Nice and easy

Port Aransas, Texas. For me, it's always been a magical town...in high school, we'd make pilgrimages just to hang out on the beach, buy cheesy iron-on t-shirts and puka shell necklaces, and pretend we could pass off as "surfers." Post-high school, it was the setting for many of my young adult adventures: bonfires on the beach, running in the surf at 2 a.m., walking in barefoot at Stripes to buy a case of Natty Light, and getting kicked out of one-too-many motels for trying to sneak in too many friends without paying.

Now that I'm a grown-up and much too mature for walking barefoot in public places (did someone say "hookworms"?), I have come to appreciate Mustang Island in a new way. My son, Dylan, is named after the Welsh meaning of the name ("by the sea") since his creation occurred by the sea...that's all I'm going to say about that.

No grungy bars for my babies, like Salty Dog or Shorty's Place ,not that there's anything wrong with those places (Dylan would not be here had it not been for karaoke night at Salty Dog). But Port A offers amazing wildlife and bird viewing , free educational opportunities, and delicious restaurants.

My mom had an amazing massage, we both bought some extraordinarily fresh seafood, and, most importantly, we had some amazing moments on the porch of a phenomenal beach house.

We also headed to Roberts Point Park where the kids got to swing, climb down to the water's edge, and frolic while my mom and I enjoyed the sunset and some wine.


Of course, we enjoyed the beach...

and all that it has to offer: sandcastles, seashells, and interaction with some extraordinary wildlife.
The kids got to see a real hermit crab...not from some kiosk at the mall, but a real hermit crab that tickled my palm as I observed him/her. We caught a multitude of snails, which amazed us with their strength and beauty, and we observed some beautiful blue herons which stunned us with their size and quietness. Oh, and mi esposo y yo went to save a random Portugese man-o-war from certain death. Boy, times have changed when I try and help a deadly creature. No rattlesnakes or alligators this time, but there's always next summer.

I must say, that for this chica, Port A gave us all the perfect, easy, no-frills vacation. I am definitely a nice and easy type of person, and, for the past 20 years of my life, this place let me experience pure bliss. My only dark spot was a freak injury due to...plastic chanclas...but that's another story for another dia.

It's been a long time, baby...

but I'm back!! Little things start getting in the way, and before you know it, a year goes by and nary a post. I'm starting fresh-faced and fancy-free.

So far, it's been a brutally hot summer: it's painful to walk to the mailbox, get in the car at 2 p.m., and water the plants for the 30th day in a row.

Interestingly, zinnias love, love, love the heat. They seem to bloom more profusely as it heats up, as if to spite the sun and laugh in its face. This beauty is just one of my many beautiful zinnias growing in my garden this summer. I love them for arrangements, and they are like crack to butterflies.