There are many blogs. I follow about 3. Many of them, if produced by women, have beautifully photographed recipes to accompany their thoughts, opinions, travel adventures, etc. Aren’t we so fortunate to have an outlet for all these “thinks” by way of the internet, imagining that there may be someone, somewhere, out in the vast universe, who might just care about what we have to say? If these blogs have their own websites attached to sponsors (ads), then they must be popular (enough) and there are people out there who really do care about what the blogger has to say!
I enjoy cooking, but not enough to photograph and publish every step in my cooking processes, and my recipes are not at all original.
I like to travel, but I don’t often (except, of course, to Ocracoke Island) and I’m not very good at photographing things (although these iPhones have awesome cameras and you don’t have to be a photographer anymore to make ordinary things look extraordinary).
My thoughts and opinions and experiences are mundane and shallow for the most part and that is why I bring God into it so often because redemption is ANYTHING BUT mundane and shallow and He is good news that I feel compelled to share.
So I pour out my heart in a blog simply because I like to write and I am a journal-er and it gives me something to do when I’m supposed to be doing chores (Ha Ha!) (Today was weed-pulling day. I walked outside, examined all the weeds in the gardens, burst into tears, and came inside to cook and write...therapeutic).
We recently went to OINC for our annual family vacay. The youngest daughter and hubby couldn’t join us because of 2 different wedding events in the same week. So it was just one daughter and boyfriend, my husband, and I. Very quiet and different but lovely just the same. We rented a boat for the week which was enormously fun and allowed for much fishing to be accomplished by our Men Who Love to Fish. It afforded us a dinner of grilled bluefish and mackerel one night and also allowed me to experiment with a smoked bluefish and cream cheese spread on crackers. The Doer had never smoked on the grill before, so our multiple challenges were successful except for maybe the bluefish soaking in the salt brine a little too long (a bit too salty for me). We’ll know better next time!
The boat also allowed us to go to our own private beaches throughout the week to set up camp (beach chairs, umbrellas, books, cooler). The Pamlico Sound lends itself to wide sandy shoals for beaching flat-bottomed skiffs for chasing off pelicans and seagulls to gain a right for a piece of the island for our own temporary refuge for lounging and sunbathing.
The biggest disappointment of the week, however, was a huge influx of jellyfish in the sound which made it quite impossible to swim and cool off from the heat. We heard the jellies were even prevalent on the ocean side, so even if we had gone to the ocean beaches, we probably would not have wanted to swim in the surf! Oh well.....(Jellyfish and weeds, the bane of humanity...) Nature is always in charge, after all!
The week quickly flew by (too quickly for me) although much hammocking, reading, fishing, and watching World Cup Soccer was accomplished (along with eating gobs of junk food and delicious seafood at the favorite eateries). BTW, Ocracoke has a new brew pub, 1718 Brewing, named for the year of Blackbeard’s beheading off Springer’s Point, (and it just so happens to be the 300th anniversary of his sad demise). The Pub opened late last year but is NOW serving food by Plum Pointe Kitchen. Scrumptious!
An aside: My slow oven-drying plum tomatoes with garlic, olive oil, and thyme are smelling heavenly....about 2 more hours. Maybe I SHOULD try a cooking blog....
Now, the token Ocracoke photos:
I enjoy cooking, but not enough to photograph and publish every step in my cooking processes, and my recipes are not at all original.
I like to travel, but I don’t often (except, of course, to Ocracoke Island) and I’m not very good at photographing things (although these iPhones have awesome cameras and you don’t have to be a photographer anymore to make ordinary things look extraordinary).
My thoughts and opinions and experiences are mundane and shallow for the most part and that is why I bring God into it so often because redemption is ANYTHING BUT mundane and shallow and He is good news that I feel compelled to share.
So I pour out my heart in a blog simply because I like to write and I am a journal-er and it gives me something to do when I’m supposed to be doing chores (Ha Ha!) (Today was weed-pulling day. I walked outside, examined all the weeds in the gardens, burst into tears, and came inside to cook and write...therapeutic).
We recently went to OINC for our annual family vacay. The youngest daughter and hubby couldn’t join us because of 2 different wedding events in the same week. So it was just one daughter and boyfriend, my husband, and I. Very quiet and different but lovely just the same. We rented a boat for the week which was enormously fun and allowed for much fishing to be accomplished by our Men Who Love to Fish. It afforded us a dinner of grilled bluefish and mackerel one night and also allowed me to experiment with a smoked bluefish and cream cheese spread on crackers. The Doer had never smoked on the grill before, so our multiple challenges were successful except for maybe the bluefish soaking in the salt brine a little too long (a bit too salty for me). We’ll know better next time!
The boat also allowed us to go to our own private beaches throughout the week to set up camp (beach chairs, umbrellas, books, cooler). The Pamlico Sound lends itself to wide sandy shoals for beaching flat-bottomed skiffs for chasing off pelicans and seagulls to gain a right for a piece of the island for our own temporary refuge for lounging and sunbathing.
The biggest disappointment of the week, however, was a huge influx of jellyfish in the sound which made it quite impossible to swim and cool off from the heat. We heard the jellies were even prevalent on the ocean side, so even if we had gone to the ocean beaches, we probably would not have wanted to swim in the surf! Oh well.....(Jellyfish and weeds, the bane of humanity...) Nature is always in charge, after all!
The week quickly flew by (too quickly for me) although much hammocking, reading, fishing, and watching World Cup Soccer was accomplished (along with eating gobs of junk food and delicious seafood at the favorite eateries). BTW, Ocracoke has a new brew pub, 1718 Brewing, named for the year of Blackbeard’s beheading off Springer’s Point, (and it just so happens to be the 300th anniversary of his sad demise). The Pub opened late last year but is NOW serving food by Plum Pointe Kitchen. Scrumptious!
An aside: My slow oven-drying plum tomatoes with garlic, olive oil, and thyme are smelling heavenly....about 2 more hours. Maybe I SHOULD try a cooking blog....
Now, the token Ocracoke photos:
Such a pretty view of the Dajio garden; Peel and Eat Shrimp Special, Daily 3-5 pm!
I think this guy loves being photographed! He (or a twin) always seems to be hanging below the deck at Jolly Roger’s Restaurant on the harbor
Blurry but so pretty
Lanterns in trees
One of my favorite harbor views, the lighthouse at pale rose dusk.
Marshland on the sound at dusk.
From Jolly Roger's
Also from Jolly Roger’s
And......touchdown....
Back home on our dock.
A “wow" moment from our dock.
The moon and venus, first star of the night.
This is a new friend. His name is Poly, short for Polywog. He lives out on my back patio in a hole in the dirt in a concrete planter full of orange marigolds.
Poly is quite personable. I think he’s waiting for someone to turn him into a handsome prince. It won’t be me because I already have one...
New tradition: head out for the sunset by way of Jolly Roger and/or the public sound boat landing and watch until the ocean becomes the bottom tangent of the sun, then hightail it home to finish out the spectacular evening of color on the dock.
To change the subject:
This is a new friend. His name is Poly, short for Polywog. He lives out on my back patio in a hole in the dirt in a concrete planter full of orange marigolds.
Poly is quite personable. I think he’s waiting for someone to turn him into a handsome prince. It won’t be me because I already have one...
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