OCEAN ISLE PART 4: KAYAKING ON THE SOUND

It is officially fall and I am into it. After some rainy days, we've had some spectacular days of blue skies and perfectly crisp temperatures, and I love these kinds of days. I can't help but be excited about the shifting of wind and mood, even as I dread the cold.  The change in the world all around me is a marker of time, a reminder to look back and look forward, a reminder to just look. It seems appropriate to post the last of our Ocean Isle photos here as I greet fall; the weather changed from summer to fall that weekend, and the trip gently eased us into the next season.

We did a lot of fun things during out trip to Ocean Isle, so it seems pretty significant that Sloane said kayaking was at the top of her list. My heart soared watching her in the kayak, looking like a small adventurer. Last year, she hadn't wanted to get in a kayak when given the chance, but this year she couldn't wait to climb in. Most got a turn, and everyone - participants and audience alike - agreed it was wonderful. 

I miss this view! 

WHAT I'M READING V. 17 AND A READING RETREAT

This is An Audiobook by Demetri Martin

I believe this is the audio version of his book, 'This is a Book', and I really liked listening to this because Demetri Martin reads it and it felt akin to watching one of his standup shows. In that way, it is less like a book and more like a well-thought out standup routine. It is a collection of random thoughts and ideas, but he thinks about things in such an unusual way that getting involved in his world feels like a much needed exercise for my brain. He is not everyone's style, but he is an out-of-the-box thinker, and I appreciate that.

You'll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein

This is another book by a comedy writer, and she writes in an autobiographical form, telling stories about her childhood, young adult, and more recent life. I didn't agree with every revelation she unfolds about growing up, but she is a good writer and it was really enjoyable reading her stories.  Besides, I always am interested to learn about the inner workings and work life of a writer.

The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon

This is a science-fiction novel that describes a alternate or futuristic world where we are so taken with our devices, that we rely on them for everything, including our use of words.  It unfolds like a mystery, because the protagonist has discovered her father has gone missing and is trying to track him down. It reveals things about this new world a little bit at a time, and that unveiling of both the world and the mystery has me very interested. I can tell already that the moral of the story is going to be that we need to value our words more, and rely less on technology and electronics, and I am curious to see how this plays out in her story.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

I haven't started on this one yet, but it is downloaded on my phone and next on my list after I finish 'The Word Exchange'. I decided to read it after a friend at a reading retreat read a couple of passages aloud from this book. The language was so beautiful and gripping, it made me want to know more.

Last weekend, I attended and facilitated a reading retreat with my friend, Megan. The theme was 'Reading as Sabbath', and it was for people who wanted to take a breath and think and discuss the significance of reading in daily rhythm and as rest, and perhaps even as a part of our redemption. This evening, like the reading panel that we did a couple of months ago, was so good for my spirit - both as rest, and as thrilling inspiration. As soon as I walked into the room, I felt calm and peaceful, and I had the sensation of snuggling under cozy blankets. With a cup of hot tea in hand, we shared quotes, poetry, reading recommendations, and discussed how and why reading was important for our lives, and what it meant to rest in reading, and to be inspired by it. I took so many notes during these discussions, and now I have an entire page worth of other books I want to read. Which is a great thing.

OCEAN ISLE PART 3: MEALS AND AFTERNOONS

Here we go, part 3! This post is dedicated to the people we were on this getaway with.

We were all, wait is this going to work??!? As in, are we all actually going to be able to make time to do this? And live together in a house for four days? And cook all our meals? With 9 adults and 9 kids?

Well, we did it. With great success.

These things helped: 1) We got together before the trip to plan out all of the meals, who would be responsible for buying, and then also preparing and making the food. During this meeting, we also discussed our expectations for this trip to make sure we were on the same page, and also discussed things that we wanted to get out of this trip. We agreed that we were excited to hang out together but also agreed that alone time was also totally fine when needed. 2) All the parents implement either a nap time or a quiet time in the afternoons, and we made sure that this was part of the schedule each day. In the morning, we had breakfast together and then afterwards we spent the morning at the beach. After lunch, the little kids and babies went down for a nap, and the big kids went into a designated room for quiet time, where they could play with toys quietly while listening to an audiobook. They all did really well with us for about two hours each afternoon sometimes longer, which allowed the adults some adult time either together or individually. The later part of the afternoon was spent out on the sound, either gazing, walking, or kayaking. Then cocktails, dinner, and then some sort of quick group family song or worship time before we put the kids to sleep. And then more adult hang outs in the evenings. Usually with more cocktails.

All of it felt surreal even while we were there. "Dreamy!" we kept saying to each other. It meant we appreciated all the moments and each other.  These people sharpen me, love me, and love my kids. I needed this.

FIERCE DINOSAURS!

This picture just slays me. 

(photographer: Sloane)

All of us!