PIZZA, JOY and The LAKE

 

It’s been one thing after another. First of all… the weather has been totally uncooperative. RAIN, rain and more rain. And temperatures all over the place. Hot, cold, very cold, then hot, but more rain. For a couple months now,  I’ve needed to drain my brain and take a trip down to the lake, since my 'Happy Place' the OCEAN is simply too far away.  But something has always thwarted my efforts to do so. And the trip kept getting postponed. For those of you who follow me on Facebook… you probably know I took quite a nasty tumble. Carrying a couple bottles of water and a sandwich into the family room for lunch... I stepped over our cat, missed the step and ended up splat on the floor. It was quite a DROP. I tried to grab the tellie for support on the way down, but almost snapped it's legs off. An old fashioned TV would have helped break the fall. But this new modern one  was simply too lightweight to steady me. So my already ravaged body took the brunt of the landing.  Everything hurt. Everywhere. Bones I didn't know I had were screaming out in pain, aching. When this happened I had just  gotten over my 2nd vaccine dose and it's side effects. Which were brutal. So falling like I did was a real bummer. It added insult to injury. I plastered a big old smile on my face and pretended to be better than I actually was. I thought I’d be out of commission for a day or two. Turned into a lot longer. As I lay there recuperating. All I wanted to do was go to the lake. But it never materialized because a lot of other things did. In the interim our kitty Mira was sick. She went blind in one eye and will probably lose sight in the other sooner than we’d like. On top of which, she also has a thyroid condition that requires daily medication. Quite a chore giving an animal a pill.  A year ago we lost her sissy. And two years ago we lost my dad. It’s a difficult time. Not to mention the pandemic. I needed a breather. But the day trip to the lake kept getting pushed farther and farther off. Finally push came to shove last weekend. I woke up, got dressed  and I shouted to my hubby,  “I’m going to the lake.”  It was about 9:30 am when I made this declaration. And a few minutes later, the hubby and I were on the road headed towards the water. The temperature was about 50, a definite chill in the air.  Sunshine fleeting. And the wind was blowing fiercely. A bad thunderstorm was expected for later that afternoon. But nothing was going to stop us, stop me, now. I intended to take in whatever residual sunshine there was and find myself some much needed solace. Even though it was still technically breakfast time... We bought a couple of pizza slices from a local vendor. And I got some cold raspberry tea. Hubby was satisfied drinking water. We drove around… until we spotted a rickety old picnic table, at the water’s edge, got out of the van and hunkered down.  And then proceeded to have a blissfully perfect morning and afternoon… chasing wayward hair, blowing napkins, paper plates and the like. The lake was invigorating, the waves crashing to shore, just wonderful. Looking off in the distance was mesmerizing. Breathing in the fresh air, a Godsend. It stirred something deep within. It was our first meal out of the house in over a year. No masks. Such a feeling of normalcy. We delighted in every single moment there at the lake before the storm rolled in. Seeing those dark ominous clouds accumulate overhead, and a few raindrops begin to fall, made me want to kick up my heels and dance for some odd reason? But caution won out.  Instead we decided to pack up and hit the road. Shouldn’t take chances with Mother Nature. She can be ruthless. For sure it had been a delightful mini vacay… though only 4-5 hours in duration. The storm was quickly on our tail, chasing us home, but we beat the bulk of it. And even managed to stop and get some delectable shrimp with cocktail sauce for dinner. Yum. Yum.  Life is about simple pleasures. Words really can’t describe the joy I found at the lake that day. But I will tell you this… It was just what the doctor ordered.