Today would have been my Aunt Gustie's birthday. She was a favourite aunt, my father's older, unmarried sister from East Boston who came annually in the summer to visit with her two Canadian brothers and their families. She had worked all her life as a waitress at Durgin Park in Boston where the staff is known to be very matter of fact. When I visited the restaurant with a cousin a couple of years ago the waitress urged me to finish my chowder by saying "less chat, more chew". Gustie owned a three story house in East Boston and when we visited there we sometimes stayed in the top floor apartment if it was vacant. My mother was always impressed with Gustie's 'rich Jewish boyfriend who she wouldn't marry' as he would take us in his large Cadillac all out to eat at upscale places we usually didn't frequent. Ahhh, back in the day.
A friend and I walked the dog last evening along the shore and she (Keely not the friend) became very interested in something stuck in the cobble beach. As we walked we found pieces of what turned out to be a skeletal jigsaw puzzle. The archeological/marine biologist aka the shore captain told us he thought the bones were from a porpoise but we're open to any suggestions, especially from someone actually knowledgeable on the subject. We also found huge blogs of jelly fish - tis the season - and lots of footprints below the high tide level on the beach which looked like racoon paw prints, which would have meant they were out in the afternoon after the tide receded. Odd as they're usually active during the day much.
Went to town to renew my drivers license and no this photo isn't any more attractive than my last but at least it's current and I had the office all to myself which is usually standing room only. This allowed me to head to the tourist bureau to source some books for my coworker who will be entertaining her German friend. The employee at the tourist bureau who speaks German is a brother to a nurse I know well - small world moment. Time to read the the newspaper in the sun, shop at the Bean Dock for crafts and then have a nice lunch/ visit at Bistro 138 with the earlier mentioned northern employee and a retiring next year RN from my most recent ex-workplace. Think we have her convinced to try it on just for laughs.
Tonight I made brown bread, blueberry buckle and travel arrangements to visit a coworker from decades ago who lives in NB. There were instructions to take my passport as we might head to Calais for shopping or if the weather cooperates over to Deer Island on the ferry. Yes please! Might squeeze in some visits to other nurses along the way too if they're available. Talk of a Labour Day rendezvous with a former coworker from Cape Breton and my local buddy and I are going to take in Sheakspeare by the Sea in the city with a performance of Much Ado About Nothing after she retires. I have planned a BBQ for my sister's birthday just before I head to NB, so her daughters and some friends will join us for the evening. Lots of social events, so little time.
But now I must crawl into my bed at a very (for me) early hour as I am taking a former coworker for her chemo Rx tomorrow in the city and will need to be out of the house by 4:45 a.m. That's the shore captain's hours! Will get to visit with the teacher daughter for lunch before she heads out west so it will be a long but full day.
