Ocean Rejuvenation

Sometimes, we all need to go someplace that is rejuvenating - mind, body, and soul. For me, this place is the BEACH!! Today was one of those days. With a lot on my mind, I jumped in my car for the 4+ hour drive to Assateague Island in VA. It's actually a pleasant drive (for the most part). The road passes through a few of the more 'shady areas' of Maryland, but most of the road is through farmland. I love seeing all the crops in their straight rows and the pretty homes & barns.

This isn't the most popular beach in the area, but I searched it out specifically since it also is home to the one lighthouse in Virginia that I hadn't seen yet. As you can tell, it's currently under renovation. Hopefully I'll be able to go see it again someday once it's been completely restored.

That's right, I drove many hours today to go look at an old lighthouse in serious need of a new paint job and sit on the beach for about an hour & a half. :-) But . . . at least in my warped mind . . . it was COMPLETELY WORTH IT!!!!

Not only does this island have a lighthouse and a beautiful beach, but it also has dolphins playing in the waves. I enjoy seeing dolphins close up like in an aquarium, but there's something special about seeing them enjoying their natural habitat. Unfortunately, I'm not very good at timing pictures of the dolphins, so I don't have a picture to share.

The final great thing about this island is the Chincoteague Wild Horses. They were more in the marsh area than on the actual beach, so I couldn't get very close. If you look closely, you can see the herd of horses in the middle of the picture. All along the path, there were signs warning us not to "touch or chase after" the wild horses because they are not "tamed". Well, DUH!! Isn't that the meaning of the term "wild"?!? Obviously someone has chased after the wild animal, gotten hurt, and then tried to sue the park. In my opinion, those warnings are as much of a waste as the one on the hair dryer tag warning you to not blow dry your hair while still showering. Are these warnings seriously needed? Now, I'm not a believer in evolution, but this could be considered 'survival of the fittest'! :-)

I digress . . .

After seeing my lighthouse, looking (from a distance) at the wild horses, and sitting on the beach a while, I decided to head back home. Once I got closer to the mainland, I saw an advertisement for homemade ice cream. Well, I had to stop and try it!! :) It was delicious!!!! They make their waffle cones fresh as people come in. Mine was so fresh it was still a little warm when she handed it to me with the ice cream. Moral of the story . . . if you like ice cream and you're on Chincoteague Island in Virginia, you should definitely try this ice cream parlor!!

It was a great day! I hope you have a wonderful weekend. :-)

10 Things . . . Sunday

Several of the blogs I read do a 'Ten Things Tuesday' post about 10 things they are grateful for. It's a wonderful way to cultivate the attitude of gratitude. I was sent a great Martha Washington quote yesterday:

I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be;
for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness
or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.

It's very similar to Paul's statement in Philippians 4:12-13:

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I
have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether
well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.. I can do
everything through him who gives me strength.

It's truly about perspective, which brings me to my theme verses (at least over the past couple of years):

Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot
secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I
have a delightful inheritance. . . I have set the Lord always before
me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
-Psalm 16: 5,6,8

So, needing a bit of an attitude adjustment last night, I literally fell asleep 'counting my blessings' (or making my 10 things list). I know it's not Tuesday, but here it is (in no particular order) anyway. :-)

1. My God who loves me in spite of my unfaithfulness & grumbling
2. God fearing parents
3. Periods of time when my sister breaks through her sickness and it's like 'old times'
4. COFFEE!!
5. A job that I love and actually makes me look forward to going to work . . . most days :)
6. Incredible friends
7. Precious 'niece' (soon to be nieces!!) and 'nephews' who can make my day with just a smile
8. My 'Sam' is talking and singing now . . . and almost 4 Years Old!! What a miracle!!!
9. Did I mention COFFEE?!? :)
10. The NICU nurses of Medical City for daring me to try travel nursing

It's always amazed me how my attitude changes when I stop looking at what I don't have (& really want!) and focus on EVERYTHING that God has given to me! I have NO reason to whine!!

More Exploring :-)

I visited some new places today . . . some on purpose and some not so much. Yep, that means I got a little lost in my journeys, but I did eventually get where I wanted without venturing too far into Southeast. (yea, me!!) I went to the National Arboretum this morning. It had more greenery and fewer actual flowers than I was expecting, but it was still a pleasant 'nature hike'. (Honestly, how wrong can you go when it's sun-shiny with a high in the low 80's?!?) I did manage to find some blooms here & there, so I got some pictures. (I know, Janna, more pictures of flowers) :)

In one area, they have the columns from the original Capitol back before the 1st expansion. They're lined up like a Roman sculpture. There's also a little reflection pool near them. Lots of people were getting their pictures made with the columns. Close to the visitor's center, you can visit the 'Bonsai area' . . . which basically consists of several outdoor rooms with all kinds of trees that have been trained to grow into bonsai shapes. Some of these (like the one in the center of the back row in this picture) have been trained since the 1800's according to the sign. That's a TINY tree for being over 100 years old!

After winding my way through DC traffic and getting back on a familiar highway, I went to Arlington to visit the Iwo Jima/USMC War Memorial. I visited it back during my 1st contract, but I've lost those pictures somehow. And, as any scrapbooker will tell you, I HAVE TO HAVE pictures of EVERY PLACE I visit. Otherwise, what will I fill my pages with?!? All this to say, I got some more pictures of it today that I will hopefully not lose. :-)

Not far from this memorial is a HUGE clock tower that the Netherlands gave to the US a long time ago. When I first moved into my apartment in Arlington that 1st contract, I remember hearing this clock tower chime away the hours . . . along with the all the buglers from Ft. Myer. Good times!

Maybe not the prettiest thing in DC to look at, but it's chimes are pretty to listen to.

I'm guessing the person who rings the bells?

Something to aspire to!! :)

The more 'traditional' DC sites with the clock tower flowers in the forefront.

The Video . . . hopefully :)

I hope this works! Sorry for the noise; I'm not sure how to mute the sound on my camera while videoing. So, it's probably better to watch with the sound off!! :) Enjoy the pretty fish, and have a wonderful weekend!!

National Aquarium

Believe it or not, today was the FIRST time I've been to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. I love aquariums, but I don't love the drive to Baltimore (TRAFFIC)!! After sleeping LOTS of hours yesterday and last night, I woke up refreshed and ready for a challenge/adventure. So, I got out and braved the Beltway so I could see all the fun fish. As far as aquariums go, it's good . . . no where near the caliber of the Georgia Aquarium, but it was very enjoyable.

One of the first tanks you come to upon entering is full of stingrays - from small to ginormous!, a few sharks, and a big sea turtle (one of my favorites!). Some of the stingrays' wingspan were 5-6 feet wide! (At least that's my guess at their size. I didn't actually ask one of the workers.)

Moving on, they had displays for the different types of water in this part of the country (ie rivers/streams, lakes, oceans, etc.) Of course, I went straight to the ocean display. :-)

Beyond this "small" tank, I went to walk a path around the "big" tank. It had some other pretty fish and some more stingrays. I tried to upload a little video clip of the fish in the big tank, but I seem to be having some technical difficulties. Maybe another time. :)

After grabbing a quick lunch, I went to the dolphin show. It was great! One of the dolphins just gave birth to a calf about 3 weeks ago. It was precious to see them swimming together. :-) Obviously, neither of them were in the show, but the two performing dolphins did a wonderful job . . . jumping, flipping, playing catch, etc. It was worth the price of getting in to the aquarium just for the dolphin show (in my opinion).

Jumping through a hoop

Jumping up to touch the red ball

Jumping over one of the trainers

Missing Child . . . Camille

One of my friends from Galveston has this message posted about a friend's little girl, Camille. It seems as though the girl's mother kidnapped her and took her to South America after a court gave her husband custody of Camille. She asked us to pass it along. Please pray for this family! Thanks.

Two Thumbs Up!

On the Siskel & Ebert rating scale, my weekend has been a "2 thumbs up" already. :) Saturday afternoon, after napping for a couple of hours when I got home from work, I went to my friends' house to have "girl time with my niece and her momma". I had promised her almost a month ago that we would spend some more time together before I left Virginia, and we finally got to play yesterday.

They were already coloring by the time I got there, so I caught up by coloring in her Finding Nemo coloring book. It was great! She gave me a card she'd made me and then showed me some of her most recent artwork while we colored. I'd forgotten how much I've always enjoyed coloring. It's usually the simple things in life that bring so much joy!!

After we all finished our pictures, her mom (my 1st college roommate & a wonderful friend) and I went to see Mamma Mia. WOW!! Now, if you don't like ABBA music or (to loosely quote Harrison Ford's secretary in Sabrina) "people dancing about and spontaneously bursting into song", you probably shouldn't go see this one. :-) But, if you like any (or all) of these things, this movie is a MUST SEE!!!! I've enjoyed the use of mainstream, big name actors/actresses in musical movies in recent years. It's nice to see that some of them can sing & dance, as well as act. The talent in this movie was great! (Well, to be completely honest, I think maybe Pierce Brosnan should stick to looking pretty and acting . . . not the greatest singing voice.) The mom, Meryl Streep, and the daughter, Amanda Seyfried, were phenomenal! And, to top it off, it was set in Greece - a country I REALLY want to visit one day. The water looks SO amazing there! (In case you didn't know, I'm a huge fan of beaches!!!!) After the movie, we picked up her husband and two kiddos and went for some yummy Mexican food.

If you look closely, you can see the Olympic Rings down the middle of the road. (Atlanta, GA)

And finally, to top it off, the Olympics have started!! :-) I look forward to them every time they come around. I'm part of the group that was happy they now occur every two years - even though it's breaking tradition . . . an Aggie 'no-no!' I LOVE hearing our National Anthem played as our athletes win the gold medal. I LOVE the intensity and dedication they have for their sport. I LOVE the background stories they do on the Olympians . . . how they're "normal people doing extraordinary things". I LOVE the opening ceremonies (even though I had to work during them this time and couldn't watch). I'm the person sitting on my couch (or jumping up & down in my living room if need be) :) cheering, clapping, and crying with the athletes and their families. It's just so exciting! For example, I just watched Michael Phelps set another world record & win his 1st gold medal of the 2008 games. How cool is that?!? My favorite sports (because, yes, I have to have favorites) are swimming, diving, and GYMNASTICS! They're just so much fun to watch.

You may not pay attention to such things, but if you noticed the time of this post, you may be wondering about the crazy girl writing a blog at 5AM on a Sunday morning. :-) Well, I'm on a "half days/half nights" schedule right now. I wake up at odd hours and can't keep my eyes open at other times. Just part of the perks of working night shift and playing during the day time. But, on the bright side, I'm getting to watch some of my favorite parts of the Olympics. (just have to look for the silver lining)

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

Humpday Activities

Yesterday was "chore day", and today has been "play day"!!

I met a friend of mine for lunch at Baja Fresh today. It was very yummy . . . no Freebirds (my fellow Ags know what I mean!), but it is a good substitute for when the real thing is a 2 day drive away! :)

After lunch, my friend had to go to a meeting, so I went to a museum near the airport that I've been wanting to visit for a while. It's the National Air & Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. (try saying that one 3 times in a row!) It's a big name for a huge warehouse that has a bunch of planes in it. I was impressed with the way they had planes of all sizes hanging from the ceiling at different angles. They even have one of the Concord jets. It's free to get in, but you have to pay for parking. If you're a fan of planes, it's definitely worth the parking price and the short drive out to Dulles Airport (where it's located). As I walked around, I kept thinking of my grandaddy who used to be an airplane mechanic. I'd like to walk through that museum with him one day!

I hope you enjoy your 'mini-tour' through this one!

On a side note: the website that makes these slideshows has changed their rules. Now they're planning to charge for some of the features that used to be free. All this to say, I'm not sure if I'll be doing many more slideshows. Any of my fellow bloggers know of a different website that still offers the free features?