Maybe it was the 14 and a half Diet Cokes......

Or maybe it was the 14 and a half hours in the car.....

Looking at this..

Heck, I don't know for sure....

it is all a blurrrrrrrr at this point.

But I know one thing,

I was terribly road weary....

I had driven, ridden, ate, drank, daydreamed,

pottyed, laughed, yawned, mapped,

and consumed interesting views....

We had been in the car....forever.

I had begun to get really scared,

as I had been the one who insisted that we not stay in an

ordinary place. I had insisted that we should cruise down the

Delmarva peninsula, because I had not seen it in over

20 years.

What if this place was a pit (as in arm).

What if the "Psycho-dude" met us at the door of the

quaint little inn?

What if there were bugs in the cottage we had paid

extra for......

What if we were in fact lost...

14 and a half hours of driving will do that to a person.

A storm was threatening as we drove down the 5 mile long approach

road, I was envisioning unpacking the car in a lightening riddled downpour.

The middle-aged woman who met us in the entry hall was distracted, and busy...

waiting for another couple (crazy enough to pick the same place, maybe?)

Finally, she led us around the corner to the cottage.

The rain was holding off...

We hurried to get our bags in.....

took off our shoes....

and went out onto the screened in porch.......

and this is what we saw.....

It was golden...

surreal....

other worldly...

thick as honey...

humid as a steam shower....

and

it appeared to suspend reality...

we watched from the porch for a few minutes,

and then walked to the end of the freshly made dock...

I captured as much as my tired soul could handle...

I will post more,

but it was life changing for us both...

we had trusted at one point that it would be worth

the effort.

It was..

As thru a glass dimly...

apparently,....

we know only in part....

That's what I've read.

I believe it.

I see the world like this photo...

my vision is obscured by obstacles.

Like....my ego, pride, selfishness, fear....

I believe

that when we die

we are given the gift of clear vision.

We see the truth...

about our lives, the people we

have spent time with on this earth,

our actions, their consequences....

and

all of this either

allows us peace....

or torment.

Heaven or Hell.

I hope that my actions

on this earth

allow me peace....

Your childhood friend.....

That's Cheri and me at Myrtle Beach SC...

circa, 1974.

We have been best friend since we were pre schoolers..

we went to elementary, middle, and high school together...

12 years.

We played kick ball, played in the creek, swam at the local pool,

roamed the neighborhood, played tricks on our younger

siblings, watched soap operas, read her older sister's trashy

magazines, smoked our first cigarette, drank our first beer,

tried our first joint, skipped school, drove too fast,

kissed the boys, sometimes made them cry....

fought with each other, made up....

went our separate ways,

got married,

got back together,

had babies,

got busy,

had mid-life crisis's,

divorced,

remarried (me, twice)

came out (her),

cried,

laughed,

dreamed,

learned,

and now,

she has gone her own way,

again.

We talk,

I feel sick,

we laugh,

it doesn't help....

I am sometimes

sad.....

As I was reading, enjoying my cup o' joe....

I read this.......

Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe:

This is an exact copy as written

and found in an old scrapbook - with spelling errors and all.

WASHING CLOTHES

Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water.

Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert.

Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin water.

Sort things, make 3 piles

1 pile white,

1 pile colored,

1 pile work britches and rags.

To make starch,

stir flour in cool water to smooth,

then thin down with boiling water.

Take white things,

rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil,

then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch.

Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle,

then wrench, and starch.

Hang old rags on fence.

Spread tea towels on grass.

Pore wrench water in flower bed..

Scrub porch with hot soapy water.

Turn tubs upside down.

Go put on clean dress,

smooth hair with hair combs.

Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell

and count your blessings.

Hang this over your washer and dryer

when you think things are bleak,

read it again, kiss that washing machine and dryer,

and give thanks.

First thing each morning

you should run and hug your washer and dryer,

also your toilet---

those two-holers used to get mighty cold!

(wrench means rinse. ;)

Well, my cup o' joe looked pretty darn good,

and I was relaxed,

and my laundry was doing itself, practically.....

at home, while I thanked all those "R&D" people at

GE, Whirlpool, Maytag.....

my life is blessed...

Smiles.

Necessary actions....

Today, tired and worn out from the long ride home...

I sit here knee deep in Photoshop....

I couldn't resist taking an image of everything I saw on

Cape Cod....

So, as a result, I will be sitting in this chair till the leaves turn...

or longer..

Just like doing the dishes..

it is a necessary thing.

My butt is sore from 2000+ miles of driving....

and while my desk chair is comfy...

I expect that my big ol' butt will be flattened to

a strange "wedge" very soon.

But

at the same time

I am loving the images....

Smiles.