Blue's Break

Life has been interesting! The never ending WORK involved in moving to another state has tossed my mind into a noodle-like state. So what is a girl to do to unscramble her numbed head and aching back?

The thought filtered through like butter dripping down pasta: how about taking a BLUE'S BREAK. 

 Before taking a break a deadline loomed to complete a painting that was making me pucker with Lemon Power!

Okay, that accomplished, now how about a  trip  to the BLUE OCEAN with some dear FRIENDS?

Relax, sit back in my BLUE chair and enjoy a little photo-book journey in BLUE.

We were more than happy to go to the Eastern Shores of Delaware to join up with Dale and Steve.

Piling into one car we headed to where the BLUE WAVES dance a wild tango, the dolphins dip and dive and show off their skills, and one might perchance find a delicate seashell as a souvenir.

On our picturesque drive we passed a delightful DAIRY farm, where the happiest COWS  make the BEST ICE CREAM ever.

While we slurped our ice cream, mine was COCONUT !!! YUM!!! we wandered about with the kiddies, all "ifty-hundred" of them.

 

And what did we  see:

Are you kidding me BLUESY PIGS?

Well here is a sensible friend, probably thirsty from all those ice cream cones tossed her way!

This cool  Dude in BLUE, was just waiting for someone to stop by for a chat and caress  his black furry friend.

 

Can you guess what is causing such a STIR and EXCITEMENT?

 

Sweet little Chickie's! The children were in AWE of the squiggling, peeping,  mounds of yellow down! The children politely took a turn to hold one of the precious little darlings. You couldn't hear a PEEP they were so mystified.

Seems only fitting to say our proper GOOD BYES to those lovely cows who make this all possible.

Next time I will get BLUEBERRY ice cream!!

 

Off to the beach. Remember building sand castles in the air when you were a wee lad or lassie?

 

Here we are soaking up the RAYS, peering at the OCEAN. And me

Well, I am blowing in the wind.

All this sitting around counting the dolphins and the waves

makes one hungry.

Dale brought the PERFECT PICNIC for a BLUESY DAY!

She packaged individual forks and perky napkins in a little baggie.

Then came the best IDEA and the bestest FOOD ever!

Individual containers of yummy CHICKEN SALAD and HOMEMADE bread!

It was sad when the last crumb of bread had wiped up the last vestige of salad..what a culinary memory.

 

All good things come to an end. Or do they? We drove back to Steve and Dale's new home on a HUGE BLUE pond full of dancing green waterlilies.

Every morning from their bedroom window they see the BLUE and GREEN of this magnificent pond--mini lake.

 

And petite, sweet, succulent STRAWBERRIES top their morning cereal.

We waved white hankies out the car windows (our FURNER goodbye) until we drove out of sight, but never out of mind.

It was a TRUE BLUE day!

Hands

HANDS

A Tribute to Women Everywhere.

 The Magical First Years

Smooth as duckling's down

Waxy from purple peeled-paper crayons

Stuck fingers mucky thick with Elmer's.

Moving Into Adulthood

Wet licked fingers zipping homework pages

Knuckles white as pearls gripping steering wheel

Spending first pay check earned

Caressing a secret love's face.

 The Becoming Years

White veil placed by trembling fingers

Watery-wrinkles soaping dinner dishes

Walking life's path, hand in hand.

Germination

Tenderly caressing swollen belly

Cradling a downy head

Feeling a raging fever.

 The Best Years By Far

Throwing crazy balls, sewing frilly frocks

Signing streams of school reports

Wiping tear-stained faces flushed in pain.

The Ebbing Years

Waving goodbye, first-born leaves

Waving hello, longed for company

Sheltering shoulders in great sorrow.

 What It Is All About

Compassionate wrinkles born of service

Aging pigment, mementos of

One's life passing on to another.

These are a Mother's Hands

 Praying for All Mothers Wherever They May Be

Sharon

Back and Forth, Forth and Back

My it seems a long time since writing, but in reality one  unbelievable  week plus a  few frantic days. I have missed sharing a few thoughts and photos with you.

Truth be told: we have been going

BACK and FORTH 

 FORTH and BACK,

UP and DOWN, 

DOWN and UP. 

Liken it to riding a TILT-A-WHIRL running on adrenalin. Selling a home and purchasing a home within a few short weeks is a test of endurance, patience, bouts of sorrow, sprouts of excitement,  quick wits, challenges and a liberal dose of GOOD LUCK. The good luck was in having the second person to walk through our home make an offer. It was sudden. It was quick. It was unexpected. And it caught us up in a maelstrom of emotions and activity.

The ink barely dry on our  buyer's contract,  we decided to zip on down to Charlotte, NC where we are moving. Hurry, hustle,throw some things in a Trader Joe's shopping bag: don't forget sunglasses, camera and computer, fill the tank, stock up on peanut M&M'S and gooey orange Circus Peanuts, then Ready- Set- Go!  We set off at dawn, poorly prepared, with out a clue as to what we were doing. Nine hours later,  found us in the WARMISH TO HOTTISH Charlotte with sweaters, heavy jeans, and for me the only shoes I had on my feet and NO extra socks in the Trader Joe bag!!  What is a GAL to do without a personal planner????

We arrived in North Carolina, the sun shining, the pollen count high, and blissfully unaware of how unprepared we were for the southern climate. We pulled into the North Carolina Tourist Bureau  (red brick and white wood--pure Southern architecture) stepped out of the car and into the SOUTHERN HUMIDITY that watery atmosphere that clings to one's skin, clothes and hair and enables all that luscious growth of Southern blossoms, vines, moss and a thousand hues of GREEN!

 

As though the sweet smell of blossoms wasn't enough, we looked UP!

And there shines a most magnificent azure umbrella dotted with clouds tinged in mauve and gray.

Pretend with me that you are lying on your back beneath a hundred year old tree... where do your childhood memories float off to? Want to go for a climb and stake a view of the world?

We were now in the land of Southern Hospitality, wisps of  Southern drawl,  new freshness and new adventures just ahead.

Previously I mentioned our good fortune to sell our home in a flagging economy, and a wonderful Seller Realtor, Astrid Ermanis who made it happen.The next bit of brilliant blessings was taking the suggestion to invite Joel Bennett to work with us in purchasing a new home in Charlotte

. 

Joel is a true blue Southern Gentleman by way of Maine!!!  He and his wife, Gwen gave us undivided attention, listened to our needs and wishes, then set out to find them.

If you every move to Charlotte be sure to call Joel and Gwen to represent you. You will not find more friendly and hard working people to help you find your dream home on a shoe string budget!

In TWO DAYS and one evening we found the perfect home for us. 

Now this is the amazing part of our tale. Joel sent us a website listing of homes near our daughter and her family. Scanning the home prices first on the website, I opened THIS VERY HOME!!! Next came viewing the Virtual Reality Tour, as the entrance photo popped up, suddenly I FELT US LIVING there, like we were on the other side of the door!!! It was an overwhelming feeling. Would have purchased unseen, the vibes were so strong.

For surety sake we toured  many homes and came back to this first home two more times. A delightful family own it and are ready to move to a larger home. I am sure we will become friends.

We will live one block from our grandchildren and the swimming pool they call their second home!

And there is a large, airy, periwinkle blue bonus room for my ART STUDIO!!

And more tidbits, Joel, Gwen and their four children live just down the street in an identical home! We will be neighbors.

We can hardly believe our good fortune.

To seal the deal we went to a tiny cobblestone BBQ diner to start our Southern affinity for all things BBQ'd a mere few blocks from our home!

There was even a friendly pig that escaped being cooked!

A Bluebird welcoming us to Charlotte,

 

 And when all that southern barbecue, pecan pie, banana-cookie pudding and all things fried start to mount the calories, in back of the BBQ diner is a produce stand.The South has an abundance of farmers' markets, many organically produce.

Give a hands up to OPRAH oops mean OKRA!!!