35 Shades of Sunscreen

     Growing up in Florida, the beach was our backyard. In the summer we lived there, and in Florida the summer is long and hot.
     I remember telling mom, that it looked like a beach day, so school would be on the back burner that day. I think it was skipping school, but when your mom knows, its not so wrong. All of our grades were good, and all of our teachers knew.
    In the summer, you tried to have a job at night, not during daylight hours.
    The beach rules were 10 to 2, if you had a date, because beach hair needs work. Curlers and bonnet hair dryers took a couple of hours, for the Dippity Doo to set the curl.
    We traveled light, no sunscreen, no towels, maybe a chair, fifty cents if we were lucky. No snacks, no water, just us and a few free hours, with all of our friends.
   My early years were at Jacksonville Beach. I was so lucky to experience young lifeguard love. My cousin Nicky Brown was my ticket in. He was a lifeguard with George and Doug, and so many sweet, cute boys, that allowed me to swoon at the bottom of the lifeguard stand. They were tan and perfect and adorable. They were my heroes, all of them.
    Then came the teenage years, further down the beach. Past Neptune Beach, were the Access beaches. Access 5, was our favorite spot. That is were my surfer boys were. That is where I pretended to desire to learn to surf ( note this was before Jaws came out ). Jeff Owens spent hours with me, saying " You can do it!" ( and that was way before NIKE) I never did get up, but I was very good surf watcher. If I really wanted to watch the boys, we would head to The North Jetties. I recall getting cars stuck at the jetties, riding on the dunes, and sleeping at the Jetties. ( Some of those stories are in the vault, but still bring a smile to my face)
    The Crossroads, Talbot Island, Fernandina Beach, St. Augustine Beach and if a road trip was in order, beaches all around, up and down!
    I tell you all of the above information, for fun and to set up my next thought!
    I got ready to go to the pool yesterday, and you would have thought I was packing for Paris! ( Maybe the south of France) Three towels, ( one to roll up for my head, like a pillow!), thirty-five shades of sunscreen, ( to keep the dermatologist happy), two water battles, two kindles ( don't ask!), cell phone, pad of paper and pen for blogging material, sunglasses, bathing suit, bathing suit cover-up, visor, purse and some magazines ( trashy pool reads). What happened to that young girl at the beach?
   Well, she grew up and found out it takes a village to make her comfortable. She ( me) laughed out loud and knew that, all this stuff was just some added bonus for living a life of love, and service to others.
   SO I spread out all my things, and enjoyed a couple of hours at the pool. All by myself! A sweet time to reflect on my beach memories, I could see everyone's tan sweet face, hear nothing but waves and laughter, smell the ocean, and wipe a tear from my eye.
   I consider myself to be one of the luckiest girls in the world.
   All my beach buddies, know who you are, and I love you to and from Jacksonville Beach to the Jetties.
   Florida....we do things different....and are better people for growing up there...