Good Morning and Welcome to my Atlantic Life in Hatteras đ
The âMy Atlantic Lifeâ blog is simply the stories of my daily life here on this beautiful and unique ribbon of sand, which lies 30 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North Carolina.
As I've mentioned before life is a complex journey, one which I choose to embrace as a series of grand (and some not so grandđ€) adventures. My morning musings and meanderings are a reflection of that "complex journey"... the good, the bad and the sometimes ugly.
It's with this in mind that I wanted to share some of the highs and lows of the past few weeks (mostly the highsđ) âŠ.
Although these weeks have been rather hectic (and somewhat emotional) for me, there have been some moments of incredible kindness, love and inspiration.
Johnâs Mom passing hit us hard, even though she was 91yrs old and in failing health, when it happens, your heart just aches in a way that is pretty much indescribable. And of course, there is the pain we feel for Johnâs Dad, who at 92yrs old, is now on his own after 70yrs of marriage.
Then....your own mortality slaps you hard in the faceâŠ.and itâs all too easy to go down that massive rabbit hole of how much time has passed in your own life.... and how much you may have left. As someone who can easily become a little too focused on certain elements in my life, I made the very conscious decision to step back from that particular rabbit holeâŠ.and instead, remind myself that I have so many adventures yet to have, and in fact, am now using these feelings as a catalyst to plan some new adventures !!!!
Things that really made me smile, and remember how much love, kindness, and thoughtfulness there is in my world were all around me and made this super chaotic time so much easier. I thought it would be kind of cool to show in pictures as well as in words a few of thingsâŠ.
One of the things, I particularly love about our human nature is the way some people appear to step in and make things so much easier, and more manageable for you without even being askedâŠ. just when you need themâŠ.and I want to take this opportunity to thank my friend Gina for being that person. Having all the rooms in the inn full to capacity with guests and John being in Nebraska with his DadâŠ. breakfast-time in particular was going to be pretty challenging. But Gina stepped in to help me out, which enabled me to concentrate on the cooking. As anyone who has stayed at the inn knows, normally John does most of the breakfast cooking, so it was a bit of a baptism of fire (fortunately only metaphorically speakingâŠ..there were no real flames!!!) for me â 20 or so guests, many of whom were meeting at the inn for their reunion, so preferred to eat together at the same time, and who all seemed to want to order different variations of food, led to some fun in the kitchen.
.....Some really long daysâŠ.and seemingly really, really short nights!
My culinary breakfast experiments!!!!
French Toast, Bacon and O'Brien Potatoes...
The "Atlantic Croissant" (Ham, Egg and Colby Jack Cheese) and Home Fries...
And the trusty Southern staple....Biscuits and Gravy, Sausage and Breakfast Potatoes
A wonderful lady that reads my blog on a regular basis, messaged me to ask if she could drop in to the inn to meet me. I let her know that I would love to meet her....
Not only did Debi pop in to meet me and have a quick tour of the inn, but she had made me an incredible bracelet that she had designed specifically for me. The bracelet was made of gem stones, and Debi even included the meaning/properties of each of the gems used! I was so super thankful for this beautiful gift and its healing/ strengthening properties đ
The beautiful bracelet designed by Debi....đ
Debi even attached a labyrinth charm, having read in one of my earlier blogs on how in the past I have used labyrinths to answer questions I have.
On picking up our mail from the Post Office, I was amazed at the beautiful cards that we received with such kind words of condolences, including one from the absolutely incredible lady who made my beloved quilt (that goes everywhere with me!!), which let us know that a tree had been planted in a National Forest in John's Mom's name - what an awesome thought....I love the idea that a tree will now grow in her memory đ
If you're a regular reader of my blog, you will know all about my favorite quilt, that 2 ladies that had attended one of my women's retreats made for me....I bring this up again, as I found in the last couple of weeks that there are certain things that I have around me that every time I look at them, they not only make me smile, but remind me of the precious gift of friendship that each represents.
My incredible Dancing Dolphins quilt...
Last month, we had friends visit with us that had started out as guests at the inn, but quickly became good friends. On their arrival Leigh let me know she had been enjoying my blog and loved my "Blue Mind" post that spoke of a "Million Blue Marbles"....she then gave me the most amazing large blue glass ball that had dolphins etched into it, and a teeny tiny glass turtle (she also liked my blog about the release of the rehabbed turtles)....and, every time the beautiful glass ball catches my eye, I'm reminded of my ocean, my dancing dolphins and the joy they give me....and the precious gift of Leigh's friendship.
I can be at "my ocean" even when I'm at home at the inn.....and, as we are only a 3min walk from the beach, I can hear the surf đ
My teeny, tiny turtle....
At one point, during my crazy busy week, a lady came into reception and asked if I was Pam....I admitted that, yes I was indeed Pam, at which point she introduced herself, and let me know that she was just passing, but had to stop in to say "Hello", and she had even brought her journal with herđ. It made my day meeting someone that my blog had reached....this happens quite often now, people just drop in to say "Hi".....and it never fails to surprise and delight me! No photos for this one, but it was definitely a moment that brought me happiness and made me smile...
One more surprise I had happened on the weekend....when I put out a new guest book for people who visit with us to write in....
On walking through the upstairs library lounge, I noticed one of our guests was drawing in the new guest book. She went on to tell me that she had been so inspired by her stay at the inn - the ambience, the furnishings, artwork and wonderful vibe of our place (and my obvious love of horses đ), that she wanted to illustrate this is pictorial form for me...the finished product was nothing short of incredible - the photo does not do the original sketch justice.....the detail was breathtaking đ
I'm so in awe of people like Amanda who can create incredible work like my "Hatteras Seahorse"...
Every day things that surround me gave me another reason to smile....the first ripe little tomato from my cherry tomato plants that live on one of the inn's back decks đ„°
My beautifully perfect little tomato...
And of course, the source of much of my happiness when JB is not around and my spirits need a bit of a boost.....Bailey, Bodie and Pumpkin time đ
My boys chillin...Bodie my surf pup, and the "adult in the room" Mr. Bailey
Pumpkin Pie Puss....my once barn cat, now the official Atlantic Inn "Greeter"
My message today is a simple one....each of us have people, pets, objects and/or "things" that can lift our spirits, make us smile and inspire us - we just have to make sure we open our eyes to them and accept them with gratitude and thankfulness. By doing so, these can definitely make any "lows" you may have, that bit easier to manage đ So go on....look around you and Smile đ
Until Next Time...
Take care, Stay Safe and.....take a look around you....what are the things that make you smile?
Love and Hugs,
Pam
PS. Keeping the brave and resilient people of the Ukraine in my thoughts and prayers đ
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