Friday’s Fave Five

 Welcome to FFF!  Hosted by Susanne!

Well, it has been a month since my last post on this meme!  But it has been a busy time.  Mainly, this time last week we had just gotten home from our beach vacation where we had a glorious time.  

Thus, begins my first blessing. We were so blessed to get to go to Cherry Grove  Beach just north of  North Myrtle Beach.  

This was such a great trip because we were vacationing with dear friends who own a property in the  Inlet Villas right next door to where we were   renting!

I was looking forward to fun with our friends, but, also , just vegging out by the water, enjoying the sights and sounds of beach life, and setting aside time for art!I have been working in my first sketchbook and actually almost have finished it. While I was there I focused on nature, and after shopping at Hobby Lobby I bought some items with which I could do some mixed media! One of my favorite little pictures was this water color.

This was so much fun.   I think 

I will paint a set of cards to send friends,  these cutie birds are so joyful!

Aside from the sketching and journalling, I really enjoyed our times with Gerri and David.  we have known them for about 15 years. We met in church and still attend church together, we enjoyed dining out at new places, My favorite was Local on the Beach. One of the area’s newest locales

Most of it is out of doors with shaded areas .  We had a lovely time !

We,also, dined at some favorite places like Mac Allister’s  Deli,   the Boundary House in Calabash, , and the Shack!  Mmmm,mmmm. Their fried chicken! But isn’t eating out with friends one of man’s greatest pleasures.  

We were very fortunate to be the only family inhabiting our 6 apartment villa.  So we could make noise without bothering anyone and we could enjoy peace and quiet the whole time of our stay.  This was especially nice while I sat out on our deck painting.  I enjoyed playing some serene music while I painted! It really brings me closer to the Lord to play quiet music while I am doing a quiet activity.  Also, Lynn and I enjoyed sitting out on the front porch of our place and watch the activity around us while we enjoyed our coffee. We discovered a beautiful dove who was nesting out on a palm tree right next to our porch.  She was so valiant and faithful to her clutch of eggs!  

Ever so often the male would stop by to relieve her for a time. After her exercise and foraging she would stop by on a limb and study us for a spell!  

I think she knew we had been encouraging her in her duty and we seemed to develop a sweet friendship with her.  I  hated to leave her!

Our view of the inlet was so spectacular.  So much activity to enjoy watching. One of our neighbors in a n actual home was an older Asian woman who had her grandchildren for a visit.  It was fascinating to watch her come out by the marsh and using nets and other small contraptions catch minnows and other types of bait.As fishing was much more prolific on the other side of the inlet it was  fun to watch her pile her wee ones into  her boat and set off for the other side!  

This day she had her older grands. 

By midday they could have nearly walked across as the inlet changes so much with the tides.  But they actually stay the whole day when they make the trek to set up their fishing rods for a good day’s catch!

Our friends are still down there but we packed up on Thursday  prior to Good Friday to return for services that night.  Every day at the beach had been spectacularly clear and warm.  But that day we returned terrible storms passed through ahead of us as we travelled north.  The grey and fierce looking clouds piled up ever nearer to us ,and as we passed  into our home state we knew we were in for something !  We tried to drive slowly through the pelting rain and swirling winds. Ever so often you could see the horrible cloud above us drop down fingers that I knew could develop into  tornadoes, but the pressures just weren’t in their favor, praise the Lord.  But nevertheless, as the tempest closed in around us with hail spurting and thunder cracking.  We finally found a place to pull in and weather the storm with several other travelers..all of us in our cars hoping against any peppering hail.  And praises again, we had no hail damage to our car.We arrived home well before dark , unpacked and  enjoyed the comfort of being home , yet, I was a bit sad that it will probably be another couple  of years before the ocean calls our name.