First of Many

After Nora’s birthday, the other reason I was looking forward to fall is that it means the beginning of “Hinds’ visitor season.”  We haven’t had the opportunity to see any family or friends since moving to Nantucket, but this month we have a stream of visitors planned.

Unfortunately, my dad and my friend Margarete were unable to get here for Nora’s birthday because of the hurricane, but we had perfect weather for my friend Laura’s visit this week.

She arrived Thursday afternoon on the fast ferry, which was surprisingly packed for a week day in September (Nora and I counted 15 baggage carts unloaded while we waited for her to walk down the ramp).  Thursday afternoon was nice and simple, she went with me to pick up a double stroller that was given to us by the executive chef of 21 Federal, then we took Pip for a walk along my regular route.

The poor windmill looked naked, since the sails had not yet been put back up after the storm.

That evening, we met Mr. V’s mom and Kathleen for dinner at The Brotherhood and just spent the evening catching up since we last saw one another.

Friday morning, I really enjoyed walking her around town and the harbor.

It was cool enough to make walking enjoyable, but windy enough to remind us that it’s not the middle of summer.  Hence our awesome fly-away hair and Nora’s grimace in our self-portrait on the dock:Nora was getting super grumpy about being in the carrier and seriously in need of a nap, but I managed to placate her enough so that we could walk out to Brant Point so Laura could see the lighthouse.  (I’ve become an expert at nursing and walking now.)

We headed back to the house so Nora could get recharged (after a quick stop at the Juice Bar) , then headed out to the Cisco Brewery.  I have to say…how is it that I’ve lived here for months and have never been to the brewery!?  This was tons of fun!  Laura and I did a wine tasting, and Nora learned how to tend bar.The bartender was fabulous!  She was so funny and really had fun with Nora (who seemed to have a good time, too).  Apparently, the brewery is really kid friendly (the bartender even told me that they let her bring her son to work until he was 6 months old – what a great employer).  Who knew?

After the tasting, we sat out on the patio and listened to live music, while Nora snoozed on my lap.  She had a rough patch just before that and was pretty fussy, but her routine was off.  Luckily, Laura was really understanding about it and even helped out a little.And after she woke up, it was all better.  Until we decided to go visit Nora’s not-so-favorite place.

I couldn’t let Laura visit the island without walking barefoot on the beach.  Nora, of course, was less than thrilled.She clung to that clam shell for dear life, and whined the whole time.

Not even writing her name in the sand distracted her; at this point, I think we’re going to have to wait until next year for Nora to have some beach fun.

Laura and I, though, had a blast.  The sand was littered with shells, probably from the wind and the stormy weather of late, and we were excited to discover a quahog.After discovering that it was still alive (eww…), Laura rescued it from sure death on the beach.  I’m sure it was grateful in it’s own non-sentient way.

Then, Laura asked if we could go back to the Brotherhood, because that morning Chris had taunted us with what his special was going to be (house-made black bean tostada with tequila-marinated grilled shrimp, shredded lettuce, salsa fresca, avocado, and chipotle crema).  Yes, after hearing that, we had to eat there two nights in a row.  It was even better than it sounds, too.

Laura left Saturday morning after a yummy breakfast and a little bit more walking around; I was sad to see our first house guest go!  It was so great to catch up with her and to hear about some of the projects she has in the works.  (I’m going to do some freelance stuff for her on one of them, and can’t wait to tell you more as it unfolds.)  And as far as visitors go, I couldn’t have asked for a better one: she did the dishes.  She was understanding during Nora’s fussy moments, and wasn’t the least bit embarrassed to walk down the street with us while I sang kids’ songs to stave off screaming.  She brought news from the college admissions world that only solidified how right my choice was to quit my job.  And, she took pictures and was a good sport about being written about on the blog (which is now a prerequisite for visiting us, FYI).

Thanks, Laura; I can’t wait for your next visit!