Susan Senator

I thoroughly enjoyed the Cape today. The sky was steely gray when I left Boston, but as I passed the South Shore, the sun started to break through, and the temperature rose. By the time I got to the Orleans rotary it looked like a pretty nice day, albeit in the 50’s. So what, I had a sweater and my boots. I blasted Sticky Fingers, playing Sister Morphine two times in a row. That is an incredible song. The way the chords suddenly brighten with Mick’s swelling voice…! Heaven. Then I listened to Natacha Atlas’ I Put A Spell On You, which my friend Sandy ripped for me. I am thinking that this will be my debut performance song.

Drove up the driveway, hugs all around, looked at the gardens’ progress (I pretty much dug and planned and planted all of the gardens around the house. It’s a pretty little cedar-shingled Cape house, (what else?) a 3 bedroom with a screened in porch. There’s a cathedral ceiling and skylights inside, so it is very light and airy. They are a mile from the ocean, and it always smells salty and you can hear its dull roar in the background.) Lunch was pita roll ups with ham, avocado, and cheese. Then we got to work with the porch furniture. Mom and I hauled it all upstairs and Dad did the lighter stuff, claiming later he felt “emasculated” by that. His back hurts, so he could not do the work.

Then Mom and I went clothes shopping in Orleans at these cute little stores, If the Shoe Fits, and Karol Richardson. She surprised me by buying me a stretch brown lace top! And then she bought herself an orchid colored linen sweater; just gorgeous. We debated about handbags, and had a lot of fun sighing over organza, ruffles, linens, and beads.

Went back to get Dad and drove to the National Seashore. The erosion was bad this year; the entire beach staircase had been washed away and some of the dunes. So they had rebuilt the staircase and it is very different. I kept thinking, “What will Nat say? And Max? Both of them hate change like this, in places they’ve been coming to for years and years!” I remember Nat repeating, when he was very little, so as to comfort himself, “It’s a different that’s okay.” Kind of summing it all up. Oh, Sweet Guy!!!!

It was very cold so we then drove to the bay. Warmer, but not as interesting. I’m like Nat, who when he saw the ocean for the first time in his life kept repeating, “Ocean!” The word Ocean suddenly got filtered into all the silly talk! I totally relate. There is nothing like that vast, swirling, crashing, thrashing monstrous body of water. Nothing. It is the most powerful thing we’ve got.

Then we drove back, and I wanted to sleep, but I knew I wouldn’t. I need to nap with my kids around me, making noise. Somehow, their sounds and movements comfort and lull me at 4 pm., rather than keep me awake. The Cape house is too quiet for naps.

We had an early dinner at this nice place in Orleans, but I have a bit of an upset stomach from the seafood cakes (crabmeat? it makes Mom sick). Dad is so funny, and cute with his wild Einstein-like gray hair. Hard to believe that when he was my age, I had already graduated from college! But look, I do have a seventeen-year-old, so…

My drive home was uneventful. Lots of loud music, and me, impatient to get home to my guys. Nice to get away, nice to help my parents and be with them, and then, it’s even nicer to come home.