Red Day

So as many of you know, I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day. I don't know why but I've just never been a huge fan of it. I'm sure there are a lot of reasons behind it, but I personally think too much money is spent and emphasis is placed on all the wrong things.

Am I bashing the day? No.
Is there anything wrong with buying flowers, candy, gifts? No.

I guess I just feel like Valentine's Day is a day where you should be able to express to your family and friends how much you love them and care about them. You can do that with a card, an e-mail, a phone call or any simple method. If you're method of saying "I love you, I care about you, thanks for being my friend" is sending gifts, well that's fine. Go for it! (I won't lie and say that I might not, on occasion, buy something for someone at Valentine's.)

I just get burned up by people who just want to do all the lovey-dovey stuff. And maybe that comes from being single and I just haven't learned to appreciate that yet. If you want to do that, awesome, but please do it privately. If you want to share a nice dinner out with your mate, go right ahead. But please refrain from all the juicy romance at the dinner table; just save dessert for when you get home or somewhere private, thank you!

So when I look at Valentine's, sure I'll wear my heart earrings and necklace proudly (thanks to my Mom & Dad for giving them to me), but I just treat it as any other day. You should be able to tell your family & friends any day of the year how much they mean to you; it shouldn't take one day only to make you realize that. (If it does, you obviously have a problem). So on this Valentine's Day 2011, call, text, e-mail or whatever to your family & friends, let them know you're thinking of them and hoping they're having a great day. Later on in the year, surprise them and peridocially send them a card (sometimes snail mail means a lot more than a text!), write them a nice little note, even if it's as short as "Hi, You're awesome & I'm thinking about you. LOVE!!!, Meredith" ~ you can express your love very simply, sometimes all it takes is in a signature!

So enjoy the day -- whatever you may do. But if you're out in a restaurant and I see you "getting it on", I'm going to start making gagging noises (just kidding!) Happy Valentine's Day to all my family & friends -- guess what, I LOVE YOU!!

Lighthouse History - Tybee Island

I must say that I have been fortunate to see many lighthouses along the Atlantic Ocean, and if I had to choose, my favorite lighthouse would probably be Tybee Island Lighthouse.

Tybee Light is located on Tybee Island, which is close to 17 miles or so east of Savannah, Georgia. The Tybee Light serves as a key navigational marker for the Atlantic Ocean and the Savannah River. However, the light currently standing is not the original light that was built back in 1736.

The first tower was built in 1736, but it collapsed five years later during a hurricane. A second tower was put in place the next year (1742), however this tower did not succeed at surviving either due to erosion by the close proximity to the sea. A third tower was built in 1773, and it was built a bit further back from the shoreline. During the Civil War, the third tower suffered severe damage due to a fire that was intentionally set by the Confederates. They set Tybee on fire so that the Yankee soldiers couldn't use the lighthouse to serve as a beacon to guide their troops into Savannah (smart thinking, guys!!)

Therefore, after the Civil War, the Tybee Light had to be rebuilt. Luckily the lower portion of the tower was still intact and was able to be salvaged. The lighthouse that stands today is a combination of the third tower and the fourth extended tower, rebuilt in 1867.


One thing that is very interesting about the Tybee Lighthouse is its "day marks". The purpose of the "day marks" is very basic -- visibility. The color of the lighthouses helps the ships to see them off in the distance. At night, they see the beacon of light flashing, but in the daylight, often that beacon is hard to see, so they rely upon the color of the lighthouse. Tybee has had several different daymarks, the current daymark pattern was first introduced in 1916 but changed to another color in both 1965 and 1970 before returning to the 1916 pattern in 1999.

Tybee Island Lighthouse is such a historic lighthouse. Its location sits so pristinely between the Savannah River and the Atlantic Ocean, and is a place that everyone would love to visit.

I've been fortunate enough to visit it on several occasions. The first time I went to Tybee Island with my friend Heather, we actually climbed to the top of Tybee. It was the very first lighthouse that I had ever climbed & it actually has a very easy climb (compared to some others!). I went again last February and saw it both at night and during the day with Phyllis & it was such a unique experience to see it at night.

If you're down in Savannah, take that short drive over to Tybee Island. Go visit the Tybee Light, then drive down to the boardwalk and shop at some of the stores and take a stroll on the beach. If you've seen the movie "The Last Song", you will notice many of the scenes in that movie were actually shot at Tybee Beach and on Tybee Island. It's definitely a place to visit and relax!!