so who's the kid here? part 2
Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 7:22 AM 
Reading the replies to yesterday’s post, I viscerally recoiled when I read Tess’ words, “I do not like the feel of sun on my skin.” Oh horror of horrors!!! How can that possibly be? It is so hard for someone living in this Northwest climate (where even the seconds of the day when the gray lifts momentarily have been named “sun breaks”) to imagine!!! Not like the feel of the sun? Impossible!!! (Now Tess knows I love her dearly and she is equally appalled when I complain about the downside of winter, so no worries that she will be offended I have drawn her ghastly comment into the forefront ☺)
Yesterday afternoon I sat on my deck in the sunshine; cool breeze blowing over me; surrounded by blooming flowers—some freshly planted and others older than time; the sky amazingly blue and clear above me; book in hand; cool drink by my side; old dog happily sniffing the breeze; and the main thought that ran through my head (at least the one I remember today ☺) is “I love the feel of the sun on my skin.” For a few gentle moments I reveled in it and just let myself be.
And then I heard the warnings: Skin cancer. Aging. SPF. And my recent favorite, a quote from the Gilmore Girls…“You know-- "convertible people"—too tan. Bad hair.” Yikes! Can’t be having any of that!! So, I got up out of my chair, put on a little more sunscreen, filled my glass of water one more time, considered getting my hat or moving into the shade, but…in that moment life was all too perfect.
I was warmed by the sun deep into my very soul. I was once again the young girl whose grandmother called her “Little Brown Bear”. I could sense the joy of a child and feel the tickle of sprinklers and the splash of the ocean. Not much better than that in my book.
So, who’s the kid here? ME. No doubt about it ☺ !!!
'bermuda waves' by lucy
'my little girl' by h3images
Children
Reader Comments (7)
Tee hee, I feel as if I've been called to the front of class to explain myself! ;-)
So to expand: I quite enjoy mild spring or autumn sunshine. What I hate is the feeling of being hot, that bright, relentless quality that summer sun often has. (So I have absolutely no desire to visit Africa, India, Australia or the like!) I've always been the same, even as a very little kid.
Just as well I live in England, then!
But I am DELIGHTED that you and Curry were able to have those moments of gorgeousness in the sunshine, and to describe them so well.
Now if you were a bald, middle-aged man, you would definitely be wearing that hat in the sun.
I was born in Australia, and quite like the warmth of the sun. But I was raised on the West coast of Scotland - so I've learned to love the rain. A few years ago I had laser surgery on my eyes - so no more lenses or glasses. This means I can do one of my favourites things in the world - walk in the rain with my face pointing up to the sky. It's especially nice in the spring, walking among blossom trees.
(And my teenage daughter thinks that I'm mad - as in crazy - too!)
"What I hate is the feeling of being hot, that bright, relentless quality that summer sun often has."
I am so in the same camp as Tess!
And haven't you read the new studies that show our over-zealous use of sunscreen is leading to vitamin D deficiencies? I was diagnosed with a severe one last fall and had no idea. So now I don't wear sunscreen much but I also don't like being in direct sunlight. I guess that BUT should have been and AND. ;-)
Love you. C
tess--thank you for the lovely clarification (you naughty girl, you!) i think you might actually enjoy seattle sunshine. as a matter of fact, ms. christine who is firmly in your camp, actually enjoyed a spin in my convertible with the top down on a lovely seattle summer day and i believe actually described the evening as "sacred" if i recall correctly :-)
ER--fortunately i still have a full head of hair and will keep my fingers crossed on that one. i actually grew up in the heat of oklahoma and have now spent 20 years in the pacific northwest, so i have experienced my fair share of both rain and sun/heat.
you have to learn to embrace the rain here in seattle or you will go mad--crazy! i am envious of your unimpaired ability to look up at the falling rain. i have been known to do a little rain dance myself :-)
and christine--what's up with you? did you come off your pilgrimage just to side with tess and warn me of vitamin D deficiencies????
you know i am learning to embrace the dark, so i choose to enjoy my day in the sun for now :-)
safe travels.
thank you all!!!!
what a joyfull blog you have
Thanks
ciao
freddie
My first thought is "Oh Freddie, you should hang around a bit - we can get less than joyful:))
But I'm siding with you, what's Christine doing replying to anything, I thought the sabbatical was full speed ahead...but of course with a sabbatical you can do what you jolly well please, I suppose:)
Vitamin D deficiency from using too much sunscreen - oh dang - this is like getting the right amount of balsamic in the stawberry recipe - too little and its bland, too much and it can choke you! Arghhhhhh.
Anyway, that top down stuff for me is still all about the big sun C cancer and heavens, worse than that, wrinkling - yikes!
Loved the post and all the enthusiastic comments. A great group you gather together Lucy!
xoxoxoxoxo
ss--i hope you haven't run freddie off with that kind of comment!
well, i'm not sure about the enthusiastic comments...they are seem to be enthusiastically against having any sun touch one's skin. i saw a great card the other day that said "a woman's best beauty treatment is joyful living" and enjoying these seattle bright sunny days certainly provides joyful living for me!
i will, however, keep applying my sunscreen and wearing my hat :-)