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Tuesday, July 8, 2025

A Luxurious Fourth of July and Birthday 2025

Happy Birthday to me and oh what a week celebrating and vacationing. It is such a good time to get away. With Fiscal Year End and a holiday when our constuients really don’t want to engage….and a great time to “go home”.    Putting this post in themes:

Books- reading in the surf is an all-time favorite thing…and I really enjoyed what I was reading. It was our book club’s “classic”   The Shell Seekers by Rosemunde Pilcher. For me it was a treat to visit England, explore family tensions, a walk back in time , connection to art, and I found the writing truly lovely. I look forward to our discussion! I’m not really sure it is a “classic” but that lends itself to discussion for our club!

I bought the next book- The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth! It is such a fun beach shop…it seems silly but a true highlight of any vacation is spending time in an independent book store finding the next read…FYI this was is in the middle read section…it is our YA book.

I’m lucky I can read in the car and will enjoy wrapping up vacation lost in this tale of history and family.

Family time and Beach Time-Mom and Michael hosted us so well- dinner party with their friends, hard shell crabs on the porch, soaking at a friends’ pool, Peter helped with some yard work, dog cuddles and play time, such a lovely setting!

Sarah hosted us part 2- what a treat to go to the beach with family. Once upon a time this was a regular part of summer, I’ve missed it.  Of course not the same without Matthew and his girls but that makes us want to be more deliberate in our planning for the future.  Mom took a room on the boardwalk as we were out of room at Sarahs.  It made it easy to remember fond memories of childhood trips to this area and we made new ones.  I’ve been told how crowded it is over the holiday there and they’re right – I might recommend September for our next visit. But I loved it…the morning stroll and as I said above…being on the beach is a treat- talking.  The day prior we were in Delaware at a lovely cove/jetty with a picnic- heaven!

We wrapped up with DC time and Clare and Caroline time. For my actual birthday we were in DC for the Nats game and soaked up time together. We missed our Sally-camp duty calls – proud of her.  Praying for the devastating news from Texas and the flash floods, it is just horrible. Life is so fragile, the continuum of nature’s wrath, beauty, nurture and destruction has saddened me so much.

Golf!! VACATION- ahhh- we played the beautiful and special FHCC to kick things off – meeting Mom there on Sunday.  Joe and I found the links in Delaware on our way to see Sarah. It is fun to try new courses, be out with Joe and delight in progress.

Food! Of course…crabs…great restaurants..Nicoboli…..cocktail hour and appetizers…being around the table together…Oysters a few times… We wrapped up the trip with breakfast at Callyourmother in DC- picnic table, perfect temp…and family dinner next door when we returned!

Friends- the week started around a beautiful outdoor table with delicious food, dear friends and transitioned to many cheers floating and catching up…Thank you April and Amanda for donating a party for mission, pivoting it to summer fun and all that came and spoiled me.

Social media makes bdays all the more fun- the messages and posts were such a treat. AS were phone calls (SALLY) and texts…I’m richer than rich….luxury…..the book has a beautiful discussion about luxury and what it truly is and my birthday week certainly defines my understanding of mine….to have so many memories connected to so many good people in gorgeous places and be able to feel it like the beauty of a cool soft pool, floating carefree, the smell and taste of the ocean at the beach or slurping an oyster…this is luxury and using all of the senses is a key component Rosemunde!!

This is a great week, not only because of birthdays, mine, our countries, celebrations but work is at a place where disconnecting a bit easier…The week has lessons and reminders, delights and conversations that matter.

Now on to 57, to a new year, to the rest of summer. Pictures below inspired by the highlights above…









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