Provincetown

      "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."

                                                           William Arthur Ward

The Pilgrim Monument from Wikipedia

                 Summer Ladies’ Road Trip!  A Co-Worker’s Sister has lived in Provincetown (PTown to those of us in New England) for many years.  She very graciously invited us to stay with her when the three of us chatted about a weekend together.  So, on yet another beautifully warm sunny Friday morning the three of us set out for the Cape.  PTown is at the very tip of Cape Cod, so a two hour drive with no traffic. 

Pilgrim Monument @ Night, from Wikipedia

             After settling into our Host’s home we ventured downtown to grab some lunch.  PTown is like a carnival all the time.  The sights and sounds are incredible.  It has been an artist community for many years.  And, in the 70’s it became a haven for the gay and lesbian community.  On Friday, from the afternoon through evening, I saw one grand gentleman in 3 totally different outfits (lady’s outfits dressed to the 9’s from toe to tip of the head decorated in fashion I could only dream about..), riding up  and down Commercial Street on his bike.

from Marc C on Yelp

                After a great light Thai salad at Bubala’s by the Bay, we poked around some shops.  Then we  meandered back to our home base to meet our Hostess.   We had been invited over to mutual Friends’ for cocktails.  This generous Couple was so kind to share their piece of Shangri-La with us. Oh, the views from their piece of heaven, and the fun stories of some of their rich, famous , infamous, and notorious neighbors kicked of a wonderful evening.

Saki from Gary C on Yelp

                From their home on the beach, we headed downtown to one of their favorite galleries enjoying the artist, gallery owner, and art.  Watching in awe as they actually bought some of the art!  I have one piece of original art, their homes are full of it.  Time for dinner, we meandered to the Japanese restaurant Saki.  As we ate,  filmmaker John Waters was seated just across from us.  He was dressed very appropriately for his reputation, in one of the loudest black and white blazers I have ever seen!  We never could decipher the sex of his dinner-mate.  Perfect.

from PTown.com

                Saturday we spent on Commercial Street, having breakfast, spending some time on the town beach, and of course poking through the shops again.  Our same group of six had dinner at our Hostess’ home, lobsters!, before heading off to the Provincetown Theatre to see Ryan Landry in “The Divine Sister”.

 If you have not had the opportunity to see Ryan’s work, I highly recommend it.  He is always irreverent, no matter the subject, hilariously entertaining, and immensely talented.  His work with his troupe “The Gold Dust Orphans” is great, and the Huntington Theatre is producing his adaptation of “M” this season.  "With Ryan Landry, perversity and hilarity go skipping along hand in hand."- Boston.com

              Sunday we enjoyed a great homestyle breakfast at Chach’s, and got on the road to try and beat the Sunday traffic  leaving the Cape.  Couldn’t pass up meandering around the Wellfleet Flea Market on our way up though!  And, unfortunately, did not really beat the traffic, three plus hours home.  It was a wonderful weekend, one of the last of the official summer season.  Thanks so very much to our generous Hostess, and Hosts, and to my Co-workers for great, much-needed giggles, and company!

Another Summer Saturday in the City

   "Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you got."  Ingrid Bergman

From the MFA website

On a grey, humid Saturday, my older Daughter and I decided to spend a few hours at the Museum of Fine Arts, or MFA, as we lovingly call it in Boston.  It is a beautiful gift to the city, but can be overwhelming so I tend to focus on just two or three exhibits at a time when I visit.  And, of course, while meandering the Museum this day, we fell upon a couple of small exhibits, most notable for us, the Jewelry display!



The Paintng that started Her love for art!

From the MFA website (http://www.mfa.org/): “Let the dancing begin! The MFA welcomes two monumental loans from the Musée d'Orsay, Paris—Renoir's Dance in the City and Dance in the Country—as part of our Visiting Masterpieces series. These full-length canvases accompany the MFA's own iconic Renoir, Dance at Bougival. All three paintings, depicting couples in urban and rural settings, were created by the artist in the same year. Renoir’s colorful Impressionist style, full of verve and daring, captures the fashion and pastimes of his contemporaries. Don’t miss the experience of a lifetime viewing this glorious trio of paintings, together here at the MFA for the first time in a generation.” (til Sept. 3)



From the MFA website

“Shambhala is a Sanskrit word describing a mythical land whose exact location is hidden behind mist of snow-capped mountains, where peace reigns, wealth abounds, and there is no illness. The West was first introduced to the concept as “Shangri-la” in the 1930s book and film Lost Horizon, but Shambhala, in both physical and spiritual senses, has been part of Tibetan Buddhist art and culture for centuries. “Seeking Shambhala” explores this spiritual realm within the Tibetan tradition, and brings to the fore two contemporary artists’ personal journeys to Shambhala.” (til Oct 21)

Through Boston Cares, I had signed up to volunteer for Shakespeare on the Common for the evening show.  After getting a bite to eat in the South End, we walked to the Common where we said our farewells, and continued onto our respective Saturday evenings.  As can happen so frequently in New England, the weather changed for the better, and I spent a truly lovely evening volunteering, and enjoying a Shakespearean play I had no previous knowledge of!   From it’s website (http://www.commshakes.org/):

What is the city but the people?" - Act III, Scene I

For its 17th season of Shakespeare on the Common, CSC is proud to present the political drama CORIOLANUS. The play charts the rise and fall of a powerful general as he battles enemies abroad, and a tide of popularity at home in Rome. While the war hero triumphs in the field, it's his struggle with politics, responsibility and government that threatens to undo him.

Why CORIOLANUS?

"Demonstrations in the street, politicians jockeying for the loyalty of the populace, consolidation of wealth, tension between the "have's" and the have not's" - 2011, right? No, this is the world of Shakespeare's Coriolanus, perhaps Shakespeare's most political play. The play explores the quixotic and symbiotic connection between the governed and the governors - an issue echoing around the globe in the Arab Spring and in our 2012 presidential election. Coriolanus will capture the energy and passion of the community as we determine leadership of our country for the next four years. It will be a thrilling and dramatic conversation with our audience!" --Steve Maler, CSC Artistic Director 

Volunteering

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back. ~Maya Angelou



Courtesy of Boston Cares website

                              Not sure if I’ve mentioned this, but a very positive way for me that I am “filling” my free time is by doing volunteer work.  I do much of it through Boston Cares(www.bostoncares.org) which I call a clearing house of sorts for finding volunteer opportunities. From its website: “Boston Cares mobilizes more than 25,000 volunteers annually in support of Greater Boston schools and non-profit agencies. We offer a wide array of programs and opportunities that make it easy for you to volunteer no matter how busy your schedule is.”

            I have worked in a number of food programs this way, including the Pine Street Inn, The Living Center, The Woman’s Lunch Place and Dinner for Homeless Vets.  If working at any of these places doesn’t put things in perspective pretty quickly, nothing will.

Botton from 2011, couretsy of First Night Website

                Also, when I see something that interests me, I simply find it on-line and contact them.  Last New Year’s Eve I thoroughly enjoyed myself by volunteering at First Night in Boston.  I was placed on door duty and got to watch young dancers all night:  "OrigiNation/O'Shea-Chaplin: First Night Beat . OrigiNation is dedicated to promoting the importance of self-respect, health, nutrition, education and self-esteem, while emphasizing the impact that African influences have had on dance. Under the direction of Shaumba Yandje Dibinga, they specialize in hip-hop, jazz, tap, step and Caribbean dance. The O’Shea Chaplin Academy of Irish Dance presents their combination of traditional and contemporary Irish dance and costumes. Their performances have won accolades and awards internationally. These two companies dance together, in one of First Night’s signature pairings, for some explosive cross-cultural hip-step-hop.” ,

Photo courtesy of Boston Discovery Guide website

         
   As I’ve mentioned, more than once, I’m quite a fan of the Esplanade so I spent a beautiful Saturday in the spring helping with their Earth Day cleanup.  Since I have done programs there in the past (yoga, etc) I was sent an email requesting help.  Gladly did it.



From the Emerald Necklace website

On a gorgeous Sunday in June, I spent the afternoon @ Franklin Park.  I haven't spent any time there since I was a child.  It is beautiful.  I happily helped out @ the inaugural event of Circle the City (and met some wonderfully interesting Ladies!).  From its website: "Boston’s Circle The City, an Open Streets initiative connecting people to parks, will launch this summer on three Sundays: June 24, July 15 and August 5. Featuring free activities for all ages that promote healthy, active living, Circle The City will draw people out of their homes and cars and onto safe, car-free streets to walk, bike, roll, play and celebrate some of our greatest urban resources—our parks." (http://www.emeraldnecklace.org/circle-the-city/)

Mainstage

   As a Boston Globe subscriber, I read for a few months about the inaugural Summer Arts Weekend planned in Copley Square in late July.  Knowing I wouldn’t be in Maine that weekend I contacted someone on the website who then put me in charge of volunteers.  I spent a nice Saturday late afternoon into evening (until the relentless rains unfortunately made the music quiet so I went home early) and all day Sunday settled in Copley Square instead of looking onto it as I do every work day.

              Saturday I was in the information booth, where I found myself not just handing out programs for the festival but fielding questions about all things Boston.  Have you ever really taken stock of how many tourists from all over the world come to our beautiful city, especially in the summer?

My view from the Staff Tent

            Sunday when I arrived there was no one to give me a chore.  I took it upon myself to re-set up the staff tent and just stay there all day.  As there were munchies and drinks readily available for any and all staff at the festival, I also had to ward off travelers, tourists, roamers, and homeless who thought the food was a free for all!  I got to chat with many different staffers and volunteers, again from all over, during the day.  When it was quiet, I read a bit, all the while being serenaded by live classical music being played by various groups from all over the city.

Ode to Sunsets!

                                       “One day,' you said, 'I watched the sunset forty-three times!'
                                                           And a little later you added:
                                   'You know, when one is that sad, one can get to love the sunset.'
                                   'Were you that sad, then, on the day of the forty-three sunsets?'
                                                        But the prince made no answer.” 
                                             Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince


Sunset: Memorial Day Weekend 2012

            One form of literature I've never fully appreciated is poetry.  I think it's mainly because I don't "get it".  Of course there are the poems we all learned growing up, for me Robert Frost stands out.  Oh sure, I remember in high school being oh so deep and writing it.  But that was the 70's everyone was deep and writing poetry then, weren't we?  Or maybe in adolescence we are so intelligent and profound we all think we're poets?!

           Anyway, that all being said, I find myself wanting to dabble.  If you know me at all, you know that one of my favorite things in the world is sunsets, especially "my" sunsets at Webber Pond in Maine.  One of my dear Friends and neighbors in Maine thinks this is actually a very distinct idiosyncrasy on my part.  Whatever, I love them!  So here is my very amateur attempt in poetry.  My Ode to Sunsets!

Again @ Webber Pond

Sunsets are like wine for my soul.

Uplifting my spirits,

Nourishing me,

Soothing my mood,

Enveloping me with their beauty,

Treating me to their calmness and peace.

Yet another Webber Pond Sunset

Sunset Cruise on Boston Harbor

"Solitude is the salt of personhood.  It brings out the authentic flavor of every experience."
                                May Sarton, Belgian-Amercan writer

View of Back Bay

                 As I have alluded to in an earlier post, finding myself “single” again is interesting, to say the least.  And, least is what I will do most of the time on my blog when it comes to what this year has brought for me.  Life is interesting, cruel, awesome, and wonderful, sometimes all in the same day.  So, on that somewhat deep and sometimes discouraging note, I am trying desperately to continue to enjoy and make my life worthwhile.  Because, if I don’t, no one else will do it for me!   

Tall Ship from Colombia

                July 4^th in and around Boston is always filled with so many festivities, and activities, fittingly, since it is the birthplace of America.  (Actually, my own hometown of Milton is quite proud of the fact that the Revolution began here at the Suffolk Resolves House!).  This year, 2012, was especially celebratory as it was the bicentennial of the War of 1812, so in addition to the already numerous events, parades, etc, a Tall Ships Festival and Navy Week added to the festivities.

US Navy Ship

I decided that I must take advantage of some of the celebrations in Boston.   Harborfest, the Tall Ships, and Navy Week were actually a week long party, with many things to do.  Once again, I noticed on: www.Goldstar.com that there were many boat trips offered to see the action from the water.  Have you ever had the pleasure of seeing Boston from the water?  I highly recommend it as it is beautiful.



Customs House, Old North Church, the North ENd.

                I booked one of the boat cruises (at half the original price!) for sunset on July 5.  After work, I headed into the city, parked down on the South Boston waterfront across from the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art) as parking is much cheaper than on the Boston waterfront, and it is a short, beautiful walk, especially on a summer day.  Of course, it was bustling and wonderful.  Boston is such a small city, but I don’t find myself on the Waterfront much anymore, and every time I do, memories of my Girls as small children come flooding back.  They grew up in that neighborhood as the Lady who helped me raise them, who I will be forever grateful to, lives there.

From the Bar @ The Sail Loft

               I had my book, and I planned to get a bite to eat before the cruise.  The restaurants right on the touristy wharfs were madhouses, and expensive!  I simply meandered through the waterfront park, “seeing” my Girls there. Oh my, it seemed like just yesterday.  I decided to go all the way on the nostalgia trip and went into the Sail Loft Restaurant, where we’d go many nights when I didn’t want to deal with dinner.  The lovely young Bartender told me they still had the best nachos in the city, but I went for a healthier dinner of scallops which were excellent.  (I sent the Girls this picture while I was eating, not saying where I was..they both texted right  back saying they wanted a Sail Loft nacho fix!)

Old Ironsides

               Happily satiated, I went back over to Rowes Wharf to catch the boat, and had a wonderful, if not truly bittersweet, Harbor cruise, catching the last of the Tall Ships and Navy vessels before they departed.  I learned a very interesting thing on that cruise.  Did you know that the USS Constitution, Old Ironsides, as we lovingly call her, still shoots its cannons twice a day, every day (not just on her yearly turnaround on July 4), at 8:00 a.m. and at sunset?!

Rowes Wharf





          

Another Perfect Summer Night in Boston

"Hot town, summer in the city. Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty. Been down isn't it a pity. Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city."  John Sebastion of the Lovin' Spooonful

Boston's Hatch Shell

     Have I mentioned how grateful I am for the Boston Esplanade?  I recently spent another perfect summer evening there with my Lovely Co-Workers!  Earlier in the week one of them mentioned that a major heartthrob, Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad, was playing at the Hatch Shell, so we decided to meet and enjoy together.

From Wikipedia (2008)

 Burton Cummings of The Guess Who started the evening playing songs from my "tween" days (American Woman, These Eyes, No Sugar Tonight).  I was truly sent back to the street of my childhood, sitting in the kitchens of Houston Avenue, listening to WRKO AM, on radios placed on the kitchen tables.  I was of the age then to be aware of the “Hippies” but not of them.  They were so exotic and romantic.  The words of the music speaking to me now, a bit more poignantly in my life circumstances than they possibly could have to a ten year old yearning to be a teen.  (Oh, Boy, to go back to simpler times..for a short time that night I did..)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi10qSuZam8

From Wikipedia (2009)

          Mark Farner of Grand Funk Raillroad (I'm Your Captain, We're an Amercian Band, The Loco-Motion, Some Kind of Wonderful) then came on and he transported me back to High School.  What fun!  Watching him jump around the stage, I commented on how sore he would be.  As perhaps only music can, great memories were evoked of seeing this band at the old Boston Garden, finally the teenager I so desperately wanted to be when introduced to the music of the Guess Who. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiVUCrx05y4

            WODS which unfortunately is now off the air used to sponsor these concerts, but thankfully WZLX (with the financial backing of Shaw's Deli, etc) has picked up the baton.  When we arrived the crowd was rather slim but by the end of the concert the Esplanade was mobbed, the crowd was mostly baby-boomers, so not a crazy scene, maybe made more mellow by the sweet smell of you "know what" wafting through the air as the sky darkened.(Interesting note: Between Bands, of course there was a rush to the rest rooms, and a Lady behind me commented on seeing the line for the Men’s room being as long as ours for once.  I simply stated the median age of the crowd.)  As Everyone quietly and smoothly walked away at the end of the concert, All seemed to be smiling, perhaps having just been sent back to their rosier days of youth as I.

(By the way, did I mention that this concert, as are all at the Hatch Shell, was free?!)

Taking advantage of my own (work) neighborhood, Copley Square

                  "Time in the world of the museum is slower than it is outside" 
                                        New Yorker Art Critic Harold Rosenberg

Trinity Church in Copley Square

Why do we not take advantage of the things right in front of us?  One of my major passions in life is travel, yet I live near, and work in (Copley Square), one of my favorite places on the planet.  Boston, being the “Athens of America,” has a plethora of things to do, much of it free or very low in cost.  I have been making myself take advantage of these things in more recent years, see my “Summer Eves in the City “ blog post (that being primarily about The Esplanade. )   Actually, I guess I always have off and on as when my Girls were younger I would steal my boss’ Calendar section (the precursor to the now daily G Section) of the Boston Globe on Thursdays and plot my weekends with my little Ladies.

You know when you’re playing on the internet, wasting way too much time, but having fun?  I found this great young guy, Seth Kugel, who says in his “Frugal Traveler” blog for the New York Times:  “ Every touristy city has free attractions: Google the city name and “free” and you’ll get lists of art galleries and farmers’ markets and fireworks. But Boston takes it to an extreme with its dozens of college campuses that are to a surprising and admirable degree open to everyone.”  When looking for ideas to fill an evening or weekend day, I frequently go to the complete article: "Boston, Free and Easy (and Campus-Oriented)". http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/08/boston-free-and-easy-and-campus-oriented/ .

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Besides college offerings, we have so many cultural, and of course historical, institutions.  Right outside my office window in Copley Square is the Boston Public Library, or for those in the know, the BPL. www.bpl.org/  From its website: "Founded in 1848, by an act of the Great and General Court of Massachusetts, the Boston Public Library (BPL) was the first large free municipal library in the United States. The Boston Public Library's first building of its own was a former schoolhouse located on Mason Street that was opened to the public on March 20, 1854. The library's collections approximated 16,000 volumes, and it was obvious from the day the doors were first opened that the quarters were inadequate.   In December of that same year the library's Commissioners were authorized to locate a new building upon a lot on Boylston Street. The present Copley Square location has been home to the library since 1895, when architect Charles Follen McKim completed his "palace for the people." There are many free tours, lectures, readings, films, and exhibits held all year long, for free.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Across the Copley Square Park is Trinity Church. www.trinitychurchboston.org/.   From its website:   "Ask any architect, architectural historian, or critic and they'll tell you that Trinity Church is a masterpiece of American architecture. Dedicated in 1877, Trinity presented a bold, fresh new face and feeling for ecclesiastical architecture in America. The Church continues to be heralded today as a celebrated example of "Richardsonian Romanesque" design, named after its architect, H. H. Richardson. The Department of Art & Architecture Programs at Trinity illuminates the history and detail of the building and enhances the experiences of the more than 100,000 visitors at Trinity each year."  There are free tours after the 11:15 a.m. service most Sundays.

The Gardner Courtyard From Yelp

Down in the Fenway neighborhood, a mile or so away is one of my favorite museums in the world, the Gardiner, which has just undergone a major renovation.  www.gardnermuseum.org/  Mrs. Jack’s own personal story is awesome, a woman definitely ahead of her time.  I would have loved to be at one of her infamous dinner parties!  And, of course it was the scene of one of the most notorious, unsolved art heists in history.  It offers many “neighborhood nights” which are free and open to the public.

MFA from its website

The Museum of Fine Arts is another amazing gift to the city, also having just undergone a huge renovation in recent years.  www.mfa.org/ It is almost too overwhelming to even try and do the whole museum in one visit.  I usually go for just one or two exhibits, a lecture, or film.  One Saturday this past winter, I just did the first floor of the new Arts in the Americas Wing.  It is pay what you want on Wednesday evenings, and many Holidays are free.

Just a few ideas on ways, and places to explore, and enjoy free or cheaply, in the city I lovingly call home!