Some Scenes From The Past Seven Days...

 Coach took me to the new Pizza Man for my birthday dinner.  I liked the new location and the decor.

 I have been craving their escargot for years.  It is so garlicky good that I ate every last snail and then sopped up the herby butter with the bread.

We splurged on Milwaukee Cupcake Company's cupcake bites for a little birthday soiree for moi. I admit I tried more than one of these cupcake cuties.  

 Miss Bit and I shopped our way through our city at all our favorite stores.  After a stop in the historic Third Ward for dessert, we picked up some fresh sausage on Old World Third.

 On Brady Street, we stocked up on Sciortino's fresh baked rolls.  So good that one of  T. Bone's friends asked me to give his mom my turkey sandwich recipe after lunch at the beach.  There is no recipe, but these rolls are the secret.  I shared.

 In Riverwest we stopped for some fresh ground coffee beans.

 Vine ripened tomatoes waiting to be chopped for a salad.

 You know you are extra special when you get ice cream cake to go along with your cupcakes.

 Two peas in a pod, or more like two fish in a lake.  They were smiling all day and celebrating the fact that they are in the same class again next year!

 Three amigos.

 Three amigos and a frisbee.

 Obligatory road trip stop at Steak and Shake.

 Shake toasts.

 On Silver Pond.

 At the dunes.  Miss Bit was surprised to see mountains of sand.  Our shore looks very different than the one we visited.

 Miss Bit and Aunt C. pose before dinner.

 T. Bone may have been more serious about his wings than his golf.  I think Uncle P. is regretting his salad.

 Ready and excited for the beach.

 Bums.

 Brave bird.

Put your feet in the air.

 Next time we're going to sail on this ship.

 A perfect midwestern lighthouse: a red barn.  Quintessential.

Big Mouth Bass.

5 pounds of beautiful Michigan blueberries.

Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks for...

Not giving into the urge I had at 5:30 this morning when I woke with a start and for good.  I read for a few minutes before it dawned on me that it was still dark out.  It seemed like a good and necessary idea to race to the beach before sunrise to welcome the new day.   Because I didn't want to disturb the rest of the still sleeping house, I hesitated and then I never left the couch.  I bailed.  After a cup of coffee, it occurred to me that I didn't miss anything.  I was visiting on the western shores of Lake Michigan where one would expect spectacular sunsets not sunrises.

I live on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan so any day that I choose to get up in the dark, I can venture to any number of deserted beaches and witness the new day born.  I have a rain check to do so soon.  This morning I realized that I don't have to be on vacation to salute the sun on the shore.  That sort of made me giddy with delight.

We're home now after a fast and fun few days on the other shore.  It was the almost last hurrah of the summer...there's still this weekend, of course.  I love getting away, but it's 100 percent true what Dorothy said, There's no place like home.

Home sweet home.

The boys (cat dogs) greeted us at the back door when we returned from our road trip.

Lots of quality family time this week.  Reconnecting while relaxing.  I especially enjoyed the sweet company of Miss Bit while the boys were off golfing in the mornings.  We swam, explored Grand Haven by trolley and on foot, went antiquing and decided it's not our thing, ate pronto pups and decided that they are, read side by side, climbed a sand dune...we just had fun, all of us...being together.

Pronto pups.  Hot dogs dipped in crepe batter, essentially, fried and then painted in ketchup and mustard.

Small towns.

Lake towns.

Resort towns.

My aunt and uncle for welcoming us into their small town, lake town, resort town cottage 65 miles across the lake or 5 hours around it.  This time we went around.  They showed us such a fine time.  We already have activities planned for next year.

5 pounds of perfect Michigan blueberries.  I should have bought 10.

Toy stores.  Finds at the uber cool MacKite store.  She came home with two new pets: Bob and Jerry. They are African Dwarf Frogs and they can live for up to 4 years.  Let's just hope they are both boys.  T. Bone picked out a Waboba Pro, which is a bouncy ball on steroids for the water.  The family has a new game called Spot It.  I am a sucker for pets and games and really anything since I figure my toy store stops are numbered.

Classics.  The kids finally got to see Field of Dreams on one leg of our road trip. They both loved it.  Miss Bit a tad more than T. Bone.  Miracle got the big thumbs up too.

That I no longer get sick while reading in the car. I finally finished Flight Behavior.  I cannot recommend it and that  truly saddens me because Kingsolver's, The Poisonwood Bible is one of my favorite reads.  The narrative was overpowered by the eco/political slant.  It was often heavy handed and preachy.  The ending irritated me and I'll leave it at that.

The oral tradition.  My Uncle was telling old family stories.  What a cast of characters, but aren't they all?  Families that is.

Meals enjoyed out that inspire duplication.  I will be recreating last night's BLT flat bread and also my cream of asparagus soup.

Being away from the blog for the last week.  It's good to be off the grid for awhile.  I missed it, but not enough to make time for it.  Facebook on the other hand never crossed my mind and I'm thinking about closing my account.

A day at our favorite little lake last weekend.  The kids each brought friends and had a great time all day long.

Frisbee on  the beach.

Sun kissed cheeks and bleached blond hair.  I'm even grateful for my raccoon eyes!

Girls night out tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to time with the girls.

Happy 110th Harley Davidson.  The city is abuzz this weekend in celebration of this great and iconic American company.

Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks for...

The John Mayer song I'm singing along to right now.  Why Georgia reminds me of a family vacation on Little Hills Lake where our only problems were swimmer's itch, the water cycle (T. Bone's name for the jet ski) acting up, sharp rocks in the water, and  who would concoct the cocktail of the day. We didn't really appreciate how much simpler life was just 10 short years ago, but we know how blessed it is 10 long years later.

I had a special birthday.  It really was quite perfect.  All day I felt the love.  There just may be a residual affect because last week's down yo is this week's up yo.

That is if you discount my mood yesterday before working out.  After interactions with both my children yesterday, I now know that I will be completely ready for school to start in 10 days.  Tis' time.  Tis' time.  The change of heart is a good thing because school starts whether I'm ready or not.  I would be most thankful if the kids would be ready too, but I am a realist.

Our summer manny, for lack of a better word.  We were all sad to say goodbye to him today, but also happy to wish him well in his first year of college.  As a young man of outstanding character and excellent interpersonal communication skills, I think he will do very well for himself.  We'll miss him.

Coach is taking me out for my birthday tonight.  I feel so spoiled to have 2 dates with my husband in 7 days.  I am a very lucky lady.

Tomorrow my dad and step mom are joining us for pizza and games.  Maybe my brother and sil too.

We're on vacation.  I am on holiday for the next 2 weeks.

We have the perfect itinerary of plans and no plans.  A little day trip to our favorite lake and a road trip to visit family on another shore for a few days.  Golf, swimming, shopping, visiting, fishing, frogging, reading, writing, walking and talking, hiking, biking, being together.  Bliss.

14 days of freedom!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Yesterday was a really good day.  My Dad woke me up with happy birthday wishes pretty early.  Thanks to him after a single cup of coffee in my quiet house, I was out logging miles in the fresh air.  It was a perfect morning: warm, but breezy.  I forgot The Good House, so instead I listened to birds and bugs, and the thoughts in my head.  It's been awhile since I've walked without any ear bud distractions: I have missed the noise in my own head.  I walked fast and sweated profusely.  I felt great...certainly younger than my new age.

T. Bone, Miss Bit and I headed to the theater intending to see the new Percy Jackson.  The reel was in disrepair, so we decided on The Butler instead.  I was a little nervous given the PG-13 rating and the fact that Miss Bit is a new 9, but the Grandma selling the tickets assured me it was fine.  And it mostly was although I watched the movie on the edge of my seat worrying how far they would take things and also did my fair share of explaining.  T. Bone was up on all the events and notable characters as well as the historical context.  In the end, I felt as though the birthday Gods prevailed over the demigods.  We ate popcorn and Dots, my favorite, for lunch and I very much enjoyed The Butler.

I nixed lofty plans to go out for dinner.  I really just wanted to stay home especially since T. Bone had practice until 7:30.  I did not, however, want to cook so the boys stopped for burgers and custard in lieu of cake. The flavor of the 90 degree day...Banana Walnut Chocolate Chunk...is one of my favorites so it seemed like the thing to do.  Too bad I had no room after eating my delicious cheeseburger with extra pickles.

We gathered for cards and gifts and I was quite spoiled in the most thoughtful of ways.  T. Bone gave me a copy of Four Seasons.  It's a nostalgic favorite of mine I have watched many times.  Miss Bit gave me a most loved book that I've owned twice and both times given away.  I won't give this copy away because she inscribed it with sweet words.  Be still my heart.  Coach gave me a meaningful silver pendant necklace that says: be present.  He couldn't find be. here. now, but I like this just as much because it came from him and expresses the same sentiment by which I try and guide my life.  I was pretty touched. We played both my new word games.  Password was the most fun for all.

I went to bed exhausted and content.  I felt very special and cherished all day long in the company of those I cherish most, and that's all I need or want in any day.

44 Things About Me On My 44th Birthday

1) I have not been looking forward to turning 44.  I don't usually get emotional or overly excited about my birthday so this angst was causing me pause.  Then I remembered that 4 is my lucky number so that made me think that good things are in store for me in this year of double 4s.  Now I say..bring it on!

2) I've learned a great deal about myself in the past year, but I don't feel wiser yet.  Admitting and acknowledging personal truths is messy and uncomfortable.  It takes time to assimilate the newly acquired awareness.  I have a feeling that this will be a year of positive growth and extension for me, and I find that incredibly exciting.

3) After many ongoing personal inventories, I've finally realized that I have my dream job.  I have two beautiful people who call me Mom every day.  I know now that is all I ever wanted.  Any other titles or accomplishments will pale in comparison.

4) I collect heart-shaped rocks, clocks, coffee table books from places I have visited, Le Bien ornaments and Ws.

5) If I won the lottery, I would take care of the people in my life for life and then travel the world.  First stop would be Ireland.  Then on to Spain and Italy.

6) Nostalgia is a daily affliction I battle and one I will never conquer.  I invite it now because I realize my tendency to wistfulness and sentimentality makes me who I am.

7) I like my chicken and pork without the slightest trace of pink and my beef beet red.

8) I prefer small, intimate gatherings to large parties.  I find small talk arduous and exhausting.

9) I am not a big sushi fan, but I will usually try most anything.

10) Although I'm an English major, I ignore various grammatical conventions.  It's my blog...my choice.  I am a bit of a spelling nazi though.

11) If I had to chose between books and television, books would win hands down.  I love reading most of all.  I always have even though there are times I am a more voracious reader than others.  I rarely read the same book twice though, and that's because there are still so many titles I need to read once.

12) My favorite meal is an antipasto platter, a loaf of good bread and a nice bottle of wine.

13) I'm a lake girl.  The ocean is too scary and salty.  Pools are too chloriney and confining.

14) I usually pay bills right when I get them.  I hate...HATE owing people money.

15) I regret ever feeling self-satisfied about my perfect vision and straight teeth.  I can hardly read a word without cheaters now and both my kids have an orthodontist.

16) I despise flying now.  Instead I've become a big fan of road trips.  I came of age in the day of dressing to the nines to board an airplane.  It was something special and passengers were pampered.  Now it is a hassle without any comfort...not even a single peanut...and little civility.  Oddly though, flying doesn't scare me.  I figure if we go down, we all go up.

17) I love scary movies best.  Not slasher films, but ghosts and aliens.

18) I believe in ghosts and aliens.  Aliens as in life on other planets and in other universes.

19) I cannot tell a joke.  I have terrible delivery and never remember punch lines.

20) I am thinking about becoming a vegetarian.  I love meat, but I have very conflicted feelings about eating animals.  I was a vegetarian for about a year in my early 20s so I know I can do it.  I question if I can do it with a family now.

21) I have the secret for the best baked potatoes.  Rub the skins of well scrubbed potato with EVOO and sea salt.  Bake at 400 degrees for an hour.  If I were to become a vegetarian, I would eat lots of these potatoes and also pounds of cheese.

22) I am a real housewives addict.  I'm not proud that I find these spoiled, narcissistic mean girls entertaining, but alas...I do.

23) One day I would like to have a vegetable garden.  Miss Bit would love that too.

24) Saying one day kind of scares me now because my some days are more numbered with each passing year. 

25) I don't check my voice mail sometimes for weeks.  I'm not being rude, but I forget that I have it.

26) Getting exercise greatly elevates my outlook on life.

27) Getting enough sleep too.  I find myself envious of people who can get by on so little.  As I age, I need more.

28) I consider a good egg a poached egg.

29) This is harder for me than I anticipated.

30) I'm a horrible liar.  I pretty much am an open book when it comes to thoughts, feelings and opinions too.

31) I think there is nothing worse than feeling judged.  I am trying not to stand in judgement of others...trying to not be quick to judge.  Ala do onto others.

32) Nothing frustrates me more than passive aggressive people.  I'd much rather you cut to the chase and then own it.

33) Hiking is one of my favorite ways to spend a day.  Hiking with my family.

34) I sleep with a fan 365 days of the year.  I need the white noise and the air disturbance.

35) One dead of night when we were in Mexico, I woke up and felt like I was being watched.  I went to the patio slider and looked out at a nearby high rise.  There was a man staring straight into our room from his patio.  His eyes were glowing.  I shut the door and the curtain, and crawled back to into bed sure I was seeing things.  Some time later Coach woke me in a state of fright and Coach always keeps his cool.  He saw green hazy mist emanating from my mouth and claimed I was talking in tongues.  In the morning our room was filled...FILLED with flies ala Amittyville Horror.  We pulled back the curtain only to discover the slider was cracked from floor to ceiling. We were very  happy to be heading home that day.

36) Yes.  Tequila was involved.  Maybe copious amounts.

37) I used to love roller coasters and now I wonder why.

38) I write everything down.  EVERYTHING!

39) I'm really starting to get excited about gutting our kitchen despite the fact that sometimes I just want to move instead.  I don't like chaos or mess or decisions, but I like to cook and believe that the kitchen is the heart of the house.

40) My personal mantra is be. here. now.

41) I know if my Mom were here she would be proud of me.

42) My Dad was the first person to call me this morning to wish me a happy day.  He woke me up.  That was a gift.  Now I will go out and get my dose of endorphins before the heat of the day descends.

43) Coach and I went to a movie last night.  It was a toss up between The Conjuring and Way Way Back.  Way Way Back won only because we like the Oriental Theater better than the burbs.  After the movie, we walked on the beach admiring the full moon.  It was a blue moon.  Blue moons aren't actually blue.  It's what they call the second full moon in a month.

44)  I'm looking forward to this happy day birthday and all!

Countdown Is On

It's almost 10:00, and still my house is quiet.  Last night was another midnight night.  So much for making the transition to earlier bedtimes.  We're on task for a day or two and then we revert to our latent summer ways.  Miss Bit and Coach had an evening tennis date.  T. Bone was at football practice until almost 8 so we didn't sit down for dinner until almost 9 o' clock.  We would make very good Europeans.

And speaking of Europeans, my new night owl ways have led me down the path of the afternoon siesta.  I find myself enjoying a little late afternoon quiet time to read or Ruzzle until I drift off in front of the fan for fifteen or forty minutes.  It is life changing...or at least day changing.  I wake up physically refueled and mentally refreshed.

At this point, I'm tempted to carry on free form the next couple weeks, stock up on wine and brace for the first week of back to school to be hellish. That's realism...not denial. I'm simply admitting that I'm not a disciplined drill sergeant and also that I reject the role of naysayer. They know what's coming.  They don't need me buzzing in their ears like a blood thirsty mosquito zapping the joy out of these end of summer days.

This is going to be a summer they are going to miss.  Me too.

On My Mind Monday

LINES WRITTEN IN THE DAYS OF GROWING DARKNESS

Every year we have been

witness to it: how the

world descends

into a rich mash, in order that

it may resume.

And therefore

who would cry out

to the petals on the ground

to stay,

knowing as we must,

how the vivacity of what was is married

to the vitality of what will be?

I don't say

it's easy, but

what else will do

if the love one claims to have for the world

be true?

so let us go on, cheerfully enough,

this and every crisping day.

though the sun be swinging east,

and the ponds be cold and black,

and the sweets of the year be doomed.

~ Mary Oliver

It feels more like summer here today than it has in weeks, yet the return of heat and humidity don't fool me.  I am keenly aware of the looming end of summer days.  I feel it not in the air, but in my heart and bones.

two day pass

this weekend at the tail end of summer vacation left me feeling a little unsettled.
i have that dreaded, panicky, how can this be feeling.
i mean truth be told, summer is like almost three months of weekends.
at least for t. bone and miss bit.
and because i've been known to live vicariously...me too.
i'm not ready for the loosey, goosey pace, the come what may attitude to cease.
so in the interim we do our best to eke out the goodness is most moments.
we took a family walk before friday night pizza/ movie night.
miss bit kept pace with us for 3 1/2 miles, but there were numerous stops for bug catching and crane viewing.
saturday we visited the audubon center, met a couple owls, caught a few frogs and bounced for a while on the trampoline trees.
later in the day we made our way due north for a summer night on my aunt and uncle's patio where the highlight of the party was a sweaty game of ultimate frisbee.
miss bit only gloated a little that she was responsible for the most touchdowns.
never underestimate the young and small.
sunday the kids were off and running to the pool, lunch and then golf with my brother and sil.
when they came home all water logged and happy and hungry again, coach grilled the best brats of the season.
we served them with ears of the sweetest corn and watermelon: quintessential summer.
in a word...simple.
miss bit is calling me from the landing now.
it's time to read together and then get some sleep for another week of summer.
2 weeks to go.

Field Guide For a Summer Night on the Prairie

The other night we put on our walking shoes and headed to the nature center for a guided hike just before gloaming.  They have them every Thursday during the summer and every week we have missed the opportunity.  I know I was hoping for a little owl prowl. While the gloaming is coming earlier as we edge closer to the cusp of seasons, I knew it still wasn't dark enough for much owl activity.  All Miss Bit wanted to do was go ponding.  Coach yearned to see some deer. We got the prairie instead.  

We weren't overly excited at first, but as soon as the guide started talking about the native species, we were all seeing these well traveled trails with fresh eyes.  And isn't that what it's all about?

This is blue stemmed something or other also referred to as Turkey Foot.  Of course it is.  Isn't it perfect?

Below is Culver Root, which makes the prairie expanse appear to be adorned with many flickering candelabras.  It's total whimsy and delight.

Blue Verbena is purple. What is in a name?  Is one person's purple another person's blue?  Does it matter?

The Compass Plant is smart enough to orient itself North and South so as not to get scorched by the sun. It's no wonder they can live for 100 years.   

Bee Balm is a natural antiseptic, tastes like a mix of peppermint and spearmint as was used by Native Americans as seasoning for wild game.

Rattlesnake Master is a member of the carrot family, but smells sweet like honey in the sunlight.  Pioneers thought the flowers could be used as an antidote to rattlesnake bites hence the name.

Yellow Coneflowers so pretty they don't need a scent.

Mountain mint releases a strong mint scent, of course.  Did you know that all members of the mint family have square stems?  Roll  them around in your fingers.  Feel them.  Smell them.

And Miss Bit who only reluctantly grabbed a bug net, became a busy bugger before long.  

Sweep, sweep, sweep.

She examined many bugs: spiders, leaf hoppers, katydids, Pennslyvannia leather wings, Japanese beetles, an inchworm and her favorite Ambush bugs which she prefers to call Assassin bugs.  They love to hang out on Goldenrod where they stick their fangs into bumble bees, inject some digestive juices and then suck out their insides leaving just a shell.  Cute, ha?

  Miss Bit is listening to an angry bumble bee non-stop buzzing caught for the time being in a specimen jar.  The whole jar was vibrating.

Before heading home we had to stop at the pond so she could try out her new frogging net.  She caught this little friend and was then happier to call it a night.

A half moon night...

under a pink sky. 

 Perfect.

Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks for...

Making it through the week.  It was a difficult one.  I was on a drastic down yo.  I'm still trying to get back to that happy place of steady contentment, but things are evening out.

T. Bone completed his sailing course and didn't complain this week when he was need an Advil sore after football practice that started Monday.

 Football.  He wasn't going to go out for the team and then he was and then he wasn't and then he did.  There were some significant last minute changes to the program this year that caused quite a scuttlebutt.  We were behaving like lemmings and listening to the rumors here at Casa Wags until cooler, clearer heads prevailed.  After the first practice, T. Bone was deflated and declared he didn't want be on the team.  Instead of lecturing him about commitment (which I really, really wanted to do), I just listened to his concerns and calmly asked him to give it the week.  By Thursday he was enthusiastic about it all and he felt empowered because it was his decision.

A girls night out/going away gathering for our friend Rosebud who is going to California (with an aching in her heart).  We met at the pub at what was the Pabst Brewery.  We drank $2 beers, ate cheese curds, laughed a lot, cried a little and started talking about a weekend in wine country TBD.

Miss Bit had one on one time with her aunt this week.  They went birthday shopping and out for dinner in the middle of the week and it sure made my girl feel extra special.  And last week she had a fun date at the pool with another aunt.  She always sees T. Bone so busy and although she is younger and much more of a homebody, I know she sometimes envies all his plans.

Coach, Miss Bit and I headed to the nature center for a guided evening hike this week.  It was the perfect half moon night for being outside and we all loved being at the center after hours.  Now my Bit has a new passion for bugging.  Just give that girl a net!

The three of us took a walk on a nearby trail tonight and we proudly identified plants and bugs along the way that we had just learned about the night before.  Miss Bit caught a few ambush bugs and glided the last mile of our trek because she was so happy.

Learning.

The Audubon Center.  We love that sanctuary.

Aerial feeding swallows...red bellied barn swallows and white bellied prairie swallows.

Lots of time for reading this week.  I finished Silver Star.  It was a quick, somewhat entertaining, but not very enlightening read.  Now I'm plowing through Flight Behavior and taking my time with Sense and Sensibility.  Lately, I feel like authors are victim to deadlines.  Like maybe they are publishing work that isn't necessarily finished...ready....because it is time, even though it's not.  I sure felt that way with Hosseini's latest novel.  I know what he is capable of, but And The Mountains Echoed fell short.

Pizza and movie night at Casa Wags.

Irishfest is this weekend.

Confession

This 1 paragraph a day, each day, every day is not really working for me.  At first, I was excited to show up as committed no matter the matter.  Mundane or mighty…the contents weren’t important.  I told myself it was the practice…the process that was almighty.  But…but writing simply for the sake of writing was paralyzing to the point that even when I had something to say, I was crippled to share it.  I was writing less often, not more often.  I didn’t feel connected to my voice.  I felt distanced.  Quieted.  I experienced a real and true at a loss for words affliction.  It was frightening.  Scarier than when I woke up to a bump in the night at 3:00 this morning, and had to rouse Coach to creep around the house until all’s clear.

Writing is an art.  Expression brings freedom.  One paragraph every day felt like a sentence not well crafted of metaphors.  Rather a sentence of confinement behind metal and bars.  So I’m releasing myself from this commitment and going back to what feels right and works for me.

So, I’m back.  Just not every day.

Sailing

T. Bone is a sailor.  Well, almost.  He’s soon to complete his level 1 sailing course.  A course I signed him up for despite his initial low level of enthusiasm for the sport.  I am nothing if not determined to raise a Renaissance man.  On this cool, crisp morning I stood on the shore watching him make his way from the harbor to the open water, and it struck me how intensely happy I felt watching him glide across the water.  He’s learning the rugged nuances of it all and speaking the language of sailing foreign to so many.  Trim, tack, keel, starboard, leeward, boom, jib, stern, spinnaker, halyard…it’s as mesmerizing as any romance language to my ear.  Regatta is one of my favorite words.  He proudly took second in a race yesterday, and fantasized about sailing clear across our inland sea one day.

Next summer Miss Bit wants to take up sailing too, but this morning she was more interested in the stray marina cat.  We made up stories about his life on the docks and decided that his was a good one.  I think she’ll be a good sailor.  She so loves the water.

I love the water too, yet I never learned to sail.  I wish I had.  My single attempt with a patient, brave friend resulted in a capsized boat, a few laughs, soggy sneakers and a slightly bruised ego.  So yes these days down at the docks are a result of my living vicariously.  Nudging my children to try and do what I couldn’t or wouldn’t.  I get a little self satisfied when it works out the way I had hoped and dreamed.

All day I have been remembering the first time I ever sailed.  I was a teenager and a passenger on a big, beautiful boat.  It was a gorgeous day and I was standing alone at the bow letting the wind whip hard and cool against my face.  The spray from the chilly Lake Michigan waters was oddly salty and sobering.  The words from Christopher Cross’s top 40 hit were resonating with me that day as they filled the air.  They're back today filling my memory and all day I have been smiling as I sing along.

Sailing.

Well, it's not far down to paradise

At least it's not for me

And if the wind is right

You can sail away and find tranquility

Oh, the canvas can do miracles

Just you wait and see

Believe me

It's not far to never-never land

No reason to pretend

And if the wind is right

You can find the joy of innocence again

Oh, the canvas can do miracles

Just you wait and see

Believe me

Sailing takes me away

To where I've always heard it could be

Just a dream and the wind to carry me

And soon I will be free