Due to the recent pursuit of a piano (precipitated by the demise of my Plantingfield Way piano - literally, with the bed, a chair, and a table, the only things we owned as a young family moving into that house), a project that took me to Boston on the only day I had available, my birthday on Saturday October 22 - a fitting enough day to indulge myself, I'd say - I was also able to take in the Bunratty seisiun that afternoon. The day began auspiciously enough, with smooth sailing on the 7am ferry and an easy drive to Boston; the return, however, was anything but smooth. There's nothing worse than driving a couple of hours at the end of the day, tired, then having the (all-too-brief) satisfaction of arriving at the ferry terminal exactly on time, only to be told "All the ferries are cancelled due to the wind." Okay, there are worse things, and I'm an Island girl so I can go with the flow (after I've had a good night's sleep, that is). Edgartown to Boston: 3 1/2 hours; Boston to Edgartown: 17 1/2 hours. At any rate, I did end up with a piano I like - and this will go in the dining room, right where my childhood piano sat, coming full circle and making all things right again: though I have a nice keyboard in the studio, a home is not really a home without a piano. Happy birthday to me (and future generations). The session was frosting on the birthday cake.
A reel set, starring Liam, Frankie, Connie, Colin, Pat, Joe, Wynter, and Laura.
6:30 a.m., Vineyard Haven Harbor, with the dory Grace gracing center stage.
M/V Island Home.
Look who came out to see me at Bunratty today - little Finbar (and his parents).
Joe, Wynter, Laura.
Wynter, Laura.
Frankie
Colin
Joe
Joe, Wynter.
Wynter, Laura.
Liam
Frankie and Connie.
Laura
Joe, Wynter, Laura, Liam, Frankie, Connie, Colin (and Sara's pint) (Pat was here, too, but I guess he arrived later).
Joe, Wynter, Laura.
Joe, Wynter, Laura.
Wynter, Laura, Liam.
Liam, Frankie, Connie.
Joe, Wynter.
Connie, Colin.
Liam, Frankie, Connie.
Wynter, Laura, Liam, Frankie.
Sunday morning: the Woods Hole in Woods Hole. This is the new freighter/passenger ferry (I have yet to ride on her). The first boat to sail was the 10:45 Island Home. Sitting in Woods Hole all morning (I arrived at 6:30) reminded me of the old days when only a few ferries a day ran and if you missed one it was a long wait in a very bleak Woods Hole with nothing open.
All in all, a successful birthday. Thanks, everybody!
After being holed up on the Island for most of the summer, tied down by family responsibilities and B&B duty, not to mention, traveling to and from the Vineyard during the summer is stressful and expensive and is to be avoided at all costs - and I'm not complaining because it's not a terrible thing to be confined to Martha's Vineyard all summer long; most people would give their eye teeth to spend the summer here, but I do start to seriously miss the Boston session scene. Finally, Columbus Day weekend, I was able to make my much-needed break and spent a wonderful couple of days in some of my favorite places with some of my favorite people.
6:30am, Vineyard Haven Harbor.
Aboard the M/V Island Home.
First stop: St. Patrick's in Falmouth for 8:00 Mass. Lovely.
East Milton Square. Trompe l'oeil. Out walking with my friend Winnie, visiting Brian at the fire station.
Then on to St. Columbkille's in Brighton to pick up Wynter at the Coamhaltas school and head up to Bunratty Tavern's Saturday afternoon session.
Bunratty's. Liam, Frankie, Connie.
Terry, Wynter.
Laura, Liam, Frankie, Connie.
Liam, in his element.
Terry, Wynter, Laura, Liam, Frankie, Connie, and Levi. Great to see old - and meet new - friends.
Liam, Frankie, Connie.
Frankie
Liam, Frankie, and Connie.
Terry, Wynter.
Terry
Sunday morning, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, with Harvard Hillel on the left and Hasty Pudding building ahead, as seen through my windshield in the pouring rain. Trying to work up my courage to get out of my car and walk three blocks to St. Paul's.
St. Paul's, 9:30 Mass. I was sorry not to be able to stay for the installation of the new pastor, Father Kelly, at 11:00.
Memorial Drive; headed into town, to Hennessey's.
I love this city.
Hennessey's: Rosanne, Tommy, and Dan.
Rosanne, Tommy, and Dan.
Rosanne and Tommy.
Rosanne, Tommy, Dan, and Sean.
Dan and Sean.
Dan and Sean.
Tommy
Tommy
Dan and Sean
Sean
Monday morning, leaving Woods Hole (there was a bit of a glitch getting home: Sunday night's ferries were canceled due to bad weather - wind and rain).
