We are in leg four of our multi-phased getaway. First Asheville, then an emotional family wedding in Charlotte, Guncle time, now an idyllic rest at the beach watching dolphins from our balcony.
And what do I spy with my little eye? A sunset wedding below us!
Way back when, in Jr High, these two became my people for life. They both moved to different coasts while I settled in the center of the country, but over the years, we have met up when we could and it always felt like it had been days not years in between.
They indulged my need to go to our high school reunion, even though they had many other suggestions for places we could have a mini reunion instead.
It was a quick trip, but conversation never lagged, and it was fun to see our other classmates as well.
Sandy brought some old photos, here we are at a past reunion. (I think I still have that dress, I should look for it. In my opinion, if you love something, it doesn’t go out of style)
As a matter of fact, I’d wear this “vintage” dress from my senior picture again in a snap if I had it. Looks like I have always had a thing for rose patterned fabrics, huh?
Thanks, Debbie and Sandy for such a perfect weekend and for being my lifelong friends!
And thanks to all the people who put the reunion together for the class of 76. I sure enjoyed seeing everyone and loved having a reason to push me to come back home to Indiana.
My trip to Indiana had many different loops woven into it, a craft day with buddies and a junkin trip across country, an afternoon at a rock and mineral show, sister sleepovers, family time, a night at a state park lodge, then a meet up with VERY old friends- my 45th high school reunion, ending with a day of sightseeing in downtown Indy.
Whew. That is a lot in 7 days including the 8-1/2 hour drive each way.
A bit like this cool spiral in Sissy’s yard!
On the way to Brown Co. park, we had some junking time and stopped at a mega antique mall.
It had some oddities…
But it also had decently priced millinery. Not so cheap that I bought it all, just reasonable enough to make me pick out a few faves.
I also snapped up a $10 rosey vase/pot, a $16 rosey tablecloth, and a vintage Hawaiian shirt to wear to the Hawaii themed reunion I was attending.
We had perfect weather everywhere we went, and so many laughs, I needed to start using my asthma inhaler again.
The state park had a contest to visit each scenic overlook and take a photo to win a sticker. I agreed to do it with trepidation, thinking it was going to be miles of walking.
Turns out, you drive to the sites (sights?) so my sissies came too. And everyone agreed to model some of my pretty purchases.
My nieces and I took off on a hiking adventure after our scenic quest to win stickers.
That was pretty dang scenic too.
The lodge has been newly redecorated, there is an indoor water park and a country style restaurant too. We were the only ones using the water slide and lazy river. Which is good because I screamed like a banshee all the way down the curly slide and the lazy river wasn’t so lazy. It was a crazy river, and we knocked into each other as we bopped along like we were bumper boats at a carnival.
And yes, it was so much fun, the inhaler had to be used.
My hometown is a charmer. A one block, yet vibrant downtown and an adorable park that I have always loved.
Since I moved away, lots of trails have been added, you can walk for miles out there.
This is from behind the lighthouse. Don’t ask me why a small pond in central Indiana even has a lighthouse, but there it is, glorious as it was 60 years ago.
And I wonder if these ducks are from the same lineage of the ones I used to take my kiddos to go feed?
The trip went much too quickly. But was as full as my heart was.
We took both dogs up the trail to Catawba Falls to see the waterfall.
Along the way, my son watched for edible treats the woods had to offer.
While my eyes scan for heart shaped rocks or stones to craft a riverbank fairy, he is on the lookout for mushrooms and berries.
While he found very few on this walk, he marks the spots where they were to check back later.
Molly was a perfect trail dog. Dorothy needed a lift for a great deal of the way.
Although she did enjoy the trip, even if her tiny legs needed a break. I am going to get a sling/carrier for her for future trips. Since her littermate and mama died, she can’t be left behind, the poor girl needs to have us around.
I see more hiking in her future.
While we found the scenery scrumptious, we were far from the only viewers. This place was packed as you got up toward the higher spots. The trails that led upward weren’t bad, but once you hit the start of the falls, it gets crowded as everyone stops to enjoy them.
Because of the Covid upticks, we wanted to avoid being in a mass of humanity, so we settled into a little rocky pool, not too high up where we had a private place to enjoy the river and still see the falls up in the distance.
I applaud people for wanting to be in outdoor locations now, but man. That was a lot of them! Still, we had many peaceful moments. You can skirt crowds if you make an effort.
And if there are going to be multitudes of hikers passing by, I probably should consider wearing makeup. Oh well.
Downtown Asheville is equally busy, but we managed a scenic hike through it while keeping mostly distant, and masking.
It’s been years since I had time to check out the area, and it’s not just vibrant and bust, it’s funky and fun too.
My favorite building?
My son did the carpentry trim on this one, of course it gets my vote!
He also made rock fairies with me while we relaxed at the falls. What a sweet son.
It was hard to say good bye to NC (and to my kids there).
Especially when we returned to a sweltering, soggy, heat wave in Kansas.
The mild, mountain weather almost made me forget what humidity felt like.
Oh, but I had a very quick reminder on our return!
As much as I hate having Dewdrop and Adam living so far away, I certainly understand why they do.
I fell in love with the region too.
My friend, Angie, invited Beth and I to visit the old farmhouse her grandma lived in.
She and her mom have been restoring it for years.
It’s a great mix of original pieces and beloved collections. (Angie had the very old, still functioning fridge stocked with deliciousness for us)
The drive south was as much fun as the staycation itself. We hit every thrift store between Lawrence and Chanute.
And got photos of the most unique offerings.
While making some friends along the way.
And eating some of the freshest home cooking you could ever be lucky enough to find at a roadside cafe.
At one stop, there were baskets of $1 packets of old lace. I bought more than my fair share, but couldn’t stop thinking about them so stopped on the way home to buy more.
Beth happened to bring craft supplies too, and shared her 1800s era quilt pieces for us to embellish with some things we found along the way.
Impromptu creations made with just what you have with you can be an inspiring challenge. We all managed to get a few pretties done.
But mostly we just laughed. And then laughed some more. Then we ate and drank wine and did more laughing.
It was perfect!
Usually, when I go to Florida, it’s either beaches, Harry Potterworld, or Disney. And I go to lots of seafood restaurants. On this visit, I saw more of the inner parts of the state, but I did make drives to the beaches on most days, and still ate more than my fair share of seafood.
Our plans changed and our trip was delayed because we got our Covid vaccines, a happy reason to reschedule. But because of that, I couldn’t book the best camp spots we wanted and had to make the best of it since the reservations were last minute.
We accidentally stayed AN HOUR from the beach in Bradenton. It was a great KOA, but much further away from the water than I wanted to be.
We were in the heartland, and the campground felt almost like we were back home in Kansas. I guess I didn’t realize just how large Bradenton was, and only thought of it as a gulf town. (Maybe I should’ve looked at the map, huh?)
Hunsader Farms had a lot to offer, even if it wasn’t what I had thought I was getting.
I have to admit, that I was a tad bit cranky when I realized exactly how isolated the place was when we arrived. But after hanging out, it grew on me.
There was a U Pick Em zinnia field and strawberry patch, and I not only got to eat juicy berries to my hearts content, and fill the camper with fresh flowers, I was able to walk the dogs to the colorful field and get some portraits of them.
It really was pretty there. Once I let myself enjoy it and stop being resentful about my booking mistake, I was glad to be there.
We even found a seafood tiki bar nearby on the water.
It was a lake, not my beloved ocean, but the place was delicious and fun.
Plus an hour to get to Point of Rocks at Siesta Key is much better than 20 hours from Kansas.
And we weren’t any further from one of the best off leash dog beaches I’d ever been to.
We all loved that leg of our journey.
We visited quite a few beaches on our trip. Sadly, we did not get to camp at any, our RV campsites were a bit of a drive, but worth the effort.
At each beach we walked, I was lucky enough to find seashell hearts.
My eyes are drawn to finding possible fairy parts and hearts as I walk the shores. I rarely look for perfect, intact shells, I like the shapes worn by the waves.
Maybe I identify with life’s rough spots and aging honing me into who I have become over time. 
Who wants to be pristine and perfect, anyway?
On the way back from Florida, we made multiple stops to see family. One was in Indiana and I got to see not only my own fam, but Sugar’s baby too. She lives with my niece, JoRenda.
At first, I tried to get a selfie with her.
This is about the best one, it was windy, she was wiggly.
So, I handed my camera over to someone else, and kinda got a pic of us together, but that girl was curious about her doggie family and they were all ready to play, so we let them run together.
After they tired themselves out, we tried again.
It took a few snaps…
Then, ta-dah! All mostly posed. But all were very pretty, even though it’s hard to get a picture of a black dog in a shadow.
Lighter ones are easier. Which is too bad, because I think it hurts the sales of the black pups, even though in person, they are gorgeous dogs and people stop me on the street to tell me how striking Shuggie is.
Sometimes, when the lighting is right, you can see her pretty face in a photo.
Mostly, she just seems to be a black blob.
Her daughter, Ryder, is a pretty girl too. She still has her fluffy, puppy hair, and it was as soft as it was when she was tiny. And she is every bit as sweet as she was then.
At just a few weeks old, she was a dog who didn’t care for humans much. But when you get one like that, you need to reassure them that human touch means LOVE. I gave her so much extra attention, and carried her in a sling with me as I swept floors. It seems to have paid off, she is a cuddler, and a very loving girl.
While the dogs over took most of our vacation, it wasn’t 100% about them, like they thought it was. Having sister time was sooo nice.
Isn’t this oyster shell the perfect little pinafore dress for this sprite? It even has a pocket! And I was so happy to find the striped booties, ready to be slipped onto her tiny feet.