Life’s little treasures bring a lot of pleasure
0 Comments | Buffalo News, Jul 17, 2010 | by Jessica Cronenberger
“A blue one!” It seems kind of silly now, but I was so excited. The long walk along the Lake Erie shore had netted us pocketfuls of sea glass, mostly clear, weather- and stone-etched jewels that made us stop in our tracks and pluck them from the sand. The blue ones were rare, thus eliciting an outcry from me.
What a strange little activity for two adults enjoying their early grandparenting years. But here we were, in a lakefront rental, relishing the early June solitude on a nearly deserted beach.
We thought we’d give this a try — take a week off just to get away from the same old household chores, lawn upkeep and work schedules without flying off somewhere that was bound to create more hustle and bustle.
I was very specific in this endeavor. The place had to have three bedrooms so the kids and grandkids could visit, a porch with Adirondack chairs, a view of the lake and the sound of rolling waves loud enough to remind me every minute that I was on vacation. I also wanted something close, within an hour’s drive, so that our children’s crazy schedules wouldn’t be a deterrent for them to come for a day or two.
The Web listings offered me several and, in checking one out, we found this one by default.
I was only 40 minutes from home but I felt a world away. The tufted grasses poking through the sand reminded me of the tall grasses at Hilton Head as you near the beach. At dusk the sky- water junction was seamless and, except for the lack of palms and 20 more degrees, I could have been on a tropical island in the Pacific from my vantage point on the deck.
The motorcycles and trucks that intrude on my few quiet moments at home were replaced with the sound of lapping water, eternally calming and noisy simultaneously. I did hear a squawking sea gull now and then and an occasional helicopter.
The only human contact that first day was an elderly gentleman named Eddie. He stopped by to chat to this newcomer in his neighborhood and relayed some of the history of these nearby homes.
It was barely 7:30 a.m., and we’d eaten, dressed and headed out for some fresh air when we spotted our first piece of sea glass barely standing out from the smooth stones that cover the sand. It took half an hour to see that first one and I remembered immediately the first time I had even heard of sea glass. The shores of Kennebunkport, Maine, were littered with it, reds and blues, too. We’d fill glass jars with all the tiny treasures the kids had collected and display them on our kitchen sill for a while.
I never really thought of Lake Erie shores having them, but why not? Surely this monster of a lake had seen its share of activity. Glass thrown overboard months ago or maybe even centuries ago. As the morning walk progressed, our eyes were conditioned to detect these shards and it became our new pastime.
I didn’t want to let it go. I strained to keep the chronic worries and distractions from contaminating this tranquil setting. Sun, warmth, breezes and sea glass. There’s more to be found, but I’m biding my time with those discoveries
etched glass