Friday, August 06, 2010

Arrival

.
.
This is my first official day in Provincetown; my first day of a three week vacation. Unbelievable.
.
Today we are four adults, one teenager, and one tweenager. We decide early on that we all want to do mostly nothing.
.
We adults go out to lunch, chose a great place with a fantastic second floor patio. This is our view.
.
I have jumbo shrimp from the raw bar and Caesar salad with fresh garlic and fresh parmesan cheese.
.
.
We walk along Commercial Street and stop in the surprising zen garden behind a store front. It is hard and lovely to imagine such a sanctuary tucked away from the hustle bustle of Provincetown's one main street.
.
.
We come home. Relax. Catch up. JB and I have not seen our friends in almost a year. Every year for about ten years we have met here in Ptown each summer, each year marveling and relishing in how magical and relaxed and lucky we feel, surrounded by the sea breeze and warm sand.
.
We plan to go to the pool at the Provincetown Inn but we never make it. We talk, rest, stretch, catch up some more.
.
Our friend Gordon fixes dinner: bruchetta with tomatoes from our gardens, breaded chicken breasts, pasta with Alfredo sauce. Besides for being a Canadian musician and songwriter who performed at Bush I's inaguration, Gordon is a wine buyer and he has brought the most wonderful bottles with him. I do not drink but I know he and my friend Heather and JB are having a great time savoring several different kinds of fine wine.
We eat on our patio, sit there as the sky turns pink and then dark. The breeze is incredible.
.
. .
Tomorrow Heather and Gordon and the boys will leave and JB and I will (probably) spend the morning relaxing, will head for either the beach or the pool, tomorrow night will celebrate my birthday at one of my many favorite restaurants.
.
On Sunday, JB will head home and I will be here alone until Thursday, when she returns and our friend Liz arrives. Until then I will have four days to write, just Stella and me. I am excited to write because I've started to see the characters and the snippets come together. I am no longer worried about writing with integrity. I know I will.
.
I am in Provincetown and it is a space and place I am always glad to be. I am at home here.
.
I relax here, I think because somehow the rhythm of the sea encourages me to go with my own rhythm. Plus: this is a very very fun place. Most of the faces here are happy. That part is contagious.
.
Thank you for all the well wishes for my first ever three week vacation. I am pretty sure I am going to make the most of it.
Love
kj

18 comments:

  1. Heaven, this truly sounds like heaven to me!! I haven't been to ptown in a number of years, but the time's I've been there were so relaxing and wonderful, so I can imagine slipping into the zone you describe so well. Of course your writing will be of integrity - you resonate that my friend!!

    You made me smile imagining Renee by my side in the waiting room. Oh, the life of the party is what she'd be. I can only imagine how different the energy would be when she waked through those doors...

    big hugs and much love, Karin

    ReplyDelete
  2. You lucky stiff! How do manage so many vacations? Every time I turn around, your at it again. I'm starting to get envious.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Happy happy Birthday dear kj!!

    what a perfect way to celebrate... the together time, the alone time, the writing and beach time. I am sure you will indeed enjoy every bit of it.

    xoxo
    love,
    lori

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh I cant wait to see it all for myself and much more to meet you and JB!!!!!!!
    Soon.......

    I love that picture of the fish and the reflected sky!

    Soon we will hug!
    love from Singapore!
    >M<

    ReplyDelete
  5. sounds idyllic. have a love time writing and relaxing and being with friends. you deserve this respite, you work so hard. And the rhythm of the sea, I found it so soothing myself just a week ago.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Happy birthday ms leo (from another) and enjoy (x10) your 3 week vacation. you sound wonderful and relaxed and happy.

    ReplyDelete
  7. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOOOOOOOOOOOO!

    I hope your day is fabulous. How can it not be? You are in Paradise. Enjoy! I am so green with envy that I blend in to the sweltering Maryland countryside. Swelter is my new favorite word. Happy birthday, happy writing!

    xo Pam

    ReplyDelete
  8. MUWAH! Birthday Girl! You ALREADY sound more relaxed....now you can go at your own pace...write when you want, go for walks with Stella...just live.

    Sending you love from still cold and foggy San Francisco!

    ♥ Robin ♥

    ReplyDelete
  9. sounds like a fabulous time so far.......happy birthday dear girl!! enjoy every scrap of this vacation both with friends and your 'own' time too!! many hugs xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  10. Happy, happy, happy Birthday, dear kj! It sounds like you are already embracing your holiday with every thing you have. It sounds very relaxing and serene and productive, as you write your novel with integrity and creativity.

    Have a wonderful time, my dear friend!

    ReplyDelete
  11. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I must mark this down so that next year I will remember!
    Ahh, sounds like a lovely first day. Have great fun,write, no worries and RELAX! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  12. What fun! Three weeks to relax and write and be with friends. Oh Oh Oh and such a beautiful place in which to do it!!!! Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!! Enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Don't you love that our birthdays are one day apart?

    And don't you love that we'll get to celebrate them together when Marianne and I come to visit?

    I love these photos more now because I've walked there with you and took some of the same shots.
    I think I have to paint your koi photo. It came out better than mine :)
    Perhaps it will be for sale in October at the YART fair ;)

    I'm enjoying my indulgences today. I hope you enjoy yours tomorrow!

    love to you, birthday girl!
    xoxoxo
    Lo♥

    ReplyDelete
  14. (x rated) fucking brilliant having three weeks
    (x rated)
    fucking brilliant that you and lo are almost twins, so happy happy birthday dear heart
    (x rated) that you and her and marianne will soon all be together
    (x rated)
    fucking brilliant comment on my post.
    love ya and happy happy 21st b day !!!
    word veri: relativ, which is a fucking brilliant wv.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Peaceful, relaxing, good company... aaaah, sweet! - Happy Birthday KJ!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sigh...delish! and 3 weeks--lovely! After a very stressful last visit with my mother, I have decided my next vacation will be rejuvenating...

    ReplyDelete