Music Monday

So I've been trying to avoid getting overly sentimental

on this here website-stroke-online-journal that I have the audacity to call a blog.

Lots of people write about their relationships online

-and that's totally fine, don't get me wrong-

but my self conscious self still can't fathom why anyone would find my musings and gushings 

on how much I love and/or miss my boyfriend

remotely interesting.

But gosh-darn it, I miss that guy!

cringing right now.

Do you know how soothing a gentle English voice can be?

Peter is a pretty level-headed guy

he knows just when to try and cool me down when I'm fired up

and when to playfully tease me for my indignation

and when to say

"yea babe, you're so right about that!"

It's a gift, I tell you.

And I know it's not very tough or modern to say that you need someone in your life,

but I really do need this guy around.

He is my rock. 

And I miss him terribly.

I'm going to blame this post on a combination of PMS hormone-driven emotions

and Peter's hotel's inability to keep the internet working for more than 5 minutes at a time

{thanks for nothing, Poros!}

but in the mean time,

here's a song 

that fairly accurately encompasses my emotional spectrum at the moment...

Oh, Mondays...

Sunday Thoughts

We need a Third person in our relationships.

Just as the priests, who embrace one another in the heart of the divine liturgy, say

"Christ is in our midst,"

So we should do the same in our life.

God is not an intruder in our personal relationships, but the One who will cleanse and perfect them.

He will make them secure because his great and eternal love will strengthen and inspire them.

source

This is exactly why we run to the church

where the grace of God in the sacrament of marriage will sanctify the union of the man and woman

so that they will compliment each other with their talents

and work together for a perfection which will be reflected not only in their loving relationship in this life, 

but in the eternity of the kingdom to come.

The Lord said,

'Without me you can do nothing.'

source

From the talk, 'Our personal relationship with God'

Archimandrite Zacharias

Saint John the Baptist Monastery, Essex

Have a blessed Sunday

+

Through the Lens: Captiva

Here's the last of the photos from our brief trip to Captiva

{do you think we took enough?}

These are from Peter

and were taken with his new fish eye camera!

Driving over!

In my pretty white dress....

which was the only thing I had that weekend.

Because I forgot my bag.

Smart girl.

The view from our unit

My Papou is a hipster.

Me and sissy!

This is a picture of my brostaki.

{and his nostrils.}

I don't know why we laid out on the golf course.

But it happened.

Watching the sunset together...

definitely my favorite night in a long time

and my favorite sunset ever!

One of my favorite shots of the weekend.

The sky was beautiful glorious stunning indescribable

Pretty typical car scene

Papou's always happy

kiddos are always on their phones.

And that's it for Captiva photos
If anyone's interested,
Peter's camera is pretty tiny and awesome.
He purchased a prototype
on a campaign- funding website,
and I have to say,
it's SUPER COOL.

Prayer for the Traveler

O God, our God,

the true and living way, 

who didst journey with thy servant Joseph; 

do thou journey with thy servant, 

Peter, 

and deliver him from every storm and snare

and peace and vigor continually provide.

Be pleased that,

having accomplished every intention of righteousness, 

according to thy commandment,

and being filled with temporal and heavenly blessings, 

he may return again.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory,

of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

Now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Peter flies to Athens today. 

I will miss him dearly, 

and always get a bit nervous for any of my family members 

on such a long journey.

I hope anyone traveling in the upcoming days and weeks 

has a safe and uneventful journey

there and back again :)

More Captiva

On Sunday,

after a beautiful liturgy at Annunciation Greek Orthodox church,

we headed over to the Island Cow 

We were a bit too late for the breakfast menu,

but given the huge selection of lunch and dinner items, 

along with the availability of mimosas,

no one was too unhappy.

With this guy, again. He is kind of my favorite.

While waiting for a table, 

my Dad and brother started to play some corn hole

Tin even taught Peter how to play!

He couldn't possibly look more all-American if he tried :)

Island Cow is open daily til 10-ish 

{per their menu}

If pineapple french toast sounds like your thing,

get their before 11 am!

{noon on Sundays}

Captiva

Guys, 

we had such an amazing time at Captiva.

The weather could not have been more gorgeous,

the sea could not have been warmer,

and the company could not have been better. 

We set out SUPER early, 

getting up at 5, 

and arriving just in time for breakfast. 

And of course,

We wasted no time hitting the beach!

Oh yes, and this happened.

I love my rainbow-umbrella-toting awesome and confident man 

My Dad and Papou, 

contemplating the mysteries of life...

or what's for dinner

Peter and my Sister...

and the rainbow umbrella, of course

Captiva's beaches are literally crawling with coquinas, 

a beautiful bivalve mollusk that burrows into the sand with a foot-like body

Naturally, Peter had to find them immediately

see the foot thing?? DO YOU SEE IT???

They come in so many colors and patterns!

If you're ever at a beach in Florida,

dig around a bit in the sand right where the waves hit

They can be found on both coasts, as far as I know.

That night, we watched an incredible sunset from the beach...

it was perfect

{in of spite the 27 bug bites I obtained right on my arse}

Being artsy fartsy and crap

Just look at that sky. LOOK AT IT.

And that face.

And that sky and that face {or the back of it, anyway)

Somehow it seems the sunset becomes even more stunning once the sun has slipped away behind the water

The sky turns deeps shades of blue, purple and blush

and the tips of the clouds look as if they were delicately painted by an impressionist.

Hope you guys are having an awesome short week.

Did you catch any ridiculous sunsets?

Hit any pretty beaches? 

xx,

Georgia

Photos taken with iPhone, Nikon D5100 and Android

Edited with afterlight, beautiful mess app and/or God.

so not kidding about that 3rd one. 

Music Monday + a Sneak Peak

Captiva was amazing, needless to say.

Despite having an itchy bum

from being out at dusk without bug spray,

I am completely contented.

We had such a lovely, relaxing time with my family,

and the bug bites were well worth the shots we got of the sunset. 

I love this song, by a band called Bear's Den

I don't even mind that they mispronounce the Greek word for love {agape.}

{should be pronounced agápi̱}

Enjoy your labor day!