LONG weekend in LONG Island

 We started the long weekend Thursday night with pizza in the village.

 And right before we were about to leave, the storm of the month decided to pay us a visit to make the drive so much more enjoyable.

 "Bar" in our hotel room filled with bottles and bottles of wine (and gin) for the weekend.

 Wine tastings on Friday.

  I'm such a sucker for rock beaches.

 Walking with our feet in the ocean.

 Ferry to Shelter Island.

 We felt so lucky to have decent weather on Friday when we had expected rain all day.

 The only "all-sparkling" winery on Long Island - Sparkling Pointe.

 Oscar's creation from our bottle.

 Sunset from the outdoor bossa nova concert.

 And what visit would be complete without lobster, oysters, mussels and Blue Point Toasted Lager?!

 Montauk Lighthouse.

James' warning. 

 Farm stands

 With fresh baguettes.

 Mexican lunch on Sunday afternoon.

Agua Fresca 

Bubble Blowing Contests on the way back to the city!

What a great weekend!

Source: shop.uncovet.com via Bright.Bazaar on Pinterest

Monday Motivation

Source: modernhepburn.tumblr.com via Shelley on Pinterest

Happiness

happiness, a photo by barrypangilinan on Flickr.

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you have a fantastic weekend planned - I know I do!

Project Happiness

Tonight, I watched a documentary with some people called Project Happiness.  While the film was good, I think it will be the written companions of the movie that are going to be of more interest to me.  However, the very last bit of the film ends with the following amazing quote.  As I contemplate changes in my life - this is exactly what I needed to read, so I had to share it with you.

Weekend in Pennsylvania

  

I love the little buggy for the kids!

Silos & rolling farmland all around

Who doesn't need bologna & brown eggs?!

Lititz, PA

learning to make pretzels

Wilbur Chocolate Company

Longwood Gardens

Philadelphia

  

 

Independence Hall

21 Suggestions for Success

21 Suggestions for Success

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery. 

2. Work at something you enjoy and that’s worthy of your time and talent. 

3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully. 

4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know. 

5. Be forgiving of yourself and others. 

6. Be generous. 

7. Have a grateful heart. 

8. Persistence, persistence, persistence. 

9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary. 

10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated. 

11. Commit yourself to constant improvement. 

12. Commit yourself to quality. 

13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect. 

14. Be loyal. 

15. Be honest. 

16. Be a self-starter. 

17. Be decisive even if it means you’ll sometimes be wrong. 

18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life. 

19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did. 

20. Take good care of those you love. 

21. Don’t do anything that wouldn’t make your Mom proud.

Birthday Surprise

Since I was in Nairobi for my actual birthday, dear, dear friends planned a surprise birthday celebration for me the following Saturday.  I was told to bring a swimsuit & that was all the details I got.  I was put on a train in Penn Station and left to guess where we could be going.  

The surprise was that they had rented a boat for us in Long Island!  It was the best surprise ever because the weather was perfect & the best New York people were with me. 

View of the City from the boat

Unplanned, everyone's towels were from recent travels (Bolivia & Turkey in this photo)!

Karolina & I were the two brave ones to jump in first!

Everyone had their own individual "birthday cake parfait"

Once in...we didn't want to get out.

Carlos preparing the dancing music.

It was THE most perfect day to be out on the water.

Karolina made a basil sangria that was amazing!

And the one who orchestrated my birthday being so special - Thank you James!

 Oscar almost killed us driving the boat, but we survived and it has left us with belly-aching, laughable moments to remember.  

Karolina made enough amazing food and drinks to feed an army of swimmers.  As we sat in the air-conditioned car on the ride back to the city, a little red from the sun, salty from the water, completely wind-blown and happy, we continued eating chicken legs, corn on the cob and fruit kebabs the entire way...until we exhaled, exhausted and smiling on the subway home.