how i spent my summer vacation
 
the week always passes too quickly. great weather and plenty of sunshine. i got all that i could have wished for and then some. james and i both agree that on the cape, our dogs make the vacation a delight. the little cottage we rent is right on the town beach in the heart of the east end. the view from the porch looks out past the sea grass onto the sailboat filled bay. could there be any greater vacation for a city dog? at first we worried that the terriers might bolt but after one day they proved their mettle and were granted roaming rights. given our adoration for henry and emily, we didn’t think there was one more thing about these dogs we could love. seeing them run the surf and swim the bay only adds to the warm mushy feelings. ricky and i are both growing older and grayer with each passing year. hopefully a bit more mellow and less neurotic than in years past. it took us no time at all to unwind. james however....that’s another story. it took james a while to relax. as you can see, there are no pictures of him biking the trails. for that you would need me biking along and that ain’t gonna happen. he went out every morning until he came across a 3 ft. snake on thursday which made successive rides impossible to fathom. there are also no pictures of kite flying. after a less than windy evening at herring cove, i came to realize that i no longer wanted the role of james’ kite idiot (the guy that runs after the kite when it falls and attempts to get it aloft again). for years james has been using a triple combination of 3 traditional franklin kites hooked together and controlled with a double string system that allows for tricks. it was what he and his dad had used. next year i will get james a brand new kite that easily flies without my assistance. not one for traditional provincetown tourist haunts, i did accompany my husband across the jetty to long point. *see pictures above we trekked the width of the island to the bay and across to the wood end lighthouse. upon our return to town we climbed to the top of the pilgrim monument for a falcon’s eye view of the cape. then i went home for a long nap. i awoke every morning dreaming of soap. yeah, that really is who i am. by wednesday i didn’t even check my email or worry about sales but i did dream about the year ahead. there is a reason why i do what i do for a living. i found an importer of some of the most wonderful olive oils soaps from around the world. all-natural family recipes that date back to the middle ages. people like myself who do what they love and strive to make it the best it can possibly be. i also found some very green products from small businesses that i am sure you will enjoy. james found a 100% soy candle maker who has the most wonderful fragrance combinations in gorgeous silk screened glass. each night i would fall into bed exhausted from a day of doing virtually nothing and then dreamed the sweetest dreams of sacred turkish olive groves overlooking the aegean sea, of ancient soap pits in marseille and castilian soap recipes that include spring water, sea salt, olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary and pine. though i welcome the opportunity to leave the daily grind behind, i’m never far from my vision. now there is an excitement that propels me forward into the coming weeks and months and however brief this respite, i find myself smiling all the time.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008