Yesterday, August 29, 2010, I returned home from a fabulous two-week vacation, and now I have to face going back to work. The first part of my break was spent on a trip up to Massachusetts where I visited with family and close friends in beautiful surroundings. My cousin, Ed, and my dear friend, Cherie, both live in central Mass. near Northampton. I enjoyed seeing pine tree filled neighborhoods, and Ed took me to a Peace Pagoda erected by Vietnamese priests and nuns in wooded Leverett.
As you walk around the perimeter of the large, white, rounded pagoda, you see four alcoves with statues of Buddha at different stages of his life. Adjacent to the pagoda, a beautiful temple is nearly completed, which was built for anyone and everyone who wishes to pray there, and a lily pond area for walking and meditation is decorated with colorful prayer flags. It was a lovely place to visit.
My main reason for the trip up north was a reunion on Martha’s Vineyard with five old friends, two of them, Bonnie and Carol, from childhood. The six of us had a wonderful time together exploring the island, visiting beaches, and reminiscing. Before and after the Vineyard, I spent time with two other good friends mostly eating in gourmet restaurants and seeing the sights – Bayside to Castle Island in South Boston with Bette and Longfellow’s House in Cambridge with Ronna. I had absolutely no desire to visit an art museum, and for the most part I avoided the art galleries on the Vineyard.
I don’t know if other artists/writers are as driven as I’ve been the last five years. I imagine most are, so I recommend a vacation like this one, which ended back at home with a five-day stay at the beach in Delray to celebrate my sister’s birthday. Wright By The Sea is an affordable resort just south of Linton Blvd on A1A with comfortable suites and wonderful views of the ocean. We were fortunate to have gorgeous weather until the last day, and that made it easier to return home.
I did break my avoidance of all that is art by attending the opening, August 26th, for the Artists of Palm Beach County exhibit at the Crest Theatre in Old School Square on Atlantic Avenue. The show is beautiful. It will be running until October 30th and is definitely worth seeing.
Now I’m back in the studio/office ready to do the under painting on a 24” x 30” canvas thinking about what I will write next and happy, very happy, feeling blessed, for the two weeks and two days away from it all.
Photos: Top middle Peace Pagoda and lower left in Oak Bluffs in the Vineyard
