It's HOT!

I really have forgotten what it feels like to be in such a hot and HUMID environment. Montrealers get all up in arms when the humidity reaches 35%---hahhaha! I grew up having plenty of days where the humidity was in the 90s. That was really hard on my hair sprayed wings and feathers in the 80's.

Anyway, we never reached Savannah, but we did stop somewhere along the way to sleep. The next morning we stopped in the official Florida Welcome Center to get some literature on things to do. I had no idea that the welcome center was going to be that amazing. They even handed out samples of freshly squeezed juice.
Next stop down the road was some food. We stopped sea side in a little town called Ormond Beach for some pasta. I hadn't been to the ocean in years, so we bought some ice cream and headed over to a stretch of beach, and gosh darnit, was it ever hot. My kids got a big kick out of seeing the waves roll in and feel the hot sand burn their little feet, but after 10 minutes, we were ready to be in our air conditioned getaway car.
It was Day 3 of the trip, and I think we all got a little loopy, because it seemed like we made a million stops that day. The excitement of reaching our final destination was just too much to handle.

Around 6 pm, we finally reached Palm Beach, and ahhhh, we could finally unpack and relax. My youngest asked me, "can I touch the toilet here?" Poor kid...I hope I don't traumatize them by telling them about all the awful germs in public restrooms.

Southern Bound

Friends warned us of the gruesome 3 day journey along the East Coast, but we paid no heed. We set out last Tuesday, and the trip started off peacefully and with beautiful weather. The Adirondacks are one of the loveliest areas of New York State, but unfortunately, right as we were driving through that region, ominous dark clouds grumbled above us. Then the rain came down...hard. I was driving.Memories of growing up in Texas and driving through sudden and horrific rain storms had me gripping the wheel. Visibility was low, but I was determined to continue on our path. Luckily, I have a husband who doesn't spook as easily in the face of an ugly storm, so he took over, and it's a good thing, because then the hail started. (He deserved that chocolate croissant!)But we survived and reached our destination of Baltimore by midnight of Day 1. Exhausting but so worth it, since we could enjoy a leisurely morning and breakfast before heading out to our next leg of the trip, Savannah, GA (even though we never actually made it there).

The kids were amazing and barely complained even when enduring 10-12 hours of car time.

The Big Drive

We're heading out tomorrow on the long trip south. It's a well worn path that starts in Canada and ends in south Florida. In a different time in my life, this type of trip would not seem like a big deal, but in this part of my life (3 kids) our trips by car have been limited to 1 eight hour drive to NYC for a wedding and several shorter day trips to VT and northern NY.

This trip will total 26.5 hours. Daunting. But I have this vague sense of nostalgia and excitement when I think of spending A LOT of time in the car. I have stocked the girls travel desks with all kinds of new art supplies and several coloring/educational books to keep them busy. Then there is the DVD player. I recently purchased a DVD for the trip which is a remake of The Secret Garden and another of The Little Princess. We had a precursory viewing just to make sure they were both age appropriate, and the girls have decided that The Little Princess is their favorite movie. They also adore The Secret Garden.

So, goodbye for awhile. I will try and post as much as possible during our travels. For those of you who live nearby, don't be confused if you see people in our house. We're having house guests while we're away. Have a great summer!

Closing Shop

As things are winding down over here, I'm trying to get my Etsy shop under control. I am leaving in one week, so I want to get all of my new items listed in the shop, even though it will be closed.

I've been busy finishing half completed projects, taking pictures, and listing them. Here is some of my busy-ness from last night and today.

When I Grow Up...

I recently met another seller on Etsy. Kathi is a Texan too, so there is an instant affinity there, especially since I'm a displaced Texan. Anyway, Kathi gave me such a nice compliment from some of the emails that we exchanged. Here is a little clip from one email and a thought that I would like to share.

I used to write and keep journals as a child, but I'm lucky to keep up with life and have a little "ME" time now.

I think that is why I love photography...you can tell stories through pictures. Well, a good photographer can grasp the moment and emotion in their pictures and communicate that with the viewer.

How many times have I asked myself, "What do I want to be when I grow up?" The university age kids that I know think it's comical that I still ask that question. Do we ever have it figured out? I think not. Life is a journey of discovery and understanding and to be open to it is our greatest challenge.

Where the Green Things Grow

It's always good to look at where we were, where we ARE, and where we're going. Before bid adieu to my garden, I would like to take a moment to look back on the past year. Last summer was the first summer that I was able to plant anything in the yard. Here is a quick peek back to summer 2008.

Here are a few photos from around the house. Robyn's lettuces! Thanks Robyn! We had them in a Greek salad...Yum! Lettuce and spinach that was sown from seeds planted in May. So many hydrangeas...these are about to bloom.

Outdoor Festival

Father's Day was filled with fun things to do, but the father in our story had the flu. Poor Abba. I took the girl's to an outdoor festival in town.Our friend and neighbor, Mr. Music running a music workshop. Hula Hoop Workshop.