Greetings...

Topsail Island, originally uploaded by iivv82.

from Topsail. I'll be blogging from here for the next two weeks. If I get overly ambitious I'll post pictures from around the island and give you a little history about the place.

Four Years

Four years ago today my lil' darlins were born. It is such a cliche', but the time really does fly. Each year that passes they are at a different stage of their life and it is such a pleasure to be a part of it all. I'm counting on this summer to be the best one yet. Happy Birthday girls, I love you.

Busy Celebrating

We've been busy around here the past few days...celebrating the last day of school, celebrating the lil' darlins birthday "week" and preparing to go off to sleep away camp for the first time. Tons of happenings to start off the summer!

Long Lost Letters

When is the last time I have sat down to compose a long letter and instead of pressing "Send" on the keyboard, I licked the envelope, addressed it, stamped it and sent it on its way? A card or note may have recently passed through my fingers, but it has been a terribly long time since I have sent a letter. It is bittersweet how the busyness of our culture and the instant gratifying appeal of technology reigns these days. Letters just aren't quick enough and that is a travesty. Future generations won't have a treasure of letters as a way of linking to their past. For me, having a file on a computer that is full of e-mail correspondences just isn't as charming. I am thankful for the letters I have saved through the years and I regret some of the ones I threw away. When my dad passed away I received a box of his letters that he wrote when he was in the Army. They were all to family members and the fact that they were saved all these years and I can still enjoy them warms me. It gives me a slight glimpse at the young man he was. There were also some letters written by my mother when she was pregnant with me. How neat to know that I was so much a part of their world even before I was born.

When I was a teenager I asked my grandfather to make me a wooden box to hold my treasured letters. At that point I had no idea I would have such an important collection. But I look forward to passing them down one day to my daughters as an insight into their past. For now, I write my girls an annual letter on their birthday which they will be given when they are much older. I am just as guilty as the next person when it comes to putting pen to paper. Who knows, by the time my girls are adults they may feel nostalgic about my blog as a means of communication. As Bob Dylan sang, "the times, they are a-changing".

Prada Pangs

Back in the 90's (that feels really weird to write) I had a minor obsession with high fashion. I did not obsess over owning it, because that was totally out of the realm of possibility, just loved admiring it. Miuccia Prada was one of the first designers that I so adored. I loved her clean lines and colors and still remember the exact outfit that I fell in love with. So, it is fitting that my Prada shoes were the first designer addition to my wardrobe. They were expensive, they were comfortable, they were modern, they were oh-so-chic and I loved them. I still love them. I have loved them for well over 10 years. They have walked many streets, fetched many compliments and have never gone out of style. This is my testament to the fact that paying a lot of money for good shoes is well worth it. We had almost 12 years together and I am happy with that, but they recently walked their last walk. Shoes can be a girl's best friend and I had to pay homage to my dear ole' soles....RIP.

Wedding Cake

Isn't this gorgeous? If I were in the market for a wedding cake, this would absolutely fit the bill. The silhouette sealed the deal, so classic and simple. I loooove it. You can find it here.

Toni Morrison on Censorship

“The thought that leads me to contemplate with dread the erasure of other voices, of unwritten novels, poems whispered or swallowed for fear of being overheard by the wrong people, outlawed languages flourishing underground, essayists’ questions challenging authority never being posed, unstaged plays, cancelled films – that thought is a nightmare,” she writes. “As though a whole universe is being described in invisible ink.”

From the book Burn This Book, edited by Toni Morrison.

Day 1

Today is day one of the lil' darlins being away at YaYa's. This morning was so quiet with no major quarrels about who was going to sit where and beside whom and who was going to get the purple sippy cup. The oldest darlin' is so used to the chaos (of which she is an active participant), that I think she kind of missed it. She quickly asked when the girls were coming back. I miss them too, but it is also nice to catch my breath.