The "Red Flag" Blues

I can't  help but think of that old saying, "Red Flag at Night….sailor's delight.  Red Flag at morning….sailor's warning."

So far….every morning, we head to the beach and within short time, a young woman on an ATV drives up and raises the a red flag, which states in bold print :NO SWIMMING.

The flag comes down at night….but who's swimming in the dark?

There is some disappointment among the crew…..but we're still finding plenty of fun things to make up for the lack of wave running.

Sandforts to jump in:

Kites to fly:

Standing

and sitting

and sharing

Smiles

and frowns

Hanging out in the makeshift pool:

Building sandcastles

Then knocking them down

And the most fun for me?

Hanging out with Gramma G

Of course!! 

A CRAB-tastic Day at the Beach

Yesterday was special for two reasons:  One……it was our check-in day at the beach, a day that we look forward to each year, which promises a week of fun and relaxation and lots of gallivanting fish adventures with Grandpa G.

Second, it was my daughter-in-law's birthday.  And, with both dates converging on the same day, you KNOW excitement had to be in the air!

My grandson and I had been secretly discussing (via Skype) just what type of cake I should make his mommy.  Here you see a modified version of my grandson's "idea".

Isn't it cute?

I could only hope that it would survive the trip without incident.

We really couldn't ask for a better travel day.  Great weather, and some entertaining breaks along the way.

And after picking up the keys, checking in to our beach rental, and unpacking the car, how could we resist heading down to the beach to check out those waves?

The tide was rolling in, and this  little guy had a blast jumping the waves…..although I will admit that one of those waves ended up jumping at us!

But that's all part of the fun…..right?

And…speaking of fun….it was soon time to head back for some dinner and the much-anticipated event:

Now there's a story behind that cake ( I'll bet that you aren't too surprised by that).

Several years ago, at this very same beach, we were relaxing under the canopy, enjoying the antics of a sand crab that kept popping its head up and peering at us.  At one point, my son thought it would be cute to play with it a bit.

Well…..that was a HUGE mistake.  The crab popped out of the sand, began scurrying across our beach blanket, and made a B-line right to an innocent victim, who was relaxing on a beach blanket, engrossed in her book. 

Needless to say, we were all quite shocked  and surprised to find the crab suddenly running up this poor girl's leg.

Who was that victim, you may ask?   My son's wife.  Don't worry…. he survived the experience.  But it's always been a memorable story, as you can well imagine.

Now, my grandson was only an infant at the time, but the story has been retold every year since, and he came up with the idea that I should make a cake that looked like his Mommy's leg with a crab running up it.

Don't you just love kids?  They put no limit on one's abilities.  But, I decided to forego the leg, and I'm fairly certain that was a wise decision on my part.

And no one appears to be disappointed.

Happy Birthday to Mommy!

Who knew that such a quirky event would be part of the celebration so many years later?

Here's the link to the past highlighting this family's reaction to the antics of that crab: http://gallivantinggeismom.blogspot.com/2011/06/fun-in-sand.html

But it's time to get out and enjoy the beach…….

Nuts over Raleigh

With my husband once again off on a business trip, it seemed the perfect opportunity to gallivant to Raleigh for a few days, to catch up on things with my childhood friend, who just so happens to be my aunt.

Growing up, I thought everyone had a playmate to enjoy at their grandma's house, so it would be with much excitement that I would anticipate the frequent visits on weekends throughout the year, and the summer vacations we would spend together.

It had been years since we had made the time to get together and catch up on life, and now seemed as good a time as any.  The price was right…..so why not?

My few days here have been relaxing as well as entertaining.

My mornings found me in the company of this little pal:

whose cute little face brought a chuckle to mine everyday.

Really…..how could it not?

I enjoyed my afternoon walks exploring some nearby sites

where one might think I was back in Europe, 

with charming shops enticing some window shopping

and surprises around nearly every corner.

And today's adventure into Raleigh offered a quick glimpse into the highlights of the city:

We walked through the Art Space

admiring the handiwork of many creative and talented artists.

And explored some sites along the historical streets:

We passed the Old Railroad station in town

The Briggs Building Hardware Store built in 1874

and the North Carolina State Capital building built in 1840:

And here is something new that I learned today:  not only was Andrew Johnson born nearby…

but his poor mother had the unfortunate circumstance of delivering him in the kitchen!  This story may warrant a little research on my part…..but that's for another day.

But here you spy the main attraction for our visit today:

The Giant Acorn

Every year since 1992, this Acorn is dropped on New Year's Eve as the clock winds down to midnight.

If you find that to be a bit odd, consider that North Carolina's Mount Olive drops a 3 1/2 foot pickle at midnight, while Morehead City lowers a Crab Pot.

But all of that excitement pales in comparison to Brasstown's celebration, where a live possum was lowered in a box at midnight. 

I don't know about you…but I'd say the possum adventure was, by far, truly nuts!!

A Tea Time Celebration

There were delectable treats…

how about just one more?

Sweet confections you couldn't help but adore,

And shiny presents piled high on the floor.

Packages were wrapped with pink bows on top

It seemed like the fun would continue non-stop

and of course there was all of that bubble wrap to pop.

Each decorative gift offered some kind of surprise

like the painting by Grandma that bought tears to her eyes

or the hand made garter which this model surmised

belonged on the head and not one of the thighs!  

The ribbons were meticulously woven with thread

resulting in this glorious  adornment  for her head

an age old tradition for brides who will wed.

This group of young ladies, all dressed with flair

hosted a truly glorious affair

designed to honor this soon-to-be wed pair:

And it was Fabulous!

Relaxing at St. Emma's Monastery

Here I am, once again, with my traveling companion, Morena.

One of my daughters will soon be wed, and this weekend we honored her with a bridal shower.

But, since this celebration involved several family members driving in to town, we opted to find a place to stay rather than add to the commotion in one of the family homes.

So, we are at:  St. Emma's Monastery.

This is an absolutely fabulous B&B, run by Benedictine nuns.  You know you're welcome when the

voice at the other end of the phone says,  " We'll see you when you get home!"  Home….is here.

At first I was a bit concerned that the drive would be too much, but in the long run, this is the Perfect Place to relax and feel pampered.

And, to top it off, we only had to walk 50 feet to attend Mass this morning, which, after only 6 hours of sleep, was very much appreciated!

Fabulous!