Moon Over Madaket

Nantucket

Last night was one of those times when I remember that life's lovely memories are a string of happy moments with people who matter to me.

My two friends were here--not by design--but by a merging of schedules, possibilities, intersections.

"Are you coming to Nantucket this year while I'm there?" I asked Ann, my dear friend for over a decade in early June. (We met playing competitive tennis. We were the only two women on the team who were not stay at home moms which made 10 am matches and practices on Wednesdays at 9 am a challenge to put it mildly. Our tennis wasn't leading to Wimbleton, but we bonded over that summer.)

To my delight, she said yes.

A week ago, at the party for Benjamin, I asked my friend Maureen the same question over a glass of chablis. "Are you going to Nantucket for the end of the summer? I'll be out in Madaket if you want to stay for a day or so. Plenty of room until the kids come over Labor Day." ( She's been vacationing here for 15 years. Me too. I found that out accidentally one day during an appointment with her. She's my doctor--and, over time, has also become a good friend. )

To my surprise, she said yes.

We picked Ann up at the airport yesterday morning. First, we went to Island Liquors ( we have our priorities, after all ). Then, we went to Bartlett's Farm for provisions.Three alpha females--a marketer/writer, a lawyer, and a physician must have been a sight to behold as we glided the cart through the crowd of shoppers, each of us adding something that caught our eye. Finally, we drove to Bill, the fishmonger's, and bought a piece of salmon the size of a textbook. . We came back to the beachhouse with bags and bags of food and drink.

Somewhere around six, after a shopping trip to town, we opened the wine, brought out the Port Salut and crackers and watched the sun set through thick clouds.

I grilled the salmon by flashlight, poking the center to (sort of ) determine its doneness. Maureen grilled eggplant, Ann did the salad.

The moon , almost full, strengthened as night fell. A gull perched on the new shed next door. "Take a picture," Ann said.

And I did. A perfect picture on a late summer's night with good friends.

That's all there is. You know?