FACING REALITY

OK, this is NOT good, definitely not good! I am having MAJOR withdrawal pains from the beach. Maybe if I talk about it some more, I will start the recovery process.

As I mentioned, BJ and her husband Jerry went with me for two weeks. They are consummate beach people; they remind me (almost) of Zonker in Doonesbury with the tanning, etc. They both love to sit all day in the sun just soaking it up. I’m not that into it, but I do enjoy sitting for an hour or two, just feeling those warm rays sink into my body. I try not to think about cancer; instead, I concentrate on vitamin D and the endorphins I’m receiving. Whatever it is I’m getting, I definitely feel a GREAT contentment watching the ocean, feeling the breeze, and enjoying the sensation of the sun’s warmth.

There are several other benefits to derive pleasure from. One was the dolphins. They came almost every day, jumping and cavorting around, sometimes quite close to the shore. We even saw several gray ones as well as the more common black. Their seeming delight as they swam along seemed to me to be a reflection of the way I was feeling.

Another positive aspect of this particular beach was the shelling. There were tons of all different types, shapes, and colors each morning. I took long walks with Rufus usually twice a day. (He walked twice as far as I did because he doesn’t get the concept that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but then he never had Miss Jim Lee Allen for geometry, either.) Almost every walk produced several unusual specimens. And I now know where these condo owners get their ideas for color schemes. I always thought it was the sky or water, but some of the shells looked just like places we have stayed.

And, of course, the sunsets. I have never seen anything to equal it. The way the colors and light played across the waves as the sun seemed to melt into the water just took my breath away every night. I took some pictures but haven’t looked at them yet. I’m sure I was not able to capture an image of the magnificence we witnessed evening after evening.

Well, it has helped a little to try to recall some memories of that experience. And it helps that today, unlike yesterday, is bright and sunny outside. So I’ll take Rufus for a walk and try to get my feet on the ground again. And MAYBE I’ll get some work done around the house.