SUNDAY AT THE BEACH

I had a lovely afternoon at the beach yesterday, with my daughter. We walked for several miles watching the surfers out beyond the break. There was a kite surfer who was very entertaining as he would go flying off the tops of waves, lifted by the parachute he was holding onto.

There was quite a mix of outfits out and about the beach. Jess and I were somewhat bundled up as it was heading into late afternoon and we were expecting a drop in temperatures once the sun went down. But there were people out there in bikinis and bathing trunks playing soccer in the sand and even braving the water, though not for very long. 

I love that beach because it is so open to allowing people and dogs to show up and play. People rode by me on their bikes on the beach, and there were runners and joggers. There were couples strolling hand-in-hand and little children writing their names in the sand and building sand castles and forts.

We stopped at Jack's Crab Shack for a snack and a drink while we sat on the outdoor patio and watched the sun go down. The drive back into town was just as glorious as we were headed west and were treated to a vibrant sunset of peach and pink and orange and deep purple. I couldn't have painted a more colorful sky if I'd tried.

Today it is cooler and raining. As I sit here on the patio typing I notice that the leaves are starting to come out on the birches in the quad. Unlike Wisconsin, trees don't really go dormant here as much as they shed their leaves, take a moment to shake off the last years growth and rest a bit, and then come right back to living fully.

Trees in Wisconsin retreat deep into their roots in the ground and to the protected center of their trunks. When they come back to life it's like they are coming out of a season long coma that always seem to have some of us wondering if they survived the winter. Trees in Wisconsin burst to life, in the spring, grabbing every day they can before they are forced to retreat once more.

So today I work and get ahead of the curve because tomorrow is my daughter's birthday and I am dedicating the day to doing some fun and memorable things with her.

Have a great day all and sending you hugs!

Betsy

Thought 17: Bits and Pieces That Come Together

I am walking along the beach, my feet grounded deep in the sand, my head in the azure, sun-drenched sky, and my body and spirit are connecting each to the other - a prism of joy, happiness and gratitude. I walk balanced between sand and sky - between earth and heaven, and the ocean sings to me. Its voice rising and falling, its waves flashing as it forms its language, unintelligible to the human ear but so enchanting. My heart dances with the waves, my rhythms become one with those of the wind and sea. I turn to see my footprints in the sand of where I have been, soon swept clean and erased by the water's ebb and flow. They are forgotten as I I look ahead, down the beach, at the stretch of bright white sand that teases me to continue my walk. This is the landing strip for my soul. I follow the sea birds as they dive and sweep, dart and call. I sit for awhile on the top of a dune, watching the wind move through the sea grass, stirring it into motion, rustling as it passes through the grass and trails off down the beach in small spirals of sand. This world of sea, and sand, and sun, is intoxicating, and I drink until I can't possibly take in any more. This day is a gift like no other, and I look forward to saying the same thing...tomorrow...and the next day...and the next...


This is my life, as I've always dreamed of it. I love my cottage by the sea "Coeur de la Mer". It is an indoor statement of light and water and sand so that it mirrors a sunny day at the beach. Piece by piece I found exactly what fit. Yard sales, estate sales, friends knowing just the piece. The interior is a lovely orchestration of gestures of art and love, in furniture and wood, in fabric and paint. Put your ear to this cottage and you can hear the ocean. Step out on the deck and feel the sea breeze as it pushes the hammock and the seat swing. Everything designed for comfort, designed to move, to give to hold, to nurture to welcome, it is all so familiar. White washed canvas artfully brushed with shades of sea greens and blues, of shell pinks and peaches, beautifully worn in just the right places. And all acquiesces to the expanse of white sand and dunes that is the beach. I have planted beach roses leading down the path to the beach. They remind me of days in Rhode Island ... but no rocky beach here, no. The harshness of the New England shore has been replaced by white beach and Atlantic swells. I love it so much that I can't see leaving yet. Other places will wait. I want to enjoy this while I have it. Impermanence is such that I want to roll in it like a dog in something that smells amazing - I want it all over me. If I leave I want to carry the smell with me.

Day 64: Connecting in Profound Ways

A child's footprints in the sand...I follow along the same path, and the tiny footprints make me smile as I think about how that little person must have been in awe at the beauty and wonder of St. Andrews Park, in Panama Beach, Florida.  The sun is warm on my shoulders as I walk along the boardwalk that crosses the dunes to the beach.  The cry of seabirds is mixed with the sound of beach goers laughing and playing in the deep blue green water of the Gulf.  This jewel of a preserve, where beauty and wonder abound, invites the tired soul to soak in the Florida sun, on pristine white sand beaches; to wander the park, marveling at the wild life; and to connect with nature and the rhythms of life unfettered my man's dictates and imperatives.  There is something truly liberating about lying down in the sand, at the base of a dune, pressed against the warm sand, sun drenched azure sky overhead, and the ocean's inviting rhythm slowly rocking my mind to a place of relaxation.  There is peace to be found in the natural balance of sea, sand, and sky.  As complex as the human condition can be, nature provides a delightful counterpoint.  Spending time immersed in the rhythms of St. Andrews sparks in me a sense of understanding of Thoreau's need for and connection to Walden Pond.  Human complexities can oftentimes be seen as resonating with the principles found in nature. This park is a moving orchestration of natures best and offers the traveler a myriad of opportunities to connect in more profound ways with self and with the world at large.

Day 63: Sea and Sand, Body and Spirit: This Day is a Gift Like No Other

I am walking along the beach, my feet grounded deep in the sand, my head in the azure, sun-drenched sky, and my body and spirit are connecting each to the other - a prism of joy, happiness and gratitude.  I walk balanced between sand and sky - between earth and heaven, and the ocean sings to me.  Its voice rising and falling, its waves flashing as it forms its language, unintelligible to the human ear but so enchanting. My heart dances with the waves, my rhythms become one with those of the wind and sea.  I turn to see my footprints in the sand of where I have been, soon swept clean and erased by the water's ebb and flow. They are forgotten as I  I look ahead, down the beach, at the stretch of bright white sand that teases me to continue my walk.  This is the landing strip for my soul.  I follow the sea birds as they dive and sweep, dart and call.  I sit for awhile on the top of a dune, watching the wind move through the sea grass, stirring it into motion, rustling as it passes through the grass and trails off down the beach in small spirals of sand.  This world of sea, and sand, and sun, is intoxicating, and I drink until I can't possibly take in any more. This day is a gift like no other, and I look forward to saying the same thing...tomorrow...and the next day...and the next...