Body, shoulder, arm, hand
A moat to dig,
A shell to keep
All the world is wide and deep*
Rule #1 -- If you happen to find yourself wandering around the coast of Oregon, and then quickly pause to have a family picture taken, might I suggest not turning your back on the water as you do so? Otherwise, you may find yourself with water up to your tush, and then proceed to spend the next couple of days jamming your mother's hairdryer into everyone's boots.
What is it about the ocean, though? It is one of those places that always, without fail, settles me down. And I believe that it is fairly safe to say that I could stay there for hour upon hour and be alright. Well, so long as we have snacks and all the other accoutrements, that is. Because, let's face it. There is also something about the ocean that always, without fail, makes me hungry.
Rule #2 -- If your two-year-old daughter (who is used to sleeping in a crib) is quite excited about the prospect of sleeping in her very own big-girl-bed (inflatable mattress on the floor), might I also suggest bringing along some duct tape? Otherwise, you may want to brush up on your wrestling moves before you get there. (I do actually feel bad about threatening to throw her chocolate mouse in the garbage if she did not 'stop all this racket and go to sleep now!' But I was really quite desperate and beside myself.)
Rule #3 -- If one's spouse buys a cute pair of pajama bottoms from the little artsy shop in town, and chooses to sport them one evening, do not (I repeat, do not) say: 'Good heavens, woman! Which clown did you steal those from?!', and expect not to suffer repercussions. (My mom was the one is clown pants. David was the one with the commentary. And Michael and I were the ones trying (really hard, I might add) to stifle our laughter. (I thought they were quite cute, personally. I also think that David is hilarious.) Oh, and while I am at it, one should not (I repeat NOT) tell one's daughter that her jeans are looking remarkably tight. It is the current fashion trend, Mom! Hmpf!
And so, we've just passed a wonderful week on the coast of Oregon. Every night we were snug as bugs, sleeping about fifty yards away from the ocean. Yes, it managed to rain buckets the first day we were there; so much rain, in fact, that my heart began to sink as I wondered if we were ever going to see the sunshine again. (Have I told you how very frightened I am by thoughts of this upcoming winter? And that I am already spending a great deal of time working on my tan in front of my blue-light?) Anyway, even as the rain came down in sheets, and my mom and I both declared that we needed to crawl into the dryer once we got back to the house, everything became much sunnier once we walked into the Grateful Bread Bakery. We ordered up cups of tea and an enormous slice of red velvet layer cake. Yes, it was my brilliant idea to share a piece among the three of us. (That would be my mom, Emilia, and me. Michael and David were back at the house watching football and dabbling in sundry medicinal tonics.)
Don't worry, though, because it was remedied the very next afternoon when we went back to the bakery. My mom, being the wise lady that she is, delicately suggested that maybe we each get our own. (It was carrot cake this time.) But really, I kept telling her that if she wanted any red velvet, to get eating, because Emilia and I don't mess around. To boot, the next day Emilia got her own pot of chamomile tea (with lots of ice-cubes), and thought she was the cat's pajamas because of it. (Otherwise she would have drunk all the creamers again. You know the little individually wrapped cuppy-things they have? Those.**)
The sun did eventually shine, though. And when it did, it was brilliant. And we proceeded to have a ball together. We've driven to the Oregon Coast to meet my mom and David (and Sugar, too!) for a couple of years now in the early fall, and it seems there is no better time to go. We typically spend the week staring at the ocean, drinking ourselves silly, chit-chatting about everything under the sun, eating everything in sight, sometimes doing a bit of shopping***, and just generally being together.
We also drove to Newport and went to the aquarium. Emilia touched a starfish, kissed an alligator (through the glass), and declared that the nasty ol' snakes 'make mama the willies!' (Very true, I loathe snakes and don't think they have any business being at an aquarium. Or anywhere else, for that matter.) The sea lions were nice, though, and made Emilia laugh and laugh. 'Look at that guy!' Afterward we went across the street to Rogue Brewery for lunch, where Emilia pressed her nose into my shoulder as tightly as she could while we walked through the brewery to get to the restaurant. I don't blame her, the smell of beer making is not for the faint of heart, and is really quite smelly. The beer itself is fantastic though. Michael got the Shakespeare Stout and I got a Brutal Bitter IPA.
But now we are all home again, and longing for the sounds of the ocean, a big bowl-ful of soup, and watching mom knit row after row of sweaters and socks. Thank you so much Mom and David. We miss you guys already.
*Taken from All the World, by Liz Garten Scanlon
**What? Fat is good for brain development. If you don't believe me, then look it up. That's all I have to say.
***You should be proud, though, because I managed to skip the shopping this year. My mom thought it was so pathetic she couldn't help but to buy things for us. 'Will you please pick out a book already! My goodness!', and that is just the beginning. (Meanwhile, I'm quite excited about my new reads...)
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