Saturday, May 24, 2014

Last Weekend in Boston

I've been busy reading and running back and forth to Boston.  Now that the driving back and forth (5+ hours each way, depending on traffic  -  and we ran into a lot of traffic on this last trip!) is over, I have many things to catch up on at 'home'.  I say 'home' because Philadelphia will never feel as much like 'home' as New England feels like 'home'.  I've had the house to clean, after a month of neglect, and tons of small things to do that could wait until our vacation was over.

This past weekend was our last in Boston for this trip.  The big tragedy was that my Kindle went into a coma just when I needed it.  I was almost finished with India Black and didn't take another book, figuring that I'd just use my Kindle.  I charged it on Thursday, but when I opened it on Saturday, it said the battery was completely dead.  I hadn't brought the charger either.  So much for packing lightly.  (It's been fine since I charged it when we got back and is still holding a charge.  No idea what happened.)

One of the first things I did when we got to Boston was go to Bromfield Pen Shop for more fountain pen ink.  I just can't resist it!  Baystate Concord Grape and Ottoman Azure.  So, this photo is for Stefanie:



I was FORCED to go to Commonwealth Books to look for something to read.  I looked for Jamaica Inn, which Katrina and I plan to read together in June, but no luck.  I had a copy in Philly, but I thought if I could find a copy in Boston, I'd get a little head start.  However, I found four more Phoebe Atwood Taylor Asey Mayo mysteries!  I found nine over the course of our vacation in Boston, a real treasure.  But I learned my lesson about relying solely on my Kindle!  I felt very anxious without a book.




On Saturday, we met our friend Jenny, our ex-veterinarian, on Cape Cod.  We had lunch at the Old Yarmouth Inn and then she and I walked across the street to Parnassus used book store while Jack napped in the car.  I bought a Gladys Taber book I didn't own, My Own Cape Cod, and Jenny bought a copy of Ferdinand the Bull for her grandson.




Then the three of us walked up the street to the Edward Gorey House Museum.  I had my camera with me, but, as usual, I forgot to take pictures!  The house is a lovely, typical, old Cape house.  The downstairs is the only part open to the public, but there's so much to see there that it was enough for us. Gorey was one of the most imaginative and creative people I can think of.  I wish I'd known him.  He adored cats and reading and smooth, round stones and the ballet and toy mice (maybe for his cats) and too many other things to list.  I bought a T-shirt with books, the word 'Read' all over it, and cats lazing on all the books.


The docent at the Gorey House suggested that we might like to drive to Gray's Beach, one of the loveliest on the Cape.  Jenny had to get back to take care of her dogs, so Jack and I went to take a look.  It was a marsh on an inlet rather than a ripping, crashing wave, ocean beach.  But it had a long boardwalk across the marsh.  We saw an osprey nest and there was an osprey on it!  If you look closely at the photo, I hope you can see it.  The sea air was refreshing and reminded us of one of the things we miss about living inland.  We felt healthy breathing the salt air instead of the gritty stuff that passes for air in Philly.



And now we're back in Philadelphia.  We had a wonderful month in New England and hope to go back next fall.  The condo we rent for a month at a time is now like a home away from home.

Turtle, our cat, is still not sure that we won't be packing up and leaving her this weekend.  I've assured her that we're here for the next four or five months, but I don't think she believes me.  It's hard to read or use my lap top with a large, insecure grey cat on my lap!





8 comments:

  1. What I want to know is - what are you doing with all that ink? Do you do calligraphy? I've always fancied trying that. Thanks for those lovely photos, I can see the osprey and love the T-shirt. You know I'm not a cat person although I can sort of see the attraction now that G had McNulty, but I must admit that Turtle does look very nice.

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    1. I don't do calligraphy, but I wish I did. My handwriting is HORRIBLE because I write too fast. I don't know why I constantly feel in a hurry, but I do.

      I love color and am very sensitive to it. If colors are not complementary, I become anxious. I like needlepoint because of the colors. I think one of the reasons I haven't been working on my grandniece's birth announcement is that I'm not enjoying the colors in it. It's too late to rip it all out and start over. Especially since I have two more to do for the other two grandnieces. I think it is very unfair for two of my nieces to procreate so prolifically so late in my life!

      I love ink because I can choose the colors I enjoy. I typically only write in my journal, which is starting to look a bit psychedelic. I write thank you notes, but no one expects letters anymore. So ink is my private pleasure, thank you. I actually have enough fountain pens to accommodate my recent ink acquisitions. Also, blame Stefanie for rekindling my love of fountain pens and ink.

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    2. And Turtle says that she is much more than just 'very nice'! She says she's amazing and exquisite and fascinating. That's what she says. This morning when she was meowing to be fed at 5:45AM, I told her she was something very different!

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    3. Turtle sounds exactly like McNulty, early demands for food and all. My handwriting is disastrous for the same reason as yours, I always say I'll take it slowly then speed like a train with my hand jumping ahead of my brain!

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  2. Thanks for the ink photo! I love the Noodler's labels on their ink, little works of art. I had no idea there was a Gorey museum, so cool! I hope summer in Philly is pleasant. And if it isn't, just think it's only a few months until fall when you can go back to the pen shop and the book shop for a little splurge :)

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    1. I thought you'd enjoy the Noodler's ink photos. I credit / blame you for rekindling my love of fountain pens and ink.

      Summer in Philly will be hot and humid, weather I hate. No refreshing sea breezes from the Delaware River. I will surely be longing for fall, cooler weather, and another trip to Boston!

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  4. I love that Tshirt! Cats & books, what more could you ask for? I agree with you about hot, humid summer weather so I hope your summer is bearable. Turtle looks very comfortable so don't you go moving before she's ready to move on. Phoebe is on my lap right now but I'm about to get up for lunch so she will have to wake up in a minute.

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