Beatus Vitae or #BlessedLife

Recently as I was viewing the ocean on my final day of a 3 nights and four day trip to Sylvia Beach with a bestie (Stacy) I couldn’t help but feel inadequate at expressing all that I was feeling in that moment. So I chose to use 26 letters to give you an inkling of my grand experience...

A- Appropo, as I consider myself a writer
B- Blissfully content
C- Charming Atmosphere inside and out
D- Decadent food and beverage
E- Encouraging to the mind, body and soul
F- Fanciful delights abound
G- Grandeur
H- Heavenly perspective
I- Insightful
J- Joyful
K- Kindred
L- Laughter enjoyed by us all but for Stacy and I at times it was side splitting, belly shaking
M- Merry for December and silliness
N- Napping in giant Adirondack deck chairs
O- Overawed in every aspect but wonderfully so
P- Poignant in a blessed way
Q- Quaint and endearing
R- Radiant and Seahabilitative (a new word in my personal dictionary)
S- Sanguine
T- Theraputic on so many levels
U- Umbrella not required for singing in the rain
V- Vintage on a grand scale
W- Wistful to stay longer
X- Xenagogue’s welcome as there is much to explore
Y- Yearning to return before I’ve even left
Z- Zenithial as you will feel you’ve reached new heights

This trip inspired me to do more writing and reading and continue in my introspections regarding my spiritual life alongside my physical one and I encourage all of you to take a trip like this one soon...very soon. We need a quiet retreat from the chaos of this crazy thing called life. Especially from social media, phones, texts and anything technological. We did enjoy a little music via headphones, but mostly our time was spent talking, reading, writing, eating, sleeping and soaking in our giant claw foot tub in a room dedicated to the works of Mark Twain. Fires, ocean waves pounding continually in the background and divine food and spirits. Absolute perfection in my humble opinion and my wish for all of you, someday soon...

In Honor of Seizing the Moment

So according to this book entitled “10,000 Places To See Before You Die” I can say I have been to at least one thanks to my dear friend Stacy. The Oregon Coastline and more specifically, The Sylvia Beach Hotel in Newport, OR. It’s named after it’s owner and founder of the Shakespear & Co bookstore in Paris during the 1920’s and 30’s. A green shingled, turn of the century building, sitting atop a rocky bluff overlooking the awesome and mighty, Northern Pacific Ocean. It’s quirky and quaint and the 20 guest rooms are uniquely styled after renowned authors like Agatha Christie, Earnest Hemingway, Jane Austen and Dr. Seuss. There are treasures in every nook and cranny, multiple fireplaces, a cozy library on the 3rd floor and the dining room overlooks the beach. I have been told to expect a hearty breakfast each morning and coffee and tea are freely flowing 24 hours a day.

On our first night here, after dropping off the luggage into the classic room of Mark Twain, we immediately went on a grand adventure, touring all the open rooms. The rule is, if the door is open, you are invited to take a peek at all the wonders and mysteries each room has to offer. My camera was the busiest piece of technology for the next hour but come here prepared to unplug, as this establishment is considered a quiet retreat. No televisions, no WiFi and if you want to listen to music it must be done through headphones 🎧. One might think boredom would come easily yet quite the opposite is true. There are comfy couches,, stuffed chairs, picturesque window seats and desks aplenty. All beckoning you to sit, relax, dig into a classic tale or possibly begin writing a fantasy of your very own. All the while the pounding surf can be heard in the backdrop, the rustling of pages being turned and even the purr of Shell the resident cat who slips into and out of every room and hallway as if this is her domain and we humans are just passing through.

For o ur first night, Stacy and I dined at a local Pub aptly named Nana’s. A stout Guinness, Irish potato 🥔 soup, a neat scotch, meatloaf smothered with blackstrap gravy and the sweetest soda bread completed our meal. It was a little slice of Irish Heaven on the Oregon Coast. We retreated back to Sylvia Beach to retire in the library with some Irish upside down ginger snap and banana cream pie and spiced mulled wine 🍷 which is served each night at 9 PM. What a perfect ending to a perfect day. Tomorrow when I rise I will get my first glimpse of this amazing coastline from the comfort of my private balcony-coffee and notebook at the ready. Thanks You God for another amazing experience and of course a huge debt of gratitude 🙏🏻 to my dearest Stacy.

#blessedlife