Back from Bermuda last Monday night after visiting family. It was a perfect end to summer which really began in May for us with D1’s wedding. Then D2’s 30th birthday in Mexico City in June and Bermuda in September. So grateful for all of the time spent with family and friends.
Rockhounding is just looking for and collecting rocks, minerals, fossils, gemstones, etc. some people do it as a hobby, while others do it as a source of income. I had a career in the outdoors and love almost everything in nature, and I just think rocks are cool and pretty. I spent the whole rest of the summer sorting and tumbling/polishing the rocks we collected. Most of them will just sit on the shelf. I did purchase some raw stones online, mostly agates (the stripy ones below) and have been working on making some rustic jewelry just for fun. I made a pendant with the yellowish agate below, and some stud earrings for my daughters. I’m going to make a pendant for a neighbor kid with the agate that looks like a man with his mouth open bc he likes rocks and offered to trade with me! 
My entire dining table is covered with my rock stuff - I think my husband is getting a little tired of the mess lol.
Btw, Michigan is a rockhounding paradise because of the diversity of rocks that were pushed south by glaciers. I did post several pics of our trip/rocks on the photos you’d like to share thread.
Wow, that’s amazing! Don’t forget the Petoskey stone ! Did you find or would you collect beach glass? That is something we have always done on the Canada side of Huron.
My favorite memory is from last weekend. My parents have had a house at the beach since 1979. They announced last winter they were selling it after this summer. It has been a weekly rental for the last 25 years or so but they took it off the market so that family could use it any time. After seeing how often their grandkids and nieces were enjoying it, they told us three weeks ago they are not selling it but not renting it anymore and will be for family use only.
I took my 89 y/o father down last weekend for a few days. He loves the beach. Though he is active and healthy, I’m not sure how many years he has left to enjoy it. I took this picture last weekend of him doing two of his favorite things, reading and sitting by the ocean, and sent it to my siblings as it warmed my heart.
No we didn’t find any beach glass. We did find a few Petoskey stones but not many nice or bigger ones and they are difficult to tumble because they are very soft. I had to hand sand the nicer ones we found and it’s a lot of work!
He is a very healthy looking 89! Such a sweet story
Great photo. I hope they get to go to the beach next year, either renting back that place or trying somewhere new.
@Colorado_mom my parents own the house but they have rented it out to others for the last 25 years or so. After lots of headaches due to having weekly renters who often don’t respect the home, they decided to sell. But then after seeing how much their grandkids and extended family used it this summer, they decided rather than sell it, they just won’t rent it out anymore and just continue only letting family use it. Great news for me, as DH and I went down at least twice a month all summer! 
Dh and I have offered to take over all the home maintenance to make it easier for them.
I love Cape Henlopen! Sometimes we take our bikes on the ferry and do the Lewes/Rehoboth bike loop-- so pretty!
I had such a nice time with my CC friends from Atlanta. But first I got a free bike helmet in Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, courtesy of the NYC Dept. of Transportation (thinking of getting a nonelectric scooter to tool around the nabe), then Chinatown where we finally met. We went to a wonderful community garden up the block and we talked until they closed for the day. Then we walked through Chinatown/Soho. Said goodbye to my CC friends at Sixth Ave. and Spring St. Took the subway, then a bus to my corner where I saw the amazing sunset.
Had a recent happy moment, enjoying my first seared foie gras in many years at a birthday dinner while visiting son in Seattle. It was lusciously delicious. Evening was happy because we’d spent a few days together; sad because we would be saying goodbye in a few hours.
My other happy time was finally making it into Comic-Con after trying for a ticket for nine years. Just because I was finally there, not because I did anything particularly exciting.
Because it was recent, I’m remembering our trip to San Francisco, including my favorite parts - hiking 10 miles on Angel Island and riding bikes over the Golden Gate Bridge and through Sausalito, having an awesome lunch there and then riding to Tiberon and back to Sausalito. A ferry ride back to SF completed the day.
Watched the music video today for Earth Wind and Fire’s September. Sent a link to it to all the kids. If listening to EWF doesn’t make you smile, you have no soul.
'Do you remember, the 21st night of September, …"
Oops… I had skimmed to quickly. That’s great that the family happy place can continue on. Looks like a beautiful location. Good for you for stepping up on the maintenance chores.
I attended a football game at the local Big 10 University yesterday. The awesome marching band played “September”.
I had a ticket for a free outdoor showing of this yesterday evening, but I had already worn myself out.
California dreaming…Newport Beach in August.
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