memorialable.

today's voyage was supposed to be a very short jaunt from providence to somerville, massachusetts (just outside of boston). but apparently, the sunday of memorial day long weekend means a big parade down somerville's own highland avenue (home of magpie, the indie art and craft shop and our destination). my gps-free navigation techniques don't always make diversions the easiest, especially endless diversions in an old town with winding streets. i was totally sweaty, irritated and late. it took us lots of figuring and stops and starts to find the place. but once we had found it, put our bags down, met the owner david and settled in, everything changed. jasmine arnold palmer in hand (thank you david, you must have seen the crazy in my eyes and knew just how to cure it), i watched in wonder as a very epic very american display of...everything...passed by the shop. i don't entirely understand commemorating the austerity of war by firing off old muskets in the streets (or being a pre-teen beauty queen, or putting a dog in a stroller), but i was thrilled nonetheless. and there were shriners! i have never seen a parade with shriners before. they were by far my favourite thing going. they had everything - little cars, motorcycles, bands of questionable cultural sensitivity, little mac trucks, trailers with speakers on top, segways...it was beyond my imaginings. i felt like i was imbibing a whole life of wild americana at once.

i took too many pictures to celebrate. please indulge me:

certainly a weird context in which to place aitor drawing a chalk sign. i got kind of giddy. what was it we were trying to remember again?