Richness

A few unusual / quirky things that happened today:

Sam gave me flowers, a mug and a card for Valentine’s Day. This is Highly Unusual. I was flabbergasted! (Note: I bought the pink tulips earlier last week to add some brightness to the house.)

We had a big master plan requiring a lot of stops in Blue Hill and Brooksville and none of it played out like I anticipated.

We ended up having coffee in Brooksville at Tinder Hearth instead of at our favorite place, Bucklyn. Tinder Hearth is closed for two weeks starting tomorrow, so this was already some kind of synchronicity. We also easily got a parking spot and a table that suddenly opened up.

Tinder Hearth is a little problematic for us – we don’t love the food although the atmosphere is fantastic (an old converted barn with a large woodstove). They don’t exactly cater to vegans. Sam settled on “bread and butter” without the butter. He got four or maybe five huge slices of fresh bread with marmalade, and ate his fill.

The Tinder Hearth bathroom for guests is entered through the kitchen and laundry room. Everyone working in the kitchen smiled as we passed through, although I felt like we were trespassing in their territory.

Then we went on to explore Holbrook Island Sanctuary. It was a beautiful drive, lots of perfect ocean and island scenery. But what made me get out my phone camera was this igloo.

We tried to go cross-country skiing in Holbrook Island Sanctuary. After a lot of exploring to find the trail, and effort to get the skis on, we found the path was maybe too steep for us (meaning me). At the top of a steepish little hill that had me visualizing a catastrophic crash at the bottom, a man with a dog appeared in the woods. We hadn’t seen a soul in the park until then. He asked if we were okay. So far we were, so I said “Let’s turn around.”

Because we didn’t ski very long, we got to the fiber art exhibit in Brooksville shortly after opening time instead of close to closing time.

It seemed like there were a lot of cars parked at the Gallery. Could the exhibit be so popular? I thought. Someone was leaving right near the door, so we pulled into their parking spot.

At the entrance, I smelled seafood. Turns out there was a chowder fundraiser going on. Lots of tables, lots of people, lots of food. We viewed the fiber art and then had some chowder and some gingerbread. (They had a vegan chowder, amazing!)

Sam chose to sit at a table with another couple; the man’s “Graham Platner” pin matched Sam’s own. (Graham is running for Maine US Senator.) This couple was very compatible in many ways and picked Sam’s brain on a huge number of subjects including water filtration – which they needed, and he does.

A young girl named Charlotte served us with great solicitude. She had a Valentine’s heart stuck to her forehead and was dressed in pink. She offered us conversation hearts at the end of the meal and explained that yellow was the best flavor.

The Sticky Heart Lady came by our table and offered me a heart sticker which I stuck to my coat.

On the way home, there was a sign “The Rock” in front of a house. Next door, there was a huge rock the size of a small house.

Going into the co-op at our last stop to get bananas, I was again offered a sticker (I said ‘leave it for someone else’) and then a candy. I reached for one of two flavors she offered, but the box was empty. She immediately grabbed that flavor from the other cashier’s station so I could have the kind I wanted.

It just seemed really extraordinary to me that all these objects and people appeared without expectation on this chilly Valentine’s Day. I feel blessed. May all beings be similarly blessed!