I’m in the middle of a deep dive post about The Awakening, Kate Chopin’s novel, of course, but while I mull, I wanted to share a sliver of beauty.

You know that the beach is my happy place. Well, in all of the years that my sweetie and I have been going to this particular beach, I’ve found tiny pieces of beach glass but nothing big enough for my purposes: to have a former classmate who creates gorgeous necklaces make me one that I can carry when the sun decides to hide. Which is way too often, IMO.

In the past I have found smallish shards (red, clear, brown, green, and blue) and have placed them all over the house: in with my toiletries, on windowsills, just any place for an unexpected glimpse of joy. Occasionally, I carry a piece on my person. (Shh…)

Barry and I returned to our paradise this weekend, and I was, per usual, walking the beach, scanning for rocks of interest and beach glass. I intersected with a woman who was also scrutinizing the sand, and I asked her what she was looking for, in hopes I’d find something useful for her. She was likewise searching for beach glass. I told her about my hope to find a large enough piece for a necklace (or bracelet; I have a bracelet collection) and we wished one another luck.

Though I found a couple of tiny pieces that morning, my true treasure was the peace that the water brings, the stretching in the sun, the people watching, and knowing that my hubby awaited me when I returned to our chairs.

The next morning, we returned to the beach and pretty much repeated the day before, though we didn’t climb Mt. Tom as we had the previous day — it’s steeper than the photo below makes it look. (It was taxing but so rewarding! And now I want to complete the three-dune challenge. I don’t think the body’s up to that just now, but it’s a goal.)

I was maybe thirty seconds into my walk when I came across this!

Just minutes later I found another, smaller piece. I scanned the beach to see if the woman I had seen the day before was there so I could share, but she wasn’t.

In light of my mindset coach’s suggestion that I find many ways to “fail” by trying things I am unfamiliar with, I am going to attempt to make the necklace myself, guided by YouTube. I don’t think it will be too difficult, but if I fail, I will be reaching out to my friend in Florida and though she is a busy ice cream shop proprietor, I will beg her to help me!

You have no idea the happiness it brings me to imagine carrying summer with me all year.

P.S. In other “trying something new” news, because my favorite coffeehouse to write at is closed today, I am writing at the library instead. So far, so good. And I don’t have to resist a row of pastries, so there’s that.

And I’m going to drop in on a gentle yoga class tonight. I told the instructor that I’m nervous, but I’ll give it a try. I told her probably six months ago that I was going to stop in sometime. When I read on social media this morning that she has some slots open, I knew it was time to reach out before I lost my nerve.

Stay tuned for both that longer, more somber, post on The Awakening, as well as the chronicles of my “failures.” I have no doubt I’ll be good at that!  

And let me know if there’s something new at which you’re going to attempt to “fail.” I’d love to applaud your efforts and successes. I mean, failures. 😉

I’m pretty sure I just convinced myself to put “complete the three-dune challenge” on my list. Dammit…