Girl's Getaway at the Beach

Proverbs 27:9 it says, " A sweet friendship refreshes the soul."

After our girlfriends getaway to the beach, I speak for our whole group when I say, (my) soul is certainly refreshed. This group of girls has been there for one another and has seen one another through such events as sickness, surgeries, divorces, deaths, births and are currently planning a marriage. I have referenced before that we are much like "Steel Magnolia's."

For those keeping track, Here is who went on the trip:
Flo/Diva
Courtney/High Mae
Kym/The Boss
Carey/Sweetness/Red
Audrey/Terminator
And me!-Leigh
(We missed you Sharon, Judy, Joy !)
On this trip, we came up with a name for our group of girls, The Clematis Club. It was really a funny story, and it is a tongue in cheek story. But such is the relationship of our friendships. We laugh with one another. We find humor in most everything. You have to in the world as it is today. You have to laugh. Some might be offended by the following story, and I hate that if you are, but life is short, learn to laugh. I am just going to call it what it is, as we are all adults here.

On the way down to the beach we got to discussing plants that we liked and what we were anticipating putting out into the yard for the summer. Kym giggled when she told us that she had been wanting a clematis vine so she could have it grow up her mailbox. She told her fiance, who in turn went to the local nursery and asked for a "clitoris vine". He was confused by the term and quite frankly, I can understand it. He's a man, not having first hand knowledge of that part. Can you imagine thought the look on the face of the nursery worker? How can you not be doubled over in laughter with that story? We sure were! We laughed most of the trip about that story. It was later into the trip that we decided, as a group of women, we should be called the "Clematis Club". It's something like Steel Magnolia's huh?

Again, let me reiterate, we are a close knit group. We have all been reveling in the recent engagement of our friend Kym. As soon as Flo-Kim heard about Kym's engagement she offered up her home as a place for the ceremony to take place. Flo's home is a perfect setting with pond and acreage, a pool. I too wanted to do something personal, so I told Kym that I wanted to photograph the wedding as a gift to the couple. I was telling our friend Court of the offerings to Kym, and she commented, "Oh! I just love our group of friends, Each of us wanting to do something personal......but wait! What can I do?', she paused momentarily, "I'll bring a cheese ball". It was just another thing that left us doubled over in laughter. So, Court was given a hard time about it, which she will duly be expected to show up to the wedding with a massive cheese ball in hand to feed all of the guest.

It rained on both Thursday and on Friday. When I say it rained, I mean it came down in sheets. We must have just dodged a tornado, by only minutes on our way down. When we drove through the town of Summerdale we noticed cars pulled to the side of the road, people scrambling to pick up things that had been blown away. Pecan trees had been blown down in fields, billboards were blown over and parts were left scattered in fields. Metal roofing littered parking lots and the road. It was scary. But, we made it.

We ate as we arrived into Foley, at Lambert's. Home of the throwed rolls. Kym had never eaten there and Flo only once. I will not ruin it if you haven't eaten there, but if you have- lets just say that the waiter and I got 'em good with the pranks. We had enough leftovers to take home and eat for supper that night.

We made the best of the rainy days by the most part by just staying in the condo and swapping stories on the covered deck outside, sitting in the porch swing and watching the rain dance on the water. It was relaxing and it didn't even matter that it was raining. We were all together. We have all stood with one another within life's storms before (figuratively speaking) so a little rain wasn't about to slow us down.

Later we got froggy, turned on some tunes and danced. Flo, Kym and I even came up with a dance number to surprise the rest of our group with when they arrived on Friday evening. As we saw them pull into the complex, we dashed outside and immediately jogged into the line formation and snaked it up with a dance of rotation and timed wave moments. The girls inside the other car got out crying they were laughing so hard. Imagine middle aged women behaving so! And so it began......the crazyness & laughter that endured for the duration of the trip.

On Friday night we all decided we wanted to go out and listen to a live band. Lulus seemed to far away. We had heard to try out Live Bait, so we made the trek. When we arrived we saw it was only young 18 year old half dressed teens there so we immediately left. Where to go? You can guess..... The Flora Bama, the redneck rendezvous of many. I had only been once, many many many moons ago with Big Daddy. It was all but erased from memory. Let me say, it wasn't our scene.

We, "girls" arrived to find we didn't fit in at the Flora Bama either. Either young teens (certainly using Dullbert's old fake ID that he sold on eBay) or it was old farts looking for young love, who came ready to use some lame pick up lines they must have been working on for weeks. When we arrived went upstairs and sat down at a table. Almost immediately a group of older men came over and sat at a table close by. One of them came over and asked Kym, "You look like yer ready to go an dance". Flo and I exchanged glances of disdain with one another. We had come to listen to the band. He and his friends then went on to offer up such lines as "We came down to go fishing and look here what I caught tonight (pointing to us)", "I got 64 Cd's! I got 64 Cd's! I got 64 CD's!", "I'm a man-ger at a camp ground in Leesburg." "I went karaokeing one night and brought the house down. Panties were flying. Some this big!" (he holds his hands about 3 feet). Flo, disgusted rolled her eyes said aloud, "If I am going to sit around and listen to this I am going to need another beer."Finally the guy got the clue after saying, "Are ya'll having a good time?" Flo responded sarcastically with, "Oh, yes. This right her (making circling motions) is THE BEST time of my entire life. THIS- IS- IT!!!" He then went on to try his "best lines" on other poor unsuspecting women.

The band did end up being very good, however when the lead singer referred to "all the ladies" as heifer's, it really soured my stomach. Is all respect and common courtesy not being taught to young men these days? I came home and showered off the grunge-funk of the FloraBama that had most certainly attached itself to me. I felt better afterward. I also am grateful that I am not single. I cannot imagine if what I saw tonight is out there for pickings. Thank God in Heaven for my husband Big Daddy. THANK GOD for him! We agreed that we wouldn't be returning to the Flora Bama. I didn't leave anything there.

By Saturday the sun was shining brightly. We packed a picnic lunch and headed to the beach where we spent ALL DAY. I even got in the ocean and swam. The water was so clear. It wasn't as cold as I anticipated. The rest of the group only got their toes wet, much to my dismay and chastising for them to "live a little".

They got back at me, at the beach I saw the most pitiful little sandpiper. He had one broken leg and it dragged behind him, useless. It obviously had been broken for sometime. He had learned to adapt to flying and landing, even hopping around with it. The girls managed to find a laugh at my expense because I consequently spent the next 6 hours feeding the little guy bread. He circled our group and didn't leave the entire time we were out there. I think they thought I was a bit over mothering the little guy that they began to refer to as "Gimpy". But I can't stand to see any animal (or person) in need. I spent much of my Saturday giving aide in the form of bread and crumbs to the bird.

Later we came home and after the blessing of the food we ate a great meal that Kym had bought for us and brought down from Homeplate Cooking. It was Spinach Manocotti with homemade sour dough bread. The meal cost about $30.00 and fed our group of 6 two times over. We still had leftovers for another meal but had to throw it away for lack of room in the cooler on the way home. That meal was delicious. We couldn't have eaten at McDonald's for that little and it was so delicious! I cannot begin to tell you just how good, try it for yourself and tell her Leigh sent you. http://www.homeplatecooking.com/

Flo did the neatest thing for everyone when we all got to the beach, she gave everyone a "goodie bag" that was embroidered with our respective initials on each bag. She bought the bags from the funky monkey. The bag was HUGE and easily fit my stack of magazines, my camera bag, water bottle, and a towel-with room to spare. I think she told me that the bags were $16.00 each. A deal!

Flo also had two craft projects for us to do when we were down. We all got a tickle of what our husbands would think of our crafting on a girls getaway.....and if they would be doing the same thing on a men's trip---NOT!). One night we painted mugs with paint pens. We personalized our mugs with a phrase that we thought was unique to our vocabulary. Can you guess which mug is mine?

The next night we made picture frames. Flo had craft supplies & scrapbook stickers for the cutest frames to be made. She got all of her craft supplies from Target and the Dollar Tree.

and just look what the girls made me (for my Gimpy love).

Kym bought everyone sequined bracelets from Tacky Jacks. Each of us got one to fit our personalities. The bracelets can be seen on our wrist in this photo (look closely)....

We walked away from our trip with more laughs, deeper relationships with one another, thanking our Lord God in Heaven for bringing one another together. We have promised one another to make an annual trip to get away together. I am rich not for the materials things I have, for they are meaningless- but for the treasure of friendships (& family) that I am blessed with. I look forward to our next girls getaway.
(More stories from the getaway to come....)