stupendous day!

Today is one of those days that makes you feel glad to be alive 'n kicking......
Sky so blue it looks fake; lake is like a mirror; colorful leaves are
scattered all around; temp warm enough to wear a t shirt ( my Posterous
one, in fact).....
So, if you're stuck indoors, take a few minutes to put your face up to the sun;
if you are able to , scoot outside for a stroll....or rake some leaves.....
or take a book out in the yard and read in the sunshine.
... just so we know what season it is, the greenhouses across the way
are filled with poinsettias......a sure sign of what's around the corner:)

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The Way

I usually don't post reviews of movies, but......."The Way" was so good that I wanted
to share it!
The story centers on people who journey along El Camino, Spain, for various reasons:
religious pilgrimage, commemorative journey, freedom from the craziness of modern world,
the chance to commune with nature along the Pyrenees. ....800 kilometers of
walking and hiking. More than the physical journey, it's an emotional one.....the characters along the way each have a story......and their stories evolve as the
journey progresses. Hardship, gorgeous scenery, interaction with the towns folks
along the way.....personal reasons for embarking on this arduous trip.

Martin Sheen is great! He decides to complete the journey for his son, who was killed in
a winter storm , while hiking El Camino. The reason: maybe fulfillment for his son;
maybe self fulfillment; maybe to take stock of his life and see if there's more to life
than golf and work.......
This is not an action-packed movie, but it's not a dull one, either. It flows nicely, allows
you to get into the moment, share the travelers' stories, and view the beautiful setting.
It's the best movie in years!

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a good time?

Funny, how our idea of a good time changes over the years. A "day on the sailboat " today
entailed hauling stuff- sails, cloth bags, equipment, cushions, pdfs, down a ladder lashed to
the stern rail and into the car.....many trips to be sure. Oh, did I mention winds were 25-30
mph with gusts up to 50 mph? Waves were crashing over the breakwall and up onto
the road...quite dramatic. Then, once home, we got to do it in reverse and store it all
in the garage rafters.
I told David: you sure know how to show a girl a good time:)
ahhh, it's all part of sailing.......

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Must be Fall...

Back to Kindergarten, helping little ones learn to read......As Art Linkletter used to say, "Kids say the darndest things"......I'll share some of those as the year progresses. Yesterday I met the new class and read "Silly Sydney"....a favorite of my girls when they were in their tender years....Sydney loves summer so much that he tries to prevent Fall from coming ( and, he's a bit lazy, so he doesn't want to collect nuts and work hard to get ready for winter). The kids were "all ears" as Sydney tried one trick after another to keep the leaves from falling, and thus, prevent Fall from coming. I even wore my socks with the leaves on them! It's a fun time of sharing the joy of reading and getting little kids excited about all the new adventures just waiting in the next book:) And, judging from all the leaves piling up around the yard, Fall has definitely arrived. Funny how they look so pretty as they gently flutter to the ground one by one.....but when they gang up into huge piles, not so pretty.....a bit of aerobic exercise raking and bagging.....

the last sail...kinda!

Decked out in our matching Posterous t shirts for last sail of the season and photo op ....lines cast off, motor started ....sputter, sputter.....leaking gas and wouldn't start again. Alas, sailed ( and skulled the tiller) about 10 minutes to the launch area where boat was lifted out for the season. It could have been worse- like no wind and no motor-in the middle of the lake. Hmmmm, does this count as a "sail" for this season?

End of summer fun!

Still lots of fun things to do outdoors, before Mother Nature brings on the Fall colors.....
Thurs was Letchworth State park and lunch overlooking the gorge ( Grand Canyon of the
East).....gorgeous view and trails along the falls.
Fri was a perfect beach day: hot, sunny and, lake temp still fine for swimming....lunch
on the patio at South Shore. Later: an outdoor dance party at the Erie Canal Harbor...
60's and 70's music and lots of folks just having a good time. Sailboats were moored, listening to the music.
Today will be a day of kayaking...the lake is calm and sunshine is bright. A friend lives
across from the lake and we can be on the lake kayaking in no time.

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone! Enjoy the outdoor fun and activities
that each area has to offer.


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a walk in the country

Today while taking my 2 mile walk past the farm fields, it was obvious that it
was "that time of year"...yes, time to use up all that "natural fertilizer" to enrich the
soil. I will never get used to the smell of manure!!
So, for the next couple days, guess I'll have earbuds attached to my iPod and
nose plug to block the odor......at least I won't have to worry about getting
accosted, drivers will think I'm a mad woman:)
Ahhhh, life on the edge in the country!
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kids keep you young!

So, we planned to take a friend and her 2 "tween age" daughters sailing with us.
Mother Nature was not predicted to send much wind, and we didn't want to disappoint the kids
by cancelling. So, my husband suggested swimming off the back of the boat ( which we've never done
before)...my sailing buddies advised that if winds were light, we could just drop the sails and drift...no
need to anchor.
After a nice sail out towards the windmills ( Joelle on the helm), and lunch while sailing,
we dropped sails and jumped in the lake...ahhh!!!! We had a ball!!!
Lake was refreshing at 79 degrees, clear and calm..
everyone swam around the boat, drifted on flotation cushions and enjoyed swimming....
soooo refreshing!
Jenna steered us back in, while drying off.
A good time was had by all:)

Beach Therapy

A beach get-away makes you relax and commune with nature......
Warm sunshine, sand between your toes, gentle breezes, and Lake Erie
temp warm enough to enjoy a swim.
Presque Isle is only 90 miles from home and it seems like an island resort.
In this case, it's a peninsula- with 11 miles of sandy beaches and a protected
shoreline. No fancy resorts or fancy restaurants...just a beautiful spot
to enjoy time at the beach, swim, picnic, nap in the shade.....then, do it all
again the next day!

Whether it's hiking or walking the beaches, it's nice to take some time to
enjoy the outdoors and let your mind wander.


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