Weekending

I so needed this long weekend getaway on our great lake in our state in our great country. Windmill Beach is always a special place where the rest of the world seems to fade away. It was a break from politics and pandemics and too much pain. There’s no news, few screens, fewer worries. Over the holiday, it’s a little more festive than peaceful. This 4^th it was as lively as I’ve ever seen it and that was welcome after recent stretches of solitude and isolation. No worries, the beach is the ideal place for social distancing, but there were more people at the shore and in the water than I ever recall. The water was warm for July. Temperatures peak in September so to be refreshingly swimmable this early in the season is something to take advantage of. We did. We unloaded the van and went straight to the shore and stayed there most of the day and night. The kids paddle boarded out to the shipwreck and swam to the third sand bar. There were games of spike ball and lots of sand trap practice. My brother and sil had some friends out. Their 6-year-old son is as avid a golfer as Ted. The two boys, years and heads apart, were attached at the hip with clubs in their hands most of the time. Lily made a friend in their precocious 3 year old daughter. I felt only a momentary years are minutes pang of wistfulness. It seems like yesterday that my kids were that small. Needy. There was no nostalgia over being able to sit on the beach and read with a summer cocktail without worry or interruption.

We took a break from the beach for dinner, which was all things bbq. I put together a pasta salad I’d roasted the tomatoes and toasted the pine nuts for earlier. I crumbled on some fresh feta, whisked together an oregano vinaigrette, chiffonaded a little basil from my yard and it was summer in a bowl. The 15 and under crowd enjoyed kiddie cocktails and all three had cherry mustaches. Sugar and calories don't count at the beach, but Ashley and I always try to serve a salad that usually only the two of us eat.

The sun left the sky. Gloaming, which is always my favorite few minutes of the day, put on a show that rivaled the fireworks to follow. There were just as many oooohs and ahhhhs. It never gets ordinary. My brother is the fireworks guy and his pyro passion is not just relegated to the 4^th or to the dark. Usually we sit on the beach and see fireworks up and down the shoreline from Port Washington to Sheboygan. This year the participation was off the charts. A neighbor a few houses north gave my brother a run for his money. Barry had a head lamp and a torch.  I felt like I was front seat at a professional show. All we could find was a single lighter, but we still had quite an audience and an impressive display. The kids loved the Roman Candles best of all. The only thing I don’t love is cleaning up the beach the next day, but it's the least we can do.

When the T’s left long after dark, little J said that it was his best day ever. S had kaleidoscope eyes. We got the report that both the kids were crashed before they hit the main road. I think that says it all. Not long after, both of mine were toast too. The big boys burned the midnight oil playing loud music and cribbage. Ashley and I finished our second bottle of Rose of the day and called it a night. That was a very smart decision that led to a solid night’s sleep.

When I woke on Sunday, my brother and son were already golfing. After sweating through some clean up, we enjoyed a little beach time. The water was warm but refreshing for another day. I left to run some errands and then came back with subs for lunch. An afternoon thunderstorm popped up and that was the perfect invitation for down time. The boys lined up on the living room couch to watch golf. Ashley, Lily and I each found our own spots for sweet little naps. Rested after the rain delay, we all rallied for more beach time. It was a picture-perfect late afternoon. The kids went to pick up pizzas for dinner in their uncle's fun car.  Dessert was a game of Wizard. Lily won. She is now the first female to get her name on the Windmill Beach Olympic Cookie jar for the 2020 Covid Summer Games. It was a big night for her and a long day for all of us so we all headed to bed rather early for us.

I was up just before 5 a.m. Monday, which was just before sunrise, and only long enough to snap this picture before heading back to bed. Twenty-two minutes seemed like a long time to wait for the sun to show up. Ted and Brad were up earliest for a conference call and out running the beach when I woke for the second time. It was another beautiful day at the beach, and I so wanted to stay and enjoy it, but we had to pack up and head home. Lily and I both had to work in the afternoon. The 48 hour respite was a good precursor to this busy week of work and softball and Zoom meetings and appointments. I cannot help the feeling that the rest of the summer will fly by. Lily turns 16 in a month. Ted moves into his apartment soon after that. We still don’t know exactly what junior year will look like for her or what sophomore year will look like for him. Harley is eliminating 500 jobs, which means Mike’s tenure is in question as well. There is a glut of uncertainty in this world right now, but I’m trying to breathe, pray and stay positive just like the rest of you. I’m grateful for the life I have and blessed in so many ways.