Category: - A Cottage by the Sea

Museum of Russian Icons~

2/24/2018

Today some friends and I took a field trip to the Museum of Russian Icon in Clinton, MA. Although we spent time looking at the museum’s stellar exhibit of icons, the main purpose of our visit was to view exhibit of the Rushnyky: Sacred Ukrainian Textiles.
This from the museum’s website:
www.museumofrussianicons.org/current-exhibitions/

Rushnyky: Sacred Ukrainian Textiles celebrates and explores Ukrainian culture through one of its most ancient and valued traditions.
A rushnyk is a long, rectangular cloth, typically made from linen or hemp, which is woven in one solid piece and sometimes adorned with bright, intricate patterns. They are traditionally made by women, who start learning to spin, weave, and embroider the cloths at a very young age. Today most rushnyky are machine made using modern materials, and can be purchased in retail establishments.

Follow your artist's way~

10/30/2017

I’m finishing up an article about my fieldtrip to Concord the other day--hope to post in on “A Solitary Traveler” on this blog tomorrow. Julia Cameron’s ‘morning pages’ and her suggestion that we enhance our artist’s way when we take solo fieldtrips once a week, has given me new energy. Bottom line: it’s all about meaning and purpose in life, and these are two ways to do it.
So, whoever you are, wherever you are, you are an artist. Take time to do what you need to express yourself and feed your creative soul. Write every morning, go off by yourself, even you extroverts.

A nine inning baseball game~

2/21/2017

I hope I don’t live long enough to see Major League Baseball change the game from nine innings to seven. Can you imagine what that will do to all the statistics? I gather that people aren’t staying until the end of the game anymore. The stands empty out after the seventh inning stretch. People go to take a few selfies and post on Face Book. “The game is too long,” they say. What? When I went to Ebbets field we stayed to the bitter end, and often, bitter it was. I love being involved in all nine innings. The game was never too long. Now everything is too long because it is not about the present moment but about being on the move to the next thing.

Beautiful moments at Cinque Terra

11/2/2015

On Saturday I took a twelve hour bus tour to the Cinque Terra—the five towns along the coast northwest of Florence, now declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO . A two hour bus ride, lots of walking, several trains and a magnificent boat ride to travel from town to town. The views were spectacular on what was considered the last day of the season. Last tour from Florence, last day the boat taxi would run from town to town, and perhaps the last day of sun before the rainy months.
Joining a tour offers more sociability than the solitary tours I create for myself. It can be pleasant to share travel stories with others, but for me, only in small doses. I understand this is a way for people to process their travels, but I don’t want or need to do much of that any more. My journal and this blog provide my means of sorting out what is important to me.
As my photos attest, the spectacular scenery in the same category of the universally agreed upon beauty of fall foliage. I tried to spend most of my time, especially on the boat, breathing it in, feeling the moment, and not thinking—that continual challenge of mine to stay in the moment. I have a long way to go, but at least I sometimes remember NOT to think. This was one of those days.
The other special experience was walking around the cemetery up the hill from the Monastery and Church of the Capuchin Friars. This was what I call a ‘living cemetery’, which means it is cared for and visited. A women was tending to each grave with fresh flowers. A man who had grown up in the area had come from Genoa to visit the grave of his grandfather. “I know so many people here now,” he told me.

The Arnold Arboretum

10/25/2014

A simply gorgeous day at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston.

Amazing Chicago~

10/13/2014

We’re back from an amazing wedding weekend in Chicago. The highlight of course was Tim and Jill’s wedding ceremony and reception. Family time, was often accompanied by eating at some of the Chicago gourmet hot spots. Breakfast: Eggsperience; Lunch: Portillos; Dinner: Grand Lux Café.

      The twelve of us who took the Architecture River Tour the Navy Pier, give it a thumbs up.

     Sunday morning, while waiting for a Starbucks latte at the hotel, we saw the elite Chicago Marathon runners buzz by.

     As you can tell, the weekend was not silent, nor was there any time for solitude. The wedding, however, was simply wonderful.

August 24th, 2014

8/24/2014

Olde Time Community Fair. In celebration of the 375th anniversary of the settling of Sudbury. The intention of the committee, to offer a ‘Fair of Olde,” was successfully fulfilled. Games, contests, music, displays, all free; the only charge was for food. No twenty-first century noises. A good time had by all. Makes me grateful that we brought our kids up in this town, and that Jim and I are still living here.

Boston wanderings~

7/26/2014

Yesterday when I woke up I said to myself, “I think I’ll go to Boston today.” I was reminded of “Mr. Bear Goes to Boston,” a book about a bear living the Maine woods who wakes up one morning and tells himself just that; and off he goes.

        I wasn’t conscious that I needed to get off alone, but wandering about by myself felt deeply satisfying. I got off the T at Park Street and then headed in the general direction of Quincy Market. My only plan was eventually to end up for lunch at my favorite Japanese restaurant near Copley Square, and then to hop on the T and head home.

     Wanderings found me crossing the Rose Kennedy Greenway and paying a visit to Paul Revere’s house, zigzagging Beacon Hill, waving to the duckling at the Public Garden, and riding the swan boats.

      There was good energy in Boston. Tourists and locals, those in groups and those alone were enjoying themselves. Boston is a great city; Boston is strong.

July 4th activities~

7/3/2014

If you don’t see any posts from me for the next five days, it’s because I’ll be living a life void of silence, solitude and simplicity. July 4th is like that for us. Tomorrow, in the rain, there will be a road race (I’m a groupy), the traditional town parade that goes by our house, and our annual Forth of July party. Usually the party is outside—swimming, games, chatting, and eating. This year, except for the swimming of course, in will be indoors. My husband cleaned the barn and has organized arts and craft for the kids (and grownups). The grill and salads will be set up in the garage, and we will eat in the house. Tomorrow’s challenge is anything but simple.

     Saturday we’re going with our kids and grandkids to Ft. Ticonderoga for a night before launching the two houseboats we have rented for two nights on Lake Champlain. A new experience for us all. Close quarters for six adults and four teens, and anything but silent or solitary.

    The only inclement weather is tomorrow. The forecast for the rest of our holiday couldn’t be better for tooting about the lake.

The Wayside Inn~

1/14/2014

It’s time to return to the cottage. The good news is that there is no snow to shovel. The bad news? Well, there isn’t any. It’s all win-win, with solitude at the cottage and community at home. Very grateful.

This weekend my daughter and her husband were visiting. One evening we went to the Wayside Inn. The lore has it that George Washington stopped by there for a dram. A century later Henry Wadsworth Longfellow told and wrote ‘Tales of a Wayside Inn’ in the room across from the pub where we had a glass of wine. Over the years the inn experienced several fires, but Henry Ford came along, had it rebuilt and kept it going. These days it is a full-fledged, not-for-profit organization, with an inn keeper, trustees and volunteer Minutemen from Sudbury and surrounding towns greeting visitors at the door.