The earlier years...

I have always loved being on the water. My father and I sailed on Lake Cowan. I just loved floating on the water. It was just me and my Dad mostly. That, too, makes it a nice memory. When I first moved to New England, I found myself drawn to the sea. I would walk along the beach, find a rocky spot and sit for hours watching the huge waves crash against the rocks. I love the smell of the sea, the rhythm of the waves. The house we rented on Thatcher Road was on the ocean....right on the ocean. There was a marsh between the house and the beach, and a short wooden walkway...but we were so close you could hear the waves touch the sand when you left the windows open at night. Such a calming effect. that soothing noise helped me fall asleep many a night. I love the tastes of the sea. The first time I boiled a live lobster, I wasn't sure I could do it. Putting that guy head first into a boiling pot of water seemed so..."harsh"...but one bite of that meat in clarified butter and I knew this was something I could do...again and again and again. Fresh Maine Lobster. Nothing like it. Nothing in the world. Gloucester has been in the news lately and it has brought back so many memories. I moved to Rockport, Mass in 1971. I lived in Rockport, Lanes Cove and then moved to Waterville, Maine - where Robin was born until 1977. In 1980, I made the move south to Boca Raton....but my heart stayed in New England for a long time. I learned to knit and crochet in Rockport. I went to my first "Fiesta" in Gloucester. It is an annual Italian Festival. If you care to know more...you can google it...but what I remember is the Greasy Pole. A huge telephone pole parallel to the water and out over the water...and loaded with GREASE...thick thick grease...and the goal was to walk out on the pole and get the flag without falling in. Google it...really....I know there are photos out there. One of my favorite "tastes" of the sea are CLAMS. You cannot live in New England and not love clam rolls. I love them steamed...called "steamahs" ( that's with the accent) and I love them fried. This weekend is the Memorial Service for Larry. I am sorry I can't be there. I think I will find a quiet spot ....grab a Narragansett and toast the good times.