Mastic Beach

Don and I have been pretty sick through most of the month of November.  Don was sick, then I was sick, then Don got a little better then I got a little better then Don got a little more sick then one Friday afternoon he texted me "I'm sick." He got home that night and after eating a little dinner went straight to bed.  He didn't get out of bed Saturday and Sunday was not good.  We got him into the doctor and he was diagnosed with pneumonia.  Not good.  I did my best to keep him hydrated and get him better.  I was so scared.  But he finally started improving then I started coughing.  Don was a good husband and made me go to the doctor.  He even made me stay in the waiting room and wait for the doctor even though she was over 45 minutes late.  She diagnosed me with acute bronchitis.  I told Don that I was glad that it was acute and not an ugly.  :D
Long story short, we've been down for a while.  Last Friday we decided we were better enough and wanted to get out of the house.  So, Don and I went on a date.
We drove out to Mastic Beach.

It was beautiful, but windy and colder then we had planned for.  We both spent so much time inside that we didn't realize how the seasons had changed.
Don decided to document my coldness.  I had this flannel and two shirts on underneath.  No where close to being enough.

There was a memorial sight.  In 1996 a plane on its way to Paris from JFK blew up in the air above the  ocean near Long Island.  People that saw it described a fireball in the sky.  Many residents got in their boats and tried to mount a rescue but there were no survivors.  

It got colder so we took a few pictures and went back to the car - neither one of us wanting to press our luck seeing how ill we had been.

As we were driving out of the parking lot we saw this deer.  I think both Don and I said at the same time:  "Oh deer..."  Yes, he's coming along very nicely.  :D

Which reminds me.  A while ago Don and I were at the church helping to clean up after a party.  We each were giving certain areas to clean up.  Don, after finishing his said, "I'm done."  "No," I (without missing a beat) corrected him, "it's pronounced DON...." Got to love the Stirland humor....  :D

Fall Creek Park

I spent some time in Don's Indiana recently while helping my mother in law recover from back surgery.  While I was there, Don found time to show me around his beloved State. 

This was a Sunday afternoon at Fall Creek Park.

That's my Don by the tree...

 Don said I had to get my picture taken too.

We walked around and found some historical markers.  Here is one of them:

Here's another one:

And off in the distance... there's another one:   

(it says "three white men where hanged here in 1825 for killing indians")

But Fall Creek Park was more then historical markers.  It had beautiful views:

Don and I went for a walk through the wooded area.

It was beautiful and very peaceful.

We walked for a while and on the left we saw what we thought was a cemetery.  

We went through the trees and found...

After looking around a bit we walked back to the other side of Fall Creek

to see what we could see...

there was the water:

A shy little squirrel:  

Some ducks:

 A little lighthouse:

And a very handsome man!

Then we saw a squirrel.  

Unlike the last squirrel, he didn't seem to mind getting his picture taken.  

I asked him to come closer for a better shot.  He was very happy to oblige.

For he was The Mighty Squirrel: Master of Pedestrian Walkways

 Defender of Trees

After the squirrel, Don and I went to eat a little picnic lunch. 

Where's Don...

There he is!

Don't let the look on Don's face fool you, he LOVES playing this game... :D

A Birthday Plant

I turned 35 recently.  (Okay, not recently, it's been a few months.  I know, I'm behind on my posts...)  Don made sure I had a wonderful birthday.  Don wanted to buy me a plant.  I was concerned - knowing how attached I get to silly things and also knowing the irrational symbolism I have a tendency to put on things.  Knowing me the way he does, my dearest Don assured me that the health of the plant would no way in any shape or form be symbolic of our relationship.  So, we were off to get a plant.

First we went to the store.  Don wanted to get me a plant but was uncertain of what kind I would like so we picked it out together.  We got to the store and I looked at lots of different plants.  After reading the information on each plant trying to find the one that would be best suited...

You see many years ago I thought I should get a plant.  You see I figured I would like something alive in my little apartment.  The thought was proposed that maybe I should get a dog, but me, being the very logical person I am, decided that I would first test out my skills with a plant.  I researched the plant and found the best one suited to my apartment (little sun, 72 - 80 degrees, etc).  I found one that I liked and found the perfect pot to plant it in.  Mother and I repotted the plant and I proudly took it home to it's new life with me.  Many of you know the sad tale that followed: the plant began having little flies around it.  Trying to take care of my plant, I went to the store and got some bug killer.  I used the bug killer on my little plant.  The only result was the plant got worse and the bugs got wet.  Long story short: I took what was left of the plant to the best plant doctor in the world (mother's) where it is doing wonderfully well.  

But I digress.... 

I searched the options.  I believe my poor husband thought we could pick a plant, buy it, and go home. 10 - 20 minutes tops.  But I had to research the plant, find the best and healthiest looking one, find the perfect pot to transplant it in, buy the potting soil, replant it, etc and so forth.  

Don, being the trouper he is made it through.  And let me take this time to point out the overwhelming love my sweet husband has for me and I for him.  He is my soul mate - truly made for me.  I am so grateful for him and his tender loving kindness where I am concerned.  I know I am crazy and somewhat (okay very) hard to deal with.  A lesser man would have laughed, mocked, yelled, rolled his eyes, cried or left me in the store to my own silliness.  Don stayed with me through it all.  What a wonderful man I married!  

Here's my plants, by the way.  

This is when I first got them and had just transplanted them.

This is months later:

I call the little one Elizabeth and the big one Don.  But don't worry... The fact that I have named them such does not mean I am too attached... I promise I understand that "the health of the plant would no  way in any shape or form be symbolic of our relationship...."  :D

Also:  Don took me out to dinner that night.  We went to a place called Smoky Bones.  It was so good!  Don ordered wings.  I like wings but have never liked picking them up and eating them with my fingers.  Neither does Don.  He cuts the meat off the bone!  It's very awesome to watch!  And he loves me enough to cut wings for me too.  (This is where you say "awww...")  It's truly a science and quite impressive.  I didn't take a picture of that, but next function we have, we are having wings so you can all see....  

Montauk

When Courtney was out visiting we went to the end of the Island, a place called Montauk.  The drive was beautiful but once we got close the traffic was insane!  Very glad Courtney was driving.  I took some pictures from the car.  This was one of them.  

We got closer in and the views became even more incredible!

I love maps.  Unfortunately I couldn't take this one with me (it was pretty well bolted down... plus the problem of fitting it in the car...), but I took a picture.  It's amazing to me how large the world really is.  The Montauk area is a very small area on the map and yet it's huge and very populated.  

We got to the lighthouse.  I've never seen one up close.  Apparently the house is where the keeper of the lighthouse lived.  

I love the ocean views.  Everything was so green!

Everything is so expensive in New York.  They charge for parking, and then they wanted another fee to actually look at the lighthouse.  I wasn't sure if we wanted to pay the fee, but, thanks to my dear friend Courtney's creativity... we got in.

We think there's a little out house down there...  

I believe this is a tribute to men lost at sea... 

I love little plaques that have information, so I took a picture of this.  

This is what it says:

Montauk Lighthouse 

Was authorized to be constructed by President George Washington in 1795 and completed in 1797, at a cost of 22,300.00.  When the lighthouse was completed it stood three hundred feet from the edge of the cliff.  The sandstone tower is 28 feet in diameter, of an octagonal shape and 80 feet to the lantern. Sperm oil was used until the 1860's to light the lantern. After that, kerosene was used until the 1940's when an electric lamp of 300,000 candle power was installed.  The light is a ten second flash with a range of nineteen (19) miles in clear weather and four miles in foul weather.


More views:

Then we headed home.  It was really crowded so Courtney tried to find alternate ways home.    I'm glad she did 'cause we saw really cool things.  Both these pictures are taken by me in the passenger seat from the car.

It was very beautiful.  I'm so glad Courtney was willing to drive out there with me.  Thanks my friend!  :D