Everyday Life for Four Seasons

Yesterday morning I went back to the dentist and had some work done. A crown on one side and a replacement filling on the other. It wasn't a bad visit, but he did "forget" to warn me that I might be in a little pain later in the day. Oh boy! By the time we arrived at my mom's house 5 hours later, I was begging for something to numb my jaw. Luckily, she had the fixings for my favorite pain-killer cocktail: Advil and wine. Mmmm, that made me feel good.... until this morning. So today I am spending a little time recovering from my recovery.


When you walk along the beach here at low tide, you can see large patches of grass in the sand. When the tide comes in, the water covers the grass completely. The grass is important because it helps break up the force of the water coming in from the bay and you can see that there is considerably less sand dune erosion in front of the homes that have grass growing in the water.


When we were little, the grass was a neat place to play during low tide because all kinds of creatures live in it, and we liked to pick through it. But when the tide was higher, and on it's way in or on it's way out, the grass became a nuisance. There you were, swimming along, or kicking against a raft with your sisters, and all of a sudden the grass would come up and brush against your belly and it felt really gross and scary. Now that I am an adult, I do a better job of keeping an eye on where the grass might be during high tide and I stay away from it. During low tide we stay away too, because we have learned in recent years that the grass is part of a fragile little eco-system and if you play in it, it can be easily damaged.


Jeff and I did not have ice cream last night and despite what we thought might happen because of the (lack of) dessert situation, we still lived through the night. Our kids woke up sickeningly early today (5:18 am) and since the sun was already pouring through the windows at full speed, it was hard to explain that it was still the middle of the night and sound convincing.


I've been coming to the Cape my whole life. My mother was gifted this property by her parents, who bought a bunch of land here in North Eastham years and years ago. They sold it all over the years except for a few lots on the water, which they kept for their children. For years this house was rented out during the summer. My mother moved here about 15 years ago with her husband (who is originally from Chatham), and they have lived here full-time ever since. Two of my mother's siblings converted their rental homes here to full-time, winterized homes, and now they live next door.