Sunday, June 03, 2007
 
THE BEACH
Millie at the Ocean

As far back as I can remember I have loved the beach. On a hot summer day our destination was Revere Beach which was about a thirty minute ride by streetcar. My mother would pack a lunch and all the things that we would need for a day in the sun. One of the things she took along was a blanket, those were the days before the invention of the beach chair.

In order to make sure that we would have a seat on the street car we would walk an extra block to stand a better chance of getting a seat. It was no fun if you had to stand in a hot and crowded streetcar, most of the time we got a seat.
As we got close to the beach and could see the water a loud cheer would be heard from the passengers, me included.

We had arrived!!

Millie on the Beach

I remember many things about the beach experience but i"ll just relate one that I remember very vividly. In those days the men wore wool bathing suits. My father loved the sun and did not like being so covered up by his suit so he dropped the top part of the suit, along came a policeman and told him in no uncertain terms to cover up!

At the end of the day we walked the length of the boardwalk until we came to what was called "the carbarn." It was always fun getting to the car barn because on the way we would stop for either a hot dog, soft serve ice cream or caramel corn. Sometimes I would have a ride on the Flying Horses" the Whip or go into the Haunted House."

Two Girls in a Beach towel

As a teenager I went to Revere Beach with my girlfriends. The meeting place was called "Punks Corner." In order to get to the beach, we still had to travel in that hot street car. No air conditioning yet!

Than came the time that one of my friends had a car and DROVE. Off we went to Fishermans Beach in Swampscott. That beach had no amusement park or refreshment stands but the fellows we meet were worth the trip. We always had a great time at Fishermans!!

Millie on a Diving Board

There were times I would spend weekends at the Cape with my friends. Beautiful sandy beachs and what made it really special was the water was "WARM."

There is a lot more I could write about the beach but I'm going to skip ahead to the present day. No more going to the beach, not even in Florida. It's a lot easier to walk over to the pool! No packing up the car, no looking for a place to park, no sand to bring home, there are no man-o-wars and the water is not freezing!

Ahoy Sailor

On occasion I still enjoy walking on the beach, collecting sea shells and trying to get a picture of a seagull but give me the pool anytime!!


Comments:
HUBBA! HUBBA!, Millie! You are still a looker now, but you were gorgeous then!! What wonderful photos. I don't think I have any of me in a bathing suit when I was young.
 
This brings back a lot of old memories when I was a kid. I use to live near the beach in Naples, Florida. I use to walk on the beach everyday and collect sea shells with my mom.

In today's environment, I'm far from living near a beach. When I do go to a beach, I appreciate it more then ever.
 
Check the gams on those gals! Pretty sharp, Millie!

I never saw an ocean beach until I was 17 yrs old, on my high school senior trip and we came to some beaches in Fla. Most memorable, was the sight of Daytona Beach, with virtually no people.

Groucho Marx and an entourage appeared. I was the only one that recognized him. Someone in his group realized I had done so, and started shaking his head "no" with a gesture to not approach. I was reclined on the beach and had no intention of doing so, as I thought then and have since, when encountering celebrities, that it would be rude to intrude on their private time.
 
Oh My Millie

I like occasional trips to the beach but I agree....give me a pool anytime.
 
You sure brought back great memories for me....I also frequented both Revere Beach and Fisherman's as a teen. As a child, we'd head to Dane Street Beacj and Lynch Park in Beverly...nice beaches there also.
But like you, I much prefer pools today.
Wow...what a bathing beauty you were, Millie! Just like Veronica Lake...minus that hair in her face.
Thanks for the memories here!
 
Love your pictures :)
 
Hi. My name is Abby and I'm a journalist in Brisbane, Australia. I work for a magazine called 50 something, which is aimed at people 50 years and older. I think your website is great and I'd love to interview you for an article in my magazine, if you'd be interested.
 
The happiest memories of my childhood are of the beach and the times we spent there.
 
Great photos, Millie!!! I love the beach, too! I think I was born with sand in my shoes!
 
What a dish!
 
I enjoyed your post Re: the Beach. The photos are spectacular. I grew up loving the beach as my mother took us and we went by street car. It was an exciting Event! Now I'm so happy to go to the Pool at my complex. No Sand, no bringing Chairs etc. I have to keep things very simple. Where did the energy and the years go? Thank you for such an interesting post.
You brought yesterday to the present time. Nanci
 
Millie, I love your photo's. I think you look so beautiful! My Mom used to tell me stories about how she and her friends would take trips to the beach and the cape. Such a different time.

Peace!
 
Having lived by the sea myself, I truly understand the feelings you have for "beach life".

I think the older we get, the stronger this feeling gets. I was back in my old coastal home town last week and I miss it terribly. KP
 
Millie, your photos are stunning. So glad you posted them. And I loved your beach stories. I spent a lot of time on the beach as a kid, as my parents lived in Normandy, and later we would spend our holiday there.
But I'm with you, the water is really cold!
I am back in Paris and trying to catch up with all my blog reading!
 
Millie,

What wonderful memories, and how nice to share! The photos were perfect compliments.

Speaking of compliments, I'll agree with the others - you are and were a gorgeous lady.

I still love to swim in the surf. Pool's nice too, but I enjoy the saltwater and the waves now and again.
 
What a wonderful memories.

Even My kid is like you always on the beach. With out his knowledge I
have taken lots of photos.

He always prefers to ware beach casuals. I just ordered
"Nike Little Flight Bal(TD)"
from
shoedeals4u.com, lets
see whether it will fit his lifestyle.
 
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