May Jax Beach Trip

The Thursday before Mother's Day we headed south to do some scoping. (Tom, having no need to scope, was pacifying me, and I'm grateful.)

It was a little less than 8 hours, and somehow the time in the truck flew by us. We spent forever traversing the Carolinas, but once we hit Georgia the trip picked up speed. After crossing the FL border, Jax Beach was only 45 minutes ahead. Wow.

We stopped that night to pick up dinner on the way to Kris and Steph's where we had a cocktail and enjoyed their back patio. To have only been to Jax Beach twice now, I am growing more and more excited about time spent in that very spot. They are so welcoming and enjoy having everyone around. Granted I like my hermit time, but I know we will spend some lovely, relaxing times seated around the table on their back deck enjoying a dram of something tasty and the night air.

Friday was a big day. I took a Gyrotonic class at a studio where I might like to teach. I sort of wanted to scope the place out and sort of wanted to indulge myself. It was really, really wonderful. I forget what a luxury it is to be the student sometimes. When I left, I inquired about other Gyrotonic classes they offered and said I'd really like to join the class when I arrive in July.

Afterwards we took a quick trip to Bell's to search out a Mothers Day gift for Mary. Tom took a conference call in the car while I walked over to the Panera across the way. (I love that Carrboro has made me so willing to walk more.) His morning was quite busy. When he finished his call, he picked me up from Panera and drove me to the Starbucks down at Jax Beach. He then spent 2 hours with the accountant. I eventually took a walk around the little shopping center. (This nook also houses Roy's which he has spoken very highly of.) I also finally crossed 3rd street to put my feet in the sand.

There were so many sea shells! When I was a little girl, Cranmommie and I always picked up seashells in the mornings when we were at the beach. I can still see Mrs. Orey's coffee mugs and taste the coffee milk that Grandma and Papa would make me before we went looking. Cranmommie and I never had THIS many shells to peruse. This is the finished product after (finally) cleaning them off this weekend.

But back to our trip...

When he finally (finally) surfaced, we drove down to the pier to park. We were going to walk to Lillie's, but I had my directions all wrong. Casa Marina was much closer, so we climbed the stairs up to the upstairs penthouse bar and patio.

Here is our view from lunch...

I feel certain we will frequent this spot. It definitely felt like we were on vacation. Is this too good to be true? To live somewhere where the tempo and pace of life is so much more relaxed and steady? I hope I can embrace the slower speed and let go of my often frenzied need for activities and scheduled events.

We tried to do some house hunting, but it wasn't meant to be. I won't bore you with the details, because it was pretty exhausting. As of today, we have a place we've applied to rent. Our fingers are crossed that it all works, and we should know something today or tomorrow. If we do not get this place, the agreement is that we will continue to look for something three blocks back from the beach until June 5. After that if we still have nothing, we will rent something farther away from the beach. 

On Saturday, Mary and Tom joined us. We had a really wonderful time with them. Mary helped with the house hunting, and we did some shopping and eating.

On Sunday, the four of us went to meet Dr. Nipper, from whom Tom is purchasing Orange Park Endodontics. He was super. I probably thought he was so super, because he looks eerily like Daddy. (I mean bald spot, glasses, mustache, clothes - DAD!) They had a good meeting, and we all left so proud of Tom and feeling very good about the business venture.

Afterwards we drove back to Kris and Steph's where they had cooked out for Mothers Day. We got to see more friends and family and had a great time watching the TPC Sawgrass wrap up on the outdoor tv. It was pretty neat to see the gorgeous sunset behind the commentators and then look up beyond the tv to see the same incredible sunset. We were all admiring view.

The next day was for me the most exciting part of the trip. I received an email after breakfast that morning inviting me to speak with the owner of the Pilates studio. She and I connected over the telephone later that morning and had a very positive conversation. While I do not have a job per se, it was just what I needed. We have plans to meet on July 17th, and I feel like there is something in Jax Beach that I have done all for myself. We've exchanged a few emails since then including my resume and references. I am really hopeful that this grows into a job - if it is meant to be the right one.

All in all we had a great weekend. We did some exploring for my sake, a lot of driving around, and began finding some little nooks that are sure to be favorites with time. It had a rocky start with the housing questions that were left hanging in the air, but by the end we'd walked the beach together. We shared the sound of the ocean under the moon and in the bright midday light. I am really looking forward to all the memories we have to make in the years to come.

Farmers Market Loot

This past weekend I made a journey to the Durham Farmers Market with a lovely client. We took the windy country roads from Carrboro to Durham and enjoyed the trees and the sunshine along the way.

The market itself was wonderful. There were lots of vendors, food trucks all lined up, some sort of race that morning and an entire section of the market devoted to craft vendors. It was great. It would be hard not to return each Saturday we have left here.

Afterwards, Cay and I went to Scratch Bakery. I'd been wanting to try it out. We shared a slice of buttermilk pie and sat in the sunshine. She shared several recipes with me. When I make them, I'll have to be sure to document the fun.

It was really a wonderful morning. We finally headed back home after noon. I felt very lucky to share a nice morning with such a wonderful lady. Below is my loot...

Fresh flowers, grapefruit marmalade, yellow cauliflower, strawberries.

Eggs, zucchini, cucumber and more yellow cauliflower.

All the Little Ways

I think it is safe to say we have a lot of fun "taking care" of each other. I personally find a lot of joy in doing things with him in mind.

Take for instance dinner on Thursday night. Because I work late on Monday and Wednesday, he manages dinner on those nights. Tuesday/Thursday are mine. I had the best time in the grocery store this go round. I asked if I prepped if he would grill, and he agreed.

First we started with a Lime Basil Gin Martini. He did this for me. I'd been craving lime anything to signify summer time, and we have basil growing like crazy on our porch. (Farmer Brown to the rescue.) We both agreed it was a great drink. Sadly for him the gin was a little too much like lighter fluid. He said next time he'll make his with vodka.

Fresh off the grill came shrimp and zucchini. The zucchini is a Pioneer Woman recipe that I have fallen madly in love with. I hope he likes them, because I request them frequently. It is nothing more than salt, pepper, a lot of lemon zest and some olive oil. They sit for a while before you grill them. They are just delicious, and they've been a hit before when we've made them for friends.

The shrimp joined some heirloom tomatoes and an avocado-basil-buttermilk dressing to make this.

I'm not sure that the picture really does it justice. If I ever serve this to friends, I should take the dressing out of the blender and pipe it on the plate, so it doesn't looks like such blobs of greenness. We'd made this before, and while he didn't remember it, I was looking forward to making it again. This one is a keeper!

Since we are still trying to get housing nailed down... for our move... that happens in 37 days... groan!!!

Since we are still trying to get housing nailed down, we were in talks that evening for the second night in a row with a gentleman trying to rent his place. It is a great spot 2 blocks off the beach. It is farther north than he wants to be (due to commute time), but it is really a great spot.

Well I was ahead of myself. (This is not yet a no, nor it is a go.) I decided to celebrate a little. At least in my mind this meant maybe something could turnover where we want to rent. Maybe, just maybe, we will get to live where we think would be perfect. We'll see.

Anyway, I decided to celebrate a little bit. I bought tiny Marshall's biscuits and mascerated some strawberries and blueberries. Adding a little whipped cream made us a couple of sassy little strawberry shortcakes.

Once again, this was another tasty treat. Although we both agreed, we could have really used some extra whipped cream. :)

This was just another night of fun, of being together, of being in the kitchen and of sharing life. It was a moment in time, and the moment was great.

The Mississippi Simplicity

Tonight when I left the movie theatre, I had a text that told me what an incredible moon was in the sky. The front doors of the theatre opened, and the perfect glowing orb hung just right in the night.

I took the long way home. Well, I took the long way back to our apartment. There were 8 turns between the two parking lots. The back roads wind and twist like good Mississippi roads, like roads from home.

As I drove, I tried to soak in the glory of the moon. It floated in the darkness and danced between, behind and among the trees. I suddenly felt the familiarity of home. Real home. The place I grew up. I felt the twisting roads and the aged trees. I felt the magical nights full of promise and youthful hope.

On the 6th turn into the drive, the moon escaped the view through my dirty windshield.

But suddenly there was something much sweeter. Darkness. There were no street lights, no light pollution. I cursed the oncoming cars and how they ruined the moment, my moment. I loved the darkness and the stunning moon and how they both elicit fond feelings of home and my childhood.

I am grateful for the night and all the magic of the moon and the darkness. I long for nights spent in a muggy Southern summer in a field where you can hear the crickets. I miss the times we sat on a pier basking in the moonlight. I miss the way it shone down on the water. I miss how different it felt to be more secluded, to have such little interruption from street lamps, to have a wide open field to share with just a few friends.

I am surprised to feel so wistful about big open outdoor spaces and muggy nights and empty fields and cricket songs. Over the past few years an evening outside has morphed into a dining patio with wine or cocktails and street lights and lots of people and some sort of music piped in.

Mississippi is woven deep in my fabric. The simplicity of it came calling tonight. It stirred in me and sent a longing chill up my spine.

I do treasure the simplicity. Perhaps it will be present soon in the sound of crashing waves and the feeling of sand between my toes and the moon lingering low over the ocean.

Quizzes

Tom reminds me of Cranmommie a lot.

Most specifically I have never felt such genuine, unconditional love. When she passed away, I thought I'd never feel that sort of love again.

How incredibly blessed am I to feel that sort of love from Tom?

One night, he had another striking Cranmommie moment when he asked me to on the spot identify the person singing over our speakers.

I was immediately drawn back to Cranmommie's car. I can see the cassette player. The radio was on. She had a neat little organizer under the radio. We were parked outside her apartment off Highland Road. It wasn't the only time she quizzed me about who was singing, but this one stuck out. It was important that I could make the distinctions between George Strait, Alan Jackson and Randy Travis, of course. Good music was to be studied and appreciated and absorbed.

Funny. I think Tom Brown would say he feels just the same.

How incredibly blessed am I? To have my future echo my past. Blessed.

An Apple a Day

I always feel better when I am eating my fruits and veggies. An apple is another way I try to consciously shove another fruit serving into my day. (Let's be honest. Sometimes it is the only fruit serving of the day.)

This is me proving that I ate my daily apple. We shook on the challenge hoping it might have better sticking power. I think I've skipped a few since then.

Duke Gardens

This picture was captured at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens on the Duke Campus. We decided to go after I finished work one Saturday. It was beautiful. While it wasn't the same experience as visiting the Biltmore, it was still a great way to spend the afternoon. Tom took his camera and certainly has more images than this. Maybe those will surface soon.

This is such a wonderful place to take a book and a blanket. We saw lots of people with picnics and one field full of co-eds throwing balls and hanging out.

For being such a good sport, I took him to Fullsteam afterwards. (Truth is I don't think he minded the gardens. He has a way of appreciating many different things even when they aren't his "thing".) Here we bumped into Emmy's brother and sister-in-law. It was great to see familiar faces. We sat and had a couple of beers and ate dinner together from a food truck. It was such a great way to get out and enjoy where we are while we are here.