It has been a while since I have had time to breathe - can you imagine that ... living in para - para - Paradise (Coldplay, of course) but Gameday For Heroes has taken up a bit of time - actually a lot of time.  This is a good thing.  At least I get to sit out on the patio talking to donors, getting our military tickets to go see their favorite college teams play ... 

Since football has always consumed most of our weekends in the fall since we graduated from college (gosh was that 22 years ago...) I have only spent a weekend or two at the beach.  Now anyone that knows me knows I don't miss an Auburn game - luckily we had a lot of away games and quite a few early games ... having kids especially ones that decide to grow up on you and have schedules that don't always seem to coincide with me attending games now that we are 4 hours away I have gotten to enjoy the beach more in the fall.

I don't think I ever knew what I was missing ... WOW - I have decided that for sure this is my favorite time of year...I still can sit on the beach, but what is so amazing is the water - the beautiful colors - the sunsets - UNBELIEVABLE!  I have gotten into the habit of taking sunset pictures every evening ... I don't get tired of it although I have a friend that says ... "they'll be a thousand more like it" ... no way - everyday they take my breath away - so you will see a lot of sunsets - I don't get up early enough for sunrise - granted I'm sure they are beautiful ... but for now I will stick to sunsets - I need the beauty sleep!

I got to see the Carillon ladies put up the Christmas decorations when I was taking Kricket and Nemo for a walk - they have really made this place festive - getting me all ready to start thinking about Christmas well before I like too.  But the wreaths on the beach walkovers - LOVE LOVE LOVE!  The beautiful tree by the Carillon Bell ... I need to get a picture of that.

But what has been my most favorite is hunting for shells in the beautiful water.  It has gotten colder here than I expected this early, but that hasn't stopped me from being Sally the Seashell queen.  I have buckets and buckets.  I have spent hours cleaning and drying shells.  I guess I will have to get crafty ... isn't this amazing?  So now I will be starting a new hobby ... Look at all of these shells right out my back door!!!

Things are slowing down here now which is nice  - not many people so it is time for enjoying the beach and getting ready for the holidays...I'll keep Carry'n On in Carillon for now...

Working Away on a Beautiful Day

Remember when I said moving to the beach was not always a vacation - well, I got to work all day sitting on the patio - overlooking the ocean (I know I hear ya ... it is a rough life, but somebody has to do it)!  The one thing was between the calls, the emails, the spreadsheets, the emails, the calls, the emails, the spreadsheet oh did I mention the e-mails ... I am not sure I even looked at the view.  You see ... I always say I am not going to take last minute tickets or request for Gameday For Heroes - but I can't stand the thought of our military not being able to attend a game no matter what hoops have to be jumped through.

For those that don't know, I have the best non-paying job in the world --- I am the Director of a not-for-profit that sends miitary (wounded, active and veterans) to college sporting events and right now we are BUSY!  Tomorrow we have military attending the following games:  Alabama v LSU, Auburn v New Mexico St., Tennessee v Troy, Texas A&M v Mississippi St., Georigia v. Ole Miss and Arkansas v. Tulsa.  But you know the view here even if I didn't get to see it was still better than the view our military has seen while they were deployed!  So I'll keep plugging away at the emails, phone calls, emails, phone calls, spreadsheets and emails then I'll get to see the view .... check out www.gamedayforheroes.org

This is how I ended that part of the day

One of the funniest things is that I am just DYING to do SUP Yoga - yep Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga - can you imagine ... I can't even do yoga on the ground, but there is a new company that has just opened here in Carillon and I have to watch them do the dog something or another and the lying something or another and the stand down whatever and the funny thing is no one ever falls off the board.  How can that be?  Walking on Water Paddle Board is starting Yoga classes!  I had to laugh when I saw the hand out ... it offers Earth Yoga (I guess that is "old-fashion" yoga for us old folks - ya know I am 44), SUP Yoga and Hammock Yoga - yep you saw that Hammocks hanging from the ceiling ... well, I'll see if I can get my courage up --- keep ya posted.

So there is a wedding tomorrow so that is about as much excitement as there will be here in Carillon - looks like all these folks came from up north - little did they know it has been freezing down here ... jeez like low in the 50s - ya know they have to be freezing there northern butts off.  But tomorrow it is suppose to be beeeee uuuu tttt iiiii ffffuuuulllll - I just hate football is on all day ... cause I will be in front of the tv - but still emjoying the view!

Living at the Beach

Well, we did it ... finally... we moved!  Guess where we are - the beach (I know, shocker)!  We have always loved the 30A area and knew this is where we wanted to end up after the girls were off to college.  But what do you know - sometimes life throws you a wave so you ride it where it takes you ... right to home.

One thing that is hard to remember is living at the beach isn't vacation - but that is ok.  I wake up every morning to the sound of the ocean and a view that will make even those that don't like the beach (how can that even be?) jealous.  So I'll just keep Carry'n on in Carillon and bring everyone updates, ideas, thoughts, and just whatever the waves bring at me.

So as you can see we will make new friends and share our first Halloween at Carillon with this beautiful sunset to send this kids off to trick or treat  .... watch out for these candy eating, football lovin', cheshire cat costumes!  I promise the Tarletons are here and Carillon will never be the same!