lake girl

As previously mentioned I am something of a water person. I live for summer and immersing myself in all things aquatic. Growing up in the steel city, I was surrounded by 3 dirty rivers so our only real swimming hole was the public pool. Don't get me wrong, our public pool was the size of a football field with three diving boards and skyscraper height slides. Every summer my mother would laboriously sew on the shiny numbered metal tags that we would flash upon entry. Proudly holding up our bathing suit straps with our crooked passes we would troop in toting our bags, floats, towels, and blankets to find our perfect spot on the concrete. Snack time brought out the baggies filled with whatever was in the cabinet, eating under towels so as not to alert surly teenage lifeguards of our "illegal" behavior. I used to love lying under the hot sun with my Nancy Drew and listen to my mother gossip with the other neighborhood moms. My mother could never swim preferring instead to "backstroke" while holding her head above the 3 feet of water so as not to wet her hair. She would watch my sister and I jump off diving boards while furiously chewing her nails. Ahh, youth, full days spent lounging in the warm weather. Who am I kidding? I still do that now. Now I get to take mine. Lately though I've been feeling a pull towards our lovely Lake Erie. I don't know if it's because too many desserts are making me feel less than worthy of that bikini or if its just the fact that I can let my little one run free. No surly lifeguards at this beach, just driftwood, dead fish, and sand. Yeah, yeah, dead fish, I know, but you get used to it. Lying on my back, staring at the trees and cliffs, listening to the water, I almost feel like I'm on an exotic vacation in, well, Maine. The water can be THAT cold. The waves can be THAT rough. My mother-in-law constantly worries about rip tides and chemical overflows and cringes everytime I take her precious grandson to my beloved lake. Honestly, I feel the cold water is healing to mind and body. Who knows, maybe I'll end up with some crazy disease, but to me the lake is sacred. I can go and let Sully wander, pick up beach glass, gather rocks, and when he's ready, run into the water holding tightly to his little paw. There are also days where the water is warm and smooth as glass. That's when I can float away on a raft and just be. That's also when you can see the bottom, best left undiscovered for now. For now I will plant my feet on the mossy rock and dive into the wave because this lake girl is home. Goodnight world.

summer!

Yes, my friends it has been a little while, but you know how life goes. Today our trip to the park had us walking by the community pool and to my surprise and absolute delight, it is FINALLY filled!! This can only mean one thing, SUMMER!! Seeing that I spend the majority of summer at said pool I was extremely excited to see bright blue rather than a big cement hole in the ground. Seeing that pool filled conjures up visions of hot days, hot dogs, smell of suntan lotion, flip flops, and of course cool, cool water. I swear I was a mermaid in a former life. I can never get enough water whether it be pool, lake, ocean or even my own shower. Thankfully I have passed this on to my son who drives my husband batty drenching our yard and driveway with the garden hose. A trip to the lake on Memorial Day ended with mama clenching her son's hand tight so as not to lose him to the rough waves and have him swept away to Canada. I had no intentions, mind you, of actually going in the water once the clouds covered the sun and a cold wind rolled in, but apparently my son had other plans. One of my favorite sayings is" Man plans, God laughs ". This could not be more true when dealing with a 3 year old. As mentioned,  the weather had turned yet that didn't stop my water baby from charging forth into the cold foamy froth of our Lake Erie. Being that my husband is the total opposite of us, preferring dry land, he was no help. That left mama soaked and freezing, but having the time of her life with her soaked and freezing child. For me summer doesn't even begin until I pass through the glass door onto that pool deck to meet my bestie in our corner of the pavement . I can barely get the sunblock on dear one before he is tugging at my hand to get in the water. Just a moment, mama has to make sure all her junk is tucked in before I bare my lily white skin to the neighborhood. This year calls for a more appropriate suit for chasing my little one. A string bikini is great for tanning, but I would like all my parts to stay where they are in case I need to take a sudden plunge into the deep end. No mom skirts yet, just a little more support for what mother nature has given me. Summer has a certain kind of magic that can only come from days and nights spent outdoors. Warm sun kisses our skin, cool water refreshes, and to me there is nothing like sand between my toes or dirt on the bottom of my feet from days spent barefoot. Friends and family gather for cocktails on the porch or backyard barbeques. Flickering citronella(hopefully)keeps bugs away while we relax under the trees listening to evening bird song. Vacation at the beach and a trip to Coney Island will round out my season. So as my young charges watch over my business, I will become like a kid again. I will swim and play, forget to shower, let my hair get wild and sunbleached and enjoy all the season has to offer. For in this corner of our world, summer is fleeting and that pool doesn't stay filled forever. Goodnight world.