Just Me & My Moments in October – A Beach Trip in The Works

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Halloween this weekend. Get ready for the sugar highs! 🎃

I have some fun news. In October 2027, I’m heading to the beach with my brother and his family, plus one of my dearest friends, and I can’t remember the last time I looked forward to something this much. And Miss Dixie will be going on this trip too.

My brother and I don’t get nearly enough time together these days, so when we manage to plan something like this, it feels extra special. My brother still works, his son is in the National Guard and works a lot of hours for the USPS, and my dear friend is grieving the loss of her parents recently. She really needs some time to relax and unwind on the beach. I can’t wait to laugh for a whole week with her.

Beach trips look different for me now than they did back in my younger years. These days it’s all about a good chair, a big hat, the sound of the waves, and not caring one bit how I look in a swimsuit. What I’m really looking forward to isn’t really the beach itself. It’s the drive together, the conversations, visiting with my nephew, and laughing at the same dumb jokes we’ve been laughing at for years.

As for planning, I’m the planner with a list for everything, which I love, and everyone loves that I do it. A few things I never leave home without are 2 sets of Uno cards for hours of laughs, my Flourless Double Chocolate Cookies because my brother can’t live without them, my favorite no-tuck swimsuit, and my Kindle with a book or two. Our favorite place to stay is the Jetty East in Destin, but they aren’t pet-friendly, and this time we want a house for all of us with a pool, if not too expensive.

There’s something about getting older that makes you hold onto plans like this a little tighter, just because you start to understand how good it is to have people you love and a reason to look forward to something.

Do you have a trip planned in 2027? I would love to hear about it.

Happy Birthday to Juliette Gordon Low! The visionary who showed generations of girls just how far courage, confidence, and character can take them! 🌟

From that first troop meeting in 1912 to millions of Girl Scouts worldwide today, her legacy lives on in every cookie seller, badge earner, and barrier breaker. 💚

I was a Girl Scout for 12 years, and I have so many memories of this wonderful organization. All the friends, all the trips, and all the things I learned during that time are so important to me. Camping, canoeing, learning to cook over an open fire, the latrines (and cleaning them), and especially all the lifelong friends I made.

If you are ever in Savannah, GA, take time to visit her home. What a great story she has to tell.

Here’s to dreaming big, lifting others up, and leaving the world a little better than we found it — just like Juliette did. 🫶

QUICK RECIPE TIP: If you search for recipes on Google, that AI Overview at the top can be handy, but it often blends info from several sources, so it isn’t necessarily a recipe anyone has actually tested. I always scroll down and visit a real recipe site instead. You get the full instructions, the cook’s own notes, and a recipe somebody actually made in their kitchen. When you’re spending your time and money on a meal, the original is worth the click.