6.21.08 ~ Provincetown, Massachusetts
For memories are always impure, joined together in another order – doubly exposed, impossible to separate, part of a different kind of logic and a confused chronology which is the hallmark of memory.
~ Lars Saabye Christensen
(The Half Brother: A Novel)
It’s surprising how much of memory is built around things unnoticed at the time.
~ Barbara Kingsolver
(Animal Dreams)
Gosh, as someone writing a memoir, I love these quotes. And I love the photo, too. And I ADORE Provincetown. Hope you have a great day, Barbara! Oh, and I’m a massive Kingsolver fan.
Hugs from Ecuador,
Kathy
I’m so pleased you loved these quotes, Kathy! And I share your adoration of Provincetown – for a long time it was the only place I felt free to be myself when it didn’t otherwise seem safe to be so. My soul place… *hugs*
Oh my, imagine how many memories that worn doorknob could share. It’s a great photo Barbara, and like Kathy I’m a huge Barbara Kingsolver fan. The first quote perfectly explains the confusion and complexity of our memories. I hope you and Tim are both well. xx
Thanks, Joanne, I’m glad you liked the photo – it’s one of my favorites. I stumbled across it (from 2008!) as I was poking through some of my older files. Tim & I are having our good days and our sad days – I suspect a trip to Provincetown would do us some good about now… *hugs*
So many memories from very early childhood up, this door knob opened to my grandparents, pancakes, beach towels, learning the card game Russian Bank, the sound of the fog horn on foggy days, the mystery of the people who walked by at all hours on their way to and from the shops and the night life.
And those were my childhood memories. It meant a lot to me to then be able to bring my wife and kids up so they could share in the experience. Looking around Provincetown I always embraced the thought “vive la différence”!!!
And how we loved sharing the experience! Provincetown is definitely a “live and let live” community. The light is incredible, even in winter…
Oh my gosh, I love the photograph. Absolutely love it!
Thank you so much, Laurie! It’s an extra-special one. 🙂
Lovely photo and thoughts. Will share! XO
Thank you, Diane – it’s so sweet of you to share! *hugs*
Memory does operate by its own logic. It orders and prioritizes and makes new connections. At the same time it is faithful to what is important to one.
It’s so true – every time I write a new biographical sketch for myself or someone else the details seem to shift in unexpected ways – memory flows and changes as we do. A warm welcome to my little blog, Mary!
Thinking of memories a lot this week. Great quotes and photo, Barbara.
We must be on a similar wavelength this week, Kathy, so many memories, so many feelings…
Hi Barbara. I love purple glass. Someone told me some kinds of white glass can turn purple over time … Do you know if this was always purple? Jane
Jane, the glass knob was purple when I first saw it in 1975 – I will ask Tim and his aunt if they can ever remember it being white. I’d also like to do some research in land records, to find out when the house was built…
Is this the door to a house that you once visited, Barbara. How beautiful the sentiments.
This is to the front door to my grandparents’ house in Provincetwon MA. It was in the family for over 80 years and my father and I spent many summers there. The house was originally bought by my great grand uncle E. Ambrose Webster who was an artist and had a studio on the top floor. Sadly the house had to be sold but it went to a very nice man.
I would add that we spent countless summer vacations and weekend get-aways there, and that the house was the setting of most of the happiest moments of my life. The house was sold to a member of the Provincetown Art Association, who is restoring it and plans to leave it to the association in his will to make a little art and history museum out of it.
The Barbara Kingsolver quote is wonderful. It is so true that many memories are built around things that we barely noticed at the time.
It’s so true, whenever my sister and I reminisce we find that we each noticed different things about the same event or place. It’s the same with Tim and his brothers.