Aaron's Beach

These were taken earlier this summer from Aaron's Beach.  I'm very negligent in my photo-taking duties, but it's been a whirlwind summer that doesn't seem to be letting up.  This is Son's last week at home before returning to UVA, and his 20th (!!) birthday is Thursday.  Daughter is gearing up for her senior year and the whole college application process.  And my work continues to pull me in multiple directions.

Also, our neighbor Sydney died last Friday.  Sydney has been our close neighbor since before I was born, and he was my father's good friend.  His passing is just another reminder that time is passing all too quickly, and our time to enjoy this life is neither guaranteed nor unlimited.

I've been doing my best to enjoy what spare time I have, which has resulted in no pictures and no attention to this blog.  I have been enjoying a lot of the local music scene and have probably seen more bands this summer than I have in my whole life.  Middle Sister is also doing her best to drive me crazy keeping me busy in the evenings, and we try to get out to eat about once a week after work, which is nice.

So, there's lots happening here lately, but at some point I'll venture out to take some new pictures.

I hope all is well in your world.

Washed Up

This basket was washed up on Aarons Beach a few weeks ago.  These always remind me of picking daffodils as a child.  We'd go through the fields picking up the bunches and placing them in these baskets--which were then submerged in metal buckets of water in the dark, cool barn before the flowers were packed up and shipped off in large cardboard boxes to commercial markets.

Most people around here associate them with fresh seafood, too.

Unrelated to anything thus far, my surgery took longer than I anticipated to recover from. I was expecting to trot back in to work on Monday after a follow-up visit with the surgeon, but he actually wanted me out another whole week. I was lethargic and just generally weak.  No appetite, no strength, nothing.  Nada. Since this is the busy season at work, and we're already short-staffed as it is,  however, I chose to ignore the surgeon's advice compromise and have been going in to work half days.  I race home early and take two-hour naps.

But finally today I'm feeling a little stronger. And I'm eating a little bit.

If I can survive next week, which is our absolute busiest at work, the following week I'll be on a much-anticipated vacation.

I can't wait.

I hope all is well in your world.

These were taken during a kayak ride from a few weeks back.  I've been negligent in my photo-taking responsibilities lately, and these are only being scooped up off the cutting room floor because I have no others to post.  The weekends have been flying by, and the work weeks are becoming more and more hectic.  I've just not had time to focus on getting out to take new pictures.

Yesterday my bad back and I drove in bumper to bumper beach traffic six hours round trip to drop Daughter off here, and today before work I'm scheduled to talk to a surgeon about my 50-year-old gall bladder that has decided it's now disgruntled.

Hopefully at some point this week I'll be able to stop complaining about my back and gall bladder make the time to take some new pictures.

Thanks for your patience.

Summer Evenings on Queens Creek

What's not to love?

I've been enjoying the evenings lately.  Although it's been hot during the day (which I really don't mind), nighttime brings enough coolness and calmness to enjoy a few minutes on the deck focusing on all the beauty of the creek, which causes an instant drop in stress levels.

The coming weeks will be brutal at work, so I'm going to rely heavily on Queens Creek to get me through.

She won't disappoint.

Gazing

These were taken back in 2011 from the public landing at the Seabreeze and although I've posted them several times before, I never tire of gazing at them.

I did a lot of gazing at the water this weekend.  The weather Saturday and Sunday was spectacular.  Saturday a friend and I ate outside at my favorite restaurant Merroir, where the food was outstanding and the views relaxing.  Sunday I spent a lot of time on my back deck soaking up the sun and watching the boats parade up and down Queens Creek.

This week will be another busy one for me.  Work is becoming more hectic, at home the grass needs cutting, and on Friday I drive to Charlottesville to retrieve Son, who has successfully made it through his first year of college.

Time continues to fly by at record speeds.

So I don't feel at all guilty for slowing down when I can and staring off into the water when the opportunity presents itself.  It's therapeutic.

Basketball

High school basketball and an extremely busy work schedule have completely consumed my days and nights these past several months.  Nearing the end of the regular season, the Mathews Lady Blue Devils are second place in the conference, with only two losses to a team I'd like to personally pummel Middlesex.

Although the team has played well all season, lately we're suffering slightly because several key players are out with injuries and illness.  Above, the three under the basket not suited up are all injured.  Two are guards who help Daughter push the ball up the court.

Last Friday was the last home game and also Senior Night.  

We'll definitely miss these young ladies next year.

There are two more games this week before we move to the conference tournament.  At least one of our injured players should be back in action by then, thankfully.

Daughter has managed to juggle her schoolwork with this rigorous basketball schedule.  She played three games last week, was worn out after each one, and showed me a report card that had A's and only one B.  She said she's (for now) ranked first in her class of 106 students.  She's also been working as a ref for the county's youth basketball league on Saturdays and catching up on sleep when she can.

How in the world she manages to do it all and do it all so well with a (mostly) positive attitude is beyond me.

I'm extremely proud of her.

Tire

It was low tide at Williams Wharf when I arrived there for a short run Sunday morning.  It's rare that I'm there at low tide, and I took advantage of the opportunity to peruse the shoreline for hidden treasures. Although I didn't find anything terribly unusual, I did enjoy seeing all the green sea grass and oyster shells that are usually covered up by the East River.

The tire was a little out of place, but it was doing its best to blend in.

I'm doing my best to blend in at work and everywhere else even though I am tired.  I'm pretty sure I could sleep for a week, maybe a month, if allowed.  The weekend wasn't enough to get caught up on sleep, even though I took full advantage of the opportunity to take naps both days.

Tired or not, it's back to the business of commuting and work and not one, not two, but three basketball games this week after work.

I hope your week is a good one.

Confessions

Confession Number One:  I can't stop thinking about how beautiful Daughter looked on her way to Saturday night's Holly Ball with her date, Jack V.  I don't care how many times I stare at these pictures, I am in awe.  She's beautiful, she's smart, she's funny and she can sink a shot from half court when it counts.  I just adore her and feel so incredibly fortunate and privileged to be her mother.


Confession Number Two: Saturday was the Mathews Christmas parade.  For the first time in I don't know how many years, I didn't go.  On purpose.  I napped instead.  I have no regrets.  There, that's off my chest.  I feel better now.


Confession Number Three:  After work today, I will race to Richmond to retrieve Son, who is returning home for Christmas break.  He will undergo surgery Tuesday in Norfolk to remove bars placed into his chest two years ago.  (Click here and here  for posts written around the time of that first surgery.) Because of all this, I will (probably) miss two of Daughter's basketball games, only because I've not figured out how to clone myself to be two places simultaneously.  I hate missing Daughter's games.  I might not feel any remorse for napping instead of attending the Christmas parade, but I do feel remorse at the prospect of missing one of her basketball games.

Anyway, it is going to be another busy, eventful week here.

I hope yours is great.