Bittersweet - Leaving the Beach Behind and Returning To My Own Little Haven

Well, my friends, I'm home! I had the most wonderful time in Florida on the beach. I spent the first ten days with my sister-in-law, who traveled with me from Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico, then I spent the last 4 days with my brother, who lives in Florida. I can NEVER, EVER get enough beach time, but I am truly GRATEFUL for two glorious weeks.

I don't have a lot of blue in my house anymore so I don't typically participate in Blue Monday. However, I can't think of a prettier blue than that of that perfect, natural blue of the ocean and sky at sunset. I'll start with several of those beauties!

Blue Monday is hosted by Smiling Sally. Please stop by to visit her and find links to many wonderful Blue Monday posts!


One of the first things I wanted to introduce my sister-in-law Jeri to after we arrived, is Egmont Key and Fort DeSoto Beach. Both are gorgeous, natural beaches that my husband and I love.

Here you can see that Jeri and I were wind blown messes, but we were loving every minute of the boat trip to Egmont! I'm the wild looking one on the right.

We left the Sunshine Bridge behind us on our trip to Egmont...

This is Egmont Key, as we approached it from the Gulf. It is completely uninhabited and is a haven for nesting birds and turtles. The water is a lovely blue-green, the sand is white and powdery, and it is HOT, HOT, HOT! If you ever go to Egmont, take lots of water with you. We had a fantastic day collection shells and walking on the deserted beach. Unfortunately for four other guests on the boat, stingrays were out in force. They were stung almost as soon as they got off the boat and in the water. Guess they forgot to do the "stingray shuffle". Three of the victims were fine, though in a LOT of pain. One woman had to be taken back to the mainland in a hurry since she seemed to be going into shock. Stingrays - no fun at all!

On the trip back we were lucky enough to be greeted by some beautiful gray dolphins with pink tummies

I wanted Jeri to see Fort DeSoto Beach before I started driving us back to our hotel so we stopped for an hour or so. There are usually multitudes of gorgeous shells to be found but it was high tide so we only picked up a few.



Some more fabulous Florida sunsets. Don't they look like watercolors signed by God Himself?







The day came far too quickly for Jeri to go home by herself. Her son was graduating from college. Who could miss that, even for a few more beautiful sunsets??? We had to take a few last evening pictures before we packed her up for the airport.That's me on the right.

We ALWAYS take a beach feet picture...

I'm on the left in the first pic and the right in the second. Would you look at those knobs??? (Which is what I call those most unattractive middle aged arthritic large toe joints!)

We decided in the two years since we were last in Florida together that our feet had seriously deteriorated!!! They just are NOT cute anymore. SO we opted for a picture with cute sandals! Mine are the silver pair on the left.




I was beyond thrilled when my wonderful brother came to spend my last few days at the beach with me. I don't get to see him nearly often enough - usually just a couple of times a year. We had a short visit together but we had a blast! We spent all day every day sitting in our lounges in the sun, then we cleaned up in time to go to dinner. Then we watched the sunset from the hotel or wherever we were for dinner. I'll treasure those memories with my sweet brother.




Gods world at its best...


The "short" pier - half mile each way from my home away from home...


Baby sandpipers...



A fish dinner for a beach bird...



Gosh - no description necessary...



Seagulls over the setting sun...



The rising moon over the just set sun...

This gorgeous Jacaranda tree was in bloom all over the place in Florida. I've only seen it once before. It's simply covered with lavender blooms. I fell in love with it!

I miss the beach, as I always do, but I really, really missed my sweet husband! I always do when I'm away from him. Phone calls and text messages just aren't the same.

I met a serious goal while on my trip - I walked 5 or 6 miles every single day! I had been working very hard on diet and exercise since January and I was worried about undoing all that work in two short weeks. I can gain in two weeks what it took me to lose in three months! I was proud of myself when I only gained two pounds in two weeks of vacation. I have lost that plus one more since coming home. Yea - don't know what that's all about, but I'm not complaining!Grand total since January - 18 pounds!

I've learned something wonderful in recent years, but especially over the last six months. LIFE IS SHORT and LIFE IS PRECIOUS - enjoy EVERY SECOND of it!!! Most of you know that I have a pretty serious blood disorder. I had a hideous and worrisome winter. Well, God has granted me more wonderful days to enjoy and I am feeling GREAT! I don't mean to sound preachy, but here it is anyway - don't waste any of life being angry or resentful or blue or worrying if you can help it. Enjoy life just as it is - your family, our beautiful earth, the bird's song, the budding trees, sunsets, a rain storm, Spring flowers, music, etc.. Every second we have is by God's Grace. This particular lesson is probably the greatest I have learned since receiving my diagnosis, perhaps in my entire life. Like everyone else on the planet, I don't know if I have one day to live or 30 years - but I do know that I intend to love living every second God allows me to enjoy on His wonderful earth before I go to His wonderful Heaven! I am incredibly grateful for renewed strength and purpose and for the wonderful beach days I was so blessed to enjoy.

I've missed each one of you and look forward to visiting you as time allows. Now that I am home, we are into wedding mode! Only 48 days until Jacob's and Jenni's wedding day! Yikes! I better get to work!!!