Family Visits: Surviving the Day They Leave

She's sitting on the plane with her husband, having two hours left of the grueling trip back home. I haven't moved off the couch. We ate so much this weekend, that I feel a bit like a slug. I have the familiar feeling of loss and uncertainty of not knowing when or where I will get to see my sister again. The hard economic times bring an unusual amount of fear that it could be longer than usual until we get back together. But, deep down inside, I am always optimistic about the prospects of spending more time with my sister or my Mom, who lives equally far away from my home in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Distance from one's loved ones can be a bitch. Being stuck so far away makes everything more difficult. It's best not to think about the amount of time between visits. Rather, focus on all the laughs and fun we just experienced. Some families do not have this special relationship and I pity them. It's the best feeling in the world.

Thanks June and Scott for making the trek across country for a short visit! It was the very best. I will sulk for several more days, then come back to normal. It's simply the regular process I go through every time and it does not get easier...it gets harder the older I get.

Top Items I Would be Buying IF I Had the Money and IF My Sister and I Were Taking a Vacation Together This February: PT.1

Can I help it that the economy is in the tank, and we don't have the time or the money to go on a fabulous trip to some exclusive island in the Caribbean, this February? We really should be going regardless; after all, how many people can claim living happily with one husband for 20 years like my sister can?



Oh well, the 21st year sounds pretty darn good, too.



For me, one of the most fun aspects to vacations and travel was always the buying of a few new items of clothing and accessories. I never bought a whole new season of clothes, just a few fillers and almost always a new bathing suit. Bathing suits do not last very long when you live in a place like Scottsdale. They fade, get ripped up by sitting on the side of the pool and you generally just get tired of them.



So those of you who enjoy shopping or are lucky enough to be heading somewhere warm and wonderful, here is what I would have like to purchase (if, of course, money was no object):



First, this perfect little Eric Javits bag I saw at Saks.com for $450. I have always liked the combination of caramel and off-white. It's bigger than the picture may indicate.

Next, the perfect spring, ladylike dress made by Versace. At $1540, it better be near perfect. I can see wearing this to my son's college graduation, several ladies' luncheons and to church. It comes with a coordinating cardigan, too, around $350 or so. I have perfect shoes to go with it, so all the better.

I have white shorts and slacks, so I really like this rugby shirt from Ralph Lauren's new Rugby store. It's called the Ashby Navy Striped Rugby and it's just $89.50.

Here's another one I really like, called the Adora Puff Sleeve Rugby and costs $79.50.

I'm not sure why I like this top, but I do. Made by 7 for All Mankind and retails for $95 at Saks online. It's like wearing an old comfy grey t-shirt, only more sexy. I would wear it with jeans and maybe throw a white blazer over for a change. Of course, that's if my daughter hasn't "borrowed it from me"!

Let's see, that's $2,604.00 worth of clothing and accessories. A good start at revving up this ole economy, don't you think? Well, it doesn't cost anything to dream!

Part Two: Coming Soon.

June Picks Her Mustique Villa, Then You Vote

Today, we review my sister's choice for a villa rental on the island of Mustique. She used the same timeframe and budget constraints as I had used in the post I wrote yesterday. After reading about her choice, I will be putting up a poll and we are going to let, the reader decide which villa we should select! It's going to be hard, because they are both amazing homes:

June's Criteria:

I picked this fantastic villa primarily because of its views.

Also, the main room reminds me of the movie As Good as it gets with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton - one of most favorite movies.

And, I loved the pool and imagined many fun cocktails looking at the beautiful view.

June's Villa Selection:

Sheltered on a gentle rise overlooking L`Ansecoy Bay, Moana (Hawaiian for ocean) offers a panoramic view of turquoise seas and the nearby Grenadine Islands. The bright and airy living room is the villa`s focal point, just steps from sundeck, dining veranda, balcony, bedrooms and a garden path which leads to the new swimming pool and secluded beach. The villa is cooled by a soft sea breeze filtered by the surrounding trees and a tropical courtyard.

(There is a third bedroom available for rental for an additional $1000).

http://www.mustique-island.com/the_villa_collection/villa_28.php

Well, there you have it. It's time for you to select which villa you like best by voting in the poll below. Then, we will be exploring the two resorts on the island. So many ways this vacation could go. One thing's for sure, vacationing with my sister is going to be very special.

20th Anniversary and Nowhere To Go

People tend to take their most memorable vacation trips in tandem with special anniversary and birthday dates. I don't know whether this is the case in other countries, but we somehow prefer the dates that end in 0 (zero). So every ten years we plan bigger parties and special trips for ourselves. Only sometimes, life doesn't know about this every ten-year time frame and we are left with depleted bank accounts and stock portfolios on these years ending in zero.

Such is the case with my sister's 20th Anniversary, coming this February. If we were not in the financial situation we find ourselves in this year, we would definitely be taking a fabulous trip together to celebrate this momentous occasion. But half the fun is choosing the place, learning about the place to visit, and so, June and me have decided that we will plan the special trip anyway. (It's a great excuse to call daily!) Only this year, you will be helping us decide where we will be spending a glorious week vacation in February.

For the month of December, we will be highlighting many places to vacation. During this time, I hope you all will make comments and send pictures if you've been there before. At the end of the month, we will have our readers select where we should go on this imaginary trip by voting in a poll.

Here are a couple of things you need to know about us:

June is coming from an area of the country that's cold in the winter and so she always is looking for somewhere that's warm and sunny;

We love wine, frozen drinks and most alcoholic activities;

We love water and boating;

While my house is empty and I may be craving activity, June is very busy with two children's sports activities and school events so she craves silence and relaxation;

Bill likes to exercise on vacation, Scott like to read on vacation. June and me don't care what we're doing, just as long as we are doing it together.

Well, that's about it. This should be fun.