For the past several years, every September, various members of my family make a trek to the beach for some family time. Those who have participated have varied, but I’ve been in on the party every year. This year it was me, my youngest sister, and our parents. I’m pleased to report everyone had a good time.
It’s really a low-key vacation. We hang out at the beach or the pool and eat and drink a lot. What more do you need?
This year there were a couple of side trips. Warren (my bonus dad) and my sister Rachael went kayaking. It was Rach’s first time, and she was nervous. I told her, “You’ll be fine. You have good upper body strength.” She just tilted her head and said, “Do I?” Okay, so maybe not.
Rachael’s real concern was where she was going to put her Chapstick on this excursion. My sister has single-handedly kept the Chapstick company in business for the last 40 years. No joke. If at any point you are with Rachael and feel the need to moisturize your lips, all you have to do is hold out your hand and say “Chapstick,” and she will whip it out like a gunslinger. Yes, we are family. We share a damn tube of Chapstick.
She told us they recently moved their couch and there were at least 10 tubes of Chapstick under there. It should be noted that her daughter is the same with the Chapstick. Those ladies have the softest lips this side of the Mississippi.
Rach found an appropriate place to store her Chapstick, and Mom and I sent them on their merry way with instructions to get good pics. We then set about preparing for our own little excursion—a trip to one of my favorite yarn stores and lunch at an adorable little restaurant. If you are a knitter or crocheter and near Hilton Head, South Carolina, Low Country Shrimp and Knits is a must-see yarn shop. It is cute as a button, and the ladies who run it are just the nicest! I drag my mom there every year.
I, of course, spent way too much on yarn, so it was time to head to lunch. We went to The Cottage for the second year in a row and ate salads outside on the wrap-around porch. They were delish. I had a fried green tomato caprese salad with shrimp and avocado. This almost resulted in an incident as Mom made a play for one of my mozzarella balls. I had to smack her hand. It’s not that I didn’t want to share. The woman has a shellfish allergy, and that cheese had been mingling with shrimp. Crazy woman! All we needed was a trip to the emergency room.
We returned to our condo, and Rach and Warren were back. They had a blast, and Rach was just mildly sore. Mom and I thoroughly enjoyed our outing, so a good time was had by all!
I love our trips to the beach. I wish my other sister could have gone this year, but she had plans. Hopefully, next year. Family time is important. We often don’t prioritize it enough. I’m so glad we have this week every September that we can enjoy each other’s company and make memories. I’m already looking forward to next year.
Angela Traver
What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.
