Rebecca's Thoughts On Vacations

Is taking a trip and taking a vacation the same thing? I don’t think so. Going on a trip means you’re leaving but you may be leaving on a business trip or to tend to family matters so not every trip is for the pursuit of pleasure. A vacation to me means you are “vacating” the premises for rest, relaxation, fun, all pleasurable activities. And when you return home, you are rested and relaxed and while you might be thrilled to be home with your own bed and kitchen availability, you are not tired. You are RESTED from the vacating of everyday worries and concerns!

Since this is my party and I can cry if I want to, I’m going to tell you I’ve had some fabulous vacations over the years. But one of the best was a trip to Nova Scotia just a couple of years ago with two of our best friends and A-Plus travel companions. Now there was a glitch or two in the beginning (The upgrade we paid for was for naught. We got bigger seats but they were out of wine and the meal as I recall was cheese crackers and an apple.) We were not amused.

Landed on-time in Halifax on time, the rental car was ready, the hotel on the harbor comfortable and we took off leisurely the next morning to drive 3 hours to a remote resort we had researched. Drive was fun, scenery nice, weather very comfortable as we left 90 degree weather for 50-70 degree weather. But as we continued the scenery became a bit more rustic, a lot more rural, and we began checking the map. We were on target and just about to give up, Oz appeared. We turned down a road and everything was green and lush and there were flowers everywhere and an ornamental fence surrounded most of it. We had arrived. (Mr. Oz was there, his huge jet parked on the small airport right in front of our condos. He visited with us at dinner one evening. Music swell!)

We were on the Northumberland Sound right on the Atlantic and the view was spectacular. Our accommodations were all and more that had been promoted and the hotel, golf course, spa, and dining was great. It was lovely and we all rested and ate and slept in and toured near-by quaint villages and towns. The guys golfed on such scenic fairways and greens they didn’t seem to mind a bogey or two. It was hard to leave.

The vacation ceased when we were late into Detroit, missed our connection in Memphis though we were there in time to see our plane shut its doors. A woman who looks like every nasty guard you’ve ever seen in a prison movie had her arms crossed saying “Not going to happen.” There was not another plane until morning.

No rental car was available to hold all our luggage so our enterprising husbands hired an Ethiopian mini-van cab driver and he loaded us up and we were home about two hours late. It was a grand finale, don’t you think? The perfect ending.

Rebecca Ward

5 Must-Have Beauty Products for Summer

1. Exfoliator This is an extremely essential product for face and body.  It helps to remove dead skin cells and leave your skin smooth, even toned, and most importantly moisturized!
2. Tinted moisturizer This all in one product not only moisturizes, but it also has sunscreen and acts as a light coverage foundation.
3. Bronzer This beauty essential can be used in many ways: as an eyeshadow, a subtle way to create contour on the face, and even as a blush.
4. Lip Balm with Sunscreen Whatever product you choose for your lips, make sure it contains sunscreen!
5. Waterproof Mascara Everyone needs a tube of this for summer.  Just remember to have some good eye makeup remover!

Rebecca's Thought's on Summer

This week Summer got here after a lazy Winter that seemed to have great difficulty turning loose. It hadn’t been much of one anyway and hanging on too long didn’t improve the stats.

Seasonal changes seem so gradual to me that it takes something significant for me to accept that one has passed and another has begun. Memorial Day is a signal to me that temperatures are going to change just like Labor Day tells me that school will start soon and routines will replace the slower pace of summer. Traffic will become more congested in the mornings and the holidays will be here too soon.

But Father’s Day is a huge reminder to me that summer is here and I recall my childhood with poignant nostalgia. Childhood summers were divine at my house. We had a huge screened-in porch complete with wicker swing and ceiling fan, rattan rugs, and a ping-pong table. Corny as it sounds, we shelled peas and Mother cooked fresh veggies and cornbread and a pie almost every day . In the summer, there was straw-

berry shortcake often and blackberry cobblers and cucumbers and onions in vinegar in the fridge. Our house wasn’t air-conditioned until I was older, the house was built in 1909 with high ceilings and hardwood floors. A great house to grow in during a time when children were reared and not feared and rules were respected.

Of course, it was a simpler time as the world was huge and what happened in one part of the world didn’t immediately affect us. Technology was present in the form of telephones, running water, heaters, fans, gas stoves and such. We got a TV when I was 9 years old!! It mainly ran that old Indian-head test pattern and we would watch that!

Well, it seemed simpler to me because I didn’t worry about much. My parents were clearly in charge and I didn’t have to fret much over anything as I knew they would take care of things. It was great being a kid and I’m thankful every day for the grandparents I had and the great childhood they provided.

We need to let our kids be kids while teaching them skills they’ll need for the tasks we know lie ahead. We can keep most of that secret from them so they won’t start worrying about ACT’s and college and taxes and earning a living when they don’t really know what those things are. Prep them, teach them self-reliance, and slowly let them become adults. They will be that a lot longer than they will get to be children.

Hope you all have a great summer!

Rebecca Ward                                 

Father’s Day Project: Adirondack Chair from Home Depot

Thanks to the folks from Home Depot for sharing a great Father's Day gift idea. Below are the step-by-step instructions.

Spend quality time building a gift with dad

Adirondack chairs are a stylish addition to your patio or backyard, and a gift dad is sure to enjoy. Celebrate Father’s Day with quality time for dads and kids by making an easy project that can be completed in an afternoon for less than $75.

One project idea is personalizing The Home Depot’s Adirondack chair kit. Not only will dads and kids have fun making it together, it’ll be enjoyed for years to come.

Chairs have four main parts – a backrest, seat, arms and legs – and the kit comes with each part pre-assembled and two additional bracket pieces used to connect the dots (six total). You will need several types of screwdrivers, so an all-in-one kit is perfect for the job.  If you would like to limit the elbow grease needed for assembly, power tools will provide the torque you need for every step of the process.

Assembling the chair is an easy, four-step progression.

· Step 1: Connect the front chair legs with the crossbeams provided and screw into place.

· Step 2: Secure the seat to the two legs.

· Step 3: Secure the brackets to the seat. Add the backrest and secure in place.

· Step 4: Screw in the arms.

Now that your seat is assembled, it’s time for you and dad to add a personal touch. The chair is unfinished, so personalize it with a colorful paint or stain and weatherproof it. Before you do, make sure to cover your project area with polyethylene sheeting to make clean-up easier by catching any paint or stain drips. Prep the chair by sanding with 150-grit sandpaper to smooth any rough areas, and then wipe the chair down with a soft cloth to remove dust.

When selecting a stain for the chair, you want to choose a one that resists UV damage and is waterproof, protecting against a wide range of climatic conditions. If you prefer the look of paint, you can match the chair to your house or introduce a new pop of color.

Help dad relax even further by adding a cup holder. You can use a router to create a perfect cup-sized hole in the arm of the chair.

The last step is to accessorize with cushions and pillows. With the project work done, sit back and enjoy!

As you prepare for your Father’s Day project, make sure you check out all the tool offers and Father’s Day savings available this year.

If you want to surprise your dad or husband with a second chair after all his hard work on Father’s Day, The Home Depot is hosting a Do-It-Herself Workshop inspired by Pinterest on Thursday, June 20 to demonstrate building a chair from scratch.