Grandkids, waves, hang gliding, a surprise bear, the discovery that North Carolina has alligators, and a historical novel I could not put down
It is so nice to be home in my own bed with my pups. Vacation is wonderful, but there is nothing quite like your own pillow.
We spent the past week in the Outer Banks with our grandkids and their parents and had the most wonderful time. We sat by the ocean, jumped in the waves, went hang gliding, swam in the pool, fished at the pier, ate and laughed and made memories that I will carry for a long time. There was also a bear sitting on the side of the road, which was not on the itinerary but was very much appreciated. And I learned this week that we have alligators in North Carolina. I did not know that. I am not sure how I have lived here this long without knowing it, but there it is.
There is something magical about the sunrise and the sunset at the ocean. I have thought about why that is. Maybe it is because you actually stop and watch, which in ordinary life you do not always do. Maybe it is because the colors are that much more vibrant against all that water and sky. Whatever the reason, I watched both every single day and I would not have missed either one.
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What I’m Reading
I finished The Pretender by Jo Harkin on the trip and I am still thinking about it.
In 1483, a boy named John Collan is living a perfectly ordinary village life when a stranger from London arrives and upends everything: John is not the son of a farmer but Edward, Earl of Warwick, hidden in the countryside because Richard III has a habit of disappearing his nephews. He is promptly whisked off to Oxford, Burgundy and Ireland to be groomed as rightful heir to the throne, where he meets Joan, the brilliantly political and occasionally murderous daughter of his Irish patrons, and together they form an unlikely alliance. Inspired by the true story of Lambert Simnel, a real footnote to history who ended up working in the court of the very king he tried to overthrow, this is irreverent, gripping historical fiction and I finished it on the beach in two sittings.
If you have already read this book check out My Bookshop for more books that you may enjoy.
What I Watched
This week I watched Summerland the 2020 British film starring Gemma Arterton.
Alice Lamb is a reclusive writer living alone on the Kent coast during World War II, researching folklore and keeping the rest of the world at arm’s length, when a young boy named Frank is evacuated from London and arrives at her door. She wants nothing to do with him. He is impossible to ignore. And as the two of them slowly find their way to each other, Alice begins to revisit the great love of her earlier life, a romance she has kept buried for years.
Outfit of the Day
Today’s outfit is simple, as a summer outfit should be. A classic blue and white stripe skirt, paired with a blue t-shirt with white trim to dress it up a little. You could wear this with sandals, flats, tennis shoes wedges, whatever shoe you prefer. Add your favorite bracelet and a tote and you are ready to run out the door.
Outfit Separates Below
If you missed it, I joined Kim for Weekend Meanderings on Saturday.
Tell me: have you been to the Outer Banks? And did you know North Carolina has alligators? Leave a note in the comments about your weekend.
Have a beautiful week, friends.
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On My Radar~Ann Taylor
A few years ago we stayed at a house on the beach in Surf City, NC with adult children and grandchildren. Great time. Then the day after we came home I saw an article in a NC newspaper with a photo showing a very large alligator walking towards some beach houses at night…just a few houses down from where we had stayed. Does make one pause.