North Carolina Aquarium ~ Pine Knoll Shores

We really enjoyed the Aquarium on Emerald Isle in North Carolina. Because it’s off season we didn’t have any crowds to deal with which is always a plus. Besides the indoor tanks and displays we enjoyed some outdoor nature trails that are part of the Aquarium. I’ll show those photos later.

Today was a surprisingly productive day for me and I thank the Lord for that. I changed my tablecloth to a Christmas one and that is the only Christmas decor visible in my house so far. I got some laundry, cleaning, Christmas shopping, banking, and mailing done. Pats herself on the back. I’m still debating if Christmas cards are going out this year. Time will tell. Hope your days are going well.

The Atlantic

On our last full day in North Carolina we headed on an adventure to the seashore. We traveled east to Emerald Isle/Crystal Coast of N.C.

We traveled the length of Emerald Isle across to the mainland to Beaufort.

We walked along the sand and collected a couple handfuls of shells.

It was good to walk along the beach again. It’s been a long time since our weekly walks along the Pacific Ocean.

Seems like mushrooms can grow in many environments…

Here are the shells we collected.

I’ll share our stops at the aquarium, Beaufort, and Fort Macon in the next few days.

On Saturday after our day out Dear and I left for the airport home. It was hard to say goodbye to Katie and leave her alone. We know she’ll do well and that soon she’ll be reunited with Andrew. I also know I will have those tearful moments as I adjust to our empty nest. The triggers that lead to tears vary. The first trigger was walking past Katie’s room. Oops! I might just have to redecorate sooner than later. But first I need to start getting our home ready for our Christmas celebrations!

I’m linking up for Mosaic Monday with Mary at Little Red House.

Lift Up Your Heads, Rejoice! ~ Advent Hymn

Lift Up Your Heads, Rejoice

Lift up your heads, rejoice, redemption draweth nigh;
Now breathes a softer air, now shines a milder sky;
The early trees put forth their new and tender leaf;
Hushed is the moaning wind that told of winter’s grief.

Lift up your heads, rejoice, redemption draweth nigh;
Now mount the laden clouds, now flames the darkening sky;
The early scattered drops descend with heavy fall,
And to the waiting earth the hidden thunders call.

Lift up your heads, rejoice, redemption draweth nigh;
O note the varying signs of earth, and air, and sky;
The God of glory comes in gentleness and might,
To comfort and alarm, to succor and to smite.

He comes, the wide world’s King, He comes, the true heart’s Friend,
New gladness to begin, and ancient wrong to end;
He comes, to fill with light the weary waiting eye;
Lift up your heads, rejoice, redemption draweth nigh.

Words: Thomas T. Lynch

Glad We Said Yes…

…to the freshly made apple fritters!

On the way to our Emerald Isle adventure we decided to stop for breakfast at Yana’s Restaurant on Front Street in Swansboro.

The apple fritters were dusted smothered with powdered sugar. It was great to bite into the sweetness straight to a great slice of fresh apple.

This was very much a 50’s diner and we were surrounded by Marilyn and Elvis.

Loved this sign. You definitely can trust me because I’m far from skinny.

After breakfast we continued on to our sea and sand adventure on the Emerald Isle. I’ll share more later along with our stop at the Aquarium, Beaufort, and Fort Macon.

Swansboro

Last night we headed East to Swansboro to have dinner. I tried Grouper for the first time ever and it was very good. We also had a great scallop nacho appetizer. The scallops were like butter. If you are ever in this part of North Carolina we would recommend Riverside Steak and Seafood.

We got a kick out of the swans that were part of the Christmas light decor in the city of Swansboro. They also had snowflakes and seashells.

Well I know one thing for sure that is on the agenda when I get back home. I’ll be eating less and moving more. Today we are headed to the coast to see what we can see. Today is our last full day here in North Carolina. On Saturday Dear and I drive back to Raleigh-Durham for our flights home to Seattle.

A Few Things…

Katie has added a few personal touches to her first home. Decorating will be at the minimum for now. She ordered enough to make them comfortable and when Andrew gets home the two of them will add any extra pieces together. There are still bookcases and such at our house for them to bring across the country after the wedding in March in Seattle. For now we are really enjoying the sofa and loveseat and the Keurig. Coffee and a place to sit and enjoy it in the morning…wonderful.

Our round trip to Raleigh went well and the new used car is safe in the garage with a 30 day pass to get it on and off base. We used the washer and dryer last night and they worked well. We are going to lay low today and recuperate. Tomorrow we hope to have a play day at the seashore!

A storm rolled through last night and we got to experience some of the lightning that we hear is pretty common around these parts. Living on a Base it’s hard to figure out whether the booms you hear are thunder or artillery!

We are also learning the best times to go to the Commissary. It’s good to avoid it on payday or the day after. If you go on payday you will experience crowds like you do on Black Friday! And don’t get stuck on base at quitting time.

God has really helped us through little and big things here in North Carolina. We are looking to Him and for Him in the details of each day. We are blessed because of all that God brought to pass 2000 years ago…

N. C. State Capitol, Raleigh

Dear arrived in North Carolina 5 days after Katie and me. We met up with him in Raleigh last Saturday and spent the night before we headed back to Camp Lejeune. On our way we took the scenic route so we could stop at the state Capitol. It seemed small compared to other Capitols we’ve visited. We noticed that there were churches on most corners across all sides of the Capitol.

This was our suite at the Marriott Residence Inn, Crabtree. We were happy for the comforts here after a very long Saturday filled with adventures we weren’t expecting.

The Dec. 7, 1941, bombing of Pearl Harbor and those who lost their lives that day are being remembered Wednesday on the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack that brought the U.S. into World War II. Dear’s father and several uncles served during World War II.

Today (Wednesday) we are making a round trip to Raleigh to pick up Andrew and Katie’s used car that ended up needing a couple recall issues fixed. Yesterday their couch, loveseat, washer, dryer, and mattresses were delivered. We now have comfortable seating that we’ve been looking forward to for 2 days. Dear installed the garage door opener and it’s working like a charm. Katie and I didn’t realize when we ordered the washer and dryer that we would need extra installation parts like hoses, etc., so Dear will be making one more trip to Home Depot or Lowe’s.

So…are you done with your Christmas shopping? I’m not done. I’ve hardly started and my house is not decorated. Hope that makes someone feel better out there.

#37 In the Present…

We decided to have our 37th Anniversary dinner at Duck’s Grille and Bar in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

Katie joined us because our time together is short.

We really enjoy the food here at Duck’s. For appetizers we had Ahi Tuna and Carolina Crab Cake. Both were very good. Dear and I had the Rack of Lamb and Katie ordered angel hair pesto for our main courses. We were all very happy with our choices.

After a couple drinks all you have to do is look around to remember you are at Duck’s. :0) I hope by now you all understand my sense of humor!

Oh my! We even split a lovely Chocolate Souffle 3 ways and it was superb!

We are so excited to get home after dinner because Katie and Andrew’s couch and loveseat were finally delivered this afternoon and we have a comfortable place to relax for the rest of the evening.

Thank you for all your beautiful anniversary wishes. We really do appreciate them.

37 Years Today…

37 Years Ago…

Today is Dear and my 37th wedding anniversary. We will be going out to dinner tonight to celebrate in Jacksonville, North Carolina. That will be a first for us. Most of our anniversary dinners have been in Southern California and Washington. Early in our marriage we always went to the Chart House at different locations in Southern California. Our anniversary falls during conference time for Dear so a couple of our dinners have been where the conferences have been, Morgan’s Steakhouse in Las Vegas and Pescatore in San Francisco.  God has been good to Dear and me all these years. We are grateful to Him for his love and mercy on our lives together.

It’s Luh-Jern not Lejeune…

For years people have been pronouncing Camp Lejeune like it’s spelled but the family that the Base is named after finally decided to correct everyone and give them the proper pronunciation.

We’re still working on the inside of the house and I’ll post before and after photos later. For now I’ll just show you some of the good food we’ve been eating cuz y’all know for me it’s all about the food! There are several middle of the road restaurants in Jacksonville, lots of fast food joints some having double drive throughs. I’ve never seen double drive throughs. There is one restaurant that has more unique and very well made food and we really enjoyed it.

My lamb was delicious and Katie’s steak was tender and good.

The mussels had a great sauce for dipping. Now that Dear has joined us in North Carolina we’ll be going to this restaurant again. If you ever find yourself in Jacksonville, North Carolina we highly recommend Ducks Grille and Bar.

Cities adjacent to huge military bases draw a multitude of establishments you won’t see in such quantities elsewhere. I couldn’t number the barber shops on my fingers and toes here. There are Tattoo parlors galore. Furniture stores with next day deliveries are in abundance. Tobacco Shops and car accessory shops and video shops. This town probably has one of the highest ratios of 18-22 year old residents because of the military camps here.

Have a great Monday y’all…