Jo From This Side of the Pond has some beachy questions for us today.
1. Do you like the beach?
Yes, I like the beach. I like to walk at the beach, especially in the winter. I’m not a fan of heat and being overheated. I like to walk the pier, watch the waves and enjoy the cool breezes. We lived in Huntington Beach from 1975-1984. We lived in Ventura (which is a beach town) from 1984-1988. We lived in Camarillo, 8 miles from the beach from 2006-2010. While we lived in Camarillo we drove to Emma Wood State Beach most every Saturday morning to walk the beach at dawn. The collage at the top of this post include photos from Emma Wood.
How far do you have to drive to get to the nearest beach?
Since my definition of beach is related to an ocean we would have to drive over 450 miles to get to the Pacific Ocean.
If you are talking about a sandy or pebbly shore we could get to one of those in under 10 miles. We live close to the Columbia River, Lake Roosevelt and other lakes and rivers.
Your least favorite thing about the beach?
Getting sandy or sunburned.
Last beach trip you took?
I flew to Southern California in June and stayed with my sister in Huntington Beach and enjoyed walking at Corona Del Mar and Huntington Beach.
2. Are you known for making waves or are you more of a ‘go along to get along’ kind of person? Explain.
Hmm, if I have to make waves I will but it’s not my first choice. When something goes against my beliefs I won’t compromise. I don’t nod my head or keep silent when someone presumes to speak on my behalf and what is said is not part of my convictions. I will challenge things said that aren’t the truth in proper settings, when it’s within my boundaries to say something and could make a difference.
3. A favorite song that in some way references the beach?
I’ll give the beach nod to our Marine son-in-law and all Marines!
A favorite book and/or movie with a beach-y setting?
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
4. Tuesday is National Simplicity Day…what’s a simple pleasure you’ve enjoyed this week?
The simple pleasure of enjoying my cup of coffee each morning and the pleasure of the morning unfolding.
What’s something you could eliminate from your life to make things simpler?
Extra weight on my body. My current clothes would fit better and my movements would be easier. It’s harder to move excess weight around,
5. What’s something you love to do? Do you do it often? Why or why not?
I love to plan a trip. I don’t do it often, maybe once a year or every two years. It’s fun to anticipate a journey or a destination that will be fun to experience. I find the more I research the destination the more enjoyment it gives me when we get there.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Two months from today, Lord willing, me and Dear will be in Oxford, England for about 12 days. I’m doing what I love and making plans for our days there. We will be staying in an apartment in Oxford (central) for 9 of the nights, 2 nights in a hotel in Woodstock, and our last night back in Oxford in a hotel. When we had our trip planned in 2020 that got cancelled for obvious reasons, we were reimbursed for everything but a day tour we had booked with Go Cotswolds, a small touring company. We asked them to keep our money just in case we were able to return to England in the future. They were appreciative as they had to cancel so many tours and the more people that kept their reservations on hold allowed them to stay in business during the tough season everyone was in. We contacted them and they were so gracious to honor our two year deposit for a day tour. They are flourishing again in their business. We will hop on the train in Oxford to Moreton in Marsh and get picked up for a day in the small villages of the Cotswolds. Another tour we have on the books is The Kilns, the home of C.S. Lewis just outside Oxford. We will ride a bus to Headington for that tour. We are not renting a vehicle for this trip but depending solely on public transportation and our own two feet . Most of our sight seeing will be right in Oxford. There is so much to see in this compact city that we will be able to enjoy on foot from our apartment.