Shopaholic in Alabama

Happy Tuesday, Shopaholics! Yesterday I took the day "off" from blogging, after a weekend packed with Mother's Day activities! Hope you're all having a great start to the week! Living on (or even NEAR) the coast, we spend plenty of time and effort preparing for potential tropical weather or hurricanes. During hurricane season, we watch the news and weather updates with great interest and a bit of nervousness. We watch the water temperature, as hot water is extremely favorable for development of tropical weather. As nerve wracking as all this sounds, it's just a part of life on the coast. The other 350 or so days of the year, life is grand and immensely pleasant. Here's how it works - you watch a tropical system develop - generally around the Lesser Antilles, Bay of Campiche or south of Cuba. At that point, the system is about 5-7 days from the Northern Gulf Coast. And the good news, it's so early you have no idea where it will hit. You just "keep ...

Happy Friday, Shopaholics! I soooo wish I could say I am looking forward to the weekend, but at this point I'm filled with what can only be described as a growing sense of dread. It's no longer a question of "if" this oil spill makes it to our shores, but when. NOAA is now officially predicting Sunday for the Alabama Gulf Coast, and Saturday for Bumpkin on a Swing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Today we are heading to Dauphin Island, which is the barrier island you see on the above map (Alabama coast, west side of Mobile Bay).  I am also inserting a map below which Bumpkin put together a few days ago, with both of our locations marked. This will give you an idea about Gulf coast geography if you're not already familiar! I will likely be without internet access most of the weekend. Let's say this - Dauphin Island is a tad "remote". It's not "Gilligan's Island" (there are 2 gas stations and working telephones, even a few restaur...

Happy Wednesday, Shopaholics. When I started this blog, I made a promise to myself that a few topics were "off limits" and would not appear on my blog. The three topics are: politics, religion and sex. Naturally I have my opinions about these topics, but as my buddy over at Bumpkin on A Swing  says, "it ain't happening around here". However, I must share a huge concern with you all! You already know I'm a coastal girl - after all, I left the big cushy $$$ making job to return to my beloved Gulf Coast several years ago. I love everything about the coast - the beach, the boating, the tourism, the seafood industry, the wildlife. Last week, there was an "incident" in the Gulf of Mexico. I'm going to give you some information - and this comes directly from http://www.noaa.gov/ . This gives the background info, as well as what is currently being done to "control" the situation. Background:  The incident involves a deepwater drilling p...