Inside my coat pockets
the beginning of a poem
I pull out a refrigerator magnet
shaped like a pink frog
or Martha's Vineyard
next I find an old camera
with no pictures left of course
and what do we have over here?
some used Kleenex and a crumbled paper bag
where did this old watch come from?
ah, the orange bottle cap that inspired me
to write this.
That's only pocket one, let me go on.
Up here we have some seashells
mixed in with some sand.
And over here, let me look:
a pen, a business card, and some directions
a flashlight, a bottle of aspirin, and some fruit snacks
a quarter, a receipt, and some hand cream
and more and more fruit snacks.
I have no idea why.
And finally, the last one:
another bottle cap, a bit more kleenex,
my cell phone, and some car keys,
and of course a credit card and some ID.
These are the memories I keep.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Martha's Vineyard
We took a quick trip to Martha's Vineyard over the weekend.
It was a LOOONG trek to get there from our little town in the woods of Western Massachusetts. Road work and an accident didn't help the traffic either. By the time we got to Wood's Hole, got parking, and took the shuttle back to the port, we were ready to board the last ferry of the day.
We were greeted by friends of my husband who chauffeured us off to Edgartown to use a one-bedroom apartment as our base camp. Saturday morning we headed off for breakfast at Edgartown Pizza, and then we drove DH to visit friends in West Tisbury. I left him there and took Abby for some sightseeing in Edgartown. Did I mention that the guy who lent us the apartment, also lent me his pick-up truck AND set me up with a car seat for Abby?? Nice guy! Anyway, I had never been to the Vineyard before, and DH didn't let me do much planning, so I had no clue and no map. I just followed road signs, and called DH on my cell phone whenever I needed directions. First I took Abby down to the pier. We watched the seagulls and the boats for a while, and saw a little ferry that held only 3 cars going back and forth across to Chappy maybe. Then we wandered through some of the streets admiring the fall leaves and the old houses with the widow's peaks. Finally we hit a store called the Leaping Frog where we bought a couple of t-shirts (one for Abby, and one for her friend Toby), and a bucket and a shovel. I called DH and told him we were going to head for the lighthouse and hope it had a beach. A quick check with his friends though, and we were steered away from that plan and told to head in the direction of South Beach instead. We did. It was very quiet there, no boats. Just the sand and the ocean and a few birds. Despite a big "No dogs" sign, we found several people bringing their 4 legged friends with them. I protested a few times, to no avail, and finally Abby and I retreated (with a pocket full of seashells) inland a bit to where the bathrooms had been in the summertime. Abby had a great time playing in the bathroom pavilion area, and we stayed for several hours.
A 6 and a HALF year old girl was bored and wandered in our direction several times, asking me little questions. She was quite surprised that Abby was only 2 1/2 years old. She thought she was big enough to be 5 years old, and thought Abby shouldn't be wearing diapers anymore.
Anyway, we ventured back to the water to wash off a bottle cap that Abby had found, and after watching the tide come and go a few times, I took a few steps forward. A few too many steps forward! Abby and I both got our feet drenched!! As it was already past lunchtime, I was eager to use this as an excuse to head back into town for some lunch. So we headed for Main Street.
I drove right past the Chinese restaurant, and had to call my husband again for directions. It was there, right where it was supposed to be, I just hadn't seen the camouflaged sign the firs time. Abby and I got lunch specials, with plenty of food leftover. Then we went to the grocery store for fresh fruits and munchies. We got back to the apartment around 4pm or so, and settled in for the night.
Abby took a bath, and I made some supper and we spent the evening playing games and watching Caillou. She crashed out at her usual bedtime, and I went to bed soon after. My husband came back around midnight I guess.
Sunday morning we took our time packing up. Abby snacked on the munchies and fruit for her breakfast, and we said goodbye to our friend's mother as she was hanging up her laundry. Then we drove down to the Main Street diner and got some breakfast for my husband and I. I wasn't too surprised that Abby wouldn't eat since she had already eaten. She did like the strawberries though so we got some got more of those. We took her $6 pancake with us and walked down to the pier and fed it to the seagulls. One last look at the boats, and a quick peek into a store or two, and we were done.
We drove up to West Tisbury and said goodbye to DH's friends. Got Abby out to see the horses and the dogs, in the fences too. Then we asked our friend to drive us to the ferry. Got down there at the wrong time, and had to wait about a half hour before we could leave. Eventually we made it though. Abby got more fresh fruit on-board, and we had fun looking out the window watching the other boats and the birds.
It was another LOOONG trip home. Road work, a bad accident, and Patriot's game traffic slowed us down a bit too. We stopped at a McDonald's somewhere before we got on 495 and got a late lunch/early supper. Abby wasn't too interested in eating though. When we finally got her back in the car it wasn't long before she fell asleep. Got home before 7pm, and figured Abby would be awake for a while, but she went right back to sleep and slept through the night pretty much. (It's been a long time since I've seen her sleep for 12 hours!)
Anyway, that was our trip to Martha's Vineyard. My husband had been before, many years ago, but it was my first trip. Enjoyed the visit, although it was brief. The TO and FROM was a hassle (especially dealing with all our luggage, stroller, etc on the shuttles and the ferry), but it was still fun.
It was a LOOONG trek to get there from our little town in the woods of Western Massachusetts. Road work and an accident didn't help the traffic either. By the time we got to Wood's Hole, got parking, and took the shuttle back to the port, we were ready to board the last ferry of the day.
We were greeted by friends of my husband who chauffeured us off to Edgartown to use a one-bedroom apartment as our base camp. Saturday morning we headed off for breakfast at Edgartown Pizza, and then we drove DH to visit friends in West Tisbury. I left him there and took Abby for some sightseeing in Edgartown. Did I mention that the guy who lent us the apartment, also lent me his pick-up truck AND set me up with a car seat for Abby?? Nice guy! Anyway, I had never been to the Vineyard before, and DH didn't let me do much planning, so I had no clue and no map. I just followed road signs, and called DH on my cell phone whenever I needed directions. First I took Abby down to the pier. We watched the seagulls and the boats for a while, and saw a little ferry that held only 3 cars going back and forth across to Chappy maybe. Then we wandered through some of the streets admiring the fall leaves and the old houses with the widow's peaks. Finally we hit a store called the Leaping Frog where we bought a couple of t-shirts (one for Abby, and one for her friend Toby), and a bucket and a shovel. I called DH and told him we were going to head for the lighthouse and hope it had a beach. A quick check with his friends though, and we were steered away from that plan and told to head in the direction of South Beach instead. We did. It was very quiet there, no boats. Just the sand and the ocean and a few birds. Despite a big "No dogs" sign, we found several people bringing their 4 legged friends with them. I protested a few times, to no avail, and finally Abby and I retreated (with a pocket full of seashells) inland a bit to where the bathrooms had been in the summertime. Abby had a great time playing in the bathroom pavilion area, and we stayed for several hours.
A 6 and a HALF year old girl was bored and wandered in our direction several times, asking me little questions. She was quite surprised that Abby was only 2 1/2 years old. She thought she was big enough to be 5 years old, and thought Abby shouldn't be wearing diapers anymore.
Anyway, we ventured back to the water to wash off a bottle cap that Abby had found, and after watching the tide come and go a few times, I took a few steps forward. A few too many steps forward! Abby and I both got our feet drenched!! As it was already past lunchtime, I was eager to use this as an excuse to head back into town for some lunch. So we headed for Main Street.
I drove right past the Chinese restaurant, and had to call my husband again for directions. It was there, right where it was supposed to be, I just hadn't seen the camouflaged sign the firs time. Abby and I got lunch specials, with plenty of food leftover. Then we went to the grocery store for fresh fruits and munchies. We got back to the apartment around 4pm or so, and settled in for the night.
Abby took a bath, and I made some supper and we spent the evening playing games and watching Caillou. She crashed out at her usual bedtime, and I went to bed soon after. My husband came back around midnight I guess.
Sunday morning we took our time packing up. Abby snacked on the munchies and fruit for her breakfast, and we said goodbye to our friend's mother as she was hanging up her laundry. Then we drove down to the Main Street diner and got some breakfast for my husband and I. I wasn't too surprised that Abby wouldn't eat since she had already eaten. She did like the strawberries though so we got some got more of those. We took her $6 pancake with us and walked down to the pier and fed it to the seagulls. One last look at the boats, and a quick peek into a store or two, and we were done.
We drove up to West Tisbury and said goodbye to DH's friends. Got Abby out to see the horses and the dogs, in the fences too. Then we asked our friend to drive us to the ferry. Got down there at the wrong time, and had to wait about a half hour before we could leave. Eventually we made it though. Abby got more fresh fruit on-board, and we had fun looking out the window watching the other boats and the birds.
It was another LOOONG trip home. Road work, a bad accident, and Patriot's game traffic slowed us down a bit too. We stopped at a McDonald's somewhere before we got on 495 and got a late lunch/early supper. Abby wasn't too interested in eating though. When we finally got her back in the car it wasn't long before she fell asleep. Got home before 7pm, and figured Abby would be awake for a while, but she went right back to sleep and slept through the night pretty much. (It's been a long time since I've seen her sleep for 12 hours!)
Anyway, that was our trip to Martha's Vineyard. My husband had been before, many years ago, but it was my first trip. Enjoyed the visit, although it was brief. The TO and FROM was a hassle (especially dealing with all our luggage, stroller, etc on the shuttles and the ferry), but it was still fun.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Politics one more time
So the election is over. Obama won. In some states it was very close, but in Massachusetts I think he had it locked in for a long time. So despite my protests, Biden is going to be Vice President. And there is rumor that our own Gov. Duval Patrick may be the next Attorney General. Don't expect updates here, I probably won't follow the story much.
In the end, Ron Paul endorsed a candidate from the Constitution Party. I read about the guy, and decided that he was a bit too extreme on the issue of illegal immigration. I really don't like the idea of declaring war on the borders and just shooting every Mexican who comes across the border without a the proper paperwork. So Ron Paul didn't get my vote, and neither did the guy he endorsed. Ralph Nader was running again, but I didn't vote for him either. Ultimately I gave my vote to the Libertarians. I don't always agree with them, but they seem a bit stronger than the Green-Rainbow party, and a bit stronger than the other "third parties" as well. I really think this country needs a strong third party and the Libertarians are doing the best job getting on the ballots of the most states. So I voted for Bob Barr. Of course he didn't win, and I think his website is gone now too, but Obama was going to win all the electoral votes in Massachusetts anyway so it didn't really matter. I was casting a vote for the future to try to help the Libertarians.
On the ballot questions in Massachusetts, we did have one victory that surprised me. Changes in how the possession of marijuana charges will be dealt with. Congratulations on that!! We will no longer be tying up court rooms and jail space with people who are busted for having a joint or two on them. Pay the fine, and whatever, and be done. Keep your student loan, keep your good reputation, and move on with life. Thank you voters for that one!
I was torn on the dog racing question but not surprised that the two tracks will be closed. The folks trying to ban it did a better campaigning effort than the people trying to keep the tracks open. I was not surprised that Question 1 was defeated. I think everyone knows that eliminating the state income tax is ridiculous. Our schools and towns need the money, and if we eliminate those taxes we will all suffer the consequences in one way or another.
Question 4 varied from town to town so I won't go into that. D0esn't matter much anyway. It is what it is, depending on where you are.
I think a lot has been said about Obama and the presidential election so I'll leave it for others to talk about. I know many people just wanted a Democrat in office and didn't care whose name was on the ballot. Others wanted to see a black person in office and voted that way. With the economy being the mess that it is, I don't have high hopes that he will be able to work miracles. Many people thought that the new governor in Massachusetts would work miracles because he was a black Democrat too, but he is dealing with the reality of the economy just like everyone else. I'm sure the same will be true of Obama.
Oh, and one more thing... at least it's not Hilary! Got my wish there at least. :-)
That's all for now. I hope to get back to other things soon.
In the end, Ron Paul endorsed a candidate from the Constitution Party. I read about the guy, and decided that he was a bit too extreme on the issue of illegal immigration. I really don't like the idea of declaring war on the borders and just shooting every Mexican who comes across the border without a the proper paperwork. So Ron Paul didn't get my vote, and neither did the guy he endorsed. Ralph Nader was running again, but I didn't vote for him either. Ultimately I gave my vote to the Libertarians. I don't always agree with them, but they seem a bit stronger than the Green-Rainbow party, and a bit stronger than the other "third parties" as well. I really think this country needs a strong third party and the Libertarians are doing the best job getting on the ballots of the most states. So I voted for Bob Barr. Of course he didn't win, and I think his website is gone now too, but Obama was going to win all the electoral votes in Massachusetts anyway so it didn't really matter. I was casting a vote for the future to try to help the Libertarians.
On the ballot questions in Massachusetts, we did have one victory that surprised me. Changes in how the possession of marijuana charges will be dealt with. Congratulations on that!! We will no longer be tying up court rooms and jail space with people who are busted for having a joint or two on them. Pay the fine, and whatever, and be done. Keep your student loan, keep your good reputation, and move on with life. Thank you voters for that one!
I was torn on the dog racing question but not surprised that the two tracks will be closed. The folks trying to ban it did a better campaigning effort than the people trying to keep the tracks open. I was not surprised that Question 1 was defeated. I think everyone knows that eliminating the state income tax is ridiculous. Our schools and towns need the money, and if we eliminate those taxes we will all suffer the consequences in one way or another.
Question 4 varied from town to town so I won't go into that. D0esn't matter much anyway. It is what it is, depending on where you are.
I think a lot has been said about Obama and the presidential election so I'll leave it for others to talk about. I know many people just wanted a Democrat in office and didn't care whose name was on the ballot. Others wanted to see a black person in office and voted that way. With the economy being the mess that it is, I don't have high hopes that he will be able to work miracles. Many people thought that the new governor in Massachusetts would work miracles because he was a black Democrat too, but he is dealing with the reality of the economy just like everyone else. I'm sure the same will be true of Obama.
Oh, and one more thing... at least it's not Hilary! Got my wish there at least. :-)
That's all for now. I hope to get back to other things soon.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)