Mono Monday - curves

This is my first mono Monday challenge and having been stuck in the house today waiting for kitchen appliances to be delivered it means I have little opportunity to get outside.

However having been on the beach yesterday and because that is such a novelty for us as we don't live near a coast my children gathered some shells and their favourite pebble to bring home. I thought I would photograph these for the challenge as they are curvy and smooth and each one different to the other.

We found all sorts of shells on the beach - a crab shell, muscle shells, but a lot of them were in a bad way having been bashed around against the big pebbles I guess. But I hope these few that were pocketed by my son (I didn't realise at the time) will serve as a memoir for their trip to the seaside. The big pebble in the middle has tiny tiny crystals in that sparkle when you hold it to the light.

Whilst the trip was yesterday and not today taking this photograph has made me reflect a little more on our time on the beach. Initially we had only planned on staying for a short time because we had a long drive home and had had a long day Saturday, but the sun was shining and the children were having so much fun. They created their own games - lining up pebbles on a ridge and trying to knock them into the water by throwing other pebbles, standing in the waves and seeing who managed to be the last one standing before losing their balance against the force of the waves, and i remember my son commenting that he loved the sound of the sea - something that I had commented on in my blip the day before. Because the children were so content and joyful we ended up staying for several hours, making the most of the good weather and making memories.

These games and the simplicity of the fun they created were a reminder that children don't need much in order to learn, experience pleasure and to be happy. We could see the joy on their faces every time a wave nearly took them of their feet. In modern life children have so many unnecessary gadgets and toys and in a lot of ways I wish they didn't exist. They are so much happier when they are in nature, experiencing life as it is meant to be.

I discussed this with my husband at the time and he pointed out that whilst that is true, the good weather had been on our side and their experience would have been different if the rain had been pouring, but nevertheless I'm sure they would still have enjoyed themselves!

Being in nature is also rewarding for us as adults. We forget the pleasure we can get from simply watching and observing our surroundings. These shells and pebbles will remind me (and my children) of the lovely time we had together as a family on the lovely beach in Brighton.