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Skinny Dipping Can Kill You – 40th Anniversary of Jaws

August 20, 2015August 20, 2015

Please welcome our newest Guest Adventurer, Steve Howen, who writes the very clever blog: Tales From An Empty Nest. Steve is married to M’Lissa and has two lovely grown children, Kelsey and Kendall.

Steve will captivate you with his stories. Do you remember when you saw Jaws for the first time? I was in 8th grade – How about you?

Forty years ago this spring, the beach seemed like a great place to my 14-year old male brain. Forty years ago today I would not have gotten into the waves if Cheryl Tiegs was waiting for me. I love the water and I loved Cheryl Tiegs (that year’s SI Swimsuit Edition Cover Model), but Peter Benchley and Steven Spielberg ruined it all. According to the fine folks at the Florida Museum of Natural History, there have been just over a thousand shark attacks in the United States in the past 343 years, which seems like pretty good odds given the risks I am willing to take for a chicken-fried steak. Of course, like Mayor Larry Vaughn in the movie, the researchers may have had ulterior motives in protecting the tourism industry.

February always had one special treat. In 1975 it was Cheryl Tiegs. Photo Credit: Steve Howen.

Not much has been made of the film’s anniversary and I am not sure why. It is a seminal work in the thriller genre and one of the most popular movies ever made. Adjusted for inflation, Jaws still ranks seventh all time for ticket sales. But good, popular movies are made almost every year; it is the lasting impact of the film that sets Jaws apart. Other than dorky golfers quoting Caddyshack, I can not think of any film that is so strongly connected to an everyday activity decades after its release. And there are a lot more swimmers than duffers.

5 Excellent Reasons to Travel

August 19, 2015

A young monk welcomed us to Myanmar. — A young monk welcoming us to Myanmar.

This post is written by Tam Warner Minton of the super awesome blog: TravelswithTam

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” Terry Pratchett

Yesterday I wanted to meet a friend for lunch, but my car was in the shop. I called Uber and was quickly picked up by a friendly and delightful driver from Guinea, Africa. We began to talk about Guinea’s location, and he was overjoyed when he discovered that I had actually traveled to Africa and visited several countries there. A story emerged which highlighted, perfectly, why we should all travel. The driver worked on the morning of his daughter’s wedding, and he drove that day in the suit he was going to wear at the event. One of his clients asked him who it was that taught him how to put on a suit. You have to admit, that is a rather odd question. (The inference being, of course, that someone “civilized” had to have explained to him how to wear a suit). The driver, who speaks clear English and has been in the USA for almost 30 years, admitted he was very angry about it. People in America, he said, do not travel often enough, and have no idea about the cultures of other places. I agreed.

Since my discussion with him, I have done a little research, and yes, it is true that the vast majority of Americans have never traveled out of the country. I have had people tell me they are not interested in going to other places because America is the “best”. I’m not going to argue about patriotism, but my question is, how do you know? If you have never been to another country, how can you know what is “best”? And does everything have to be rated as good, better and best? Can’t it just be different? I realize that not everyone wants to travel, but there is no question that it provides invaluable experiences and insight to the traveler and to the people the traveler knows or meets. “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” I agree, St Augustine, I agree.

There are over 40,000 Buddhist temples in Thailand! Bangkok is a city filled with wonder. My daughter and I were both blessed by the monks of The Golden Buddha Monastery while we were there.

Our Empty Nest Renovation & 6 Months in Seattle

March 24, 2020August 17, 2015

empty nest renovation - Glen Summer House — The renovation of our empty nester fixer-upper will begin in September.

The last time I wrote about the empty nest renovation was clear back in January. It has been quite the roller coaster ride with so many details, so many decisions, so many ups and downs.

A quick review:

Craig and I decided to sell our home, downsize and leave our beach community of Laguna Niguel after 27 years. We left our dear friends, daily routine, and a house full of memories. Not an easy decision.

We purchased a much smaller, 1937 Spanish Colonial fixer-upper home on a quaint, tree-lined street in Pasadena, CA in order to live closer to our family and my Dad who is fighting cancer.

With so many adjustments and challenges, these past seven months have been really difficult and exhausting, however the quality time I have been able to spend with my Dad has been priceless. The move was truly worth every single minute of heartache or discomfort.

We hired an amazing architect, a well recommended contractor and were finally given approval by the city to begin. Truthfully, we have delayed the start a couple of months because of Dad’s illness. He is an inspiration and has suffered more than any person should ever have to. Dad is still outrunning it and plans to continue on this path!

We have chosen fixtures, tile, marble, granite, appliances and floor coverings. The decision making is overwhelming, but exciting. So… now we needed to find a place to live while the house was under construction. The renovation will include every room and every crevice and to live there was just not feasible.

~ Travel Quotes Can Be Inspiring ~

August 14, 2015

Thank you to Teri Walker from 1802 House Bed and Breakfast, Kennebunkport, Maine for this travel quote. ”A tourist experiences disconnected sights and sounds and enjoys them without drawing meaning. A traveler roams the earth, digests what he sees and hears, and collects them in a framework of understanding which he both brings to his travels …

Two Generations, One Music Festival: Outside Lands

August 10, 2015

Outside Lands reigns supreme in my new world of music festivals. A three day, thoroughly engaging, eclectic, excessively HUGE, outstanding music festival for all ages. Who knew that two people in their mid-fifties could mix and mingle successfully with the hipsters, hippies and young music lovers in their 20’s and 30’s? Designed to showcase over 100 bands and offer headliners like Elton John, Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys, Sam Smith and even Billy Idol. I expected to like it, but I honestly loved every morsel.

Elton John - Still fabulous — Elton John – Still fabulous

I went to Outside Lands for three reasons:

To Experience:

To gain entry into the world of my twenty-something children and experience their passion for music from the inside. It was so special to see how by teaching and sharing his passion for music, my husband fueled the musical interests of our children. From the time they could talk, Craig would quiz them, share stories and play all kinds of music for them.

Traveling With Our Adult Children, A New Adventure

August 3, 2015

A brilliant plan… I think. Inviting our adult children to join us on a vacation in Napa Valley and San Francisco takes quite a bit of planning. Four schedules to contend with and four strong opinions,(as well as enthusiasm) were all considered and a plan was created. The truth is that the kids and Craig truly …

100 Things I Love About Summer ~ By Kim

August 1, 2015July 30, 2015

I started to write a post about what I love about summer and then I read this clever one from Kim Tackett, who writes an amazing blog called Tour of No Regrets. She captured the essence of summer perfectly and I wanted to share her thoughts with you. I bet you will agree with her list! ~Suzanne

Thanks Kim!

Most people know I am not a fan of the heat. Therefore, it would make sense that I’m not a fan of summer. I presumed this was true, and started a 10 Things I Hate About Summer post. But the fact is, once I listed “the way the sweat drips down your back at 6:30 in the morning” and “the way your skins sticks to the car seat” I didn’t have much. As a lark I retitled this 100 Things I Love About Summer, and imagined I could muster up 10. Not only did I get to 10, but 100 was pretty easy. Go figure. I told Steve what I did, and even he didn’t believe me…but I did, I do, and here it is.

Three Ways to EAT: Food Markets in New York City

July 27, 2015

There is never a shortage of amazing food markets in New York City. Picking a favorite is like choosing which of your friends you like best..impossible! Just like with the number of friends, the more markets the better! When we travel, one of our favorite activities (besides eating) is to visit local and specialty markets in …

The Parenting Wisdom of an “Older” Mom

July 24, 2015

Yes, I went and did it, I used he “O” word. No, not “Oprah”…“Old”. Old seems like it would be a derogatory description, but honestly it doesn’t have to be, it can be a badge of honor. Parenting wisdom is attained through maturation, trial and error and countless other components. It is staggering what important parental …

A quick review:

I went to Outside Lands for three reasons:

To Experience:

Thanks Kim!

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