Saturday, June 06, 2009

The Leather Ladies

"Mom?"
"Don't stare, play on the swings."

16 years ago we moved into a lake community. Our various amenities included two beaches, two pools, boating docks, a couple playground. The main beach had a pool next to it and one of the playgrounds, a favorite hangout for moms with young children. You could spend the day there and then the kids would fall asleep as soon as their precious little heads hit the pillow. We spent a lot of time there. So did three old ladies. They would sit in their beach chairs at the waters edge for hours. Spreading tanning oil on their wrinkled skin. In their flowered, skirted bathing suits, with bright pink lipstick smeared on their faces. These three had fried themselves to the point beyond return, their skin resembled leather.
I haven't seen The Leather Ladies in years, one would have to assume they succumbed to skin cancer or spontaneous combustion. Raising my boys during those summer months became just a little bit easier because the The Leather Ladies.

"Mooommmm!"
"Stand still so I can put this sun screen on you. You don't want to look like The Leather Ladies do you?"

10 comments:

Unknown said...

You make me want bacon...

DouglasDyer said...

I think you just won the award for the most misleading blog title. Imagine my disappointment.

Nooter said...

oh i want bacon too!
bacon!!

ReformingGeek said...

Yeah. That's not something I want when I'm that age although it is getting hot enough here to spotaneously combust! EEEKKK!

Skye said...

I think I'm going to be one of those Leather Ladies when I grow up! I never wear sunscreen of any sort!

Leigh said...

I think every lake has a few ladies like that!

Anonymous said...

Is that coconut oil I smell?

Candice said...

There are a few leather ladies at our pool as well. Except they aren't old and they are apparently unaware that looking like a charcoal briquette is NOT sexy.

Suzanne said...

Beau - They were sizzling, but not in a good way.

I'm sorry Doug. You can present me with my award anytime.

Nooter - I know you do, hon.

ReformingGeek - They just looked like their skin was melting off of them.

Skye - Either do I. But I really, really, really don't want to look like that.

Leigh - I know they do.

Lunatron - I never got in whiffing distance of them.

Candice - My God. I wonder if I'm one of the unaware.

Skye said...

Apparently raw tomatoes have an "ingredient" in them that actually helps you to better absorb the suns rays and turn them into vitamin D which in turn helps you to tan. And guess what, a proper tan with a proper amount of naturally made vit D in your system helps to block the harmful UV rays thereby helps to prevent skin cancer. I say eat some raw tomatoes and soak up the sun, nothing quite like it :D