Seaside Rags

 

Wednesday afternoon found me snuggled up against a sand dune watching ghost crabs scurry to and fro from their sandy abodes, regarding me suspiciously, their stalk eyes peering over the sand like tiny dark periscopes. 

 

Like the crab, my eyes were busy, too, watching the horizon for frolicking dolphins, the beach for its many treasures, and the afternoon revelers, families and fishermen, who were enjoying the day.

While the busy beach may no longer be suitable for strolls with the pup, it has become a post-post office stop for me and a wonderful place to sit and have lunch. 

  

Living in vacation land year round has its challenges; after four years, the novelty of the beach has worn off, replaced with the drudgery of daily life, with chores and work and all the things that one should be doing rather than lounging in the sand or swimming in the salty water.

The beach teaches many things, but this summer I look to it for a lesson in balance. 

Each day the tide rises, washing in a myriad of treasures, only to fall, stranding creatures who become a feast for the shore birds and my friends, the crabs. Where one tide ends, the next begins-- a constant cycle of give and take.

 For too long the tides of my life have moved in only one direction, but as the ocean teaches, one needs both to find balance. My lunch at the beach is a small sliver of time when the tide changes directions and balance is found.

 

I picked this dress up some time ago during a last minute mad dash at an estate sale. In my haste, I saw only the fabulous teal stripes and overlooked the very sorry state this dress was actually in. Stained, torn and a bit threadbare, I had written it off as a loss, but seeing it, in all is striped glory, hanging at the back of the closet, I decided to try and save it. It's far from perfect now, but I'm finding it just right for the beach.

Dress- estate sale

Straw hat- Burlington Coat Factory

Here's hoping that you, too, are finding balance this summer and taking a bit of time to enjoy the little things and perhaps rescue a vintage garment or two of your own!

As always...