Dear Reader:

Don’t we all just need to get away some times?  This home sign on a neighbor’s house at Pawley’s summed it up perfectly: Changes in Latitudes; Changes in Attitudes.

It always takes us about one day to really unwind and leave the problems at home…at home. And then let the good times roll!

Jackson, Brooke, and I have started a tradition of meeting at the River View seafood restaurant on Front Street in Georgetown for drinks and delicious seafood. It  sets the stage for the retreat.

It was so beautiful Tuesday on the ride down…we sat outside in the park and just soaked up the rays for awhile after lunch. A good omen that this mid-winter retreat would be more spring-like than the frigid retreat last year…complete with  icicles hanging off the roof and frozen fountains.

We all brought fixings for meals , so we only went out Thursday evening for our seafood “fix” during the retreat. Wednesday continued to be beautiful with the bluest skies. We spent a lot of it in the Pawleys Hammock shops….so much fun…especially when Brooke bought her western hat and kept the “order” for the rest of the day.  (Right! Wrong!))

This British “Triumph” just called my name….and Libby found an outfit for Matthew’s wedding that just called hers.Looking good girl!

Brooke and I did some more shopping Thursday but before I left I walked over to our beach exit to take a picture of one of God’s greatest gifts to us….the ocean. A moment to breathe in the ocean air, let it out slowly, and remember we are all part of the universe.

We decided to make Thursday evening our “eat-out” annual dinner night instead of Friday. The food was delicious, great Motown music, and fun waiters and waitresses. We had a ball! This mouth-watering favorite restaurant of ours is on the left… right off the N. Causeway heading to Pawleys. Please try it next time you are in the area! As we were leaving we saw a ragged pink ribbon hanging from a tree. We were supposed to dine there last Thursday.

Here is my room for the Pawleys retreats….I love it for all the whimsey in it….I adore this painting…I want to go live in the tower by the sea.

During one of Brooke’s and my looking/shopping adventures I picked up an outdoor weather resistant table cloth for the deck table with a lantern….I love it. I brought a little of the beach home with me.

It is always bittersweet when we leave; this time new living arrangements/ changes for Libby and Jackson await while Brooke and I await to see what changes will be delivered to us….it is  just a matter of time.

So until tomorrow….time spent with friends is the best medicine of all…one of the great joys of life. God didn’t mean for us to go it alone! Family and friends are the memories of life. It gives us “joy, joy, joy, joy down in our hearts!”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Guess who came to see me yesterday after I got home? The dynamic Dingle Duo Brothers…. Walsh called and said Rutledge wanted to come see Boo Boo! (Mollie is out of town this weekend.) The boys played duets together before one knocked the other off the bench. We had so much fun! Here is a sneak peek….more to come later.