The ride home from Cape Cod was a lesson in metaphors… I waved goodbye to Paine’s Creek Beach, but it was too cold and windy to take a walk there. So I took the long way out of Brewster and walked on the rail trail. The walk started sunny with big puffy clouds, but ended with the rain clouds rolling in. Vacation’s over. The ride off the Cape and through Rhode Island was like going back in a time tunnel. Speeding down a long ribbon of highway, hemmed in with Spring-blooming trees on both sides, with dark clouds pressing down. …

“I need a place where I can hide, Where no one sees my life inside, Where I can make my plans, and write them down So I can read them. A place where I can bid my heart be still And it will mind me. A place where I can go when I am lost, And there I’ll find me. I need a place to spend the day, Where no one says to go or stay, Where I can take my pen and draw The girl I mean to be.”                              – Lyrics from The Secret Garden   The place where…

The keyword for today is serendipity (noun – an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident).  I’ve had both serendipity and misfortune today, and one misfortune led me to the best serendipitous discovery of the day – go figure. It was kind-of cold on Cape Cod today, and there was a stiff breeze that generated a wind-chill factor.  But the sun was sparkling, so what to do?  I hung out for a bit after breakfast and then made a plan – a little craft shopping, a quick morning walk on Paine’s Beach, then up to Pleasant Bay (this time on purpose)…

Today, I stumbled on the ingredients for a nearly perfect Sunday: A Brewster by the Sea breakfast of pancakes and sausage A joyful church service featuring the youth of Chatham A glimpse of the ocean on a sparkling day A ride out past Pleasant Bay Talking to friends on the phone Lunch in the garden Finishing a good book sitting under the shade of a Spring-blooming tree A walk on the beach A shopping spree in a bookstore An afternoon repast of Nanna’s oatmeal cookies A fine Italian dinner A walk on the beach at sunset An evening free to…

Remember how I said that Cape Cod was a little piece of heaven?  Well, the best spot in the heavenly kingdom is no doubt – for me anyway – on Marconi Beach.  Miles of sand and sea and practically no one there.  I spent three glorious hours there this afternoon, and if it rains (as predicted) for the rest of my stay, I’ll still go home happy.    A kindred sprit on Marconi Beach. The day started out with cold rain – it had rained heavily overnight, but the weather service was predicting clearing for the afternoon.  So I curled…

“These are among the most important times in one’s life – when one is alone.  Certain springs are tapped only when we are alone.  The artist knows he must be alone to create, the writer, to work out his thoughts, the musician, to compose, the saint, to pray.  But women need solitude in order to find again the true essence of themselves, that firm strand which will be the indispensable center of a whole web of human relationships.”  — Anne Morrow Lindbergh from A Gift From the Sea Another day, another deserted beach to explore.  I drove down to Chatham…

Today was all about just absorbing the feel of the sun on my back, the wind in my face and the sand under (and in) my shoes (it’s too cold for bare feet!).  I wanted to sit for hours on the beach and just read, but the wind was just a little on the chilly side – especially in the National Seashore, where the ocean was really kicking up.  Still, I managed to walk three beaches and make progress on three different books, so I’ll count it as a good day. I slept GREAT last night – the beds here are…

I have arrived safe and sound, and better still – in time to have a picnic dinner on Paine’s Beach… The drive up was a fabulous way to bring the curtain down on what I’ve left behind and to bring the curtain up on a great vacation.  What more do you need for that interlude than a red car, a sunroof, a beautiful spring day, loud music on the stereo, and smooth sailing, traffic-wise?    And nothing like blaring old John Denver tunes to put you in a good mood:  “On the road of experience, I’m trying to find my own…

“Nature feeds a woman’s soul.  It rarely gives direct answers, but it always nourishes, soothes, and waters the spirit, so that eventually growth occurs.”   – Joan Anderson (from A Weekend to Change Your Life) I’m heading back to Cape Cod.  Deep cleansing breath.  I’m convinced that the beaches of Cape Cod are the nearest thing to heaven this side of the pearly gates.  The banner on this blog is from a picture I took at Marconi Beach, and the picture below is another view of the same stretch of Atlantic Ocean sand.  (Double-click on it for a larger view.)  I am…