oh so beachy

If you step out my door and drive a short 4.5 hours in a south east-ish direction you might run into a little "village" called Surfside. Don't tell anyone about it--a small, unhurried, and relaxing beachy marvel. We got our summer ON in this simple place. I want to run away there at least 15 times a year and make multiple week-long stays in the summer.






we stayed in A-frame #4


with these fun people

Margret, Candace, Johnathon (and Lydia not pictured...yet)

we brought home 853 of these

discussed Nietzche and U2 in the sunset


practiced the ancient art of sand texting

exfoliated my Skousen legs...similar to females in Lake Wobegon, Skousen women are strong and their legs come in a nice uni-sex, one-size-fits-all-man size

used the ocean breeze to fly a kite (this is Lydia)


competed in inter tube kite flying

braved the waves

hunted for crabs

and found one

rehearsed a watery death (Tess and Lydia, inspired by Anne of Green Gables/Tennyson)

snoozed with Harry Potter


and did all thing summer in just three fabulous days

you are the daughter of the sea

you are the daughter of the sea, oregano's first cousin. Swimmer, your body is pure as the water; cook, your blood is quick as the soil. Everything you do is full of flowers, rich with the earth. Your eyes go out toward the water, and the waves rise; your hands go out to the earth and the seeds swell; you know the deep essence of water and the earth, conjoined in you like a formula for clay.
--Pablo Neruda



*now taking reservations for friends and family beach visits

and Deli turned five... a few months ago

first five photos by Candace Moss

photo by Candace Moss

today

After spending 8 hours in a courtroom waiting to testify for a case with my shiny new job, I was told I had to return yet another day. I came home with a thick Texas accent (long discussions with fellow Texan witnesses started to rub off on me) and a serious longing for someone to nag or whine at me. I was left wanting...instead Delberd came running up to me with the largest hug she could manage and a "why do you have to work so much, we never get to be with you anymore." Tess was busy in her room doing a lyrical dance to a Chronicles of Narnia CD so I snuck in and surprised her. She jumped in my arms all smiley and kissey and told me that she missed me too. Oh happy day. My mom had taken the girls along with the dog walking and everyone was in a perfectly mellow mood. We had a little dinner and read some books and then Tess slipped off into the dinning room and instructed me not to follow her. So I read Adelle some ancient anonymous poem about manners and she whispered, mostly breathed, in my ear something about wanting to put a sign up at her birthday party that says "people who don't have good manners, who pick their ears or their nostrils will be thrown out." I reminded her that she may be disqualifying herself from her own party and she laughed like I was really funny (which always makes me feel great about myself, thank you Adelle). This is when Tess snuck in and told me I could not go into the dining room for any reason until tomorrow. Anyone who knows the vastness of my house knows it's difficult to go anywhere in the house without going through the dining room so I eventually cheated and went to check out her surprise.





When Tom finally got home from work, he disappeared temporarily in the house and then reemerged with the concern that I go talk to Tess and Adelle immediately. When I got into the girl's room he had brought me a dinner plate sized spelt brownie and put and big white taper candle in the middle of it. The girls were sitting up in bed holding it and chanting "Make a wish! Make a wish!"

I love birthday eves.

While typing this Tom is sleeping behind me. All the sudden I hear a snapping sound...it's Tom and he is sleep snapping. He then sits up in bed and asks me to pull his toe. The request is quickly followed with a sleepily napoleon-dynamite "never mind!" and then he lays back down and continues sleeping. Ahhh, the sweet random moments of life.


Here are some pics from my b-day.




Typically, for my birthday, I force loved ones to take a picture with me--some handle it better then others.

birthday love