TWTW - the one with the 40th celebration

My welcome to the shore moment Thursday night was a full moon over the water. I saw the moon again at 5:30 am Friday, along with a lovely pink and yellow sunrise. The moon was also lovely Friday night, and the strawberry moon Saturday night was amazing. I am a child of the moon.

After sunrise Friday I organized stuff in our apartment with my trusty label maker like the dork I am and hit the Ventnor City Farmers Market for some knish, berries, local honey, soap, and a sweet bracelet.

Six friends with over 25 years of history living in four different states with full lives and responsibilities plus very different schedules means picking a date months in advance and praying it still works for everyone when it arrives. It did, and it was great. At various times with these women I feel 12, 16, 18, 22, 30, 35, 40. They've been there through it all, and Lord do we have a ton to reminisce over and laugh about, past and present, while we ruminate on the future together.

After Laura and I picked Kim up at the AC Airport, we met Melissa and Angie at the house and spent the day on the beach. KVSR arrived early Saturday and aside from the kayakers' foray into the bay, we spent Saturday on the beach as well, simultaneously entertaining and repelling people around us with our always ridiculous conversations. Laura and I walked the boards Friday and Saturday night like we did when we were 13 except instead of dressing up to troll for boys like we did then, we went as we were trolling for old lady flip flops and candy. We had lights and a mic thanks to Melissa. We hung out on the porch and couches, walked for coffee in the mornings, and covered conversational topics that ran the gamut from topical to unsuitable for public. Kim and I stopped for a Kohr Bros on her way out of town. I truly love these women and had a great time.

#respectthegun #Ifeellikeyoudo #wattawattawatta #thekayakers

You cannot put a price on time together with people who know you like that, or the love and acceptance of people who love you, warts and all. Our goal is to reconvene here annually.

After cleaning up and clearing out, Laura hit the road first. Kim, Kim, Angie, Melissa, and I had lunch at Frankie's on the Bay, then KVSR, Angie, and Melissa hit the road too. Kim and I had a rest and got some Kohr Bros. I took her to the AC Airport, then headed back home to make three batches of shower spray, do a final house walk through, paint my nails (wet n wild Megalast in Bite the Bullet), clean up our apartment, load up my car, take the first outdoor shower of the summer season, and chill with MFD and the dogs before making a late trip to the beach. MFD came down to get a new grill (they don't last long in the salt air) and fix a leak in one of the upstairs bathrooms. And go fishing and get sunburnt like a fool. Dinner was a calzone and salad from Piccini.

Weekly food prep, happening tonight: breakfast is breakfast burritos from the freezer; snacks are power breakfast muffins and yogurt; lunch is salads with chicken (making tonight, I don't need lunch Monday), and dinners are chicken breasts marinated in pineapple/hot sauce thanks to My Shitty Kitchen over mashed potatoes as well as enchilada pasta.

 I did manage to finish a book on the beach on Saturday and start a new one Sunday night. Tomorrow is Show Us Your Books with me & Jana! See you back here for that.

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending