I have been itching to write for days, but as it does life sometimes occupies so much of my time that it passes. It seems that my muse has a sense of humour and teases me that way, then by the time I get actual time to write the brilliant creative piece that wrote itself but didn't get written is long gone - perhaps into someone else's idea pool as my Dad thinks, I have no idea so usually I just randomly write.
Today I quickly and randomly got to write two quick 150 word pieces in the minutes which I had between other things (that real life I mentioned earlier.) It satisfies a bit of the hunger but not as much as I needed it seems today.
I have lived my entire summer it seems over the course of the past week. I selfishly had a much needed period of "self care" and "me" time. I spent a lot of time at the Cottage with my grand daughter and even Tom and one of my Uncles.
I had a sleepover with my grand daughter following the afternoon at the Lake with Tom and Ains, which included a very difficult row to the Island since the lake was so choppy and the wind was not in anyone but the wind surfers favour!
Tom started out rowing and couldn't get us past the dock the wind was so rough. That should have been the indicator to turn back, (kind of like when Bruce and I took the Ferry to Block Island with a Hurricane coming up the Coast which made it not a day for the beach), the difference was we did not have 15 foot waves coming at us on Wednesday.
We did have the Oar become unhinged from the oarlock so it would not stay in place, that and the wind really gave me a challenge I could not pass up, nor could I fix it in the middle of the wind in the middle of my destination, I would have blown all of the way back across the lake!
I finally got us over to the Island where there was no wind at all anywhere around us. Tom hadn't been to the Island in 17 years so he and Ains went for a walk and I sat in the water and enjoyed the view. I can never get enough of the view around the Lake from any where I am, it is always beautiful and calm and peaceful to me.
They came back and decided to walk around the outside of the water and Ainsley swam while Tom walked. I swam at my favourite place where the water goes down at an angle. I love to swim underwater and now there are few weeds to impede my progress.
I began to swim around the island in the direction the kids would be coming from, but they were taking their sweet time which gave me time to remember all the fun we used to have swimming at the island when we were kids.
The days and weeks and months rolling into years and then the seventeen years which passed almost in the blink of an eye, not even aware while I was away just how big a part of my life was connected to the lake and the cottage.
They finally returned and after a bit of swimming and exploring the fish life through her goggles, Ains was ready to return back across the lake. I
We had to meet my son and his wife at Third Thursday Art Walk and Tom came with me so he could see his nephew. A major event, since Tom doesn't go very far out into the world. We of course arrived last since we were hungry after our great adventure and had to cook up some burgers and bacon and eat.
After getting boxed in and having to do a three point turn in the parking garage that was full and dead ended, I finally found a space in the lower lot, thanks to the help of some cooperative strangers and we were on our way.
We found the rest of our little family and headed off down the street. Lisa fussing with Ain's messy hair and me scolding Thomas for his holey shirt which I swear I am going to burn if I can ever get him to take it off!!!!!
Thomas was headed over to Pats for a couple of days and Jeff and his family needed to get home we coordinated where they parked and Tom and I got the car and drove over to deliver the car seat and Ains's sleepover gear.
Then it was off to Pat's and lugging the computer in so Tom would be right at home. My kids are so high tech and in sync, it is crazy! Pat's room is a little computer den with T.V. and media going all over the place. He had a table set up and I sat in the chair and had a visit with them.
I rarely get over to Pat's end of the world, although I drive by occasionally. It is always nice to visit with the guys in their environment. It soon got late and I was interested in lying and bed and reading. I had already had a full week with a trip to Leeds and Northampton with my Dad and a previous day at the Lake and Island Adventure with my grandfather.
Then there was the birthday dinner the night of Ains sleepover for my Dad with burgers and cake and Pat and Bruce, which all of course was last minute and spur of the moment around all of the known and planned things with a little bit of sleep and food thrown in here and there for good measure.
Yes, even my self care weeks are full of hustle, bustle and activity. I would like to think I got to orchestrate it all, but I am not the sole driver of my ship at the moment, but I am a good navigator and make it all work somehow!
On my way home Thursday I happened to spot the red corvette on my way home so I got the brilliant idea to drop a text to say hello. We had a couple of missed opportunities to get together so I figured a friendly hello was in order.
I got a text back, by this time I was in my jammies under my blanket, tea on the table, book in hand and really ready to just give my body a much needed rest after having to take meds twice in one week since I could take the pain no longer and I had let it escalate into a major flare up by trying to ignore it.
The driving had done me in, even though I didn't notice it at the time, it is afterwards, so it is a real drag, especially since I am spending half of my life in an automobile these days it seems! So I am enjoying the quiet in my house, cozy in my bed and deeply entranced by my book and in the distance I hear a ding.
Twenty minutes later I come back to earth and check the ding. After a couple of texts and a phone call I am stepping further out of my comfort zone and making an official "date" for Friday night. I do NOT date, so I was surprised when I said yes.
The best part was, I realized when I finally finished reading and was lying there falling asleep, I was anticipating it, dare I say, even excited about it. Hmmm. wonders will never cease. I went to bed looking forward to sleeping until I felt like waking up and nothing to do until the appointed date time.
Sleep I did, until 10:00 which is like a mini holiday for me. I will take that, a cup of tea and a cig to the computer any day. Then I got a message from one of my favorite people and women artists requesting a time to go in and take some photo's of her works which were in the show - so new that she hadn't had time between framing to get a clear shot (without glare).
My day was getting even better. I was even looking forward to writing if I do recall, until the phone rang and my Dad was around the corner! Minor glitch, but one I did bitch about for the entire time of dropping him off to a wake without a shower and picking him up almost after I dropped him off with barely enough time to shower - Men!!
Never can I allow myself to think I had nothing to do. Just because my calendar is blank doesn't really mean a thing in my world! I just had time to make my meeting at the Gallery, with like minutes to spare after I got the doors unlocked and the lights on!
It is always nice to visit with Autumn, and for a second we had both thought that we would each have time to get tea, but fate had other plans and we had opposite directions to go in. Mine took me to the Cafe on North and I selfishly had a cup of tea and looked at two local publications and read the beginning of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas noting different things of interest to me before the story even begins.
I had a lot of girl stuff to do before my date, like redo my ruined finger nail polish since I had chipped to to a horrible state after the river clean up the week (two weeks) before. They just wouldn't do, so I had to get some polish remover since Richard hijacked mine for his glasses (long story).
All and all the afternoon went smoothly and my transformation didn't take long, since I figured out what I was wearing. Isn't that always the most difficult thing? He was working out of town so I wasn't even expecting a call until 6:30 at the earliest.
To my surprise, I got the call earlier and we planned on getting together at 6:30. He asked if I might be interested in going on a motorcycle ride after dinner, which of course appealed to me. I haven't ridden on a motorcycle in many moons....Florida early 2000 which was cool without a helmet in the warm evening air.
We live in Mass though and appropriate clothing is necessary so I packed up jeans and shoes and a shirt and grabbed a coat - (the wrong coat which we went back to my house to retrieve before the "real" ride). Let's not forget the helmet, which is the most important thing and which I am now almost a professional at putting on and taking off, even that stupid strap.
After a great dinner and the jacket we headed North up the mountain - the stars as we entered the dark night were amazing. I spent a good portion of the ride staring up. We did the loop around through Williamstown where we stopped and checked out these Sculptures which were lit up in the Galerie Reynard.
I had missed the most recent opening since I had some other commitment somewhere or other, so I peeked in the windows and made a note to come back before the show changed. I liked the sculptures all lit up (well not all of them, I have to find out when the ones on the table on the left are programmed to come on).
After a few smooches in the moonlight and some conversation we made our way back into our helmets and back toward home with more star gazing along the way, I really had my head in the clouds that night.
We returned the bike and the helmets and pick up the car. I had the boat regatta on the lake on Saturday so I had to make it a fairly early night. I was looking forward to a day full of family and fun. I had never seen this infamous boat regatta so I was eager to experience it for myself.
I arrived at 1:10, worried that I was late. I was 20 minutes early and my brother and my nephew, my favourite cousin Marguerite and her friend Shiela, whom I didn't know, but was delighted to meet, were there when I arrived, along with my Uncle Matt.
Ains Dec and Lis hadn't arrived yet and my Uncle Fran and his girlfriend Chris were coming as well. Ains brought here bestie and everyone arrived in time for the regatta. I went out on the dock with my Uncle and my camera and Ains and her friend watched from the float as the boats went past tooting their horns and waving!
After the regatta we had a cookout and my brother and nephew manned the grill and I somehow got put on corn duty with the microwave being on top of the tallest refrigerator and not knowing the male occupied kitchen any more - so changed from the days of my great grandmother!!!
I finally managed to get the corn done and we all had a great meal and excellent company. Then my Mom and her beau arrived and not long after my eldest arrived as well. Marguerite and Sheila had to leave and then Fran and Chris had to leave.
Soon it was just my eldest and his family and my brother and his son and my Uncle Matt. It was nice. I held the my newest grandson and fed him his bottle all wrong according to my son, but okay according to my daughter in law! She is the boss so her word is rule!
Watching my grand daughter swim and play with my Uncles and her friends and my brother and nephew on Saturday takes me back to my childhood and life is very good in those moments, because life was wonderful on the Lake.
You would think that would be enough, but on my way home I happened past Park Square and one of our local artist/drummers was in Park Square, so after going down the street and around the block to find a parking space I found myself on a bench in the Park listening to some drumming with some conversation in between drumming with another citizen and her dog and the drummer himself.
The sun was setting behind us and listening to the drum watching the water in the fountain, smelling the flowers all brought me to a continued place a peaceful tranquility. I found myself walking around exploring while Brian drummed, until I found myself back at my car and at my front door - somehow without my car key.
My date from the evening before phoned and offered to help me find it (and return my sandals I thought I left in the car, but had left at his house)! Within 5 minutes after carefully retracing my steps I found my keys and we were off cruising into the night.
More stars and moonlight and kisses goodnight. With another free day ahead of me on Sunday I was feeling pretty darn good. I had no plans whatsoever and decided to head up street to discover the future of Pittsfield, which was a political meeting for a mayoral candidate.
I sat with two of my favorite people, Michael and Hugh and chatted with Joe Durwin, one of our local celebs and cool people whom I just met the day before. I listened for around an hour, enjoying the free ice cream and then had to break for a call and decided to take a walk and have a cig on the return call.
I wandered away and quiet far down the road before I remembered the Greek Festival. I hadn't heard the music when I walked by, so it escaped my mind entirely, so I back tracked and found myself in line behind a girl I had met ten years earlier who invited me to join her.
Of course that is how it goes, by the time we hit the end of the line and got a seat we were old friends and subsequently so with our table mates as well. I also saw an old friend of mine and had to catch up for a quick minute as he was cooking Greek food in the deep fryer.
After a great bit of food and music I made my way back home, it had been the best weekend in a long time and I was eager to find out if Thomas was finally coming home. I walked home through the park enjoying my City all the way.
Tom didn't come home, but I had to take the car out and get gas since Dad had an appointment on Monday and I hadn't driven since Saturday to the lake. I was in bed early knowing that Monday was back to the real world and a bunch of reality to get back to and I was right!
No comments:
Post a Comment