When we are able to go home in the summer, we typically go in July. But this year, Stacey and I decided to plan a trip around her sister Sara’s birthday on June 4th. The first stop on our journey to Scituate would be a weekend visit to the O’Brien home in Manchester, CT. We packed Charlie in the car and headed north on Saturday, June 1st and had pretty smooth sailing outside of the standard congestion in New York. Upon arrival, Sara treated us to a delicious meal of stuffed haddock – YUM! There was even Rita’s take home for dessert. Charlie got to play with Lola and Milo, and we had a great evening chatting with Sara, Dave, and TJ.
On Sunday morning, us boys were lucky to join Dave’s regular group for 9 holes of golf at the local course. We used it as a tune up for a scheduled Monday tournament with Bapa as our fourth in Massachusetts. It was great fun and we even won two holes. Dave and I aren’t sure what we actually won, but we enjoyed some camaraderie, and TJ started to see some of our course shenanigans. Good times!
We headed home to play with the dogs and give Stacey and Sara a chance to get out. They jumped in Dave’s jeep and headed for a local craft fair to see what they could find. Getting to spend some time together on a beautiful New England day is truly special, and they were both so happy to have the opportunity. We all need more time with family.
Minor League baseball is always a treat in summer, so the four oldest headed into Hartford to catch a Yard Goats game while TJ stayed home to watch the dogs and take a well-earned nap. I had never been to this park right downtown, and can honestly say it is one of my favorite minor league stadiums. It was really nice, and we had a gorgeous sunny day to soak in the fantastic atmosphere. Lunch was incredibly delicious BBQ with Mac-n-cheese. It was a perfect afternoon with Sara and Dave – something we just don’t get to enjoy often enough.
After the game, Stacey and I headed to Scituate and Sara headed to bed to get some sleep before her night shift at Amazon. Thank you O’Bs for a great welcome back to New England – we loved it! Thankfully, we would see all of them more this week. As soon as we got to Scituate, Mimi had homemade minestrone soup ready for us to enjoy on the back porch of Camp Mimi-Bapa. What a welcome home treat! After dinner, we all settled in to the Gathering Room to simply chat and catch up on a lovely evening with temperatures in the 60s. Perfect!
Bapa and I got an early start Monday and headed to Canton to meet Dave and TJ for a golf tournament honoring the life of a son gone too soon. Friends of Dave’s lost their boy in a tragic motorcycle accident less than a year ago and held this tournament to remember him. After some touching words from the young man’s sister, we were off for a day on the links as the Ferrier-O’Brien-O’Connor foursome. We all had our monogrammed gloves that Bapa got us for Christmas! It was a wonderful 18 holes and we shot 8 under as a team, capped off with a 15- foot birdie putt by TJ on our final hole. THOMAS JAMES!!!
Tuesday was another glorious day that began with coffee and bagels on the porch before a nice walk around the harbor. Dad and I then did some minor maintenance and cleanup to prepare STARA for her annual launch. I have sailed her here many times with Dad, but each voyage seems better than the last one somehow. STARA was sturdy as ever, and whisked us between the beautiful boats of Scituate gracefully under a lovely breeze, allowing for a carefree sail for me as the crew with no jib to maintain! “Ready About?” from Bapa was answered without hesitation with “Ready!” from me, as I had no responsibilities whatsoever! ⛵️
June 4th is a special day in this family, and we spent it well.
The middle of the week provided ample time for walks on the beach and naps on the porch for people and puppies alike. Bapa and I played a round of golf at Widow’s Walk, a course I truly love. Dinner at Schooners in Hull with Mimi and Bapa was fantastic. Mimi’s green thumb was in full bloom throughout the yard, and we all just enjoyed being together on Hazel Ave. Camp Mimi-Bapa is always a special place to be, and we looked forward to the arrival of some of the O’Briens to celebrate Sara’s birthday together on Friday!
Friday brought the arrival of Sara,Dave, AND Abigail, who drove up from her home on the Cape! Hooray! An afternoon rain shower did nothing to dampen our spirits as we prepared for a lobster dinner on the porch to congratulate Sara on reaching the incredible milestone birthday of what my Grandma always called “21 Plus!” There were steamers, corn on the cob, and of course – lobsters! Much more importantly, there was that rare and elusive time living, loving, and laughing together with our closest family at Home. We are all so thankful for these cherished moments. ❤️
Very early Saturday morning, I heard Dave awaken from his futon bed on the porch to prepare for his shift at the fire station in Humarock. I joined him for a first cup of coffee before he rumbled off in the red jeep as the house slowly came to life. His bed from the night before became a couch again and welcomed Stacey and Charlie for their morning snuggles, coffee, and reading. There was a delicious selection of breakfast treats like one finds at your finest Bed & Breakfast, including her famed coffee cake, provided by Mimi. These are the mornings that make Family. We intended to bring some of those delicious treats to Dave at the fire station, and we all encouraged Bapa to pick up the pace and get to the outdoor shower faster so he could join us. Stacey, Sara, Dad, Charlie and I headed out for a nice drive to Humarock on a gorgeous Scituate morning to see Dave and to bring him some breakfast.
After a nice visit with Dave, we drove a scenic route back home with Dad pointing out goats and farms and abandoned Corvettes along the way. He definitely knows those streets! The route did not let us get another look at his favorite lawn ornament, and Sara was happy for that indeed.
I always look forward to a paddle through the harbor, and was thrilled when Bapa agreed to join me. We put in at Cole Parkway and did a long lazy lap to take in my favorite coastal town on earth. Scituate from the water is simply gorgeous. We finished with a trip under the bridge to see if we could catch Sara and Stacey leaving the parking lot after their sisters outing to Peggotty Beach.
Jim “Bapa” Ferrier – 6/8/2024
Another fantastic trip to New England visiting the people we love most came to an end as we headed south on Sunday morning after stopping at the Coffee Corner for nourishment. We took in a view of Scituate Harbor as she awakened one more time. Our drive home was filled with laughs as we remembered and recalled the special week with Family. Those memories will last forever as we look forward to making new ones together soon.
