Crazy Day in the Neighborhood

I was scheduled to work from home today due to the call of bad weather. We got the effects of hurricane Helene. We are in North Carolina 210 miles from the East coast and I think 8 hours from Florida but still got the taste of the storm. I was unable to work as my internet went out. Later this morning the power went off and was off for 5 hours. The foods in the fridge and freezer remained cold so its all good. I knew not to open the fridge or freezer doors. 


But my problems were minor. Nick headed to work at 8 in the morning despite the recommendations of staying off the roads. The rain was light but the winds were vicious. Fifteen minutes after he left, a tree feel through a house across the street from me. A tree also destroyed a house at the other end of the road. 




All the neighbors rush over to make sure the old lady in the house was ok and she was. Her daughter lived two houses down so she has a safe place. 


A little later we heard another tree fall . It was loud but was only a big limb. This was at another house directly in front of mine. So, we all rush over to that one next and made sure they were all ok. They were. 




With the power off and no where to go, the neighbors mostly huddled outside and told stories. I enjoyed the time with friends. We all had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and thought that was funny and made a good laugh.


The storms seem to be over now and we have power and internet. Tomorrow will be spent helping neighbors clean up their yards. We didn’t have it near as bad as they did in the mountains as dams broke and flooded out the tourist towns and homes. Just keep those that lost their homes everywhere, in your prayers. 

Writing my Blog




When I spent a week at the beach, I left my iPad at home. I didn’t leave it by accident. I meant to leave it behind because I did not feel like messing with it. I have my iPhone and it has all my friend in it. 


But then I wanted to blog. I found a pen and small note book and sat out each morning on the beach and wrote. I love this. It felt therapeutic. It was relaxing and I didn't have to worry about charging, damaging or losing anything. 


I was told that writing is good for you and everyone should take time out of each day to reflect and write. Jot down your thoughts and feelings. It really does feel good. I think I will start doing this more often. Then I can choose what I want to add to my blog. 


Often we will get thoughts and ideas and the forget them. Keep a pad and pen handy and just write it down. This also helps me from venting to others. Writing it down and letting it go feels good. 


This is something I think I will continue as it’s good for my mind. 


Do you find blogging relaxing or a chore?

Would you consider blogging as “self care”?

Last Day on the beach

It was the last day on the beach. The sun was shining bright. The small clouds would cover the sun every so often to give us a little break from the heat.


The ocean looked mean. The waves seem rough but still in awe of its beauty. 


We didn’t really make any new friends this time but everyone was so friendly. There was one family camping in front of us that had some little kids. They were a Mexican/German mixed family and the kids were so cute. We chatted a while with them before they left. They were comical. They were from a town about two hours from us. 


We usually will make friends on the beach with people sitting around us but everyone seemed to be kept to themselves this time. I had a few comments on my anti gravity, reclining beach chair with a built on sunshade. The chair sits low especially for the sand. It was a one of a kind. 


Shop Here


Most of the people we talked to lived near us. I figured that most everyone down here are locals or empty nesters that just sent there kids off to college. 


Summer is now over for us and Fall is in the air. We go back one more time this year in October to close up the camper for Winter. I can hardly wait already. 

Stanley Cup Review

As I sat on the beach with the sun beaming down and the temperatures in the 90’s, I look down at my Stanley water bottle just sitting there in the sand all day. It is impressing me. 




I use a Yeti cup every day for my coffee. It will keep it hot/warm all day. I have tried taking it out on the beach with a cold beverage in it. It did not take it long to warm up. The sun made the cup hot and the clear lid allowed the rays to heat it even more. I was not impressed with my Yeti for cold drinks but it’s my favorite for hot drinks.


But let me tell you about my Stanley cup. It has sat out here in the sun all day. I poured a cold ice tea from a can (no ice) into the cup and headed out to the sand. The sun has not made it warm on the outside and four hours later, my drink is still cold. Not sure how much longer it would have stayed cold because I finally drank it all. I would guess it would have kept it cool for 8 hours. I’m guessing that it’s because it’s powder coated instead of shiny stainless steal like the Yeti. 


I’ll admit, I purchased this cup for the fad but now love it and carry my water in it to work every day. I like the handle and all the cool accessories you can add to it to make it unique and fun to carry. I have a straw cap, bottom protector cup, a handle charm (not pictured) and a little pouch (not pictured) that fits around it to carry my little essentials. I kept it simple for the beach. 


What is your favorite cup or water bottle ?


I believe if you get a water bottle you like, then it will encourage you to drink more water. This is something I have been trying to get better at. I am not a big fan of water but I have given up soft drinks for several years now. I will sometimes drink a fountain diet coke or a good sweet tea for a treat. My coffee is decaf and so is my homemade tea. Per doctors orders. 

Went to a Brewery

Yes, I went to a brewery. Can’t say it’s the first time though. 

We met up with my brother in law and niece for dinner. We usually eat at a Mexican restaurant we left it up to them to pick a place to eat this time. They wanted to go to the Crooked Hammock. It is a large brewery with a tap room, two bars and restaurant. 


The wait was 45 minutes so we put our name on the list and walked out to the bar that was out in the water. This was a gazebo shaped bar with seating around the edge and seating around the bar. We sat around the bar because the seats were swings. I thought it would be fun to sit here. 


When we sat down, we learned from the bar tender that we could order our meal from her. So we cancelled our name on the waiting list and ordered our meal from the bar. While we waited, we had fun chatting with strangers sitting among us. Now I see why people like bars. Everyone is so drunk nice and conversations get started up as if we have known each other for years. I found myself talking and laughing about nothing to a couple next to me. It was a delight. 


Nick ordered a burger and I ordered a smash burger. A smash burger was like a regular burger but they smash the meat thin. It had two patties so I ended up removing one. The fries looked and tasted to be fresh cut.




After we ate, we walked around a little bit then headed to the grocery store for the next nights dinner and beach snacks. We then took a walk around the campground before settling in for the night.