Sunday at HB

Highlights of Day 2

Exploring the marsh habitat

                                               (See the white ibis flying away?)

                                                                  Let's go crab fishing!

                                                       Lessons in nature.

                        Look beyond what you can see...and you will see...teeny tiny crabs in the mud!!

                Hmmm, all this talk about crabs is making me hungry.  Time for the seafood steamer pot at
                                                         Castaways Raw Bar & Grill

                                                        Sunday in a jumble of words:

Wake up to coffee being made by sister, she and "Grandma" go to church, we go marsh exploring, Uncle Gary rests (still recovering from surgery), set up umbrellas on beach, Grandma makes it down too, relaxing in chairs, we play in waves, son-in-law drives back to Cary for work week, we go out for dinner, Uncle Gary has bout of vertigo, has to be escorted from restaurant, while I juggle 3 boxes of leftover seafood while assisting my mom down rickety steps in pouring rain, beautiful double rainbows appear over the ocean, speeding "home" to beach house due to Gary's condition plus Sam's exploding bladder from too much Coke, barely make it home on time, we chill out, play Trionomoes, read to Colby, now time for Netflix.

                                                                     Goodnight!

Holden Beach: day one

Ocean overload?  No way.  I could never get enough of the sea.  Every second it changes.  Always moving.  Beautiful.

More pics to come as the week progresses.   I'm in my happy place.  goodnight.  ;-)

KUWTN season 16, episode 2 (part 1) House Hunters

Here we go again...on another house hunt.  Feels like one of those house hunting shows on HGTV that I used to watch, minus the camera crew, the fake conversation, the pretend scenarios, the lovey-dovey couples who practically make out in sheer bliss over looking at a house together. (ugh! gag me with a plunger, please!!)

In our case, I was a ball of nerves. 

It's not that looking at a house is that scary.  It's fun, and I was really, really excited about seeing this one.  See, after we were too late to make an offer on the last house I fell in love with, I didn't think I'd ever find another I liked as much...until I saw this next one.  

It's in the same area, also has a pond out back...

...AND also has a beautiful in-grown pool, with a much more beautiful back yard, gorgeously landscaped with palm trees and other tropical plants..my favorites!

Ahhhh...I can see myself already...lying by the pool, or floating around lazily on an air mattress..sipping my iced tea.. hey who knows, maybe I'll even post a picture or two of that in a few months.. (but ONLY if I get my fat booty to the gym and work off some of this pudge!!!)

So what is it about this picture-perfect paradise that (insert Bob Barker's or Drew Carey's voice:) "COULD BE OURS IF ...THE PRICE IS RIGHT!!!!"   ..that makes my stomach tie up in knots and churn like I'm going to up-chuck?

I've been feeling sick ever since we went and looked at it.  Stomach pain, tightness, nausea.  The same symptoms I had years ago before I went on meds for anxiety.

So I called my psychiatrist today, got permission to up my chill pills. whew!  My tummy is relaxing already, just thinking about the upcoming relief.  That "ahhh" feeling I get when I first notice those pills kicking in, like easing back onto a reclining beach chair on a sunny afternoon, enjoying that summertime sunshine....

What's that? You think I'm just treating the symptoms, not the real problem?  aww, pshawww!!
(I'm moving further from the City, gotta start talkin' more Southern now, y'all..

Yes, I know.  I still have problems to solve.  Moving to a new place, no matter how scenic and relaxing it is, is not the cure to a stressful situation and stress-induced stomach problems. I fear change, and this is a big change.  Totally new surroundings, new schools for the kids, new area of the state I know nothing about, heck I don't even know where the nearest grocery store is. But more than just those kinds of changes.. I have some bigger problems to face. To conquer.  And I shall.

But first, let me kick back in margaritta-ville, catch some rays... and dream of my "someday".

ha ha, this house is not ours yet.  Stay tuned, I'll be back with more on the wheelin' and dealin' of (hopefully) buying a house.

pass me the suntan oil, please..

Sister visit

Just had a fun visit from my sister Heidi, the one who lives in California with 2 horses, a dog, 2 cats, a bunch of chickens, and a British roommate/handyman who's also a great cook.  She was in the area for work, so she spent the night with us,  plus a fun day today, before we took her to the airport a couple hours ago.  

 

Highlights of her visit...a walk around the N.C. Museum of Art on a beautiful spring day!  Here we are,  Aunt Heidi, Mommy Jenner, and Daughter/Niece Sam.

First stop, the Rodin sculpture garden.  

Yes, we tend to get a little extra silly when we Storm siblings get together again!!!

                              (mmm, this calf muscle looks like something i could sink my teeth into!!)

                                              (what's he about to do with that finger?)

                                               my sister.  always a step ahead of me..

                                       can you tell i took modern dance in college?

                                                       enjoying the sunshine...

                                 my very favorite: lying down behind the giant legs!!

                                                                  random.
                                             

                that's it, folks!  hope to one day take Sam out to visit Heidi in California, that would be so fun!

funky town

you know the song: "well, i talked about it, talked about it, talked about it, talked about it. Talk about, talk about, talk about mooo-oooo-ving.....gotta move on...!!!"

Looked at a house tonight with a realtor.  Pretty exciting, it had some exciting features we've always wanted: lots of land, 4 bedrooms, (YES!! my own room, finally!!!) a 4-car garage, a dog kennel and fenced-in backyard, and best of all, an in-ground swimming pool!  It was also awesome that it's on a pond, in a quiet, country neighborhood, so much different than this busy suburban town where the houses are so close together you could stick your head out the window and land a loogie on your neighbor's kitchen window, with ease.  no kidding.

But with the sacrifice of cramped neighborhoods comes the luxury of convenience.  location, location, location.  A hello to this rural home would mean goodbye to my beloved Trader Joe's, my gym with my favorite Body Combat instructor, and so many other places that have become very near and dear to my heart in all the years we've lived in this town.

Where is this fine house, you ask?  A long drive, my friend.  All the way down in Johnston County.
(I'd show you some pictures, but I didn't take any of my own and I couldn't copy the photos from the website, so here's the link if you're interested..)

http://www.fmrealty.com/real-estate/willow-springs/1030-lake-path-road/2054622?rowNum=1&searchID=219e28be-a4fe-45a3-a563-52bfd7c1087b&sortBy=priceDesc&pageSize=20&page=1&displayPhoto=exterior#

Anyhow, I just gotta sleep on this.  Has its pros and cons, but just the idea of moving out of this area to a very rural area is quite a change for me.  I like being a city girl, and even where I am now is not really that city-ish, but it's got all my creature comforts just a short drive away.  Not so out in the boonies.  oh but I bet you can see the stars at night out there, and the air might even smell a bit cleaner.  And i could take that little boat out on the pond, just me and the fish and the turtles, and have some quiet time to myself.  And get some big dogs to romp through the fields with.. And then there will be other considerations, too, like my new divisions of privacy, some new physical boundaries I'd like to create for my sleeping and private space.  And not to mention all those other changes, like new schools for the kids, finding a new church, where to shop, how to meet people out there, etc.

lots to think about.   and i'm too exhausted to think any more right now.

goodnight.

Teen band

These kids from School of Rock in Cary did a pretty good cover of AC/dc's "TNT" today at Colby's school carnival. That girl on the guitar solo really rocks!!!

https://youtu.be/qnM-b5kQmoM

Beautiful day for a ...

...shrink appointment.

it went well, thanks.