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from the editor
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| MY GRANDMOTHER, MY NAMESAKE, DOROTHY with 2 of 8 of her
children in a boardwalk photography studio bacjk in the day.
Enjoy the 5th Annual Bathing Beauty Edition! |
I don’t know about you, but even with all of my knowledge of the sun’s damaging UV
rays, I’m still all set to sit in my beach chair and bask in the warm sun this summer. Eighty
degrees, clear blue sky, dolphins swimming along the shore coming up to say ‘Happy
Summer!’ make for the perfect paradise here. I now know that just about everything I
need in life is in my beach bag. It’s ready to go, 24/7, 12 months a year even though I
actually only use it for about 3 of them.
I realize the island has come back to life. I hop on my beach cruiser and head to my
favorite Wildwood beach with its powdery soft, white sand. The long awaited moment
arrives— the ritualistic beach set-up. I lay out my old pink chenille bedspread and secure
the corners with my flip flops and my radio and my cooler. I open up my beach bag and
pull out my sunscreen, (upgraded this year to 45!) the latest issue of The Sun along with the
few back issues that were tucked away from last year, my reading sunglasses, my tide chart
for shelling, my water bottle and fudgy wudgy money. Everything is in its sandy place.
Now I set my beach chair facing the sun and look out at the sky blue horizon. . . the
way the sunlight dances on the waves puts a smile in my heart and makes me want to pull
out my paint set. But there’s something about watching other people’s rituals on the
beach that’s so entertaining to me it puts a smile on my face from ear to ear. A few weeks
ago I watched an elderly couple who just arrived fully equipped for their day at the beach.
The man hurries to set up his wife’s beach chair and holds her hand while he helps her to
sit down. He digs the hole for the beach umbrella, pulls out their beach towels putting
one across his wife’s chair. The husband pulls out a bottle of sunscreen and rubs it all up
and down his wife’s legs and arms and back. He does the same for himself before he finally
gets to sit down and open up his newspaper. He was quickly reminded that he forgot
something when he heard the buzzing sound. He says, “Here you go honey! Remember
these?” as he slides the 2 plastic flyswatters out of his beach bag. He says, “We got these
when we went to Hawaii back in 1972, that’s how old they are! ” He handed his wife her
flyswatter and said, “If those flies want to disturb our peace, we’ll disturb theirs!” I don’t
know about you, but it’s moments like these that make up a perfect day at the beach for
me in Wildwood by-the-sea.
May your day be as perfect and peaceful as a low tide (without the mosquitos!) and as
satisfying as a swim in the sea! And may you enjoy your 5th Year Anniversary Edition of
The SUN by-the-sea!
In the land of simplicity. . . pare down to necessity,
grow wishy and fishy, boogie, bask and be,
but best of all live thankfully!
Sea you on the beach!
Publisher, editor, and artist
The SUN by-the–sea, , WILDWOOD, NJ
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