A Day at the Shore

Good afternoon, darling! Oh, so good of you to notice! Yes, I am all aglow, aren't I? Tut dear, of course it's not love - just a day at the shore!

It's been such a stressful winter, my nephew Wilmur and I were in danger of losing all our cheer. Why, last week, I went four entire days without wearing a hat! Can you imagine?! Surely, a small holiday would get us both back in fine form.

As soon as we arrived with our trunk, the healing rays of the sun and the frothy crash of the surf began to sooth our ruffled souls.

As the concierge handled our trunk, Wilmur and I enjoyed a lovely brunch. What did we have to eat? The best no-calorie pastries and mocha I've ever tasted! No, I'm sure it was all calorie free. The waiter said so... something about the salt air interacting with the sugar, blah blah blah. I'm no chemist, darling! I don't understand how it all works - I just have faith that it does! 

As Wilmur called to confirm a tour reservation, I eyed the beach. It's been ages since I felt sand between my toes... in my fingernails, in my hair, in my ears, in my mouth, and everywhere else - mostly where it isn't wanted.

Just as I was second-guessing the whole beach adventure, Wilmur burst from the telephone booth in his swim trunks, let out a whoop, and ran down the boardwalk to the water's edge, completely ignoring my warnings about swimming so soon after eating.

Ah, the call of the sea! Has anything ever inspired the hearts of men more?

By the time Wilmur was finished swimming for the day, ("Look, Auntie Edith, my skin is almost as pruned as yours is.. only all the time!"), it was time for us to get ready to head to the lighthouse for our tour. Wilmur was quite brave and took the stairs to the very top!

Tosh, of course I wasn't scared to go all the way up! It's Sammy Davis, Jr. Jr. He has a fear of heights, you see. I couldn't just leave him, scared and trembling, as I went on without him! No, I was content to stay on the lower deck, enjoying the view.

After our tour, Wilmur and I separated to have some alone time. I'm not sure what Wilmur did, but I'm sure it was exciting! Bungee jumping? Sky diving? Who knows?! He's such a thrill-seeker!

As for me, I enjoyed just sitting under the tree, chatting with a handsome new friend. Tut tut, darling - what happens at LISP and Art Dummy stays at LISP and Art Dummy!

It was a such a lovely day. By the time Wilmur and I met back up for the early bird dinner, the sun was low in the sky. As we sat and watched it sink below the horizon as we waited for our taxi, a tinge of sadness tugged at my heart. It really was a shame to leave such beauty behind. But then I remembered all the lovely frocks and hairpins at home, and knew I was returning home to beauty. A different kind of beauty, perhaps, but beauty all the same.

After all, one can't simply sit and marvel at the natural beauty of the world all the time. It is just as important to share the experience and inspiration of that beauty to those around us - through art, music, hats, or in many other countless ways. That way, when our days are dark and our cheer has left us, we can always dig into our memories and remember what we saw and how we felt, and allow ourselves to again be moved.

~~~~~

(To keep my already long story posts from being painfully longer, credit details are in the comment section below, or you can find credits to specific pictures on my Flickr Page. A directory of SLurls can be found here.)