Monet, Me, and Miro

 

are looking over the journal I kept while two old ladies were on the road in Ogunquit, Maine

Day 2: We were up at 7 AM. Since we had bought breakfast stuff at the grocery store, we had a leisurely breakfast in. I had tea and a bagel and honey pecan cream cheese.

Late morning, we tried to go to the beach. Teague found a parking spot. There was only one parking kiosk and a line was forming. I texted Teague that there were three people ahead of me. When it was my turn the 🤬machine wouldn't ready my debit card. A line was beginning to form so I stepped out of line. The fellow in front of me was walking away and I ran up and asked him, which way he had inserted his credit/debit card. He kindly showed me. I had tried it that way. I turned back to the kiosk, but now everyone had arrived at the beach and there were a dozen people at the kiosk. I tried downloading the parking app, but no joy. Apparently, you have to be on Wi-Fi to download apps.

We skipped the beach and went to the Maine Diner in Wells for lunch. The diner is a popular spot as it was featured on The Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives with Guy Fieri in 2010.

Since we were planning on having dinner at the food trucks, we wanted a light, that is normal portion lunch. I had an egg salad sandwich, chips, and a Coke. Perfect.

After lunch back at the motel, Teague went for a swim. The pool is not heated and thought it was a pleasant day, it wasn't really a beach day. I put my hand in the water. BRRRRR!

Teague had to take a call so I walked down to the river with my journal and had some plein air time. A Red-winged Blackbird kept me company. There were lots of birds singing and calling. I used to Merlin app and heard a Gray Catbird, Cedar Waxwing, a Song Sparrow, and a Willet

We went to the food trucks and even though we went late, the place was packed. We almost decided to leave, but a table opened up and I bolted for it. While we were waiting for our food, three women from South Carolina asked if they could share the table. They were fun to chat with. 

We had burgers and fries. Teague and one of the women went to the Congdon's window to get a sundae built on a doughnut. I asked Teague to get me a donut with coconut on it as I heard people saying there were no more Bavarian Cream or Boston Cream doughnuts. 

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Hollyhock. Mitty's favorite. He liked to take shade under the broad leaves

Corn

Field Mustard

Hosta

Fool's Parsley

Wild Parsnip

Petunias in the kitty planter and Dido

A large sunflower.

I was going to take more pictures of Himself's farm but as I walked out back, there were a ton of small bees buzzing close to the ground. I think there must be a ground nest close by. I'm allergic to bee sting so didn't want to test out the new epi pen the allergy specialist ordered for me.

How does your garden grow?

Happy, Little, Time Waster

 

Why Your Cutting Mat Won't Last Without This

The Friday Five Good Things

 

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Himself saved movies on TCM and he saved Big Wednesday for me.

2. I dropped a heavy object on my toe and didn't break my toe or the heavy object. I did swear a lot

3.  I followed the Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffin recipe made with the blueberries from the garden

4. I talked to the Young One. She's planning on coming back for a visit

5. Teague and I talked about plans for Two Old Ladies on the Road in August

How was your week?

TBT Reprints from CJ's Whine and Cheeze

     In 2003, Ma had a stroke. Dad was her full time caregiver until he he had a car accident that totaled the car. So in 2006, I became their chauffeur among other jobs.

At the time, to deal with the stress of running two households and working, I kept a blog entitled CJ's Whine and Cheeze. Egged on by some friends who enjoyed the first read through, you'll see your part when it comes by.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Dia De Los Muertos

Getting the Weebles to talk about final wishes is necessary, but difficult. When bringing up the subject, the perception is so how much of that $2 million that Nostradumbass is sending you do I get?

Not long ago, I was surprised when Dad began talking about his final wishes. He told me about an insurance policy through the Veterans Administration. I already knew this as several years ago, Ma showed me where she kept the important papers. She's quite fond of rearranging furniture and things so all bets are off that the important papers are still in the location where she showed me.

Anyway, Dad was telling me about the insurance policy. There would be enough money from the policy to bury him and Ma. He said he would like to be buried at the national cemetery down the Cape. I nodded though hoped if he passed the funeral wouldn't be on a weekend during the summer. Traffic would take days to move around the Bourne rotary. Guess we'll just have to burn that bridge when we come to it.

He also said he wanted a military funeral. As a WWII veteran, he said he was entitled. I'm assuming he meant a flag draped casket, honor guard, and bugler from the local VFW [ed. Veterans of Foreign Wars]. I have to make a note how to get in touch with the Joint Chiefs as dignitaries, just in case.

"Now you don't have to worry about the burial plot. That will be provided. At no cost"

"Ok," I said as if I were taking notes.

"One other thing."

I thought he was going to give me a list of hymns he would like played at the funeral. Some years ago, he gave me his 27 page obituary to be put in the newspaper. I half expected to hear him say he wanted the Ave Maria sung at the Mass and wasn't it too bad Nelson Eddy was gone and couldn't sing it. Nelson Eddy had been a friend of a cousin and had sung at the cousin's wedding.

"I don't want HER buried in the same hole!"

I choked with laughter. "Okay, but what should we do with her."

"I don't care." It had been a difficult day for him with Ma sniping and singing the 'He's Stupid Song' to all within earshot. He paused in thought. "Burn the witch!"

A Journal

 

I've been keeping this journal since the Fall of 2023. I have thought of sharing this journal off and on for quite sometime, but I wasn't ready. Until now.

Life happens. You get news. Not the kind of news like you just won a million dollars, but something that stops you in your tracks. What do you do? You just keep rowing your boat as best you can.

This journal is about my journey with DCIS. Ductal Carcinoma in Situ. A form of breast cancer. I didn't tell many people. Family, a handful of close friends. I didn't even tell my bosses at the museum where I teach. Somewhere along the line after much prodding and poking, I decided the My DCIS Journey was too boring so retitled the journal Adventures of the Poor, Little Boob.

The Poor, Little Boob is cancer-free and still has another year of taking hormone therapy and being monitored by an oncologist. My target date for ending the medication is June1, 2027

T Stands for Sun and Surf

 

For lunch this day we headed South to York Beach and the Sun and Surf Restaurant on Long Sands Beach. It was a perfect day for fried clams, but MP (market price) on the menu means expen$ive. The waitress told me the fried clams were $42. Yup, thank you, no.  Portions at restaurants are hefty, and I didn't want to bring back anything to the motel. Reheating fish in a microwave isn't a pleasant thing. (To think when I came up here with a work friend 47 years ago, while Teague was living in California, this restaurant was just a little clam shack)

I opted for a cheap less expensive  cod basket and an Arnold Palmer. We ate outside on the terrace. If I stood up and looked over the seawall around the restaurant I could see

Nubble Light at the tip of the point

After lunch we drove over. Yup, the lighthouse was still there. The only difference was the cloud formations were different and a fog bank was rolling in.

I struck up a conversation with an elderly couple. I have to stop thinking like that because I don't think I was far behind them in age. They had ridden up on a motorcycle. They told me the day before you couldn't see the lighthouse because of the fog. We watched a young woman putting on scuba gear. She had booties, gloves, a hood. The water was really cold. I had never seen anyone diving here. Teague told me they did testing and diving certifications.

After conversation and admiring the scenery, we decided to stop at Ogunquit Beach. If there was parking and the parking app I downloaded worked. We found a parking space, the parking app worked, and I dipped my toes in the water. The water was a brisk 61 °F (16 °C) I thought my heart was going to stop from cold water shock. No wading that day.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.