Something Refreshing

I was just out enjoying the afternoon in Olde Towne, walking with my love in the sunshine, feeling the warmth for these last few days before Fall grasps hold of us. We have had such a wonderfully peaceful and relaxing weekend...time spent with friends, enjoyable reminders that God is my cruise ship director, we really loved our weekend. The walk in the park was just a perfect way to segway into the week. A week filled with finding jobs and making things happen. Prayers for us are welcome and greatly appreciated.

While we were walking, we stopped at our favorite benches for a moment to watch Olde Towne as she lives and breathes through the souls of her people. I have spent many times on the benches in thought, in prayer, in hellos and goodbyes, and have relished every second. There have been rousing games of Corn Hole near these benches, building of snowmen during our recent winter storm; the benches are very special to me.

As we sat on the benches, we heard the commotion of a large group of people...adult people. All were dressed in casual, but nice Sunday afternoon brunch attire. Laughing and giggles were booming through the park. We watched to see what was going on...were they drunk? Fighting? My first instinct was to run in the opposite direction, because after what we went through...Marlene doesn't do crazy anymore, fo' real. But nothing in my gut told me to run...I felt safe, and realized there was a smile stretched across my face as they ran, laughed, and clapped their hand's. One of the non-running participant's was busy taking photos.

It made me smile and proved once again...I love where I live. It has a special magic to it.

This large group of adults...they were playing a children's game of tag. One by one, they each would be "it" running around the jungle gym and slides until they caught someone. We laughed and giggled right along with them. It was sweet. It was refreshing. These people had it right. They knew that loving the hell out of life and enjoying every second of it is the key to happiness.

This is HOME girl and my heart sings for those who have the heart of a child.

Where Am I Now?

I am home...no doubt about it. I am so happy to be back. Olde Towne, Portsmouth, Virginia is the place I call home and with it's plethora of Fall activities before me, it is the best time to be here.

The leaves in shades of red, yellow, and brown are beginning to fall serendipitously from the old, stoic trees...crunching under foot. The smells of first fires waft through the air as you walk past decorated houses for the upcoming season.

Walking past the 40 plus restaurants in Olde Towne makes one realize I live in a Foodie paradise. Various wonderful aromas beckon us inside to nibble and partake. There is never a disappointment. Evenings capped off with a hot java from The Coffee Shoppe make long, lingering walks a delight.

Olde Towne Ghost Walks will take place this year on Friday, October 29, 2010. Commencing at the Trinity Lutheran Church graveyard and proceeding through Olde Towne proper, costumed docents will scare, treat, and delight the masses with tales from the past. This will be my first attendance of Ghost Walks and it will be nice to see it from the vantage point of living here. Tickets are a mere $10 a person and all proceeds go to the Olde Towne Civic League to fund their various projects. The walk takes approximately 45 minutes, so dress comfortably. Hot apple cider refreshments are provided in Middle Park at the end of the walk.

If you are close by or would love to make a Fall trip to a magical place, this particular weekend will not let you down. Olde Towne is my favorite destination.

I can not begin to tell you how excited I am to be back home.

For the reader who is looking for a Vinegar Based Sauce for a Pulled Pork Barbecue, if you search in this blog...up at the top...there is one I have posted before. Let me know if you can not find it and I will get it to you.

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend. We are off to spend time with friends in Virginia Beach.

This is Home Girl and I love being home.

No, I wasn't abducted or other random gossip that was said...

I just took a much needed break...can you blame me? Oddly enough...as much as I love to blog and write, I quite enjoyed not feeling like I "had" to do it, but rather it was a choice "to" do it. I mean, I know I do not "have" to blog...I could just say screw it and stop completely, but then something always beckons me back...Like some sick and twisted relationship with someone who is not good for me. I have been down that road before in life and am so happy not to be that person today.

So...where do I start? Do I continue the elusiveness? I am sure you have questions or thoughts...will I ever entertain them? I don't know. I highly doubt it. I have changed so much in the past year that it stuns even myself. It's hard for me to fathom that a year ago this month, my life "on the spit" was torn upside down by the failure of my relationship. Do I miss it? Nope, not really. Well, maybe the prolific amount of seafood places, the sun, the sand, and the salt air, but I have replaced it with so much more.

It has been 4 days since returning to the most magical place on God's green Earth and I was greeted with the heralding in of Fall. Ya know, sometimes you have to leave a place in order to be able to understand it's beauty, it's ambiance, and why we choose to call it home.

I left, I came back, I know this is where I am meant to be.

I like seafood that is not Red Lobster or Long John Silver's...that is just not even close people.

I like being in a commonwealth and not a republic.

I am Virginian Born and Virginian Bred...I will be Virginian, until the day I am Virginian dead.

I like Pulled Pork Barbecue with a vinegar based sauce way too much to live anywhere else. I will visit other places in the world now. This is a given. I like to travel and immerse myself in varying cultures even if they are pitifully different from my own. Pitifully...different. Like, I can not even believe how some people live, different.

No, just give me the banks of The Elizabeth River, a boat horn sounding in the distance, a cool breeze filled with salt, the twinkle of the lights, and knowing that my feet are firmly entrenched right where they belong...

Home, there's no place like it.

~

This IS Home Girl...and I am happy to be here.