A Summertime Moment with Mom

I have to say that so far my summer has been a relaxing one, even with Michael's busy schedule filled with football and band practices. Not to mention his driving lessons. And of course, I have been going to school once a week to prepare for next year.  Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of my days, I forget to slow down and enjoy the moment.

Well, last week I enjoyed spending a moment with Mom.  We drove up to Lakeside and Marblehead. Now Lakeside is a Methodist community where visitors must pay $36 per person (during the months between June and September) to enjoy the quaint shops, restaurants, and beaches. It is well worth it. However, people can visit for free if they purchase something at one of the shops or eat at one of the restaurants and only stay for an hour and a half.

Because we weren't going to spend the entire day in Lakeside, we chose to park outside of the gate and ride the shuttle (golf cart) to the local shops. One of Mom's favorite places is Ooh La La! It's a small pastry, sandwich, and ice cream shop. Mom has been there so often that they know her by name and her order.

I decided on the homemade spinach, mushroom, and swiss quiche. It was delicious. Mom chose a turkey sandwich. While eating we enjoyed some of the artwork on the walls. People can actually purchase the paintings and photographs. After we ate we strolled through the small streets where golf carts and bicycles were abundant. We window shopped and popped into a few places where Mom knew the proprietors. With only five minutes before we had to leave, we called the shuttle from the historical, victorian Lakeside Hotel where they came to pick us up and drive us back to the main gate and my car.

Mom and I drove on to Marblehead to visit some of the shops. One of our stops was at Martha and Molly's. The shop carries clothes, home goods, and children's wear. I bought two scarves and Mom bought a dress.

Our next stop brought us to the Rocky Point Winery. The winery has indoor seating, patio seating, and seating around the yard. We chose to sit outside at a picnic table. It was such a beautiful day. One of the last before the heat and humidity moved into the lake area. That's Ohio weather.

Mom and I ordered a flight and a cheese plate with crackers. The flight contained both red and white wines. Mom loves the reds and I enjoy the whites, so it worked out perfectly. 

Cheers! I tried the Pink Catawba first. It was a sweet, crisp, and refreshing on a warm day. My favorite was the Pinot Grigio. I think I'm getting better at my selfies.

 After drinking our wine and enjoying our snack, we thought we should take a stroll. We headed for the Marblehead Lighthouse. That's it behind me in yet another selfie. Not as happy with this selfie. Oh well.

The Lighthouse has been here for as long as I can remember. When it's open people can climb to the top of the lighthouse, plus they can visit the lighthouse keeper's home. There were quite a few people out enjoying the sunshine and cool breeze from the lake.

We walked all the way around the grounds and down onto the rocks. The water was so blue.

 I was a little surprised how well Mom traversed the rocks. Usually, Mom and Jim bring their chairs with them to sit on the rocks and look out at the water and boats. Unfortunately, we didn't have the chairs with us. But we still made the best of it.

This tree is growing right in the rocks.

Mom thought she'd be funny and pretend to push the tree over. 

We weren't the only ones climbing around on the rocks. In fact, I had just said a moment before that I had never seen any rats at the lake because we heard people talking about them. I usually run into snakes. YUCK! I'm terrified of snakes. Luckily we didn't see any of those. Mom was facing me and I was taking her photo when something ran right our from under the rocks. It was lightning fast and brown. I took Mom's arm and said walk toward me. I wasn't sure what I saw. It came scurrying out from the rocks again. Thankfully the tail was furry. 

Mom turned around and we watched a family of minks dart in and out between the rocks. They were so quick. I was lucky to get a photo of one. He looks big in the picture, but I enlarged it in orde to see him better. He was actually quite tiny. Several other people came to watch them leap and bound around the rocks.

I had such a wonderful outing with my Mom. We always have fun together. It was a summer moment spent shopping, drinking refreshing wine, and enjoying the beauty around us. It was a moment to take it all in and breathe before going back to the hustle and bustle. And to enjoy some of my last summer days before school begins in August.

I hope you have some wonderful moments to enjoy this summer.

Hugs,

HopeAnn