Gleaning in fields of grace
As I walk at daybreak the mourning sunlight is gleaming through the clouds onto Marblehead harbour.
Peaceful and still I stop to take note, unsure of what the day will hold there is hope of some light in the darkness.
Looking out I breathe in the salty, briny air and breathe out the fears and sorrows of the night.
It is enough, right now, to be in this place at this time, to recognize that the sun rises anew every morning, and that there is a place for me within its grand design.
In the morning when I leave for work, my cat, Tucker, sits in the window to say goodbye to me. He likes to watch the goings on from his perch up there as he is strictly an indoor cat.
What’s a characteristic you admire in others?
Kindness. Regardless of what or who you are dealing with kindness will always lead you in the correct direction and whether or not you “win or lose” you will always be the better person. I once read a autobiography by Audrey Hepburn where she mentioned, Noblesse oblige. This is the concept that nobility obligates. In other words (and perhaps in my own mind), if you have something, be it food, comfort, a smile, information…you are morally and ethically obligated to teach, share, inform, sit beside, or what ever it is you need to do to help some one who has not.
Do you have a favourite mug? Why?
Oh my do I ever! I have quite a few of them actually. Right now I am using one that I picked up in a craft fair. It is a purple handmade pottery mug with a dragonfly on it. The woman I bought it from donates the funds to cancer research in honor of her 8 year old granddaughter who died of cancer 20 years ago.
July 15 was national give something away day. Did You? Do you regularly give things away or do you accumulate?
On July 15 I went to my daughter’s house and made dinner for her and her family. I bought ice cream sandwiches for dessert as well. I gave away dinner, dessert, my time, and of course my love. I give away other things as well but I tend to accumulate them just as fast.
4. You’re planning a trip. Do you prefer exploring big cities or smaller, more off the grid towns? World Atlas lists these 12 ‘off the grid’ towns to see in 2025. How many on the list have you seen? Of those listed which one would you most like to visit? Tell us why?
I have been to 4 of the towns listed. I do enjoy visiting smaller towns rather than bigger cities. I would love to go back to the west coast and visit the towns in Oregon and California.
5. Have you ever…ridden a motorcycle? been to a Disney park? met a celebrity? won a contest? Tell us something about whatever you answered yes to on this list.
Yes I have ridden a motorcycle. My friend had an old Triumph when I was younger and he and I used to go for rides often. I have met a few minor celebrities but my mum met John Denver (she loved him and his music) and she also met John Travolta at a restaurant when he was filming a movie nearby. I’ve never been to Disney or anything like it. It’s absolutely not on any of my lists! Not my thing. I almost never win contests although I did win a small statue of Mother Mary when I went to Catholic school as a little girl. I guessed the closest number. I still remember bringing her home and being so excited! It was about 55 years ago. I do not still have the statue!
6. Insert your own random thought here.
The Lavender in my back garden is absolutely huge this year! I have been thinking of planting more drought tolerant or dry loving plants as that is the direction we seem to be heading in here in New England. Except for the flash flooding…I worry what kind of land my grandchildren will have when they are bringing up their own children.
He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Psalm 107:29
I stumbled across the oldest picture of me. I was probably only a few days old when it was taken. Early April, 1963. I look like a floating head…I’m not really sure what was happening with the rest of my body.
My nephew and his fiance came to visit on the Fourth of July. We went to the park to watch some music and have a little picnic. They were so darn cute!!
We walked down the way to the park to hear some live music…Adam Ezra was playing. My neighbor invited us up to the third floor deck and we watched the fireworks from up there. It was a beautiful viewing spot. The red and green lights on the right is the lighthouse across the harbor. They light off the fireworks from a barge in the harbor. It was a perfect night.
I don’t post pictures of the children in my class but I am so thankful for my new class. I have a few students that are out for the summer, a few that were in my class last year, and a few brand new ones. It’s really turning into a lovely class. My co-lead teacher left the school so I also have a new assistant teacher and also a helper teacher as well. We also lost our very favorite director and got a new one this summer. So many changes! I was feeling a little unsettled but I am feeling better about everything now. I have the new director’s son in my class and he will probably need some extra help so I am very thankful for the third teacher.
This is Dane Street beach which I pass by on my commute to work. One morning the fog was heavy along the shore and it looked so pretty I had to pull over and take a quick picture. I’m very thankful for the beautiful commute that I have. If I have to drive to work every day it helps that it’s beautiful.
1. What’s an adult problem nobody prepared you for?
Everything is quite repetitive. I thought it would be much more interesting.
2. How tuned in are you to all the recent food related health news? Have you gotten rid of your scratched cookware? Did you pay attention to food additives before they made the news? What’s one healthy eating/cooking/food shopping habit you need to adopt?
I have been tuned in to healthy food for most of my life. I almost always eat healthy, natural foods. I eat very little meat. I do eat a fish few times a month. My stomach gets upset when I eat things with additives in them so I rarely do it. I never used that kind of cookware but when my mom died a few years ago I kept some of her pans. Then I saw a movie about teflon and very quickly threw them all away. I have a cast iron frying pan I use. I need to adopt the habit of not eating ice cream. It’s my weakness but it has really started to bother my stomach. I’m mostly vegan but couldn’t give up ice cream.
3. What’s getting worse and worse as you get older? How about better and better?
I. honestly can’t think of anything that is getting worse and worse. I think it’s all a balance. As I age I wish I had my younger body back…it looked better and it worked a bit better as well, though I am in pretty good health. However, I have gained so much wisdom. All the wisdom I’ve gained hasn’t always been easy or pain free to get. I have certainly danced with my share of sorrow. I like myself more now…I’m happier with myself. I am more content.
4. Are you more of an indoor person or an outdoor person?
I am more of an outdoor person. I have loved being outside for as long as I can remember. Even as a little girl I would spend all day outside in the woods near our house, only coming in for lunch. Even now, at 62, my favorite way to spend the day is walking around my little town, or hiking in the woods, or at the beach, gardening, being outside with my grandchildren.
5. If you had an expert personal assistant today, what would you have them do?
Clean my house, go to the grocery store, do the laundry…all that cinderella kind of stuff.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
My prayers go out to those who are suffering in the areas where there have been flash floods. I just can’t seem to get them off of my mind. What a tragedy.
The good
A lobster roll from the Driftwood restaurant in Marblehead, MA! Very, very good! I have to say that my mu grew up in New York and Connecticut where they don’t put any mayonnaise in their lobster rolls and serve them hot with butter and I like them that way better.
The fun:
Next year will be the 60th Marblehead Art’s Festival! We took two years off due to COVID. This year was so much fun!
The random:
I was walking home from visiting one of the art exhibits in town and happened upon this parade of antique cars coming up State street!
And the king will answer them, truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers,
you did it to me.
Matthew 25:40
I took a bit of a hiatus. Things got busy and I just didn’t have the heart for blogging. I hope you all are well.
My grandchildren were here a few weeks ago and Hey-Joe talked to them about using a slide on the guitar. Some of them were more interested than others. He hasn’t quite mastered the art of being succinct…
My daughter came down to spend the day at the beach with us. We were discovering hermit crabs. Verne and Abby were interested but Natalie, who is not in the picture, wanted nothing to do with them!
I am so blessed to live in such a beautiful and historic place. I don’t want to ever take it for granted or not be grateful. It is just so beautiful. Regardless of what is going on in the crazy world there is always majesty and beauty to be found in the natural world. When the world news gets too tough or awful to bear, go to the natural world and find peace.
I stopped in at a Chinese restaurant for lunch last week. I was by myself because I was running some errands for work. There was a grown daughter and her elderly mother sitting at the table behind me. The mother had some kind of dementia and couldn’t remember where she lived. She kept asking her daughter, “But where do I live? I can’t picture it. How do I get my dinner? Am I all alone? Where is my family?” Her daughter had taken her out to a doctor’s appointment and they stopped for lunch. The mother must have asked at least 50 times and the daughter never lost her patience. She just very calmly answered the same way every time. Before they left, I told the daughter how patient she was and I told the mother she had a very beautiful daughter. After they left I opened my fortune cookie.
My boss has left our school and moved on to a new school. We are all so sad to see her go. She was absolutely the best boss I have ever had. One of my co-workers has some kind of a fancy machine that can cut things out and make t-shirts so we secretly made t-shirts with her name (in Japanese) and wore them on the same day. She was so surprised! We even made one for her son!
a spirit of simplicity 