A Mother’s Love (or, How to Not Kill Your Dog)
Oh Boy. What a week. Why did I disappear again, just after I’d told you I was excited to be writing again? Well, I was busy keeping my dog alive . . .
After a whirlwind of travel last month, followed by a friendly visit from Tropical Storm Isaac, I was finally enjoying getting settled in to our island routine again. This is a particularly quiet time of year on the island – turns out hurricane season is not a draw for the tourists – and I was enjoying the slow summer pace. After… Continue reading
Summer Birthdays
I know, I know, I haven’t been posting as much as I used to. And I REALLY do want to get back to it. I’ve just been having too much fun!!
Most notably, I just came off of a week/end of delightful birthday festivities. But before we talk about that, I’ll fill you in on the biggest birthday bash of the summer . . .
Beau turned 50! In the midst of a hectic time, we threw a weekend-long party last month. As you know, our tiny island is home to fewer than 100 full-timers, plus the many visitors… Continue reading
Tropical Storm Isaac
Well, he’s gone. Tropical Storm Isaac is long gone from our stretch of islands. (Continued prayers and best wishes for those who remain in his battering path!) Thankfully, it was a fairly uneventful storm for us, as these things go.
Many of you have never lived through a tropical storm or hurricane. Of course, there are plenty of blizzards, floods and other natural disasters to keep us all on our toes in every corner of the world! But, even in my Better Life, hurricanes are the most dangerous for us here.
In fact, I had just completed my move down… Continue reading
Three Weeks of Travel (and a friend’s 40th birthday!)
FINALLY! I’m back! What a whirlwind it’s been these last few weeks . . .
After a flurry of activity on the island, Beau and I were ready for a relaxing getaway to the Florida Keys. However, the day before we were to leave, my mother reported that my grandmother had just been taken by ambulance to the hospital. Yikes! I put my packing into overdrive, snagged the last seat on the afternoon plane, grabbed Angel and left my island home for three weeks! Thankfully, Grandma lives near Mom in South Florida, which is where Beau and I were… 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 readingIsland Kids
I love our island children.
I don’t have children of my own (and my beau’s children are grown). So I get my “kid fix” from spending time with the local island kids. Due to the small size of the community and the relaxed, interactive, island lifestyle, it is my pleasure to see these children almost every day – far more often than I was able to see cousins or friend’s children in the hectic, far-flung States.
Beau and I brought all the kids over for an impromptu cookout and swim one weekend afternoon last fall.
One of the benefits of… Continue reading
Wow! A Better Life Profile
Well, Better Lifers, here’s another first. A delightful blog has published a profile about me and Choosing the Better Life! I am amazed, honored and extremely humbled.
You may recall that I recently wrote a book review for two lovely women, Lois and Victoria, discussing their newly published book, A Little Book About Something Much Bigger. We first “met” via Twitter (@LittleBookAbout). Part of why we connected online initially was our shared beliefs in living from a place of gratitude, following those inner nudgings, and otherwise living by Choosing the Better Life kinds of principles.
Lois… Continue reading
Snorkeling in the Aquarium (with Video!)
Over the weekend, Beau and I took advantage of the beautiful summer day and headed out for a day of play on the water. We enjoyed a long boat ride up the chain of islands, exploring along the way and cooling off in the sea.
(For a bird’s eye view of the chain of islands, and the spectacular shades of blue and aqua that we were cruising through in our boat, check out this older post with lots of aerial photos.)
During our exploration, one spot was rife with sea turtles, sharks and other sea creatures, so we got… Continue reading
Choosing To Be Unbusy
I’ve joked about being “island busy.” That is, my days stay full of activity, but I’m cognizant that it’s not the same stressful levels as when I lived in the States.
Lately, however, I’ve been feeling the press of those old “hectic” feelings creeping into my island bliss. You know the ones I mean:
I’m so busy. I can’t get through everything on my To Do List. I can’t seem to get caught up. There’s not enough time to do the things I want to do. I’m turning down fun offers for the tasks I feel I “should”… 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
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