The Next Chapter Opens

I’m checking things off the list and finally checking in with you all, my dear readers…

• Breeze coming through the windows.
• Almost everything in its place.
• Orders in for a few new pieces of furniture.
• On the hunt for decorating touches.
• Beach-walking routine started.
• New recipes being tested.
• New church.
• And I signed up for a short creative nonfiction writing course.

Hands on keyboard. Deep breath.

The Next Chapter Opens

As I am settling in, I’ve been thinking about what this next chapter might be.

Protagonist. What roles shall I play? Author-beach-walker is my primary aspired-to hyphenate. But I also still like being a professor and a consultant, so not quite a retiree. Better still – sister, aunt, friend, cousin – hostess with the mostest, as they say. Maybe, too, a little bit of interior decorator, arts patron, explorer, restaurant tester, home chef.

Characters. What characters will appear in these pages? I’m looking forward to a run of visiting family and friends, for sure. And maybe some new people will step into the scene as well.

Setting. The setting is if course the star of the book – the many moods of the sea on a variety of beaches, back roads of farmland and nature preserve, along with the commercial strip on the Coastal Highway, the small-town center of Lewes, and the boardwalk at Rehoboth. Some scenes will no doubt be in my favorite restaurants and walking paths, and there are plenty of other attractions to explore and write about on these pages.

Action. I want these chapters to be action-filled! Exploring Sussex County, making fun meals, playing games, long walks, interesting conversations. I’m attending events and classes offered by the Rehoboth Beach Writer’s Guild and snagged annual passes for the state parks and the Botanic Gardens. And I’m working on expanding my cooking skills.

Plotline. Crafting the plot is a bit trickier… I’m letting each new chapter emerge as it will. On beach time. I’m looking for collaborators to write my continuing story, and I hope you’ll be among them. Come visit! Help me make the next chapter the most exciting one yet. (And maybe help me hang pictures and shelves?)

Ready to write…

Oh… do you want to see pictures of the new place? Here’s the starting set:

Living room – you cannot beat the light! And the view of the sunsets is pretty spectacular. This room’s decor will be refreshed, starting with new chairs that have more of a coastal feel and color scheme. And I’m going to splurge on a lift cabinet to hide the TV and make that back wall the backdrop for some yet-to-be discovered artwork fit for the beach vibe. I’m also going to try not killing a few plants. The corner behind the sofa cries out for a big green tree-ish thing of some kind. And I’m thinking to commission a low arrangement of succulents to top the game cabinets which Anthony so artistically repainted for me. (Remember the red ones? I love the new look!! Thank you, Anthony!) I’ll be putting in an overhead fan, I think; I suspect we’ll appreciate it in the summer.

Dining room – ready for dinner guests, and surrounded by my pared down (yes, pared down!) book collection and my parliament of owls. Anthony also repainted my existing dining set to make it more beachy and modern, and it looks great. There’s plenty of room to expand the table, too. I’m testing new recipes and really do promise to learn to make pasta, so meals here should be quite the feasts.

Office – very comfy and sunny – my writer’s loft. I have a multi-level floating shelf for over the desk and a new chair on order. I need a better lamp, too, but haven’t found one that seems quite right.

Kitchen – compact and ready for food experiments. I had to pare back to essentials and get creative with storage solutions to make this work, but I’m enjoying the more minimalist galley.

Balcony – the view is a bit wonky with all the construction still underway but the sunsets are quite inspiring. (There will be homes out there soon enough, so I’m enjoying it while I can.) The space needs a few comfy chairs and a side table to be ready for summer breezes and guest conversations. On the list.

Guest room – still dithering on furniture purchases and decorating in this room, but the plan calls for the queen-size bed and some kind of lounge furniture for guest relaxation and extra sleeping space when needed. I found the best lamp for this room (not yet purchased – wait till you see)! And here’s where I’ll give in to the ubiquitous beach blue color scheme (you know how I love blue). I’ve found pieces that are worth the compromise. That includes the cool mirror and shower curtain in the guest bath. And now that I see these two pictures side-by-side, I may rethink the quilt…

Master bedroom – feels quite expansive after living for 28 years in a much more compact space. And I love the decorating I’ve done in the bath – with the Paul Grecian piece I brought from my black-and-white bathroom in the old house, amazingly matched with a beautiful bloom photograph taken and given to me by Maria, and the sophisticated girly mirror. I’ll be hiding away the horrible shower enclosure in a way that softens the whole look.

It’s been a long time settling in, but I’m getting there. In remarkable timing, my work got quite busy at the same time I was moving, so things have been going more slowly than I would have liked. Plus, I hurt my back and have a tricky sciatic nerve at the moment, so reaching is an issue. The washer/dryer saga was a long comedy/tragedy of errors, but it’s all good now and I’m working through the back log.

Here in The Next Chapter, I am on beach time. This perfect little tide clock holds pride of place right beside the door. When you live near the tides, the actual time doesn’t matter so much.

Come help me write my next chapter… I can’t wait to show you around.