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The Week that Was: Part II

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Somehow, I posted this week’s piece when I was only halfway done. Here is the rest of what I intended to post.

On Saturday, I went to a lovely poetry reading at my library. Jeri Theriault was the poet, and as she read, her husband, Philip Carlsen, accompanied her on the cello. This was a striking combination, with the words and music enhancing each other. I especially liked the way Jeri wove art and the classics into her everyday experiences, giving the poetry depth and a larger meaning.

Sunday was Mother’s Day. Did we celebrate? Of course we did. We met our daughter Shannon and her husband Mike in York, a halfway point for both of us.

First, we had Chinese food.

Then we went to Stonewall Kitchen.

I particularly liked this fine fellow.

After shopping in the store, with its many temptations, we had tea and dessert, which included my favorite, a whoopie pie.

After that, it was on to the movies, to see the fun and charming The Sheep Detectives. Quite a change from the past couple of movies we’ve seen, which have been more on the horror side. What can I say? We have eclectic tastes.

We went to a cinema in New Hampshire, and to get there we had to cross The Bridge. Every Mainer who heads south to New Hampshire and beyond knows this bridge. It is a solid demarcation that gives Maine the feeling of an island. A true Mainer crosses that bridge with a hint of sadness and then returns with a feeling of joy, a feeling of coming home.

Here, we approach the bridge.

Getting closer

and closer.

And then we were in New Hampshire.

But we were back home again in the same day, as my mother might have said.

A perfect trip for this homebody who thinks home is best and loves sleeping in her very own bed.

66 thoughts on “The Week that Was: Part II”

  1. Family, food and back home. That’s a good day. I posted halfway through a post a few weeks ago – it looked just like the “Save Draft” button, I swear! 🙂

      1. I expect you were thinking of several things at the same time. Politics, the house on the edge of the woods and many other things . . . Then you press the wrong button. I just hope they don’t leave the president alone with any buttons . . .

  7. Love a poet/cellist duo! How cool and unique that a married couple collaborates artistically in this way.

  8. OMG, Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson…it looks absolutely hilarious! Thanks for the update. (I watched “Remarkably Bright Creatures” the other day. The story is a bit formulaic (IMO), but the octopus steals the show, and Sally Field is good, too.)

      2. Next time we cross the border, I will try to get a longer view of the bridge. It really isn’t that ominous looking. At least not to us.

    1. Stonewall Kitchen is one of my favorite places, and I have met two blogging friends there. Hope you like The Sheep Detectives. Good silly fun!

  12. My sister lived in Maine for many years and crossing the bridge meant we were ‘almost there.’ I loved going to her homestead. Glad you had an excellent Mother’s Day! 👍🏼

      1. I remember when that bridge was built to bypass the city. We originally used to use the old one where you had to go through Portsmouth. You probably remember it, too. 😉

  14. What a delightful celebration of Mother’s Day. I have no children within easy reach, but received calls from all of them and my husband brought me my first tea of the morning in bed 🙂 🙂

  17. As I’ve got older I’ve come to appreciate that the best thing about travelling is when you get back home. And, of course, a slab of whoopie pie also eases the pain of travelling!

  18. Welcome home. I love that bridge and the special way it inspires you. You are living life to the fullest with family, food, travel, and good cinema. I loved this post.

  19. What a splendid weekend! My heart beats a little more contemplatively as I think of a cello accompanying a poet reading her poems. I’m so glad you attended and shared it with us.

    Your Mother’s Day sounds perfect in every respect. And I very much appreciate you sharing a Mainer’s view of “the Bridge,” both actually and metaphorically. That is such an interesting demarcation of “home” — and to include the entire state. Happy day (and happy ferns!) to you.

  21. What a lovely way to enjoy the Mother’s Day weekend Laurie, the poetry and cello combination sounds amazing! ❤️🎶 xxx

  22. I love the idea of a poetry ready with music. I am guessing the cellow is a sombre instrument so the reading was not on the lighter side. One of my performance poets is Pam Ayres whose poetry is whimsical and the other is Brandon Leake.

  23. Your description of your feelings when crossing the bridge (in both directions!) made me smile. I’m Texan enough now that crossing the Red River in either direction gives me the same feelings. Once, coming back from some extended travel outside the state, I broke into “The Yellow Rose of Texas” as I crossed the state line into the Panhandle.

  24. I love the idea of poetry and cello! And your trip sounds fun.

      1. In the UK we mark Mothers day in the middle of Lant so usually somewhere around mid March. It always catches me out to read of the US one.

  25. I couldn’t agree with you more about the fact that it is always best to sleep in your own bed! Day trips are my favourite kind of trips these days. Sometime one night, or two away from home can be fun, but day trips beats that nine times out of ten. Your trip, the celebration, the movie, the amazing poetry reading, the food and your family fun – what a great time!

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  27. Best kind of road trip – without ever having to sleep in a strange bed!!! I hear you, as a fellow homebody! Perfect celebratory day!

    I love poetry-music pairings – I don’t experience quite enough of these.

  28. I’m so glad you enjoyed a lovely Mother’s Day and made it back home to your own bed! I’m a homebody, too!

    How interesting to have music and poetry together! Very cool!

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