Blogging beach-side

My toes are in the sand as I write this. The waves are crashing as the tide comes in; seagulls are squawking as they scrounge for breakfast. A few fisherman have set up long-cast poles, hoping the early bird gets the worm. I mean fish.

I kept flight attendants Scott & Devin hopping on the way here. They did a very good job refreshing my beverage and they served me a lovely salad topped with grilled shrimp with fresh fruit on the side. The fresh-baked white-chocolate-macadamia-nut cookie went straight back to my kids who were slumming in coach. My new flight attendant friends were bummed that they’d run out of cookies before realizing my kids were back there. I watched Mardy Fish trump Ryan Harrison on the tennis channel in flight, started a new book, and accepted cocktails from the dynamic duo. There was a slight miscommunication though, and Scott offered me one more as we started our descent, not knowing that Devin had already locked up the bar. I teased them enough that they sent me off the plane with a bottle of wine, wrapped festively in a cloth napkin. We drank it on the train and toasted my new friends.

Yesterday was one of the best beach days ever. Today looks like a repeat performance. I’ve had a cup of coffee and made a quick run across the state line to the nearest store to procure a few supplies we didn’t pack because we carried our luggage on. We had a quick turn-around between landing at Logan and catching the train to Newburyport. Despite my sage warnings yesterday, my kids got sunburned–Macy on her arms, Payton on his legs. My little darlings are accustomed to the aerosol sunblock, but were left to their own devices with the old-fashioned, rub-on kind. There’s nothing fun about getting scorched on the first day at the beach.

Our lovely hostess treated us with homemade lobster pie upon our arrival, after bubbly on the beach. Both were as decadent as they sound. Acutely aware of all that i missed last year, I’m savoring every crumb, every drop. Soaking up the sun, relishing the sound of the ocean and the feel of the cool breeze. Cancer and its myriad troubles are a long way away.