Working it

Much colder today, gray, rain coming.  Had to turn the heat on again!

 But yesterday - after great zumba class, walked 2 hours on Nauset beach (ocean side) and actually fell asleep on the sand for awhile.   Just needed to rest it all.  A dog visited and scared the hell out of me!  Then read on the sand at Crosby Landing for awhile.  Nice and sunburned now.  Getting anxious about so much time on my hands but cannot even think about going back to a big job - just couldn't do it right now.   Mental issues.   Until paperwork is final, focusing on painting condo, daily hard sweats, quilts, toughening up my bike butt, and finding insurance.   Saw Hunger Games last night - sticks close to the book.  I like the books much much more than the movie.

Sat is BEST zumba class.  More advanced and intense.  I had sweat dripping in my hair!  Felt SO very good:  "USA Today reports Zumba® Fitness was named one of the top 10 fitness trends for 2012 by the American College of Sports Medicine"  

Grabbed a coffee after class and went to look for the whales in PTown.  Parked at Herring Cove and pulled on the binocs and there they were!  So cool.  Saw spouts and backs and birds diving near them - beautiful:
Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Cape Cod boaters urged to steer clear of endangered North Atlantic right whales

www.boston.com

"Boaters off Cape Cod are being urged to keep an eye out for North Atlantic right whales in waters close to shore after about 30 of the endangered cetaceans were spotted feeding off the coast of Provincetown. "

Drove by new garden center on rte 6A - Fran's Cape Farm.  Stopped in to see if the are hiring.  This would be very good for me in many ways.  She said yes and to come back in 10 days.  Will do.

Pulse - working it

Spring!

Beautiful days this week - warm, sunny, trees starting to bud, birds chirping, turkeys lurking... all good.  Trying to sweat hard every day - zumba (LOVE IT) and/or hiking 8K-10K steps and/or bike ride.    Can finally do most of the jumping in zumba ( but still struggle with the belly dancing steps !), figured out best socks to reduce blisters for hikes and working through the initial nausea on bike rides.  Determined!

Nauset Marsh view during 10K step walk on Tues

Wellfleet Harbor fog rolling out - walk to cool down after Zumba on Wed

My new friend :) for loooong rides - 25 miles on Thurs

Read Hunger Games books while in Tuscany - awesome!  I give them 4 stars.  Looking forward to seeing the movie this weekend.

Pulse - feeding the "4 dimensions"

Back on CC

Tuscany trip was great.  We felt like we were traveling inside a jigsaw puzzle - rolling hills and steep hills and marble topped mountains everywhere.  And in the cities - Pisa, Florence - ancient art - "David" in all his glory and works from Michaelangelo and DaVinci and paintings galore of "Judgement Day" and churches churches cathedrals and more cathedrals.  All dating back to 1100 or so (!)  We traveled on planes and buses and trains.  And we walked miles and miles.  The weather was perfect - cool, mid 60's and sunny every day.  All adventures were under the Tuscan sun... truly beautiful and amazing.  We ate pasta in many versions - with leeks and garlic, with wild boar chianti sauce, after a first course of octopus, fried as an appetizer, in homemade pesto... all so yummy.  And we had local chianti and local white and lots of local olive oil and lots of local balsamic - rich and thick and so delicious.  And we ate so many olives - so good.  The Silver Fox did great - realize where my tenacity comes from.  She must have done 15K steps a day, everyday, for 9 days.  Arrived home educated, satisfied, heads full of beautiful sights, wonderful memories and very pooped :)

Bridge over Arno River - Pisa

Silver Fox in Leaning Tower Square - Pisa

Tuscan Village

View from a vineyard

Medici Cathedrals - white and green marble from the local mountains - Florence

Lunch always outside - Pisa

My favorite - the stories and masterpiece statue of Michaelangelo's "David" - created with one piece of white marble - 17 feet high and in perfect detail.  He is getting ready to battle "Goliath" and is naked because he doesn't need anything from the outside to survive and beat the giant - all his strength and abilities come from within.  His face is beautiful and determined.  His body is strong and capable.  And it's over 600 years old.  Very inspiring.

Pulse - forward

Another Day

Brother runner convinced me to caddie for him in CA. - I KNOW I will love it and am looking forward to spending time with them.  Booked it.  Gray day today.  Beautiful.  Paines Creek at low tide was spectacular.  Finished another winter quilt top - matches Paines Creek very nicely.  Borders next then layer and bind.

Paines Creek, low tide - beautiful

Paines Creek, salty air, total silence, healing

20 Blocks, Winter Blues, Fields and Furrows design 

Thought a lot about the day - up at 10, quilting, zumba, yarn for baby blanket, beach walk, deep breathing - alone but not lonely. Ok.

Pulse - shaky, determined

Dark in Here

The visual that wakes me at 4am is a very dark forest filled with monsters.  The feelings are terrifying.  The thoughts are that they will wound, likely deeply, but will not kill... The new found urge is to be brave and keep moving through, to do the right thing - no matter what  - head up, force field on.  The hope is that the journey leads to a place full of possibilities for happiness and peace.   So doing the work, have begun the ending.  Keeping busy.  Praying a lot.

The Project Linus day was a lot of fun.  I told them I was there to be bossed around and they obliged!  I ironed and cut and tied for 9 hours.  50 were completed and most took a few more each to finish up.   Expect to turn in 150 by end of Feb.  Good day.

LOTS of Linus quilts for CC babies!

Really getting into "zumba" classes.  Still a bit of a spaz but catching on pretty well.  Stopped at Fort Hill on the way to Mon night class in Wellfleet - breath taking.

Nauset Beach from Fort Hill, Eastham

Door bell rang and incredible package was delivered from my LOVELY one.  Oh so yummy and perfect.   SHE is the gift.  Ate the one with the most chocolate then headed out for a long walk on  the CCRT.  Beautiful gray, cold, crisp day today - great for deep breaths and working out.

Chocolate covered MASSIVE strawberries - OMG good.

Went along CCRT in Brewster for 1 hour - ended up at Nickerson the turned around and came back.  Went by ponds with trees covered in green Cape moss, inhaled wood stoves burning, listened to roosters crowing, moved aside for bike riders on the trail - 11829 steps round trip.  Excellent.

Cape Cod Rail Trail - Brewster

Moss covered trees in CCRT pond, Brewster

Pulse - get up, bandage up, keep moving.

Dragging

Seems terms are up in the air.. seems conversations have been had about how to really kill a wife.  Feels that way anyway.  Almost passed out yesterday.  On the edge of just too much.  But what happens at "too much"?  Nothing.  More anguish.  After many many difficult conversations, finally able to put things back together and can continue to move ahead.  Gut wrenching.  So unbelievable.  Grief stricken is a real thing.  Seems I take 1 step forward and 100 steps back.  wtf.  Had to get out before anxiety attack struck so went for a long walk to Coast Guard beach then back through the Marsh trail - over 11K steps.  Good.  

Finished putting winter quilt blocks together.  Now have to decide on which pattern.  Leaning towards "Barn Raising" but also like "Waves".  Hmmmmmmm.....

Winter Blues 

Winter Blues

36 Blocks, Winter Blues, Barn Raising design

25 Blocks, Winter Blues, Waves design

Pulse - broken

Getting Healthy

Bummer that the Pats lost - who would of thunk it?  Just a real bummer.  Spent a nice weekend with Gram and Alice having lunch munchies and watching the game.  Very funny to watch all three of us crocheting like crazy while sitting and chatting - nice weekend.  Gram needs lots of hugs. She seems older with every visit - seems to be fading, looks tired, moves very slow.  Everyone needs to talk to gram and hug her as much as possible.  Tuscany trip coming up and she's busy thinking about what to bring - will make it a great trip!

Went on a hike after zumba class today - 7 miles round trip!  A real kick ass hike along Wellfleet's Herring bay and thorough the dunes to the ocean.  The hike is called Great Island trail.  Just beautiful.  Came upon IFAW releasing some stranded dolphins.  Has been happening all over the Cape and especially in Wellfleet harbor.  Seems they get too close then get confused at low tide and cannot get back out so beach and die.

IFAW bringing a beached Dolphin into the bay, Wellfleet

IFAW working hard, Wellfleet

Herring Bay where dolphins get confused

IFAW guiding stranded dolphin out to area where 2 other dolphins were waiting

Ocean side, Wellfleet - dolphin's destination!

Processing the final paperwork, tough days.  Have agreed to terms so should not be a big deal.  Understand it will take a few months to go through the legal steps, geez.  I want to get this all done by April.  I cannot keep thinking "what if".  No more.  Moving on.  Enough.  Really enjoying spending time with the "meetup" people.  Very comforting to be making new friends.  Fri night is a "new members meet and greet" for one of the groups at a place right down the street.  Should be fun.  Sat is "Project Linus" day with  the quilt guild.  They intend to make 150 quilts for Cape babies.  I'm bringing brownies and energy and letting them boss me around to do whatever they need.  My winter ocean quilt is coming along nicely.  Actually making two at once.  And my granny crochet afgan has all squares ( 14 rows by 14 columns) sewed together one way - was my super bowl day project.  Need to sew up the other way, frost and celebrate... steady progress.

Pulse - finding peace

Finding Cape Jewels

REALLY liking this zumba dancing!  Was on such a natural high :) after the Sat class so went for a 5 mile walk to CC beach - over 10K steps!  It was sunny and cold and beautiful.  And there were SO MANY surfers and kite surfers in the water!  Crazy cats!  It was a great day.

Kite surfer, Coast Guard beach

Met a few new people last week who shared a few new places.  Went with some "meetup" folks on a hike last Sunday - White Cedar trail at Marconi Beach.  It was a beautiful, windy walk through some marsh land and forest.  Have added this to the list of places to take visitors.

White Cedar Trail, Marconi beach

Met up with the East Dennis Oyster farmer on Mon morning to start research for the PT article.  Had to be at his house by 9am so we could hit the low tide.  He and his wife farm 2 acres and want me to understand their whole operation.  Showed me the equipment sheds, coolers, cages, stakes, nets... then we went to Dennisport harbor to pull in some nets full of oysters that needed to be put into cages in the ocean... and then we drove out to his farm.  OMG incredibly beautiful and fascinating.  It's right near Paines Creek - and boy do I love Paines Creek!   He had to put the harbor oysters into the cages and harvest 500 oysters to be mailed to Dallas and NY.  They harvest a few hundred every Thurs to be used at the raw bar they run at Chapins restaurant every weekend.  He puts back the ones that are not sold so they can continue to grow.  The tide was lllllooooooowwwww...famous flats low.  We drove right onto the beach.  The wind was howling, the air was biting, the surf was in the distance looking like it might come rolling in any minute.  He pulled up nets and opened cages and filled baskets - I took pictures, asked him a million questions and soaked it all in.  He gave me some clamming boots to wear and a very thick sweatshirt to put over my jacket - "keep warm and dry and this is a blast" he said.   Geez it was great.  Then they took me to lunch at the Brazilian barbecue place in Hyannis - a meat lovers paradise.  They were doing casasha shots from coconuts, I passed.  Did that in Sao Paulo and woke up 2 days later.  Wanted to keep my wits about me - you never know... if they were planning to kill me later, I wanted to be ready :)  I'll see them again in March for the first "planting" of the 2012 crop. They are insisting that their oysters are the freshest, yummiest fish on the Cape and that I must try one.  I will (!) Can't wait!

Crows Pasture, oyster farm, East Dennis

Oyster farmer John, checking his crop, East Dennis

Harvesting for Dallas

http://www.facebook.com/pages/East-Dennis-Oyster-Farm/170688036288?ref=ts

Farmer Tim got back to me too, YES on the article, NO on working there but my name is on a list in case they need help once things get going.  Fair enough.  Next have to set up the interview with him.
Don't have any big plans or big expectations - have learned to set the bar low and disappointments are easier to handle :)  Want to learn to fish (so many ponds and tides), kayak in the ponds (and maybe even the ocean!), bike ride the ccrt, write a little, snap great photos, explore off the beaten path, take dance classes, sew pretty quilts, breathe deep, make friends, find peace.

Pulse - finally letting go

Rail is Up

Fixit guy got the handrail up last night.  Yeh!  Looks nice.  Now I'll have something to grab onto next time I find myself hurdling down the stairs.  Bruises still look bad but not so swollen.

Right arm, sore but functional.

Ribs, same on other side.  Very sore.

Have been to two zumba classes now, love it!  Lots of dancing and shaking and moving-moving-moving.  Find myself breathless, soaked and so very happy at the end.  Interesting thing - no one has asked me about the bruises!  They are very (very) easy to see but no one has asked a thing.  I do believe they think I have been battered.  Thought for sure someone would come up to me and say - what the heck happened to your arms and back - but nope.  Not one of the 50 or so women in these classes has said a word.  Find that very interesting.. what does that mean?  Is it being respectful?  Is it being uninterested?  What if it were true?  Doesn't anyone want to help?  And if asked, I would have said that I fell down the stairs which sounds just like a victim's reply!  What would I do if I saw someone's bruises at a dance class?   Hmm.  After this experience, if I should ever see something like this on another, I will ask about it and leave it to her to decide next steps.  At least, I will offer a lifeline.  This is a good example of a program I heard on npr a while back about getting involved.  The point of the program was that too many people turn the other way when they see things that make them uncomfortable for fear of be intrusive, nosey and simply from apathy - plain ol' not giving a damn.  And the lesson in the program was to do the opposite - to ENGAGE, GET INVOLVED, reach out to another and let them know they are not alone.  I will.  I will.

Had drinks with those neighbors the other night.  He is 88 and she is 84.   They look good, mentally sharp, he is physically fit, she is a bit wobbly, both had two drinks, shared their life stories and asked about me in a very polite way.  They had tapas laid out, fireplace glowing, warm and inviting. Very nice evening.  I brought flowers.

Joined a camera club (!) so I can learn to take really good photos.  Id also like to get a good camera so need some guidance there.  The club goes out on hikes at all times of the day, night, weather, locations etc to take "the best photos ever".  Sounds awesome.   Plan to attend the Feb meeting and get going!  Want to do Paines Creek justice.

Paines Creek, winter sunset

 Rainy, foggy day today.  Love it.  Working on my winter ocean quilt, almost done frosting the grannies, finishing hanging curtains, listening to npr.  A good day.

Pulse - one day at a time

SOB!

Heard back from my Editor at PT - she likes the idea of the oyster farming story and gave the go to get started.  Spoke with the Oyster farmers and they are thrilled to do it!  They suggested I work with them through the Spring and follow some oysters from farm to plate.  SOB!  PT Editor has not read my "Grapevine" story yet but said not to worry as if she has any issues with it, "together we will make it work".  SOB!

Persistence- always a good vice :)

Pulse - "better to try and fail than fail to try".  SOB!

Snowy weekend

Gray weekend, snow, wind - awesome.  I love stormy days.  Took out all my fabric to get a good look at the stash - holy moly.  I shouldn't buy anything more for a LONG time.  Plan to bring some to the Project Linus workshop on Feb 11 along with a little granny baby blanket from the "someday" stash.  Signed up to "tie", "piece" and iron.  Should be a fun day.

Years of leftovers from me, Mem and Alice

Started working on the nine patch squares and frosting my colorful, scarp grannies.  Watched it snow and blow all day Sat.  Beautiful morning on Sunday.  Went to dig out the new baby and found 3 cars next to me still full of snow too.  They belong to the 3 neighbors on my left - all at least 80 y/o women.  So, of course, I shoveled them out too.  Kinds matters :)

Colony Drive, after the snow

Met up with some of the women from "social over 40" group Sun afternoon for lunch and the Pats.  Went to "Chapins" in Dennis.  Open year round.  Excellent place, near "Gina's By the Sea".  Fun to watch the game with a rowdy crowd.  I wasn't going to go.  Was just going to stay in and watch by myself but kept thinking, if I am going to build a new life, I have to get on to the hard business of building so must get out and engage and give and try.  So I went and had fun. I met some oyster farmers from East Dennis.  They were at the raw bar shucking oysters for .99 per.  I couldn't bring myself to try - on the house or not.  I'd love to do a story about them for PrimeTime  but still have not heard back from the Editor.  I left another vmsg and email.  I won't get ruled out because of lack of interest or persistence on my part... border line - persistence and pest :)

One of the new friends asked each of us - real fast - what 6 things can you not live without?  I said:

1. Hope (that things will get better)
2. Faith (that this is not all there is)
3. My children (reason to live)
4. Health (for a good life)
5. Determination (to make it)
6. Self Confidence (because leaning is not reliable)

Will be interesting to answer this again same time next year.  

Went to check out one of my favorite spots - Paines Creek - to see what it looks like after the snow.  Still beautiful.  Sat there for awhile and listened to the Adele cd, then went to the bar to watch the Pats with new friends artist, bank examiner, and the teacher.

Paines Creek, after the snow

Fell down the damn stairs again last night.  Landed on my back and bruised some ribs.  Looks like I was in a terrible fight.  Hurts.  Had socks on and just slipped all the way down.  Cried myself to sleep.  I was so sad and sore and alone.  Woke up thinking I am still a long way from tough but working on it.  This week - line dancing, zumba class, wine tasting event, quilting, job search, long walks.

Pulse - "to everything there is a season"

A Good Day

Snowed last night.  Cold out now.  Everything is white and crunchy, pretty.  The curtains and rods arrived today.  Curtains look nice.  Will get them up early next week.  Checked out the Cape Code Organic Farm - so cool.   It seemed pretty deserted when I pulled in but decided to poke around and check out the enormous pig anyway.  Then a truck pulled up and out stepped Farmer Tim!  The Universe spoke and said I was where I was supposed to be... I shook his hand and told him how awesome I thought his farm was, that I had a check for my csa share and wanted to sign up to work off some of the fee, and that I would love to work with them this upcoming season - hiring?  We had a very nice talk ( seems learning to schmooze in corporate life may pay off now and then) and he said that likely they would be hiring and he would be in touch.  Fingers crossed.  The csa share runs for 18 weeks - May - Oct and includes all the herbs and flowers you can pick(!).  Oh boy am I happy about this.

http://www.capecodorganicfarm.org/

The Boar 

CC Organic Farm land in January

 Another storm is due tomorrow so wondered what the surf looked like.  Took the shiny new car to check it out.  Choppy, blue, windy, cold.

Corporation Beach - Dennis

Checked out a local bog - what happens to those little bushes when it's 10 degrees outside?  Well, they look as beautiful as ever.

Bill's Bog - Brewster

Talked with one of the queen bees from the Quilting club to get clear directions on projects in progress.  Supposed to make nine patch blocks for the Feb meeting to be used in Wounded Warrior quilts - given to vets - and Project Linus quilts - given to new babies.  So nice.  Plan to work on them during the storm tomorrow.  Love stormy days.  Joining the "Over 40"(funny) Meetup to listen to another jazz group tomorrow night - right down the street so can even walk home if storm is too crazy.

Saw a PM position on craig's list this morning.  Looks like it might be with HP somewhere on the Cape.  Sent in a cover letter and resume - see what happens.  Never hurts to keep practicing conversations.  This is the 16th position I've replied to from craig's list and have not heard back from any of them.  But have learned, cannot catch a fish without a line in the water :)

Listened to a great interview on NPR's Science Friday about "mindfulness".  Discussed techniques for quieting rambling thoughts, went through a little practice exercise on air.  Pulled over and faced the bog so I could join them.  Very nice.
 
 Pulse - feels good to feel good again

List Checking

Now that I finally feel better, everything I need to do is racing through my mind.  Wrote it all down, prioritized, put many on the "some day" side and set end of Feb to get everything else just DONE.  It's cold and I need curtains and rods to keep out the DRAFT - ordered and due to arrive this week, lined up someone to help me install (check).  Downstairs is COLD and keeps the whole condo COLD.  I thought maybe I'd wait on a gas stove but it's COLD - shopped around, ordered and due to be installed next week (check).  My Xterra was making SO MANY noises that I was afraid - enrolled in AAA and picked up the new car today (check).  Found myself talking to myself, getting bogged down - joined meetups, quilt club, wine club and attending all meetings (check).

Honda CRV, sliver with gray leather

Remote start, roof rack

A few BIG things left - CSA share, health insurance, bike tune up and rack, kayak rack, maybe a little job...

 Pulse - staying positive

Week 14

Hard to believe 14 weeks of freedom already.  Wowza.  Winter has been very mild, except for yesterday. Yesterday it was 15 outside and 18 inside.  The wind was howling and my bedroom curtains were blowing all over the place.  Not good.  I was SO cold.  Even my face was cold.  Seems this little condo is drafty.  Got online to overstock.com and ordered curtains and rods for every window and door.  Very good deal there.  Should arrive in 5-10 days.  I've been thinking about it and telling myself I really should get some and now it's done.  Just the putting up left.  Will cross that hurdle when they arrive.

Nice visit with Alice last weekend to restup and catchup.  Didn't end up going to the Meetup Choir concert.  It was snowing and blowing so we decided to just stay in and chill.  Played Words with Friends online (lost to almost everyone but we're learning these new age words and rules so one day soon we will be good), made squares, worked on the puzzle, slept late, didn't get dressed, watched football, ate yummy food.  Bruises are turning a nice yellow now and not so sore.  Cold is pretty much gone. Was a good weekend.

Using up leftover colors to make a pretty afgan

New England Shells to frame once done

Got a call this morning that my new car is in.  Ready to pick up on Thurs.  YEH!  The Xterra is still running so all is well so far.  Plan to check out a Line Dancing class tonight, Wine Club tomorrow night.  "108" neighbors knocked on my door yesterday.  Nice couple.  Have lived at The Colony for 10 years.  Invited me over for a drink.  I did not handle that very well.  Was caught offguard.  Needed a shower, messy hair, do I bring something?... so I said would love to as soon as I am settled in.  Geez.  Not very friendly.  Will continue to work hard on that.  Nothing back from PrimeTime yet - 3 emails and 1 vmsg and no word.  Should at least acknowledge receipt...geeez.

Thinking about Foster care... maybe I would like to be a foster parent.  I think I would like to help out kids like that.  I still have the energy.  I have the time.  I have the place.  I have the need to have a purpose.  I think I might really like to do that.  Maybe this is my next chapter?  Looking into it.  Reading up.  Thinking.

Pulse --> a little lost

Bittersweet

3 years now.  Enough said.

Continue On...

So have given this a lot of thought... on one hand, would prefer human contact to catch up on what's what... one the other hand, I think I really would like to keep track of what happens this first "1014" year. Who knows, may help another to understand how some endings end and beginnings begin.
To catch up:
I no longer have health insurance so must stay healthy, no accidents, until this is figured out.  Of course, have been sick since Jan 2.  and Wed, I fell down my stairs.  I bounced on my hip, my butt, my shoulder, my arm and my hand... all bruised but nothing broken.  I was wearing nice comfy socks to make myself feel better and BAM!  Wind knocked out of me, got right up and almost passed out.  Walked around.  Cried.  Took a shower and some Advil.  Will survive.  Have been living on Mucinex during the day and Nyquil at night.  I LOVE Nyquil. I have been sleeping so soundly, for 8-10 hours every night.  No weird dreams, no waking up a million times... just restful sleeeeepppppp!  This may actually be healing my body and my mind.  Feeling about 75 percent now.

Attended the CC Quilters Guild - oh it was fun.  Saw so many treasures and met so many incredible quilters.  

Cape Cod Quilters Guild, show and tell treasure

Did the PrimeTime interview with the founders of "The Grapevine Wine Club".  Was SO NERVOUS to do that but loaded up on cough drops and went to their house.  Had my trusty reporter's tape recorder (ha!) and my notebook and had a blast.  Spent all last weekend pulling the article together.  Editor wanted 3-5K words.  As always, faced the dreaded "blankwhitepaper" panic but pushed through and got it done.  Sent it in on Tues with 3900.  Emailed and left a vmsg.  Have not heard anything back.  Fingers crossed.  Feel good that I did it.  Standing by.

Paines Creek is still beautiful.  Looks like a postcard everytime I visit.  Hard to believe but you can really walk around here and breathe and stretch and feel so good.

Paines Creek, late afternoon

 Looked through Craig's list for CC jobs... applied for personal slave ( helper for $10/hr but #1 girl will not allow it, wise advice...), Office Admin, and Tutor.  Nothing back yet.  Not eager to find anything but want to keep looking in case something really interesting floats by.

Joined a few "Meetups", a "social seekers over 40", a "kayak and hike" and a "so you want to dance" one.   Met them at the "seekers" at the "Harvest Gallery Wine Bar" in Dennis for drinks and jazz.  Fun and interesting - met 6 women - a teacher, a nurse, a bank examiner, a mosaic artist and 2 Sues that were cruising for men.  The place was really local and artsy and a great night out.

Harvest Gallery Wine Bar,  jamming Jazz Trio

Met some of them again the next day for a hike around Big Cliff Pond at Nickerson State Park.  They brought their dogs - a big, smelly, chocolate lab (Wiley) and a cutie pie, oogly eye pug (Ladybug).  It was BEAUTIFUL - almost 4 miles around the pond through forests and across sandy beaches and by peaceful overlooks... it was amazing and almost 7500 steps (guidelines per Alice suggest a healthy 10K steps a day).  Went back a few times already.  This one is on my list of favorites.  We went to lunch afterwards then to a photographer's opening at the Library.  One of the women knew the photographer. It was a fine day.

Big Cliff Pond, view from circuit trail

Another day, headed back out to National Seashore Salt Pond Visitors Center to get some fresh air.  Felt lousy but needed some air.    Alice and I spotted a trail to Coast Guard beach when we were here a few weeks ago and I wanted to check it out.  Well, it was awesome.  What isn't awesome on Cape Cod???!  About 9500 steps round trip.  Along a bike path, through stands of pines loaded with all kinds of birds, across cool bridges and ending up a Coast Guard beach - 2011 ranked as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  Came across some signs that talked about an artist who wrote a book in 1928 about living in a house on this beach - "The Outermost House, A Year of Life on the Great Beach of Cape Cod".  This is the eastern most point.  It's hard to describe beautiful.  Got the book.  Stand by.

Salt Pond Bike Trail, not another soul in sight

Coast Guard beach, site of "The Outermost House"

Have started playing "Words with Friends" online.  Jane is the master.  Very brilliant.  She is playing me, Alice and brother Traveler all at the same time.  We believe she is playing several others too.  She beats us all.  But, we are learning, filing everything away, learning learning learning....  It's a lot of fun.

Hanging around the Cape waiting for my new car to come in.  Decided on the Honda CRV, 4WD, sliver, leather, remote start (treat to my old self).  Expect it in next week.  Gently driving Xterra until then - too many pings and humms and whistles to go very far.

Call into number one son - believe he is back from Cuba.  Eager to hear how it went.  Lots of nice conversations with the Lovely one.  Such a hard worker, determined, creative, tireless, smart, wise... I do believe the universe is keeping an eye on that one.  Her ship is coming.

Alice is visiting this weekend.  Yeh!  We'll watch the Pats on Sat and join a Meetup gathering in Wellfleet on Sunday - Gospel Chorus Recital at Perservation Hall then dinner (!)

Have a colorful granny square afgan in  the works for when I sit in front of the tube,  a "Shells of New England" jigsaw puzzle to work on during NPR story hours, a winter seascape quilt on my mind, new friendships to nurture, long time friendships to stay connected, internet fun and games to keep up with and determination that a heavy heart is not too much of a burden.

Pulse - one day at a time