July 15-25                North Kingstown, Rhode Island

We welcomed an invitation for lunch on John and Maria’s beautiful Hatteras boat.  Donna, Maria’s aunt and godmother, was their guest and we spent considerable time discussing her interesting life (she was for thirty plus years an ER nurse in Alexandria, Virginia) and books we liked or did not.  She is a voracious reader and had many recommendations.  Lunch was a casual affair with an assortment of snacks and pizza. 

David spends hours each month making food for Pretzel.  She is a very spoiled dog and eats better food than is available to many children.  He usually mixes six pounds of ground turkey, six cans each of cut green beans and cut carrots with four cups of cooked rice.  The cooked mixture is then divided into plastic containers and frozen for convenient use.  Pretzel loves it and will seldom eat anything else

We attended an outdoor concert at the beach only a few blocks from our marina.  We had new canvas folding chairs for seating comfort and enjoyed a picnic dinner before the performance.  The show was deightful with a Rhode Isloand version of country music.  It was fun watching small chidren (and some eager elderly couples) dancing in front of the stage.  The weather was cool and pleasant.  A delightful evening.

We were pleased to greet Greg and Julie Galier, cousins from Dallas, at Providence airport.  Greg immediately mentioned his longing for lobster, oysters and blueberry pie.  We anticipated this and had all of it ready for dinner on the aft deck.  The following day they took our car to Newport to follow the Cliff Walk (more strenuous than expected) and tour the expansive Marble House, one of the renowned mansions.  As fans of the series The Gilded Age, they were eager to locate sites and know about persons portrayed in the show. 

We spent the following day touring the Narraganset beach area followed by a farewell dinner at Blu on the Water in East Greenwich.  Julie and Greg enjoyed large lobster rolls.  Greg photographed them to show envious friends at home.  On Saturday morning, we drove to Kingston train station for their departure to New York.   They would meet Tripp, their son on summer break from studies at Seton Hall University in Orange, New Jersey.  Unfortunately, there was a ticket mishap and we learned they had to wait several hours to take another train.  We later had a video from them showing they were celebrating at the revolving rooftop bar at the Hyatt Times Square. 

 

 

 

 

 

July 7-14      North Kingstown, Rhode Island

We needed extra help on the boat for cleaning inside and outside.  Cody, the fourteen-year-old grandson of the marina owner needed a summer job.  He now comes weekly to wash down the boat, clean the aft deck, vacuum and perform any other chores.  He is very eager to learn and I enjoy working with him.  I taught him to make square corners on bed sheets and he was excited to show his mother his new skill.  He likes to have spending money and I like to have his help.

On Wednesday, I took Pretzel to a dog groomer in Exeter (about 25 minutes from the boat).  She did an excellent job and Pretzel has a lovely short summer cut.  While waiting, I had a delicious lunch at The Middle of Nowhere Diner, a quintessential small-town diner with older waitresses and home style cooking.  I had scrod baked in butter and covered in crushed Ritz crackers.  Absolutely wonderful!

I then  made a trip to Dave’s for scrod and Ritz crackers.  On Friday evening, we hosted John and Betsie for dinner on the aft deck.  The scrod dish was served and was just as delicious as I remembered it to be.  We enjoyed learning about their recent trip to Slovenia and Croatia.  They will go in February to Kenya for a family safari.  Great world travelers in addition to showing their boat at the Newport Boat Show in September.

David chauffeured Maria, her friend Jen and me to the park for the Wickford Art Show.  It was an amazing display of talent and creativity.   Both Maria and Jen are craftsy and were eager to study new techniques in jewelry making and painting.  I admired the work of others.

We celebrated John Carpenter’s birthday on Saturday with dinner at Matunuck Oyster Bar in their beautiful temporary location.  Only days before Memorial Day, their large and extremely popular restaurant burned.  With more than 300 employees ready for the summer season, the owner performed a miracle.  On the parking lot across from the burned building, he raised a large, beautiful tent with a wooden floor, special lighting, and accommodation for several hundred diners.   With a reduced menu of favorites and a full staff of employees, the restaurant was open July1.  As expected, customers were delighted to experience again some of the best seafood in Rhode Island.

 

           

 

           

 

 

 

 

June 22-July 6           North Kingstown, Rhode Island

Rainy days kept us inside the boat and limited outdoor activities.  No problem as we always have projects to complete.   Finally, the weather cleared and we went to Newport with our dock neighbors, Bob and Cecil.  We had a lovely dinner at the historic White Horse Tavern.  It is renowned for its history (dated from 1600’s) and excellent food.  Much of the building is original and carefully restored to maintain its colonial charm. 

We were excited to greet Kennedy and Taft, grandchildren from Fort Worth, at Wickford Station on July 2.  With bay scallop seviche, streamed lobsters and deliciously sweet corn, we had a feast on the aft deck.  Of course, blueberry pie and ice cream were dessert.  We treat our guests well!

Wickford has the finest children’s shop in Rhode Island (won the award as such) and was the perfect place to shop for our greatly anticipated granddaughter to arrive in December.  So many choices!  Kennedy finally selected a pale blue dress with matching cap and pants and a lovely pink onesie.  Both were wrapped and will be saved for the baby shower in the fall.

A late lunch-early dinner for us was on the deck of The Coast Guard House where we watched the waves crashing on the rocks below and the hundreds of bathers on Narragansett Beach.  On July 4, we took the fast ferry on a special fireworks viewing cruise to Newport.  We had a picnic lunch of lobster rolls and brownies to enjoy on the trip.  The fireworks display was great with multiple bursts of colors lighting the harbor.  Kennedy and Taft returned to Newport on July 5 to explore the famous Cliff Walk which borders the sea behind many of the historic mansions.  On their return, we had a farewell dinner at Tavern on the Sea in Wickford.  On Sunday, Taft expertly drove us to Boston Logan Airport.  They were gracious, thoughtful guests and made the holiday special and fun for us. 

On our return from Boston, we visited our dear friend Jill who lives in a BEAUTIFUL      townhouse in Camden.  We were delighted to meet Patch, a lovely black and white cat that rules the place.  She seemed to like us and we were allowed to bestow on her pats and praise.  Jill is a talented craftsman and her home is filled with interesting and unique items, many of her own making.  Her lovely deck overlooks a pond and she has a diversified group of animals and birds that visit.  We shared memories of Jerry, a dear friend and her beloved longtime companion as we admired a small table skillfully crafted by him.  Lunch at Del Frisco Grille and was a great choice.  We celebrated with coconut cream pie for dessert.