Vacations – Joanne Jamis Cain

February 3, 2019February 3, 2019

Warmth

February 2nd was Groundhog Day and yes, Phil said we will have an early spring. I never quite get the shadow, no shadow thing. But yes, supposedly spring is not far away. That is good news.

This past week, many of us endured super cold temperatures. Here in Western Pennsylvania, it reached negative 6 which is quite a big deal. I worried about Jordan (my lab/retriever) every time she went outside, but she seemed to really love the snow. Usually she rolls around in it (brrr…) and even lays down. She’s one tough doggie.

Despite the cold weather, we had numerous days with sunshine. I can take the chilly temps if at least the sun is shining. I do my best to keep my mood up this time of year and sunshine really helps.

In May of this year, my mom will turn 90. To celebrate, my sisters, mom and I will be heading to Siesta Key, Florida for two weeks. We’ve gone for the last three years and always stayed for one week. I haven’t had a two week vacation since I went to Greece about twelve years ago.

When I was growing up, we usually went to Ocean City, Maryland for a week in the summer. My aunts and uncles would be there and usually we’d all stay in a big, three story ocean front townhouse. We were not rich but this was the one splurge my parents indulged in.

My dad loved crabs and beer; so did my uncles. They’d often pick up a couple dozen crabs from Phillips, already steamed and loaded with Old Bay seasoning. Parked on a picnic table on the first deck, they drink their beers and eat crab meat. It didn’t take long for me to learn to clean a crab. To this day, I can’t get enough of crab meat.

Back then, we used sunscreen barely and I remember there wasn’t much other than Coppertone. I remember getting pretty burnt a couple of times but we didn’t worry about that stuff back then. I could take a fair amount of heat in those days. These days, I’m a straw hat and beach umbrella kind of girl.

I seek out the sun and warmth whenever I can, wherever I can. If it’s too bright or hot, I will shield myself from it but I will never be that far away from it. Because it is the sun, and its warmth, that fill me with joy and optimism.

John 8:12
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

April 15, 2018

Another Day in Paradise

Just in case you think the person in the picture above is me, well, it’s not. I wish it was but (sigh), it is not.

I went to Florida for a week this year but it was chilly. I already had a cold and I’m probably the one who subsequently gave a cold to my sister and my mother. Mom spent three weeks recovering (she still is) and it was a bit scary. She rallied for Easter and (whew!) I breathed a sign of relief.

I remember having a friend who, whenever I complained about how things were going, he’d say, “You’re living in paradise, you just don’t know it.” I’ve thought of this many times and wow, it can really change my perspective.

Sometimes when things are getting me down, I go back to the basics. I have a warm house, food in the refrigerator, a family that loves me, and we have the ability to pay our bills. Even though these things seem like life in general, there are many around the world who do not have these simple luxuries.

About eleven years ago, Jim and I went to the Riviera Maya, Mexico with seven other friends. It was Jim’s 50th birthday and he signed up for many excursions. So did his friends. I did not because frankly, I was scared to leave the safety of the compound we were on. Never mind that these were sanctioned excursions; I was still scared.

A few years later we went on a Princess Cruise to the Caribbean. Determined not to be such a wallflower, I signed up for the Rays and Reef excursion with everyone else in our party. Little did I realize that we’d be out on a boat, in the middle of the gorgeous blue water in Grand Cayman Islands. The Australian guy-in-charge gave us the low down, mate. We’d get into waist high water and these (supposedly) gentle sting rays would swim around our ankles. Afterwards, there would be snorkeling in the coral waters.

Everyone got out of the boat except me. Now if you think I’m a brave person think again. My mother has drilled safety first into me since I was born (she still tells me to look both ways when I cross the street). All I could see was me being the first person to get whipped by a stingray and die on this excursion.

Finally, after everyone was in the water for a good few minutes, I decided that wimp city was over. I went off the boat and into the water. I remember being scared for about a minute then the fear was gone. The beauty of the surroundings, coupled with the love of my friends, relaxed me. I let those rays swim all around my ankles.

The bonus of this was the snorkeling. If you’ve never snorkeled, it needs to be on your bucket list. Wow, the fish were so colorful and gorgeous. I hope I get to do it again in my lifetime.

Even when things seem not exactly perfect, we can rally and realize the paradise we are really in. Remember your blessings and count them.

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
― Epicurus

I did it! Jo and Jim in the Grand Cayman Islands.

March 19, 2017

Serenity at the Beach

“In every out thrust headland, in every curving beach, in every grain of sand there is the story of the earth.”
― Rachel Carson

I look forward to it every year. Some way, some how I get to the beach. It’s not a matter of maybe, it is a matter of when and how.

Thankfully my mom, sisters, and I have made this happen for the past three years. We have been vacationing together for one week on beautiful Siesta Key beach. My mother’s brother Steve and his wife, my Aunt KC, made this happen. They were the ones that encouraged and suggested it. (thank you!)

Mom is coming up on her 88th birthday but she is always game. She loves to see everyone from her hometown and hang out with her three daughters. This year Jim’s Aunt Joy and her daughter Donna came down for an afternoon. Both my cousins, Nick and Steve came down too which made it extra special. I missed Kristen but I did get to see Olivia. It was Taylor’s (my cousin Steve’s daughter) 18th birthday and well, that only happens in once a lifetime.

The family gets in on Taylor’s Birthday!

What can I tell you about this amazing vacation? There were so many wonderful moments- seafood at the oyster bar, the Greek restaurant in St. Pete’s, breakfast on the lanai with the view of the ocean, sunsets to make your heart stop. Siesta Key is truly paradise. White sand, weather in the high 70’s, palm trees outside your window…even weddings on the beach.

If you think you don’t have time for a vacation think again. You must make it happen. You have to book the week, save your dollars and pennies, and GO. (I hope we can go for two weeks next time!) If you wait, wait, wait, you will never go. Then when you are old you will say, “the heck, why didn’t we take more vacations?”

It seems as soon as I get one hour outside of home my brain begins to relax. I forget about meal planning, responsibilities, bills, you name it. I stick my toe in the sand and sit in my beach chair. There are mini sandwiches in the cooler, cold water bottles, chips, and fruit. I stuck my arm out with a small piece of sandwich in my hand and a seagull took it. No kidding!

We had a challenging stove and between Mary and me we burnt pancakes, hamburgers, and fried eggplant. Oh well! So what! It’s vacation! Many things turned out delicious. Scrambled eggs with basil and tomato. Honestly, I don’t remember much else but everything we ate was wonderful.

I’m going to share some pictures (if you haven’t seen them on Facebook already) so you can motivate yourself to book a vacation. Till next time!

Sun kissed and happy at Siesta Key Oyster Bar.

My Sisters Eating Oysters! Notice the money all over the walls!

October 25, 2016October 26, 2016

Life’s a (Nantucket) Beach

nantucket-cover-photo — Nantucket- Land of Idyllic Beaches

I have been going to the beach ever since I was about ten years old. My family’s favorite spot for years was Ocean City, Maryland. Life is truly wonderful at the beach, isn’t it? Many a fond memory began for me in Ocean City.

Happy to explore North Carolina beaches, Siesta Key Florida, Panama City Beach, Myrtle Beach and many others over the years, I never thought of going to a beach town in the off season. Recently Jim and I spent a whole week in Nantucket, an island about 20 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Of course I’d heard of it! Who hasn’t? I’ve listened to stories about Nantucket and hoped that someday I would visit. A few months ago Jim said he had the third week in October off. Our close friends were willing to join us and had connections there. It seemed like the perfect opportunity.

We flew into Boston, drove to Hyannis and had lunch at the Black Cat Tavern. We walked up the plank onto the Hyline and enjoyed a one hour cruise to Nantucket. The only way to get there is a boat. 🙂 It’s an island, after all.

I could go on and on about what we did, things we saw, but I will reserve that for a few links at the end of this post. What I really want to tell you about is what it was like to be at the beach in an off season and truly relax.

First, it’s much quieter (of course). The weather is cooler which when you get to be my age is ok. The cost of a three bedroom house was about 1/3 of the price it would have been in peak season. There are no lines at the restaurants. The weather was in the 60’s and 70’s and absolutely beautiful. The tourist destinations are much less crowded.

port-view-nantucket — Picture perfect Nantucket

Now the relaxing part. I love that we made no plans. Literally the week unfolded one day at a time. We’d get up in the morning, drink a big pot of coffee, watch CNN for the latest news, talk about what we were doing, get dressed and head out for the day. Breakfast was big or small, depending on how we felt and if we were going to have lunch or dinner somewhere. And many times, we decided at any given moment where we were going.

Since I’m an event planner, it was a big deal to not plan anything. I always say I do details for a living so I don’t want to do them on vacation. I tried to keep from piping up about what we were doing and when, and I think I did a good job of keeping quiet. Relishing the spontaneity became a simple pleasure.

We ate lunch out some days and dinner only a couple of times. We cooked at the house on the grill and made amazing meals. We drove on the beach in a red Jeep and obeyed the signs that warn- “You will get stuck! You must take your tires down to 15 lbs!” (haha!) I saw sea lions for the first time ever. I think my mouth dropped open when I first realized the nose in the water was a seal and not a dog.

Here’s some of my favorite shots of the week. My friend Lynda’s photos are designated by “LZ”. There’s also a beautiful seal video at the end- thank you Lynda!

LZ - My favorite Lighthouse — LZ – My favorite Lighthouse

the-four-of-us — Thankful for good friends.

yellow-windowbox — Window boxes like out of a magazine!

the-wauwinet-woodie — The Wauwinet’s Woodie

LZ- The Wauwinet Hotel. Gorgeous. We ate lunch on the patio.

LZ- Yours Truly, barefoot on the last day — LZ- Yours Truly, barefoot and talking to the sea lions

It isn’t until I get away for a solid week that I realize how much I needed a vacation. Nantucket was the perfect thing. And when you go away with friends you’ve known for thirty plus years, it makes it even better.

Nantucket, hope to see you again soon.

Where we ate:

The Black Cat Tavern

Fifty Six Union

BYB- Back Yard Barbeque

Toppers at the Wauwinet

The Fog Island Cafe

Places to Visit:

The Lighthouses of Nantucket

The Whaling Museum

Petticoat Row Bakery

Bartlett’s Farm