Life at the Beach

I often say that my house feels like a beach house. My friend's daughter said one time that our house feels like summer, even in the winter. I live in the city, about two hours from the ocean shore.  I don't have waterfront property.  But it still feels "beachy" to me.  Yesterday was a particularly nice June day.  Temperatures were in the low 70s with mostly gentle breezes.  The winds picked up at points in the day, but overall it was simply pleasant.  Our  house faces east, so when the windows and doors are open, the breezes flow through the house.  My decor is primarily in beige, greens, and blues, which adds to the beach feeling.  It's a ranch-style house, which is similar to many of the beach cottages where my in-laws vacation in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

A few years ago, I wrote an article called "Let Them Come to the Water" that described my experiences with the ocean.  I see God in everything and everyone, but water has a particularly profound connection to our Lord. Perhaps that's my attraction to making our home feel like it's on the beach.

Today, I must bake bread and granola, make more yogurt, and gather items for a garage sale next week.  I'm working on de-cluttering, as I mentioned in my first post.  A few years ago, we stayed in a cottage at the beach I described in "Let Them Come to the Water."  I loved the simplicity of that week.  We had a kitchen with all the basic cookware and dishes.  We ate our meals on the screen-in porch.  We brought along for the week just and a handful of toys and some books to read.  And that was it!  We tidied up every day because we knew we had to leave the house in the same lovely condition in which we found it upon our arrival.  I would like our home to feel like that!  Not empty, but also not cluttered.  Just the essentials.  My desire for our home is that it be a place we and our guests meet God.  If we have too much clutter and stuff, we are lost in the clutter and easily forget to spend time with God.

Oasis in the City

For the next two weeks, Tommy, now almost 7 years old, has swim lessons at a local family-oriented pond club where we are members. The small lake is tucked away from the main road and has a small beach area.  It is our little oasis in the city.  I think of the 11-month-old in my arms, touching the ocean for the first time.  I'm glad his relationship with water is continuing and growing. Swimming is such an important skill, and being out on the water, trusting God will help us stay afloat, is a beautiful way to experience nature. 


After Tommy's swim lessons, we'll come back to our "beach house," hang the towel and suit on the line in the breeze, and come to the table for lunch.  I love the simplicity of our summer at the beach.