Georgia Vacation - May, 2017

Ron and I had a great time on our trip to Tybee Island/Savannah.  The beauty of this trip was that Tybee Island is about 30 minutes east from Savannah and is located on the Atlantic Ocean.  We chose to stay there first for four days and then move on to Savannah.  I personally cannot choose which of the places I liked best because each had its own charm and personality.

We stayed at the DeSoto Beach Hotel which is known for being the only hotel "on the beach".  Though it would not have been described as four star, it was comfortable and clean and literally steps from the beach.  Ron and I loved early mornings on the beach with coffee in hand as we listened to the bellows of the ocean waves and watched the sun rise to start a new day.  During the day was pretty warm, but the hotel had deck chairs under umbrellas where we would go read and enjoy the ocean breeze.  Another favorite time was at the end of the day.  Of course, we were not facing the sun setting, but it was still a wonderful experience as the day began to come to an end.  As in the picture you can see the beautiful pink cast that is always on display, opposite a sunset.  However, on three different evenings we were able to make it on the other side of the island as we watched sunsets over dinner.  The food was pretty incredible, especially the delectable key lime pie! On Tybee, we ate at The Original Crab Shack where they had live alligators out front for your entertainment.  We also ate at Co - Co's and A. J.'s.  On Mother's Day we had breakfast before church at a place called The Breakfast Club.  That turned out to be a very unfortunate eating experience for us and that is all I will say. 

 I mentioned church.  We attended a First United Methodist Church and enjoyed it very much.  We felt very welcome and the sermon/service was a good one. All of us moms were given a red carnation and I thought that was pretty special.

One of the best things about this trip was that I got to reunite with my childhood friend, Jeannie Baker Latture after many years of not seeing each other.  We met at her son's restaurant, Sandfly Barbecue, which was originally started by Jeannie and Butch.  The food was absolutely delicious and Jeannie and I picked up where we left off years ago.  Another nice thing is that I got to meet her son, Keith.  Keith is doing very well in Savannah with now two Sandfly BBQ restaurants and about to open number three.  He was a delightful young man and I was so glad to get to meet him.  After a couple of hours and two or three hugs, we finally brought our visit to an end.  Jeannie looked great and holds the beautiful charm of her mother, Mary.  I hope to see her again soon.

After four nights on Tybee Island, Ron and I moved on to Savannah and checked in at The Hampton in the Historic District.  Now we had already spent one afternoon in Savannah so we rather knew our bearings.  Savannah is a really easy town to figure out.  It is so laid back with its history, beautiful homes, classic shopping and incredible parks.  We walked everywhere we went for the next three days and had great breaks sitting in the parks. Of course, we rode on the ever famous trolly as we were shown all around downtown Savannah. We had dinner on the Savannah Queen which was a lot of fun.  The sunset was certainly worth the cost of the dinner.  We also ate at Lady & Sons, The Pirate House, and then Alligator Soul for my birthday dinner.  Actually the whole week was my birthday week and Ron Alexander spent many dollars without blinking an eye to make sure we had the best time possible.  

I think we will be returning to Savannah and Tybee Island.  It was a great trip and a fabulous way to turn the big 7-0!

Sunset at Tybee Island

Sunrise at Tybee Island

Roaring waves

Mountains bow down and the seas shall roar....

Faraway view of our hotel

Sunset at Co-Co's

Sunset at A. J.'s

Last sunrise for us at Tybee Island

Perfect

My feet were here. :)

Just look at that sunrise!

Ron looking for seashells

I just couldn't quit taking pics of the water!

Ron's footprints in the sand

Love these tracks in the sand

Three cups of seashells backed by my Mother's Day carnation received at church.

First night at Tybee Island.  They had live alligators in the front of the restaurant!!

Shared dinner!  The best night ever.

Our nightmare breakfast on Mother's Day.  Ron and I both got sick.

Here are my feet on Tybee Island.

I love to take pictures of paths.

Mother's Day 2017 - luckiest woman in the world to be the mother of my two sons.

I was trying to capture different textures here.

Birds!!

I know, I know...can't get away from my feet!

Our first lunch in Savannah at Paula Dean's, y'all!!

Sweet tea at My Lady and Sons

Best fried chicken ever, y'all!

Oldest tree in Savanah

A mom with two little boys:  that used to be me.

Calamari and Chardonay.  Service was slow but food was great.

Reunion with childhood friend, Jeannie Baker Latture at Sandfly BBQ Restaurant

I had to try a Selfie! Just look at that background!

One lone bird looking for food.

Tallest lighthouse in Georgia

River Street!

Beautiful courthouse' golden dome behind Ron.

Savannah Queen

Saw this in a local bookstore. :)

Dinner on the Savannah Queen

Key Lime pie was everywhere on this trip

Ron with our picture

Sunset from Savannah Queen

Thank you, God.

No words can adequately describe this sky

House from the movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Birthday dinner at Alligator Soul

One of my favorite pictures of us

We went back the final night to see the boat come back 

Final lunch at City Market

THOSE SHOES by Maribeth Boelts

One of my goals as a college instructor of pre-service teachers is to get them to start "thinking like a teacher" instead of  "thinking like a UNT student."  When they read a mentor text, I want them to step back and look for themes and skills that are relatable, instead of simply the story itself.

For example, in the book Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts, you find the following connections:  friendship, sharing, bullying, peer pressure, family dynamics, feelings, socioeconomic status and
wants vs. needs.

You see delightful skill examples such as:  dialogue, figurative language, alliteration, text features, and excellent uses of vocabulary, only to name a few.

Picture books and read aloud mentor texts have everything a teacher needs to bring about a love of story through all of the connections these books have to give.

 

Below is a pretty decent read aloud of Those Shoes from You Tube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYNH4HR5cPI&t=94s

Someday Is Not A Day of the Week by Denise Brennan-Nelson

We've all wished for Someday to get here, and now it is. Follow the tale of the young beaver, Max, and his quest to spend quality time with his parents and family. The tale for the ages and ageless will bring a happy tear of joy and love and a smile to the face of every child who undoubtedly heard the answer "Someday" after having asked "When?" An inspiring read for all of us, Someday finds Max looking for "Someday" on his calendar and realizing if it did exist, it would surely be the busiest day of the week. Don't pass on the chance to share this tale of love and the importance of family. Illustrator Kevin O'Malley and author Denise Brennan-Nelson bring Someday to frolicking life by setting aside their somedays as the days to make a difference. Parents, teachers, family and friends can do the same by picking up the book and let that special little one in their life know that they are more important and every moment together is a gift to be cherished today. - Amazon Review

Alexander Review:
I think this is a wonderful book that makes any adult reader stop to evaluate his/her busy schedules and who might be affected by them.  It speaks to our procrastination and our "busyness" that causes us to neglect our friends and family by not taking the time to live in the now.  I am not sure that the younger elementary age students would connect, but older ones through high school certainly would.  I believe it would be an excellent read-aloud at the beginning of a faculty meeting! A real message to those of us who have made Someday a day of our week!

Countdown to Greece!

It is hard for me to fathom right now that in a few short days I will be on a cruise ship visiting the Greek Islands and sailing up the Adriatic to Venice.  Actually my suitcase is packed with the major items and a list has been made for the last minute ones.  So, all there is to do is wait.  However, waiting is not my forte so I am filling the time with one of my favorite things to do:  go to Arkansas to see my friend, Kay, and get in a visit with my brother.

So, yes, my feet are not in Greece yet.  They are in Little Rock, Arkansas.  On Monday I spontaneously decided, along with the encouragement of my husband, to grab a bag, throw in a couple of days of clothes and jump in my car. I am so glad that I did.

Alvin Allen

 Kay and I are lifelong friends and that accounts for many years at this point.  We always have a great time because we enjoy doing fun stuff and we enjoy doing nothing. Also, Kay has an army of girlfriends just like I do.  They are absolutely incredible and I love seeing them each time I come.  For example, we just returned from having dinner with her Bunko group.  This is my third time to hang out with them (a different group every time) and they have yet to play a game! ha  Tonight I spent a lot of the time visiting with Carol Padgett, who actually used to live in Highland Village but who now lives here in Little Rock.  Carol worked for Jerry Jones for 29 years, yes, THAT Jerry Jones, and she graciously shared some wonderful stories about her time working for the Cowboy organization.  In fact, she told me that "Troy" invited her to the big reunion in Dallas a few weeks ago.  Such fun to visit with her.

Another highlight of my visit was to see my brother, Rob, this morning, who treated Kay and me to breakfast.  We got there at 9 and left at 11:15!  It was a great visit with lots of laughter. I do not get to see my brother enough but I love him very much and am extremely proud to be his sister.

I saved the best for last.  Kay has a new 4-legged baby named Alvin.  Alvin is a part pom/sheltie dog who is full of joy, playfulness and unconditional love.  She has only had him a few days but he is doing everything "right" so I know he has a forever home.  I told Kay that if she doesn't keep him that I would take him back to Texas with me.  I can assure you that, at this point, I would not make it out the driveway.

Tomorrow I am planning to head back home.  I really need to grade some folders that have been riding around in my car all week.  However in the words of my husband, "Hey, it's your spring break!"  So, I will go with those words for now and smile all the way back to Texas. I will be writing and posting pictures from Greece so stay tuned.
R.