Showing posts with label Shoopa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shoopa. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Shoopa 2010
If a picture is worth a thousand words I should be able to get by without any commentary concerning this vacation. However, it was such a treasured week, I think you'll probably get to hear a bit about our Shoopa adventures. For now, enjoy the pictures and know that it was even more fun than it looks.
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| Free photo slideshow generated with Smilebox |
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sunrise at the Beach
Our first day of vacation, I woke at a ridiculous hour. 5:28a.m. I haven't willingly gotten up at that time EVER. I treasure the opportunity to sleep late, especially on vacation. I spent many years getting up early by necessity. I feel as if I deserve my rest. I've earned it.
I eyed the clock at 5:34a.m. and rolled over, readjusted and intended to go back to sleep. No luck. The sky was dark, my body was still but my mind was moving. It occurred to me that I'd never seen a sunrise on the island. It occurred to me that I was probably awake early enough to make it to the beach before the sunrise. It occurred to me that I didn't want to miss this opportunity.
I got out of bed, made coffee, filled my travel cup and walked to the beach. At first, I thought I'd missed the sunrise. The sky had lightened. Pinks and peaches painted the lower part of the sky. There was a band of clouds above the horizon. Even without a spectacular sunrise, I settled in to enjoy the quiet of the beach at dawn. There was something special about being alone, awake so early, by choice.
As the sky continued to lighten, I watched pelicans fly in formation. They skimmed the water then broke and dove. Missiles shooting into the water. It was impressive that such awkward birds on the ground had such grace and purpose in the air and water.
After watching the pelicans, I walked down the beach. The sky became brighter pink and lightened. The peaches darkened to neon orange. The band of clouds lightened. I began to hope that there might still be a sunrise to be seen.
The smell of salt and sea air moved around me as I walked. The call of birds. The roll of the waves. The sparkle of sun on water. The lightening of the sky. The coolness of the firm sand under my feet. All worked to sooth my senses and bring a deep sense of well being. It felt great to move down the beach in silence, in wonder, in joy.
The sun, hidden, then visible. A dark orange ball. The sky streaked with brilliant pink and light blue. A brilliant piece of art in a strip below the clouds, above the ocean. The water reflected an ever moving interpretation of the original suspended over head. The sunrise surprised and blessed me.
I couldn't have planned a better beginning to my vacation. Sometimes planning isn't necessary. Sometimes it's enough to get out of bed and show up.
I eyed the clock at 5:34a.m. and rolled over, readjusted and intended to go back to sleep. No luck. The sky was dark, my body was still but my mind was moving. It occurred to me that I'd never seen a sunrise on the island. It occurred to me that I was probably awake early enough to make it to the beach before the sunrise. It occurred to me that I didn't want to miss this opportunity.
I got out of bed, made coffee, filled my travel cup and walked to the beach. At first, I thought I'd missed the sunrise. The sky had lightened. Pinks and peaches painted the lower part of the sky. There was a band of clouds above the horizon. Even without a spectacular sunrise, I settled in to enjoy the quiet of the beach at dawn. There was something special about being alone, awake so early, by choice.
As the sky continued to lighten, I watched pelicans fly in formation. They skimmed the water then broke and dove. Missiles shooting into the water. It was impressive that such awkward birds on the ground had such grace and purpose in the air and water.
After watching the pelicans, I walked down the beach. The sky became brighter pink and lightened. The peaches darkened to neon orange. The band of clouds lightened. I began to hope that there might still be a sunrise to be seen.
The smell of salt and sea air moved around me as I walked. The call of birds. The roll of the waves. The sparkle of sun on water. The lightening of the sky. The coolness of the firm sand under my feet. All worked to sooth my senses and bring a deep sense of well being. It felt great to move down the beach in silence, in wonder, in joy.
The sun, hidden, then visible. A dark orange ball. The sky streaked with brilliant pink and light blue. A brilliant piece of art in a strip below the clouds, above the ocean. The water reflected an ever moving interpretation of the original suspended over head. The sunrise surprised and blessed me.
I couldn't have planned a better beginning to my vacation. Sometimes planning isn't necessary. Sometimes it's enough to get out of bed and show up.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Shoopa!
How do family traditions come into being?
I think mostly by necessity. A certain china pitcher is used by Grandma every year to pour the eggnog so it's a tradition. It was also the only pitcher Grandma had back in the day and it suited the purpose so THE PITCHER was born.
Some of the time we have no idea where a tradition started, we just know that it is and we like it so we carry it on. At our house, our stocking oranges would fall into that category. Every now and then a tradition comes with a burden of responsibility that we'd rather not bear but aren't sure how to lay down. I'll tell you someday about my wedding tiara.
Shoopa! was born of necessity. Bringing a growing and roaming family together is a difficult thing. Holidays don't work because his parents (and his parents and his parents) want that time. The amount and timing of vacation from jobs has to be factored into the equation. Then add the work schedules, school schedules, financial limitations. Gathering everyone together becomes almost impossible. Unless, once a year, it is a priority and a joy.
Shoopa! is our family celebration of each other. It is birthday, Thanksgiving, girls night out, Christmas, Valentine's Day and sometimes Halloween, all rolled into one. It is a week long festival of love and zaniness that I cherish. Shoopa! comes but once a year, it's a lovely thing that I have the pictures and the memories to enjoy in between times.
What family traditions do you have that bring your family together?
I think mostly by necessity. A certain china pitcher is used by Grandma every year to pour the eggnog so it's a tradition. It was also the only pitcher Grandma had back in the day and it suited the purpose so THE PITCHER was born.
Some of the time we have no idea where a tradition started, we just know that it is and we like it so we carry it on. At our house, our stocking oranges would fall into that category. Every now and then a tradition comes with a burden of responsibility that we'd rather not bear but aren't sure how to lay down. I'll tell you someday about my wedding tiara.
Shoopa! was born of necessity. Bringing a growing and roaming family together is a difficult thing. Holidays don't work because his parents (and his parents and his parents) want that time. The amount and timing of vacation from jobs has to be factored into the equation. Then add the work schedules, school schedules, financial limitations. Gathering everyone together becomes almost impossible. Unless, once a year, it is a priority and a joy.
Shoopa! is our family celebration of each other. It is birthday, Thanksgiving, girls night out, Christmas, Valentine's Day and sometimes Halloween, all rolled into one. It is a week long festival of love and zaniness that I cherish. Shoopa! comes but once a year, it's a lovely thing that I have the pictures and the memories to enjoy in between times.
What family traditions do you have that bring your family together?
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