Last day at the beach...

Every year our family meets up with some good friends at Skaket Beach. Skaket Beach is on the bay side of Orleans and has the most spectacular low tides I have ever seen.



The tide goes out for miles leaving tide pools full of hermit crabs, small fish, snails and pinchy crabs. That's the technical name.

We meet my very dear friend Nina and her family every year for a full day of beach bliss.

My kids were thrilled to have friends to play with since their bickering with each other had reached a rather ugly level.

When my kids bickering is really annoying me I give them the worst punishment that I can think of. I make them hug. That's what happened this morning before our friends arrived.

It's a little awkward at first.


Then the silly starts. I told them they had to hug for 2 minutes.


They've forgotten that they're being punished. Rotten children.


Sometimes instead of hugging I make them list five things that they love about each other. It works every time. One of them will start laughing or compliment the other on their burping talents. Sometimes it's a talent for farting. I'm sorry, but I have to tell you these things. This is not a fancy blog.

Once Nina and her family arrived I got to ignore my children for hours. Benign neglect is the cornerstone of some of my best parenting.

The kids got right to work capturing hermit crabs and digging in the sand.

Cobi and Rebecca are hunting crabs and fish. It is very serious business. Do not call it play.


Rebecca is stalking a fish. I do not stalk fish. I do stalk junk at thrift stores so maybe that it where she gets this particular trait.

Lily has spent at least 80% of her time on this vacation digging.


She is with her buddy Ruby.


So much love between these two.

These two have a lot of love, but 10 year olds do not call it love.


That would be embarrassing.

You know who I love? This woman.



Nina and I have been friends ever since Lily and Ruby were newborns. We met at a singalong at the library. (She was changing Ruby's diaper and I asked her if her baby's poop was always that green. I suspected a breastfeeding latch problem. I was right.) Asking a person about their baby's poop is a great way to make a lifelong friend. No topic is too personal after that.

Nina has an amazing business helping people get healthy. It's called Body Alive Body Aware. She was eating an amazing salad at the beach today. I actually had salad envy. It had lettuce, avocado, raisins, pine nuts, sunflower seeds and salmon. Lucky for us she has recipes on her website.

Just sitting next to her inspired me to get more creative with food.

We were at the beach for six full hours today. It was wonderful, but I can't wait to get home. The truth is that I love tending to my house, preparing meals and working in my garden. A comfortable home, my family and my dogs are really the best part of every day I have and I am so grateful to be so simply made content.

Shiny Red Monday Give-Away...

In college I was an English major which meant that I was an insufferable book snob. I apologize. I know how annoying my complete disregard for anything outside the literary canon was.

I have a confession to make to you my dear sweet readers. I read crap.

It started with a few mom books. A few years later I read Bridget Jones Diary. So funny, so crass.

But that was only the beginning.

Internet, the last few years have found me in bed at 8:30pm with my old lady flannel nightgown and a murder mystery. The covers are shiny and metallic. They often have names like Dead Girls Who Were Killed By Crazed Serial Killers or FBI Agents Who Fall In Love while Solving Brutal Murders.

I just can't help myself.

I recently finished the Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell. I enjoyed them a lot though it gets on my nerves that Scarpetta is always too busy to remember to eat or sleep. I just don't buy it.

Anyway, I downloaded the free Kindle Application for my iphone so now I can read my trash while looking like I am checking important emails. No more shame from those shiny book covers with bloody handprints.

What are you reading this summer? Should I break out of my murder mystery rut? I need some suggestions!

Some non-murder mystery books that I have enjoyed are The Time Travelers Wife, Bel Canto and The Post Birthday World. But really, I always go back for some cheap lovin' in the mystery aisle.

This weeks giveaway is a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble where you can pick up your very own summer read. Just leave me a book suggestion in the comment section (please include your email so I can contact you if you win- I also try to respond to each comment so leaving your email means I don't have to search the internet for you just so I can tell you how much I liked your comment). One lucky reader will be randomly selected. Comments will close at 5pm EST on Friday. One entry per person please- good luck!

More field trips and some treasure...

Today was a grey day here on Cape Cod so the girls and I planned an outing. We were headed for the mall where the lure of a carousel and an arcade with skee ball convinced them to get out of their pajamas and brush their teeth.

The traffic on the only highway on and off of Cape Cod was terrible so we traveled local roads. We took Route 28 which just happens to be the road on which the Harwich Antique Center can be found. The girls protested loudly when I suggested that we stop. We stopped anyway. And they loved it!


I love that little chair with the quilt.


Someone got very creative with an old tablecloth.


I wish that I had purchased that red tray doohicky. What is that thing called?

The kids wanted to explore everything. The rule was they could touch anything as long as it cost less than $5. Lily had a hard time remembering this rule. When I found her examining a $500 model train I knew that it was time to leave.


This bike made me swoon. I just loved it.

There were so many shops along the way that I wanted to explore, but I didn't want to push my luck. The children have a limited attention span for junk. Unlike their mother who never tires of the dust and sweet musty smell of good old junk.

Here are my vacation treasures so far.

I love little pitchers. I'll show you my collection some time.


Have you ever seen anything sweeter than these mousie salt and pepper shakers? I hope they have little mousie salt and pepper shaker babies.

I even found something for David.


He makes television shows. I love buying old cameras and camera equipment for his office.

Being here is wonderful but after about four days I start to get homesick. By day five I am itching to get home. This area is so beautiful- all the cottages and hydrangeas make me eager to get home and putter in my garden and move things around in my house. Inevitably I arrive home and start rearranging things before I've even unpacked.

In other news, tomorrow I am sending Dolly her American Express giftcard and will be announcing a new giveaway tomorrow. Here's a hint: It's my favorite way to relax on the beach!

Shiny Red Fieldtrips...

When we spend time on the cape we go to the beach whenever the sun is out. Here's a little secret though: I love the rainy days even more! Rainy days mean field trips!

On Friday afternoon, Nana and I sneaked out to do some junking. Junking on the cape is a bit more highbrow than I am used to.

We went to the Gristmill Antique Gallery.

I loved these letters together. They were sending good junking vibes.


This scale almost came home with me, but somehow I resisted. It looked so lonely.


Two of my very favorite things: old bottle crates and old kitchen tools. Love. Them.


Look at this people.

If it hadn't been so expensive this would have come home with me and I would have used to to leave instructive messages to my children. "Pick up the dog poop." "Put your dirty clothes in the hamper." "Whining will not make me love you more."

I love the vintage lettering. It would make nagging look charming.

Notice the painted floor. Made me feel way less crazy for painting mine.


Today we went to the Cape Cod Lavender Farm. Readers, I wish that this computer had scratch and sniff because this place smelled like heaven. I love the smell of lavender. Such a virtuous smell.



The lavender fields were beautiful, but we were there for another reason. We came to see the castle.



Who lives there? Rapunzel? Juliet? Sleeping Beauty?



Anybody home? Maybe we should go around and find the door.


No one was home, the fairy house was empty. This castle is about 4 feet high. It sits in the center of a sweet shade garden full of hostas and moss and shy flowers. I so want to build one of these in my yard.

The castle wasn't the only fairy portal.

Someone left the door open.


This fairy likes to keep her door hidden.


It was just so sweet and lovely. The girls adored it and immediately began planning fairy houses of their own.

I'm hoping for a few more field trips before it's time to go home.

A Winner!

It's time to announce a winner!

All the names are in the basket.


Rebecca is playing game show beauty girl.



She pulls out a name...


And the winner is...



Dolly!

She left this comment:

Hubby says I have sexy feet!
I always feel pretty when I get a pedicure and have fresh nail polish on.
I'd probably buy a cute flowery 100% cotton summer dress with matching nail polish and flip flops!

Fun give away.... Thank you!
Hugz,
Dolly

Congratulations!

Wildlife...

The Pioneer Woman posts amazing pictures of the horses on her ranch.

Here on the cape there are horses, but I'm not really a horse girl.

There was wildlife to seen at the beach though.


Horseshoe crabs! They look deadly don't they.

He's getting closer...


Look out!


Just kidding. They're harmless.

This guy is watching you. He knows things. Important things.


There was some love at the beach.


I don't know what these snails are doing. I just take the pictures. I don't pass judgment.

The miracle of sun...

Today the girls and I left Boston where it has been raining for the past 10 days. Some days it was a downpour and others it was a constant mist.

When we arrived on Cape Cod it was still grey, but the sun was clearly trying to appear. We are hardy New Englanders so even though we weren't certain about the weather, he headed off to the beach.

Guess what? The sun came out!

I'm not lying. Just look at that shadow!


Guess what Lily is doing?


Sand. The beach version of mud.

Rebecca hates to be left out.


What are they talking about? The economy? Boys? Astrophysics?


They were especially sisterly at the beach.



Rebecca takes her job as older sister very seriously.

Here she is saving Lily from waves.


You should be impressed that they are this far in the water

Look at them!



Check out the water temperature.


54 degrees. That's how we do it here in New England.

If the thought of all that cold water has you shivering, this picture should make you feel better.



You're welcome.

Ball junky

Pugsley's a mellow guy. Just follows me around the house hoping someone will drop some bacon.

He has a problem though, an ugly problem. He is a squeaky ball addict.

Here he is without a ball.


Not a care in the world.

Here, dear readers is a truly frightening image. Puglsey and the squeaky ball.



Completely deranged. He looks rabid.

Without ball:


With ball:


Sometimes Sophie tries to steal his ball.


A tussle ensues.


Even though Sophie is a dog who will eat her own poop, she is smart enough to know when to let him have the ball.


Puglsey savored the sweet nectar of victory. And then passed out. Just like the little ball junky he is.