Tuesday, July 15, 2008

where does it take you?

We had to get some Coppertone spray on sunscreen this summer-- turns out I am immune to Banana Boat brand! (It is not cool to get a sunburn after spending 20 minutes dutifully applying sunscreen!!) Anyhow, every time I spray it I am vaulted back in time to the summers of my youth. It's not so much the smell of swimming lessons, because we always froze out butts off at like 8 AM in the Saco River, so mom didn't bother to lube us all up before the sun was even out. We did go to the ocean a lot, and there were a few summers we'd join my grandparents at the St. Lawrence River in upstate NY. I guess we must have only used Coppertone, because that's where I go when I put it on. Girly agrees. Her memories will probably include swimming lessons, since they get to go at 1:00, and trips to the Cape. I love family traditions :)

6 comments:

SJ said...

Coopertone is a smell that then brings the feeling of sand stuck to me. That's summer! 1:00 swim lessons, what a luxury. I did mine at what felt like 5:00 am when the water was still cold, maybe that is why I don't like them so much.

Wendy said...

I love that! I grew up in a suburb in Alabama, and during the summer, I spent every day up at the country club (a mile-long walk along hot, tar roads) in the pool. Coppertone was THE smell - that and chlorine ;). The coppertone smell takes me poolside, and even the thought of the smell hurls me back to that yesteryear :). Ah! That cool water would feel lovely today ;).

Katie said...

I think of Aruba, where we honeymooned. It was our goal to be smart in the ever present sun and much to our pleasure, we were successful...Ironically, as a child, I don't recall wearing lots of sunscreen when we were at our OOB cottage. It's funny how things change.

phenomemom said...

We got spray-on sunscreen this year too, but we hate it. It's greasy and it feels very thin, like it wouldn't last long. But then again, we didn't get Coppertone brand, because I'm too cheap. Is Coppertone worth shelling out the extra money?

Both my kids swimming lessons this year are at the UMF pool - this will be Thing 1's 3rd year there and Thing 2's 1st year. So no sunscreen involved. Just eye-stinging chlorine.

Smells certainly can evoke strong memories. Just like music. :)

The Buck Shoots Here said...

I guess Coppertone is worth the price as none of us have burned wearing it...

:)

Katie said...

We had a spray-on that we used in Martha's Vineyard that was supposed to be rub-free...We ended up all getting burned and I agree, it felt thin. Poor Mikey, he shedded like crazy a few days later.