Brown, Fat and Happy

We are just back from a superb flesh-and-blood weekend that somehow still kept the real world at bay. When we weren't riding all over Southern Delaware waters in the boat or driving to our favorite junk/antique shops, Michele and John and Steve and I spent our time sitting in our little outdoor living room, pictured above, looking out at at the water, talking, laughing, and putting away more wine than our bodies have had to deal with in many months. And the food! I was a cooking fool for my captive audience, in my element, and if we weren't eating homemade food we were taking our friends to our favorite eateries--the 2nd Street Grill in Lewes (by boat) for lunch and to Bev's in Rehoboth for Sunday breakfast. We reminisced, we caught up, we patched a few holes created by long absence. Michele and John are exactly our age and have lived the same sort of life we have, a two-earner childless couple with similar experiences and outlooks. They've done house rehabs, and they garden. They even have cats. When you're with people of such like minds it's so easy and comfortable to pretend for just a while that the world is perfect. It was only a weekend but it was a true vacation. We did realize, though, that we would never survive too many good times like the ones we were having. The joy that comes from overdoing everything is the very knowledge that you can, at least for a few days. Soon enough you'll be back to your disciplined, healthy ways--which make the occasional blowouts possible in the first place. If you ask me, that's not a bad way to live!

My mind is still filled with not much, although I have spent a couple of hours this morning catching up on all of my e-family's musings and music, getting some chuckles and inspiration, and being reminded of the joys to be had here in the ether. Unfortunately, the only thing that really keeps returning to my mind is a job I have to do outside and the coming beastly heat in which to do it. (Nobody needs a vacation more than someone on the first day back from a vacation!)

I'm sorry for the long absence and thank you regulars for faithfully stopping by. I've written so much since January. I have a secret hope that some of you who have arrived more recently will take the opportunity to dig back in the archives for some of the interesting stuff. Sort of close your eyes and point your mouse at something. You never know what you'll come up with. As I settle back into life here in the comfy confines of 12th Street I know some ideas will present themselves. A few are bubbling in the background already.