Ordinary Days-Sunshine and Books on the Beach

We were lucky enough to take off for a sort of last-minute vacation to Hilton Head-we haven’t visited in about 9 or 10 years and I missed that place!  We stayed in the condo complex we have stayed in the last few times, Shorewood, because it’s on the beach, close to the little shops and the pool is heated. I love Hilton Head because we can ride bikes on the beach when the tide is out and we took some long long long bike rides.  We had gorgeous weather, sunshine every day and it was just perfect.  PLUS we had only four kids in our minivan, leaving the older two behind (work and school) and there was SO much room.  Which resulted in very little complaining, and no one punching each other or left on the side of the road (well, we’ve never had that, not that I haven’t been tempted.)

This is the first vacation in 22 years that I’ve been able to read books on the beach or at the pool.  I’ve dreamt of this moment!  And I read five to make up for those two decades.  I brought two, one of which I was halfway finished, and then Andrew let me borrow his Kindle because I was desperate, which I am forever grateful.  I am also forever grateful to Jeff who played with the kids every single minute and went to the grocery store and made every meal.  Janey was a pool girl this vacation and she floated and played for hours upon hours in the pool while I sat by the side and read and the boys played at the beach.  It was SO nice.  As much as I loved seeing all the beautiful pregnant moms and sweet little babies and toddlers, I must say I enjoyed immensely having a little less intense time at the beach.  

Sand burials.

The boys went fishing a few days and saw quite a few alligators and came home with wild tales of stolen fish and scary moments.

Greg Russell, a Hilton Head tradition.  (That is not him up there, he hasn’t arrived yet in this pic.) Janey finally got up the nerve to sit on stage and listen to him play his guitar and sing funny songs, and a few songs in she was clapping along and having a great time.

Junk food galore, another tradition.  I’m on a massive detox.  Jeff loves Publix and thankfully there was one a few miles away.  I can’t even tell you how many loaves of White Mountain bread we went through but it was more white bread than any family should eat in a single week.  And we’ve also discovered Publix generic ice cream and I am thankful we do not have a Publix up north here or I’d be in big trouble.

Janey brought down her own romance novel found in the condo and read it to us.  The story sounded a lot like Mary Poppins.

BOOKS!!!  Thank you for all your book recommends last post-I can’t wait to start on my list.

My Mrs. Brown

This is a short, sweet, uplifting read perfect for the beach.  I ADORED Mrs. Brown, everything about her-her small town ways and regimented life and her unrelenting kindness.  

The Orchardist

This was a great, LONG, but great book about a farmer who takes in two wayward girls and whose life is changed forever by it.  The prose is beautiful, Amanda Coplin is one of those gifted writers who conveys emotion in a beautiful way.

The Boys Who Challenged Hitler

I didn’t read this, Andrew (13) did and LOVED IT.  He told me this was the first time that he couldn’t wait to read a book, instead of find something else to do, (and he is a great reader!) and that he now loves non-fiction-something he didn’t think he would like.  (I get frustrated with all the sci-fi and fantasy for boys this age so I was thrilled to hear this.)

From Sand and Ash

I loved this book-it’s a WWII love story between a girl and a boy who were raised as siblings, one of them  Jewish, one Catholic.  There was a lot of factual information worked into the book that I didn’t know-how many Catholics sheltered Jews in their homes and in convents.  I couldn’t put this one down.

The Practice House

This was such a good book.  A Scotland girl finds herself living with a family on a farm during the Dust Bowl, hired as a school teacher-she falls in love and a family is torn apart.

Back to routine, and lunches and soccer practice and an incredibly busy April…and lots of rain. But it was so nice to get away and recharge and remember what sun feels like.