little treasures from the sea

I cannot go to the beach without scouring the shore for heart shaped rocks. I started collecting them many years ago when my two year old niece handed me one and said "I'm giving you my little heart." I melted into a little puddle at that bit of adorableness (word?) and started looking for little hearts myself. An obsession was born. That little two year old is heading off to college come fall. I've amassed quite a collection over the years. I don't consider it a perfect vacation unless I find at least one heart shaped rock.

The beach we go to every summer doesn't have much in the way of beachcombing. The surf is so strong that most shells are smashed into little pieces. But the flip side of this is that the strength of the pounding waves also polishes those little bits of shells and small rocks. They are so smooth and soft. Teresa once rubbed one of the shells over her chubby two year old cheek and told me "Mumma, my shell feels like lotion." We walk on the beach every morning and choose just a few to add to our bowl at home. Sometimes all it takes to send me back to the beach is to dip my hand in the bowl and rub a few between my fingers.