Plymouth Rock, Mass.

Herring Cove Beach

At Nauset, the cliff ends, the sea invades the narrowing land, and one enters the kingdom of the dunes.

The sand here has a life of its own, even if it is only a life borrowed from the wind.

. . . the plain of ocean and the far bright rims of the world. . .

There is always reserve and mystery, always something beyond, on earth and sea something which nature, honouring, conceals.

Henry Beston, The Outermost House

Whale watching

I have to admit I was not enthusiastic about the prospect of going whale watching (in a Green Eggs and Ham sort of way). But I didn't plan the itinerary and, frankly, with all the jetlagged mental fuzz, I didn't have the wherewithal to protest.

Before I had time to heave a sigh of resignation, we were on the boat just off Provincetown heading out to sea and, in a wonderful turn of events, my ambivalence was immediately swept away by the vivacity of life on the ocean's surface. I was so pleasantly surprised by the excitement, majesty, and beauty of the whole experience. I loved it! And I highly recommend it if you find yourself on Cape Cod.

Newport, Rhode Island

We started out our holiday on a road trip to the Northeast. On the 4th of July we were in Newport to see the mansions and take the Cliff Walk.

The gang back together on the sprawling lawn of Ochre Court, the second largest mansion in Newport.

Special K was, as usual, genius at multitasking with kiddos.

We stopped for snack breaks roughly every 20 minutes.

Eventually we made it to the seaside.

Where the kids resumed their former play,

as if no time had passed.

Only the best lobster roll in town,

followed by American ice cream.

It's good to be back.

Back home

We returned on our annual summer visit to the US with a plate full of tasks to complete. Being between renters, we decided to capitalize on the time by adding a long-desired second bathroom. 

It's a project that has been in the pipeline since the day we decided to buy the house nearly 10 years ago, so it was easy to draw up the plans for the carpenter by heart.

When we arrived home the demo had already begun. For a look at the old kitchen check here. It was so exciting and gratifying to watch the work progress.

We sacrificed a small pantry and front closet to make space for the powder room.

We moved/replaced the sink and cupboards from here to the other side of the kitchen.

Once the wall was framed in, our little powder room started to become a reality. The hulking fridge was much better off in it's diminutives space in the corner. 

The new sink in it's new location. I washed dishes in the natural sunlight with great pleasure.

After opening up the wall I liked the light so much I decided to add a little cut glass window between the bathroom and the kitchen. Otherwise it felt like a dark depressing closet.

A second toilet in the house, glory be!

The newly oriented kitchen with all reused parts, save the sink and an additional IKEA butcher block countertop.

Despite losing a smidgen of square footage, we gained counter space, reoriented the kitchen toward the natural light, and opened up the room in a delightful way.

The children were happy and peaceful in our old home. We stayed on temporary beds in our old rooms for the weeks of renovations. It was a comforting and grounding reprise.

On my inflated mattress I basked in the sunny breezes and familiar birdsong outside my windows.

But all these positive changes came at a cost. The usual playful and restful tone of our summer vacation was overshadowed by the stress of completing projects on time and finding and securing a new renter. And to my great disappointment, the bathroom and kitchen were not fully completed during my stay.

UPDATE Aug 7: Our carpenter sent me a few shots of the completed bathroom and kitchen. How I wish I could see it in person . . .

Kitchen-side wall with new cut glass window.

Bathroom interior with special cameo of carpenter.

The little cut glass mirror I acquired from a salvage store in the city, in need of a small sheer curtain for privacy (though I hate to cover it up). 

Finished toilet shot.

What used to be the entrance to a closet now leads to the new bathroom.

It remains only to remove the large rack from the door and the powder room is ready for business.