By the Shore

Sitting by the sea is such a nice relaxing thing to do. I've driven for hours to do so, got hot sandy salty water all over me, or cooled too quickly, got too hot, too sandy, too dried out from the wind.  But I love to do it, and will someday again.

Check the people from the Sepia Saturday site to see what they've come up with related to this photo!
But my collection of beach photos has already been posted here before, so I'll just show a few again.

First a Florida shot (I know I lived there for years, but these ladies most appreciated a van ride from Tampa to Clearwater Beach, where there was a great little pier that wheelchairs could tool along.  This was in 2003, before I retired, when I loved working with elders as an activity director for an assisted living residence.

These following shots are all of Galveston TX. Come see if the rest of the Sepians have anything more interesting to share HERE

Old map of Galveston

Strolling on the beach below the seawall

The seawall of Galveston.

West beach, Galveston TX June 2018. My cousin, a long distance truck driver, shared this to her facebook page, so I have to include it even though it's pretty fresh off the press (as they once would say.)

Little lovin' boxes...

Glaze has been painted on, 3 coats of Stroke N Coat

After the glaze firing, they are just simple little boxes or pods.  I like that they are bare clay inside.  The shiny red will look pretty for gift giving...thinking tissue inside cuddling some nice jewelry.  Much more personal than those little jewelry boxes that are provided!  Be creative!

And these may still be around for Christmas and Valentines Day, who knows!

Flower Bridge springtime memories

 A sweet little water fountain among freshly planted little plants

 We had to sign the visitors book, the first people on that day!

 I love doing day trips with Helen, because she always is finding things to point out to me!

 We stuck our noses into almost every kind of rose we found, and finally were rewarded with one of the pinks climbing the gateway arch.

Helen said she doesn't like this red flower in her garden...not sure why.

This was the biggest blossom I'd ever seen on a clemantis.

Again I marvel at the fagility of the beautiful flowers, and know some of them didn't make it through the last of May's storms and floods. That just makes these memories more precious for me.

Got flowers?

Did you miss this?

And here's a great mural celebrating a potter (not right here in Black Mountain, NC, but in Strasburg.)

Lake Lure before Memorial Day

 Sun and clouds played games over the mountains which overlook Lake Lure, the beach is in the foreground, not open yet on May 23 when we visited.

 Chimney Rock in shadow above the Inn and Spa,

And the sun hit it again!

As we ate lunch we had a light show of shadows cast on the mountains

And then a rain shower came right down the valley toward us! So we drove home, and missed most of the rain at that time.

After all the fun and anticipation of holiday festivities on May 28, Memorial Day, I look back from here in June now, and shake my head as to how the flash floods changed so much of the beautiful things we saw in this area of Western North Carolina.  It is sobering, that the mountains and rivers survive under us poor little ants (people) who move around enjoying the environment and avoiding flash floods, and boiling drinking water until pipes are repaired days after the flooding...well, I just think of how fragile my life is.  If our civilization is this fragile, the water pipes, the roads...just think of my own little life!  I spent the day being very grateful, and grabbing some of the joys of this life.

The other side of the gorge

The Rocky Broad River flows eastward from areas like Etoah and Brevard, through a narrows where nice swimming can be had, then past Chimney Rock and into Lake Lure.  The gorge it flows through has this high escarpment on both sides, and some folks know of the trails on the northern side.  I don't.  Since I no longer can hike, I'm only a little interested in where trails are.

The Rocky Broad River flows under the new highway bridge next to the old one, now Flower Bridge. 

Chimney Rock keeps an eye on a Pink sculptural pelican.

But I love vistas...even if mine now are from the ground up (or the roads that traverse the edges of mountains.)

Looking over the balustrade of the old bridge at the channel of the Rocky Broad River going into Lake Lure.  And then came tropical storm Alberto's rains at the end of May...

As you may have noticed, on May 29-31 there was flash flooding, or catastrophic flooding, depending on where you were, along the very same river...leaving a lot of mud, and closing off many roads.  Here's the entrance to the Chimney Rock State Park, which is closed of course.  But it should be cleared off soon, and the waters have receded and the sun has come back out again! (I need to go see how the gardens have fared!

The mountain overlooking the gorge opposite Chimney Rock (out of picture on left side)...with the Flower Bridge in foreground.

 this is a curly leaf willow, which was a nice friend giving shade.

I have no idea how much of the garden was damaged by the flood waters...but I can imagine that it doesn't look like any of these pictures now.  I hope it can be brought back to beauty soon.

What's black and white and --?-- all over?

 There's the infinity symbol (Lemniscate) again.

 It is in focus, but that white flowing over the black gives the illusion that there are tiny particles.

And it's as smooth as satin...which is the glaze name.

And for those who like to read advice, passed along by fellow blogger (HERE)

No source of this email giving some advice for people “between 65 and death.”

1. It’s time to use the money you saved up. Use it and enjoy it. Don’t just keep it for those who may have no notion of the sacrifices you made to get it. Remember there is nothing more dangerous than a son or daughter-in-law with big ideas for your hard-earned capital. Warning: This is also a bad time for investments, even if it seems wonderful or fool-proof. They only bring problems and worries. This is a time for you to enjoy some peace and quiet.


2. Stop worrying about the financial situation of your children and grandchildren, and don’t feel bad spending your money on yourself. You’ve taken care of them for many years, and you’ve taught them what you could. You gave them an education, food, shelter and support. The responsibility is now theirs to earn their own money.


3. Keep a healthy life, without great physical effort. Do moderate exercise (like walking every day), eat well and get your sleep. It’s easy to become sick, and it gets harder to remain healthy. That is why you need to keep yourself in good shape and be aware of your medical and physical needs Keep in touch with your doctor, do tests even when you’re feeling well. Stay informed.


4. Always buy the best, most beautiful items for your significant other. The key goal is to enjoy your money with your partner. One day one of you will miss the other, and the money will not provide any comfort then, enjoy it together. (For us this should read buy the best for yourself.)


5. Don’t stress over the little things. You’ve already overcome so much in your life. You have good memories and bad ones, but the important thing is the present. Don’t let the past drag you down and don’t let the future frighten you. Feel good in the now. Small issues will soon be forgotten.


6. Regardless of age, always keep love alive. Love your partner, love life, love your family, love your neighbor and remember: “A man is not old as long as he has intelligence and affection.”


7. Be proud, both inside and out. Don’t stop going to your hair salon or barber, do your nails, go to the dermatologist and the dentist, keep your perfumes and creams well stocked. When you are well-maintained on the outside, it seeps in, making you feel proud and strong.


8. Don’t lose sight of fashion trends for your age, but keep your own sense of style. There’s nothing worse than an older person trying to wear the current fashion among youngsters. You’ve developed your own sense of what looks good on you – keep it and be proud of it. It’s part of who you are.


9. ALWAYS stay up-to-date. Read newspapers, watch the news. Go online and read what people are saying. Make sure you have an active email account and try to use some of those social networks. You’ll be surprised what old friends you’ll meet. Keeping in touch with what is going on and with the people you know is important at any age.


10. Respect the younger generation and their opinions. They may not have the same ideals as you, but they are the future, and will take the world in their direction. Give advice, not criticism, and try to remind them that yesterday’s wisdom still applies today.


11. Never use the phrase: “In my time.” Your time is now. As long as you’re alive, you are part of this time. You may have been younger, but you are still you now, having fun and enjoying life.


12. Some people embrace their golden years, while others become bitter and surly. Life is too short to waste your days on the latter. Spend your time with positive, cheerful people, it’ll rub off on you and your days will seem that much better. Spending your time with bitter people will make you older and harder to be around.


13. Do not surrender to the temptation of living with your children or grandchildren (if you have a financial choice, that is). Sure, being surrounded by family sounds great, but we all need our privacy. They need theirs and you need yours. If you’ve lost your partner (our deepest condolences), then find a person to move in with you and help out. Even then, do so only if you feel you really need the help or do not want to live alone.


14. Don’t abandon your hobbies. If you don’t have any, make new ones. You can travel, hike, cook, read, dance. You can adopt a cat or a dog, grow a garden, play cards, checkers, chess, dominoes, golf. You can paint, volunteer or just collect certain items. Find something you like and spend some real time having fun with it.


15. Even if you don’t feel like it, try to accept invitations. Baptisms, graduations, birthdays, weddings, conferences. Try to go. Get out of the house, meet people you haven’t seen in a while, experience something new (or something old). But don’t get upset when you’re not invited. Some events are limited by resources, and not everyone can be hosted The important thing is to leave the house from time to time. Go to museums, go walk through a field. Get out there.


16. Be a conversationalist. Talk less and listen more. Some people go on and on about the past, not caring if their listeners are really interested. That’s a great way of reducing their desire to speak with you. Listen first and answer questions, but don’t go off into long stories unless asked to. Speak in courteous tones and try not to complain or criticize too much unless you really need to. Try to accept situations as they are. Everyone is going through the same things, and people have a low tolerance for hearing complaints. Always find some good things to say as well.


17. Pain and discomfort go hand in hand with getting older. Try not to dwell on them but accept them as a part of the cycle of life we’re all going through. Try to minimize them in your mind. They are not who you are, they are something that life added to you. If they become your entire focus, you lose sight of the person you used to be.


18. If you’ve been offended by someone – forgive them. If you’ve offended someone - apologize. Don’t drag around resentment with you. It only serves to make you sad and bitter. It doesn’t matter who was right. Someone once said: “Holding a grudge is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die.” Don’t take that poison. Forgive, forget and move on with your life.


19. If you have a strong belief, savor it. But don’t waste your time trying to convince others. They will make their own choices no matter what you tell them, and it will only bring you frustration. Live your faith and set an example. Live true to your beliefs and let that memory sway them.


20. Laugh. Laugh A LOT. Laugh at everything. Remember, you are one of the lucky ones. You managed to have a life, a long one. Many never get to this age, never get to experience a full life. But you did. So what’s not to laugh about? Find the humor in your situation.


21. Take no notice of what others say about you and even less notice of what they might be thinking. They’ll do it anyway, and you should have pride in yourself and what you’ve achieved. Let them talk and don’t worry. They have no idea about your history, your memories and the life you’ve lived so far. There’s still much to be written, so get busy writing and don’t waste time thinking about what others might think. Now is the time to be at rest, at peace and as happy as you can be!


22. REMEMBER: Life is too short to drink bad wine or warm beer.

Happy June first

Happy first of June! Rabbit rabbit, for those who want someone to wish them good luck.

As of the last weekend, our community pool was opened for weekends...until school is out.  Then it will have hours daily (I think middle of the month).  School always lets out later in the year when there have been many snow days when school was canceled.  There was something about making the school days have an extra so many minutes, so each class could have an extra 5 minutes or something, and that would eventually equal another day.  Sure, that would.  Like when kids sit watching movies on a Saturday to make up for lost education. It's lost.  Literally, they lost something that they might have needed to learn.

Enough of my ranting about the sorry state of our state in educating the future citizens.

Here's a new pot.  Lemniscate design again...a.k.a. an infinity symbol.
I like using the plum glaze when it flows over the white satin glaze.

And I'll leave you with some joy from my visit to the Flower Bridge in Lake Lure, NC, about 25 miles from Black Mountain.

 Pink cup flowers (washed out color by bright sun I'm afraid.)

As I kept walking along I'd lift my head to see the point of rock center of this photo, Chimney Rock with the walkway of a straight horizontal line just to the left of it.  At times I could see the flag waving on top of that free-standing rock...and some tiny tourists.  Wish I'd brought a zoom camera.