So this weekend, we're...

So off we go again because of course. This helps ensure that there are no weekend days between July 10 and August 27 that we find ourselves home for more than a few hours.

This weekend we’re off to Martha’s Vineyard. Then again next weekend. There are a myriad reasons why we don’t just stay the entire time, but it certainly would have involved less back and forth. We’re going to hang out with my older daughter and her boyfriend. Next weekend we’re hanging out with our younger daughter and her boyfriend. In between the younger daughter is coming home from Boston, meeting us on our return from this trip, and then going back to Boston in order to meet up with us the next weekend. Got it? It’s amazing how much simpler things are once the kids leave the nest.

I’ve been going to Martha’s Vineyard most summers since the early 80’s, when my parents fell in love with the place, first renting and ultimately building a house there. Ronnie's been coming here almost as long. The house is full of mixed memories for me, as family vacation houses tend to be. My parents used to hold huge parties there, weekend-long bashes for 150 or more people. The house was designed to accommodate such things. It’s huge and open and sleeps about 20 all told.

Those party days are long gone. The parties stopped when my mom was diagnosed with ALS. And my father retired, shedding many people whose friendship was based on mixing business with pleasure. It’s still a nice place, with a big, beautiful swimming pool and access to a pond for paddling and a private beach. It’s just more than we need at the moment and it can feel empty.

I’d say it’s time to drop the melancholy, but it’s hard. The memories are everywhere and it just feels strange to be there sometimes. It will be better once we’re actually there and not just sitting on a boat thinking about it. Before the boat, more time on a plane after returning from England on Monday. We flew to Providence and now are on the Rhode Island Fast Ferry (how fast is it? About 35 miles an hour, which isn’t bad).

We’ll be docking in about 10 minutes. Will check in again soon.