Monday in Beach Haven

How can you complain about a day that was just about perfect (with a couple of small exceptions)?

We woke at our usual early hour but chose to not get up right away as the house was cool and still. As I could NOT keep my eyes open last night, this gave us a chance to talk through Sam's proposed trip to NYC tonight with Paul and his return on the bus to Manahawken with Martha tomorrow, late. This idea was moving forward so that Sam could finish his role of tech support (living, furnishings, computing) for his mom. We brought a used computer from the school computer sale (one of the first intel chip macs that has an integrated iSight camera) and Hannah has set up all the voice activated controls that she can for Gilda. Sam gets to show her how it works.

We went for a walk to the Village hall to see about beach tokens, got the info we needed, met Paul who had arrived from NY, and headed back to the house and then to the beach. It was great to have Paul here, and we headed to the beach with Grandpa Bob in tow for some wave jumping and general beach merriment. We had a great couple of hours on the beach where we were in and out of the water, rebasted with sunscreen, and nourished with cheese crackers and grapes. I stayed at the beach for a bit longer than the rest and arrived home to find lunch made. Lunch DOES taste better when someone else makes it.

I'm reading Cassie Claire's City of Bones (woefully behind, I know) and loving it, so I read some more, worked a bit on some InDesign work and napped a bit while the children went shopping with Paul and Sam. Excellent.

Dinner was started with the one wrong note of the day, a dreadful bottle of wine that Paul brought. He says it needs more time in the bottle. I am skeptical.

We made the Fishkin standard lemon garlic chicken with rice and three vegetables (hoping to tempt some folks to eat the vegetables). Oh, well. And in the midst of all this I washed clothes.

Sam and Paul are off to NY and we will hold down the fort here in Beach Haven. Tough duty, but we are up to the challenge. Tomorrow I will buy more seltzer (the girls have fallen in love with elderflower syrup) and a decent bottle of wine. All will be right with the world again.

And the sun set over the island. Cloudy, but Sophia (Sam tells me the photo is hers) got a nice image (see above).