Last week Carolyn and I closed on my condo in St. Simons Island. The buyers, a couple from New York, are preparing to move in as we speak.
Mayre Lou and I had moved to the Island back in 1995, after a couple of nasty winters in Apison. We did things there. We met new people there who became good friends. In short, there are a lot of memories for me there, and, as we, Carolyn and I, spent a day there last week, we talked a lot about what it was like to live there.
We talked about the weather. That day was a 70 degree day with sunshine aplenty. We smiled as we looked at the weather on our phones and saw that the high in Harrison was a chilly 37. Mayre Lou loved being warm in the winter.
The Island sunrises at the beach and the sunsets looking back over the marsh toward the mainland never failed to put a smile on our faces and joy in our hearts.
Perhaps a very brief history of our lives, Mayre Lou's and mine, on this spit of land in the Atlantic is in order.
We moved here in 1995 as I stated above. In 2005 we moved to Virginia to help Doug and Dawn with their newest family addition, Lucy. After 3 years there we moved back to SSI, bought a condo at Grandview and settled in to live out our lives there. Mayre passed away in 2018.
The memories for me, are still there. The being a part of a new church was a series of events that brought much happiness and commitment to our lives, and just the experience of day to day living, with all of its normality, was special to us all those years.
We lived on a golf course, Sea Palms, and I took advantage of that opportunity to play a lot of golf, alone, and with friends. At one point I figured that I was averaging 5 nine hole rounds a week. Just walk out the door and hit the ball. I had never heard of Pickleball then, but got plenty of walking in with 2 or 3 miles every day. Riding my bike was great exercise over many bike trails with no hills to cope with.
Our foursome played golf every Friday morning early. The friendships were easy and the competition fierce. Thanks Jim, Fritz and Patrick.
People called it Paradise, and we agreed. It was. But it was paradise with a small p. At certain times the flying insects were a real pain. However, the good outweighed the bugs, and the good times totally outlasted the inconvenience of swatting.
Mayre and I were happy there and I was glad to relive some of those times as we toured around the Island. Our family loved the Island, too.
The day after our closing last week, Carolyn and I took the time to look up friends and just be Islanders enjoying the great weather that is so much a part of life there.
We started out Thursday, having breakfast at our first house we owned there, with our hosts. Herb was our realtor on the condo deal, and Ann is a long time friend. They opened their home to us on this occasion as they had many times before. I even got to talk with Tom Mitchell, who lived next door and was our neighbor when we lived there. A fine chance encounter to begin this visitation day.
We stopped first at the church that has been a part of God's blessing in our lives. Meeting with Jim Kay was special as our lives were intertwined over the time of our residence.
Then on to Char's Salon. Many was the time that Mayre got her hair done there, then I had my hair trimmed there also, Even Carolyn had been treated to Char's expertise. Char is one fine lady.
Fritz had invited us to lunch with him at Mullet Bay, and those conversations, and the laughter involved in tales and situations of the past, was special, too.
While dining, we ran into two couples that lived at Grandview when we did. A chance meeting with these folks and a good time sharing Grandview experiences.
One last visit before the day ended. To Marshes Edge we went to see Anne Johnson. Reliving many times at Grandview and beyond, and hearing her share about her situation and her family that we knew was a highlight of the day.
We even got to stop in at the airport, one of Mayre's favorite places on the Island. She was privileged to work there for many years. Aviation and hanging around with aviation people was her thing.
But one day was not enough time to see all we wanted. We made some contacts, and. we also visited with others that were not on our agenda. All in all, it was a good day.
And we were not leaving St. Simons never to return. Hopefully the days ahead will give us other opportunities to see these folks again, and to catch up with others that we missed.
The Island was pretty as usual. The weather was pure "Chamber of Commerce". But it has always been the people that make this place special.
And it made this time for us special as well.
Heads up, Barby and Westy, Uncle Don, Jeff and Leigh Ann, Suzy, Will and Joan, Jackie and Don, Brad and Tami and any others that might have been in our orbit over the past 27 years.
Your time will come...
