One More Day

Today is our last day of summer vacation. We start back to work tomorrow. By we, I mean the public school teachers here in Savannah. I have been to my school three times already. It was kind of nice being back, actually. I enjoy being at home, but I also enjoy having a routine and being around people. When my children were little, I wanted desperately to be at home with them, but I had to work. They tell me that they turned out just fine, and they tell me not to worry about working while they were small. They say that I did what I had to do, and they are right. I have two wonderful children who have grown into two extremely wonderful adults.
So, it is back to the grindstone tomorrow. Believe it or not, I am actually looking forward to it!!

We are going to my niece's 15th birthday party tonight at Logan's Steakhouse. She is a happy girl these days, because she was accepted into the Savannah Arts High School for this coming year, her sophomore year. I know she will thrive there and be very successful. We have a lot of birthdays coming up this month. Becca, brother Dewey, niece Julia, and daughter Rachel. Bam, bam, bam, birthdays will be happening for three weekends in a row, and then Adam's will be here a couple of weeks after that!
I am making Julia a "Belle' cake, for her 7th birthday party. I found a cute one online, and I am going to attempt to make it. I bought the doll for it months ago, after Julia told me what kind of birthday she was having this year. I will put the photo of it here. I really hope that I can make the cake look like this one. Julia loved this picture, when I showed it to her. I will need to take off the doll's clothes, and cover her in saran wrap. I watched a video once on how to do this, so I hope that I learned something! haha
Have a great week!

The beach, clouds, thunder, sun, and a book

I made it to the beach yesterday! I settled all in, and then the thunder started! I had just put enough money in the 'pay to park' meter for four hours, and I was determined to stay. I found a spot that already had a hole for my umbrella, but having no luck getting it to stay solid, I decided not to use the umbrella. I had recently bought some 'anchors' to hold the umbrella in the sand. I tried to use one, but it didn't exactly work for me. I was in a hurry and didn't really take the time to make it work. Plus, I really didn't want to sit under an umbrella. I have that for when little Dora is with me to keep her out of the hot, bright sun.
As the thunder cracked, roared, and rolled, I looked up and realized it might blow over. Then, it sprinkled rain. I used the umbrella to cover my wagon and bag, and it worked pretty well. I had forgotten to bring a towel, but that was okay. It was hot enough to dry off, if perchance I went into the ocean - which I did.
A few Christmases ago, or birthdays ago, I bought Rachel theTrilogy series of books written by Eugenia Price about St. Simons Island. The first one is called Lighthouse. Rachel is reading that series again, and she let me take this first book to 'read'. Now, I am not much of a reader, but I took the book anyway. I read this series many years ago, when I was around 20 or 21 and greatly enjoyed all of the books. So, I started reading Lighthouse with our lighthouse in the background. The sun was really bright, and it was a bit hard to see the words sometimes, due to the sweat pouring into my eyes, ha! Sometimes, I can read outside without my 'magnifying' old lady glasses, but I needed them yesterday. I was hoping not to get a raccoon face, with white circles around my eyes from the glasses in the sun. Anyway, I actually read about 60 pages. Mind you, I was there for four hours, so you can see how slowly I read. I used to be able to read much faster, but that was before my car crash. I was hit by a drunk driver in January of 1990 and suffered many injuries. One of the injuries was that a blood clot released to my brain, causing a stroke and a partial blindness. So, it is difficult for me to read. I keep trying, though. Sometimes it is easier to read than other times. I'm not sure why that is, but it happens.
Anyway, I had a great time at the beach all by myself. I did get a lot of sun, even though the clouds were in the sky. Most people do not realize that you can get too much sun when it is an overcast day. I found that out the hard way when I lived in the Tennessee mountains. I was at the lake one day, by myself, and it was very overcast. I came home with the WORST sunburn of my entire life. Actually, I believe that I had sun poisoning. I was red as red could be. I had the chills constantly. I could barely move. Then, the blisters appeared all over, and I still had the chills. That sunburn took many days, possibly weeks, to get over. Ever since then, I make sure to wear lots of sunscreen. That experience is not one that I wish to repeat.
The sprinkles yesterday didn't last long. The clouds continued to roll. The waves were very rough, and the undertow was extremely bad. I was so worried about some of the younger people who were out in the water. Many people come to the beach who do not understand how bad the undertow can be. It carries you way past where you enter the water. By that I mean, you can go in at one point right in front of your belongings and end up way, way down the beach in front of some other people's belongings! You don't realize that you are being carried away like that until you are ready to get out of the water. The undertow was super strong yesterday, kind of scary strong, actually.
I was on the North side of the beach, right in front of the Tybee Lighthouse. I love lighthouses. I have many books about them, and I love to teach my students about them. I am attaching a picture of the view from where I was on the beach and a picture of one of the seagulls who came to visit me!

After spending a few minutes in the water and being knocked around by the strong waves and undertow, I went back to shore and sat in my chair and read my book. I hope to get through the book and begin the next one in the series. Rachel is already on number three - again. When I bought the books, I tried to find the one called Savannah, but it wasn't in print anymore.
Wouldn't you know it...As I was writing this entry and looking for pictures of the books, Rachel and her family came over. She brought the other two books with her! She has already finished them all!! She is one fast reader, that is for sure. So, I scanned the books and will put their pictures here. The third book of the series, Beloved Invader, is actually the first book that Eugenia Price wrote. It is interesting that she wrote the 'first and second' books of the Trilogy after she wrote the 'third' book of the series. I guess in today's world they would be called 'prequels'. HA! That is what people are doing nowadays with books and movies that become very popular. Ms. Price was ahead of her time doing that!!
The books are much larger than they were years ago when I read them. I still have the other books, in regular paperback form somewhere. These are much nicer, though.

#1 in the St. Simon's Trilogy is Lighthouse.

#2 in the St. Simon's Trilogy is New Moon Rising.

#3 in the St. Simon's Trilogy is Beloved Invader, which is actually Ms. Price's first novel. For some odd reason, my scanner quit working during the last scan. It has taken me a while to get this picture scanned and ready. Technology...You can't live with it or without it!!

 

 

So, here are the three books that I am going to attempt to read. It may take quite a while to get through them, but I am set upon doing it. They are great books. Eugenia Price was a great storyteller. These books are especially interesting to me, because they are about South Georgia where I live. The Spanish Moss that she speaks of is rampant in my town, in my own trees, and all around. These books will make you love this area of our wonderful country. Maybe you can find copies of the this Trilogy and read them for yourself!

 

Have a great day!