Come on -- Let's Fly Away, Mini-vacations that Soar!

A Key West sunset from Key West Express jet-powered vessel

On Labor Day we got up early, traveled to Fort Myers Beach with some friends, and walked on the damp sand before breakfast. The air was cool and the sea breeze gave us an appetite.

Disciplined regulars were already jogging and walking when we arrived. A few seashell hunters scoured the crashing waves as they spilled over the sand. Hotel and restaurant owners opened their doors and swept the remains of white sand from their stairways and sidewalks.

When businesses opened at 8 a.m., we dined at the Island Grill and watched beach goers gradually fill in the empty spaces with their colorful towels and chairs. The Key West Express, a jet-powered liner, bounced across the water with at least 350 people on board who were eager for their exotic adventure. Soon wave runners were powering through the blue-Green waters and white sailboats meandered past the pier a few hundred feet away from us heading into the Gulf.

"Sea Nymph" work-in-progress first drawing and wash. There is some foreshortening going on and I will need
to make sure her knee area looks like it's going back and layer the fins in the front.

I love these “mini-vacations.” Only a 45 minute drive from home, and we feel as if our world and the stresses that go with it are left far behind. Sometimes we make a day of it. We bring our beach towels and blankets and have one of those refreshing naps enveloped in the warmth of the sun. 

August is not the best time of year to languish. The heat can overwhelm you before you are even aware. I noticed that most beach goers were bouncing in the water and the dance between blanket and waves kept getting shorter and shorter as the sun crossed the morning sky.

My grandpa's Stereoscope early 1900's

Many walked their dogs and others played with them in the water in spite of the fact that there were “No Dogs Allowed” signs everywhere. Signs that were never enforced. 

Puppies were plentiful. We petted a few yippers and nippers. A large black dog and its owner played fetch in the water with a tennis ball. By the time we were ready to leave, several children were half-way through building their sand castles.

I will be selling this on my Etsy Shop:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/AnfinsenArt 

Three pelicans flew over us heading for the pier where they dive bombed for fish and tried to steal the bait from fishermen’s lines. One year when we were walking on the beach a floundering pelican twisted in fishing line was being rescued by two men who were patient enough to untangle the mess the bird had gotten himself into.

I have 228 photo cards from 1895 to 1905;  early US states, Early MN Nicollet Ave.
Old Norway, Palestine, and other.

A pelican looks fairly small flying overhead or sitting on the grey piling, but when his wings are outstretched as this one's was, his wingspan and long pocketed bill dwarfed the two men who were trying to save him.

Seagulls will also battle fishermen for their catch and doggedly attack and tug at a fish until it is safe in the creel.

At 10 a.m. we made our way home. The beach was getting crowded and the humidity was rising. We carried our memories home along with the sand that stuck to the bottom of our shoes. We were already planning our next mini-vacation!


(Old Norway photo cards, one side)

Photo cards run from $3-5 each.
Total cards = 228
Stereopticon $ 55 plus shipping












Michael Buble -- Come Fly with Me!

Is a change as good as a rest? Not if rest is what you really need.

My mother-in-law used to say: “A change is as good as a rest.” It might have been for her, but for me with my brood of six, sometimes change didn't cut it. What I needed big time was a rest from the numerous demands on my time and the physical demands of mothering, cooking, and cleaning.

People hate to admit it, but there are times when rest is just what the doctor ordered. So instead of involving ourselves in more activity and “busyness,” we need to relax and turn down the volume of our lives.

Meditation is almost a lost art. In today’s world we are seldom unplugged. Noise and confusion descends upon us from the moment we wake up until we go to bed at night. And sometimes the momentum keeps us awake when we should be asleep. Our minds never stop. The wheels keep turning and our nerves keep twitching long into the night.

That’s why vacations were invented. A real vacation should separate us from distraction, stress, and worry. 

Mini-vacations will do in a pinch. My husband and I went with friends to relax on the beach. We chose an isolated spot and sat for hours chatting, smelling the ocean air, watching wave after wave collapse on the sand.

When we returned that evening, I felt like I’d been on vacation. I was totally into the moment. I felt relaxed and revived.

The other day I suggested we attend a movie I’d wanted to see. As I told my husband: “I need to get out of myself.” There’s nothing like a good movie to pull you out of a funk.

Creative people are driven by their passions. And let’s face it that can be exhausting at best. If we don’t take a breather every now and then we’re in danger of burn out. Poor health can also affect stamina. If you want to work at peak performance, the first place to start is with your physical and spiritual health.

While it’s true that pain and sorrow may add meaning and purpose to your work, the reverse is equally true: vibrant health, self esteem and positive thinking give you the power and energy you need to be productive.

Balanced living and setting priorities is the only way to achieve happiness and success. If you are driven to succeed but you neglect your family or your health, the results will eventually stall your efforts. 

Pay attention to the signs. If your tail is dragging and your mind feels like it’s full of cotton, take some time off to relax, reassess, and refill your creative juices. When you come back you’ll feel recharged, refreshed, and changed.