Life's a Beach!

If I had a gazillion dollars, I would live in a nice comfy place on the beach. It doesn't even have to be a huge, fancy beach house like you see in the movies. A small cottage in a pleasant pastel color will do as long as it is steps away from the sand, sun, and sky.

Wanting to squeeze a little bit more summer out of summer before the kids head back to school later this week, we loaded up the Subaru and headed out to what Brian calls the other west coast last Friday - the western shores of Michigan, in our case Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer. The sun was shining and the temps were just right with a gentle breeze blowing in the air. And despite my frustration with not being able to do much on the beach 'cept plop my bum down and relax, I love the beach. Here's three good reasons why:


1. Beach reads: Magazines, newspapers, and books. I brought a book and the Chicago Trib along for my afternoon entertainment, second only to eating salty snacks and people-watching. Taking a gander at my neighboring beach-goers, reading is a popular beach activity especially among the 20 and over set.


2. Beach toys: Like most families, we had to drag a bunch of stuff along to keep the kids busy at the beach such as buckets, shovels, sand-castle building molds, Frisbees, kickboards, small off-road trucks, and one of T's favorites -the sand digging claws. Funny, I didn't spot a beach ball on the beach, but I did note a group of volleyball players, and one couple playing a paddleball game of sorts.



3. Beach features: The aforementioned sand, sun, sky, and of course water. Sand is not always good when it gets all into everything, but it's fun for kids (and kids at heart). I like burying my toes into the sand, and rumor has it that the sand will soften the skin on your feet, and make them all pretty-like. The sun shining brightly on the beach is good for warmth and for tan-seekers, too, but I prefer the shade of a big beach umbrella.


You couldn't very well have a beach without water. The kids and T enjoyed a few dips and frolics in Lake Michigan, which was pretty calm on Friday. I enjoy listening to the sound of the waves roll in and out at the beach as I'm not much of a swimmer these days.

Oh, and the bright blue gorgeous sky! Bonus: We were lucky to be around late enough to enjoy a beautiful sunset. A perfect pink and orange ball of fire fading from the sky into the lake. A good sight from God indeed!