Seasick?

                                                                                                  What?!! Another beach post?! I know, I'm ridiculously loving it. But, before you go getting all gaggy seasick on me just know, I'm just doing my daughterly duties. If there's one thing I've learned from these road trips it's that driving is a lot more fun when you've got some good tunes to sing to. I like to call it CAR eoke. I add my own CAR eography as well. Also, AAA is a good investment. Fortunately I haven't had to use it--it's just the knowing it's there. Besides groovy music, we listened to an exciting fantasy adventure, Leven Thumps on audio CD. The kids did amazingly well (and there's another trick--lots of bubblegum!)

Anyway, we had a good time. My mom is still happy as ever. She had a few bad days while we were there followed by a few good ones and that's the way it goes with her. She certainly lives it up on the good days. If we weren't beaching it we were shopping or dining or sampling exotic gelato flavors or whale watching or dog watching; huge ones, tiny ones, even a couple of three-legged ones. I looked across the beach at one point and thought that if all the dogs suddenly turned into children we'd be on the Lido deck of a Disney cruiseship.

We did all the fun usual things and had some new adventures as well--or misadventures I should say-- mainly in the form of sleepus interruptus. My mom lives in housing unit converted into apartments.  Her neighbors love her and she loves them. She's the resident "grandma," and while you wouldn't guess it by the looks of them, they and my mom actually have a lot in common.

• They love to party. 
• A steady stream of visitors come and go
• They're up at all hours of the night
• They like to make music (guitar for them, keyboard for my mom--they ought to all get together on that one.)
• They have their substances of choice (my mom's is chocolate.)
•  Also, I think they all don't have jobs.

All this combines to be the perfect symbiotic relationship. It's only when someone with a regular working/sleeping schedule comes that their ecosystem is disrupted. That would be me.  I was startled awake at 2 a.m. by ridiculously loud rock music and its accompanying karaoke. At 3 a.m. it was BB gun target practice and shattering glass. When I groaned about it to my mom --who had just finished a refreshing little beach stroll--she went down to reason with the neighbors and the noise blessedly stopped. While I was up I looked out the window to see some cops making an arrest on PCH. If I wanted to be real bon homme I would do like my brothers and give them all my best with a case of beer. I guess I'm not because I didn't, but I did eventually leave so they could go back to they're partying ways.


We got to spend a couple days with my niece who came up for a visit. She is a lot of fun and force of creativity. I can't wait to tune in to the TV one day and find her hosting her own show of wardrobe makeovers and saavy decorating tips. That is her pictured above with my mom.

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My mom signed up to have the missionaries come over for dinner. Seriously mom? You're dying of cancer and you're having the missionaries over for dinner?!  I would have cooked if I had known in time but she dragged herself into the kitchen just prior and threw some things together--one of her "prize winning recipes." This one however wouldn't have won any prizes.  The missionaries ate it which showed better decorum than my kids and I.  It did end well. In typical nana fashion we had a fabulous bakery dessert.  Mom has her freezer stocked full for entertaining purposes. She will be on her deathbed and offering eclairs with a glass of punch.

Well, heaven forgive my complaining because little did I know what a great blessing it would be to have the missionaries come. One young man was from Wyoming, the other from New Zealand. They had an enthusiasm and an aura about them that was so energizing and uplifting. I wished their parents could peek in and see their sons' wisdom and maturity. 19-year olds mature? Absolutely! And radiating goodness.  What a heart swelling moment that would be. We had a wonderful visit. They shared a message from the Bible and gave my mom a blessing 'that her afflictions would be but a small moment." I was so impressed with their good spirits and it felt so good to be around them, I  had the thought after they left that if I weren't already a member of their church, I would want to be--or at least learn more.

The kids handled the long ride home fairly well. They were pretty well wore out by the end of the week, as was I. We had to get back to watch my nieces 2 kids for the weekend and well, I have motherly duties too--like helping the kids make 3 valentine boxes and a combined total of 80 valentines.   When asked if he wanted to go back to the beach and visit Nana again Cannon quickly replied,  "No, I'm too tired at doing that." And besides, "it takes for a long time!"

It is great to be a whole family again and enjoy a full night's rest. Still,  I'd love to get BD to want to move to sunny CA and well, he's thinking an eternal summer is sounding pretty good about now--especially after a weekend of bailing out the basement windows from melting snow.