Tuesday, July 8, 2008


Sigh. It's Tuesday and the last day of our loooong weekend. Tomorrow is 'go back to work day' and I'm not looking forward to it.

Most of our days were spent trying to find things to do inside because it was cloudy and rainy for the last 4 days. And by rainy, I mean sudden bursts of rain. Hard rain. For about 10 minutes and then it would stop and the humidity would rise and rise. Just miserable weather days. Fortunately, we both have hobbies to keep us busy! Calvin kept me company on the couch. He is so helpful.
Pk has been making himself a workbench. So far, he has made the legs and this lovely pile of wood shavings. The important thing about this pile of shavings is that they were made with wood planes that he bought old and used and cleaned up and sharpened. They are sharp enough to slice flesh. Ask me how I know this.
I have been working on my shawl. It has been a challenge but I am finally making some progress. Maybe I'll get to wear it to the wedding in August (cross your fingers for me. If I cross mine, I'll never finish it). I am also planning to make the Fir Cone shawl from Folk Shawls with this. It's alpaca laceweight yarn I ordered on etsy from a dyer in Uruguay. It is Chestnut and the colors are perfect. The pattern will be a challenge but I like challenges. This will be started sometime in late August when Kate has time since we are having a mini kal.




So, what did we do on our last day of our mini vacation? We went to the lake and spent the day trying to keep our umbrellas from flying off down the beach. It was the first sunny day all weekend and too good to stay home. The lake was cold and wonderful. We shared it with some other webbed footed creatures and lots of kids.


Some thoughts as I sat with my toes in the sand:


Should women who don't have what would be considered "bikini ready bodies" wear bikinis? Should we applaud their acceptance of their bodies and their willingness to show them off? Or should we wish they were wearing enough to cover their ample amounts of flesh?


Why do mothers/fathers think that everyone wants to hear them yell at their children?


Why do parents bring their children to a LAKE where there is a lot of sand and water and then make them sit still on a blanket and not get dirty? Why not stay home?


Why can't I spend every sunny summer day sitting with my toes in the sand?


No, these are not deep thoughts. Just light summer musings.


And now I am going to cook up a pot of spaghetti. I put some meat, tomatoes, seasonings and some peppers and onions in the crock pot this morning and by now I have some tasty bolognese sauce to go with the pasta. Add some bread and some salad and we can call it good.
And tomorrow, work. Le sigh. But only three days until the weekend!


17 comments:

amy said...

Whenever we go to the beach, I factor in the task of bathing the kids when we get home. It's the first thing I do. If I think I'll be too short on time (for whatever reason), that's not a good day for a trip to the beach. Duh.

On the bikinis: I don't know, I honestly often don't know what people are thinking, and even before I got pregnant, I usually kept my cover up on the whole time anyway (over a tankini, which was pretty modest). Where exactly is the line between "to each his own" and "public decency"? I'm not so fond of itsy bitsy string bikinis on slim women, either, the kind that show off more flesh than I ever did while nursing. It's a family beach.

DPUTiger said...

My best beach thought of the weekend happened while I was reading a book on "my" beach on Lake Erie. A little girl, about 3 or 4, THREW A ROCK at me. The parents were about 3 meters away and didn't even notice. Grrrrr ... Needless to say, the thoughs were unpleasant.

Oh, and on the bikini note? There was an amazingly fit woman who was probably seven months pregnant. In a bikini. Walking to/from the beach without a cover-up. Weird.

teabird said...

That yarn from Uruguay is beautiful - the colors are so perfect, wood and night sky...

Maybe I'm feeling mellow today, but -- I wish I had ever, and I mean EVER, felt confident enough to wear a two-piece bathing suit, never mind a bikini! So I'd have to say that if any woman feels that confident, no matter what her body looks like to others, she should go with it. She'll remember the pleasure of wind and sun on her skin far longer than the rest of us will remember the, um, unwelcome sight.

Bezzie said...

Beautiful chestnut. That will be gorgeous knit up.

I've had the same thought about the women at the beach--but I think the same musing applies for dudes in speedos.

Alwen said...

I can sympathize about the humidity. It got down to 83% at noon, then went back up to 93% and sat there. Hurray for little air conditioners that dry out the air!

Sheepish Annie said...

It's always sad to see the end of a long weekend. Even a rainy one...

I live at the beach and just never go anymore. I simply can't stand the behavior of others and my powerlessness over them.

Galad said...

Hurray for short weeks!

Living in a lake community where my kids grew up seeing way too much skin at the beach - I have to vote for more conservative choices in bikini wear.

Taphophile said...

I used to be all "oh go cover up" but now I'm "you go girl!"

Anonymous said...

I'm always surprised by what people wear at the beach (including males with tiny speedos)...I think that people sometimes just don't see themselves in the mirror - because what they wear just isn't flattering. The yarn from Uraguay is gorgeous!

Em said...

As usual, I find myself sitting firmly in the middle on the bikini debate. As previously mentioned, I have a lot of respect for women who dress well and have style, no matter what their size. If that style involves a great bathing suit, even if it is a little risque, well, that's a lady's choice. However, that extends only to women whose clothing choices fit them. A large woman squeezed into a too-small anything always makes me sad. There's nothing wrong with buying the same great thing one or two sizes up. Remember Mode? Style beyond size.

Dianne said...

"...sharp enough to slice flesh."? Owwww. Hope your day wasn't too bad.

TinkingBell said...

I'm always torn about the bikini thing - many years ago in Borneo there was an ENORMOUS german woman - huge - wearing a very small bikini. Half of me wanted to applaud her ignoring the whole media driven skinny thing (the feminist half) and for being so at home with her body she obviously didn't care what people thought - the other half was - um - thought it was very aesthetically unsatidfying! Urgh! - That said - I didn't even wear a bikini when I was an American size zero! - I prefer a one piece - I can actually swim and dive without worrying about losing bits of it!

roxie said...

You have started a group debate in my head.(this is not an uncommon occurrence) My well-trained lady says, "Fat is ugly." My untrained infant says, "Fat is fascinating. Look how it moves. Look how it settles. Does it get sweaty in the creases?" My animal urges say, "Oh envy! Imagine having that much skin to feel the sun and the water and the air!" A certain scientific element is impressed by the bouancy factor. The empathizer is wondering how she sees herself and if she is proud of how she looks or defiant or unconscious. And then the distractor starts wondering about aging hippy chicks going braless in a t-shirt with the girls wobbling around at elbow level. And the guy I saw on the beach in Denmark who had so much belly that I couldn't tell if he was wearing a speedo or not. He had an angry face, though. My internal discussions rarely reach any conclusions.

Deborah said...

ah yes the joys of growing older - so many things seem crystal clear while others require more deliberation...???

Amy Lane said...

applaud their chutzpah, and wear REALLY good sunglasses:-)

I don't know--I always thought a dirty child was a happy child.

Sand on the toes IS therapeutic--it's gorgeous--I hope you remember that feeling every day.

Bells said...

oh your reflections are good ones.

I tend to admire those who are brave enough to wear bikinis in a world where they are told they should be shut away. Doesn't mean I'm going to join them!!

Good going on the shawl and that alpaca is delectable!

Rose Red said...

I think they are all good questions (see, we've all got opinions!!). I prefer a one-piece because it is more practical, but as I get older I worry less about what other people think about what I wear (whether on the beach or otherwise). Back to the bikini issue - I think as long as it fits properly, it covers all the vital bits, and it's age appropriate, and you feel great in it, then go for it. Actually, I think that should be the rules for any dressing occassion!!

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