Sand Sculpting

Our family loves, loves, loves the beach.  We can be by the ocean during any season and feel at home.  Fall at the beach is amazing.  The days are mild, the light is golden and the star-filled night skies are miraculous.

Our favorite activity to do at the beach is absolutely nothing.  It is our veg-time, family time, and time of reflection all rolled into one sandy, salty, breezy package.  However, we have been know to build a sand castle or create a shell embellished mermaid on occasion and last fall we "grew" a pumpkin patch right on the sea shore.

Sand sculpting is a unique creative process.  Your  art "studio" is the great open outdoors, your inspirational soundtrack is the crashing waves, your medium is billions of tiny grains of shifting, ever-changing sand.

Apparently, there are some professional sculptures who make a living out of sand sculpting.  I came across photos of some sand sculptures that are just WOW!!!

These are sculptures that were made during last year's Sand Castle Days on South Padre Island, Texas. This year's festival is coming right up on October 5-7.  How awesome would it be to be there?

Other worldwide sand sculpting events can be found on this nifty website.  Psst...to all of you fellow Floridians, there is a sculpting contest coming up on Siesta Key in November.  Siesta Key has the most sugary, white, silky sand you will every sink your toes into.

Hugs,

Melissa

Second Sleep...The Golden Hour...Edison is My Enemy!

So, I was listening to a talk show on the radio while driving recently when I heard something very curious.  The speaker suffered from insomnia and he was sharing his research on something called second sleep.  Wait, whaaat?  Second sleep???  "What about first sleep or any sleep at all!" my sleep deprived brain began shouting  And at that moment, I may or may not have honked my horn very loudly to express my disdain, but I digress...

Basically, what I gathered from Mr. Sleepless on Satellite Radio, was that we humans were designed to experience a first and second sleep.  You see, way before Thomas Edison, the Electric Sunshine Man, invented the light bulb our ancestors actually went to bed when it got dark outside.

(By the way, I was in a oh-so-70's musical based on Edison's life called the Electric Sunshine Man waaaaay back in grade school.  I was the file clerk.  I wore a very old-fashioned dress.  I typed at a very old-fashioned typewriter.  I had one line.  I don't remember it because I am sleep deprived and old.)

So, those lucky people got to go to bed at let's say... around 9 PM or so.  Then, they slept for a few hours and their bodies woke them up around maybe midnight.  They would spend the next hour or so, referred to as the "Golden Hour" awake.  Maybe they made themselves some hot tea, snuggled with their sweetheart, nursed their baby, plowed their fields by moonlight, whatever.  The point is that they spent some awake time, and then they went back to sleep until morning.

Okay, so I just want to say for the record and all.  That I want to experience the "Golden Hour" and I also want to smack The Electric Sunshine Man upside the head for his little invention and for the awful song that I still have stuck in my head from that awful musical.

The Electric Sunshine Man
Doing the best that he can
Doing it right
Hey, out of sight
The ELECTRIC SUNSHINE MAN.....
The ELECTRIC SUNSHINE MAN.....

Sleepless in Orlando,

Melissa

Super Daddy to the Rescue

My sweet man is traveling on business right now, and boy do I miss him.  Our monkeys really miss him too. We get to talk to him via FaceTime or Skype, but it is not the same as having him here physically.   He gives the best hugs!  I found these pictures from this summer to prove it.  

When little Miss Monkey fell down at the park, Daddy was there to make everything right as rain. 

He cleaned her up...

Brushed her off...

And gave her the biggest, best, daddy hug.  She even got a sweet bonus hug from her cousin. 

What a Super Daddy!

He is so super, I bet he could even leap over this building that he is staying near in Singapore in a single bound.  Oh no! Wait! He is afraid of heights so that wouldn't work. But he's still super!

Hugs, 

Melissa