Beachin'

We went to the beach yesterday. I experimented more with my camera but since it is a moldy, oldy 35mm, I cannot post them until I finish a whole roll. I will try and finish the roll soon. Anyway...we only live an hour from the nearest beach, which is pretty great. Yesterday was our first day at the beach since we moved here, which is pretty stupid. But we did finally make a day of it, and it was spectacular.

I love the beach. Really, really. Intensely blue skies. Blindingly white sands speckled with rainbow colored towels and umbrellas and half naked bodies. The sound of the water crashing against the shore, sometimes with great force, sometimes softly lapping, always calming the spirit and clearing the mind.

I finally caught up on the June, July, and August issues of Southern Living. Rocked out my cowboy hat. And worked on beefing up my tan. Beyond that, I enjoyed myself some serious people watching. I love to people watch. I'm an observer - hard core. I'm always amazed that amongst that great diversity of humanity, there is a certain sameness, too. We all really just want someone to relate to. Someone who will validate us, validate what we feel and think and do.

There was this one couple with a little two year old girl sitting in front of us. They hauled all of their stuff in [the dad had to make two trips to the van to get it all] and got settled in. He popped open a can of beer and made me secretly wish for one of those little mini bottled margaritas. You could tell they were one of those "we're really comfortable with each other and not so caught up in our child that we don't have adult conversation anymore" couples. Not that I'm hating on couples who don't have time to have adult conversation anymore. I will not even pretend to know anything about being a good parent AND a good spouse. It kinda makes me tired just to think about it.

Anyway, a little while later, this other dad, a very largely pregnant mom and their 3 kids plop their stuff down on the other side of beer drinking dad and his fam. You can hear their thick Southern drawls immediately. I smile at that sound. Dad and the kiddos run down to the water within about 2.5 seconds. [Speaking of men being one of the kids, Preacher Man spent an hour or so making the perfect sand castle. He makes me laugh.] Mom is left alone to figure out how to get sunscreen on her back. [This whole time I'm laying on my stomach in an effort to even out my tan. I tend to only worry about the front of my body because it's the only part I can see. Stupid, I know, but that is real life for me. All that to say, I was in a prime observing position without anyone knowing I was observing] So you can see this mom contemplating how she was going to get sunscreen on her back, and I'm almost ready to get up and ask her if she needs help when she walks over to the beer drinking dad's wife and says in the thickest of thick southern drawls, "I know you're gonna think I'm crazy, but can you get my back? I just don't think I can waddle all the way down to the water to get my husband to do it." Hahahaha! I wanted to get up and give her a big hug. Turns out they were from Tennessee and their little girl ended up coming back and talking the young couple's ears off...seriously for like 30 minutes. I got so tickled at her thick little accent, asking them all sorts of questions, telling them all about her family's vacation experiences.

If only we could all feel that free and uninhibited. I think life would be a lot more fun :) It was a good day. A really good day.