Sea Breezes and Sunshine

Sometimes I long for the beach. Well, more than sometimes, maybe more like all the time. I think that when you grow up with the beach playing a major role in your life, it becomes a part of who you are so it never quite leaves your soul. Today I am longing for all that is the beach -- salty breezes, pelicans and seagulls, the sound of the waves on the cool wet sand, foghorns and channel bells, the clanking of lines against masts of sailboats, cute boys from other places, Catalina Island off in the distance -- and just the ease of it all.

I know I could hop in the car and in just a few hours be on one of the beaches here in Oregon; but somehow that's not the same as stepping out the front door into that other world that is the beach. As I grow (notice I didn't say older), I understand just how lucky I was to live where I did. I have so many fun memories of beaches and boys up and down the California coast. Of course, that coast looks nothing like it did "back in the days." It's amazing to think that we used to surf and ride horses on beaches that you can no longer see from the highway. The same beaches where, today, big gaudy hotels stand next to huge nondescript homes. Oh gee, do I sense a little crankiness in that observation? The hills between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach were wide open spaces populated with grazing cattle. Yes, as in cows! The Date Shack and the Orange Inn were regular stops after being on the beach all day. Where are those landmarks today? I suppose they've been replaced with the likes of Pinkberries and the Cheesecake Factory. When I last lived in Corona del Mar I said that I would move out of the area if they ever developed the open space between CDM and Laguna Beach. True to my word, I moved to Mill Valley in NoCal soon after the land clearing began. Progress, I know...but it still makes me sad. I guess the good thing is -- I have vivid memories and images that make me smile and warm my heart.

While I can't have those beaches, I can have thoughts of them. In the studio, I do have some actual seaglass pieces picked from the beach in Santa Cruz waiting for some design wizardry (thanks to my sister-friend Kathy); but in the meantime, I thought it would be fun to work on a few pieces that have the look of seaglass and conjure up images and feelings of the beach. You can find more sea-inspired pieces on my site -- easy to get to by clicking on the link in the upper left hand corner of this blog.