On Cape Cod, I stayed with a friend of 30 years. This is the view from her house. For dinner, she grilled a freshly caught trout which was delicious. Her other guest, D., caught the trout.
Hydrangeas say "Cape Cod." They are all over the place. After dinner, we went to a poetry reading in a small room at the Irish pub. It was packed. At least 24 people. Eight read at the open mike and then the featured poet read many poems about his mentally ill mom. Intense. Sooo fun to be among people who love poetry.
On Friday I zoomed over to my storage unit. Forgot to take a picture. Kinda boring anyway. I furiously opened boxes and tossed things to give away into a laundry basket. Filled the car and drove to a thrift store to leave the stuff off. I was so exhausted from the Thursday drive and just madly tossing things away that I decided not to clear out any more stuff. Not in the state I was in.
Hollyhock. Friday night my hosts went to dinner at their friend's house and so I was alone. Lovely though. I cooked a bit of fish, read, played with the kitties,went to bed early.
On Saturday I returned to the storage unit, loaded up my car with things to bring back, stopped at the beach, the health food store and thrift shops. That evening my hosts had a dinner party and book group. Three couples, me and the other guest and another member of the book group who is freshly divorced. This group has been meeting for years and years. The divorced man "got" the book group in the divorce decree. :)
The group discussed Water for Elephants. That day, my hostess D. found this elephant in a thrift store. Usually a doll sits in this high chair. I couldn't join in the discussion as I hadn't read the book but it was fun to listen. Everyone so bright and articulate and loving books and literature and reading. The meals at the discussions are supposed to reflect the foods in the book. In this book, D. found a complete meal described: oysters, roast beef and potatoes. The appetizers were cotton candy and peanuts. The dessert a caramel apple cheese cake. And J., my hostesses DH, lit a fire and I sat right next to it. Yum.
18 comments:
there's nothing quite like being surrounded by salt water and like-minded individuals.
It sounds like you had some fun and got some work done. Just having the sea near by would be enough for me to be in bliss :-).
Suki, first of all I love your header photo...and I adore all of these other photos, too. Hydrangeas...how beautiful are they? Don't you love the way they change color as they mature?
Oh, and to be among people who are of a like mind! I find that difficult to find away from the web, but it sounds like you have quite a group there. And I adore the story of the gentleman acquiring the book group in his divorce settlement!
I am glad you had sucha great trip, Suki. You needed that to be sure.
Oh my goodness...what a delight to be taken along on this trippy visit of yours...First: I LOVE the banner with your feet in the sand. It is beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everything you did, ate, saw, experienced warmed my heart to hear. Just to know you were with long time friends, enjoying both solitude and company, good food, wonderful scenery, and delightful little extras like the little cotton elephant in the wooden highchair with cute napkin rings and one lone peanut, and the funny news that someone could get a "book group" in a divorce decree. You left me laughing with that one! So glad it was such an enjoyable trip.
I like that sideways hollyhock too.
beautiful place, beautiful photos.. thank you for taking me along on the virtual trip.. and welcome back!
M. Heart. True, It was refreshing indeed and heartening.
Annie, yes, you must get yourself back to the sea soon. If I were still on the Cape I'd invite you there.
Kim, I do love hydrangeas. Up here in the north you don't see many though they say there is a special kind that will grow up here. Well, the like minded D, I have known for many years. One thing to be said for living in the same area for 30 years is...plenty of time to meet this person and that person and find folks that you jive with in that way.
Thanks Lynn. I did have a little bit of just about everything fun. Thanks re: banner. I love that photo too. I guess I should take a matching photo up here of me feet in the leaves or dirt or something.
Thanks Natalya. I'm both glad to be back, and longing to go back. ;)
This bittersweet post touched me down deep. The tossing, clearing, keeping, and savoring of life. The food, friends, memories, and longings. All life ... all wrapped in the daily walk as we journey on to more tossing, clearing, keeping, and savoring of more food, friends, memories, and longings. The cycle which delights. The cycle which causes one to pause and ponder before taking the next step.
I love your little corner of the world -- "truth and pondering welcome here" hangs over the door. Thanks for letting me in to sit and think.
p.s.
Lovely banner pic. The sand, oh the glorious healing sand.
Suki, oh, what a gorgeous landscape and your pictures are great. Good that you had the occasion to get new images and impressions for some days, and all this poetry and literature must be essential food for you:)
(love this flower Hollyhock, don't know what it is but it's sooo beautiful, also the leafs and the buds!)
Have a good day and hope you got at least one or two things out of the storage unit which now make your day:)
love
andrea
LOVE YOUR NEW HEADER!!!
I have to completely agree with "M". How simply wonderful for you. I am green with envy.
Before I started blogging and found you all, I was starving for kindred spirits (there don't seem to be any for miles and miles from me where I live either). Finding all these blog friends was like coming home.
I'm so glad you had a good visit; so theraputic and rejuvinating for you, (except for the throwing away part).
Thanks Debbie for reflecting on the cycles of tossing and keeping and renewing. I guess that is what I am doing right now. What to keep what to discard. Sometimes it is hard to know. I do love the sand and sea though.
Andrea, maybe you dont have hollyhocks there, but it is an old flower. Other than that I know nothing. Yes, literature and poetry and the written word are inspiration sources for me even though I don't write much anymore. It's funny about the boxes I brought back. Some i looked into before packing and others I didnt so I ended up with a box of books I'd just as soon exchange for a different box, all because the label was inaccurate due to the fact that I have packed and unpacked these boxes so many times. Oh well, most of what i brought, craft supplies and nick nacks, are fun and make Mom's place more mine as I put them around here and there.
You sound like a thirsty person who has just found a drink of water.
Oh what a wonderful post!
So happy to read you had such a good time there!
That you were among friends and people who love poetry and books.
you must have sucked it in like a thursty plant......
I love you new look!!!
Love the light blue and the new banner!!!!
Oh so sandy beachy and summery........
Wish summer wasn´t over yet
love >M<
Sounds like you had a lovely time. I hope you got your fill for awhile. Nice you had a place to go and they gave you some privacy too. Nice you got some of your stuff to bring back. Nothing makes you feel more at home then your own things.
Oh and...I too love your header. I never got to say that I loved the gourds too.
I just heard from Con's brother and wife. They come Sunday for a few days. Nice to have visitors or be a visitor.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Katie Jane. I hope you find some real life kindred spirits somewhere. I havent found them up here yet except maybe for the yoga class group which I dont really know well yet. The throwing away part probably was good too, I tossed a stack of videos, utensils, and so forth and always feel that downsizing is good. It's just that I can't do it quickly. That's why I stopped. I might have tossed something I regretted later.
Mim you say so much with so few words.
Marianne, the banner--the last roses or is that toeses of summer. Soon it will be white and windy photos.
Thanks Cris. Hope you have a good visit with Con's brother. Nice they are coming to offer him support and keep in touch.
Suki, Your Cape photos show your few days as a true dance...dance with old friends, places, storage belongings and for a short time a dance with the other life you have missed so much. Thank you for sharing....you have really young cute feet too!
Mary Ann
love the view from her house...love the ellie in the highchair, what a wonderful pictorial post.
thanks Blue Sky dreaming. It is a lovely place and I did have fun. Thanks re: my tootsies.
Soulbrush, that view. Just so peaceful. They now have a small painting of the view done by a local artist too. I love staying at their house.
Post a Comment