Friday, May 02, 2008

Blue Vinyl Sea.....

It was $218.00 three summers ago. Chey and I lugged it, rolled it over end to end, pushed it, shoved it. We lifted it onto the truckbed by the grace of strangers and once back at the little pink house, we started the ritual in reverse....lug, roll, push, shove. The vinyl dream was home.

As we grow old, we recant our childhoods in memories....time stamped by little houses and crooked sidewalks, by schools and the color of bicycles. In my new life, the rubber date stamp is a blow~up pool.... The first to arrive was just eight feet wide and a foot and a half deep. My grandbabies and I spent 7 days and 7 nights camped on the deck, rolling in the mammoth make believe waves.....dripping grape popsicles down our chins....and sun~ining our hair. We made boats from bars of Ivory soap and bathed in the pool, shampooed in the pool, and then ran in circles splashing.....kicking up foamy waves. They learned to hold their breath and let go of their noses. To float belly up without their bottoms sinking. Stone went home a week later, a "surfer dude" and Kyle, a bikini clad blonde bombshell. They had snorkel mask tans and swimmer's ear. We had the summer of love......



I finished off the last of the lazy months plopped up on the blow up ring, water dancing belly button high, reading favorite books with crumpled pages, dreaming......



And the next summer, Chey and I hauled home the Mother of all blow~up pools.



The lazy river.
The blue lagoon.
The vinyl sea.



Two summers kissed by dreams come true.....


Sleeping toe to toe....
Treasure diving.....
"Party in the middle of the pool!"....
Candlelight waves....
"Just how many people can fit in a blow up pool?"
Juicey bottle water wars.....
The marathon float.....Daytona 500 and two coolers of beer....
The courtship of the neighbors.....
Bottled margaritas.....
A real live pool boy....
Accidental Love.....
Hippie hammocks......
A bouquet of tiki torches....
A broken foot
and
Rollin' Stones on the stereo......



There was always gonna be another. From the moment, the blue lady sighed, curtsied to the sky and took her last breath, spilling 3800 gallons of blessed water cascading, there's was always gonna be another. I said it. Meant it. Believed.


But there wasn't. $218.00 grew. And this year, it would be a million dollar dream. The dusty space between my back door and Little House became the laundrey field..... tattered white clothesline swinging over last summer's shoreline. Towels and T-shirts, sails from shipwrecked stories of another time.

And then, the butterfly effect....

A giant blue box on my porch.

Tonight, she's three inches deep and rising. The grandlady of all blow up pools. And suddenly, I'm a millionaire.

"Let's hear it for the boys...."

20 comments:

Maithri said...

Wow!!

Just amazing.

The miracle is I can read you all day long... and graciously forget... or thankfully remember...

You really are the jewelled mermaid of Florida ;)

Here's to you my dear friend,
to butterflies
on painted seas,

Love and peace, M

singleton said...

"to butterflies
on painted seas"

I love it! love it! love it!

And funny, but this evening as I was wading, not quite ankle deep, floating on my back, not quite to my ears, the most jeweled black butterfly with golden and garnet and turqoise jewelry flitted over me and hovered in the jasmine, dancing.........

Clink! To you!
and
"butterflies on painted seas"

peace~love my friend

kj said...

amazing writing, girl.

you know i have a hot tub. so now we can both look up at the stars and float ourselves right into....whatever!

x0!

i beati said...

Just in time !!!

SHE said...

singtome: pulled me write into the pool with you & yours

gorgeous story.. in your signature style

and -those boys and butterflies-
conduits for miracles

you are millionaires! rich in all the write ways.. love, peace & sunshine, ~s.

~Babs said...

Miracles arrive in so many shapes, sizes and colors.

Love your Little House.
Laura Ingalls and friends at the beach.

singleton said...

kj....That rocks! A hot tub in the backyard..... Man, the life! A babbling, bubbly hot spring under the open sky! Clink!

Ibeati.....Perfect, absolutely perfect! It's about 14 inches deep now, and I've been wallowing in it all day! It's like gettin' to the beach at low tide and watchin' it rise in slow.....slow....motion!

She....Is this too wild! And already, today, in just over a foot of spring fed water.....The neighbors joinin' me....Jonah on the hammock....the lazy days of summer slowly coming to life! I'm still in awe.......And remember now, why I've always believed in Magic, in Santa, in yellow butterflies.....

Babs....
And the most preciious miracle of all, still snug as a bug, growing, plumping, comfy cozy....waiting for just the right moment! Little House is another miracle....what started as a tool shed, a windowless work shop with a peeling door......One summer and 30 amazing people later.......
"Gimme Peace" the Little House...was born. Her roof was raised for a friend or a friend of a friends, her walls and spirit built by an army of love.....He never did come to live here...the timing wasn't right, and things work out the way they're supposed to, but this house, Little House, Gimme Peace.... has a golden spirit all her own. Kimbies and I and the grandbabies camp out here, giggling into the wee hours. Last week-end the "reserved" sign hung on her door, late night partiers campin' in the yard, and when I brought Jonah home from the white tunnel, this is wear he rested, healed.....in the little house, the miracle meant to be....

Peace~love my friends
I can feel it......

skinnylittleblonde said...

Lol...I swear I thought I left a comment here last night!

Yes! Let's here it for the boys! May the never grow up to be men ;) To the boys, the beers, the blue lagoon & you!

xoxoxox

~Babs said...

Gimme Peace,,,what a wonderfilled
place to be. Come as you are,,whoever you are. What a perfect name.

I'm lovin' that lil snugbug,,,,and I can't wait to know him. Hear his name,,,
feel his spirit,,I can almost smell the Johnson & Johnson already.
Smilin' & waitin', as you know.

Miracles!
How sweet it is!

Shimmerrings said...

I love your "pool house", lol... and congrats on the new pool! It looks to be a good sized one. How awesome friends are...

justacoolcat said...

A pool haiku:

I have a pool too
it won't even hold water
so very jealous

skinnylittleblonde said...

ILYSVMS!
xoxoxox
a little house,a little lake
a little bit of time &
a lot of grunt work...
we will get there
ILY!

savannah said...

here's to summer...always and tomorrow, sugar! xox

eric1313 said...

There was always gonna be another. From the moment, the blue lady sighed, curtsied to the sky and took her last breath, spilling 3800 gallons of blessed water cascading, there's was always gonna be another. I said it. Meant it. Believed.

That's the Blue Lady I always think of.

Living on her own lazy vinyl river
any time the occasion permits,
if not her beloved sandunes
with the surf crashing l
ike the heavy breath
of all creation
around you
in you
above
behind
below
becoming
became

All this can be right at home
anytime she cracks open a Mic
any given holiday
sunset
moonshine

The god of the sea
has nothing to do with it

but he's still invited
all the same

Scott from Oregon said...

I'm about a week away from dragging my blow up pool out of the shed, washing off the rat poopies, and filling her up.

I got me a really cool floatie and a pile of books...

eric1313 said...

Sitting at the local college and flexing again. I have so few chances lately. I hope it changes soon, as I miss our lively creations by the monitor glow, a couple drinks and some conversation by highwire.


I miss you so much!

And your artwork is outstanding, like always. I'm headed over to Gimmie Peace to check out the latest butterfly divas.

Peace and love, my friend.

singleton said...

skinny...Clink! And I know just what we're cheering to! Can't wait to see you piled up, floating, drifting, on a blow~up sailboat just across the little blue river from me! ILYSVVM....and more!

Babs.....Little house is getting tinier and tinier out my back window! High tide is rising and blocking the view! It's wonderful! Little one is coming Monday no matter what! Until then, all bets are on Alana, the baby with the old soul, who predicted very matter of factly from the get go....."He's comin' on the tenz of Mays...."!

Shimmerings....She's a beaut! And growing! On the 7th day, only 4 inches of glorious water to go! And I've been floating since the first puddle formed on the vinyl floor!

suchacoolcat.....:( your pool
:) Your words! I love it! You just make me smile!

savannah.....Oh, I second that! Cheers, girl, to all that's good....to the summer of our lives!

Eric....Clink! So nice to see you again! And find here, in the morning, your words, like Mardi Gras beads tossed from a parade that passed while I was sleeping! Wishing you all well in that world of yours and a time, when again, we can ramble, babble, carry on! Crazy times for everyone, this year.....And still we grow!

Scott...I remember well this time last year....the raising of the blue! The kids just blessed me with this giant blow~up yellow duck which is now circling the surface.....And I'm ummmmmm, thinking, it's a floating cooler!

Peace~love
May the river flow

Chris Benjamin said...

sweet memories of summertime water. gotta get me one of them inflatable numbers.

Ultra Toast Mosha God said...

As dreamy as ever.

This makes me think of all the great summers where memories are not confined to days - just moments of happiness in a long string unchained by chronology

singleton said...

benji....It should be on everyone's gotta~have list.....
And in case your not totally convinced, I'll talk you into it over the summer! :)

Ultra....Are you here yet? I hope your vacay is exactly that...."moments of happiness in a long string unchained by chronology"....... You boys just take that mini van on a blue vinyl spin......swirling, twirling, floating, dreaming, wandering!

Clink!
To the days of summer
and peace~love
It's here now!