SOFT, SANDY BEACHES OF SARASOTA

Going to the beach has been my favorite activity since I was a child. No , there are not many beaches in West Virginia, but my family once spent a week at Virginia Beach. We made all the mistakes tourists make and got hopelessly sunburned. My brother even had heat prostration and we had to call a doctor. I had my hair in braids, and the sun burnt little blisters all along the part line. I couldn't comb my hair for weeks! And , the 300 mile drive home in a car full of burnt people was like being trapped in a 4 x 4 prison cell!

Then , we moved to Florida when I was 16. My dad didn't have work yet, so our days were free.
We would get up at 7 a.m. and head for Pass-a-Grille beach, where once stately Australian pines offered a nice spot for sitting in the shade. It was bright, beautiful, and not too hot at that hour and we loved splashing in the waves . (One photo shows my son romping in the surf with his daughter)
On the way home, we would stop where they were selling watermelons 3 for $1 and get a big , bursting melon. We all learned how to "thump" them to choose just the juiciest, sweetest of all.
For breakfast, we had watermelon after hosing off the sand from our bodies. Spitting watermelon seeds was a great pastime!

While I was in junior college in St. Pete, we loved to sneak away and go to the "Surf Club" on St. Petersburg Beach. It was just as you see in the movies..young , oiled and tanned bodies all lying around on blankets, hoping to "make out". Young, virile men from McDill Air Force Base were everywhere and stirred up the blood of hormonal young women.

Our friends would plan beach parties at night. Back then we were allowed to make a fire.
The most fun was to go into the water and watch the phosphoresence in the water light up our every movement and splash. It was a magical time,never to happen again.

There was never enough surf on the Gulf Coast for surfing, but my sons got into that sport in a big way while they attended University of Florida in Gainesville. Many weekends betters spent studying were gleefully enjoyed at Daytona and neighboring beaches.
I expect those are golden memories to them.

One year, we had a family reunion in St. Petersburg. My three sons and their wives/sweethearts were with me and we all decided to go into the water at sunset. We had heard about the green flash, and we actually saw it. I would try to explain it, but you would be better off googling "green flash" and see photos of it. It is a phenomenal thrill.

These days, (my "golden years"), I don't get into the water much but love to walk along the beach, especially at sunset. It never fails to bring me peace and happiness.

The first photo is my  son and his daughter frolicking in the surf.The second photo is two of my grandsons playing "push me , pull me" at Siesta Beach, Sarasota.

GYMNASTIC GOINGS ON

I remember when I first joined a gym , back in 1990. Back in those days, gyms were mostly like "Gold's" and the people who went there were largely policemen and firemen.
I wanted so badly to go, but felt that I would be woefully out of place. I was afraid that if I was using a piece of equipment that some jock needed, he would be annoyed with me.
I remember my first time. I must have driven around the block several times, trying to get up the nerve to actually park and go inside.

I did make it inside. Everyone was friendly and helpful. I noticed right away that
most of the real bodybuilders were looking in mirrors, admiring their pecs. They just didn't care if I was there or not. Since that time, I have had a steady membership in gyms, among them the "Y", the Jewish Community Center, the Senior Center, and now Shapes. From time to time I hire a trainer to give me a routine and then tty to stick to that until it becomes old.

I currently belong to an all female gym. It is really interesting to see the variety in the people who come there, the trainers, and in the programs they offer. I see women into their eighties and nineties, doing their best with what they have. Some of them have been coming most of their lives and are in pretty good shape. Women young and old, slim and pudgy,
white, black, asian. Today I saw a muslim woman come in and remove her scarf before changing into workout clothes. Some women are so overweight that you have to admire them for trying to make a change. Some are so thin, you expect them to break something on the lifting equipment.

Some are bent with osteoporosis; some limp with bad knees and hips.
They don't move very fast, but , by gosh, they are moving . There are five or six swim classes at my gym and they are all full. For one hour, they move as instructed and get a very good, full body workout. A good percentage of them are women over 75 and the water makes it possible for them to move fully and positively. They laugh and joke and have a great time . Many of them form groups to go out to breakfast after class.

I am there early, so from my vantage point of the treadmill, I see the working girls leave. They have a good workout, get a shower, blow-dry their hair and set off to work in their professional clothes and high heels, looking very nice indeed!

Some days there is a row of strollers along the outside sidewalk when I leave. That would be the StrollerMoms. They line up the little ones in a row and, having supplied them with crackers and juice, start their workout. All the bouncing and jogging keeps the kids entertained and mom is just a step away! Great idea and fun to watch.

Clothing is interesting. Gone are the outfits that conjure a mental image of Jane Fonda in her sweatband and rolled down socks. We wear what is clean and ready. We wear what is comfortable . No beauty contest.

Since Sarasota is a circus city, we see a number of the aerial artists there. They really work hard, as you might imagine. And, they take the yoga classes for balance, both physical and mental.

I try to do thirty minutes on an aerobic machine, and that can get very boring. Thus I learned some time ago to get large print books out of the library. They are easy to read while bouncing and you can forget about time when you are into a good book.
Others like their ipods. My ipod is filled with talking books, not music. My favorite book on tape is David Sedaris' "Me talk pretty one day." It keeps me laughing and those around me give me weird looks.