Wrapping Up

From here on out, it will be current or semi-current updates. But this is what we get for me taking a small sabbatical.

Hands down, my favorite part of christmas this year was playing student in Miss E's class. If this girl doesn't do something where a crowd of eyes are staring at her, then there's no hope for any of us. She's a natural performer.

Setting up shop in front of the fireplace

Reviewing the class rules: 1) Be quiet while teacher is talking. 2) Raise your hand if you have a question. 3) Tell the teacher if you need to use the bathroom. 4) No interruptin'

I thought she added the accent on #4 for my benefit since I'm further south than she is. And when I did in fact interrupt, at least she didn't try to please the Arkansas in me by saying "Oh C, you're a mess." You remember my disdain for that phrase... here.

K had #2 down pat, and R needed a tutor for this subject apparently.

My other favorite parts of the day? Here's just a few:

Helping prep the food with mom in our aprons.

Gut laughs during our White Elephant party with the cousins, aunts, & uncles.

And last but certainly not least, passing around the sick baby doll and giving him shots in the rear.

 

What have I been up to?

Nothing much, honestly. Reading on gardening and picking out seeds, harboring a second bout with back pain that is slowly getting better, and riding the waves of enjoyment and loss as we watched our rabbits (finally) have a small litter and then lose them.

But other than that, nothing much.

So let's go over the last part of December, which was jam packed with warmth; from friends, family, and indeed the sun.

R had a rough couple of months; working long hours and generally stressing out. So we booked a quick trip to Florida to rest up.



I found a little place that got good reviews and was decidedly within our budget. Ever since sleeping in a hut steps from the ocean with no a/c or hot water, I can't bring myself to spend money on a room. The hut (click here) had to be my favorite beach side experience.

This cutie of a building was juxtaposed right next to some towering ones which I'm sure charged double ours, and I smiled at our good luck. Plus, we had a tiny bar & grill located on the first floor. Isn't that all you need?

I apparently couldn't spend money on a taxi either, because I forced R to bus it from the airport. $3.50 vs $50? Um, we're hanging with the locals, R. Somehow we made it the entire way without spending a dime, as the driver felt sorry for both us and a couple from Amsterdam for not knowing what we were doing.



We were only there for a couple days, so each morning we rushed downstairs to fall back asleep under the rising sun.



And then we'd wake up to take long walks along the deserted beach. Note to self: only travel during the week. What uncrowded bliss!



After our jaunt, we'd plop back down onto our chairs for a pina colada, or other rest-inducing drink.



I'd look over occasionally and find R testing out his US Army survival manual that he chose to bring along, by trying to light stuff on fire through his glasses.



I would periodically sit on the hammocks to remind myself to never stay where there is a bar & grill so nearby again.



Or we'd go body surfing for a couple hours. I was the judge this time around.



We'd see guys running around with a football, and R would have gaze longingly at them. He stood nearby like how all young kids do when they want to play, but don't want to ask. Politely, with hands behind the back.

Alas, he was never asked.

After our beachside retreat ended, I called up my cousin that lives in the area. She picked us up and promptly took us to a 5-star quality dinner... in their backyard! I have never, never had such thick and well-prepared steak before, in restaurants or at home. It was delightful, and B served us up some official drinks along the way.



I mean, has anyone ever used that measuring cup before? I didn't even know what it was.. maybe to hold whole eggs for an English dinner?

No, it actually has a use, and by golly she used it. I was impressed.



After they put their son to bed, we headed outside to the hot tub for loud laughs and fun conversation, and even an occasional push into the pool.

And yes, they provided us with robes! Where are we?? This is a long cry from the hut, my friends.



Thus ended a great few day escape for the two of us. If I could put that trip into a bottle, I would. It'd sell, I'm sure of it.

Point Taken

After walking away to heat up some cinnamon rolls, I came back to the game and asked N if he went already.

"Yes," he said.



 

Got the hint, N.

Just in case you were wondering..

Here are some dos and don'ts of  deciding to camp while attending a dance workshop on a blistery cold & windy weekend.

Yeah, go ahead and pack a really yummy healthy lunch. Some no-knead bread, a jar of carrot juice, maybe even some avocados.



And, sure, why not make a cozy fire to sit around.



Yes, of course use your new cast iron skillet skills for supper that night. You know, the ones you learned at this class. Only, try not to get a flat tire.



But do not.

I repeat, Do Not....



only pack skirts to wear, because you want to "look cute". You will freeze your ass off and you'll also get such a bad cold that it will threaten your Food Network getaway with a girlfriend the following weekend.

Just in case you were wondering, that is.

The Battle of Caaahrthage

We fought the battle and won, my friends.



You know, the "weekend spent with 3 sisters, a sister-in-law, and a mother all in the attic of a bed & breakfast during their wine festival without killing each other" battle.

Any time a night hasn't ended with a drink thrown in your face and the silent treatment, consider it a victory.

But it really wasn't hard. And we were tested. Oh yes, we were tested.



Try going to the bathroom in front of four people in a space with no partitions.

No amount of magazines will help that situation.



But, to be true, we won probably because I paced myself....



..or because of the $20 lipstick complete with a built in lighted mirror. You know, in case you go spelunking in a cave with some girlfriends and need to freshen up.

This little gem just might have been the saving grace.



After our freshening up, we stepped out onto the front lawn to have a lunch while sampling the local vendors.

I've often wondered if I couldn't sell at one of these events. With all the grapes left in the back of the fridge, some of them are bound to ferment, right?



After several moves around the lawn and a couple more samples, we hit the town.

Dancing? Why yes, but not us this time.



The Kansas City Marching Cobras happened to be in Carthage this particular weekend! My sister L looked on like a proud mother as she was the only one of us who had seen them before. She continually asked us if we were sure we wanted to go see them, and then afterwards thanked us all for coming as if she hosted the group in her living room.

The Marching Cobras was started up in KC as a way for inner city kids to have a positive outlet, while also having to maintain a certain gpa, etc. They were a nice addition to our weekend!



When we arrived back at the B&B, we convinced the owners to turn on the twinkle lights on the front porch. Oh, to have a spacious, stone front porch like this one.

I would invest in only white linen dresses, cinched at the waist and insist that my hair be pulled up in a loose bun. Sigh.

We sat around sampling more wines, shoving chinese food down our gullets,



while L put on more lipstick.

We talked around the table for a good couple hours before heading up to the attic where it felt like a scene from Little Women.

Why do I always have to play the role of Beth?



Unlike Beth, my heart did survive the night and the next morning we woke up to breakfast downstairs. This is the first time I've had to sit with the hosts and other guests at one table. It was awkward at first, since it felt a little intimate.

Luckily they were the talkative sort and kept up both their and my end of the conversation. Functional Introvert saved once again!

Mom had to wear her sunglasses because of the sun and I laughed inappropriately loud for so early in the morning. The host quickly served our first course after that loud guffaw.



A couple poems were read and some well-rehearsed stories were told by the hosts, then we parted ways from cute Carthage, MO.

Writing this post has made me realize that as soon as I do something, I need to write about it. I'm sure there were a ton of little nuances throughout the stay that made me come away with this feeling of having had such a good time, but for the life of me, I cannot recall them. But maybe that isn't true. Maybe it was just the feeling of being together that left a good mark on my memory. Kind of like reading a book on a crisp sunny afternoon that resulted in a more refreshed version of yourself than when you first sat down. Nothing in particular, but just the whole of the experience.

Thank you girlies!

(Fill in the blank)light

Most everything ending in light just hits the spot. Maybe not blacklight, though. It shows all the fuzz on my shirt and highlights my not-quite-white teeth.

My parents came into town this weekend and we took in a lot of them. Lights, that is.



Candlelight at the Shack.



Then sunlight brought an arts festival and neighborhood garage sales at which we girls found some real gems (more on that later)! We came back to mom & dad's RV and drank some cold  Budlights, along with individually packaged frozen margarita pouches. On the back of them it was boasted "Great for while you're on the go!". Hmmm....



Later that evening, we sat around firelight and played trivia pursuit. I got about 1 out of 300 questions correct, and it was because someone else thought it was their turn and answered on accident.

Then we stared through the moonlight at constellations, helped by the app on my brother's phone.

All in all, a good time. The only light thing that didn't take place was my waistline. Chocolate icing and graham crackers, I love you.

My favorite part of all last weekend.

My niece and nephew bonding (?) in a creek.

Y is for Yawn.

Definitely not for Young. Last weekend, our local casino hosted a live concert for Eve 6. Hello 1998!

The roommates and I looked at each other, debated, and then agreed that if it were even just 5 years ago, there would be no question about going folks. So now we have to go whether we want to or not if only to prove that we have just as much energy as we did back then.

The concert kicked off at 10pm which in college was the time we would have just started getting ready. I was ready for the local-breakfast-joint portion of the night by 9:45.





We hung in there for the night, occasionally yelling how absolutely Young we all are, had a couple cocktails, played a few hands of blackjack and even ate breakfast at the casino itself.

When we got into the car, exhausted, we felt like we really lived up to our college days.

And then we looked at the clock. It was barely after midnight.

Sigh.

Moving on to a new phase in our lives, I guess.

Jane Austen Festival, Part Two

On our way to Louisville, mom asked me to try on The Dress. She's had this puppy since the late 60s when she wore it. So with a groan, I grabbed it from her knowing it would end just like when we tried on The Wedding Dress: A tug here and tug there only to get it over my knees. Man, she was a twig.

So I grabbed the thing, went in the back of the RV and threw it on, all the while trying not to be thrown from one side of the vehicle to the other. Afterwards, I noticed that all of the windows were open to the road.

You're welcome drivers of Interstate 277.



So you  already know the outcome: Lots of letting out.

Whatever. Women were fuller back then anyway, right. Right?



Once arrived, we suited mom up in her (Bavarian maid?) outfit and headed over to the festival. We didn't have long to explore the grounds because we'd signed up for a reticule class.

It should've been called the ridicule class, because my gawd I have no skills in sewing or embroidery.



At one point, mom asked something to the effect of "Can you not even tie a knot?". And I replied that she had had almost 30 years to teach me.

But no, I can't tie a knot with thread, thankyouverymuch, so please just do it for me Bavarian Maid. And after you're done, go bring me some tea.



After the class, we wandered around the property slowly due to mom's back. But this gave us ample time to throw myself on unsuspecting people trying to enjoy their day.

Oh, you're relaxing in the shade and eating lunch? Well let me join you!

Click



Oh, you're seconds from going on stage to do a runway show? Well let me join you!

Click



Oh, this is an all-male club? Well, then I'm definitely joining you because it will make the boys on my husband's side annoyed.

Click

Oh, you're trying to have a pleasant walkabout with your husband? Let me join you!

Click

And it went on and on and on.... No one escaped the tornado that was Carolyn (and her maid).



Later, we toured a refurbished home on Locust Grove.



Mom couldn't make it to the top floor, and how she would've enjoyed this tour guide! She was so serious and engaging. "...oh now this is really interesting!" and so on and so forth.

After the tour was over, mom asked what time our tea was to be served because she was quite hungry. Wondering why I wasn't on par with her hunger level, I remembered having found her near some peculiar-looking larger than life plants.



So we headed to the tea room for lunch.

On both days we had interesting companions.



On day one, we sat with a quirky lady (and you know how much I love quirkiness) from Chicago as well as her sister.



The next day we found some kindred spirits. A mother and her daughter had come to share the day together.

We first toasted to Jane Austen, clinked our glasses, and then cried. No seriously. We teared up. It started when J asked if we watched the series Cranford. Not two seconds after she got the word out, mom and I squealed. And then promptly teared up.

It's hard to explain. But when you meet people who have the same exact interests as you and love it to the same degree as you, it just makes you feel connected to them.



After tea, we had another class to attend. But the sunny skies and green grass called out to me. So I parted ways with mom and set off on my own. I could've walked those grounds all day long, it was so relaxing.

And then I stumbled upon a firearms display: shooting several different styles from that era. Very interesting!



I got up in this presenter's face for a photo, but I'll save that for a later time. It has something to do with a husband of mine.

Anyway, all-in-all we had a good time. The weather was perfect (considering it rained all the way up and all the way back from KY) and there were interesting presenters. I wish mom's back had been better and we'd done a couple things differently, but like I said, it was fun.

It's even spurred me to find other regency-era events in my area, possibly to partake in? We'll see. And then so will you.