In the past I have written about my childhood summers on Cape Cod, and how lucky I was to have been able to experience this joy. The benefactor that enabled this experience was my father’s best friend, Merwin Sturgis. My dad and Merwin are gone now; I see them playing cards in a massive game in heaven, or fishing in some idyllic lake where they never have to bait a hook. But Merwin still has a niece and nephew that live not far from the old homestead, and my cousins and I were yearning for a visit, and an old-fashioned clam boil in a place that felt like our old stomping ground. Connie and her brother Bing live next door to each other on a smaller pond on the Cape, a beautiful spot Connie’s late husband inherited from his grandfather. This is all Wampanoag land, and Connie’s house speaks to her ancestry with gifts from nature; bird’s nests, carved birds, Indian artifacts and old family photos. This place feels like a spiritual home to me.
I put the word out to my cousins that shared those summers with me; Anita and her brothers Roger and Bob, and I even convinced her brother Richard to come from Florida to partake in this trip down Memory Lane. And that it was.
Anita’s niece Claudia took a personal day to join us, saying she wanted to meet the man who so influenced her father’s young self. Bing was a hunting and fishing guide, worked at the Sandwich Fish Hatchery, and was 9 years older that Claudia’s dad Roger. He nurtured Roger’s love of nature, hunting and fishing that exists to this day.
The day was misty and cool, not a perfect day for a trip to Cape Cod but it didn’t dampen our spirits, no pun intended. Well, maybe pun intended. The pot of clam chowder I made for us to enjoy while the clam boil simmered on the outdoor propane burners really hit the spot, and the Cape Codders we were drinking took the edge off the chill. That is Connie’s recipe for aging well; a Cape Codder every night. For the uninitiated it’s vodka, cranberry juice and a splash of fresh lime. And she looks terrific at 80, so you all need to get started.
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We laughed and talked and ate and ate some more. We traced family trees, we reminisced, we caught up with the goings on of family members not present, we missed the ones we’ve lost and we were grateful for these friends that are family and who we consider part of our tribe. And I think they were happy with the invasion of Pepins unleashed upon them that day; they’ve requested a repeat performance next summer, which we will happily oblige.
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Claudia e-mailed me the next day, “This may sound a little cheesy but I felt like I was spending time with the elders learning the oral history to carry it on to the next generation.” Ah, Grasshopper, we couldn’t ask for a better messenger.
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So until next summer, Connie and Bing, we send our love and thanks. And maybe we can sneak down for a Cape Codder sometime this winter.
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The weather could not have dampened such a great day! I cannot believe I had so many of the Pepin clan at once, it really seemed like old times. I know all the elders we have lost were there in spirit and smiling at all the wonderful memories we had and shared. We will have to make a small cut on the wrists and exchange some Indian blood next time even though we are kindred souls. Cannot wait for the next visit.
Much love, Connie (Maka Nunpa-Two Worlds) and Bing (Silent Arrow)