Maine Vacation Recap

June 28, 2021 By Carole

If someone could explain to me how a week on vacation goes by at warp speed while a week at work just drags I sure would appreciate it. If someone could actually reverse those two actions and make the vacation week be the slow one and the work week be the fast one, well, they’d be a millionaire. Seriously, I always feel like the week stretches before us in one glorious unplanned span of days on the first day. And then, inexplicably, it’s time to go home and it feels like it’s been about 10 minutes since we arrived.

Anyway. Not complaining. Just observing.

We had a great week. I have a bunch of photos that have mostly already been shared on Instagram but I’m sharing them here, too, in case you missed them. And because recapping our vacations on the blog is something I always do.

There was lobster. Lots of lobster, despite the fact that prices are rather high this year. We had lobster rolls 4 different times and hot lobster with butter twice.

There was a brewery. We took ourselves for a walk over a foot bridge and back and then wandered up the waterfront to drink some beer. It was late afternoon and we sat outside and the weather was perfect. As the place filled up it all just felt so normal. It was great.

There was plenty of time for porch sitting. I never get tired of the view or watching for changes in the sky. There was a rainbow on our first night and a full moon later in the week.

There was time indoors, too, as the nights were a bit chilly. We even had a fire on our last night and ate dinner (lobsters again) by the fire while watching Broadchurch.

There was a birthday! It was the day we had to leave, which was a bit of a bummer, but still, Dale turned 70 and we managed to celebrate in Maine with lobster rolls on our way home and in Massachusetts with cocktails on our own deck after we unpacked.

It was a truly wonderful week.

Monday On My Mind

June 14, 2021 By Carole

There’s only one thing on my mind this Monday and it’s this: 24 years ago today we created a family.

Happy Anniversary, Dale. Wherever you’re going, I’m going your way.

Walk With Me Wednesday

October 21, 2020 By Carole

Several years ago my friend Judy, owner of Ball and Skein, started blogging about walks every Wednesday. I always enjoyed her photos and stories about being outside, often in the woods, and now I’m jumping on this bandwagon.

Dale and I have gotten in the habit of taking a Sunday afternoon drive and finding someplace outside to walk. It’s been a great way to get out of the house and see some beautiful foliage and get some movement into our day, too.

I took this photo two weeks ago. Our walk was along some powerlines in the woods and the colors were gorgeous. Dale can’t quite keep up with me entirely just yet but we’re managing. I sometimes get ahead of him and wait for him to catch up. And when he’s gone as far as his leg will tolerate, I head on without him and then circle back. The irony of me finally wanting to walk in the woods with him after he’s asked me to do this for years and him not being in an ideal condition to do this now that I’m interested is not lost on either of us.

Last Sunday we wound up at a conservation area in a nearby town. We had originally tried two other places which are well known and therefore were very crowded. As in, I looked out the window and said no way am I getting out of the car here. But these woods we found, rather by chance, were gorgeous. Perhaps, for me anyway, even magical as I stopped and paused and just . . . listened . . . to the falling leaves and subtle sounds of the woods that you can only hear when you are quiet.

A few weeks ago I was telling a friend that I hate walking. What I’ve discovered lately is that I hate walking on roads, sidewalks, and pavement. Turns out I love walking when I’m in the woods.

Birthday Rebuttal

September 22, 2020 By Carole

Thank you all so much for the birthday love and wishes yesterday, it was truly fabulous to read all of your comments! Dale is all puffed up with pride at your kind words about his post, too.

I have to admit that the things he wrote took me a little by surprise. Not the stuff about what we did over the weekend, that was a mere recap. But that stuff at the end . . . about how he appreciates me and recognizes how hard I worked . . . that got me pretty verklempt. And it’s true that I worked pretty hard after his accident. He was fairly helpless for a while and he was in pretty rough shape when he came home from the hospital. Frankly, it was exhausting to be his only caregiver during that time. I also know it was a privilege and I’m so glad to have done it and been able to show up for him in that way. I think we learned a lot about each other and, while it sure wasn’t always pretty, it deepened the level of respect we have for one another in a very meaningful way.

I do take exception to something he wrote though. It was that part about me being the one who holds our family together. He’s got that all wrong because he, my beloved husband, is our glue. He is the center of everything we do together. He’s the one who makes us all laugh, he’s the one who works to hard to take care of us, he’s the one to run an errand or pick up a kid or a loaf of bread. He never says no, he rarely complains, and he (unlike me) does it all with a cheerful heart and a smile on his face.

I suppose the bottom line is that we are well matched and we know it. Maybe it’s because we’d both been hurt before. Maybe it’s because we came to this relationship with open hearts and clear expectations. Or maybe it’s simply the hand of fate.

I’m not even sure it matters.

I’m just grateful for all of it.

It’s Monday. And I’m Ready.

August 31, 2020 By Carole

I had a great two weeks off from responsibility. I eschewed work. Routines. Habits. Even blogging! Now, though, it’s time (as Kym would say) to start my engines and embrace the good things about daily life around here.

First, though, how about a quick look back at our time on Cape Cod.

It was pretty great! And fast, although not as fast as that video makes it seem.

So. Monday. Time for re-entry. Let’s do this!