Reminiscing

When I came across this vintage VW Bus when we were cleaning out my parent's house, I knew I had to have it. 

I picked it up on one of the last days before we took everything to donate or to the dump.  Everyone else had passed it over, but I just couldn't let it slip away.

You see, I have many fond memories of VW Microbuses, or the Deluxe Microbus as this particular model was called.  It was also called a Samba bus when it was first released, and the real buses had a canvas sunroof and mini skylight windows all along the roof because it was designed for sightseeing in the Alps...how cool is that?!

But my memories are not of seeing the Alps via a VW bus, though that would totally be cool, nope one of my best friends in high school drove one of these babies!   We owned a convertible VW beetle which my brother totaled, but we never owned a VW bus, which to me was the height of coolness back in the day.

Oh the things we did in that bus, singing at the top of our lungs, changing clothes on the grounds of the Naval Academy (sheesh, no modesty), and cruising to the beach or to tennis practice with my two besties!  Those were the days when life's possibilities seemed infinite, and being over 40 seemed impossible!

(Shadowhouse raised texture)

Today I still feel like the possibilities are infinite, but being over 40 is not only possible but 50 is edging closer with every passing year!

My friend now lives in California, where she and her family run an almond ranch, so we don't get to see each other as much as we would like.  I'm hoping that I can get out there to see her this year though, and we've promised one another that when we both turn 50 we will be doing a girl's trip to the UK.  When I do visit her, I hope she will take me for a little ride down memory lane because that old bus is still running, and they use it on the ranch!

I wonder what songs we will blast on the radio now that we are so much older?!   Or maybe we'll just do a little reminiscing.

The Water is Wide

This lovely Mute Swan graced us with his or her presence on a walk this evening.

Busy As a Bee and A Break

So apparently in my last blog post I sounded quite pitiful.  Hmm, I didn't mean to, or maybe I did?!  My sweet mother in law phoned to see if I was alright and then my neighbor and then my daughter, so I guess I did sound a little down and out.  I'm actually fine, just coughing a bit due to allergies I've determined, which is new for me, I've never really had them before.  And I am always a little bummed when Mr. Tide leaves on short notice to go to places that make me worry for his safety, but after all of these years I'm pretty used to it so it's all good.

(click to enlarge any of the photos in this post if you really want to get up close and personal with the carpenter bee!)

As I was making my way through blogland today I came across a wonderful idea.  It's called The August Break and it is an idea started by the talented blogger Susannah Conway on her amazing blog Notes on Unraveling the Heart...love her blog!

Here is what she had to say and how this all works...

Okay, here’s the plan for the August Break: you simply share one photo (or more!) per day on your blog – Monday to Friday, or every day. Or whenever you feel moved to share. Using any camera – DSLR, compact, Polaroid, Holga, iPhone (my choice), Instax, film or digital – with or without words – anything goes! – for the whole of August. No pressure – just looking at August through your camera lens as a way to be more present this summer. And to have a little break from the pressures and expectations of regular blogging.

There are NO RULES, people! Just sunshine (hopefully) and a bit of fun. And lots of lovely photos to look at.

Although I don't usually participate in bloggy challenges or meme parties much these days, I love this idea and have decided to join in.  I have some great things happening for me right now, more on that soon I hope, so I think this challenge will fit in well with everything else that is going on and it will allow me to keep snapping pictures without the need to have them make sense...if that makes sense?!  I can be random and experimental and then just share my randomness without explanation, which sounds like a plan to me!


So, if you are interested in giving yourself a little bloggy break during August, go HERE and get the details and join in!

I hope you have a bee-utiful day!