This weekend we were invited to my brother- and sister-in-laws’ for a day of FUN. They could not have picked a more perfect day to host an indoor-outdoor lake party. The temperatures finally broke, and the weather was great. It was about 81 for the entire day, with a nice drop to the 70s in the evening. I could breathe for the first time in days.
The lake water was like bathwater, and the waves were high due to the cool front that had just blasted through. I sat on the beach taking lots of pictures of the kids and adults wrestling waves and found myself kind of-sort of wanting to join them. It looked like fun.
I usually don’t play in Lake Michigan. Truthfully, I find the lake a little intimidating. Back when I was a dumb little kid, my mom and I made a trip from the Southwest to Wisconsin with my grandmother, who entertained me by telling stories about Lake Michigan whirlpools that were so strong they would suck you right under the water where the lake monster lived. The story stuck with me. Cole, of course, has been swimming among the rip tides completely unaware of the lake monster his whole life. His grandmother entertained him on car trips by telling him if he kissed his elbow he would turn into a girl. I digress. So, there I was, sitting on the beach taking pictures of the wave riders, when my sister-in-law beckoned me to join them. I shouted back that I didn’t have a bathing suit—which was true, but I did have a second set of clothes, and then I considered that I had on eye makeup, and one good thrashing by a wave would leave me with raccoon eyes. I pictured myself coming out of the water with limp locks, a wet t-shirt, sagging shorts, and black eyes . . . and then my sister-in-law gave another persistent wave, and I said, “What the heck!” and into the water I went.
We must have stayed in the water for about an hour, riding the waves and laughing as the waves rode us. I was pretty sure that I was never going to come out of the lake, and then someone mentioned hearing the dinner bell, and I straggled out of the water pretty much like I had envisioned — limp locks, a wet t-shirt, sagging shorts, and black eyes — but with the added bonus of lots of sand in my short’s pockets, but I was laughing.
As I dragged myself up the hill to dinner, I realized that two things had happened: I had faced my fears of the Lake Monster, and I had given up any hope of looking good. The results added up to FUN and being more relaxed than I had been in ages.
What about you? Is it time to ride the waves and have a whole lot of FUN?
♥
A couple more pictures:
Love the water and the waves. I have never been one to sit in a beach chair. I wish we lived closer to water. I do tend to sit in the lodge when my husband wants to go skiing for the weekend. I kind of sort of want to ski but it looks so cold from the lodge window–maybe this year!
Great pictures!
Maybe this year you will ski or maybe this year you will just step out side and take a few pictures and head back in for hot chocolate!
When it comes to golf I never sit in the club house although this year the heat has been a killer. I’m glad we started playing early in the season because trying to get a game going now is hard.It did cool off enough on Sunday for 9 holes but we were playing by 7:30am. We left the course and went to breakfast at 9:30am. Crazy out there.
The water looks great. Off to bed, work tomorrow.
I have a hard time walking from the garage to the house in this heat! Can’t imagine playing golf in it but I would have to agree the earlier the better!
I am not much of an adventurer but I can usually be talked into trouble by my friends. I have just learned to bring my check book for bail money or bribe money. One girl friend talked me into bungie cord jumping off a very safe rock and I landed wrong and broke my ankle. She felt awful but not as bad as I did! Another friend talked me into renting a sail boat–a little one but we had no idea how to sail and spent most of our time capsized. We had to be towed back to the dock to the tune of an additional $80.00 I was more than happy to pay to get off the dam thing. The laughter afterwards may have made the whole experience worth it. There is a lot more but each time I have ventured out for better or worse there has been a great story to tell afterwards but I’m going to add to my bucket list “sit on the sidelines and applaude.”
That water looks fabulous so glad you went in to swim baggy shorts and all!
Wow Geri! You sure are a trouper and most certainly have won the right to sit on the sidelines and applaude!
I was a mess…but a happy mess!
That sounds like an awesome afternoon! I too went swimming with my greats and granddaughter – so much fun and they could care less what this granny looks like in a bathing suit!
I am sure the kids had a wonderful time. Creating such great memories for your pack of swans.
Sounds like you had a fun afternoon on the beach..great that you got into the water..it had to be very tempting after days of extreme humid heat !
It was so refreshing after days of extreem heat. I know…you all deal with the hear all the time but I’m not sure how…Guess you can get use to hanging if you hang long enough! Many people wonder how we deal with days of below freezing weather.
Hooray for the demise of the Lake Monster. Your grandmother sounds like a character! Glad you had such a great weekend.
Not sure if he or she (never sure with Lake Monsters) is “demised” or if on my visit was off doing other things! My grandmother was a character–I adored her.
Thanks for stopping bye!
Love it!
♥
Good for you! Appearances are important but not so important that they cause us to miss out on all the fun! I never heard about the Lake Monster, but I’ve never been swimming in Lake Michigan either. Isn’t it great that this wretched heat finally broke??
At least stick your toe in someday Debbie—I am told the Lake Monster does not like toes!
Oh wow, that looks like so much fun! Susan and Richard throw a great party!
MJ
They really do!