Summer Time Memories

Sort of stopped blogging for many reasons but recently everyone has been asking us why we haven't updated. Here we were thinking no one was reading it since we rarely got comments posted on the blog. Since our last post in February a lot has happen. But at this moment I don't feel like regurgitating it all, maybe later. What I wanted to share were some past summer memories. I have been feeling pretty nostalgic lately, could be the fact my 10 year high school reunion was this weekend. I have also been thinking a lot about my "Chicky" grandma. Almost every couple days I think I need to call her and then I get busy and remember as I am going to bed. A combination of feeling nostalgic and thinking of my "Chicky" grandma this post is dedicated to my McIlroy family. First I must preference my story with this, these are a little child's memories and so might be slightly inaccurate. As a young girl I spent most summers, a few winters and even a Thanksgiving at the Hanson (McIlroy) Walport beach house. I am not sure the year the beach house was built but it has been in my Grandpa Dick's family for a very, very long time. It is two stories with a green roof and green shutters. Sometimes there are red potted geraniums on the front porch. The house has no phones or television except the one on wheels I have never seen used. There are two bedrooms down stairs usually where my grandparents and my great grandmother slept. The rest of the main floor housed a living room, kitchen and added bathroom. In the living room there was green velvet couch that above it had a painting of naked men and women laying around a pool. I would try to sneak peaks at the picture and giggle that my grandparents owned something so "scandalous." Near the fire place was a large well worn leather chair that I would cuddle with my mom or dad in. Upstairs where two large bedrooms and a bathroom. My sister and I slept upstairs with our parents. Often times we argued over who slept next to the scary closet door. We both believed it was haunted. The next upstairs room my aunt stayed in or my grandfather would use it as his fly fishing room. The house was right on the beach a few yards away from the Walport bay. My summers where filled with sandcastles, sea shells and walks on the beach. We often went crabbing. My sister Lora and I chasing each other with crabs on the dock. I only remember one time catching enough crabs to actually eat. The first time I had shrimp cocktail was at the beach house. I felt so grown up and refined eating the pretty cup of shrimp and red sauce. I believe it was the summers I spent at the beach house that ignited my love for games. There was always a mean game of Gin Rummy going on or someone playing solitaire. The beach house was a place to get away from everyday life and reconnect with loved ones. Where multi-tasking meant soaking up the sun, while listening to soft jazz and reading a good book in the back yard. Where the concept of family meals meant shopping, cooking, eating and cleaning up together. Where my imagination was fueled and allowed to be free. Sadly I haven't been to the beach house since my Junior year in college. I would love for Corey to see the place sometime. I feel so fortunate to have had a childhood that has so many amazing and wonderful memories of the beach and the special beach house with its green shutters. Thank you McIlroy family.