62 and good enough




At the weekend Steve and I had our first outing on our boat this year. It's been a funny old year as we all know and it had taken us some time to decide if we'd bother getting our boat into the water. But we have and it was lovely to get away from work and home on Sunday. We pootled off at no great pace, enjoying the sights and sounds of being on the water during such a beautiful spell of weather. 




We neither of us take our life here on the Isles of Scilly for granted, making sure that we talk about our good fortune often, especially on days like this. There's something utterly timeless about these boating days which spans our 40 years of being together. The simple freedom of having a boat opens up opportunities to visit other islands in the archipelago, be they populated or uninhabited. Mostly we take ourselves off to an uninhabited spot, aiming to have a beach to ourselves. On Sunday we weren't alone in that thought.




During the summer months these Fortunate Isles are a lure for the yachting community and it almost has to be an act of stealth to land upon a stretch of sand that hasn't been claimed by a like minded party. Local boats can be seen circling the islands looking for their very own private beach. And that's what we did for almost an hour as the tide was receding that morning. 




At Old Grimsby there's a tiny smattering of rocks, hardly islands as such, called the Small Islands where Steve and I had spent many a courting day, catching shrimps and having picnics long before we married. These rocky outcrops aren't blessed with pure silky sand and offer little to do for families and therefore were a great place for two young lovers to escape to. It became a favourite spot for us.  We'd clamber up over the rocks onto the grassy tussocks on top to eat our picnic and view the world from our vantage point, people-watching as boats zig-zagged below us and windsurfers whizzed past on their way to nowhere. Later, laying down on our blanket, we would become invisible to the world as we watched clouds scudding by, terns screeching overhead. 




This particular islet is called Foreman Island where we enjoyed an idyllic few hours on Sunday. We spread a blanket and enjoyed our time just like we used to. The decades slipped away as we talked about our lives when we had first met. The fabric of these islands hasn't changed for thousands of years. Superficially yes, buildings have been erected and castles have crumbled, but the core of the Scillies remains the same. I take great solace in that. Generations will come and go, but barring some terrible natural disaster, these beautiful islands will always be the same.




Vapour trails are still a rarity in the skies above us. One of the best things about lock-down was the untainted skies overhead for months and months.






I had earmarked this sandbar as a good location for a photo shoot, bringing a mermaid frock with me for the moment when the tide dropped enough to reveal the white blond silky brow of sand. As we made our way out towards the Eastern Isles we could see that our plans were coinciding with others. The colourful sails of little toppers signaled company and as we got nearer we could see some kayaks there too. However, by the time we had transferred onto our little dingy, the interlopers were leaving and the sandbar became ours.





I hadn't planned to do a bikini shoot, but when we hit the beach the idea came to me I decided that it was the right thing to do. Unplanned, you see me without fake tan on my white belly or beach mules to lengthen my legs. The hand placed on that soft vulnerable spot of my tummy eventually drops away to reveal the truth of a 62 year old woman. Sea swimming is my only form of exercise, well that plus the frantic bit of cycling to and from the beaches, but in an ideal world I'd workout to keep myself more toned and trim. Having Madonna as a role model for my age is a tough act to follow and I do wonder sometimes if I had my own chef and personal trainer would I be sporting a springy, nay rock-hard body like hers.









A lifetime of dieting and feeling dissatisfied with my body is at last giving way to believing that I'm good enough - that this body is good enough. In years to come I'd love to think that society will have its focus on other things rather than our exterior selves. In the meantime, I'm the result of my upbringing, of a father who poked fun at my chumpfy thighs and of a gym mistress who pointed out how I had the whitest legs on the cross country team. My formative years were plagued by these shortcomings and only now have I laid them to rest. Happiness by way of body confidence doesn't rely on the word perfect. I'm 62 and good enough. Hurrah for that!


PS The mermaid dress will be showcased next time, so do please swing by again at the end of the week to see it.

                                                                            Anna x

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18 comments

  1. Hi Anna, "There's something utterly timeless about these boating days…" I know exactly what you mean, feeling this timeless moments, hours or days with my husband - since 1978! Not on a boat, but when we bike, hike or travel together.
    So wise from you to be over any critique to your body. Grateful,for our 62 old bodies, the best ones, we have. And we learned from our unpleasant experiences and confirm already the youngest girls, that they are beautiful and unique just like they are!
    All the best, Susa

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    1. I agree that long term relationships have given us this amazing sense of timelessness - it is indeed a blessing for us. My husband and I have likewise been together since 1978! With age, at last is coming some wisdom about our wonderful bodies x

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  2. Hello Anna what a beautiful place you live. And what a glorious day for taking your boat out. Your post is a timely reminder to us all to cherish our beloved ones in a time of flux and rupture in the world. There is wonderful solace in the timelessness of natural beauty and being with our loved ones.
    As to body confidence, I think you look amazing. I used to get caught up in all that body dissatisfaction but then I got cancer in my forties. I had to have body and life changing surgery which in effect saved my life. Now I'm hugely grateful for my body with its scars. Beauty, fashion, clothes are still so much fun for me and I love the fact that I can walk, run and move my body. Hugs to you xxx

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    1. Thank you for sharing your personal story Juliana. Some times it takes ill health to make us realise how very fortunate we are, but goodness you've done so well to have such a positive outlook considering your journey.
      Hugs to you too my dear friend xxx

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  3. I'm ever so slightly envious of your boat trip, and I think you did the right thing getting your boat into the water! How wonderful it must be to have all that magnificent scenery at your disposal. I think you look absolutely amazing in your bikini, Anna! xxx

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    1. It's been another beautiful weekend here and yes, we've had another trip out in our boat. It's such a treat to live here and take part in the big outdoors from the vantage point of a boat. Two huge heads appeared in the water nearby - bull seals! Such a wonderful sight!

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  4. You are better than good enough, my dear Anna! Happy Birthday, and still killin' it in a bikini at 62! Can I be you when I grow up? :)

    Gorgeous pictures, and how fun that you and Steve revisited your old dating grounds!

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    1. Sorry Sheila, it's not by birthday - just that I can't wear my bikini in January so am doing a bit of showing off some months later!

      We're reveling in the freedom our boat offers. It seems to be sweeter than ever under the current circumstances!

      xxx

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  5. Beautiful pictures and a great decision to go ahead and have a super day out on your boat.
    I think that you look amazing in your bikini and totally confident; you are still rocking it Anna!
    Can’t wait to see the mermaid dress ... don’t keep us waiting too long. X

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    1. I think the confidence comes from being along with only my husband on that beautiful stretch of beach! I'm not sure it's for public consumption...

      The mermaid dress is live now - hope you like it x

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  6. happy Birthday to you Anna! i finally researched the island you live on and it leaves me so intrigued....do you have a post i can read about how you ended up living there? i would be so interested to read : ) and the struggles of ourselves with our bodies--i think there comes a time when we just get tired of worrying about it...doesn't mean i don't stop eating all my beautifully nutritious food...but i am struggling with a protruding belly right now, which i am actually concerned there might be a medical problem.... xo eva

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    1. Not actually my birthday Eva, just that rather annoying habit we old gals have of mentioning our ages at any given opportunity, hahaha!

      Anyway, I'm pleased that you've taken a look at Tresco. To find read more about my story see this post - http://www.annasislandstyle.com/2017/09/my-15-minutes.html

      I do hope that you give this pop belly checked out, even if it's just for peace of mind.

      Take care xxx

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  7. This will be the first year in 20!that we can't visit the UK. I get tears in my eyes often enough by the photos of your beautiful island, but now totally, I want to go so badly, feel homesick. But let's hope for next year. And you have every reason to be proud of your body !!

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    1. Life is so very different for us all Nancy. I can imagine how you feel, but I know that we won't be going on holiday any time soon. I'm so lucky however, to live where I do as we can have a day out on our boat and it feels like mini-break.

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  8. Be proud woman! Madonna is cut, sucked and sculpted by the best surgeons in the world. You've achieved this all by yourself. And I'm still bloody determined to visit your island! xx

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    1. Thanks for that Laurie.

      One day, let's hope we'll catch up here on Tresco xxx

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  9. What a lovely post, dear Anna!, love the photos of the gorgeous landscape and gloriously blue water, your remembrances of previous visits to this isle (so evocative) and your uplifting attitude!. And love that you're showing your fabulousness wearing your bikini with a joyful smile and an encouraging statement!, You Are Gorgeous, dear Anna!
    besos

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    1. Thanks Monica. You're a great cheer-leader and confidence booster too!

      It's so lovely to share the photos of this beautiful part of the world with all of my readers.

      xxx

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