Not a Caribbean vacation

February is the perfect time to escape from NYC, it's cold, gray, thoroughly uncomfortable -- today was 15 degrees with a wind chill that sent it down to, as the reporters like to say, single digits. BRRRR. Twice I've been truly smart and escaped to warm, wonderful places, once Costa Rica and once to Thailand. So I didn't expect a respite when I headed north to Cape Cod -- and it certainly wasn't as the bus went up Rte. 95, swishing it's windshield wipers against cold rain dripping from an iron gray sky. But after we turned east at Providence, passed New Bedford, the sky lightened and I glimpsed the sun, which shown off and on -- even in a wonderful blue sky for a few hours.

No, it wasn't balmy, but it wasn't as cold as expected. Saturday morning was really quite pleasant so that Rachel and I walked Molly, the dog, around Hathaway's Pond, picture above -- a nice walk that's at least half a mile, maybe more. The pond is really quite close to their house and a favorite because other dogs are few so Molly can be off leash which makes it a favorite of hers. No, it wasn't the Caribbean, but it was a very nice change for me. Then --just to be ironic, I got home and had an email from Leslie in California saying she was spending part of Saturday afternoon in shorts beside th backayard pool. If only that were a short bus ride away ...

Weekend

It was an interesting, and very nice, weekend. For reasons too personal and compound to go into here I realized that I have lived an independent and singular life that is different than most American women. The main reason I went to Cape Cod this weekend was because there was a surprise wedding shower for Cori. I have never been to a shower before, neither wedding nor baby shower [it occurs to me this might not be literally true]. Or not to a surprise shower for someone in my immediate circle. This is probably and oddity. It was a fun event. I think I may have almost OD=ed on sugar. But it was fun to see Cori truly "showered" with gifts for a new home, and delighted to receive them from a large circle of friends. She handled the event with grace and modesty that was, if a grandmother may brag -- and of course a grandmother WILL brag -- a picture of perfect poise.
As someone remarked, it looked as if she had a permanent smile attached to her face -- and she has a beautiful smile, as can be seen. The top picture is with Rachel, her mother, and the second speaks for itself.

I do not regret having lived a shower-less life; but it was good to be a part of this one, part of the pretext for getting her there - picking up bride's maid's dresses on which I would do a bit of seamstress work. In fact, Rachel and I did do some such work, also on Rachel's suit she will wear. It was pleasant work -- nice to realize that years of tailoring my wardrobe have not been forgotten. I got a preview of the wedding dress and was delighted by it's elegance and by little details that make it special. I also had an opportunity to go to a fabric store and buy backing for the blue star quilt -- batting too ... now I've got my work cut out for me. I am far from certain I will have it quilted in a month's time. But I'm going to try.