Is this not the coolest carving of turtles?
It's in Newport Beach, a few miles from Lincoln City at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Yet they have no turtles on display to enjoy. I hope it's because they wanted them to stay happy and free.
Crazy4coens has been talking about going to the beach. She asked me about a beach in my neck of the sticks. I decided to drag out my photographs of Lincoln City's beaches for her to try on and see how they feel.
I figure just about everyone likes the beach and the rest of you won't mind.
I have no clue who that person above is. I do that an awful lot... take photos of strangers. I think I lack the proper patience of a true photographer. Sometimes I look at my photo later in the computer and I see a stranger glaring at me. Oops.
Sunday could not have been much finer. It was my day all day. No visitors. No hassles. Serene.
I know, sounds kind of odd, but sometimes I just need to be quiet and listen to the voices in my head. It rained off and on all day too. Summer rain is sort of warm and puts a lovely smell in the air. Things feel clean afterward.
Thanks to crazy4coens, I have found my lawyer and can begin my divorce on the 20th.
So I needed time to think about that... what I want and what I need to do. I know I have to get a copy of my marriage license.
My original marriage license was melted in a flood. Does that not sound like an omen? We were married on Pearl Harbor day too.
I thought long and hard about his pension. Do I deserve any of it? I think since I have worked most of my life while married, that I did my share of support.... especially while he was in prison I had to deal alone... yeah.
He was also a union carpenter and had many lay-off periods where I was the only adult working, though out of fairness, he did draw unemployment that made my wages look sad. No matter how little I got paid in comparison, I contributed all that I earned. I got up and went to work every dumb day.
I have made it a point of pride while separated not to be a leech. To provide my own way, and provide for my kids. Still, I believe I deserve part of his pension. He has agreed to this! Yay! It took me awhile to psych up for this enough to ask him.
Other than that, I took an hour and walked. I made a fantastic diner for StbX, Squeaky and myself. We all got along very well. True Blood was enjoyed. I took StbX home before Hung... he doesn't like it. Then I got to watch it in peace.
Keeping with the beach theme... The drawing below is by N.C. Wyeth, who illustrated my childhood. My parents spoiled us with books. We had several children's books with his drawings. When I think of the beach, this is the picture most likely to pop into my head.
It's also very much like me... that I am a dreamer who enjoys and builds wonderful fantasies in my head. Even at my age, I can look at a stormy beach sky and see the giant pass by. I like that about me.
As an adult I liked the book by Pat Conroy called "Beach Music" very much. It has the birth of sea turtles and a battle to get them from the beach to the ocean safely, waged by the wackiest family. I liked that they were just as insane as the one I grew up in. It has the fabulous story of "Max the Great Jew". That story alone is worth reading the entire book to hear. Some great history too. Beach Music (novel).
How about a beach movie? This one was a real trip!
This was one of my first edited videos from the movie The Beach.. hope you'll like it... thanks :)
Now this one... this one almost always makes me cry, but I love it and his voice is so etherial. What a loss when he died. :(
I hope that I never stop believing in rainbows and happily everafter. I hope you never do too.
*
*
I don't know why they don't have a sea turtle. It used to be that unless you were either part of a breeding program or a head start program that you could not keep sea turtles that were healthy and whole. Other than that, an aquarium might have either a sea turtle with a genetic problem that they did not want to mate and pass on the problem genes, or they might have a sea turtle with a damaged limb that would have difficulty mating anyway.
ReplyDeleteBut I had seen so many sea turtles I thought that maybe the rule had changed.
In Texas, there is a two thousand dollar fine for touching sea turtles, which makes it difficult to rescue them if you find an injured one. I did not know about the fine when I attempted a rescue several years ago, but we made it to the aquarium with a couple of the little guys without getting caught. I believe one of them died anyway.
There's nothing like the beach on the ocean. I live in Cleveland and the lake is nice, but it doesn't have that presence. I love those pictures, so nice looking. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteGetting married on Pearl Harbor Day and having your marriage license melt in a flood are some pretty bad omens. Did it rain while a black cat crossed your path under a ladder while breaking a mirror and stepping on a crack? Just a guess.
How about getting married on Hiroshima Day?
ReplyDeleteI thought I made sea-turtle posts at one point, but now I am not sure.
laughingattheslut-- I don't why they don't either. I was very surprised to be honest. They have lots of sea turtle stuff for sale.
ReplyDeleteI did not know that about the fine. Yikes. It's a good idea.
I have never see a sea turtle anywhere but in a zoo setting. But I have had the good fortune to rescue two river turtles of good size (for a river turtle) that wandered onto the busy highway.
I read a horrible story that stays with me by Lillian Hellman about how they captured a sea turtle and all the trouble they 0with Dashel Hammet) had killing it and making it into soup! It gave me nightmares. Thank God they're protected!
aliencg-- The beach heals me. Actually it does literally. Or did. When I was a kid I had ecezma horrifically. I used to get skin infections that were also horrific. My parents would throw us all in the car and drive to our beach... where I could play in the ocean and the salt water would save my skin. It burned at first, then was soothing.
ReplyDeletelol at your query about my omens. I don't really believe in that stuff... but it is good to have a laugh at it. Thanks for adding to the giggles.
dmarks-- Getting married on Hiroshima day would be awful! Yikes. Even the images in my head are too much for me. Maybe its a good thing I don't know when that is. I should, but I don't.
ReplyDeleteOh... if you find your sea turtle post, I'd love to see it. I really liked your video that had the sea turtle swimming in it... a Visa ad? Very cool beans. I played that one over and over.
I love the beach as well. In fact, when I look back at all the places I have lived in my life, they have either been islands or peninsulas where the ocean was never far away.
ReplyDeleteOnce we took the kids to the Florida Aquarium and were watching the turtles. One kept climbing out of his area and trudging over to me. The volunteer would pick it up and put the turtle back in its enclosure, but it would climb back out and make its way towards me. This happened many times. I even put it back a few times when the volunteer left, but it would come back by my side. My daughter started teasing me about being not only a cat, dog, and baby charmer, but that I was charming turtles now too.
I agree that you are entitled to part of the pension because you earned it. It's good that you're not going to have to spend money on legal fees to have to fight for your fair share.
cube-- I love that you are a turtle charmer! Animals know stuff.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the words on the pension. I really did worry over that. I don't want anything that I am not entitled to get. I don't want things messy either. He is being very good about it.
Hey, if he agrees that you deserve part of it, then no problem! Go for it, for sure!
ReplyDeleteNice photos. I'm not much of a sun person (I had a very bad burn when I was a teenager, and learned my lesson) but I do like the ocean.
Suldog-- Thanks. I want things to be as painless for everyone as possible. I don't do discourse well and guilt really kills me. I'd have just dropped the issue if he gave me any sort of fight.
ReplyDeleteI bet you do burn with that gorgeous fair skin! I do not burn generally speaking. I turn tan at the drop of a hat. But I am not that fond of sun either. I like shade.
As you know - I love the beach. I love that Somewhere over the Rainbow song, too. It always brings tears to my eyes. Great post! (As always)
ReplyDeletecrazy4coens-- I'm glad you love that song. Why does it bring tears to our eyes? I don't get it. I have another video of him. It's a memorial one with film of him singing, etc. and then of them pouring his ashes in the sea. It is a joyous celebration they do... people cheering and looking happy and I sit and blubber at it. Just an old softy I guess.
ReplyDeleteLove the beach theme. I hope you get everything you deserve in your divorce. It sounds like you've gone through a lot with that guy.
ReplyDeleteChurlita-- Thanks. You know its funny. Now that we have settled into this divorce thing and everyone is in agreement, we are getting along fairly well.
ReplyDeleteNow I can remember why we ended up together in the first place. BUT that does not change a thing. It just makes it easier to stay friendly.
I am a very loyal person and this was so hard. But it is right for everyone involved. I'll be glad when its done. Then I can regain my balance and grace.
What a nice, peaceful post. I will go back later and click on the links and things, but for now I can certainly say that I loved the beach pictures. I am a big beach fan.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy for you, being able to move forward with your divorce and being able to remain friends with your kids' father :-) It's all good.
Did you also read "Prince of Tides?" A little different feel to it - dark and disturbing.
ReplyDeletespread the good news, not the bible, turtles!
ReplyDeletei've had a lot of friends get divorced. another friend and his wife have just lawyered up and are preparing for a good battle.
laura b-- Thanks! Enjoy at your leisure.
ReplyDeleteI am feeling a great measure of relief.
secret agent woman-- Yes! What a good story though. I like things that make me think beyond the story.
ReplyDeleteRE: The Prince of Tides... I preferred the book to the movie. I guess that's the way it is with me most of the time. I'll let you know if I prefer a movie to a book when I run across it ;-)
ReplyDeletebilly pilgrim-- Yes... turtles! Can't get enough of those fellows.
ReplyDeleteD-i-v-o-r-c-e. Its the "in" thing to do. Oh no, wait... it's the "getting OUT" thing to do.
I am happy to skip the battle part. I've been fighting long enough. I don't want to hear the wet stone in my head any more and I really need to escape that razor. Time to hang my verbal claymore up in its scabbard and leave it alone.
I truly feel for your friends.
cube-- I also preferred the book to the movie. As I did with The Postman... oh but that's on crazy4coen's blog today, not here. Geez... I get confused. ha.
ReplyDeleteMy inspiration to blog has just gone down the crapper. I don't know where it's disappeared to.
ReplyDeleteRandi-- Give it a rest and maybe it will come back. Until then, you can always comment. I have other readers who only comment.
ReplyDelete-- I'm not at home. I'm at the Bear's house now. --Ananda girl
I didn't think "The Postman" movie was as bad as others thought it was. But it could have used at a half hour to 45 minutes cut out of it (it was too long) and the book was better.
ReplyDeleteI liked the touch of having Tom Petty as a character who was the rock star Tom Petty.
dmarks-- I agree completely with both comments.
ReplyDeleteDavid Brinn is such a good writer isn't he?
Shoot... there was another good post apocalyptic book with a guy who befriends a wolf that is amazing. Rats. Can't recall the name, but you would like it if you liked the Postman. I'll have to pick my brain for a bit to come up with it for you.
I'm going to get married on 9/11.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are able to move forward as best as you can.
Andrew Wyeth is one of my favorites (pretty sure he was NC's son). He was an amazing drawer and painter, loved his textures, and that northeastern gloom and darkness... so cool.
Sebastien-- Yes, Andrew was the youngest of five of N C Wyeth's children. He was an extraordinary artist wasn't he? I too love his work.
ReplyDeleteI am also the youngest of five children. Not that it matters. I am not an extraordinary artist. hee hee.
Will you really get married on 9/11? Or are you pulling my leg again?
I do so appreciate your sense of humor as skewed as it is. You have more whimsy than anyone I know. Plus you are wonderfully inappropriate... does it get any better?
Believe me, that is a high compliment from my neck of the woods.
Sebastien-- Ooops... missed a point. Thank you. I am going to move forward, be sure of that!
ReplyDeleteI am set free. I am unafraid. I can carry on alone for I have been in truth alone for a very long time.
Thank you for that kind thought.