Ventura Beach

Tuesday July 7, 1992

Up at 6:30 Frank takes the boat to get an awning for shade installed in Van Nuys. I'm up at 7:40. I must pick up Junior & Joseph at 8 a.m., but I feel queazy from my chemo I just started last night again for 2 weeks. I have a hard time getting going. I try a banana. I manage to pick up the boys at 8:00. They're ready to go. At 10 a.m. I'm feeling better and we take off for the beach in Ventura. We find a nice beach but it is quite a walk to the water. I'm pooped when we reach the water. Then it's another big walk to the restrooms.

The boys make a sand castle and swim. We have lunch and Frank plays volleyball with them. The boys are really good even serving from outside and good dives.

At home Frank gets lots of help cleaning the garage. The boys decide to go to bed at 10 p.m. 3 in a bed.

Nothing like alot of fresh air, sunshine and exercise to tire kids out! I wish I had a picture of those 3 pre-teenage boys sleeping together in one bed. Cute!

Growing up in Southern California my mom would take us to the beach every week during the summer months. Mostly we went to Santa Monica Beach near the pier. Even back in the 50s there was horrible traffic on the 405 Freeway coming home, so we would have to leave before 3:00 to beat the traffic. Later, as a teenager, we usually went to Zuma Beach in Ventura County. Ventura County beaches are less crowded than Los Angeles County, but the water is still warm. Zuma Beach had great waves for body surfing. I have lots of good memories of building sand castles and swimming in the warm water. Here in Sonoma County where I live now in Northern California, swimmming in the ocean is out of the question, even in the summer. The water is much too cold. Fortunately, though, we have plenty of lakes for swimming.