Memories of Monhegan

Yes, Tuscany was unforgettable but my thoughts are quickly turning to Monhegan Island...

It won't be long before summer is ending and the leaves are starting to change. September in Maine brings a fresh new crispness to the air and the light begins to sparkle, particularly out on the islands. It'a a time when everyone is trying to make the most out of every last precious day before the first snow. None, however, seems to glisten the way Monhegan Island does on a clear fall day. Perhaps this is why artists like Henri Bellows, Rockwell Kent and Jamie Wyeth have been drawn to the island for so many years. It must be the way the light bounces off the water because the colors are crystalline in a way I have never seen elsewhere.

Even more wonderful than the sunshine, cool air and fresh ocean breezes are the new bonds of friendship that are created on a retreat such as this. Joined by the common thread of craft, sharing of meals, and the both literal and figurative stretches of morning yoga sessions, it is no surprise that new relationships are born. Conversations over dinner, on a rock overlooking the ocean or on a big lazy rocking chair lend themselves to sharing life experiences and discovering that it just might be kismet that has brought you together.

Nothing adds more delight than shared laughter, or a challenge overcome with new friends be it a hike along a long wooded trail or the folly of trying to deliver ...relay style... a specially packed box of cookies to a group of hungry knitters on the far side of the island. And if the day couldn't get any more perfect, a sunset picnic. The entire week is a moment suspended in time that I hope to share over and over again.

~Lisa