SISTERS' WEEKEND - 2021

Beep and I got away for our third annual sisters' weekend over the last few days. (Or maybe our fourth? Depends on if we count the first year, even though we stayed at my home that time.) As always, the break from real life, resting without any set schedule, and time spent together was wonderful. 

We go somewhere different each fall and this time we decided to go back to our hometown as Perkins girls. I think it's been twenty years since we've been there at the same time, so it was special to go with someone who shares the same memories.

FRIDAY - We met in Medford before carpooling to Brookings, so our first stop was lunch at Tosu. We ate a delicious lunch that included my first sushi experience, watched a family's surprise reunion that was filled with tears and smiles, then stopped by WinCo to get groceries for our weekend. Our evening was spent at Harris, just walking along the beach and watching the sunset. 

Notice our matching hoodies? The art is one of my sister's new BMoff designs that she added some writing to (there's more on the back) and surprised me with for our weekend. We headed back to our room at Ocean Suites Motel after the sunset and caught the last color of the evening sky from the deck.

SATURDAY - We spent a chunk of our morning driving by places that were significant in our childhood - the four homes we lived in, original building of the church we grew up in, and the campus of a private school we attended. We also took some time to stop by Mom's grave together.

After lunch in our room, we headed back out to wander around the boardwalk and get ice cream at Slugs 'n Stones, then went down to the port. The sunshine and stillness of the previous night had been pretty, but we both also loved the blustery day with choppy water as we walked up and down the beach. 

Beep's a sneaky photographer and caught me watching the water. 

The obligatory picture of the back of our custom hoodies.

As we walked back to our car, we passed a group taking a picture together. I offered to take it for them so the gal holding her camera in selfie mode with everyone behind her could sit with them. She declined, but someone else in the group asked if I'd take one with her phone. It was at that point, as I turned to face the group, that I realized it was the same family we'd watched be reunited the day before. I love small world moments! 

We told them we'd seen them at Tosa, took their picture, then went back to our room to spend an evening chatting, looking at old photo albums and scrapbooks, and putting together a puzzle we'd picked up at Goodwill earlier in the day. 

SUNDAY - Having already spent time at two different beaches, we opted to head up river for our final hometown nature fix. We drove out to Loeb and were the only people at the water. So peaceful! We strolled from one end to the other, pausing to watch birds, skip rocks, and look at pretty flowers, then looped through the campground back to our car. 

I have no idea how many times I jumped off this rock as a kid. Lots and lots.

Our last stop was lunch at Pizza Deli, paid for with money someone had generously given us for a weekend indulgence. Then we headed back to Medford and parted ways. 

I'm so thankful for a season of life where this tradition of a weekend together each year is possible. It's definitely an oxygen mask thing for me, a refreshing time that helps keep my head and heart in a good place.  

(Photo credit: All the pictures of people are from Beep's camera.)