What Makes me Happy

Since I was 2 months old, I have been spending some portion of my summer at the beach. Some years it was only a weekend, some a few weeks, and since high school, it's been the whole summer. I am obsessive about the beach, mostly because of the way it makes me feel...which is ALWAYS happy.

On Saturday, my husband and I grabbed a few hours at the beach before we had to work that night. Surprisingly, even though it was in the nineties everywhere else, the beach was only about 70 degrees. Because of my recent scares, I am now very diligent about my skin care and the level of spf I use. I was very good about applying and reapplying on Saturday, however, the spray can I used does not spread very well and I ended up with horrible sploches of burn in several areas. (I was so disappointed)

This resulted in my inability to go to the beach yesterday when we were dismissed from school early because of the heat. I had to be smart and avoid the sun for another day and spent much of it on the couch watching a movie and getting caught up on my shows. By the time dinner was over, I was so restless, that I went outside and weeded and then needed and begged my husband to go for a walk with me at the beach. Let me tell you, the fact that the nearest beach/boardwalk is only 5 miles away is a perfect cure for restlessness. We spent an hour strolling on the boardwalk watching the beautiful sunset, hearing the waves breaking on the beach, and even played 2 games of air hockey (which I LOVE). It makes me feel I cannot put into words, other than to say I was so happy. I had a huge grin on my face and to stroll with my husband in the place that makes me happiest.....was just perfect.

Congratulations :)

Congratulations to my aunt who was just engaged to the most wonderful man for her....I am so happy for the both of you.

...Love can find you at any age....

Country Road...Take Me Home

For my brother's college graduation, we had a party/dinner for him at an excellent Italian restaurant in the town that I grew up in. Driving there today, we bypassed my house and went a different route to ensure we would get there a bit quicker.

(On a side note, on our way up Garden State Parkway North today, we got stuck behind a whole line of state troopers, sheriff cars, DOC buses, SUVs, etc. A state trooper was serving across the whole parkway to ensure no one would be driving alongside the buses. This happened for close to 20 miles of the parkway, which did not create a fun driving experience for us.)

As we were driving through my home town, I was swarmed with memories of who lived where, places my friends and I would drive to, things we would do, etc. I am amazed by how many people report their high school experiences as ones they would like to forget, when mine are filled with so many great memories. I can tell you that my years in high school were not always so great, I did hit my spells of times when I hated life, however, these days, I am fortunate enough to mostly remember the great days.

When I lived in my hometown, I was not always happy to be there. Everything was so spread out, and I lived on top of the mountain, so it was not convenient to get to and from my friends' houses. Before I had my license, my parents were not always so apt to drive me all over the place, unless they were dropping me off for the night somewhere.

Now when I drive back through, I do think it's beautiful. Most especially, when we were driving down a particular steep road, you could see the rolling green hills/mountains, and my town nestled down in the "valley". I don't think I would ever want to live back there again, but it's always refreshing to dirve through and reminisce.