July 7

We awakened to an overcast day and felt in no rush to move quickly. After a leisurely breakfast we all puttered about. Our intention was to go ashore for showers, tour another of the mansions that we’d not been to and have dinner, this time definitely my treat. By the time we were organized Mom said we may as well have lunch on board first. We did and by the time everything was put up and the launch called it was nearing 3 o’clock by the time we set foot on shore. In the past we’ve always used the facilities at the Ida Lewis Yacht Club so when we got ashore Dad asked where there was a place to shower and we were directed to the Seamen’s Church Institute a few doors down from the boat yard. Not knowing that one purchased tokens in advance to turn on the water both of my parents undressed and got into the showers having limited success with the water. Mom thought since a lady was in the stall next to here that she was using all the water pressure so she patiently waited until the woman was finished. Her shower mate must have heard her fiddling unsuccessfully with the knobs and finally called out, “you need a token.” Which Mom heard as, “you need to poke it.” She stood there baffled for a few moments before asking, “Exactly where do I need to poke it?” “Not ‘poke it’, token, you need a token to turn on the shower.” Meanwhile Dad had gone through a similar drill in the mens room and had by this time redressed and gone upstairs to by 3 tokens based upon the instructions from the fellow that was in the stall next to him who turned out to be the husband of the woman who was talking by now to Mom. They were friendly naked people. By this time I was in the men’s room shaving next to the husband and chatting away with him. It turned out we were both anchored in Potters Cove two nights before which got us to talking in general but mostly about sailing. Dad had returned so the 3 of us talked while they showered and continued until I was ½ finished with mine. The Mans stories were very interesting as Newport was his hoe port and he had many tales about riding out various hurricanes on board his boat. He explained, “Most people here are unconcerned as ‘the insurance will cover it’ as I’ve heard many of them say. I literally built my boat and it took me 8 years so insurance could NEVER ‘cover it’ where I’m concerned!” No doubt. 8 years is a lot of life to devote to anything. I understood where he was coming from but my passions being different I’d not risk my life for a boat. Works of art or other human beings most definitely but a boat, no. That is a part of what makes life so interesting; communication with people who are different from us.
Our $2 showers respectively finished we made our way over to The Black Pearl to make a reservation for dinner. It was getting too late to see another house so we decided Mom and I would wander the shops and Dad would hang out in a chair by the shops on the water and people watch. Shopping is not his thing but it is most assuredly ours. We walked down to Thames Street and went into The Armory (antiques and fine art 365 Thames Street, Newport 401-848-2398) which was chock full of antiques, collectables, memorabilia, and junk. I found a number of things that I liked, all of which were priced fairly (meaning not bargains but that they knew what they were selling and it’s value) and so passed them by until coming upon a carved wooden architectural scale model of a spiral staircase which was a bargain. Probably due to the fact that the base was slightly warped but it is totally fixable. A charge/ship was handled by Wendy, an actress who is soon to be interpreting the role of Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire. We discussed her character analysis of Blanche at length and were on our way. Despite having no room for one more anything in my apartment I’ve always wanted one of these models and have only ever seen them for many hundreds to thousands of dollars so I was thrilled by the purchase.
A few blocks down the street we stood outside a shop called ‘Down Under Jewelry’ (479 Thames Street 401-849-1078 www.downunderjewelry.com, info@downunderjewelry.com) where some of the objects in the window appeared to be positively glowing with an inner light. I scanned the cases in a quick run through before settling in front of a cube containing pieces by Me & Ro (www.meandrojewelry.com) The proprietor Rosemary Laramee was helping me and removed a sterling sliver Sanskrit inscribed disc the size of a dime. Onto its surface were carved the Immeasurables: love, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Drilled in the center and attached with a flesh colored cord I had to make my second purchase of the day. It rests just over my clavicle and I thought what a wonderful talisman to make all issues from my voice box be filled with these qualities. I’ve worn it now for 24 hours and so far it’s not been an instant cure. I still find myself saying, "Oops, did I just say that out loud??"
Rosemary was ringing up the sale and asked if I wanted to keep looking around. "No thanks," I confidently replied, "I’ve looked at everything." Oh, the conceit. She ever so slightly looked up at me out of the corner of her eye, "Well maybe I didn’t see everything." I backed away from the display case while keeping one eye on her. Turning slightly as the sun broke through the clouds for just a moment, illuminating a free standing case just in front of me. I looked down and gasped. The first thing my eye fell on was a burnished silver square with rounded corners and diamonds subtly glistening like dew on a leaf along 2 of the 4 edges. It looked like something crafted by fairies in the forest; organic and magical. Mom was looking down into the case too by this point, staring at the same ring. "I’ve only one ring finger left that arthritis hasn’t ruined", she said with a note of longing in her voice. This was an object of desire. Rosemary was on her way across the floor with what should have been (but probably wasn’t) a smug look upon her face. As she was reaching into the case to retrieve the magical ring the spell was for a moment and I took in the entire case. Everything was wonderful and clearly by the same designer and all with the identical mystical organic sensibility. There was a large thick wide band that had striations around its circumference with tiny diamonds sparkling randomly on its surface. With no encouragement from the owner Mom ordered her size in the square ring and I shortly followed suit by placing a custom order for the band. If anyone had ever said I’d want a ring with diamonds I would not have believed it but this really does look like something that fell out of Tolkien’s world before the fairies sailed off to a new land taking all the magic with them. I can’t wait to get this purchase, at which point I’ll get more information about the artist and post it on the site.
Mom was quite happy now too due to her new acquisition. We strolled back to where we’d left Dad to pick him up and go to dinner. As it turned out we did not make a reservation at the Black Pearl due to their dress code: no sneakers (me), no blue jeans (Mom), no tank tops (none of us) so we’d made reservations next door at Clark Cooke (401) 849-2900 where we’d had a wonderful dinner 2 years ago. We were again not disappointed. They’d added a Sushi Bar since we were last here so I started with a miso soup and a seaweed salad (which believe it or not I’d been craving since pulling the weeds off the propeller). Both were delicious and followed by a salmon that was just barely warm, totally fresh and absolutely perfect. I was in heaven being able to eat as I ordinarily do after a week of ‘boat food’ which had been good but just not what this spoiled city boy is used to. Mom of all things was craving a burger which was enormous and Dad started with crab cakes which I could see were mostly crab (he said they were great) followed by scrod which looked and smelled delicious which he assured me it was. As we had some time before the hourly launch we ordered deserts: she had julienne pineapple and mango with berries and homemade sherbet, he had key lime pie, and I had an apple tart tartin which was prepared with minimal sugar and so was perfection to me. While waiting for the launch we each had a piece of salt water taffy that I’d bought along with a fudge sampler after we left Down Under Jewelry. I don’t think I’ve had salt water taffy since the New Jersey Shore when I was a child and it was as delicious as I remember.
Back on board Dad rallied and beat Mom in two out of three at Chinese checkers and so went proudly to bed with head high and a straight back. Mom meanwhile sat at the table looking like she’d accidentally swallowed her familiar so I played tow games of reversie with her, both of which she won. She too went to bed smiling. So did I; dreaming of miniature stairways that fairies play on when not making beautiful jewelry which is scattered with diamonds like dew drops on a leaf.