Thursday, November 4, 2010

Theme Thursday: Sand

My earliest memories of sand are from Laguna Beach, Ca.  It is there my family spent each summer for twenty three summers of my life.  It is there I built sand castles with my father who took great delight in teaching us the easiest way to create water & sand designs by letting the sand drip from the index and thumb into a lovely magical shape, helping us move on to more sophisticated creations when we could wield a bucket, shovel and other paraphanalia.


 
Above & right:
Holmes Beach, Anna Maria Island 2009 


Sand was part of my life as a child.  Summers were spent going to the beach with our folks or our friends, on church outings or school field trips.  Sand would get in our clothes, our socks, our shoes, our hair, under our nails.  We tracked it everywhere:  the car, the house, the beach house we'd rent.  Our parents fruitlessly tried to eliminate as much sand from our bodies as possible before allowing us in the house.  Outside showers, hoses, towel wipe downs, stamping of feet were typical presumptive sand terminators.  It never worked well because if we'd been swimming in the sea, our bathing suits were invariably full to the brim with sand and it was always in the crotch.  I remember getting in the shower and taking off  my bathing suit and tons of sand would come pouring out of the crotch.  This may have been caused by the excessive amounts of sand in the Pacific Ocean or from rafting the waves, later body surfing and/or sitting in the sand to make castles, dig a hole, bury someone, etc.  I have never really found out.

The greatest feeling in the world is that first step onto a beach, when you remove your shoes and let your toes wiggle in the sand or let the water wash over your feet, leaving sand in its stead.  Ahhhhh.

Sand is a great exfoliator, is a forgiving jogging surface, and cleans the feet up as it downsizes callouses. 
Sand is one of my favorite, most looked forward to substances.  It always means the beach.  I am not a desert person!  

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19 comments:

Kate Hanley said...

What a great Hommage to sand! I'm definitely checking out your other blogs.

Wysteria said...

Wow, I wish I was there all those years you went to the beach. My first time was in July. I am hooked and going back to Florida in a week. !!! Great story

Thanks for stopping by and giving me a wink!

Wysteria

Pat Tillett said...

Many of my memories are also in Laguna Beach. I'm fortunate to be able to see it everyday...

I agreeea about that first barefoot step into the sand!

Baino said...

Not a great fan of sand but trust me, beaches that don't have it are just, well, weird.

Brian Miller said...

nice...love the sand between my toes...though it has been a while since i felt it...

Grandmother Mary said...

What sweet memories this brings back. Thanks for a wonder-full sharing.

ratatouille's archives said...

Hi! C.G.,
What nice photographs of you, and your family...I also like the way you, describe sand and some of its uses too!
Thanks, for reflecting and then sharing!
DeeDee ;-D
Happy Theme Thursday!

DawnTreader said...

You make my mind paint very vivid images and memories of my own :) My grandparents lived close to a little sandy beach by a lake.

gayle said...

I have a faint memory of Laguna Beach CA! Wish I could really remember it!!:)

Anonymous said...

Such wonderful memories!

Linda Myers said...

I'm remembering damp sand on wet legs. Nice memory - thanks!

Dutchbaby said...

I was just down in SoCal with my son, visiting colleges. We are so spoiled here in California to have these fabulous beaches. Sadly, we did not have time to visit any beaches on this trip. Just as well, I suppose. Wouldn't want to have sand in the wrong places...

Karen Fayeth said...

Laguna Beach is one of my favorite places in the world. My husband knew how much I love it and planned our honeymoon there!

Wonderful post!

ratatouille's archives said...

Hi! again, C.G.,
Guess who Birthday was yesterday?!?
We was just discussing him on November 09, 2010...Unbeknown to me, I found out about his Birthday while watching TCM.
Take care!
DeeDee ;-D

Michael said...

og yes, BEACh, not dessert! so with you there. Love your reflections here too.

North County Film Club said...

Another thing we have in common (besides L.A. advertising,etc.) Our family spent our summers in Laguna Beach, also. I have such fond memories. We rented a little house (converted garage) from a lady who had been on the Titanic. It was about a block to the beach. We always went to The Jolly Roger for Black Cows.
Barbara and Nancy

California Girl said...

Nancy: The Jolly Roger was one of our musts eating out. There was a breakfast place near our rental but I cannnot remember the name of it. Our beach rental, always the same, was on the beach right off Anita St. Do you remember The House of the Mouse? I am sure you remember the Pottery Shack & the Greeter.

North County Film Club said...

Was the House of the Mouse a gift shop? There was a real cute one where we bought little wooden Swedish angels that Nancy still has. Yes, of course, I remember the Pottery Shack- it might still be there. Unfortunately, the Greeter is not. I remember reading his obituary a few years ago- maybe it was several years ago. I miss him. He was so much a part of Laguna.
Nancy says that what we got at the Jolly Rogers wasn't a Black Cow but something else with black in the title. Oh, yes, I remember it well!
Barbara

California Girl said...

Yes, the House of the Mouse was a gift shop solely devoted to mice dressed in outfits and shadow box vignettes with mice dressed accordingly. For example, she had Queen Elizabeth Mouse (tiny gold crown, neck ruff, pink satin dress) with Sir Walter Raleigh Mouse laying his coat before her as the Beefeater Mice looked on. It was fantastic.

I remember the little wooden angels. I bought them too. Those really were the days.