Sand, Surf & SHARKS

Growing up in East Texas, one of our favorite day/weekend trips to make was to head down to Crystal Beach and spend the day in the surf. We spent LOTS of time playing in the water, making sandcastles, hunting for sea shells, and having fun.

Let's be honest though, the coastal areas of Galveston and Crystal Beach aren't exactly known for having pristinely clear water. So as you walk farther and into the water, you start to see less and less of your feet, ankles, etc. Playing in the surf was wonderful, though! We could run, play, scream, dig, wallow in sand, and just be kids.

There were the occasional hazards of playing on the beach, of course. Stepping on shell fragments were particularly painful. We had to pay attention and make sure that we didn't step on any broken glass or bits of plastic...some people just don't understand the importance of cleaning up after themselves. Idiots. There were little fish that would nibble on your legs. Seaweed wasn't as much a hazard as it was annoying to have that prickly nastiness wrap itself around your leg...eeewww!!

And then there was the day that everything changed... (music from the Twilight Zone playing in the background)

I had seen advertisements on TV for the movie Jaws, and was horrified at the idea of such a LARGE human-eating-ocean-dweller that could quite possibly be lurking out there, waiting to gobble me up like a Scooby snack. There were also the countless episodes of National Geographic that our family loved to watch that depicted different fish of countless varieties...pretty fish, ugly fish, fish with whiskers, fish that jumped out of the water, and fish that BITE PEOPLE. Ack!

We had been at the beach for a while that day and were having a sandy blast! The kids were all digging around trying to find really awesome shells in knee-deep water. Murky water. There were shovels and buckets. When one of us would find something we would show it to the others, and the search would continue. As I am bent over, digging blindly in the obscure water *SNAP!* I got bit! Probably just a hermit crab, but I was scared to death and it hurt!

To this day I have a paralyzing fear of being in ocean, lake, or river water that isn't COMPLETELY crystal clear. It scares me to death. When we are boating, I won't jump into water that is less than 15ish feet deep for fear that I will get to close to the bottom or touch something. If the water is only that deep, I will back into the water with a float.

No rowdy water fun for this girl....unless we're in a CHLORINATED POOL! It gives me the heebie-jeebies just thinking about lake water!!! *shivers*

Prompt #1 - Childhood fears that you've taken into your adult life

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She's Got CATtitude

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Whose the most ornery cat of all?


She has grey fur, green eyes captivating

Be on your toes, wicked presence awaiting.


No love does she want, independance is better,

By herself, she loves best, obscurement she'd rather.


I love her, I do, she's my favorite cat,

I hold her and squeeeeeeze her, my playful attack.

She swats and she hisses

No sweet kitty kisses

She's sassy and moody

Aloof, dark and broody.

But when least expected, we're blessed with her presence

Her hiding place voided, she makes an appearance.


She finds me and loves me, so sweet and so cuddly

My Phoebe, my darling, my best napping buddy.

Mama Kat's Writers Workshop:

Prompt #2 - Write a poem for your furry friend.

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From Pound Puppy To Precious Pet

While browsing the Today Show website I came across a blurb about pound puppies "going glam". More specifically, it discussed how the larger breed shelter dogs are typically not as quickly adopted out as the smaller breeds. This was the premis behind Today getting several of these dogs spiffed up to show them off for hopeful adoptions, etc, etc. The report also drew my attention because it's also how we found my favorite canine sidekick, Zeek!

In the years that Richard and I have been married, we have purchased, been given, and adopted a number of dogs. Most of our dogs have been a perfect-family-match, but others...not so much. Regardless, adopting is a "gamble" just like any other method of aquiring/accepting ownership of a new pet, and a decision to be taken seriously. One of the benefits of adopting a pet, is that we get to "shop" for characteristics and a temperment that most compliments the lifestyle of our family. Choosing an animal that needs a loving home and meets our criteria is a win-win solution!

We found Zeek as we were checking out a local pet adoption event outside one of the pet supercenters. And although we were just browsing, he was certainly a handsome boxer, seriously underweight, and in need of love and attention. Even better, he even met all of the requirements on our "Must Have" list - house trained, loved children, good with other animals, and already neutered...a perfect match!

There were growing pains, of course. Days when we shook our heads and wondered what possessed us to bring this mangy beast home with us. And then there have been the hundreds upon hundreds of other days when I look at his dopey little schmushy face, and know that it was one of the best decisions we've made!




Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

Prompt #1. Chose a headline from The Today Show website and write up an opinion post based on the story you chose.



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