that’s how long i can spend on the beach.
how???
)is there something you can do for hours and hours?
i fell in love amidst the breaking waves one rainy wednesday night. we were covered from a food fight on the beach (oh, the joys of youth ministry). he’d grabbed me up in his arms and tossed me into the water.
then he told me i was beautiful.
then i laughed.
then it was raining.
and the water was splashing up from the raindrops.
and as we walked out of the water he put his arm around me and right then – RIGHT THEN – i thought: “THIS is what its supposed to feel like”…
::
the weekend after, i asked my cousin if i could wear her wedding dress someday. i told my mom and grandmother about him. and, had “our song” picked out.
::
the following wednesday, a week after i fell in love, we went on our first date. and he took me to the beach. and we danced – waltzed. right there on the sand that night. and we didn’t care that people were walking by.
::
about two months later we were on the beach again. another date. another evening. only this time he kissed me. and i suddenly forgot how to breathe.
oh that kiss.
::
what’s YOUR favorite kiss? any memories worth sharing??? oh, DO tell!!!
that’s where we used to live – between college and seminary. for five years. got married there.
it was heaven.
the leaves were always green. the air always warm. the mosquitoes always swarming. the raccoons always digging. the roaches always crawling. the sand gnats always biting. the crickets always chirping.
we were within seconds of Sea Island.
about an hour south of Savannah.
about an hour north of Florida.
and about a 3 minute drive from the beach.
sometimes we could hop over to Jekyll Island and soak up the glory of Driftwood beach. THIS is my all-time favorite beach in the whole wide world.
what’s the most favorited place you’ve ever lived?
[driftwood beach]
when this post goes up, i’ll be on the way Logan airport, with a ticket to board a plane that will fly a LONG way south and land on a beach. 
yes.
heaven awaits me.
i’m whiter than white. i haven’t purchased a swimsuit in three years. and, unfortunately, i’m about to get sunburned. i’m a little nervous about these facts. but, this won’t stop me! i’ve long-missed my beloved beach time.
its coming. for a week. with my in-laws – who i LOOOOOOOVE. i’m so excited.
even though i’m on vacation, this blog won’t be. i’m telling beach secrets from my life on an island. so stick around, and i might pop my head in to check on things. but, until i return, do what Tam tells you to do, ’cause she’s gonna be blog-sitting for me.
yes, she loves me (and y’all) that much.
y’all behave yourselves around here!
…the other morning.
um.
well.
see, what had happened was….
i looked in the mirror.
i was looking dead in the eyes of this pasty pale version of the long-faded mandy that once spent a healthy dose of hours on the beach – the mandy who wore t-shirts (rather than coats) for most of the year – the mandy who loved being outside SO much that she even did her morning bible study outside.
but this mandy. THIS mandy was pale, with dark circles under her eyes. VERY scary.
haunting!
i wanted to scream.
run.
call Ghostbusters.
i had to get rid of her, because i’m going to Florida with my in-laws in a few weeks and i DON’T want her to go with me.
i just couldn’t do that to them. i love them too much.
and, let’s just be honest, i have too much self-respect!
luckily, i remembered that i have a bottle of ghost-be-gone under the sink:
