Monday, July 31, 2006

A Career in Fashion?


Drawn by my 11-year-old granddaughter during our trip to the beach. I'm thinking a career in fashion is in order, either illustration or design.
This is the girl who is spending her third straight week at the beach; this time with a friend and her parents. How nice it is to be popular and in demand.....when I was a child, no one ever offered me a trip to the beach. In fact, I was 16 before I saw the ocean. Can you believe it?

The only place we ever went on vacation was to Ohio, to stay with my mom's sister and her husband. They had no children, so I had to rely on neighborhood kids for entertainment while we were there. I wrote once before about the girl with the cherry tree in her back yard, and how I would come back to my aunt's house with cherry stains all over my face and clothing.

One summer we did vary our trip; we started out in Ohio, then drove to Michigan to visit my dad's niece. After that we drove across Ontario, Canada to Niagara Falls and back to my aunt's in Ohio. After that we drove to DC, did all the tourist sites there, and ended up in Virginia Beach, visiting my dad's brother, who was in the Navy.

And that, my friends is why I didn't see the ocean until I was sixteen. Do you pity me? I moved to Norfolk to be near the ocean after college - well - not really for that reason - but it was a definite perk.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

We did the family visiting at vacation time, too. But with a twist. My aunt/uncle/cousins would meet us at the same hotel every August in Myrtle Beach. Thus, I spent 16 straight summers at the beach, and grew to wish I could go anywhere but there.

Married a beach bum, too, I did. Makes vacation planning an awkward time in our house. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Yep...looks like fashion is in somebody's future. Surely that is not a 'belly-button' I see there? :)

In my life of "Believe It or Not" I made it to the beach when I was 21 years old - courtesy of the Air Force. Biloxi,MS was where I lost my beach viginity.

Susie said...

My very earliest memories are of the ocean (age 3 perhaps?) It remains my favorite place to escape...

Chancy said...

Judy
I didn't see the ocean until I was 15. My brother was stationed in Hollywood Florida when he was in the navy during WW2. (Lucky guy) He met and married a local girl and they soon had a baby. My mother and I went on the Greyhound bus from Athens, Georgia, to visit them and see the baby. Thus I got to see the ocean, which was much more interesting to me than the baby, my niece.:)

Lois Lane said...

That granddaughter of yours looks to be an artist and a fashion designer. Not to mention a lucky ducky getting to go to the beach. Our vacations were very much like yours growing up. :)
Lois Lane

Shephard said...

My dad took me ocean fishing (blech) when I was probably 13. So I saw the ocean. But I never visited an actual beach til I moved to FL at age 22.
Cute drawings! I bet there are some fun "how to draw fashion" books on Amazon. Make a nice bday/xmas gift. ;)
~S

Anonymous said...

Why do these drawings look exactly like the ones I made at the same age?

As one who grew up squeezed in by the ocean and a bay, I do feel bad for your late entry into the sea world. But I'm sure you made up for lost time.

Kristi said...

Ohh... very nice drawings. I'm 30 and can barely manage a stick figure.

I didn't go on many vacations as a kid either. No money in my house! But that made me appreciate all the traveling I've done as an adult even more.

utenzi said...

*blush* Sorry about that faux pas, Judy. I thought I remembered something about party affiliation a while back. I stand corrected!

OldLady Of The Hills said...

That is amazing Judy that you did not see the ocean till you were 16. There is so much we take for granted as children because that's all we know...
Those drawings by your grandaughter are delightful! I think she is a budding designer, for sure!

Unknown said...

Kenju: Nice story.I hope you truly enjoy the State you now live in. I have friends who find it gorgeous there year-round! Thanks for stopping by!!!

Raggedy said...

The drawing is wonderful. She is very talented..

At least there was some nice photography before the others..*sigh

The Meth poem was very good. That would be a good thing for the young adults to read...

Have a wonderful day!
*^_^
(=':'=) huge huggles
(")_ (")Š from da Raggedy one

Anonymous said...

I have my students analyze drawings during my lecture on personality assessments...glad to convey the good news that your grand-daughter is not only very talented...but has a very stable personality :)

TLP said...

Your daughter is talented!

I first saw the ocean at age 15. I was thrilled. People of modest means didn't travel when I was a girl.

Anonymous said...

Such talent! I hope she finds her niche. :)
I think we went on two vacations while growing up. No... maybe 3.
Once to Kentucky to visit my aunt. Once to Georgia and once to Sanibel Island.
That's all I can remember. Vacations were few and far between. I used to hate the first week of school when everyone asked what you did that summer and I never had an answer!

fakies said...

Clearly, she has much more artistic talent than I.

I am 26 and have never been to the ocean. That's what I get for living in the middle of nowhere.

Suburban Island said...

I love the ocean. I wish I lived closer to it. I just got back from our annual beach vacation. I did a video montage of a day at the beach - Ocean City, MD. Stop by and see if it brings back memories. It will remind you of Virginia Beach.