Sabre, Kids & Dali....

As I may have mentioned, as soon as I came back from Iraq, I jumped on a plane and headed for the sun blazing state of Florida. It was not only a time for me to catch up on some much needed sleep and beach laying, it was also a time for me to spend with my mom and sister for Mother's Day and also to see some friends that I hadn't seen in way too long (ok, one year, but that's a long time when you actually like the people). While I could bore you with the joys of doing nothing, I'm going to pass and tell you about three other things that continue to linger in the happy portion of my memory bank:

Sabre...I know, sunglasses aren't the really the thing of substance, but let me share.....I have wanted a pair of aviator sunglasses for over a year and a half and for the life of me, I just couldn't find one that had the right frames and actually fit my narrow face. Then I met up with a friend in Philly last summer and she had the perfect pair. Unfortunately, with the name "Dolce & Gabbana" on the side they were a little more $$ than I have any justification in paying so the sunglasses continued to elude me. The story ends when I landed in Florida and realized that I had left my other sunglasses at home. While walking on the boardwalk, I dove into a surf shop not really thinking I would find what I really wanted but sure that I needed something to shield me from the sunny blaze waiting for me outside and there they were, just perched up on the Sabre shelf. I tried them on and the hunt ended....the model of these favorite new sunglasses (pictured above) leads me to my next joyful experience....

Kids... Another highlight of my mini-vacation was getting to spend time with two adorable kids (ok, true, I also like their parents). While hanging out with a 3 yo and a 19 mo isn't usually at the top of any list of "things to do on vacation", I found it to be a wonderful and dare I say, educational, experience. While I have definitely spent time with my friends and their kids before, hanging out with these friends is truely a lesson in the day-to-day life of parenthood. From the crackhour wake up, to the music and swim lessons, to the multiple hits and misses in potty training, filled in with bursts of "I need a drink" (mostly from me!) and "darnit - forgot to bring the dog on this walk" and "don't run with a fork in your hand." There were also the precious moments when kids were asleep or in daycare and the house gained a silence that was almost deafening and I found myself missing the volume and chaotic energy they bring to any space they occupy. While I could only view the whole thing with the eyes of someone peering in while standing firmly behind very thick glass wall, the whole experience really brought home the reality that these little people radically change your whole world. As someone in her 30s, I'm suppose to be hearing ticking biological clocks, but instead, this experience deepened my committment to enjoy my present life as much as possible so that when the time for marriage and babies and all that business does arrive, I'm at least mentally ready for it.

Dali...the finally piece of lingering bliss from my holiday involves the painter Salvador Dali. Many many years ago when I was still a teenager, I fell in love with the work of this Spanish artist. Something in is surrealist paintings "spoke to me" at that time. Later, while living in Spain, I got the opportunity to visit his home which was amazing. Fast-forward 10+ years and I'm in Florida and a dinner party when an older gentleman starts telling me about the Dali museum in St. Petersburg. As a trustee, he knew everything there was to know about the history of the museum and tons about the artists and the collectors of his work. Two days after the conversation, I hoped on a bike and rode down to the museum for a chance to renew my love of this artist and the museum did not disappoint. With 96 oil paintings, drawings and watercolors all over the place, plus sculptures and photographs, this place is truly a shrine to the man himself. While I definitely enjoyed seeing his surrealists pieces, I also fell in love with his impressionist works from his early years, (including this piece above) as well as his drawings. Days later, I still find myself digging around the interwebs for more of his work (like this amazing amazing piece)....

{Photos: Brandie + Salvador Dali}