I’m A Real Blonde
I’m a real blonde. (I declare this proudly, as though it actually matters.)
And yet, we can all use a little help…
Background of a BlondeBorn blonde, I grew up in a southern state where we frequently went boating on the weekends and to the ocean for local vacations. It was also an era when kids played outdoors for hours on end. My blonde hair soaked up the sun (and the freckles began their lifelong spread.)
1981, age 10, Yours Truly as a young blonde (with a coal-black puppy, the dog that I loved for 18 years before Angel.)… Continue reading
Angel Antics
My beloved dog, Angel, frequently takes center stage – even boasting an entire Page about her on this blog.
Lately, however, I don’t feel like I’ve written about Angel as much as I used to. Perhaps that’s a good thing; maybe it means my world is expanding and she is not the primary focus of each day. 🙂 Don’t get me wrong, though. Her little presence is so chock-full of personality and energy that she still commands a great deal of attention on a daily basis.
Today, I thought I’d give you a little round-up of what’s been going on… Continue reading
Hiatus & Blog Improvements: Your Input Sought!
Greetings, my Better Lifers! I hope you are enjoying each and every day.
My days have been a flurry of Discovery Day celebrations, family visits to the island, my Stateside visit and requisite errands, upcoming friend visits to the island and more.
In addition to the usual “island busy,” I’ve also been working more on freelance writing projects and having fun developing some exciting possibilities in that arena. As part of upgrading my focus on writingprojects, and after 8 delightful months of blogging with you all, I want to… Continue reading
What’s Up?
My dearest Better Lifers, I have missed you!
Since launching this blog four months ago (is that all? It feels like we’ve been together longer than that!), this is the longest I’ve been away from you. It has been exceptionally busy lately – even for “island busy!” Some of the reasons why will warrant individual blog posts in the future, but, in a nutshell, here’s what I’ve been up to:
Beau’s dog, Milo, injured himself somehow and has been limping. To keep him from running and wrestling with the other island dogs, we’ve been keeping him contained in the house… Continue readingWhat’s So Special About French Toast?
What’s so special about French Toast? Well, nothing really. It’s delicious, but it’s not particularly unique, nor is it difficult to make. So why write about it?
I dunno, just because I feel like it.
Okay, but that’s kind of a weak answer. WHY do I feel like writing about it? Perhaps because some of you are curious about what I do in the course of any given day on the island. Others of you are interested in the concept of choosing a better life for yourselves and are searching for clues in the experience of others. And some of… Continue reading
California Dreamin’
Hello, Better Lifers! Well, I’ve been globe-trotting again. This time, it was out to southern California for a bit of a vacation. The 3,000 mile flight from Miami to Los Angeles is the longest flight to date for my Beau, and I’m pleased to announce it went well on both the outbound and the return. Each trip, we seem to stretch further, and I’m interested to see if he’s up for an overseas jaunt at some point. I keep telling him, “it’s just another movie!” in terms of additional flight time.
But I digress. We had a wonderful trip and… Continue reading
A Perfect Day (Fishing, Snorkeling, Conch Salad)
A few weekends ago, I enjoyed A Perfect Day.
It was a weekend morning and absolutely beautiful.
Morning sky.
Leaving with friends, we piled into a boat and headed out to sea just before 9:00 a.m. for some fishing. Into the deep water on the east side of the island, we baited the rods with ballyhoo.
Ready to cast.
The boys fished off the stern, and the girls lounged in the sun on the bow. After we had trolled along for a while with no luck, we pulled in the lines to check them. Sure enough, somebody… Continue reading
Not Just A Pollyanna!
I’ve been ruminating on this post for a while. As you can tell, I try to have an upbeat approach to most things. Yet, sometimes, with these blog posts, I’ve wondered if readers ever roll their eyes or think I’m just some fluffy Pollyanna.
BackgroundAlthough I have always been a glass-half-full optimist, I believe that I’m also grounded in reality. I was fortunate to enjoy a stable, protected, happy childhood as a solid foundation from which to springboard into the world. As I entered adulthood and life brought its various experiences – good, bad and otherwise – my world… Continue reading
But What Do You DO All Day?
People often express their curiosity about island living and ask me, “But what do you DO all day?” (In fact, this is the question I get asked the most, after “How did you end up on an island?” and “Do you work?”) I understand why the question comes to mind. For the askers, their island experiences have either been the stuff of daydreams or vacations: sleeping in, reading all day, going to the beach for hours, taking naps. Delightful as that is, it does not seem like real life to them.
And, in fact, it’s not. I joke… Continue reading
If Once You Have Slept On An Island
Oh, my long lost Better Lifers! After my last post, I dashed to the States to take care of some matters that had sprung up (all is well). Like most Stateside visits, it was a whirlwind week with LOTS of driving and City traffic that I happily forget about most other days. Like other visits, it also had its upsides, most notably a too-short visit with my visiting Uncle and Aunt, recently-moved-to-the-area grandparents, mom and brother. And, of course, the gorgeous aerial views on the return flight home to the island. It was also a week of staying largely… Continue reading
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