Ocracoke Island

If you surrender completely to the moments as they pass,

you live more richly in those moments.
~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Last week, my family enjoyed the most relaxing, rejuvenating, sentimental, hysterical, once-in-a-lifetime vacation on Ocracoke Island. We were all overdue for a break, so we rented our favorite little cabin-by-the-sea. It's literally "on the water", and if you've ever read "Gift From The Sea" by

Anne Morrow Lindbergh, this sweet simple little home

could have been her inspiration.

Ken and I stole away for a few solo dates, and it was a treat to spend time together without interruption.

Every morning we woke at sunrise to this view through our window. We had some early night's and early mornings. When we visited our friend Leslie at Books to Be Red , she asked us how we'd survived the power outage the previous night. It was a bit embarrassing and refreshing

to admit that we'd completely missed it. ;-)

I wish that I could send the feel and the scent of this lovely tablecloth through the computer to you. I'm not really a souvenir kind of girl; but it's my absolute treasure from this visit to The Island! Leslie supports fair trade, and this piece was created in India. It's huge, and the photo can't possibly do justice to the color and texture. Right now this lovely is hanging on a hook on the back of my bedroom door. I smile each time I see it, and every now and then as I pass by, I catch a little whiff of beach and bookstore, and I'm on

Ocracoke in my mind.

If you're lucky enough to be planning a visit Ocracoke Island, place Books to Be Red high on your list of places to see! If a visit isn't in your immediate future, I'll bet they'd even be willing to dig up a copy of "Gift From The Sea" for you. The folks there are equally nice by telephone. Rumor has it that they include a bit of Ocracoke Magic in everything they send.

Couldn't we all use a bit more of that in our lives?