Fire in the Sky

West Dennis Beach - Alone in very heavy winds, taken through the windshield.. LM and I at his favorite of place, giving thanks for love, life and family and friends.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Wednesday

Mum's "Christmas" cactus blooming itself crazy this year, as always, one holiday early. I choose to think that ray of sun hitting the center flower, is Mum's presence, watching over me as I make the perfect cherry pie for her last born, dear Sam. All done and ready to go to Thanksgiving dinner with us tomorrow, along with roasted butternut squash, Eastham turnip, and cranberry-orange cornmeal cake. It will be a joyous day.

A Skunk Bingo Gala and a Birthday, too!

Saturday we celebrated Sara's birthday at my house with a fun dinner and two very excited party goers as entertainment. Samantha and Sara .....

An exuberant Teddy

Jason and Alison

Samantha - ready for dinner.

Since 2013 has been the year of the skunk (we have no idea why this fascination) in Teddy's world - he was a very cute skunk for Halloween - I was thrilled to find this skunk bingo game at a local bookstore.

LM turned out to be the perfect skunk bingo ringleader and a rollicking time was had by all.

 Nana, Sara, Samantha and Teddy helping Sara blow out the candles on a yummy strawberry cake.

Alison and Sara

The very loving cousins......

A lovely time was had by all!

 

 

 

Please forgive this mixed up post with crazy fonts and photos every which way but where I want them, Blogger is having a bad day!!

 

 

JFK

It was a routine afternoon in Green Harbor, November 22, 1963. My pretty white wicker rocking chair slowly moved back and forth as I held 4 month old Anne in my arms. Our cute black and white border collie-type dog, Major, was asleep near the chair, Nancy and Pa Hughes were in the kitchen chatting on "As the World Turns." Just an ordinary afternoon for me in my sweet little "Mary Homemaker" world.  There I was a young married mother, idealistically living in what I thought, was the perfect place and world. Suddenly, Nancy and Pa were interrupted by Walter Cronkite's cracking voice telling us that the president, John F Kennedy, had been shot. The feeling of being punched in the stomach still returns when I relive that moment, suspended in disbelief, clutching my little one even closer, I managed to get to the phone that hung on the kitchen wall. I remember it took me several tries to dial the correct number to reach my mother - my beloved go-to-person whenever I needed comfort. She didn't know, and I can still hear her voice above my sobs. The memory of sliding to the floor in grief as I spoke on the phone is so fresh.  Mum told me to "come home." I reached my husband's workplace and asked them to tell him where I would be, and that he come there after work.

Still not knowing the president's fate, I threw together what I needed, bundling Anne up, took the dog, and got on the road in a heart-racing blur. I do remember that I drove my black 1958 Ford coupe on  a section of highway that was not quite complete and not legally open ( I did have knowledge that it was drivable!)   I arrived at my parent's house and fell into arms of grief on hearing the news that our beloved president had died.  For days, we sat glued to the little black and white television watching every second of coverage while we cried. There was no sleeping, just crying. My mother was also clutching a baby in those days, my youngest brother, Sam, had been born, just two months before Anne. Mum, as always, cooked for comfort, yet none of us felt like eating.

I've tried to aptly re-live and describe the emotions and true thoughts of that time, only to have them awash in the memory of rocking, Anne and crying, both at home and then with my parents. On this 50th anniversary, it seemed to become very clear to me that the events of those days were the death of my innocent, idealistic life and dreams.  The hope in our hearts when Kennedy was elected, the poignancy of his inauguration, were snuffed out, and my rudder gone.  The life I had dreamed, unraveled. After the tears, came an anger and a very turbulent, rebellious time.

Those times cannot be undone, and now I choose to look on how very fortunate I was to have a loving family where I could seek shelter and grieve.  Vivid are the memories of how still the world was, and how insular we felt, as we huddled by the television.
To this day, that family sustains me with love and they are the first I turn to in times of happiness and grief.
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Thought I would attach the letter below that I received this morning from my longtime dear, dear friend, Lynne. We met in high school.  Her parents were in the foreign service and frequently abroad, thus, Lynne came to my small town to stay with her grandparents to finish her high school years. I had the good fortune to acquire her friendship!!
In the summer of 1959, Lynne's parents were back in the US at their home in Bethesda, MD and I was invited to travel there to spend the summer. Lynne and I made the most wonderful memories that summer, and I was afforded the honor of seeing all the great sites of Washington, DC, including visiting the State Department, AND to hear JFK address the senate as a young man in our beautiful Capital building.  It changed this farmgirl's life. Lynne's friendship is a treasure to this day. 

  
Good Morning,

Yes, Nov. 22nd is etched in my memory as is our visit to the Capital, when we had the incredible opportunity to hear John Kennedy speak.  It is a highlight among my memories, and I always mention it when visitors come here.

Nov. 22nd is also Daddy's birthday and he never felt the same way about it after Kennedy's death.  The celebration was taken away from it.  The day Pres. Kennedy died, Mother and Daddy were living in Calcutta, India (maybe I've told you this already). The boys were in boarding school in the mts. of southern India.  My roommate from college, Kathie, and I took a trip to India to be with Mother and Daddy for the summer after our Sophomore year.  It was an amazing trip just getting there.  Anyway, Nov. 22nd, I was in the hospital due to amoebic dysentery (having a not-so-great severe treatment).  I was literally on the "john" when the Nurse burst in:  "Your President has been shot!"  I couldn't believe it.  No one could.  Days later, the American Consulate (that Daddy was assigned to, we lived in the same building as the Consulate, on a different floor) had available a Memorial, Condolence Book for people to sign.  You wouldn't have believed the lines!  The Indian people lined up for hours and hours in endless lines in silence just to sign the book.  It was very touching.  President and Mrs. Kennedy affected so many lives, world wide.  A bright star.

Thanks for being my friend, lo, these many years!

Love ya,

Lynne
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Here's a note from my sister in Colorado, Bebo (Susan), on her memories of 11/22/63

Yes, I remember 11/22/63 well.  I was in class at Quincy Jr. College.   They sent everyone home.  I remember sitting on the huge stone front stairs going into the main building in a daze with other students.   Many of us were crying.  When I got home, Mum had all the shades pulled down and we all were glued to the TV.   What a tragedy. 

 

I know we are only a mircocosm of what happened that day, but wanted to share....the impact lives!!

Circling

We saw the most amazing thing today. Being a bit early to meet LM's sister for lunch,  we stopped on the Cape side of the canal and parked by the railroad bridge.  We were all alone and startled to see that the little cove to the west of the parking area was filled with what we estimate was 500-1000 sea ducks - all types, including many beautiful black and white buffleheads - they were circling round and round in the most amazing pattern, then would all veer out near the main current of the canal, and one after one, begin diving, coming up and getting back in to the circle. They had to work their feet and wings mightily to "paddle" against the strong canal current to return to the circle, and we loved how they lifted up just enough to "walk" on the water.  We sat there spell bound watching this moment of nature. The quacking sounds were wonderful as they talked to each other. We stayed for 1/2 hr. When we left the circling was still in full action. LM said there must have been a huge school of bait attracting the ducks. The ever-present and opportunistic seagulls were trying to mix in to the crowd, hoping to glean some of the bait fish.  They do winter over here and LM thought they may have just returned from the north where they spend the summers.
Getting out of the car to take photos or a video would have disturbed this incredible scene. Even words can hardly convey the extraordinary feeling we experienced.

Another fine example of a detour in life (someone else not making the schedule on time, in this case), can lead to the most incredible beauty.

Observing and honoring Veterans' Day today!

Seaside Peace, Shadows, Buffalo in the Sky, and a Brief Stop at Memory Lane

Sunday mornings are usually  a bit lazy for us, and last week was no exception. At about 11, after a leisurely breakfast and play time with Ms G, the glorious day helped us decide we had to drink in some of the lovely Fall day and get some exercise.

LM assured me that he had a surprise trip and I would love it, oh, yes, and we might see some fish. What else is new in life with a fisherman!! He knows beauty, though, so my day was in his trusty hands.

As we began walking down a secluded path, I spotted these wonderful bright purple berries.

Just above the purple berries - some cherries, I think.

Following along on the path, we passed lovely views of a salt pond

Still near the same pond....my guide was looking more and more like the cat that swallowed the canary........

and, before I knew it we were at this pretty spot and near the end of the path...quite remote and I was a bit worried about his motives, after all, he is a catnapper, so who knows what else he'd do. LOL

We'd arrived at a beautiful, peaceful, completely quiet, and TOP SECRET place.

A sweet moment  as we gazed across the water and breathed in the silence.

What to my wondering eyes should appear but a school of fish.....

The view behind us, looking out toward the sea.

Fall at work.

Of course he had a water temperature guage in his pocket





The rest of our walk took us along a beautiful trail with views out to the ocean. The colors were really brilliant, especially the marshes as they begin to take on their winter shades.

More fish hunting ensued

We found nice benches from which to enjoy the views and rest a bit in the warm sun. My ever observant companion, found me a buffalo in the sky, too.



Back to the car we began our drive home taking as many back roads as we could find.  We came across some swans having an afternoon nap.



We stopped in Bourne Village to visit some friends (of course he is a fellow fisherman). They have a lovely home that sits on the banks of the Cape Cod Canal, just west of the Bourne Bridge.  This is my old stomping grounds. In a past life, I was married right under the Bourne Bridge on a lovely October afternoon.

A service road/bike trail/walking path run along the canal on both sides and for many, many years, I walked or ran that path everyday.

I had to step out on the porch and take a few photos of this favorite area. 

We really had a magical day and, as always, savored our time together.

Wacky Wednesday

As seen from my seat on the sofa......she's right next to her beloved LM's chair....awaiting his attention.

We are all doing well....there is sewing, sewing, sewing, admiring the Fall beauty and planning for a gala Thanksgiving with family not seen in many years!!! JOY...

Wishing you the same. Be back soon....(my computer has been off-line for a week - so happy to have it back).