So many pages…
The Beauport was our home base before we left Maine. Even when we lived in Maine, Beauport felt like home too. It was one of our favorite places to get away to. We could relax there. And we could be productive there. I’m adding some more proof of just how at home we felt in our basement suite there. Like a couple of teenagers, we left our room a complete mess most of the time while we ran errands during our last stay. We had brought our suitcases and everything we were bringing with us to China but still needed to reorganize. And we needed to buy toiletries and things to stock up on before we left. Ex-pats living in China had suggested we bring deodorant, toothpaste and specific medicines if we had favorites. Most of the time, our room looked like this:
And Booker shared his opinion on the process.
Shuffling right along
Over the course of our few days at Beauport, we shuffled things from one suitcase to another, to a plastic bag and into a zippered pocket. We crammed three bags into the closet to give us room to work on the other bags. Then we rotated them around. Flaps opened, flaps closed. I once zipped, unzipped and zipped the same zipper three times so that I could locate something, move it, and then decide to return it to its original spot. It was quite a process, and our most productive time involved Kim bent over a bag while I took selfies. (In the blogging industry, we call it “documenting.”) So she packed while I documented.
Eventually, our room evolved from open, flappy suitcases to organized piles. From there, items found their way into the spot they would cross the ocean in. We could see the floor again!
Turning pages
As we move along to the next chapter in the book of our journey to China, we are delighted to find little reminders of places we’ve been and people we love. Our last stop before departing US soil is in Harrisburg, PA at our friend Mickey’s house. We’re in a well-groomed, beautifully blooming neighborhood in Swatara. This is where we’ll triple-check our checked bags, reconsider the contents of our carry-ons and ingest all the ice cream we can before we take off this weekend.
Re-reading this chapter
Temporary base camp before Mickey’s was The Beauport Inn in Ogunquit, ME. Managed by Linda and Ellen, our dear friends, The Beauport has more than once served as our home away from home. We’ve road tripped from midcoast Maine down to New Hampshire, over to Vermont, through Pennsylvania and back again and have been blessed to have a warm welcome waiting for us with Linda and Ellen. They have always been there for us in so many ways: a roof over our heads and a comfortable bed under our bodies, breakfast made with love, endless coffee brewed at a moment’s notice, a sparkling pool and rejuvenating hot tub in which to splash and soak, and, most importantly, a secret stash of gelato in the freezer.
With heavy hearts, we left The Beauport in darkness, in the wee hours Monday morning while the coyotes yipped in the surrounding woods. We left behind two gracious ladies who were never too busy to sit and chat with us. While we left them physically behind, we know they are at least electronically with us – as are many people in our lives – because they’re reading this blog. They are with us in spirit, and I know this because I see little reminders of them wherever we go.
Turning pages…of the menu
We went out to dinner at Gilligan’s the evening we got to Harrisburg. The first thing to catch my eye when I opened the menu was this:
It reminded me of sweet Ellen, who is always trying to get me to eat things I shouldn’t eat. Bless you Ellen! Before we arrived last week, Beauport had had some Greek guests. They made authentic cuisine and left behind so many delicious things, among them a container of spanakopita. Ellen suggested I eat it one day but I never got around to it. I wonder if there’s a Chinese version?
Running amok
Our first morning here in Harrisburg, I went for a run around the neighborhood. We lived in Camden for almost three years; I could barely remember the roads in our neighborhood there. I figured I would be lost here in Mickey’s ‘hood. My phone was loaded with an exercise tracking app but I was ready to use Google maps to get back to the house. Then I ran up to this intersection and stopped in my tracks, but not because I was dripping sweat and out of breath. Not because I had a cramp in my leg. And not because the 276th rabbit of the morning had run out from underneath a car and almost tripped me.
I stopped in my tracks to remember and mentally give thanks to Linda for being so caring and accommodating. In my mind, I sent her telepathic hugs for staying up late the nights we were due in town so she could greet us and make sure we were settled before turning in. I tried to consciously connect in my mind with gratitude in my heart.
Everything butter eyes
Smiling, I continued on my run for several more blocks until unwittingly finding my way back to Mickey’s. The day had begun to heat up and it was starting to get humid. My physical exertions had me ready for refreshment. I opened the fridge, where the butter section is eye-level for me. Mickey and Kim both need to be on their tippy toes to see up in there, I bet.
Lo and behold, I discovered that Mickey is somewhat of a fan of Linda’s favorite butter, Kerrygold. I remembered Linda raving about this butter being the best butter ever but I never tried it. Maybe this week. Unless they have a Chinese version of this too, this will be my last shot at trying it for a while.
We have two more days here, so in that time, I will try to butter up whatever I eat, including flaky ethnic treats. And I will do this to honor the ladies of Beauport. Seems like a proper justification of calories, right?
