The Worm

When I was a kid, I heard every few weeks that the early bird got the worm. I am a morning person, but I do not know whether I was born that way or it was instilled in me. As I write this it is not yet five in the morning and I have been awake long enough to read some and listen to music and have an argument with myself about procrastination.

Procrastination is a trait that I put off until after I turned thirty. It came along about the time maturity peeked her head around the corned and said "BOO!" It started in small ways, like not giving my phone number the first time a guy asked for it and actually taking the time to price car insurance. I waited to do things, that in my youth, I would have done immediately. For example in my youth I would have already made my decision about where to spend my fall get away and I would have already paid for my reservations.

Now I am lingering over the choices, wondering about the best way to spend my money. Should I go and see something I have never explored or go somewhere familiar which can be more relaxing. My thoughts naturally return to the last time I enjoyed the familiar and I once again find my eyes getting watery. I miss my Billyboy. Fifteen out of the last seventeen years, in September or October, I spent nine days to a month, getting away from it all with my late husband. The planning was fun, the packing sometimes frantic, but the best and worst parts were shared, and bounced off of each other years afterward.

Over the years we went quite a few places. Our first destination was to Indian Rocks Beach, we were still newlyweds and still getting to know each other, it was not our best get away. Pigeon Forge, the next year, was spent with my family in a huge house with terrible plumbing. In 1999 we went to Canada, in the Niagara Falls region, we stayed at a B&B in St Catherines. That was a wonderful experience that truly gave me an appreciation of hospitality done right. We went to Panama City Beach a couple of years in a row and relaxed, sharing time and accommodations with friends.

In 2002 we went to the west coast for a month, staying in San Francisco a couple of days and then driving to Medford, Oregon and staying there a few days, seeing Crater Lake and eating huckleberry pie for the first time. From there we drove to Florence, a great little coastal town, home to the Blue Hen Restaurant where we took breakfast several times during our nine days there. We drove to Portland twice, to pick up my son's girlfriend and return her to the airport. So many great things were experienced on that trip, that it will be hard to top it in my mind, but each year was wonderful.

Panama City Beach, again for a couple of years, then Myrtle Beach. Our getaway to Sunset Beach, NC was spent with some friends that had been part of our lives since 1970. It was fun and relaxing. In 2009 we went to Jamaica with my son and the girl with whom we had been to Portland, only now they were married with children. Our time in Montego Bay was perfect, but getting home was one of the horror stories that we chuckled about later. Bill was one for repeating that tragedy plus time equals comedy.  This picture to the right was on our trip to Jamaica. We made some great friends, the Dookies and the Soos.

I think we went back to PCB in 2010, I really can not remember. October, 2011 in New Braunfels, Texas was vey memorable and really wonderful. My siblings and two of my children were on this trip, as were my parents. My sister and I got to spend a lot of time with our parents, and my brother got time with is future in-laws. My husband and my dad were best friends and it was a lovely eleven days that we spent together.  We all celebrated my parents 50th wedding anniversary on our last day there.   

PCB in 2012 was also a excellent getaway. My daughter and her family were with us. It was great to see our grandson get to go to the beach each morning with his daddy. That place that we rented was probably the best accommodations we ever booked for the fall. I hope to go back there again sometime. My friend Mary Butler took this picture of Bill and I one afternoon, before we went to dinner.

Palm Harbor, Florida, September 2013, the last getaway with my sweet husband and the first one that we did not have any arguments at all. The resort was beautiful, time with family and friends was enjoyable. We had some great meals and a few dances together. Billy woke with a bad headache on our last full day there and was gone before he could even taste the breakfast I had gotten up early to make.

Lingering can be ok sometimes. Until Later ~ Rita Darlene