the beach, good books and a WW2 painting...

The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea.

- Isak Dinesen

I made my way to the beach today...

is there anything better than a quiet day at the beach with a good book?

And with these little treasures i got last week from Amazon,

let's just say it was a good day. 

I am somewhat of a loner, so i much prefer a quiet beach
than one filled with noise and barking dogs
and shiny, sparkly, tanned bodies. :-)

We have several beaches around here we can escape to
when we don't feel like being surrounded by a gazillion people.

I still think that if everyone regularly took time to unwind like this, 
the world would be a better place.

I realize that not everyone has such freedom...
and almost always, whenever i am surrounded by this beauty,
i can't help but think of those less fortunate
and it's an effort for me not to feel guilty for what i have.

...a little blue ocean between the rocks...

The wharf, with fishing boats coming in and going out...

multi-colored fishing rope...

A fishing boat...

Who wouldn't love a turquoise boat?

lovely reflection in the water...

A few more people showed up, but still very quiet.

I had a wonderful few hours to myself...

I'm squeezing out every last bit of summer we have left,

although i welcome the fall with open arms.

It's my favorite season.

This was last night's work....

I have a soft spot for WW2 soldiers and stories.

Many of these men went into battle without much of a choice.
It's one thing to choose to become a soldier,
but quite another to be forced into it.

My father in law was a WW2 veteran and used to tell me stories of local men
who spent months hiding in the woods near here,
so they wouldn't be forced to join the army.

Once in a while, the military police would go from house to house,
gathering all the men to join in the battle overseas (in Europe).

When they suspected there was a man of the house in hiding,
they searched the thick woods in the surrounding areas
and often found what they were looking for.

My father in law told me of one such man who had the kindest heart,
and who had been hiding in the woods for months,
fearful of being forced into the army,
with his wife and children bringing him food.

Some may see these men as cowards, but i don't.

I think of my own father, who doesn't have the heart to discipline his dog, 
let alone kill a man,
and i understand what these men were hiding from.

They were filled with fear at the thought of war,
and the idea that they may be killed,
but more than anything,
they were paralyzed in fear at having to kill someone else.

When i saw this photo last night in one of my books, it tugged at my heart.

This police constable is consoling a man who had gone for a walk with his dog while his wife cooked Sunday dinner. His town (in South London) was bombed and he came back to find everything demolished and his wife buried beneath the rubble.  

a quick watercolor sketch with colors a bit too dark for my liking,
but i guess that was the mood...

As much as the world is filled with crap,
it's also filled with very hopeful, caring,
compassionate moments like these.

My world makes sense when i acknowledge both, the good with the bad.

Sometimes, i let myself get carried away too much with the bad
(hence, the asshole post prior to this one!)
but then i treat my soul to good books and a day at the beach
and all is well with the world again. :-)

Thank you all for visiting here.
I hope you all know how grateful i am
that we share this space together...

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.
xox