Ocracoke Treasures, Peace, and Thanks to Linda D.

"Ocracoke Treasures"

"Magical" isn't a word that I use lightly, and it's interesting how frequently my time on Ocracoke Island is described in exactly that way.  Our last trip there in October felt long overdue.  Life at home was stressful, and we were anticipating our visit with even more enthusiasm than usual.

On the day of our departure, we left home at 2:00 in the morning so that we were sure to arrive at The Cedar Island Ferry in plenty of time for the first crossing of the day.  Tired and happy, we landed on Ocracoke a few hours before our rental home was ready.  Ken indulged me in my need to immediately feel the sand between my toes, and I indulged him in his need for a nap.  

While he was snoozing in the truck, I made a beeline for the Pony Pen Beach.  It was just what the doctor ordered!  It was a perfect breezy fall afternoon.  With the sun on my face, I walked in solitude in the surf for about twenty five minutes before beginning my return trip. 

Because I'm not truly happy on the beach until my pockets are overflowing and my hands are filled to capacity, I picked up oodles of treasures along the way.  Then, just when I thought that I couldn't squeeze one more morsel into my collection, I spied a flash of color on a piece of driftwood that I'd passed earlier.

"...and let it begin with me..."

Imagine my surprise when I drew closer and found these.  I quickly realized that they were even more precious than I'd imagined.  "Peace" was exactly what I was seeking on Ocracoke, and to find such a physical manifestation of it within hours of my arrival can be defined as nothing short of Magical.

Thank you, Linda D. for sharing your talents in such a generous and selfless way! Your gift touched my heart, and I hope that your time on Ocracoke was every bit as Magical as ours.  (If you happen to be reading this, Linda D., please let me know. I would love to be able to thank you more personally.)

What A Difference A Day Makes

From the crispness in the air to colored leaves to pumpkins, I love the Fall Season.  This year my travels took me from Pennsylvania to New England and back to North Carolina.  The time on the road allowed me to experience nonstop autumnal beauty for weeks on end.  Here at home, fall arrived softly.  I live in The Sandhills, home of the majestic Long Leaf Pine.  While they offer stunning beauty year round, they just don't provide a whole lot of fall color.  ;-)

This photo is similar to one that I posted on Facebook.
Notice the heart shaped hole in the leaf on the top left.

Wednesday.

About a week ago, I noticed that the small maple tree in our front yard had begun to turn brilliant orange.  As the days passed, I appreciated it as I gazed out the window or drove in and out of our driveway.  Then two days ago, as I rushed home after an appointment, I paused to visit the tree in person.  It was awesome!  Its leaves were rustling gently in the breeze; bees were languidly resting amidst its branches; and the Carolina Blue Sky provided the perfect backdrop for its vibrancy.  I posted a photos of the tree on Facebook that day, and I was amazed by the positive attention that it received.



Thursday.

Yesterday dawned to mist, fog, and gray skies as I made my way to yet another doctor's appointment.  When I returned home, I was stunned to see that our beautiful little tree had shed almost all of its leaves overnight.  If I hadn't paused for those precious moments the day before, its beauty would have existed only in my mind.   

I know that there's valuable lesson in this experience, and it's one that's been on my radar for the past few years.  Our time here is precious and fleeting.  We need to make the most of it; we need to appreciate those we love and the beauty that surrounds us; we need to focus on the things that matter most; and we need to do it right now...in the moment and amidst the chaos.  Life is beautiful, and I for one want to fully appreciate every last drop of it!

Broken Shell Beauty

I love surprises. 

Today, when I placed my hand into my jacket pocket, I came away with a sprinkling of sand from my most recent visit to Ocracoke.  It instantly brought a smile to my face, and mentally carried me away to my all time favorite beach. 

One of My Favorite Things...Broken Shells.

When I reached into my other pocket, I was rewarded with these three beauties.  I found a number of perfect shells during my visit...a scotch bonnet, a sand dollar, and a variety of others...but I continue to be drawn to the parts and pieces.  These shells have survived; their strength is apparent; and they have a history that I can only begin to imagine.  Worn smooth by their journey, their beauty is beyond compare. 

For now, I've returned them to my pocket.  They'll live there with the sand for a while; both serving as a gentle reminder that these words are a true for us as well.

My Personal Pause

One Perfect Pause...taking time to appreciate the little things. 
(Ocracoke Island, North Carolina)

Lately I’ve noticed that I have an increasing need to pause.  From the briefest of pauses to more long and leisurely ones, at times the desire to pause overwhelms me.

Pausing quiets my mind. It provides me with time to consider my options; it allows me to reflect on the consequences of my actions; and it permits me to respond to various situations instead of reacting to them.  This may sound like a subtle difference; but it’s made an enormous improvement in my life.  In the ever increasing rush around me, pausing centers me.

Sometimes I silently summon a personal pause in the midst of chaos.  This type of pause tends to be transparent to those around me.   At other times, I verbally declare my need to pause.  I wasn’t even aware that I did this until a friend noticed it.  When she brought this behavior to my attention, I realized that the gentle act of pausing is one manner in which I care for myself. 

Rushing through life is overrated, and I’ve done it for far too long.  I’m now ready to embrace my personal pause.  Care to join me?

Whoopi Goldberg Raises Awareness of Lewy Body Dementia

Just about a year ago....after a lengthy period of misdiagnosis and extremely bad reactions to the wrong medications...we received my Mother's diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia.  

Thanks to Whoopie Goldberg for helping to raise awareness of this disease.

Thanks to The Lewy Body Dementia Association for all that they do to raise awareness while supporting patients, their families, their caregivers, and the medical community at large.

 

My Really BIG Announcement - Introducing ReMe Retreats!

 

When I was twelve years old, my Aunt Stella, my Grandma, my sister Janet, and I made a trip to The Outer Banks.  It was the first time that I'd ever seen the ocean, and I still have vivid memories of the experience.

Twenty years ago, I ventured with a friend for a week long vacation in Nagshead.  It was lovely, and as the week progressed we were drawn farther and farther south to the land of lighthouses, sand dunes, and undeveloped wide open spaces.  I'd never experienced anything like it, and I was hooked.

Shortly thereafter, I began a love affair with Ocracoke Island.  Ocracoke is a magical place.  During my years in corporate banking, my journey there and my time on The Island provided much needed stress relief.  In fact, as Ive faced most of my life's challenges, I've been able to find peace and clarity there.

My artistic vision and career were shaped on Ocracoke.  As a budding art photographer, my first show was held there; my photo was published for the first time on the cover of a local newspaper; I made my first sale to anyone other than a friend there; and I received my first gallery representation there.  Later, as my creative muse turned toward mixed media art and jewelry, I participated in my first festival, The Ocrafolk Festival, on The Island.  During my time at that event, I met Leslie Lanier,; her amazing shop, Books to Be Red, became my first wholesale customer.  Each of these events provided a huge boost to my confidence, and each was a major milestone in my life.  And that was just the beginning!

In October 2000, while visiting Ocracoke with my oldest and dearest friend, Theresa, a chance meeting changed my life.  It was then that I met Ken Skipper, and our long distance love began.  We've been married and happily living in North Carolina for almost ten years now. 

Through all of this, a dream has been dancing around my mind and my heart.  I wanted to be able to share the comfort, inspiration, and magic that I found on Ocracoke and in my career as an artist.  Piece by piece, the image of that dream began to crystallize; my family and friends loved the concepts that I shared with them; and in January 2012 the dream began to become a reality.

Jodi Ohl, an amazing mixed media artist, and I were on a road trip for a show in Florida.  I mentioned my ideas to her, and she loved them.  While on the road, we reached out to our friend, mixed media, paper, and book art maven Penny Arrowood, and our excitement about the possibilities grew exponentially.  By the end of that trip, we'd already reserved our dream retreat house on Ocracoke Island, and the hard work began.

From January 2012 through May 2013, ReMe Retreats was born.  We planned, planned, and planned some more.  We knew that we wanted ReMe to be an intimate experience filled with time for creating, time for reflecting, and time for just being with our fellow artists and friends.  In May, with eight of our nearest and dearest friends, we hosted a trial run of ReMe on Ocracoke Island.  From the moment we set foot in the door, we knew that we'd found our home.

Since that visit in May, we've been finalizing plans for our Inaugural ReMe Retreat on Ocracoke Island in May 2014.  As we fine tuned our website and other details, we began to distribute save-the-date-cards, and we set the date for our formal announcement of ReMe Retreats to the world.

Then...to our utter amazement...our first retreat sold out before we'd even announced it!  No one could have been more surprised than the three of us.  From the time of our first guest registration to our last, little more than 24 hours had transpired.  With each new guest reservation, a flurry of text messages and phone calls between us was launched, and we enjoyed every minute of each mini-celebration.     

The enthusiastic response to the ReMe Retreats concept has reinforced that we're on the right track, and we're now working diligently to coordinate a second ReMe Retreat on Ocracoke Island in 2014.  We expect to announce that retreat within the next few weeks, and we've developed a procedure that should allow all interested parties an equal chance at registration.

Now this is important…to be sure that everyone who’s interested in attending ReMe – Ocracoke – 2014 and all future ReMe Retreats will have an equal chance at obtaining one of our remaining guest spaces, we’ll proceed as follows:

If you’re interested in receiving our official early updates about ReMe –Ocracoke,and all future ReMe News and Events, please visit ReMeRetreats to subscribe to our mailing list using the box in the margin of this page. Subscribers to this mailing list will always be the first to receive news from ReMe.

At least one week before we go live with the second ReMe Retreat - Ocracoke, we’ll send a message to our subscribers. It will contain the date and time that our PayPal Reservation Button will be posted to the ReMe Retreats Website. Subscribers will have the first opportunity to secure one of our guest spaces. Then, 3 days after the PayPal Reservation Button goes live on this page, we’ll formally announce our second ReMe Retreat – Ocracoke.

Thank you again for the love and support that you've shared with me through the years.  It means the world to me, and I'm looking forward to all that the future holds for each of us!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Books-to-be-Red/110818156439www.jeanskipper.com

A Well Earned Patina and Comfort In The Familiar

Like a moth to a flame, I'm drawn to rusty metal.  Bright, shiny, and new is nice; but the character and history of a rich patina thrill me to no end.  I suppose that the same is true of the relationships in my life.  Those that stand the test of time hold a special place in my heart.

Since my Mother received her diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia last year, her world has been shrinking.  At first our time was filled with physical therapy, doctor's appointments, church, store visits, and her weekly hair styling.  She seemed to thrive on the activity and the social nature of these trips, and we even discussed enrolling her in several programs at our local senior center.

Then, slowly, things shifted.  One by one her activities dropped away, and her steady stream of excuses for not leaving the house grew.  I know that it's a symptom of her disease.  She now thrives on routine.  A rigid schedule helps; but it's still sad to see.  Those activities and people who used to bring pleasure are no longer familiar, and they cause her anxiety to rise. 

Her visits with Robin at Salon 165 are now her one constant outside of our home.  She loves Robin, and today as we arrived for her appointment, I heard her greet her twice by name.  This isn't always the case, and it made my day.

Salon 165 is located in a sweet cottage on Rhode Island Avenue in Downtown Southern Pines.  We always park next to the ramp at the side of the building.  This shed stands in the neighbor's backyard.  It's identical to the first one that my Dad built at our house on Highgrove Road.  He was so proud of that shed, and this one brings a smile to my face every time that I see it.

I can still feel the way that he door stuck;
I can still hear the screech of metal on metal;
and I can still smell the mix of lawn clippings and gasoline.
There is comfort in the familiar.


Some days that's enough.