Life happens

I remember a statement from whyquit.com - from when I was quiting smoking - that life will still happen without smoking - good and bad.

I've had this on my mind because of a woman I met on the OBX. She has emphysema. We talked about quiting - her asking me questions. DH was there and said I didn't get preachy, which is good, because I can get REALLY preachy about tobacco addictions.

So, she has been on my mind and in my prayers. Her words "oh, I couldn't go a day without smoking" speak so highly to the horror of this addiction.

I've had a rough couple of weeks due to the illness of a family member. Oddly, it has brought me the closest I have ever been with my mother, who has held my hand and been my strength through all of this.

And, I guess my mind goes back to addiction recovery as it is an example of one of my greatest successes in life. And, just like whyquit.com said, life has still happened, bad, and thankfully, good as well.

Shout out!

I met Tammy on the OBX. She is EVERYTHING a missionary should be ~ love her approach and dedication and the concepts behind her non-profit Amazi International. And, she has two cute pups named Ally and Rue!

Guess it was "Missionary Week" ~ now all OBX Tourism has to do is package it and sell it as a destination vacation for Missionaries. LOL....

Her website....

Found a gem

This has to be the best restaurant I have ever eaten at on the OBX....The Pearl. No trip there will ever be complete without this dining experience. Only 3 criticisms - rock music at lunch - huh?- they finally stopped that. Coffee that was so weak it could have passed for tea (in a FRENCH Restaurant - huh? huh?) Lastly, the location...a mid-grade hotel (huh3?). I believe so many will overlook this gem because of the "Hotel Restaurant" belief. It could not be farther from that concept.

My meal - Good bread and butter (thank God. I am so sick of Olive Oil...). Cheese plate followed by Sheephead [fish] - which the Cheif kindly made with a cream base sauce instead of a veal based sauce, followed by the best melon and pear sorbets (the rasberry was my fault - when will I learn how much I dislike raspberry?).

DH started with a fabulous Normandy Onion Soup - which I tasted and pretended I didn't know it had veal stock ;-). He followed this with the most sublime "The Classic BLT" – consisting of "Fresh vine ripe tomato, crisp romaine and Smithfield bacon on sun dried tomato Foccacia bread and fries." "Fries" being beautiful tasting potatoe wedges. His dessert will be the one I will ALWAYS order from now on: Pain Perdu - unfortunately, this was a special. I LOVED this dessert.

DH was driving so he couldn't enjoy the Rodney Strong 2007 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Once again, my beloved Russian River Valley came through.

Heaven on earth....Chef Marc-Jean Berruet's The Pearl.