Penning Photography Daily

Click here for more photos

Well, here we are, at the end of our holiday in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

We had fun.

We laughed.

We cried.

We celebrated.

We learned.

We refreshed our selves and our relationship.

I recommend a holiday. Several, in fact.

Click here to see the rest of the photos

Karen fixed a delicious dinner last night for us at the villa where we are staying. Greek chicken, peas, jambalaya and a salad to top it off. Mmmmmmmmm, mmmmmm! That was some great eating.

I had a merlot and Karen a Pinot Grigio wine. I’ve been trying to drink at least one glass of red wine a day during this vacation. For quite some years, I only imbibe in alcohol on rare occasions. I’m a type II diabetic, and try to watch those complex and simple carbs. One glass is good and I prefer a red to a white anyway.

This has been a lovely holiday. I know now, we need to do more of it through the year. My mission will be to make that happen in 2007.

Tomorrow, we start the two day trek back to Central Illinois. We stop over at Knoxville, TN. Can’t wait to get the driving over. We’ve listened to a book on tape, and love that. It makes the time go faster. Too bad I can’t drive and work on the computer!!!

Restful, relaxing time is important to me and for Karen and our relationship. We love doing this getting away thing.

I couldn’t help but take this video of my Karen Sue walking at the beach tonight at sunset.

We’ve had a great time unwinding.

Wish we had another week together here.

We’ve previously stayed at Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, near Savannah, GA. We love the natural feel of the island – low buildings, and trees everywhere boarding the major streets. There’s only one road on and off the island though. That can get a bit bothersome.

Here in Myrtle Beach, there’s many routes around. There’s more commercialism, but it’s easy to find pockets of nature and peace here.

I believe we’ll come back. Perhaps fly down next time.

Wherever we are together is ok by me.

My Karen Sue

I took this one yesterday and forgot to put it up til this morning. My Karen Sue, the love of my life. My partner for 28 years and counting. She looked so good and th setting and light were great. She said, take my portrait here, and I did.

We went to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, where the food was good, the margaritas were delicious, and the music was all Buffet or the like. We were seated right away, and were told that in high season, during the Summer, the wait grows to 5 hours. Can you believe it! They cut off taking names at 6:30 so they can fit all those on the waiting list before closing. Wow! Fins to the left, Fins to the right! Then the Tornado inside went off and filled up a giant blender with Margarita mix. Fun time.

Today it’s rainy and there’s been real tornado touchdowns inland. It’s supposed to clear up this afternoon. The temperature is still around 70. Back home in Springfield, IL, the weather is cold and there’s some potential snow. (Darn )

We love Myrtle Beach, perhaps just a bit more than Hilton Head. There’s golfers all around us wherever we go to eat. They have 160 golf courses in the “Grand Strand” that Myrtle Beach is part of. Too bad we’re not golfers! There is plenty of relaxation and adventure here and more than one way out (as opposed to Hilton Head).

Dad-Family

collage from my brother Dennis

From my sister Trish’s email which started this day:

Hey Family,

Can you believe that it is 8 years since Dad died? Where has the time
gone? Tell someone a Dad story today. One of my favorites is the time
I helped him put 98 pairs of pantyhose ( he got them from his patients)
on 98 tomato plants. I kept thinking what are we going to do with all
these tomatoes? I got my answer….he gave them to his patients!
I also liked the twinkle in his eye when I brought him a Frosty treat
from Wendy’s.
Or his big booming laugh that just made you smile when you heard it!
love ya all!

From my neice Marni:

I hear him every time I say “Tweet tweet!”
Love you, Grandpa.
XO
Marni

From my brother Nick:

Thanks Trish. I remember watching “Rebel Without a Cause” with him on tv one night. He did not criticize it or make any negative comment. I remember saying, “That was interesting,” and I think he probably said, “yes.” And seeing tears in his eyes when John-John saluted JFK’s casket outside St. Matthew’s Cathedral in November of ’63.

I like the memory of him sitting in ‘his chair’ in the family room, his head aswirl with the lovely odor of cigar smoke. And, as John said at his memorial service, sitting next to him on station wagon trips and having him ask you to pack his pipe with tobacco…the ultimate compliment.

And the only time I ever heard him use an expletive was when we went to see a Cinerama move, “The Seven Wonders of the World” in Los Angeles in ’57. For some reason the theater had several spotlights trained on the audience from high above the screen…on both sides. He said, “Those damn lights.” I never, ever heard him use that word again, nor anyother ‘swear’ word….no hell, no s___t, no s.o.b……. Oh yes….there was one: Sam Hill; as in “What the Sam Hill were you doing?”

We miss you, Dad. Thanks for the memories.
nick

From my Brother Larry:

Some of my favorite memories of Dad have food in them.
(Naturally). He liked hot dogs with ketchup and
mustard and sometimes horseradish along with his
Sunday breakfast eggs. The eggs were sunny side up
and had to be gooey. They got all cut up and then the
hot dogs and sauce were swirled around in them until
everything was all gone. I, of course, wanted to be
just like my Dad and did exactly the same to the
everlasting exasperation of my Mother who would say
“Oh, you are just like your Father!!! ” What a compliment.

From me (The longest hair in the bottom right photo)

Thanks Trish -

I remember the home-made wine in the bomb shelter, the eggs and Hollywood bread in the coffee cup along with the newspaper on a stand and the Today show on the black & white. I remember his smiling wave when we saw him at the window of the Today show when he was in New York for a meeting. I remember him crying so hard at Grandma Penning’s deathbed, all of us kneeling in prayer, then me crying so hard when he died. I remember the smiles at the Frostys and the Thank Yous when I took care of him and tucked him in for the night. I remember his loving “I love yous” every time he said them in those last days, weeks, months and years. I remember his hugs. I remember his presence now, holding me close while I leak tears writing this. I remember and I love him so. Hugs always – Matt

From my niece Katherine:

Wow – what a wonderful way to start my day.

I think of his warm lap and hearing him sing the refrain of “rugga digga dido”

I think of his smile when we would come visit in the later years.

I think of Grandma and him holding hands – and playing cards.

I think of all his books he read.

I think of him every time I look at my little Lew….

Thanks for a wonderful = tearful beginning to my day.

Love you Grandpa

From my nephew David:

I see him in the eyes of my girls
They have a very distinctive twinkle.

From my first niece Carrie:

I don’t know if I shared this with everyone but when I was in labor with Charlotte we came to several forks in the road where we had to make decisions what to do. I wasn’t progressing very well so we considered c-section. After one last check they found I was in fact 10 cm and didn’t have to have the c-section. I began pushing and with every push I would call on the help of all the loving people in my family, including Grandpa. After 4 hours of pushing and no Charlotte, my OB said I needed extra help and discussed vacuum or forcepts. Somehow the memory of Grandpa’s Golden Forcepts Award steered me in that direction. I asked him for his help too. Then a perfect, pink, healthy Charlotte Beverly was born without a single scratch or bruise. I am certain he was there guiding the young doctors. Thank you Grandpa for this precious gift.

I also remembering his gardens and orchard. I was intrigued by all the different plants growing in the stinky compost pile. I remember feeling like I was in an enchanted forest walking among the peach, cherry, plum and apple trees.

Most of all, I remember sitting on his lap, with my head against his chest, hearing his deep voice resinating while he sang with the family.

Love to you Grandpa, love to you family.

Click here for more photos

Not many photos taken today, kinda in the mood to just lay back.

I was called twice today for assistance, once from work and once from a friend, both computer related. Hard to get away sometimes. From work, I had left my Blackberry at home and depended on my cell, which reception is poor here (darn ) To add to it, I turned the ringer off last night while we attended a Christmas show at the Carolina Opry (a story for another posting – excellent talent and well put together musical review). So, late this morning I noticed the call from work. By then, they had discovered the answer by themselves. Just like I knew they would. I teased them by emailing a photo of the Atlantic from my condo deck and the fact that it is 70 here and 45 there (I’m so bad).

The other call came about 10 seconds after this photo was captured. I hope that my friend got their database problem fixed. I pointed them to a mutual contact and asked for an hours wait, then call if they had further problems. No call so far.

This restaurant came recommended by several on a Yahoo group. I had a delicious salmon with onion, tomoato and feta cheese soaked in a balsamic vinaigrette, and Karen had flounder stuffed with crab meat. Yum.

We sat just a few yards (meters) from the ocean waves and saw the sunset during our salad course. What a delight. My dessert was sharing my meal with my lovely bride, my Karen Sue.

Click here for more photos

Karen and I spent the hour before sunset, “the golden hour,” at the Myrtle Beach State Park. We loved that this great portion of Atlantic Ocean waterfront is preserved for public use.

There’s a nice pier that several folks were fishing from. The airport is directly across from the park so we were treated to several planes landing.

We noticed one large sand pit, and there were warnings to keep bright lights off at night so as to not confuse the sea turtles who nest in the sand. Perhaps this pit was an abandoned turtle egg hatchery?

The surf was calm, the air was fresh and only slightly breezy. The near 70 degrees was to my liking for sure.

We took many self portraits and I took some Karen and Karen of me. I love her smile.