ocean – April Coker, Author

Already March

Already Spring is here. The lawn mowers have been brought out of storage and are humming throughout the neighborhood. Brown yards and fields are now green, red bud trees are blooming with their pink blossoms, and dogwood trees are poised for their white outburst. Eager gardeners already swarm the nurseries for tender plants they hope don’t succumb to a freeze before summer. I pull weeds, trim off dead stalks from old lantana and hydrangea bushes. Yes, I know it’s not the right time to trim hydrangea bushes, but mine become such monsters that I have to. Besides, I haven’t seen them bloom for several years. They have overstayed their welcome, I’m afraid.

So time marches on. It’s been two months since Jimmy passed away, and I’m doing okay, I think. I’ve kept myself busy with things like writing thank you notes, talking to friends and family, taking care of grandkids, and keeping house. I even went to Costa Rica for a week, courtesy of my son and his wife. The change of scenery, the beach, the ocean. . .all were balm to a battered soul.

Me on the Pacific Ocean beach in Costa Rica

Even after the memorial service, which turned out almost perfect in my opinion, I still feel in limbo. Unsettled. Unsure. Unprepared. I’m alone in this house, on this property. I alone am responsible for its upkeep, its repair. I am a widow. I make all the decisions now. I am a widow.

Spring speaks of new beginnings. So it does. Am I ready? “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Ready or not, here I come. No hide and seek here. I’m all in.

What about you? Is spring a new beginning for you?

XOXO

MONDAY/TUESDAY: Hey, I’m on vacation here. . .

I would like to apologize to my teeny fan base of 3 followers for not posting anything yesterday. I failed to prepare my blog for my vacation, so I will write a little something from my little motel room. Jimmy and I took off Saturday afternoon to take in a Ted Nugent concert (Yes, TED NUGENT: our first date was a Ted concert in 1978!) at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth, then we stayed overnight with my wonderful son Matt and his sweet wife Taylor at their new home in Dallas, and then we hit the road for Galveston to stay a couple of nights.

We picked a great week: kids would be back in school! But, we didn’t plan for an unruly one out in the Gulf. Yes, Hurricane Isaac was brewing during our stay, which didn’t affect us very much if you don’t mind 67% humidity and no wind! It seems Isaac was very jealous of any air movement besides his own, so yesterday was very sticky indeed.

However, Hubby and I did manage to stroll the beach, pick up a few seashells for my niece, grab some kitschy souvenirs, and relax on the new Murdoch’s deck. Murdoch’s on the beach rebuilt after Hurricane Ike and to my utter delight they connected their two shops on piers with an awesome deck furnished with rocking chairs, benches, and a bar! Murdoch’s began its historic presence on Galveston Island as a bathhouse in the late 1800’s. It has seen several rebuildings and restorations but is one of the oldest establishments on the Seawall.

From our perfect seat on the deck, where we were able to catch a slight breeze and an occasional waft of air conditioning from the shops, we were able to watch the seagulls and even dolphins playing in the distance. We could have sat there for the rest of the summer!

Sadly, with Isaac threatening the coastline, we decided to beat any possible evacuees and hit I-10 to Katy to check out their Bass Pro Shop and Katy Mills mall. But not before detouring off I-45 to check out the Kemah Boardwalk. We will definitely be making that a future destination! Then we headed north along Hwy 71 and ended up here in a budget-friendly Marble Falls inn.

On our plate tomorrow: a scenic drive around the Marble Falls area and through more Hill Country towards East Texas. Wish us a safe trip! Happy trails to you. . .

xoxo