Two Less Fish in the Sea

October 25th we attended our friend Caitlin McGee's wedding in Cocoa Beach.

I know I've said this before...but I love going to weddings and seeing how each bride makes her celebration unique

 The McGees found this venue in Cocoa Beach, FL. The family and wedding party all stayed on site.
The tables were set up in the courtyard area. Caitlin wanted a beach wedding and this site was set up perfectly. Behind the rooms was a grassy area and then steps away was the beach.... So her idea of a wedding on the beach with her toes in the sand was no problem.

favors

everything was in the beach theme. Caitlin was lucky...she was able to borrow a variety of items from friends and then just added

her own special touches and ideas to make it "hers"

the weather was a little iffy on Friday evening...chilly and windy...but the skies cleared up and the wind died down and it was a nice day at the beach (except the humidity made keeping your hair nice...IMPOSSIBLE! hahah)

a friend had volunteered to set up the tables; when she got a little behind, good friends Sean and Nancy gave her a hand and saved the day...and everything looked nice

table for the bride and groom (she was able to borrow the signs from a good friend)

because of the breeze...they switched sides for the bridal party...that way the wind blew the girl's hair away from their faces

Charlie and Caitlin

Aaron and Caitlin

 The ceremony was short and sweet. They had written their own vows. They said their vows, exchanged rings and that was it. While the wedding party posed for photos...guests had hors d'oeuvres, drinks and enjoyed the afternoon. There was enough room for corn hole...and enough daylight to get in a match or two.

Gayle-the Mother of the bride

John and Charlie....Charlie was John's best man...John was Charlie's

after the photos the bridal party was introduced

the happy bride

happy mom and daughter

Then the dinner and dancing began. On the invitation, the bride had asked all the guests to request a favorite song for the reception. It was hard to narrow it down to one song...but I behaved and just put one...hahah I did however make a request during the dancing....and the DJ played it. He played a good variety of music. He would get going with some "new: rap/???" music and I have to say  after about 3 of those in a row and it was good to have a break and hear something else. All in all...not bad...it was fun and the DJ kept them dancing all night.

I tried not to think about my hair...it was a lost cause

One thing that was nice about the wedding...because Caitlin has been to a lot of weddings in the last few years- fiends, sorority sisters, etc...she was able to get ideas from each celebration and incorporate them into hers. As I said, she was able to borrow decorations her friends had used, she had at least one song (for recessional)because she had liked it when Megan and Marcus used it in their wedding. She had been to enough weddings to know how she wanted the ceremony and reception to be...simple, relaxed and and not too structured. She opted out of a few of the usual things like garter, bouquet toss, too many organized dances, etc. She danced with her dad and Aaron danced with his mother...but that was it as far as "special" dances went. They had a small cake and then bite sized treats...so they just kind of quietly cut the cake at one point. They did have speeches/toasts from the best man, maid of honor and the brides father. All of them did a great job. Charlie was nervous...but he did just fine.
 It was nice.

A little out of order

We've been busy the last couple of weekends...so my blog posts will be a little  out of order while I try to catch up. We didn't have a chance to get up to NC this October because between work, our family get together at Fort Wilderness and a wedding...our weekends were pretty full. I was trying to figure out a way to see some fall foliage...so John came up with a plan to go to Georgia at the end of the month.
The peak color for North Georgia is usually around the end of October/early November...so that was perfect. Not to mention the easy flight out of Melbourne to Atlanta.  There are a number of state parks around Atlanta...so we planned to head in  that direction.We weren't sure exactly where we were going to go...the idea was some place not too far from Atlanta; and nearby parks.

we had a reservation at the Heidi Motel....many other area hotels were booked up

I had heard about the town of Helen, Ga several times over the years. It's a town in north Georgia that was once a logging and mining town...but back in the early 70's the town was "dying".  The mayor and /or other local townspeople were trying to figure out a way to revive the economy. A local business man had an idea to make it a tourist attraction by giving the town a makeover so that it resembled an alpine village. He had at one time been in Bavaria and had always thought the geography was similar, and it was an idea he had been thinking about for quite a while. One by one business owners remodeled, converted, built places to fit in with the theme. and it was a huge success. My brother had been there several years back and enjoyed it...and I had read about it in a magazine or two over the years. We had nothing to lose...so we decided to check it out. It was an easy drive from Atlanta and the area was beautiful in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. We saw lots of reds, yellows, oranges on the trees and the cool temperatures were nice too.

As we got into town we were kind of laughing about the fact that we were going to stay at a place called the Heidi Motel.....but what the heck...why not. I think John was afraid of my reaction when we pulled into the place.....not exactly a 5-star place...hahaha but the beds were comfortable...it had a little refrigerator, microwave and TV...and we could walk around town. It was also just down the road from more than one park.
We had left early from Melbourne on the 1st....so we arrived in town before our room was actually ready.
 We headed up to Unicoi State Park

to see some leaves and enjoy the afternoon.
We had a nice lunch at the park lodge * and took a few minutes to relax and charge our phones and my camera.

                 We checked in at the guard station and headed up to the Anna Ruby Falls.

It wasn't too crowded as we made our way up to see the falls. There were a few groups of people along the path...but we just passed them by...hahah I was collecting leaves along the way of course.

these red and yellow leaves are my favorites...they were so vibrant

We enjoyed the view at the top for a bit and then made our way back down the trail. 

By this time we figured we could probably check in to our hotel....so we headed back into town.

This supermarket was right across the street from our motel...it was the nicest place in town as far as I was concerned...hahah Everything you could possibly need or want...a nice deli, 50c (!) coffee......and none of the cheesy souvenirs that every other store in town seemed to carry!
Now...since we were there on November 1st...we were also in the middle of the town's Octoberfest Celebration. Translation-----lots of very drunk people stumbling around with their beer steins, on their way to the next bar. All ages....people from all over judging by the accents, etc.... the drinkers were enjoying themselves and feeling no pain.
The town in general reminded us of Pigeon Forge, TN or Panama City Beach or Key West...you get the idea a TACKY tourist destination. Bumper to bumper traffic by the end of the day Saturday, people everywhere. Interesting, to me anyway, was the number of Indian  and Asian tourists...I couldn't figure out if there was a tour group or just a number of foreign visitors in town. (as I said it was Octoberfest...and a busy time in general for the town with the fall foliage at/near peak.) I will add that none of the foreign tourists I saw seemed to be there for the drinking....there were a number of large family groups and young families just enjoying the town in general. All I could think was Lord help us if they think that this town is what America is all about! hahah. John was watching football and suggested that I go enjoy the afternoon and go shopping. I don't need much encouragement to shop...hahah but after going in several shops in a row and seeing all the same junk in every store...I just couldn't take it. If I saw one more tacky t-shirt or piece of home decor with a cutesy saying on it I was going to lose it. You know the signs I'm talking about...."Love you to the moon and back" " Always Kiss me Goodnight"... "Home Rules...."etc.... one in particular made me wince..."I Laughed Until the Tears Ran Down My Legs"....and I saw this over and over again....I just kept thinking there are homes all across the country with this stuff crap in them...AGGGGGGGH! Lest you think I am exaggerating...here's a sample of t-shirts from two different stores....

*I had to take these pictures and send them to Brenna and Megan so they wouldn't think I was just whining....it was BAD! (and there were plenty of people wearing similar items....it was a little frightening...hahaha)
Sunday we decided just to hit the road and visit some more parks...and stay clear of the bars and junky stores. The town and the area are beautiful...it just seems a shame that it can't survive on the beauty alone. Obviously what they have for sale sells....or the mobs of people wouldn't be there.....
Anyway...we found another road to the middle of nowhere....following the trusty GPS

We really were out in the middle of nowhere....and it was a little unnerving because if anything happened I had no idea how we would have told anyone exactly where we were. So...even though it was pretty we didn't stay out in the particular spot for too long...hahah
We headed back into town and after we watched football for a bit, we walked around town and had dinner  at a place down by the river that several locals had recommended.

There were still plenty of people around, music at lots of the bars, people dancing and having a good time. In general everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. The weather was perfect!

we stopped here for dessert and I'm glad we did...they had the BEST Doughnuts!

On Monday morning when we got up...the town was quiet. Sitting outside I could see why people liked the area...it's beautiful. It was peaceful, the skies were blue, no clouds in sight. We walked around and just enjoyed the peace and quiet while we drank our .50c cups of coffee from Betty's Supermarket.

nice big pine tree!

We walked around for a bit and then made one more stop by the Hofer's Bakery for another one of their delicious doughnuts before we hit the road.
The trip home was uneventful and we had a nice time.
We have decided one trip to Helen was enough...but if we don't make it up to NC next year; we will definitely return to North Georgia area again...because it was a beautiful time to be there.

Taking a look back

It's a Throwback Thursday on Face book and after I posted some photos about the Two-Day Colon Cancer walk I participated in with my sisters back in October 2003; I decided to write a little more about the experience on the blog. Mostly because I've been laughing to myself for the last couple of days remembering the fun we had... that, and I figured it was a story worth retelling.
I forget who originally saw the ad/flyer/whatever for the walk...I think it was Elizabeth. But whoever it was Liz or Jen...they decided they were going to participate and then asked me if I would be interested in joining them. I know there was a certain $$ amount participants were supposed to raise or you could raise less money and be a part of the crew during the 2-day walk. I knew Liz and Jen would have no trouble getting the donations needed...but I didn't want the three of us to be asking the same people...and I'm not comfortable asking for things in general...so I decided I'd try to  raise the lower amount and be part of the crew. That way I'd still get to participate but wouldn't have to worry about the money.

Our friend Cheryl also signed up for the walk and Jen had a group of friends up in Virginia who participated. I think we had enough people for 3 or 4 two- man tents The first day of the walk started in Leesburg, VA. There were some opening speeches and Jenifer was one of them. I had to head out with the crew to the first stop. So I went off with the crew...while the walkers set out.

this is the "news" for day two of the walk...Jenifer was the "Marcher in Profile"-they didn't get it all straight...but it was nice anyway.

The crew served the walkers lunch...then we were on to the school where we all camped out for the night. What I didn't realize at the time was...there is a whole group of what I'll call "professional" volunteers. Almost everyone working on the crew was a full time worker somewhere...but on weekends the worked at various fundraising events. Most of the group I was with had just helped out at a two day Breast Cancer awareness event the week before. Listening to them was kind of interesting...I didn't know anyone...so I was sort of the odd one out, so I just sat back and eavesdropped on all the other conversations...haha. Heard them talking about the walkers at the previous event "who actually thought the crew was going to pitch their tents for them...hahah"...as I heard that I thought to myself...gee that's kind of what I thought....I didn't realize people would walk all day...then have to come pitch a tent before they could relax....So after we got things set up for dinner and knew what the plan was, I went and gathered the gear for our group and got started putting the tents up before everyone arrived. A couple of the girls had some pretty good blisters going so they were happy to relax for the evening. The first night's dinner had a Mexican Theme-

I have to admit I was thinking...tacos? for a group that includes people with colon cancer? Not always the best thing to eat when A) you already have digestive issues and B) you are sleeping in tents  set up in tight rows.....hahah...however no one else questioned it...so I never said a word.
That night the temperature was going to get down into the 40's...and when the sun went down it started getting chilly fast.

 Someone (in charge) handed out Mylar sheets to all of us...crew and walkers to help keep us warm. They did the trick. Well...when it was time to hit the sleeping bags...I had the "brilliant" idea that we should wrap ourselves in the Mylar sheet and then get in the sleeping bag...that way we'd stay nice and warm. It worked...until you had to move...hahaha The first time I moved around all you could hear was crinkle, crinkle, crinkle...like a gigantic sheet of aluminum foil being crumpled. Cheryl and I were in a tent together...we started laughing because our crinkling set off a wave of other crinkling down the line. Well...between the cold, the crinkling, etc...I got the giggles. Everyone else was settling down and I was trying hard not to be a trouble-maker...but I could not stop laughing.  Cheryl dozed off and I was lying there like a mummy...afraid to move...hahah. But I did...and always the domino effect started...hahah. Then I was afraid I'd fall asleep and not only Cheryl...but Liz and Jen and the others would hear me snoring...thinking about that made me laugh even more. At one point in the middle of the night...I decided enough was enough and I tried to get out of the wrap as quickly as possible...CRINKLING ALL THE WAY! hahaha I did venture out to the Port-a-Potties and ran into someone else (Liz?) from the group and laughed about all the crinkling and other noises going on.
I think I got a little sleep that ...but I really did laugh to myself all night long.
I had to get up pretty early in the morning(see schedule below) to get a hot shower before it was time to serve breakfast. I must say the trailer with the hot showers was pretty nice! We had eggs,fruit, ect and the most delicious sausage (apple wood smoked) I've ever had. again I thought sausage? for people with digestive issues...oh well) The walkers ate and then they headed out for day two of the walk. The crew stayed behind  to clean up and load up the tents and all the gear and eventually headed out to our lunch spot. Lunch was pre-packed sandwiches and chips, etc...so set up was pretty easy.

We set up for lunch in a nice shady park. The temperature was pretty nice by mid day...I was wishing I had changed into my shorts. I helped serve lunch to everyone and then Elizabeth, Jenifer and crew suggested that I join them for the last 6 or so miles of the walk. I was more than happy to do so...otherwise I would have had to spend the afternoon hanging out with a bunch of people I didn't know again. I had sneakers on, I like to walk.......so I was good to go.

Jenifer's friend in the blue shirt...I cannot remember her name....had some terrible blisters on her feet. She was determined to finish...so used the moleskin, etc as provided by medical crew. There was also some sort of famous ( I had no idea who he was) Fitness guy participating in the walk... he led some stretching exercises in the morning and at lunch time for anyone who was interested. At one point he and his group were walking near us and Denise? was struggling to put her shoes back on after one of our "pit stops". I believe he looked at her blisters and asked her how she felt, etc...I just remember her saying "F_____________! These &*&^% blisters hurt!" I think she made him a little  nervous...haha he did tell her...please watch your language. But we all kind of chuckled...because you had to laugh.We were also kind of  laughing at him...because he was moving a little gingerly himself...hahah As far as the walkers go...we walked pretty fast compared to most...however we had to stop at every mile marker to go to the bathroom...we being mostly Liz...hahahah. So...we'd walk past everyone...then they'd catch up to us while we were stopped  at the mile marker. We'd leave, pass them by and they'd catch us again at the next one. Towards the end...they slowed down and we passed them for good. We weren't first to finish...but way ahead of a lot of them.
The afternoon was lovely...we had some good laughs and when we weren't thinking about how tired our feet were...it was a lot of fun.

Elizabeth, Jenifer and Anne

The trees were starting to get some color...so I enjoyed that!

The route followed along a bike trail that eventually takes visitors down past all the monuments at the tidal basin...it was a nice place to finish the walk. The group all met up at the Jefferson Memorial. Rob, Shane and others joined us at the finish. I do remember one moment in particular though...someone from Bristol-Myers(?) maybe...or one of the doctors was  on the stage talking about research and promising advancements that had been made in treating colon cancer patients...and something along the line of "these days patients have a chance of living 5 years with treatment" or something to that effect. I think I looked at Elizabeth to see if she had heard what I thought I had just heard ....and one look at her and I could tell that she had. We didn't say a word to anyone else...but I thought to myself "Damn...we want more than 5 years!"...but decided... maybe we needed to just be happy with whatever we got and enjoy as much time together as possible in the meantime. I think we did....and it was close to 5 years (or a little longer) from the time Jen was diagnosed to when  the cancer finally won the fight. But at least for a time....things weren't so bad. We had helped raise some money to be used to raise awareness and hope for better things in the future. We also had some great stories to tell and and we did make the most of the time we got.