Where I Am

The house where I now live has a historical plaque mounted on the front, informing all interested parties that the house was built in 1858 for George Meacom, shipowner. Three storied, white clapboarded, and black shuttered, the house is almost ridiculously New England seacoast. The few furnishings that I bothered to bring (my J-boat model, an antique oak commode, some framed artwork) have been absorbed seamlessly into the gracious decor.

If I leave the house and turn right, within 100 yards I come to the town's main street. A few doors down is the "What's Brewin'?" coffee shop, where owner Neil serves up a fresh egg/ prosciutto/ provolone bagel sandwich that redefines "breakfast." Even closer is Tapas Corner; almost as close are the Anmol Indian restaurant, Siam delight, Kame for sushi, Trattoria Bella Mia, and the Chianti Tuscan Cafe. When the old sod beckons, Kitty O'Shea's and Fibber McGee's have Guinness on tap.

If I leave the house and turn right, within 200 yards I come to the bay. The tide was high at nine this morning, so I set out with two St. Croix rods and walked out on the jetty at the end of the street. I baited one rod with sea clam and cast out toward the channel; the other I used to cast a variety of artificial lures. The bass didn't seem to be biting, so I had to content myself with the views of Salem and Marblehead to the south and the mist-shrouded coast to the east. After about a half-hour, as I was reeling in the baited rod, I hooked and landed a decent striper. At about 24 inches, it was a nice fish, but four inches too short to be kept.

Last Thursday, my son Matt and his wife Christine came up for my birthday (yes, another one). They joined Kathleen and me in taking the ferry from Salem into Boston, where it docks next to the Aquarium. From there, we walked over to Quincy Market and met daughter Erin, who'd come in on the subway. The five of us made the short walk to Boston's North End, famous for its Italian restaurants. We settled on a local favorite, Five North Square, where an unseemly amount of lasagna al forno, cioppino, pollo verdicchio, scampi, and linguine alla carbonara was savored and devoured.

This is where I am. I think I like it here.