One doesn’t need to travel far to arrive in a different world. 20 miles from home is a home of different sorts. Our Framily comes to Sandbridge each year for what is a favorite week. Time moves slower here by the ocean. We laze the days away while moving less and eating more. That is better than OK this week, better than just good. It is wonderful, and for this time and these people, I am truly thankful.
Move in day is full of excitement and anticipation. Emily and I pulled in first and had a few minutes in this beautiful house by the sea to ourselves. It is the same place that we rented last year. Knowing we would be back, we placed a tiny Christmas tree made of cheap seaglass in a jar on the bookshelf next to the fireplace, wondering if it would still be here. Emily pulled it out, and we laughed.
The Riegle caravan arrived as Stacey did, and we welcomed Abbie and Anna Grace home from JMU & VT! It was a smooth move in and the ladies quickly decorated for Thanksgiving while Charlie & Ranger sniffed their new home and declared it all safe and sound. We all huddled around the iPad to watch JMU come back with an amazing late drive to force OT with Appalachian State. Unfortunately, they came up short to fall to 10-1 in a what remains a fantastic year for the Dukes. 🏈
I’m thankful for the good people gathered here with us. Tim, Julie, Stacey and I feel so fortunate to be able to continue this fantastic annual week together as Framily.
I always enjoy seeing the sun rise up from the deep blue ocean, and you just can’t beat this location for an easy commute to a viewing point in the cool sand. As I took Charlie out for a quick walk, the day began with this beautiful sight.
The most energy I expended on a lazy Sunday was in focusing on the puzzle Stacey brought. It is “A Christmas Story” themed, and we all found ourselves quoting our favorite scenes as we slowly pieced together the edges and separated some of the key pieces we thought would go together. Small piles of face pieces and Christmas light pieces started to form. Everybody chipped in from time to time, adding a piece to the edges whenever passing the puzzle table to clear a plate previously filled with Emily’s delicious biscuits and gravy. The puzzle is coming together nicely!
Today is a big day here, as everyone that is coming arrives for the remainder of the week. Tim and I were fortunate to get a great morning for a round of golf out at Heron Ridge. The course was in really good shape, with immaculate greens. I had a pretty decent round for me going until we got to 18. I double bogeyed to finish with an 80. But I can’t complain. Any time on the golf course with Tim is time well spent. We got back to the beach house just as the rain started, which made napping the perfect option! As the sun set, Nana and PawPaw Buffington arrived from Indiana. What a treat it is to again celebrate this holiday with them. Emily is done working for the week, and moved back in shortly before we all sat down to a delicious meal cooked by Travis and Maggie. Tyler is on his way, but will likely arrive after my bedtime. It will be so great to wake up with the whole gang here tomorrow!
The rain and clouds continue, making it even easier to stay inside and watch college basketball all day. I took my first cup of coffee under the gazebo outside our bedroom to watch the raindrops fall and listen to the waves break upon the sand. I’m thankful for peaceful moments just looking out at the ocean. It is serene under all conditions from our safe home on the shore, even on the cloudy grey days.
Thanksgiving Day is upon us, and we are blessed to be together again. Travis, Maggie and Abbie ran a 5K Turkey Trot here and Sandbridge and we all went out to cheer them on. Next year, we will be better prepared to match some of the silly outfits we saw out there. The weather was perfect, about 55 and sunny. Our brunch back at the house included several delicious breakfast casseroles. I might need soft pants before dinner!
As always, our Thanksgiving meal was fit for kings. We gathered around a plentiful harvest and bowed our heads for Tim’s saying of grace. He offered a moving tribute to those who could not be with us either in body or spirit and brought a tear to my eye that I was able to keep in. We give thanks for our blessings, and always remember loved ones who can not be with us for various reasons. Thank you Tim for your words.
This week is about Framily, and togetherness, and traditions. Of course, the big traditions like having a wonderful meal together are awesome. But many times, the small things are the ones that warm your heart the most. We all enjoy the Friday after Turkey Day. It is a day without plans, where leftovers abound and life slows before we head home on Saturday. Last night, we all went to bed after laughing so hard it hurt for a few hours. Tim stayed up to “watch the first few minutes of Talladega Nights” while the rest of us snuggled into our beds. In sticking with a small tradition, he swapped out Tom Turkey with the inflatable Christmas tree. I smiled on the inside and outside when I saw it. Charlie wagged her tail too. Thank you again Tim! 😍
Some appreciate particular traditions more than others, and that’s OK. There are often reasons for or against such appreciation that we may not understand. When I was playing football in High School, our game on Thanksgiving was always against our rivals in Hull. Before the game, our Offensive Linemen Coach, “Sully”, held us linemen back in the locker room before warmups. We all sat together and listened to Alice’s Restaurant Massacre (pronounced “Mass – uh – creee”) by Arlo Guthrie. I loved those moments, and came to associate this great holiday with the song. I listen every year, most often by myself. Last year, after we finished our delicious meal, it was time to take Mom home to her place at Harmony. It is about a 20 minute drive – perfect! We listened to Alice’s Restaurant, and Mom sang along joyfully to the chorus. It was her last Thanksgiving, but another great memory for me.
“So take that phone call from your momma and just talk away… ‘cause you’ll never know how bad you wanna ‘til you can’t someday.” Rest peacefully Mom. ❤️
That picture was taken by Ryan with his drone. We really miss having Ryan and Melissa here with us, but are so looking forward to seeing them in Scituate at Christmas with Mimi and Bapa!
Black Friday is a special day here, and not because of shopping or sales. The only plans are to “clean out the fridge” and burn as few calories as possible. So – right up my alley! Tim and I spent about 30 minutes sitting out on the top deck where the above photo was taken, staring out at the ocean. A pod of 20 – 30 dolphins were playing and feeding around the wave-break close to the shore. It is so serene to just watch them frolic and listen to the ocean. We sat in silence and again counted our blessings under a pretty sky.
Our week on the beach came to an end on a breezy day. We laughed and loved a lot together. I am thankful for these special times with loved ones. We all appreciate that this Framily is fortunate. Giving thanks for our health, our happiness, and all our continued blessings together is what makes this week what it always is. We look forward to another good year on this great earth together, and wish the same for all of our family and friends. Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄🎅🏻
Good times!
Thank you, Patrick for your beautiful words. We are truly blessed, as you said. ❤️
Such a fun week – thanks!
Great holiday, glad you were able to spend it with those you love. Thank you for your service so that we can all enjoy the freedoms you guarded!
Thank you for your service Jeff!