life on the beach

Vacation. Its funny how the word means different things to different people. Some people need the beach, some the mountains, and some people only need the finest shops and a good dose of retail therapy. I think I just need wide open spaces, good food and good people. Sitting on the beach this afternoon while the sun was setting and while watching my two future nieces play in the surf, I felt completely at peace. A whole week here is going to do wonders for my soul I am sure. And if that weren't enough, I get to spend some time with my future nephew John, the happiest baby I've ever met.

As much as sitting in my cubicle for 8+ hours leaves me empty at the end of the day, sitting here and breathing in the fresh salty air for an entire week is sure to fill all of those voids and leave me refreshed.... until I reenter my life back in the box. Researchers even say that looking at open vistas (even briefly) helps to reduce depression. I've tried to implement this theory by putting a picture of Driftwood Beach next to my computer.

But while I've got the real vista right here in front of me I'm happy as a clam. My favorite pic of the day is this one of Emily and my future father in law.

I also have to close with a request that you send a quick prayer to our friends who live/vacation/work/play on/in the Gulf of Mexico. Because of corporate greed/inadequate environmental regulations/an accident (?), these people now wonder how to feed their families, where they will take their children for vacation, and how to find work when their only known method of subsistence has been taken away from them. So as much as I consider myself lucky to be here on this beach on the Atlantic, I know that there are many others who have had this taken away from them, and tonight it is of them that I think.