Noodling!

Noodling! I've been noodling! And it's not what I always considered 'noodling' to be, nor what I find it really means when looking it up in the dictionary (an illegal method of fishing!).

It took some doing, but Annette and a couple other gals here at the park convinced me to try it. I'd seen Annette doing "it" in the pool at the "home for the bewildered" in Amado, and knowing she couldn't swim, it seemed like a great way for her to enjoy the cool water. But for me, who used to swim competitively? You wouldn't catch me on one of those 'things'!

If you don't know about them either, a 'noodle' looks like a great big neon, ah, noodle - about three inches in diameter and about four feet long. Some kind of plastic foam. You can straddle the damn thing and ride it like a (very small) horse, or hang on to it crossways to your body like leaning on a fence or back of a chair and it supports you like a life preserver without the bulky discomfort.

What a giggle! and what fun! and the proponents speak of the great aqua-robics you can do!

I grumbled every step of the way into the sea, and loved every minute of the time out there. I was at eye level with the pelicans! And the water was divine - warm enough and cool enough and refreshing! And calm enough to enjoy! Since then, of course, now that I want to try it again, the surf is way up and the wind is blowing, so it's just too bloody rough to go out.

That's OK, for now anyway. There's a new couple in the park - Tommy Sue and "Flip" - what a kick in the butt these two are! She's gorgeous - 72 and proud of it! They've been together since they met when she was in the 7th grade and he was in the 8th. They're from Texas, but she claims to be a Southern California surfer girl because she moved there while still young. And claims to have no Texas accent. Uh huh! No doubt she's a Texas girl!

When Penny and I returned from our walk on the beach on Sunday morning, Tommy and Flip were sharing a bottle of bubbles on the beach! That's all I needed! I grabbed a bottle and joined them! What fun to find someone to share bubbles with!! And she knows what 'pupus' are, since they had a boat in the water in Hawaii for a number of years! What stories they shared!! Plus, she can cook! Brought some fresh ceviche to the beach for cocktail hour last night - which no one else would eat (raw fish? you must be kidding!) It was soooo good, and I had more than my share because the others were so shy! YUMMY!

Change of subject - last time I was in Tucson, getting more repairs as usual, I picked up a tiny little sewing machine at Camping World...maybe 8"x8"x4". Needed something for little repairs that hand work simply wouldn't handle. Finally took the thing out of its box the other day - the stack of 'little repairs' had reached the point that I had to do something. In that stack was a pattern I had cut out several years ago of a Tahitian pareo (beach cover-up, for want of a better description) - the one I had worn for years and years had finally become so thread-bare I simply couldn't wear it anymore. And my yard had taken so much time, I had never stitched it up. So I gave this silly little machine a shot at it. It works amazingly well!! I have an OLD Singer sewing machine up at Liz's house - 1934 production. Black, weighs a ton. Great old machine, so I didn't expect much of this new toy. And except that it's so light, and wants to keep sliding across the table, it works great. So I now have a new pareo - unfortunately it would have fit better several years and several pounds ago than it does now, but . . .

Life is so wonderful here.I know I need to get moving soon, especially since I have to be in Maine by mid-July, but it's tough to get motivated. Popped one of the veneers off a front tooth yesterday, so I do need to get back to see my dentist soon - maybe that'll get me moving. I'll think about it tomorrow. Maybe.