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Living on ‘The Island’ has mellowed me out so much that I just can’t seem to muster up my usual ambition for work (which was just a bit obsessive).
We have found a lovely home (I promise pictures as soon as I get that feature fixed–I had to ditch it for the update) and we spend a lot of time going to all the fun events that are happening here all the time.
Then, of course, there are the daily beach walks, finding treasures like shells, coral and that ever elusive sea glass while Phantom enjoys all the beach smells and greets everyone (human or canine) that he encounters on ‘his’ beach.
I bought myself a present today–a new bicycle. The last two places I have lived (Seattle and west St. Louis) have been much too hilly for my safety while biking, so I had given it up and sold my bikes.
My son, who lives in Switzerland, turned me on to a great bicycle design (for us ‘older’ bikers) from Germany. It is made by Biria (pronounced beer’ e ah) and it is just sooooo slick. It’s an easy ‘low step over’ coaster bike with pedal brakes and an easy and comfortable riding position.
Since the gated community where we live, as well as the entire island, has wonderful bike paths that meander through the pines and palms and along the beachfront, I just couldn’t resist getting myself a new bike.
I don’t usually spend this much on myself, but I just went and did it. Here’s a picture:
http://www.jacksbikes.com/contents/en-us/p365.html
We will close on our home at the end of this month and my oldest son will visit the next week with my daughter in law and my grand daughter.
Then I will leave for Missouri to get my home up there ready for sale while Larry stays here with the dog and cat. I am also facing doing the taxes and I have some new surprises for the website. (okay–I haven’t been a total slug since I’ve been here)
So, I just wanted to update my Sisters on my island ventures. I just love it here so much I could just burst with joy.
It’s warm and beautiful, the beaches are world class white sugar sand and very private, and our new home is located on the gated west end of the island; so the 90 year round residents in our gated community, called The Plantation, have 5 miles of private beach all to ourselves. The crime rate is zero, the area abounds with environmental pleasures, the Sea Turtles will be nesting again this summer and the daily, fresh caught seafood is to die for.
I am in paradise.
Oh, Larry’s okay too.
Love to all ~ JoAnn
Yay!! Love it being mostly about YOU!! With a little Larry after thought! Atta girl!! I am thrilled for you and the peace you are experiencing!! Enjoy to the fullest and thank you for sharing! XO!!
Wow, JoAnn.. this sounds like a slice of pure heaven. I am so happy for you! xoxo
p.s. I’ve always been fascinated by sea glass, and wish I were one of those artistic types who could create something out of it. Hope you’ll include some pictures of it when you post your Paradise pics!
Dear Joann,
It is so nice to hear that you are in a good place, and maybe reaping some long over-due rewards for sticking it out. It’s a little hard for me to even say that, because I know that for me, and probably for you, there is NO amount of money or material things/experiences that would be worth the painful crap we have all gone through. So even when the situation is as wonderful as yours sounds, it still seems to me that you have been ripped off. I dont want to throw negativity into your happy update, I just want to honor where you have been and what you have gone through to get where you are–I just want to say that from my perspective it is the LEAST you deserve! But better not to dwell on the past and whether or not the benefits are commensurate with the cost–I truly rejoice in your current good fortune and hope you can milk every bit of happiness out of it that is possible–for the rest of your days. Until finally maybe at some point the joy truly will outweigh the pain. Thank you for creating this site for us. Much love!! BonnieBonnie – love your post. I am also waiting for the joy to truly outweigh the pain. I guess it is all mindset and when, if possible, we make up our minds as to what we can live with that can make us happy.
Hope you are doing well. I get the two Bonnie’s mixed up.
Hugs.Dear JoAnn,
I look forward to your house pictures. I hope that beautiful enviroment helps ease the pain you have suffered and helps you heal your spirit. Karen xx
Dear Bonnie and all,
Nothing can ever make up for all the trauma and pain that any of us have gone through. As sad and as un-fuckin’-fair as it is, it’s ours to have and to hold for the rest of our lives.
We can never forget, nor should we. But we can and must move on. It really doesn’t matter whether we are able to move on while staying or move on by leaving, those scars will always be with us.
No amount of happiness from now on–for the rest of our lives, for any of us, will ever make up for the extreme emotions and loss of innocence that has been forced upon us.
So, the only thing that we can do is to work through our trauma and go forward seeking our own happiness, whether that is alone, with the SA or with someone new.
But, let’s face it, we are forever changed.
My vision for myself is to find true forgiveness in my heart that will bring me peace, and to find genuine joy and happiness in my life by living each day in the moment, appreciating all the love I have from my family, letting go of the past-but never forgetting those hard lessons I have learned.
Yes, JoAnn, it’s still true that wherever you go, there you are.
“We are forever changed” Such powerful words, and scary. But now I’m know that some of the change is in my hands. Until we really accept that something terrible has happened to us, been done to us, and hurt us, we cannot get past it, to take back our power and build a new story into our lives. All that striving to fix the old story has to stop. And then we move forward with or without him.
We are forever changed.
And that’s what the idiot treatment models don’t want to deal with. (I had to get it in)JoAnn,
Your update really lifted my spirits, I’m so thrilled you’ve found some peace and happiness, and a little piece of paradise. We just returned from Key Largo yesterday (mile marker 104 :)). I think I can understand the contentment you have found after having spent some really peaceful days in the sun and hearing the ocean, and resting in the knowledge that my husband has reached his one year goal of sobriety. (It is only one year, but it feels good.)There is a quote about adversity that I love that I want to share with you. ”The brook would lose its song if you removed the rocks.” I can hear you singing, JoAnn, and it’s a lovely song. Love, Lindy
JoAnn,
I hate to sound like a copycat, but that is my dream life. Enjoy!!! You’ve earned it!!!
xoxo!! JulieJoAnn,
I just now read this forum. You sound so happy and your place, location so nice. Sounds like the perfect fit!I know there is no crime on the island, but I would lock that bike up; it’s very spiffy. Also, Phantom is so cute he’s at risk of abduction. Will Larry keep a close eye on him? I sound paranoid.
Anyway, sounds divine and so happy for you!
Love, Nap
Aw NAP, you are so sweet!
I did buy a small cable lock for my bike just in case, but felt silly doing it. I will use it if I have to leave it anywhere for a while.
Ahhhh, Phantom. Lover of everyone.
You wouldn’t have to abduct him, he’ll just follow you home wagging his tail all the way. He is the most innocent of souls.
Yes, Larry does keep close tabs on him. With miles and miles of open beaches filled with less than a handful of people it’s pretty easy to keep an eye on him.
He is very well mannered, he sits when he sees someone coming and does not approach them until we say he can. If he’s really excited, like when he sees a child or another dog, he lays down (I guess to control his urge to run over to them).
The few residents here in the Plantation are getting to know him and bring him treats for when they see him on the beach.
Yesterday a couple was on the beach with their little dachshund and Phantom decided that he was going to go home with them.We had to issue a very firm ‘Come Phantom’ before he would come back.
Maybe he was in love?
WOW! It sounds idyllic! I pray for you that it stays sweet for you forever and the rest of your days and hope so much to ever get to state-side again to do a tour of you all, from JoAnn in Florida to Diane in Canada – now that would be an awesome trip!
God bless you all x
J – where did you move to? The reason I ask is that if my hubby and I make it (in the throws of recovery) then we want to move to the Carolinas – sounds like that’s where you are? We nearly moved to Daniel Island near Charleston 2 years ago but in the end, bailed. I love the Carolinas! Can’t wait to move back there someday. Although San Francisco is beautiful – you can’t swim in the water…
JoAnn,
I just looked at your bike again! I think something like that would be perfect for my Dad!! I especially love the low step over!! Perfect for him!! (he’s 78)Thanks for sharing!
Yes, it is an excellent, stable, extremely well built German bike, Europeans,who ride bikes much more than we do, love the design. I’m pretty short, so the design works for me. And, since it is made of aluminum rather than steel, it is lightweight–only 31 pounds. They call it the ‘baby boomers bike’.
So, I am looking forward to enjoying the scenery, the weather, meeting new people and getting ‘buns of steel’ while I’m at it.
I’m sure it will outlive me
Hi debinca,
We are in the process of moving to St. George Island, FL. It is a wonderful, sparsely populated, white sugar sand beaches island located in the northern part of the Gulf Of Mexico. It is a long barrier island fives miles out from Apalachicola, FL.
My oldest son just moved to Charleston SC with Boeing and he loves it. I have not been there yet, but I can’t wait to see the beauty that I have heard about.
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