Sunday, March 17, 2013

You Can Go Back

We live in a fast paced world. I am astonished that I have not posted on here in forever. I blame the iPad. I love my iPad and it is perfect for everything except blogging and writing.

I'm just back from a wonderful week in Port Charlotte FL with my BFF and college roommate Carol. Carol and I lost touch for a number of years, but a few years ago we reconnected. It was like no time passed. Strangely, even though we were out of touch for a while, our interests grew in similar ways. Both of us love exploring, art, creating things. We can get on the phone and have a two hour conversation over Pinterest.

The time in Florida really was magical. We spent a day on a gorgeous, almost deserted beach. We shopped a little in boutiques, vowing to remember every high priced item we saw because we can replicate for 1/10th of the cost. We took the trip one day at a time....and spent some of those days with our 3rd roommate Brenda.

We found a world class bead store. If you are ever near Port Charlotte and you like to play with shiny objects - this is your place!

Anderson's Bead Room

Carol and I made one or two (maybe 5) visits. In the old days we enabled each other with Boone's Farm Apple Wine and Sloe Gin Fizzes. Now the enabling takes the shape of turquoise and crystals and glass lampwork beads. We'd have been better off financially to buy a bottle of Boones Farm and call it good! But we had such fun. We made bracelets, necklaces, bookmarks and I'm pretty sure both of us may have several more beads waiting in the wings to become something wonderful.




We painted watercolors on the lanai. Carol's talent amazes me as I try to make it look like I've got 3rd grade a few years behind me in the paintings I do.








We went to Happy Hour at The Tikki Bar where the drinks were $2.50 and the view of the sunset free. It's the perfect recipe for a great vacation. Bring your old chairs and gather around the firepits. Drink tropical drinks (no sloe gin to be found) along side  a person with whom you bonded  in 1969 in a cement block dormitory in the middle of Michigan. There was nothing you couldn't tell her then and there's nothing you can't tell her now. A lifetime of memories is shared and many more are yet to be created. But the one thing I know, with special people you can go back. You can go home again. 
You can just be and that is the very best vacation of all.