Atlantic Beach Archives - Tinking Turtle

Atlantic Beach

January 20, 2016 by Jennifer Raymond

It seems like every year that I’ve know Mr. Turtle, his family goes to Atlantic Beach over Martin Luther King Weekend. I am told, that once upon a time, the family also went in the summer time, but with adult schedules being what they are, it seems that the off-season is the time we all make it work.

patterns in the sand at Atlantic Beach

I like Atlantic Beach in the off season. The pace is slow: there is time to spend hours on a puzzle, a book, or a piece of handwork. The tone has some things in common with the farm: we unplug, play games, and rest. But there are things about the beach that are different than the farm: most notably, there’s always something to fix or do at the farm. At the beach it is quiet and lazy. There is time to bundle up and take long, multiple mile walks along the shoreline. Most of the time you don’t have to share your space with anyone else; there might be a native with her dog, or a couple walking hand-and-hand, but these events are few and far between.

There’s time to sit on the balcony with binoculars and look for dolphins, fishing vessels, and “german u-boats.” We look for shells, take artsy beach photographs, and spend time with family. In the evening we cook in, or go to the Channel Marker, where we eat delicious, delicious seafood. Seriously, if you’re ever in Emerald Isle, this is the place to go.

swatching in hairpin crochet

I made the choice not to bring anything with a pressing deadline with me, and managed to carve out some time for play – fooling around with shapes and textures and swatching for future things. Since the pregnancy seems to make me always tired, I’d fall asleep on the couch to the sounds of the family working through a puzzle or playing a game.

I made a small hat as a class sample that’ll be for Kiwi afterward. I caught up (a little) on my darning, and plotted for my next piece in Piecework. It was lovely, and quiet and fun.

Me with all my tools, taking over the couch. My big crafting bag at my feet, my tin of stitch markers, my pile of scraps, and my scissors.

Is there an Atlantic Beach in your life? A place to unwind and take the time for things you normally don’t get to do?

Pictures from Atlantic Beach

January 21, 2015 by Jennifer Raymond

As promised, some of the shots from Atlantic Beach. The light the one evening was stunning!

In other news, I’ve been doing a little bit of sewing… one of my goals this year was to try and learn how to sew some basic skirts – both because I figure they’re pretty forgiving, and because I know I’m not so very good about reading directions – and I figure I can’t fall too far astray with some circle skirts or other items. We’ll see how it goes!

Do you have any sewing experience? What do you like sewing?

Crocheting and Atlantic Beach, repeat

January 18, 2015 by Jennifer Raymond

Cameraphone Pic

Mr. Turtle’s parents have a tradition of going to Atlantic Beach in the off season. This weekend we’re with them again, and I keep having moments of déjà vu. Not quite a year ago, I was at Atlantic Beach with Michael’s family. And again, I’m working on a crochet project for Annie’s, though their quite different.

I finished the main part of the crochet project about an hour ago, and while I still have to weave in the ends, the beach is calling to me. This morning we woke to have the sky looking dark and ominous, but the rain cleared by lunchtime and I’m ready for a walk.

I promise, some better photos when I return home and have the powerful computer so I can download the pictures.

Visiting Atlantic Beach

February 21, 2014 by Jennifer Raymond

I wrote this post once already, hit save, went to do something else, then went back to edit it and it was gone. I did everything right and I’m still having to rewrite it. *Grumbles*

I’m catching up on things that happened while I was super busy and couldn’t keep up with everything. One of the things I wanted to share was a trip Michael and I took with his parents to Atlantic Beach. It’s become a tradition for them to visit the beach in the off season – when the rates are cheap, the beaches are empty, and you can have the ocean all to yourself. I have to admit I probably like the beach better this way. I don’t mind the cold, particularly. In fact, when you are bundled up there isn’t really a chance of getting sunburned, which is what I’ve done every time I’ve went to a beach in the summer.

Unfortunately for me it was a working vacation – I had a number of designs due at the end of January and beginning of February and I couldn’t just not work on them. But I only did the essentials – so no email or answering the phone.

The unit where we stayed had a GIANT easychair, which I took possession of early in the weekend, and worked on most of my crochet/knitting there. It was an amazing chair.