Pirates and Pastries

Our week in St. Augustine, Florida, with my aunt and uncle was such an adventure! I learned a lot from my boys. One of those things I learned was that they are “destination people”. Much like their mother, they don’t mind getting up early in order to beat the heat and the traffic and simply get to the next destination.

So it was on Sunday morning. Saturday marked the longest day of driving – 12 hours in the car from Kansas City, Missouri, to Dalton, Georgia (The Carpet Capital of the World!). With heavy traffic in Nashville and a stop for dinner, the day ended up being a very long one. After our arrival in Dalton, the boys and I took a walk around the outside of the darkened (it was after hours) outlet mall and a quick game of invisible basketball (the hotel desk wouldn’t check out a basketball to us to play on the basketball court because it was after 10 p.m.), the boys and I made the decision to leave on Sunday morning at 3 a.m. – which meant that Mom awoke at 2:15 a.m. to shower and dress. I rolled the boys out of bed at 3 a.m. and we were on the road by 3:15 a.m. This got us to the beaches of At. Augustine by 1 p.m. on Sunday. What a glorious day!

During our visit to the oldest city in the U.S., we, along with our aunt and uncle – both retired librarians and avid history and entertainment buffs – booked passage upon the Pirate Ship “Black Raven” and sailed the inlets of St. Augustine – or St. Arrrgh-ustine, as the pirate crew called it.
I also learned that my boys, who would never admit it to me outright, thoroughly enjoyed the piratical antics aboard the Black Raven. We met Captain Blackbeard, William Mayhem (pictured), Red (the pirate wench) and William Scott. This surly, yet hospitable and merry-making band of buccaneers took us on a 90 minute cruise upon their beautiful ship where we sang pirate chanteys (songs), my uncle was emblazoned with a facial scar, and we watched dolphins leap and play in the waters alongside the ship. We even learned the Black Raven rally cry, which we shouted to the surprise of passing boaters: “Smoke and Steel! Aye!!!” If you ever find yourself in St. Arrrgh-ustine, a voyage aboard The Black Raven is a must!

Also – make sure you end your day at LuLi’s cupcake shop. As 1SweetMama, I can never resist the opportunity to include sugar in my day, so a stop at this local favorite was almost a requirement.

Although I understand it is better when you go earlier in the day because selection is at its best, we stopped in after our pirate cruise and still found a nice selection of the most decadent cupcakes I have ever had. The boys enjoyed a chocolate/peanut butter cupcake and I thoroughly enjoyed my vanilla-vanilla one. Our aunt and uncle ate, respectively, the peach cobbler and carrot cake cupcakes. Three words: oh…my…goodness.

While enjoying these wonderful sweets in a fairly feminine confectionary shop, I also learned that my boys weren’t too “macho” to appreciate the finer things like indulgent delicacies in a pastry shop in the middle of the afternoon….in fact….in the picture, it would appear that Bud was enjoying himself a little too much, perhaps.

Just kidding.

All in a day’s vacationing for 1SweetMama! Until next time, I remain….1SweetMama

Gaining A New Perspective

(The St. Augustine Lighthouse, built in 1874)
Fresh from our travels, the boys and I are beginning to settle back into our usual routine following a wonderful and fulfilling vacation journey. For the last eleven days, we traversed nearly 4,000 miles and a total of eight states (Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida). We have seen mountains and valleys, rivers and oceans, rocks and sand, flora and fauna. But mostly, this journey allowed me to see something that I have been searching out for quite some time…..



A new perspective.

(a view of the 219 steps going to the top of the lighthouse)

Both literally and philosophically, this trip was a fantastic opportunity for me to escape with my children and take a journey with no physical limitations. Sure, we had destinations, but the trip was not so over programmed that we felt too much pressure to be at too many things at pre-determined times. We meandered. We explored. But most importantly, we found each other.

I gained a new insight into my boys who are growing up so fast that I just don’t see it when we are operating within our daily routines. Between school and work and all of our activities and obligations, there seems to be no real leftover time for us to sit with each other and talk. Nearly 50 hours in a closed car will provide you plenty of opportunity to interact.

I joked with my friends and family who we saw during our travels that my boys matured into men somewhere between Iowa and Florida. Sure – we had a few moments of “I’m not touching you….I’m not touching you” drama but overall, these guys made me so proud to be their mom.

We had a wonderful trip from start to finish and I can’t wait to tell you about some of the highlights over the next few blog entries.

But for today, my message to you is that in order to get closer to your children, maybe you need to get further away from your usual routine. You will gain a whole new perspective on the kind of people they are growing in to.

And, in case you were wondering, the photos from today’s entry are of the St. Augustine (Florida) Lighthouse. You can read more about this beautiful city landmark at http://www.staugustinelighthouse.com/history.php

It was 219 steps to the top.

It took a lot of effort to get there but with a few stops to catch our breath along the way, we made it to the top where the view was positively breathtaking. Hmmm….sounds a little bit like life.

Until Friday, I remain…..1SweetMama

On Our Way!

roadmap by Validat1on

Today marks the beginning of our journey to St. Augustine, Florida. For those of you who read my blog post on May 12, you will remember that my two boys and I will set off on a 23 hour car ride to visit my aunt and uncle. It will take us two and a half days to arrive to our beach-y destination. We leave tonight at around 5:30 p.m.

The bags are packed. The car is 98% loaded. The movies are rented and the laptop is charged – and the car adaptor for the laptop is also included! The boys have programmed their iPods. The car is gassed up. The GPS is programmed and the Mapquest directions are tucked neatly into the glove box in case our Magellan Roadmate GPS system (endearingly dubbed “Maggie Magellan”) sends us on an unexpected detour.

As prepared as I am for this trip, I also have to confess that I had never really prepared myself that, at age 41, I would be taking a family vacation with me as the “head of household”. Since I was a girl, I always pictured the perfect familial situation. Mom. Dad. 2.3 kids. Dog. Mini-van.

OK…so it is just me, the two boys…the dog is being boarded with my sister… and my small, yet fuel-efficient car. “Maxine”, the name we gave to the car years ago, and Maggie Magellan will, with any luck, harmoniously interface together in order to guide us safely to our destination.

It is a heartbreaking and agonizing, yet, joyful journey of learning and growing that has brought me to this point. But these days I am happier and braver than I ever thought I could be. If I WAS in that “perfect familial situation”, I might be too afraid to step out of my comfort zone and do things that are a little scary. And I think this is an okay thing to pass along to my kids.

So, as I set off on this journey I relate to a great quote I picked up from one of my favorite shows, “Sex and The City”. Carrie, one of the four main characters in the series, writes:

“Maybe our mistakes are what make our fate. Without them, what would shape our lives? Perhaps if we never veered off course, we wouldn't fall in love, or have babies, or be who we are. After all, seasons change. So do cities. People come into your life and people go. But it's comforting to know the ones you love are always in your heart. And if you're very lucky, a plane ride away.”

We are off to see some of those important people in our lives who are a plane ride away. It may be a roadmap we will be following to Florida….but it is the roadmap of my life that has really brought us to this day where we embark on our journey. I very much look forward to each and every mile.

Until next time, I remain…..1SweetMama

It's Not The Destination.....

This weekend I began the planning process for a road trip that the boys and I will be taking in a few weeks. We will be visiting my aunt and uncle who have a place in St. Augustine, Florida. This will be an exciting adventure for the three of us.

22 hours of road time. Yikes. It will take us approximately two-and-a-half days to arrive at our destination. The boys and I are very excited about all the things we are planning to do – including lots of beach time – but it is a little scary to pack up and get in the car to drive a half a country away.

We have certainly travelled before but this is the biggest trip we have taken together on our own….with ME as the responsible adult!! It makes me smile and wince all at the same time. But I have never been one to be intimidated by opportunities outside of my comfort zone. I stare ‘em down and give it my battle cry: “Bring it!!”

There is a quote from a book I read a long time ago. It was life altering. The book was called, “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho and I didn’t just read it – I studied it. Page after page presented me with new mantras to steer my life’s course. I couldn’t help but thinking of this one quote, in particular, as I was planning this trip:

“I've discovered things along the way that I never would have seen had I not had
the courage to try things that seemed impossible for a shepherd to achieve.”
(“The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho)

I, the Shepherd, and my little flock will load up the car and take the journey and wait to see what adventures await.

I have plotted the journey. I bought the GPS. My oldest son, armed with iTunes and $20, recorded the road trip soundtrack. And, with the Alchemist quote emblazoned like a road sign in my brain, I will set out on my journey – with my boys – and we will courageously discover the landscape between Le Mars, Iowa, and St. Augustine, Florida, knowing that, while our destination will be a most wonderful time, the fun really lies in the journey.

And while I think about it…..isn’t that what life is really all about anyway?

Until next time, I remain….1SweetMama