Wrapping Up the Week

Well, almost two weeks actually. I have had twelve gift days and I am wrapping it all up to take home with me. I hope that each of you are able to find 12 days some time, that soothe you and recharge you both. I am headed home feeling very blessed for so many reasons:

• sunshine...there were a couple days, even though I was the only person on the beach not wearing a coat, it felt great to me
• thunderstorm...love a good loud, wall shaking thunderstorm!

• friends...true ones who love me even when I am stupid or crabby or both...who are inspiring and model the things I want to be when I grow up
• Leftovers. Paula Queen cooked enough for me to eat for a week. I have gained 30 pounds and it was great!
• My professor...who told me this week that I cannot write, and I should learn that skill since it is required of a grad student (ahhh, she does know that this is my last class in the program)...later that day she posted how sick she got when she came home from her trip, so I hope that was the fever talking. But after my initial freak/panic/paranoia, I realized that there is a big lesson here about encouraging vs. discouraging and if I ever teach, I will remember it. And I do have a friend who want to slap her for being mean to me. Weirdly, that encourages me.

• God's other creatures. At home in Michigan, there are not many pelican or dolphin sightings. I saw lots of both here.
• Art...God's and ours. Sometime if you are able, be sure to sit on the beach and watch the sunrise. Breathtaking.
• Chick-Fil-A. Oh yeah, I heart you.

• Divine encouragement...walking the beach each day, talking to God, sometimes in tears, and the tangible gifts of encouragement He put in my path. How amazing is a sand dollar? Has anyone ever seen one alive? When I came home and did some research (what of it? I like to know stuff) I found they grow to be about 3" in diameter. My big one is 4 1/2 inches. That's an overachieving sand dollar.

• Bead Stores...I found three locally, none big, but managed to dig up a few treasures with inspiration to take home. Pretty, right? I have a plan.
• Spending a lot of money that is not mine. It is kind of fun once I get past the initial shock. Worked some hours at night on a big project that requires a lot of materials to be purchased.
• The Red Box. I do not know who the brilliant mind is behind this, but I would like to shake his hand. Be his friend. Maybe marry him, he has to have made a lot of money from this idea. Wish I had thought of it # 87665. Do you do the Red Box?
• The Human PinBall who has taken me into her family and treats me as such. She has even offered me a kid to take care of me in my old age.

Packing and heading back to the city today.

Sigh,

Normal Girl