CRAZY FOR CANDY

Help, an alien who lives on sugar has invaded my house!

Cruise

  Thanksgiving 2009, Keith and I had our most fantastic vacation.We drove to Ft. Lauderdale, FL, went on a cruise to Nassau, Bahamas, spent Thanksgiving day on the beach, toured the Everglades, and visited family in Lakeland.


   Of course, we got a late start. If we had left Friday evening, then Saturday would have been spent relaxing at Mehl manor. Instead, we arrived just in time for kisses goodnight on Saturday. Using my sister's as a quick pit stop, by 5am we were up and ready for our 15 hour drive. Well, I thought it was 5am, but when I walked outside and the sun was up I knew something was wrong. The clock in the guest bedroom was an hour slow, and I never looked at any other. Maybe fate knew I needed the extra hour of sleep.

   It was a fun drive. Luckily, people mistake the route marker for the speed limit on 95, so we did make it to Ft. Lauderdale in time. Heavy rains in Georgia almost caused us to miss our registration, but we arrived with 10 minutes to spare.

   Our actual hotel was across town. By the time we checked-in, took bags to our room, and changed into flip-flops, it was 11:00 and we were starving. we walked out of the hotel toward some bright lights and found a charming diner. It was the first time Keith had breakfast in the middle of the night.

   The next day we drove to Weston for the required "time-share" tour. The presenters did a nice job and it wasn't awful. We had breakfast and lunch and a nice guy drove us around to see the sights. He kept wanting to talk about the "package" but we were obsessed with the palm trees.

   Then it was back to Ft. Lauderdale to board the ship. Getting on the boat was an experience - not nearly as easy as I had imagined. But I signed up for the onboard vacation plan talk and we were bumped to the front of every line. We also were fed again. I have a hard time saying no so the talk took longer than it should have, but I finally go my voucher for cruise cash.

   The voucher made snorkeling in the Caribbean the next morning affordable. Snorkeling was AMAZING! We enjoyed the whole trip; from the speedboat ride and entertaining safety lesson to swimming in the sea. Keith and I are both good swimmers and had a blast. Diving into a school of colorful fish is awesome.

   We were adventurous for lunch and had conch fritters even though neither of us are big fans of sea food. One thing I loved about going on a cruise at Thanksgiving were the Christas decorations on the palm trees. it added an extra air of whimsy. Eating conch fritters under a Christmas tree was weird.
After lunch we took a loooong walk. We saw a lot, but got very tired and hot. We were searching for a better beach but ended up back where we started.  The water of the Caribbeaan is incredibly warm and calm and blue.

  That night I was all for going to bed early, but Keith said we had to go out and experience the night life on the ship. I kept him up till the wee hours of the morning dancing. We finally called it quits when drunk ladies tried to dance with him. I guess some people don't go to bed at all on cruises.
We stood in the rain as we entered Ft. Lauderdale again. And then sat in the rain waiting to get off the ship. Warning -  exiting a cruise ship into the U.S. is no picnic. Make sure you have snacks and games.

  My favorite parts of the cruise were the hot tub and breakfast. Having breakfast on deck while we steamed into Nassau was unforgettable.

 


When we arived at the hotel that day we collapsed exhausted onto beds. We missed the only bit of sunshine. We sat in the hot tub in the rain for a while. We went to the grocery store for supplies and had dinner in front of the tv - not very exciting.

  The next day we hit the Ft. Lauderdale beach. It was pretty quiet, probably because people were eating turkey with family. We had turkey sandwiches under a palm tree. The water was bluer and calmer than we have seen on the East coast. We paddled up and down the shore. Most memorable Thanksgiving ever!

   We went downtown Thanksgiving night and walked along the canal looking at Chistmas lights and yachts.  Next time we visit we are taking a little cruise on the canals. That seems the best way to see Ft. Lauderdale.





Friday was our day in the Everglades. I could not believe the birds. I had trouble keeping up with traffic through Alligator Alley because I was looking in the trees. To see how our day went view the animoto.

 
We had one day in Lakeland to visit with Keith's grandfather and great aunts and uncles - yes, they are snow birds. I felt bad about the time limit so we did nt leave until late. Therefore, we had kind of a horrific trip back north. We drove all night and arrived mid day back at my sister's. A nap and a meal later we hit the road for NY. We shouldn't have bothered. The Sunday after Thanksgiving traffic was horrendous and it took us about 14 hours to make the 8 hour trip.
  Despite the rotten ending, this was definitely a fabulous adventure. I'm so lucky to have a great son to share good times with.

OBX

          My sister’s in-laws introduced us to annual vacations in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. My mom adopted the tradition and rents a beach house every August. It’s the highpoint of my year. It’s so much easier to get along with family in a big house on the beach with a fridge stocked with alcohol and ice-cream.  

         

Actually, my family is pretty copacetic and non-confrontational. We all balance freedom, space and companionship pretty well. My family tells the old joke constantly, “The only thing better than a week at the beach is two weeks at the beach.” I think both my sister and I are becoming teachers to find out if it’s true!

    Nags Head, NC is a magical place. Unlike most beaches in the northeast, there are no boardwalks or humungous hotels. Piers are used for dropping crab-lines and fishing poles, not for dropping dough on arcade games. Most parts of the OBX just consist of houses with a few shops, entertainments, and grocery stores. The ocean and atmosphere are the biggest attractions. It’s a family friendly vacation spot where you feel dressed up in a pony-tail and flip-flops.  Nags Head has more beach stores, tourist sites, and things to do than the neighboring areas of Hatteras and Corolla. My son and I spend hours swimming in the waves and boogie-boarding. Other family members get their fill of salt water and sand quickly then head out to the stores, fudge shops, or mini-golfing.

          One reason the beach is so special to me and my son is that it’s almost all quality time. We can leave daily responsibilities at home and just have fun. I can sort of drop the role of mom and we can be friends going on adventures together. We love to hike over the sand dunes at Jockey’s Ridge. We recklessly kick off our shoes to explore the unique habitat. We do the hard work of climbing the loose sand to gain the views from the top, and then sprint down the sides – over and over. We also like to hike around Pea Island and Oregon Inlet. We’re keen on nature trails and bird sighting. Occasionally we rent kayaks for some paddling on the sound.

          Last year we stayed in Corolla and Keith and I rode bikes on the beach past where the road ends. We didn’t see the wild horses of Corolla, but we did see dolphins cavorting in the waves. It was great fun to speed along the packed sand, splashing through the surf under an intense sun.

          A few years ago we drove south to a go-kart park. It was nice to leave the little kids and old folks at “home” while we had some high-adrenaline fun. Afterwards, we had a delicious lunch of tuna steak at a restaurant that was basically a partially enclosed porch with ceiling fans instead of air-conditioning. Then we swam in the sound for the first time. You can walk out into the sound for over half a mile. In some places it never gets more than six feet deep all the way across. Being so far away from shore was cool (I won’t lie – it’s a little scary too.)

          At the beach we get to be the people and family we want to be if responsibilities didn’t get in the way. We loll around houses bigger than we ever could afford to own, talk for hours over morning coffee, and have evening drinks in the hot tub. Each summer we also experience new things. Those experiences bring us closer together. We create memories that will last forever!

Childhood Beach Trips

When I was a child I rarely went to the beach. I was in 5th grade the first time I saw the ocean. My family visited cousins on Long Island. I remember it was chilly, there was still ice on the beach, and my little sister got knocked over by a big wave.





The next time was just before high school. My extended family rented a house in Chincoteague, VA. It was a wonderful vacation and my sisters and I could never figure out why it happened only once. Our single complaint was that we drove to the beaches in Assateague at high tide - the best time for crabbing, not swimming. But one day, all the kids piled into the car and my 16 yr old cousin drove to the beach; music blasting and our hair whipping wildly from the open windows. We had a marvelous day of low tide and freedom.

The following spring my mom drove my sisters and I to Houston,Texas to visit her closest cousin. While we were running  around in t-shirs and shorts and getting sun-burned, my father was home shoveling snow. I remember very distinctly our day in San Antonio. My parents lived there right after they were married, and my mom wanted a trip down memory lane as well as a glance at the new river walk. The river walk was lovely. The Alamo was closed for the holidays, but we got eggs dyed crazily and filled with confetti. I also recall touring the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Of course, we did not leave before we spent a day on the beach at Galveston. My older sister burned to a crisp. I took a long, solitary walk along the beach and encountered a dead grey animal. I didn't study it too closely. I was unsure whether it was a dolphin or a shark. Today I would know the difference and be curious enough to examine the creature. Back then I just thought it was sad. As a child I experienced life as feelings and snapshots. As an adult I want to know what everything is and what it means.

During the summers I was in high school the Earth Science teacher took groups of students west to study geology. On one trip I dipped my toes into the Pacific. Although we had very little time, I collected a few beach rocks that I still keep as momentos. When I was younger and felt blue, looking at them would lift my mood.

I saw the Pacific a second time when I was in Mexico. My family hosted an exchange student when I was in 10th grade. Two years later we visited Nonny's family in Hermosillo. The desert of Mexico was beautiful and we were close enough to the shore to spend a day at the ocean. My dad went deep sea fishing but I honestly can't remember what the rest of us did all afternoon. What sticks in my mind is drinking sodas from glass bottles that we couldn't open without assistance from Nonny's brothers or cousins. (No twist-off caps.) I also remember Nonny's family strolling across the parking lot playing guitars and singing in Spanish. And, I recall vividly the most glorious sunset I have ever seen in my life. My dad and I hiked up a small hill to watch the golden sun sink into the ocean.  It's odd how faulty human memory is. At the time I thought every second of being in Mexico would remain in my head. Instead, all I have are brief glimpses and sensations. 

I was going to say that my last childhood trip to the beach was my senior class trip to Florida. But I don't think we made it to the ocean. However, just being in Florida is close enough for someone from the Catskills.

Five trips to the ocean and I developed a life-long addiction. I don't live close or go often, but I can't get enoough of the sea. The highlight of every year is our August family vacation to the beach.We all need our salt-air fix.

Chimes of Time

            My grandparents’ house and garden are a haven of peace and comfort. I can’t really separate the house from the garden because life there kind of flows from one to another. My grandparents prefer to be outside with floors of grass and walls of plants and a ceiling of sky. So any family gathering that takes place in decent weather tends to happen in the garden.

            We used to congregate at a picnic table under a stand of trees. The trees were at the center of grandma’s flower garden which was built among otherwise useless rocky hills. The trees were a shady spot on hot summer days.

         
   My favorite thing about the trees was the fact they were strewn with wind chimes. The chimes clanged and tinkled and bonged with the breeze. It was a relaxing sound to me.

           Every year my sisters and I took turns spending a week on Twining Road. The room we slept in was above the chiming trees.  I loved falling asleep at night to the Aeolian music.   

          The trees are gone now. They became old and grandpa thought they were a danger to the house. We open an umbrella over the table to keep off the sun, but it’s not as cool or as cozy as the trees. Nor do chimes ring and sing to us as we visit.

            The changes in the garden reflect the changes in my grandparents. They are getting older and frailer. I’m incredibly lucky to still have them, but each year I worry will be the last. I breathe a sigh of relief when winter passes into spring. They are happier and healthier in the warming summer sun. I miss the way things were.

What helps to weather the changes is seeing my son and nieces and nephews playing in my grandparents’ garden. It reminds me of the way I used to be – wild and carefree. It reminds me that life marches on. Something new and wonderful always fills the place left by something that is gone. Sharing my grandparents’ garden with the next generation is a true blessing. And, I’ve begun hanging chimes around my back porch to make my  house feel like a home.

Educational History

How did I end up in graduate school in my late 30's? I should be enjoying my life, not doing homework! I have always had a haphazard relationship with my education. High school was just easy. I hated getting out of bed and going to school, but the learning part was a breeze. I would say I put no effort into it but now I work with kids who REALLY put no effort into their education. I managed to do enough to graduate 3rd in my class - of 32! This made me the black sheep of the family as both my sisters were valedictorians of their class.

 I went off to Temple University with high hopes. I did fairly well at first, then the world became too distracting. Philadelphia and a large University were a different universe from the little Catskill town where I grew up. I became involved in a wonderful citizen action group. It may have taken away from my studies, but I learned more about myself and other people than I ever did in a classroom.

After four years I still had 6 classes to finish. In the middle of my 9th semester I contracted mono at a party. (Word of advice for 21 yr olds: even if the wine bottles are empty don't drink out of strange cups. ; ) A rocky semester went downhill and  I never graduated.

I was pregnant before I could get back to college. My son was born in Philadelphia and I registered for courses. I took my newborn to school with me and he was a hit. But the next semester there was a hitch with financial aid and while doing my final paper for my senior seminar in Shakespeare I found out I was no longer registered. We ended up leaving Philadelphia for Ohio and once again I was leaving without a degree.

I returned to New York when my son was 18 months old. I struggled along as a single mother for a while and finally got a great job when he was 5. What did I do? I quit in less than a year to try that college thing one more time. I figured Kindergarten was synonymous with free daycare.

Going back to school at 30 was one of the best experiences of my life. I was much more determined and was so happy so be opening my mind after 6 years with a baby/toddler/preschooler as my main companion. I did not work so I had more than enough time to be a student and a mother. Not that it wasn't stressful, but basically I remember it as one of the happiest times of my life. And finally, I earned a Bachelor's in English. (I skipped graduation for my cousin's wedding in Florida - great decision.)

Unfortunately, I came home and instead of landing a great job I became a teacher's aid for students with autism. Even more unfortunately, I loved it. Seven years later I came to the conclusion that if my destiny was in a school I had to get my salary into the 5 digits. I applied for ESC but somehow my essay didn't get sent electronically so I didn't get in. A year later I got an email asking if I was still interested. I emailed back, "sure." A few months after that I got a phone call to set up an interview. I was unsure but figured what could it hurt. I got lost going to the interview and was 45 minutes late, but I guess I talked a good game because they let me in anyway. I didn't make up my mind to register until August. I kept the idea in the back of my head that I could always drop out. I didn't tell my family until Thanksgiving.

I actually made it through the first semster with two A's. I had very understanding professors! Now I am thoroughly committed to finishing the MAT program and it scares me to death. Things are not going great this semester. Besides the MAT courses I have this digital storytelling class which is fascinating but often leaves me feeling like a fish out of water. On top of courses I need to be taking tests and keeping my eyes open for a job. I don't have confidence yet that I can even manage being a teacher. My education has been a bumpy road filled with potholes and detours. On one hand, it makes me a much more sympathetic educator. On the other, it undermines my belief that I can follow through with difficult tasks.

That's why I've spent this long weekend sitting in front of a computer instead of traveling or skiing or going to movies.