My name is Barbara and I live very near the sea in the little blue state of Connecticut, with my earth mate, Tim. My husband’s flawless grasp of logic and my sense of wonder together keep us balanced somehow.
I feel the pull of the seashore and the woods and the moon, and delight in the light of dawn and dusk. Cats, chickadees, deer, dragonflies, mourning doves and seagulls are my most cherished earthlings. I’ve been on a life-long spiritual journey that has had some bizarre twists and turns. This blog is a tapestry of my random thoughts about things that interest me, a kind of electronic scrapbook and journal. A place to share some of my collection of quotes and stories about my family and my ancestors.
Emily Dickinson inspires me…
Not knowing when the Dawn will come,
I open every Door,
Or has it Feathers, like a Bird,
Or Billows, like a Shore —
~ Emily Dickinson
♥
Songwriter Dave Matthews also inspires me. He seems like another little kid on a spiritual journey who wondered, as I had also wondered, why no one else noticed that the moon was following the car…
Funny when you’re small
The moon follows the car
There’s no one but you see
Hey, the moon is chasing me!
Walking through the woods
No cares in the world
The world she’s come to play
She’s all mine, just for a day
~ Dave Matthews
♫
My love for the peninsula of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, began in childhood with monthly visits to my adored grandparents. When I was very small they lived in Woods Hole, and then they moved to Dennisport. When Tim was growing up, he would visit his equally adored grandparents in Provincetown. Our ties to the Cape run deep and strong.
My grandmother took the picture of me to the left. When I was growing up she would often say to me, sometimes after spinning a tale about her sea-captain father, grandfather or great-grandfather, who came from Norway, “the sea is in your blood.” I believe it is!
On our trips back to Connecticut on Sunday evenings my sister Beverly and I would sleep in the way-back of the station wagon with our dog, Skipper, a Sheltie. It was on those trips that I noticed and wondered at the moon racing us home!
Header Image: Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, Massachusetts
Hi Barb! I finally made it over to check your site out. Been meaning to for a bit now! I’m lounging at the computer this morning with my cup of coffee putting off the things that need to be done. How lucky are you to be by the sea! I’ve believed for a long time that is where my soul truly resides. My mom lives on Cape Cod and I take advantage of visiting as often as I can. I should really stop putting off those things that need doing, but I promise to get back over and spend some more time checking out your site!
Thanks for stopping by, Karen! Cape Cod is my soul place, too, and I feel the need to head up there again. We used to have our grandparents’ houses in Provincetown and Dennis Port to stay in, but they had to be sold in 2008 and 2010. Just too expensive to maintain and keep in the family, although Tim’s aunt and my cousin tried very hard to do that. You’re lucky to have your mom there! I hope we can retire on the Cape… But I’m happy to be by the sea in Connecticut in the meantime!
Hi Barbara, I’ve been meaning for a while now to have a look again at your about page and ask about the Peter Matthiessen quote only to find a light and airy reworking of the whole site when I arrived! It looks and reads wonderfully, full of space to contemplate within. Well done, it lends a nice touch to your words.
Earlier this year I read The Snow Leopard and The Birds of Heaven but would love to know where your posted quote comes from. They were both magical and thoughtful reads and I’m working my way through the rest of his books.
It was good to read about your experience with the deer again. The other night, coming home near dusk, I turned to see a small roe deer at the very edge of an oak forest. It had emerged into a meadow of cut hay, glanced at our passing car and leapt swiftly back into the shadows of the trees. Deer are very rare in Greece and the moment was as brief as it was magnetic. But coming back that evening I remembered your own experience which led me back to this page, completing a circle begun some time ago!!!
Best,
Julian
Thank you, Julian! I’m so pleased that you like the “renovation”!
I got the Peter Matthiessen quote from the book, “Visionaries: The 20th Century’s 100 Most Inspirational Leaders” edited by Satish Kumar. I recently started reading Matthiessen’s book, “Shadow Country” and have been finding the going hard. Maybe I’ll switch to a different book. I also finally found a copy of Annie Dillard’s “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek”!!!
How wonderful that you saw the roe deer, especially if it is a rare sight! I went to Wikipedia to see what a European Roe Deer looked like, a bit smaller than our White-tailed Deer, reddish and grey-brown, but every bit as gentle and beautiful. Deer do prefer to feed at the borders forests and fields, and at dawn and dusk. Thank you for telling me about your sighting – it must have been breathtaking! And I’m glad the circle brought you back here!
Thanks for that! I know of Satish Kumar’s work in the UK, as you may as well. If not, he’s the editor of an excellent magazine called Resurgence (www.resurgence.org) that you might be interested in. Glad you found a copy of Tinker Creek! As a friend of mine says, ‘If you wait patiently the world provides.’ And yes, the roe deer was a brief but delightful experience….
Cheers,
Julian
Hello Barbara, I have just now had the chance to read your blog. I was so excited to see that you have been researching family history. This is one of the sole reasons I came to Norway, because 7 out of 8 of my grandparents are Norwegian, immigrated in 1888. I have had the chance to walk on the same island my great great great grandmother was born on and the valleys she walked on as a child. The island is called Bolga and my 6th uncle, still alive lives there. He is 78 adn I met him for the 1st time, we are like we have always been friends. I now have found atleast 20 living relatives. Some 5th and 6th cousins. This is what brought me to the area I am now living in, Lofoten.
this may be of some interest, my mother is a professional geneologist, she have found both sides of my family lines back to the 1600. If you need any help. Please don’t hestiate to ask. It is amazing to connect both with living and dead history. I love your blog by the way, It has so many things that are of interest to me.
Anne Marie
Anne Marie, sorry to be so long about getting back to you, I’ve been feeling crummy the past few days. I am thrilled to find someone as enthusiastic about Norwegian ancestors as I am!!! Your experiences sound so wonderful and inspiring! And to be able to connect with living relatives! Pure joy!! I hope one day not too far in the future I will have some adventures of my own!
Thank you for offering your mom’s help – I’m sure I could use some when the time comes. :) My daughter is going to Oslo, Norway for a couple of days in August with her cousin, who lives in Luxembourg, but I’m sure they’ll be too busy with other things to do any searching for me. :) But I am looking forward to hearing what her impressions will be.
I’m looking forward to reading more of your blog and getting to know you better!
Several years ago, I few friends and I visited a remote part of North West Scotland know as the Knoydart. It has a very colourful history, I’ve attached a link: http://www.knoydart-foundation.com/
We camped by the entrance to the Kinloch Hourn, itself a very beautiful and ancient landscape filled with ghosts from the past. One evening while we were preparing supper, a group of red deer came trotting down the hillside, oblivious to us. The wind must have been blowing in the right direction as we watched then for over an hour. One mighty red stag and a harem of does.
I’ll never forget.
Keith, I’m so sorry I didn’t see your comment here until today. I “approved” Meg’s comment, below, and then couldn’t find it to respond to it, thinking it was located at the end of one of my posts. When it finally occurred to me that it might have been left on this page and looked here, I found yours here, too! What a prolonged “senior moment” this was! Please forgive me!
I’ve now enjoyed browsing the Knoydart Foundation website, and thank you for the link! It warms my heart to know that remote natural and wild areas are being treasured and cared for.
The story of your deer encounter took my breath away – it is unforgettable, isn’t it? I think deer are instinctively or intuitively conscious that some people are safe to be around and choose to stay near us in order to fill us with wonder with their strength and gentleness…
Now I will think of your mighty red stag whenever I look at the red stag painting you gave me. Now it has even more meaning to me. Thank you so much for your kindness!
AAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhh big sigh. Your blog is like a breath of sea air, which I have not inhaled in far too long. Thank you for your wonderful art, photos, quotes and thoughts. Love the sheep and Basil. Lovely.
Thank you, Meg, for stopping by and for your very kind words! You must be well inland if you haven’t filled your lungs with sea air in so long a time. I’m glad you enjoyed your visit to my little electronic scrapbook! :)
Hi Barbara,
I Got got over here from the Kathy’s blog “Lake Superior Spirit”. What a wonderful space you have here. I’m impressed by the pictures and the phrases I encountered as I glanced through.I want to read more from you.
This is Sonali from India.
Hi Sonali, and a warm welcome to my blog! Kathy’s blog is a great place to make connections with others! Thank you so much for your kind comments – it’s nice to know others who enjoy words and pictures, too… I’m looking forward to getting to know you and will visit your blog soon!
I was bold enough to nominate you the Versatile Blogger award. Crazy, huh? Follow below:
http://thecaferoyal.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/aubrey-is-recognized/
Not crazy at all! :) I do thank you very much for nominating me and also for your complimentary words about my blog, but I hope you’ll understand if I don’t participate – the chain-letter aspect of it is just not my cup of tea. Still, I do appreciate the thought!
I’m late to the party- wanted to comment on the beautiful rendering of the house centipede. I’m sorry it scared you. I think they are breathtaking, and that they are busy eating other bugs which is always a good thing. Of course, I admit when one jumped into my bath water I shrieked and promptly drained the tub!! Admiration only goes so far!!
Your site is beautiful and inspiring. I will be following you now that I have found you.
Thank you, Melissa, and welcome to By the Sea!
I am glad the house centipede likes eating spiders and ants, but I wish it would stay in the basement! Believe me, I’ve been checking the whole bathroom from floor to ceiling, before hopping into the shower each morning since the unfortunate living room sighting. I’m still very jittery!!!
What a wonderful blog, Barbara! I was immediately drawn to the attractive presentation here, and after looking at the content, I’ve subscribed :)
Thank you for your kind words, Tracy, and welcome to “By the Sea”! I’m looking forward to reading your blog, too! :)
Your Blog is touching.
Coming from a small coastal town of Byron Bay in Australia everything you write resonates so deeply with me.
“the sea is in your blood” is one of the most beautiful set of words i have ever heard.
American literature is a passion of mine, non more so than Cannery Row by Stienbeck. Its the most encapsulating piece if writing to describe the care free effervescence only found living by the sea.
I look forward to reading much more of your blog.
Many thanks for your touching words.
moderncollectivedesign@gmail.com
You’re welcome and thank you for your kind comments! I tried to go to your blog but it is marked private so I could not look at it – not sure if you were aware of that or not…
Well, I guess it is about time for me to read “Cannery Row” then – I’ve added it to my Kindle list. Thanks for the recommendation!
I am not sure I have ever seen a more beautiful blog. So serene, so inspirational. A tonic for the soul, for the eyes. Motivation to return to what we know. To be our better selves. I love the paintings to bits. And the quotations. My heart sings when I look at what you have here and I wish I could create such beauty for others myself. Perhaps one day, my own blog…
Thank you, Jane, for your very kind words. I’m glad you find my painting and quote combinations so inspiring. Please let me know if you ever do start a blog so I can come and visit yours, too!
Hello Barbara,
I don’t even remember how I found your blog yesterday. Never even read one before—unless I had to for work purposes. Your title from the sea—-captured my interest—-and then your referred to Cape Cod as your “soul place,” —which is just such a perfect description of how I feel —about the sea—-then hit upon the poem about the moon—and your story about how it followed or chased you as a kid—-and I remember thinking exactly the same thing as a kid—riding in the back of my parent’s Chevy station wagon with my 2 sisters—all under 4 year’s old—while strewn on a pile of sleeping bags on our way back from my Memere’ and Pepere’s home in Torrance Ca—sadly not Cape Cod. My father actually grew up in New Bedford Mass—and told us stories about his summers near Cape Cod getting into trouble with his cousin. I grew up thinking of Cape Cod as this special place of sea and sun—that I would someday go to. Haven’t done that yet but have always found anyplace by the ocean a special place for inspiration and physical and spiritual healing—-a soul place. It was very good to meet you this morning.
God Bless. Lynne
Thank you, Lynne, for stopping by and leaving such a lovely note. As e.e. cummings noted, “It’s always our self we find in the sea.”
One of the things I love about blogging is connecting with others like you, who have also been filled with wonder during childhood.
I hope one day you do get to visit Cape Cod. Even with all the tourists it’s still a magical place. May and September are my favorite months there, very few tourists and still warm enough for meandering strolls on the dunes and beaches…
Barbara
Can you tell me, do you have a service help you with the structure of your most magnificent blog? If so, are you willing to share the name of the company that you use? I would like to start a blog, I have my ideas, but I don’t know how to start. What a dream to have a blog that looked even a pale shadow of the wonder of yours.
Jane, for this leg of my blogging journey my son has done all the technical stuff for me – I tell him what I want and somehow he does it! This blog is self-hosted using a WordPress theme.
But I used to have my blog at WordPress.com and was very happy there. They make it very easy to use and have lots of themes to choose from. Some themes have lots of options so you can customize them to suit your tastes. When I want a good background (like the one I’m using here) I go to Eos Development.
http://www.eosdev.com/
If you have any questions feel free to email me: babarodgers at gmail dot com
You’ll have a beautiful blog before you know it!
For some odd reason, even though your blog is listed in my “Read blogs”, wordpress has somehow dropped it from the ones which I read each day. I miss seeing your posts. So, now I will get them in my email. The paintings and poems are a nice addition to my day. Don’t want to miss any more. Thanks.
Sorry for all the confusion! It probably is because I moved my blog from WordPress.com to self-hosting at WordPress.org. I’m glad you found your way over here and were able to subscribe using email! :) I’m trying to catch up with everything, between the blog move and hurting my hand, things got pretty overwhelming…
It would be so lovely to stay with the nature’s beauty that surrounds you……and that’s why such a beautiful soul like you inspires people like me… :)
Thank you for your kind words, Pawan, and welcome to *By the Sea*! :)
I just had to come over to your site after your visit and lovely comment on mine, Barbara. Ah, Emily Dickinson…I so agree. And these never-ending journeys, especially of the spirit, never cease to challenge, surprise and transform! I so look forward to following your blog.
Thank you for visiting, Diane, and welcome to *By the Sea!* It’s always nice to meet another fan of Emily…
Thank you for sharing a bit of yourself here, Barbara!
I loved Cape Cod too. Haven’t been there in some forty years. I enjoyed your photograph. All of your posts have huge asthetic appeal.
Dragonfly: Native American’s say it is a symbol of happiness and purity. Lovely.
Thank you for your kind words, Jamie! Forty years is a long time to be away from the Cape. It’s been three years for us – there’s just been so much going on here but I’m hoping we can get up there for our anniversary in May – it’s a lovely quiet time of year to be there…
Hi, Barbara – Just noticing now that sometimes I didn’t click on “reply” directly under a comment that I was responding to on my blog. Reposting some of those comments now.
I get mixed up with that, too, sometimes, especially if it is the last comment on the post. :)
I so enjoy your blog. It’s soothing! I live in Michigan and we spend much time on the northern shores of Lake Huron. My mom and dad live on Cape Cod, not far from where I grew up. Both places are dear to my heart. I’m happiest when I’m near the water! When I can’t be near the Cape, I stop at your blog.
Thank you for your kind words, Tracy! Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. I feel the same way about Cape Cod but I’ve never been to Michigan. Someday we might go because the ancestors of my husband’s grandmother were there for a couple of generations and it would be nice to do some genealogy research there. So many happy memories of the Cape…
Thanks for the like on my blog post!
You’re welcome!
Hello Barbara, So happy to have found your site! I have had the same Emily Dickinson quote on my desk for years as inspiration. My husband is from near the Cape Cod area and we love the sea too! Take care ~Patricia
Hi Patricia, it is always nice to meet another person who is inspired by Emily Dickinson’s poetry! Sometimes I wonder, though, if she ever got to see to see the sea in her lifetime, and then I feel even more blessed to be living so close to the shore….
I also love dragonflies…that’s what inspired me to check out blog, which I’m finding quite lovely.
Thank you, Bobbi Jean. Dragonflies remind us to keep our eyes open and to live in the moment…
Dear Barbara- It’s been almost 40 years, and now I’ve stumbled upon you again. This space seems so calming and serene. I hope all is well.
Hi Susan – I’m so happy you found me after all these years!!! I’ve thought of you so often and hoped we would be in touch again some day. I’ll be sending you an email soon…
I don’t know if you’ve discovered this quote already, but it seems appropriate for your blog.
“For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), it’s always our self we find in the sea.” ~ e.e. cummings
I love it! I’ve never seen it before as far as I can remember. Thank you – I will see about using it somewhere on my blog soon!
Hi Barbara, your blog is deeply inspiring and truly magical. I am really happy to follow you and look forward to every story you weave, the depth and simplicity behind it, and how it touches on so many human dimensions. Thanks.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Gitanjali! I’m very happy you found my little blog and I look forward to visiting your blog, too. It’s a rewarding experience having a place in the blogosphere where I can share a little of myself and in the process meet so many fascinating people I would otherwise never have met…