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[serendipity1974]

This Year of Firsts

This Year of Firsts

“I know you like to remember these days, but it’s really just another day.”

My husband directs this statement entirely to the ottoman. In spite of the fact I am sitting next him on the couch, my whole body turned to face him, he doesn’t even glance toward me.

“Really. He’s going to be just as dead on Wednesday as he was last week, as he was 6 months ago. This anniversary doesn’t change that one…

[serendipity1974]

It was a long, muggy summer, made even more uncomfortable by my being laid up with a broken ankle. September drew to a close and having just been cleared to bear weight on my booted left leg, and with my kids (finally) back in school, I gleefully escaped the Big Apple to go down the shore of New Jersey and meet up with some truly kick-ass women. Notably, I first met each of them on the internet. There will be more on those real authentic women later, but I must begin my story by talking about the Where before the Who.

This was my second year joining with my fellow Reality Moms in partnership with The Tuckerton Seaport and Baymen’s Museum to celebrate active duty military families who are either preparing to, or have just, welcomed a new baby.

I’m a military brat, so I know first hand that while our active duty military personnel sacrifice as part of their service, their families serve and sacrifice right along side them as well. It is an honor for me to spend time with these families, play with their kiddos and gave them time for more than two bites of lunch, and try to convey how much we appreciate all their families do for us as a country.

With help from the good folks at Joovy, Tervis, Viking Toys, and Corolle, the Military Salute Baby Shower gifted each baby with a stroller, adorable dolls and learning toys, plus a very special tumbler a backpack style diaper bag for their grown up. Bonus: each family went home with a quilted baby blanket of their choice.

I have to rave about the handmade baby quilts crafted with love and donated by The Seaport Stitchers especially for the Military Salute event. The Stitchers are a group of craftswomen who meet at the Seaport, working together to create quilts which they then donate to patients undergoing chemo, as well as other causes and events. Of course they also sell items at Tuckerton’s Christkindlmarkt, with the proceeds going to purchase supplies for more quilts to be donated. How cool is that? Perhaps my favorite moment was when each mom, after eyeing up their favorites all afternoon, got to choose which quilt was going to become an heirloom for their growing family. Priceless.

That was day 1, but what my friends and I didn’t realize was we had barely scratched the surface at Tuckerton Seaport.

The following morning we rolled into the gift shop to poke around a little, and to meet up with the Museum Director of Tuckerton Seaport, Brooke Salvatore. Although Tuckerton Seaport is generously run with the support of hundreds of volunteers, Brooke is the beating heart which brings life to all the amazing offerings of Tuckerton, and on this day she was going to be our guide.

Please note, I first visited the Seaport in the Spring of 2017, and since then I’ve brought my kids to Tuckerton numerous times. However, until last week, I’ve never explored it without children in tow. Visiting with a group of adults and no children was like exploring a brand new place.

First, Brooke took us to visit the charming Union Market for coffee and a late breakfast. With 6 of us there, I got to see a good variety of their menu, and oh my goodness, it was all so good (the Bikini Buster is deadly delicious). I could also gush about how welcome it is to have a place for good, affordable fare right there off the boardwalk of the Seaport, or how comfortable and relaxed the atmosphere was both inside the cafe and outside on the deck seating, or how I admire their commitment to be an eco-friendly restaurant, but all that will have to wait for a full review of their establishment.

Besides, I have to talk about all the opportunities to not only observe, but actually take classes with the makers of Tuckerton. I’m fortunate to have previously shared a demo by Stephen Nuttall, one of 4 professional blacksmith demonstrators who embody and teach about the art of working steel with fire. As amazing as it was to watch my children during that first encounter, watching him work while chatting with a gaggle of grown women was even more so. We’d have stayed there another hour, I’d bet, but Brooke wanted us to see a man about some ducks.

Andrew Tonnesen, a product of the Tuckerton Seaport Youth Carvers program, was working on a wooden duck decoy when we walked into his shop. While he carved, he explained to us a brief history on the tradition of duck decoys, as well as the differences between Barnegat Bay and Delaware River styles. Andrew also shared with us some of the delightful carved Santas he’s been working on recently, which I’m sure was in no way meant to entice us to return for the holiday woodworking class where wooden Santas will be made.

The tour of makers continued with a visit with the glass blowers who are renovating a site where they will soon demonstrate their craft, while creating everything from lighting fixtures to holiday ornaments. We weren’t able to hook up with the basket weaver or get into any fiber arts this visit, but we did stop in the shop where the boat building happens!

Yes, you CAN spend a weekend building a boat at the Seaport, but if you aren’t quite that ambitious, you can spend the better part of an hour painting “flatties,” another type of wooden decoy. Trust me, no matter how old you are, trying to paint realistic looking animals with a group of friends is a throughly enjoyable endeavor. Especially if your flattie turns out as flawless as mine!

(I don’t know the type of bird this is meant to be, but my instructor said I was hired!)

Had I not been hobbled in my walking cast, I would have loved to walk the 1/2 mile nature trail. Instead, Brooke took me and the rest of the Reality Moms to check out the newly opened Lady Magpie’s Tea & Curiosities, with it’s STEAMpunk Tea Room.

Stepping onto an enclosed porch I wasn’t quite prepared to step into a new world of repurposed and upcycled creations. Located in the old Captain’s house, the Tearoom is just behind a library filled with histories and artifacts from the Jersey shore and Ocean County’s long baymen tradition. The house may well be as haunted as the rumors say, but it is completely suited as a place where creations in steampunk style and vintage china meet for tea.

In a playful nod to their steampunk aesthetic, the proprietors set out displays with some of the library’s collection that focuses on one or more topics of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). In addition, Lady Magpie lived up to it’s name by serving up a proper tea, complete with sandwiches, scones and shortbread, followed by a tray of petite desserts, all of which was a scrumptious respite to round out a day of exploration at Tuckerton Seaport.

As it happened, we just missed the opportunity to catch the brand new ferry (including an eco-tour) which will soon begin running between Long Beach Island, NJ and the Tuckerton Seaport. I have to say, I’m almost glad. I’m not sure I could have taken in one more memorable and amazing experience from The Tuckerton Seaport.

Fantastic Fun with Real Authentic Women at Tuckerton It was a long, muggy summer, made even more uncomfortable by my being laid up with a broken ankle.

[serendipity1974]

Seriously, tho. Rewriting nursery rhymes is theraputic. #MondaysAreHard #LaughterIsKey #RealityMoms Oh crap! Just look at the clock! What do you mean, you just ate your sock?!What? You pooped now!?Can't we please just get OUT?Leaving home makes Mommy's head split. #ManicMonday#nurseryrhyme#HickoryDickory

[serendipity1974]

This is not today's #SunriseInRebelshire. This is a #Totes #Latergram, taken during yesterday's #sunrise. This morning I slept in, in small part because it is grey and gloomy, but mostly because I stayed up too late watching telly. I am dying for coffee. Unfortunately I have to fast for a medical appointment. The dreary weather feels appropriate. So rather than bask in the warm glow of the Sun while sipping the sweet elixir of the gods, I'm thinking a long hot shower is my only hope for kickstarting my fuzzy brain. #CoffeeIsMyfriend #imissmyfriend #MorningMusing #SerendipityIsRandom (at New York, New York)

[serendipity1974]

All the kids who used to wait all week for #SaturdayMorningCartoons know, that ish was serious business. I still crack up when I read my original caption on this photo of my wee Rebels. Four years ago?! They were so little. And so very earnest. #CountingConundrum #MickeyMouse #SerendipityIsRandom (at New York, New York)

[serendipity1974]

#Friday morning, #Sunrise in #NYC, as witnessed by our failing #orchid. Much like this plant, I've got way more Droopy Dog than #ThatFridayFeeling. In no small part because I'm going to attempt homeschooling the Boy who is home "sick" today. He's legit had something going on with his lower intestines for over 24 hours, but otherwise he's just fine. So, we decided to restrict his diet and keep him home, to save him from having any embarrassing bathroom disasters at school. Honestly, I am hoping beyond hope the cause is something he ate, and not something the whole family can look forward to suffering. Keep your fingers crossed, mmmmkay? (at New York, New York)

[serendipity1974]

Some #Mornings, am I right? I did not, in fact, wake up like this. At least not today. The Boy came in and discovered his sister, still sleeping, was next to me in bed. I thought he might want a cuddle. Instead, he covered my eyes with my hair, proclaimed, "you can't see me now!" Then he started looking for the iPads. Not the strongest show of strategic thinking from my 6yo. Then again, maybe this has worked in the past and I was too sleepy to remember. #SerendipityIsRandom #BedHead #kaleidoscope #MessyHairDontCare (at New York, New York)

[serendipity1974]

#MyGirl's #OOTD: It all started with those #BetseyJohnson hot pink leopard leggings. Next came the 3D flowered tee. The skirt was added for modesty, and #becauseflowers. Naturally, once she'd gone this far, only polka dot #PinkyPie socks would do. Not shown: brown ugg-style boots, fuzzy snow leopard jacket, and ivory headband with modest bow. #ThatSmileThough! #Fearless #Fashionista #MicroFashion #FabulousFive #FashionButterfly (at New York, New York)

[serendipity1974]

#Monday. #SunriseInRebelshire. #NYC. My Rebels went back to school today (#hellyeah)! When they woke up each of them came in for snuggles and a little quiet time with mama - Maybe because they knew they would not be spending the day with me? Whatever the reason, it was a lovely way to start the day. Of course, #MondaysAreHard, and already my week has been turned inside out. I must go grocery shopping today. This means all the cleaning, meal prep, and work I needed to get done will have to wait. I'm not really bitching - because all that's really not important. Minor irritations that are truly meaningless in the grand scheme of things. This morning the Sun rose in a crystal blue sky and it was beautiful to witness. #MondayMotivation? Yeah, we've got that. #MorningMusings (at New York, New York)

[serendipity1974]

A few shots of your #Sunday #sunrise over my slice of the #NYC #skyline. Yes, I'm slightly obsessed with #clouds, and #pinkclouds in particular. Apparently I'm also feeling a little alliterative at the moment. Could be I need more #coffee...#justathought #MorningMusings #SunriseInRebelshire (at New York, New York)

[serendipity1974]

I'm convinced fog is just Mother Nature's way of saying, "Meh." No, really, it's just a bunch of clouds that are feeling so low they literally got dragged down. The Sun comes out, tries to perk things up, lighten the mood. But the clouds just lay there, quietly muttering, "If you want us to move you're going to need to burn the energy. We can't even." #FogOfApathy #LowLyingClouds Saturday's #SunriseInRebelshire has been suspended. #MorningMusings (at New York, New York)

[serendipity1974]

Askew and slightly obstructed, nevertheless this was the first sight my eyes took in this fine #Friday. Looking at the Sun rising through the smokestacks, I can almost hear a choir of angels ringing out in glory. Simultaneously, I am reminded of a last second touchdown through the uprights, or the perfect kick over a goalie's outstretched hands. Please forgive me for waxing poetic. It's been a long week with my Rebel children home from school, and as the soundtrack of this week swells to a crescendo, I am literally seeing the light on the horizon. #TGIF, indeed. For on Monday, my loves go back to school. #MorningMusings #MomLife #realtalk #RealityMoms #SunriseInRebelshire #sunrise #nyc #clouds (at New York, New York)

[serendipity1974]

Some days, no matter how beautifully they begin, it is a struggle to focus. On such a morning, a stunning purple and pink #SunriseInRebelshire might be discarded because of the #blurry #silhouette of my #nycskyline. But why?! Is it a perfect photograph? Perhaps not. Yet the colors are no less beautiful because the image isn't sharp. From a different perspective, perhaps it perfectly memorializes the moment, the feeling when you're just waking. (I had, after all, literally just opened my eyes. My first conscious thought was to capture this sky.) Or I could claim it was meant to be #softfocus, as I implore you to embrace it for what it is. Maybe I could boast that while it has less in common with a photograph from #AlfredStieglitz and more with a painting by #GeorgiaOKeeffe, it is intended to be a product of blending their aesthetics. All of this is, of course, an afterthought. My random musings and justifications for why I'm entitled to share this imperfect reality with you. Honestly, though, who cares? I'll send it out into the void because it speaks me, and as I always do, I will hope it speaks to someone else. If you've read this far, please know how glad I am it spoke to you. #MorningMusings (at New York, New York)

[serendipity1974]

The #clouds over my slice of #NYC this morning needed #NoFilter. Most of Saturday was spent lazing on the couch, snoozing, and doing absolute nothing. Truly a rare indulgence, which I wallowed in delightedly. Today is #SundayFunday, the temps are going to be near 70, so it's time to grab up the Rebels and run to the park. What's on your agenda today?! (at New York, New York)

[serendipity1974]

I know.

Can we take a second to talk about the I love you. I know. interchange in Empire?

I get in a lot of arguments with my guy friends about this. Bless them - I mean really - because they think they are being progressive. And its actually kind of heart warming to see. But, usually, the people who think Han is an asshole for saying I know instead of I love you, too chalk his behavior up to some kind of toxic masculinity. Han won’t say he loves her because he refuses to be vulnerable. Han is too arrogant to admit he has a weakness. Han is aggressive. Han is downright cruel at times. 

And… okay. I guess I can see where they’re coming from. But, to me, that is a really shallow interpretation of his character. 

I guess what I, and I think many people who ship Han/Leia, see in that interchange is that Han’s response isn’t motivated by his own feelings. His response has nothing to do with what’s he’s thinking or how he feels. 

It’s about validating how Leia feels. 

Which, honesty, I think she needed more at that moment than a mirrored declaration. 

Leia sacrifices everything for the cause. Her strength to put the rebellion before her personal interest is incredible. It’s her defining characteristic. It’s what we all know and love about her.

It’s also what she knows and loves about herself. By Empire, Leia has lost almost everything of any personal value to her. She’s lost her family. Her home. Her friends. Her position in the Senate. All she has is her own sense of identity. The only thing she can use to define herself anymore is her core values. 

Can you imagine how difficult it would be to let anything compromise that? 

Admitting that she has feelings for Han would be admitting that she has room in her heart for anything other than the cause. It would be admitting that her life is not solely defined by the rebellion that her family died for. It would be admitting that behind her emotionless, rational, militaristic persona is actually just a twenty-two year old girl with feelings, longings, and desires that are entirely selfish. 

Han knows this about her. 

Ultimately, it’s why Leia loves him. Because even Luke, her own twin with whom she shares a connection in the force, at times fails to see her as anything other than the princess. 

But somehow this dirty, cocky, smart ass, nerf herder is the one person who has ever managed to look into her soul and see past every single wall she has built around herself. 

Han knows her. She has never had to tell him anything. She has never had to pour her heart out to him. She has never had to make herself vulnerable in front of him. And yet, he still knows. 

I guess many people see that scene and they see a cocky smart ass being clever and evasive instead of sincere when he says I know. 

But that’s not what his eyes say. 

His eyes say…

I know you love me. 

I’ve known you love me for a long time. 

It hasn’t scared me away. 

It hasn’t made me think less of you. 

It hasn’t made me see you as weak. 

You’ve screamed at me, hit me, threatened me, insulted me, and done everything to push me away, but I still know that you love me.

And I know you know that I love you, too.

Because it’s taken an invasion of a base, a broken down hyperdrive, a giant cave dwelling slug monster, Boba Fett, a carbonite chamber, and Darth fucking Vader himself to actually make me leave you. 

And I know that you will do everything in your power to bring me back. 

[serendipity1974]

#Throwback to that time my phone gave voice to some sweet truths about the universe. (Also a reminder to grab up Valentines chocolate at deep discounts.) #TruthBombs and #DeepThoughts. #tbt (at New York, New York)

[serendipity1974]

Eat. Laugh. French Kiss. This #ChalkboardWisdom spotted at our favorite bistro tonight. . Well, if they insist... . #SpreadLove #KissOften #ValentinesDay (at New York, New York)