An Afternoon at Boca Grande

Last week my sis and I wandered over to Boca Grande, a lovely little island off the SWFL coast. I've made a couple of quick jaunts over there, but never took the time to explore. So we took advantage of the gorgeous sunny day and played tourist.

I love small towns. I love quaint shops and cozy cafes, friendly shopkeepers and the slow pace of life. There might be a plethora of choices in the big city, but give me the peace and quiet of a small town any day.

I wish I'd known Boca Grande when it truly was an island, before the causeway made it much more accessible. When you had to take a ferry, instead of crossing the toll bridge and paying $4. There's something about island life that's romantic and mysterious and challenging. Or at least that's what it sounds like to me. Then again, I'm probably romanticizing it.

But I digress.

We had a great day. We explored the shops, toured the historic lighthouse and its museum, and had a quick lunch at the South Beach Bar and Grill. There's a signpost on the beach with arrows pointing to a number of very important spots - Deb and Daryll are Red Sox fans, so she loved the top one!




We took a load off in the colorful Adirondack chairs on the beach. We would have had a front-row seat for the sunset, but we were a few hours early. Next time...










My family has gone home for a few weeks to the Frozen North. But when they return, we'll watch baseball games and drink cocktails at sunset and do a little more exploring. There are beaches that need footprints...

On the Coast of Somewhere Beautiful

It's time to revisit this song. It's one of my theme songs, and I heard it for the first time in a long time the other night. It was timely, considering that I'm finally feeling like I'm getting my life back on track. I'm excited about where I am, and where I'm going. And wherever that is, you can bet I'll be on the coast of somewhere beautiful....if only in my mind.





On the Coast of Somewhere Beautiful - performed by Kenny Chesney
(Written by Bill Luther/Danny Simpson/LuAnn Reid)

Knew I could never hold that girl
She was born to see the world
All I got is a picture she mailed me
Barefoot in the snow white sand
A bag of sea shells in her hand
She finally found a paradise it seems

Chorus:
On the coast of somewhere beautiful
Trade winds blowin' through her hair
Sunlight dancin' on the water
And I wish I was there
Don't know how I'm gonna find her
All I know so far
She's on the coast of somewhere beautiful
Runnin' with my heart

Sometimes when the sun goes down
Shadows fall across this little town
And I close my eyes and I drift away
To another place in another time
When the world was ours and she was mine
I dream of holdin' her again someday

Chorus
On the coast of somewhere beautiful
Trade winds blowin' through her hair
Sunlight dancin' on the water
I wish I was there
Don't know how I'm gonna find her
All I know so far
She's on the coast of somewhere beautiful
Runnin' with my heart

World Champions!

Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints, 2010 SuperBowl Champions!! It was an exciting game, for those of you who went to a movie. Or something.

I'm thrilled they won, esepcially since I didn't expect it. For that matter, most folks didn't expect it, although I think most of the country was secretly rooting for them. Nice to see the underdog come out on top for a change! Seeing the tears in Drew Brees' eyes as he stood on the field holding his son - and the glow on his face as he described the Lombardi Trophy as "shiny" - made it even more special.

Congrats to the city of New Orleans, the state of Louisiana, and all of the Saints fans who have gone through so much over the years. You have certainly earned this honor.

I wish I could have been on Bourbon Street last night - what a party that must have been.

Now it's time for the Cubs to win...

Enjoy a stunning victory, Saints!!! Thanks for one of the best Super Bowls in a long time. You did good!

Super Sunday

It's finally here. The day football fans both dread and long for all year. The last, and hopefully greatest, game of the season: the Super Bowl.

If you're not a football fan, I'm not sure how you spend the day. I guess there are other shows on television. Or you could go to a movie. Or something.

As most of you know, I don't watch television unless there's a ball involved. So it seems almost decadent to waste an entire day sitting in front of the boob tube, just for a sporting event. And most years, the game is pretty awful. I can remember a fistful of Super Bowl Sundays that I wasn't asleep by halftime. But this year's game promises to be a good one - the emotional build-up has superseded the competitive aspects of the event.

On one hand you have the Saints, a perennially awful team. The memory of the devastation of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina is fresh in most minds, as well as the many years of embarrassment at being a Saints fan. So they're the emotional favorite of most of the country - everyone wants to see them do well, and complete New Orleans' rise from the ashes of Katrina.

On the other hand are the Colts, led by Peyton Manning - a son of New Orleans. His father Archie was the quarterback for the Saints, and his family still lives in the city. Peyton is being touted as the best quarterback of all time - and if the Colts don't make any mistakes, odds are that they'll beat the Saints handily. It's the battle between might and right - will heart overcome strength?

This year I learned about Proposition Bets. Prop bets are bets on random facts about the game: which team will score first, which player will win the MVP, and everything in between. The funny thing is what "everything" entails. You can bet on whether the cameras will focus on Archie Manning more often than Kim Kar-somebody (Reggie Bush's reality TV girlfriend). The length of the National Anthem. And if The Who will smash a guitar on stage during the halftime show. The countless ways people can take other people's money never ceases to amaze me. But I digress.

Since my Broncos are playing golf somewhere, and I always root for the underdog, I'll be chanting "Who Dat" (even if the NFL wants to charge me to do so - but that's another story, and a really stupid one) along with the rest of the country, rooting for the Saints. But in the end I just want a good game, because the memory of it has to tide me over until August, and the start of pre-season football. Thank goodness there's college basketball and baseball to keep me busy between now and then. (Go Zags, Blue Devils, and Red Sox!)

It's pretty sad that I pay for satellite television just to watch sporting events. Maybe one of these days I'll wean myself from my sports addiction - or else I'll find a way to watch them on my phone. (Heck, since I can't make a call on my phone, I might as well use it for something!)

Anyway, I hope you have plans to attend a party today - even if you don't watch the game, it's a good excuse to spend time with friends. eat a little too much, and laugh a little too loud. Oh, and watch the commercials - because everyone will be talking about them tomorrow.

Enjoy the game - and Geaux Saints!

Walkabout

It's time for a road trip. I've been in one place for far too long. I need to see new sights, shop in new stores, eat in new restaurants. (Okay, I'll be eating $1 bean burritos at Taco Hell. But a girl can dream...) Drive new roads. Think new thoughts. See dear friends.

I've spent the last few years wandering around the country, visiting friends, seeing beautiful places, spending hours alone with my own thoughts. I've recovered from a ruined marriage, rediscovered my free spirit, explored potential hometowns. Now, after months of being stuck in one place, I need to get back out there. It seems that I think clearer when I'm on my own, away from responsibilities, mortgages and expectations. I have some decisions to make, and I think better when I'm away from the "real" world. (Or at least what I think of as the real world...kind of a contradiction, going out into the world to get away from it. I never said my logic was actually logical...)

Maybe I'll head north and west, along the Gulf Coast. There are places I haven't seen yet, thanks to Hurricane Ivan - he ended my last Gulf Coast trip before it even began. Friends in Pensacola and Texas beckon. A quick stop at Lulu's on the way. Who knows what interesting places I'll find? Guess I'll have to put off that job hunt a little longer... Maybe I'll find some answers to the questions that have been plaguing me. Then again, Troy tells me that no one has the answers; maybe I should stop asking the questions, and just relax and enjoy the ride.

It'd be great to see you, if you live in the Houston(ish) area. Or anywhere between here and there. I have no set schedule - will just wander and visit as the mood takes me. It's not like I'll have a schedule. As long as I'm home for my birthday...oh yeah, and ESPN The Weekend in Orlando...

I'll keep you posted. And if you have time to meet me for a latte, or a spare couch for me to crash on, let me know!

Stay tuned as I plan my next adventure...

And yet another Charlotte Harbor sunset

Only not the liquid kind...










From the rooftop bar at the Wyvern Hotel in Punta Gorda last week.





The sun sinking into the water - my favorite kind of sunset. (Well, second favorite - watching a sunset from a boat is the first)

Want one?

My first drink creation! I call it a Port Charlotte Sunset.

Deb and Daryll give it two thumbs up. At least I think that was their thumbs...

Do you want one? Help me find a bartending (or similar) job, and it'll be the first drink I serve you.

It doesn't have to be in Florida, either!! I'm up for anything interesting...

(PS - They were very yummy!)

Kites and strings

I had a conversation with a friend a few years ago about a unique concept, and it's stuck with me. Although neither of us can remember who thought of it in the first place - I guess we're both suffering from CRS (Can't Remember...um... Stuff). Jeanne thinks it was my idea, but I can't imagine I'm that creative. Anyway...

I used to have a boss at North Idaho College (hi Al!) who's an idea man. He's constantly generating new ideas, new events, new concepts - he says yes to everything. The sports programs have excelled since his arrival. The Booster Club has flourished. Al's in a thousand places at once - everybody loves him. Al is a kite, soaring above the masses, too busy producing to attend to mundane things like appointments, deadlines, responsibilities. When I was his assistant I was the string, keeping the kite on track. I reminded him of appointments, filed the paperwork, organized the meetings, kept the department on an even keel. We were the perfect team, my kite and me.

Each kite needs its string - and, in return, each string needs its kite. Without a kite, a string lies on the ground, limp and useless. Without its string, a kite could float higher and higher, disappearing into the stratosphere. It's a symbiotic relationship. The right kite can make a string strong and powerful, able to steer the kite in whatever direction it chooses.

So even though it appears that the kite is the dominant partner, it's the string who does the controlling. The string just has to pick the right kite, since a kite lying on the ground doesn't really need a string. And when a kite soars, the string soars too.

Funny that I've always thought of myself as more of a kite than a string. I've struggled to fit into support positions, much preferring to make my own waves instead of steering someone else's boat through them. But now that I think about it, maybe being a string is a much better deal.

Maybe that's what make a partnership succeed, be it a marriage, a business agreement, or a friendship. Could two kites (or two strings) get along as well as a matched kite-and-string pair? Is there always one partner leading the way, with the other hanging on/guiding/supporting them?

Maybe we need a test - like the psychological quizzes you find in magazines and in Human Resources offices - to determine if you're a kite or a string. Once you knew, you could seek out the right match.

So what do you think: are you a kite or a string? Do you change roles according to the situation? Or is that even possible? Are we always a kite or a string? When you're alone, are you both?

Maybe I need to rethink the value of being a string in a world of kites...funny that sometimes I start a post intending to defend one viewpoint, but as I write I convince myself of the polar opposite. Or at least learn something in the process. Gotta love the power of words!

(I won't even go into the need for a person to hold the string...that gets way too complicated, and kind of kinky...)

I hope you're happy in your role, be it kite or string.

Megan Burtt

My friend Megan has released a new CD! It was waiting for me when I got home on Sunday - what a treat!



Megan is a talented singer/songwriter, currently living in Denver. It's been so much fun sitting on the sidelines, watching as she pursues her passion. We sailed around the world together in 2005; I heard her sing at a talent contest during the voyage, and was blown away. Since then I've kept track of her career as she finished college (at Berklee College of Music in Boston), and started performing at various venues around the country. She's even played at Red Rocks! I surprised her at a performance as I traveled through Denver on one of my road trips, which was fun. Great things lie ahead of her - she's working so hard to follow her dreams, I can't imagine her not reaching them. And I will be SO proud to say, "I knew her when!"

Now I just have to figure out how to get back to Colorado and tell her how proud I am of her in person.

Stop by her website and see what she has to say - and buy her new CD! Or listen to samples of her songs and see when she's playing at a venue near you here.

Love you, Megan!

A writers' weekend

This weekend I zoomed over to St Augustine for a quick visit with some of my favorite writing buddies. (Sorry I missed my other StA friends, but there just wasn't enough time - I'll be back!) Doug and Liane graciously agreed when I invited myself to stay with them, and my sis and BIL very graciously agreed to take care of Keeper while I was gone. (I owe you all a lot!)

Driving into St Augustine always feels like coming home, and Friday was no exception. Although there are often small changes that surprise me, and make me feel like I've been away too long. The holiday lights are still up, so the town sparkles with thousands - maybe millions - of little white lights. And it was reasonably warm for NEFL, so the streets were filled with tourists and locals.

Of course my first stop was Tim's for the Friday Wine Down, and I brought my writer friend Jason. No one knew I was going to be there (Doug and Liane are stellar secret-keepers), so I surprised everyone - which is always fun. Michael and Kathryn even saved me some of last week's special white wine (although if they didn't know I was coming, I don't know how they knew to save it for me...), which was delicious. It was the perfect start to the weekend.

Backing up: I try to go to a writing workshop each spring, the Writers Retreat Workshop. It's a fantastic 10 days of writing, learning, studying, and hanging out with other writers - who over the years have become friends. A group of these writers decided to get together and write for a week, and picked St Augustine as their gathering place. Since my family is visiting, I didn't want to spend the entire week away from them - but they did agree to watch Keeper so I could dash across the state for the weekend.

Anyway, I met everyone at OC White's for dinner (after Jason and I stopped for a starter shot) - unfortunately it was a little chilly for dining in the outdoor courtyard. I felt bad for the singer out there, performing for no one. We took over most of the upstairs room, and spent a couple of hours tormenting the waiter and catching up on each other's lives, and writing. Then most of us wandered up the street to my favorite spot, the Tini Martini Bar. Unfortunately the Cutest Bartender in the World wasn't there, but the woman taking his place still made delicious martinis. I didn't really notice that my chocolate martini was white and kind of tangy until the waitress returned and apologized for giving me the wrong drink...a Key Lime Martini. The power of the mind: to me it tasted like chocolate because it was supposed to. We enjoyed the Communal Martini until Jason mentioned that it looked like curdled cream - and suddenly it wasn't so tasty. Again, the power of the mind. (We drank it anyway.) We shut down the bar, and I crawled into bed around 2am.

I spent Saturday with Doug and Liane, and their new lab Cooper. (He'll be a great dog as soon as he stops turning into Dr. Jekyl when he goes outside.) We met Liane at Starbucks after her run (our regular Saturday routine), then hung out and avoided the rain most of the day. We decided to go to the movies - my first visit to a theatre in years and years - and chose Avatar in 3D. What a sensory experience! I loved the world they created - the colors, and flowers, and scenery. I'd watch it again just to live in that world for a few more hours.

After beef stew, crusty bread and good red wine from Oregon, I dragged myself back into town, swearing that I wasn't going to stay out late again. You can probably guess how THAT went! We met at the Columbia Restaurant, a place I recommended for their sangria and salad. Well, we had the Server From Hades. Either his mind was elsewhere, or he was smoking wacky weed out behind the restaurant. He got everything wrong - wrong food to the wrong people (he kept trying to give me plates, and I hadn't ordered anything), wrong orders taken, and in the end, wrong tabs to everyone. It took longer to get the check settled than it did to eat the meal - each time he corrected someone's tab, it got worse. We weren't sure whether we should laugh hysterically, strangle the guy, or leave without paying. We opted for the first, and eventually escaped - too bad they automatically added an 18% tip, because I'm doubting he would have gotten much from us. I hope he runs out of weed soon...

A few of us decided to hit the Havana Cafe for the best mojitos in the world, but were sorely disappointed. They must have a new bartender, because they were awful. One more change I wasn't ready for. We walked Sammi home through deserted streets, admiring the unique eclectic mix of architectural styles that is St Augustine. It was hard to say goodbye, because I don't know when I'll see them again. Maybe if I get that perfect bartending job and make a ton of money, I can go to the next WRW...

Anyway, Sunday Liane and Doug and I had breakfast and said our "see ya laters," then I met my writer friend Warren for coffee and conversation about books, writing, and cooking. He gave me some great ideas for book projects, and I told him how wonderful the projects he's working on sound. (His cookbook is going into a second printing - if you don't have a copy yet, why not?) It made me realize I need to kick my brain into a higher gear to keep progressing toward my writing goals - plus it was fun talking writing with a writer who's seeing success.

All too soon, I had to leave St Augustine and return to the Dark Side of the State. Luckily Deb and Daryll were waiting for me with a delicious dinner, and Keeper refused to let me out of his sight. It's nice to feel loved.

It was a great weekend. Time spent in St Augustine (now that I don't live there, sigh) is always special, as is time with Doug and Liane. And a few hours catching up with friends who "get me" - fellow writers who understand the frustration, elation, and sheer hard work involved in pursuing your passion. Now I just have to get back to work, so when we meet again I'll have stories to tell of MY success.

A few more days with family, then they fly home and I have to return to the real world. Hopefully it will be kinder to me than it has been...

I hope your weekend was half as much fun as mine was! I apologize for the lack of pictures, but we were so busy eating, drinking, and laughing, I forgot to take any. Picture a group of crazy laughing people, and that's us...

Oh, and Happy February! Where the heck did January go?

Six days to Super Bowl....

Significant moments

Life is a series of moments. Small, large, insignificant, vital. As the hands of time mark off the seconds of our lives we progress through those moments, blissfully unaware of the impact they will have on our lives.

It's been said that we don't recognize the most significant moments of our lives. And I believe for the most part, that's true. Although there are exceptions - there are always exceptions. Haven't you ever stopped in the middle of something and realized, "This is a turning point in my life"? You just felt that something was different. That specific moment bore a weight that the surrounding moments did not. A door opened in your consciousness and you realized that that one particular moment was one that you'd remember, that would change your life.

Of course we aren't always blessed with that insight. How often have you undergone a tragedy and swore that someday you'd look back on it and laugh? Hindsight is 20/20 - often we have to be removed from a situation before we can truly see it for what it is. We think back to what appeared to be a moment of no importance, and realize that the world shifted slightly as the result of that one moment.

Then again, some of us never see the big picture. We blissfully plow through life, focusing on the step directly in front of us, never looking two-four-six steps ahead. Significant moments might be crashing around us, but we're oblivious. We're content with the path we're treading. Or we're miserable, and can't see the potential for change that we're stumbling over.

I wish there was a small angel (or maybe a devil) with a little bell, perched on my shoulder. And each time a Significant Moment occurred, the angel would ring that bell. (Why does that make me think of Clarence and his wings?) And I'd stop and soak in the moment, and reflect on what just happened, and what it meant to me. And then, armed with this newfound knowledge, I'd confidently march ahead, proud of the slightly more actualized Me following that path. How could I help but not feel that wee bit superior, knowing Something Significant had just occurred?

Unfortunately, we usually don't understand those moments until much later. And sometimes, maybe never. I wonder how our paths would change if we could have that information immediately, knowing that we were on the right path.

It's like Rocky Mountain High. Regular readers know that whenever I make a Momentous Decision, that song plays almost immediately afterwards - if it's a good decision. If it's a bad one, I could put the CD in the stereo myself and something would keep that song from playing. I've heard it in supermarkets, driving cross country, tucked safely in bed, and - well, wherever I happen to be while making that decision. It confirms that I'm on the right path, that giving up on that relationship - quitting that job - moving to that new place - was the right thing to do. And it's never steered me wrong.

So maybe I do have an angel on my shoulder - but it looks like John Denver. (Far out!)

Anyway, I hope you learn to recognize the significant moments of your life. I don't know how many we get, and I'd hate to think that all of them could pass unnoticed.

(I'm in the midst of making a Momentous Decision, so I'll let you know if the song plays. If it doesn't, I'll be rethinking that decision...)

Pizza on the grill

Last weekend D&D showed me how to make homemade pizza on the grill. Deb made the dough (yes, from scratch, with sourdough starter and wheat flour and all that good stuff) - I still can't figure why the dough doesn't drip through the little holes in the grill. Daryll sauteed the toppings and cooked the pizza, with Deb supervising. I did the most important part: added the pineapple :-)

It was delicious, as you can imagine. And hopefully I can do it myself next time! (As long as no one's watching, because I'm pretty sure MY dough will end up on the burners...)

So far we've had pizza and turkey burgers and steak on the grill - unfortunately I keep forgetting to watch Daryll cook, so they might have to stay here and grill for me forever! Guess I'd better start paying attention, and learn from the Master.

Hope

I've been thinking about hope, and the part it plays in our lives.

Is hope a fantasy, or a promise? A lie? An illusion? Why do we put so much energy into hope - hoping that the future will be better - or at least different? That the past wasn't as bad as we think it was. Why do we believe that hope will change anything? That the mere power of our desire can change the course of history?

Hope fills the voids in my life. It carries me through the rough days, promising that better ones lie ahead. It lifts me up, sustains me, fulfills me. It's believing that circumstances can be changed by the sheer power of my wishes. As with dreams, I can lose myself in hope - hoping that tomorrow will be better, hoping that yesterday wasn't that bad. Hoping that something wonderful lies around the corner, waiting for me to discover it. Hoping that I'm going to be rewarded for surviving the hard times, that abundant riches lie ahead.

Life without hope would be empty. Hope opens doors into the future. Without hope tomorrow is a known, a bleak reality. There's no excitement about what might be. No surprises. No anticipation that tomorrow might be completely different from today.

Hope doesn't "do" anything. It can't move mountains, change behavior, solve problems. All it can do is give us the energy and motivation to accomplish those things ourselves.

I hope for love. For someone to love me, to be my other half. I hope for peace and contentment, for fulfillment and joy. I guess I hope for world peace and an end to hunger and pain, but they are out of my control. All I can do is impact my tiny piece of the world. And that has to be enough.

Hope is seductive. It promises untold riches, love, romance, joy, peace. If we didn't believe our hopes could change the world, would we keep trying anyway?

As much as you might want to view hope a a lie, as disillusion, pain, disappointment, I just can't. To me, hope is a promise. It's the possibility that my dreams will come true. With hope, my tomorrow looks a whole lot brighter.

I don't know that I could face the future without hope. Maybe it's because I'm a writer, a creative soul. Or being a Pisces (this is a great description of a Pisces - and I like to think it fits me) - which can be both a blessing and a curse. I firmly believe that if I hope hard enough for something, if I put that desire out into the universe, it will come true.

I know that I'm going to keep hoping, even if it doesn't change a thing. It's a lot more exciting than simply accepting life as it is. Which might be the smarter option - but I never have been one to take the smart way.

Hope. What does it mean to you? Can you picture life without it? I know I can't.

Nor would I want to.

Today, I hope all of your dreams come true. Or at least you enjoy hoping that they will.

Carpe diem

Mr. McCollum was my Social Studies teacher in high school. He came to our school (the American School in London, England) my junior (senior? even Deb doesn't remember, believe it or not) year, and word quickly spread that he was "different." Luckily, "different" was good - his teaching methods were much more college than high school. He taught theories and trends; when questioned why he skipped the Civil War in his lectures he simply said, "It's in the book." He expected more of us - and in return, got it. I took my first psychology course from Mr. McCollum - and went on to major in that field in college. (I saw him at a reunion long after college and told him that he had inspired me, and he laughed and made a disparaging comment about hoping I hadn't used him as a model for anything else in my life. I think I also learned sarcasm from him.)

In our yearbooks at the end of our senior year, he scribbled "Carpe Diem" across his picture. We'd never heard the term, so asked. He explained that it meant "Seize the Day." At 18, it was an unfamiliar concept: that was how we lived. Our tomorrow was college, which was a lifetime away - or at least a summer. Like dogs, we lived for today, confident that the future stretched ahead of us with no interruption. We didn't need a reminder that the present is all we have, that the future is an unfulfilled promise.

As I've aged, the term has taken on more meaning. It's so easy to forget to live in the moment, to appreciate what is instead of looking ahead to what might be. It's something I have to remind myself of regularly, when I'm ignoring the perfect moment I'm in to think about the moments to come. Listening to a singer play a favorite song, closing my eyes and feeling the music, focusing on the words, soaking in the experience. Hanging out with my family, chatting and laughing and sharing a delicious meal. Sitting on a beach, sun hot on my face, sand warm between my toes, the sound of the surf whispering in my ear.

A walk through a forest, watching sunset on a boat, staring into a crackling fire on a cold night - I wish those moments could be caught, frozen, and stored, so I could pull them out and relish them later, when I had more time. But since that's not possible, I have to get better at appreciating them NOW. Because happiness and beauty are fleeting, and slip through your fingers as easily as that warm sand on that sunny beach.

I need to learn to look back on those moments with joy that they happened, instead of regret that they're gone. And do my best to make sure I have enough of them to look back on. I'm getting better at recognizing them, and telling myself, "Enjoy this. Remember this. Feel this. This is perfect."

Most every moment has the potential to be a "carpe diem" moment, depending on your perspective. You can lament the storm, or take advantage of it to curl up on the couch with a good book. A boring meeting gives you the chance to perfect your doodling skills - or enjoy your coworker's perfume. (Okay, so that's a stretch. You know what I mean.)

Today, why not follow Mr. McCollum's advice? Make today count. Enjoy every second of it. Relish the moment.

Seize the day.