Anniversary Trip

During the health scare with my Mom, MedicMan and I had previously scheduled a weekend away at our favorite B&B in Flagler Beach, the White Orchid Inn. This little off-the-beaten path is a gem that MedicMan discovered several years ago and we'd been dying to go back ever since our previous trip. It was our 13th anniversary on July 23rd, so we set off for a long weekend. Our close friends, Gone Country and Country Boy decided to join us on their way back from a family reunion in Georgia. We met at the Inn late on the afternoon of the 23rd and settled in for a wonderful and relaxing time.

Somehow I'd talked MedicMan into taking me shopping at the Prime Outlets in St. Augustine, which are about 30 minutes north of our destination. What was I thinking?! LOL 100 degree heat, lots of people and a man who abhors shopping for any reason. Yikes! I decided that he must really love me to put himself through the ordeal.

I really only had two stores in mind - Brighton and Coach. Luckily for me, they were side-by-side in the same building, so we only had to park once and walk from one to the other. Once we arrived and got parked, MedicMan settled into the spirit of things and let me wander and ooh-and-ahh to my heart's content. I finally decided on a necklace and matching bracelet at Brighton, a small ring with a heart on it, and a pair of earrings that have "Love" stampled on a small dangly heart. After checking out, I discovered a text from Gone Country that they had arrived at the Inn and she was enjoying happy hour while Country Boy took their truck to the tire store to have some lumpy tires replaced. I texted her back and asked her not to drink all of the wine and we were on our way!

After checking in to our lovely room, the Lilac Room, we decided to take a dip in the pool before dressing for dinner. Oh how relaxing it was to float in that cool, refreshing pool....well, because of the heat, it was almost bath water temperature, but it was still a might bit cooler than the outdoor temperatures!

There was a really good italian restaurant in the area that MedicMan and I had eaten at when we were there years ago, and we were told the man who ran it sold the restaurant and opened up a new one. We remembered how good the food had been, so being that it was our anniversary, we chose the italian restaurant and Gone Country and Country Boy would chose dinner the second night. The pizza was good, but my pasta dish was very bland and watery. Oh well...the company was great!

The next day was a dedicated beach day. We had toyed with the idea of taking a drive to St. Augustine to shoot some photos, but we didn't want to be that close to the beach and not have time to enjoy it. Besides, the temperature was scorching and walking around St. Augustine quickly lost it's appeal.

(note: apparently Blogger has changed the photo upload feature, so until I figure it out, you can click on the photo for a larger view)

This little guy was desperating trying to get from the dunes to the surf, and was kind enough to stop and pose for a few shots before scampering the rest of the way.

It was a wonderfully relaxing day, watching people, watching sandcastles being built, watching birds and just taking time to breathe.

We decided on a late lunch of fruit and cheese served poolside at the Inn, and MedicMan and I popped the champaign that had been chilling in our room from our anniversary to share with Gone Country and Country Boy.

After a quick shower, naps (Country Boy) and happy hour (Gone Country and I), MedicMan caught up on some homework, then we decided on The Fisherman's Net for dinner. Really good seafood and a nice atmosphere. We were all so beat from a day in the sun, we called it an early evening.

The next day, we were going to drive to St. Augustine, shoot a few photos around the historic area, and maybe the lighthouse. When I woke up that morning, I was not feeling quite up to it, so MedicMan and I decided to head back towards home, and Gone Country and Country Boy went on to St. Augustine without us. It was probably for the best, because she said that the heat was so intense that even they couldn't bear to be out in it for more than about an hour, then they also started back. Not before she captured some really good lighthouse shots, though!

The excitement from the weekend wasn't quite over. Since we lost our Heidi-girl, we'd noticed our little man, Sammy, wasn't quite as chipper and was moping around the house. MedicMan found an add in a local online newspaper for a breeder in our area that had long-haired chihauhau puppies for $200. We called and spoke with Joy at Joy's Homegrown Chihauhua's and she agreed to meet us on the way home the next day to show us her four puppies. We decided to take one home.....and that will require an entire blog post on it's own - Life with Tucker!

Live life and laugh often!
Mama Shutta'Bug

Topsy Turvy

It's been a little while since I've updated. I haven't been able to bring myself to put my thoughts down to where they would become permanent because my thoughts and feelings were quite literally turned upside down on July 19th. I was driving home from work, which is about a 40 minute beautiful drive down country roads, and as usual called my parents to just catch up and chit chat. Nothing out of the ordinary, or so I thought. I got home, fed the furry babies and sat down at the computer to check my email. In walked my husband from work, about 30 minutes before he was supposed to be off - still I thought nothing was out of the ordinary. I was chatting with MedicMan, just talking about our day, when his phone rang. Apparently mine had rang several times, but I had left it in the other room, which I do much to the annoyance of MedicMan, fairly often. My mother was calling me back and because I didn't answer my phone, called MedicMan's phone. He handed me the phone and her words to me, "I have something to tell you" struck fear into my very soul. I knew even before she continued that something horrible was going to change our lives in a matter of seconds.

"I've been diagnosed with stage I breast cancer". All I heard was breast cancer. I let her speak as she told me that she'd been to the doctor that morning and this had been on-going since July 5th, when her routine mammogram had revealed a suspicious spot. A routine mammogram that she nearly decided to skip this year, but by the grace of God, did not. MedicMan came home early from work, because she called my daughter first to tell her, since I was at work and then driving home. My daughter then called MedicMan, who called my mother to find out all of the medical details, then he immediately called his supervisor and got off the truck early so he could be home when Mom called to tell me. I'm not sure exactly what they all thought would happen when I got the news, but apparently they thought I wouldn't receive it well. They were probably right. I spent the rest of the night and most of the next day numb.

Looking back, I probably did not walk the walk - I'm a very faithful person, but at that very moment in time, I was scared. Yes, I prayed. I prayed probably harder and longer than I've prayed for something in a very long time. But did I feel "faithful"? I don't know if I felt a complete sense of peace, as my mother claims she felt. But I do know I felt that the Lord was already on it. That He already knew the outcome and that He wanted me to just trust Him. So I did - I had no other choice. He is the Healer and His will would be done. I prayed hard and long that His will would be that everything would be fine and life could go back to the way it was when I woke up on July 19th.

Things began to move very quickly. It's amazing how fast things can get done when doctors want to go on vacation - but whatever the reason - it couldn't be fast enough for us. A cardiology consult was needed and Mom didn't have a cardiologist, so the surgeon's office got her in to see one - one of the best in that area, so we are told. He was reluctant to sign off on the surgery with such a short notice on a new patient, but finally realized that she was in a catch 22 situation. Either she had the surgery, which meant coming off of blood thinners for a week, or she didn't - and the cancer would continue to grow. To me, there was no option. Yes, there was risk coming off of the blood thinners, but it was a "risk". Not having the surgery was setting her up for certain death from breast cancer. The surgery was scheduled.

On July 29, only 24 days from the initial mammogram, Mom underwent a lumpectomy, and 3 lymph nodes were removed. It was hoped that she would be eligible for a new treatment procedure called Mammosite. Mammosite is small, saline filled balloon that is inserted into the cavity created by the lumpectomy. Once the pathology report confirms that there is no involvement of the lymph nodes, the radiation is administered directly into the balloon, thereby eliminating the need to radiate the entire breast. Treatment is twice a day for five days. That's it. Amazing!

Mom went for her follow up with the surgeon and to receive the pathology report six days after her surgery. The report was good, no cancer cells in the surrounding tissue or any of the lymph nodes. Praise God!!! She was fitted for her Mammosite balloon and received her first radiation treatment that day. The entire process takes 7 minutes. She's done next week. In just over 30 days, our world went from perfect - to topsy turvy - to perfect once more. I can't believe it's been only a month, but on the other hand I can't believe all that has been accomplishing in only a month. We give all the praise and glory to God, for He really does hold us all in His loving hand.

This song was one that we sang in church this morning. I picture myself, sitting at His feet, lying back against Him, and hearing His heart beat. That is where I find comfort during the storm. Deep in His arms, feeling His heartbeat and knowing that He will make my topsy turvy world right side up again.

The More I Seek You (Video)

Lyrics to The More I Seek You :

The more i seek you,
the more i find you.

The more i find you,
the more I love you

I wanna sit at your feet
drink from the cup in your hand.
Lay back against you and breath,
hear your heart beat

This love is so deep,
it's more than I can stand.
I melt in your peace, it's overwhelming

The more i seek you,
the more i find you.

The more i find you,
the more I love you

I wanna sit at your feet
drink from the cup in your hand.
Lay back against you and breath,
hear your heart beat

This love is so deep,
it's more than I can stand.
I melt in your peace, it's overwhelming

I wanna sit at your feet
drink from the cup in your hand.
Lay back against you and breath,
hear your heart beat

This love is so deep,
it's more than I can stand.
I melt in your peace, it's overwhelming

I wanna sit at your feet
drink from the cup in your hand.
Lay back against you and breath,
hear your heart beat

This love is so deep,
it's more than I can stand.
I melt in your peace...

Give Thanks

Thanks giving is not just for a Thursday in November.......it's for every day of the year.  Thank you God, for all that you do for me.

Live life and laugh often,

Mama Shutta 'Bug

Linking up with A Rural Journal for

Lighthouses of New England

I thought perhaps we'd take a little trip up the New England Coast and into Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and check out a few lighthouses today.  It's been so brutally hot and humid here in Florida for the past few weeks, that a nice, cool trip in the North sounds oh, so good!

Our first lighthouse is Maugher Beach, Nova Scotia (built in 1815).  I loved the morning light and this was taken off of our aft balcony of the Caribbean Princess (Princess CL) just after dawn, sailing in to Halifax, Nova Scotia

A short bus ride away, we visited Peggy's Cove and the Peggy's Point Lighthouse (1868), which you might remember from an earlier post

The next day, cruising in to St. John, New Brunswick, we get a view of Partridge Island (1791)

One of the excursions we chose to do was a river cruise up the St. John River on a double-decker riverboat called the Voyageur II (photo borrowed from Princess Cruises)





Along the river we found McColgan Point Lighthouse (1913)

and Bayswater Lighthouse (1913), which also has a lovely covered bridge next to it!

Working our way back up the river, we see Swift Point Lighthouse (1896)



Now we are in Bar Harbor, Maine - which the locals pronouce Bah Haba.  This was one our our favorite ports on this trip.  The scenery was fabulous, and I'll share more of that in another post.  This is Bear Island Lighthouse (1889)



Farther along in our trip, we spent a wonderful day in Boston.  We fell in love with Boston.  There is SO much to see there and Boston will most likely take up a post by itself!  Leaving Boston Harbor, we have Graves Light Station (1903) closest to us, and in the distance you also see the Boston Harbor Lighthouse (1716).



Our last port of call was Newport, Rhode Island.  This was a seven-day cruise and five ports of call.  We were exhausted, to say the least.  MedicMan and I decided that we would make Newport a "sea day" and we stayed on the ship, letting all of the other passengers visit the mansions of people such as the Vanderbilts, and the yachts that grace Newport.  It started out as a very foggy day, but it quickly burned off and we spent much of the day napping in deck chairs in full view of both the marina and Rose Island Light Station (1869).



Leaving Newport, we see the Newport Harbor or Goat Island Lighthouse (1851)



and the Castle Hill Lighthouse (1890)

and into the evening, our last night on board heading back to Manhatten, we catch the beautiful beacon on the water of the Beavertail Lighthouse (1754)

I hope you enjoyed our lighthouse journey.  We are planning to one day do this cruise again - there are probably hundreds more lighthouses that we missed! Next weekend MedicMan and some friends (Gone Country and Country Boy) are traveling and will (hopefully) have some new lighthouse shots for you to enjoy, although I don't think the weather will be quite as cool where we are going!

Until then,

Live life and laugh often!

Mama Shutta' Bug



A very sad day....

Tuesday, July 12th, will go down in my book as one of the saddest days of my life to date.  Next to God, my husband, parents, children and friends, my pets are the most precious blessings I have been bestowed.  Some people feel their pets are just animals - small, insignificant beings that move in and out of our life without alot of impact or value.  That is just so not true in my life.  Every pet I've ever had has had a special place in my heart and will always be a part of me. 

Thirteen years ago, my husband and I brought home a cute blonde bundle of energy whom we named Heidi.  Heidi was part of a litter that had been dumped at a vet's office.  The litter was part Sharpei and part Jack Russell terrier (yeah....figure that one out! LOL).  She had the Sharpei wrinkles and the Jack Russell personality and stole her way into our hearts.  Part of the reason we decided to bring home a puppy was because our youngest, Tink, who was 7 when we got married, was terrified of dogs.  She would literally climb up your torso and scream at the top of her lungs if a dog got anywhere near her.  She'd been bitten twice as a toddler, once in the face by a Chow, and has the scar above her nose to prove it.  So Heidi was to be therapy for Tink - a tiny puppy who established trust in dogs in one very scared little girl.  Heidi loved to tussle and growl and play rough with MedicMan, me and our oldest daughter.  But when Tink came in the room to play, she became very gentle.  Tink could lay down and rest her head on Heidi, hug her, tug her ears, do just about anything, and Heidi was never anything more than gentle. 

One of Heidi's greatest loves was to play ball - she would chase a tennis ball for as long as you would throw one.  She was one of the best goalie's I've ever seen - and I've been to a Stanley Cup game 7!  You couldn't get one by her.  She loved her People, and worried if someone was missing.  It was a difficult adjustment when our oldest moved into her own home.  When Tink moved to Disney to work, Heidi looked for her for days. 

We knew for about the past year that Heidi was slowing down.  She'd turned white in the face, and getting up and down off of the bed became a thing of the past.  In the recent weeks, just getting up from the floor was painful for her, and we could tell that her joints were giving out because she didn't like to stand in one place and would weave and sway from one foot to the other.  Her kidneys were shutting down and she was having kidney stones and continence issues.  Heidi's spirit was still strong, but her body was tired.

So, on Tuesday, July 12th, we made the decision that every pet owner dreads making, and we let Heidi go.  She went peacefully and quietly, and took a huge chunk of our hearts with her.

I believe there are animals in heaven - nothing in the bible disputes that.  There is a great book that I recently read, called "Heaven is for Real" written by Todd Burpo about his son, who spent three minutes in heaven during a health crisis.  In heaven, Colton Burpo sees horses and other animals.  So, in my belief, I will see my Heidi-girl again.  Until then, she runs on puppy legs, chasing tennis balls, and patiently waits for her People to join her.

As always,

Live life and laugh often -

Mama Shutta' Bug

Good morning God!

That's how I felt when I took this image - that God was just peeking into my world for a moment - then going on about His day.......hope you enjoy!

As always........

Live life and laugh often,

Mama Shutta' Bug

Linking up with A Rural Journal for

In no particular order.......

Blogging, I've discovered, takes a huge commitment.  I don't know how many people out there actually read this, but the one or two who do keep asking, "when are you going to update your blog?"  hahaha

Well, here's the thing.  I used to be a professional photographer.  I actually made a living doing what I love - taking photos - for a short time, until the economy determined that I'd have to work a whole lot harder to make enough money to live on.  That, coupled with some health issues, made me go back to my 20+ year career in commercial insurance.  I still love what I do in insurance, don't get me wrong - but it's not the creative outlet that I enjoyed with photography.  I took lots of photos as a photographer, but not photos that you'd probably enjoy looking at.  Mostly portraits, and unless you are either the subject or you are a loved one of the subject, that can be kind of boring.  I don't tend to take alot of photos with my point and shoot on a daily basis.  Outside of my new pedicure and many, many photos of my two dogs, there's really not alot of exciting things going on around here.  That would be pretty boring too.

MedicMan and I love to travel and our very favorite thing to do when we travel is to cruise.  We've cruised the Western Caribbean several times, the Eastern Caribbean, New England to Canada, and to Alaska.  I have LOTS of travel photos from our many trips, both cruising and not cruising, so I thought I'd start sharing some of them along with the stories, interlaced with more current events.  So, in no particular order......let's travel!

Today we will be visiting Peggy's Cove, just outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia.  The lighthouse, known as Peggy's Point Lighthouse, claims to be on of the most photographed lighthouses in America.  I'm not so sure how accurate that is, but I do know it's a gorgeous lighthouse!

This is the cove - people actually live in these homes!  Tours from the cruiselines come to Peggy's Cove by the bus load, several at a time.  Can you imagine hundreds of people tromping up and down your street everyday?  I guess their "season" is short, what with the cold winters, but still.......

Aren't the colors gorgeous?  We had perfect weather for the whole trip.  It was early September, clear, crisp skys and even a sweater was needed (by me....not by MedicMan) from time to time.  A far cry from the weather we'd left in Florida!

Two of the residents didn't seem to mind the visitors - I'm sure they are well fed for the months during warmer weather, and they were not in the least phased by someone getting close enough to photograph them.  They were just hoping for a french fry or two!

Hope you've enjoyed our little jaunt to Peggy's Cove.  I'll have to peruse my travel collection and decide where we might visit next time!  Until then......

Live life and laugh often......

Mama Shutta'Bug