Independence Day

~Here we are...another July 4th on the horizon. The weather couldn't be more
cooperative here on Old Cape Cod. Sunshine, blue sky, fresh, clean air. Gorgeous. While most folks are gearing up for holiday bashes this Independence Day weekend, I'm hanging loose, lying low and eating lean.
A recent visit from my sister and a close friend who both live in Orlando has left me spent. For five days, we ate, shopped, drank and talked. It was wonderful. Like three teenagers goofing off and being giddy. Our little town is the kind of place where you can go from the candy shop to the t-shirt store to the Irish pub all in the blink of an eye....and that's how we spent our little va-ca together. Whether sitting at the Roo Bar eating tapas and drinking Sam Adams Summer Ale
or couched around a small table at Pies a la Mode, eating homemade
gelato and surrounded by pastries to die for, we found a way to quench our thirst and get some retail therapy while fueling the economy of Falmouth with purchases at every stop. From Port Cargo where I found a gorgeous leather-like handbag to The Black Dog where my friend found the perfect tank top to bring home to her dog sitter, to Touche' where my sister found the ideal pair of silver hoop earrings, we hit them all.
~A scenic drive along the shore road one day led us to Woods Hole and the Oceanographic Institute where research of the ocean's bottom is alive and well. No one can leave Woods Hole without visiting the Capt. Kidd where what seems like a 50 ft. long bar reportedly dates back to the civil war days. One of the things I love about living here on Cape Cod is the rich history that is part of its lore. And when someone comes to visit who is curious about that history, it makes it even more fun because each and every inch of this place has a story to tell to anyone who will listen. Sitting on our front porch, looking through the books of Falmouth and thinking of what was once here puts you in a different state of mind. It makes you ponder the grand scheme of things.
~And so, that's how I'll spend this July 4th weekend...sitting on the porch, pondering the rich history of this place; what the men and women who came before us did to keep it safe and whole. Our house dates back to 1724, quite some time before Independence day in 1776. It's come a long way, baby.
~As an aside to this post, I have to share a funny story. My friend who bought the tank top at the Black Dog emailed me the day after she got home. She had left the tank top in the Black Dog gift bag on the table in her family room for her dog sitter as a thank you gift. Black Dog merchandise comes wrapped in white tissue with little black Labradors printed all over. Their gift bags feature a big black lab on the front. Apparently, "Dooley" my friend's sweet, lovable Labradoodle, attacked the bag while she was at work, practically ate the tank top and left the tissue torn in pieces. He didn't like the intrusion of the Black Lab, we are guessing. Dooley never does anything like this so it was quite a surprise for my friend when she came home that day and found the destruction! But this story ends well. When she called the Black Dog to tell them her plight, they cheerfully shipped out a new tank top and didn't even charge her the usual ten dollar shipping charge. I guess they take responsibility for the tortes of their black dogs, even if they are just pictured on a bag!!!


~Haven't been at the sewing machine in a month, but we still have some pretty aprons in stock as well as some summer blouses. Check them out at http://www.apronsgonewild.etsy.com/