The place that I chose to call home while in Martha’s Vineyard would be the deciding factor as to whether or not my time here was successful. I was looking for quaint and historic if possible, without breaking my piggy bank. Luckily, I stumbled upon a multi-generational summer home called Menucha.
The dark wood paneling that many of the homes in the area had lured me in, but when I turned the corner to see the large deck off the kitchen that opened up to a view of Buzzard’s Bay and the Atlantic ocean beyond, I fell in instant love. A stone hearth fireplace. No heat or air conditioning to be found, only warm blankets and open bay windows to let in the cool, salty air.
Sunset my first night was sublime. Vibes from the book The Great Gatsby and my favorite writer, John Steinbeck, are flowing strong in my thoughts. I see this place also has mason jars filled with rocks along the window sills. I wonder if they gather them from special places they have traveled to as well, just like I do….
Privacy is the most prized currency out here, and the thick, brambled forest helps keep things that way. The morning is spent slowly drinking coffee on the back porch, watching the sky turn slowly darker. The rain comes just after noon, and looks like it will be here for awhile….
Gathering wood from outside before it gets soaked, I stack it carefully next to the fireplace. Spiders and ants scurry from their temporary home and disappear into the cracks and crevices of walls. I spend countless hours reading by the crackling fire.
The rain continues to pitter patter, and puts me to sleep.
When hunger hits me, I crack open the clams from Larsen’s market, and boil some water to make pasta. I only have a few simple ingredients, but what more do I truly need? The rain looks like it will never stop, yet it always does, eventually.
Two days of straight rain. I’m not sure if it is contentment or depression that has its grip on me. Either way, having the sweet, Old World stone walls of Menucha to hold me during my time on Martha’s Vineyard was a blessing.
