane. Changing my head allows for social change. We _are_ society. And not “buying in” counts.
I can go on and on about aesthetics. What constitutes “beauty” has to be cross cultural to have any relationship with truth. If current art practices have anything to say, its the unexpected that is beautiful. The differences. True beauty lands beyond standardization. We can measure and talk about it and compare all we want. But ultimately – beauty is nearly the opposite of attractive.
Or so I think
At the moment
We left this morning but didn’t get far. Coach decided to take a nap. So a tow back a few miles. Spending the night at the Cummins truck service center in VA.
It’s a full stop. No skate. Not till sometime tomorrow. These things happen.
Ganging aft agley over here.
Dolly is secretly having a great time. She loves equipment and diesel and hoo boy all these men working. Some kinda fun.
But really wasn’t that the coolest tow truck!!
Dave’s just shaking his head at me.
its a fuel delivery problem. Easy to fix in a shop.
Nelly says dammit these days just to make Dave laugh.
from my hippy dippy days: You can’t push a river. You gotta let it flow.
Tell that to an engineer. Bah
We are parked. And the rain is just now starting up again. Dave is gonna get damp.
Rain on the roof, and the awnings. Cabin in the woods. 🙂
In bed. Don’t want to get up. Dinner out tonight with my mil. So I’ll do it. But really really want to stay in bed till tomorrow morning. <heavy sigh>
I’ll be fine. Just complaining.
These are times when I wish I had an iron man suit.
———-
better. I tend to be happy if I get enough rest and rotten when tired. So in any 24 hour period I run the gamut.
Driving through the traffic Dave notes: too many people.
Me: yes. I think of myself as a city girl. I like all the services. But not all the trouble and traffic. I’d be good in a post apocalypse, dystopic future. – walk in the stores, take what you want….
Dave: probably shouldn’t share that with everyone.
🙂
Last night dinner at blue moon restaurant. The Dorset cheese was the best. I had fiddlehead salad with skate. And splurged on a cocktail – gin with infusion of local violets and lilac – called “flowers in her hair’ Dolly goes native.
I’ve only read about fiddlehead ferns so I wanted to try it. The skate was so mild and cut thin in the salad. Light. I think of shark as meaty, heavier, very much like a good steak – you know?
Skate was a bit like scallops for mild flavor. Between lobster and crab in texture. I’d never seen it on a menu before either.
As I was eating, picking out the individual flavors was tricky- because every part was delicate. The dish as a whole was light, occasionally salty, fresh, with good crunch, soft and delicate. Every bite different. A dish to remember.
I had chowdah earlier for lunch. 😉
Steamers tonight
Sweet, tender, salty, yum!
We are on the pond at our friend’s house in NH. It’s lovely here.
Earlier today we picked up plenty of live clams and lobsters. Fresh out of tanks from a local fisherman. His place is at the end of a neighborhood, you’d never find it without local knowledge. He was one of those typical new englanders, not an extra word. Just the minimum.
Lisa is a great cook. Always a feast. Tonight – with lobsters and twice baked potatoes and acorn squash with maple syrup…. oh my
I can’t wait for dinner.
The gods are good. Here in New Hampshire.
The Merritt parkway is pretty!
Good thing we aren’t in the coach. The overpasses are beautiful old rockwork and quite low. Green medians, looks like an old park.
Oh Dave is recalculating! We may stay here longer, traveling around in New England for a while… Just thinking about it makes me laugh. If it doesn’t work out that’s ok too. Planning is half the fun.
We call it the beach.
But when in Jersey, do as the Romans do –
it’s the “shore”
This is exactly how Dolly prefers it. Not a soul.
We are at the shore!
Got here yesterday afternoon.
Great to see everyone. Elaine came with wine, and I had plenty enough. To the “I love everybody” stage. So put myself to bed without any supper. 😉
Later Dave brought me dinner-in-bed. Salad, rice and chicken. Yum.
So very happy to be here.
Dan looks great.
It isn’t right how young Suzi looks. She doesn’t age. She is harried but who wouldn’t be what with graduation in three more days. So proud of her.
Sarah is charming of course. Working lots this summer. And she has a boyfriend. Local. Of course. Gotta leave home to discover what you left behind.
I missed seeing Jim and Lisa last night, and will eventually get out of this bed so we can catch up. They are the whirlwinds. Busy travelers. Here and gone and back in the wink of an eye. They “did” NYC yesterday. Dave is having coffee and cinnamon toast with them as we speak.
———–
It was a cool misty day. Went to the boardwalk (ever so briefly) with Jim and Lisa. Mostly to say we saw the ocean. Then the two of us off to Elaine’s. Lunch out, ran errands together, then I was napping at her house while Dave and his mom worked.
I’m so happy its cold.
This evening we all went to Spikes for seafood.
Elaine, Dave, me, Suzi, Dan, Lisa, Jim
I had lobster bisque, then a crab cake, which is pretty rich for me. And it was wonderful.
Tired tired, in bed early again.
Cold air, warm bed, best sleeping ever.
Nite all
We made it to New Jersey!
