The Sands of Time

When my children were young we often traveled to Taylor’s Resort on the Marblehead Peninsula in Ohio. Taylor’s Resort was owned by my father and step mother. In the early 70′s Marblehead was relatively undeveloped; a peaceful camping and cabin resort area on Lake Erie. It was relatively inexpensive, ideal for families.
One interaction between my father and my daughter remains in my memory. She had spent the day cavorting on the sandy beach(slightly larger than a postage stamp).
Each evening my step mother would prepare a delicious dinner. We were all sitting around the table gabbing about something when Lisa entered from her play. She began to remove her shoes stopping when she realized that they were full of sand. She quickly went to the back door, removed her sneakers and left them on the back stoop. A stoop is a porch that is not large enough to be called a porch. Its more like a step hence stoop? Maybe “storch” would be more descriptive but stoop it is.
My father asked Lisa if she emptied her shoes. Answering with perfect aplomb she said ” Oh no, I put them on the stoop so the sand can melt away.”
Hey, cute is cute, so we all laughed. Needless to say this left grandpa speechless which was a rare thing indeed.

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