Ellen In Medicaland at the Great Mashpee Public Library Local Authors Book Fair

Well, Guys,

It has been awhile since I have written in this blog about good, old Mashpee. And I have to tell you that yesterday made me so happy to be living in this great community because I participated at the great Mashpee Public Library Local Authors Book Fair.  It was a total blast.

There were thirteen of us authors - all living on Cape Cod - and a couple of us who live in Mashpee.  There were all kinds of topics being covered besides my wild and crazy medical memoir, Ellen In Medicaland:True Stories of How I Fell Down Medicine's Black Hole and Still Lived After All.  There were at least four books about Cape Cod; one on combating drug and alcohol addiction; an author who has written four romance novels; and a woman who is a life coach and who is advising people how to become their best selves.  And, an attorney, who used to be a ballet dancer, who has written a book about bloopers in estate planning.  Just such an interesting and diverse group.  That is for sure.

Needless to say, I talked and talked with everyone and found them all so fascinating.  And, I was lucky to be able to talk to browsers who have all had terrible times with the health system.  It made me so happy to be able to help them and to perhaps meet them as a follow-up to make sure they are doing OK.  At least Ellen In Medicaland is accessible on Kindle so they have somewhere to go for help.

Plus Ellen In Medicaland is my wild and crazy ride through our insane health system so no one has to feel alone in dealing with it.

Finally, the refreshments were DELICIOUS.  Nothing like being able to eat terrific food while you are happily talking about your book!!

Below are some pictures from yesterday - which I shall treasure forever.  And, needless to say, if you purchase my 17 acres - which is Paradise on earth - you will have easy access to that great place which is our new and gorgeous Mashpee Public Library!!

The Great John Cleese Event At The JFK Library

Well, Guys,

It has been a horrible week in Boston.  We lost the great Mayor Menino on October 30th and his funeral was this past Monday.  There were no dry eyes for miles and miles in Massachusetts - none whatsoever, including mine.

And the Democrats lost badly in the mid-terms.  The Republicans gained seven new seats in the Senate and have made it plain that they plan to make Obama's life miserable.  Also, Coakley lost to Charlie Baker for the governor's seat.  So there was more reason for tears on Tuesday night.

But last night God showed me that you have to hang in there because all was right in  Ellen Kagan's world, that is for sure.  I left Mashpee - and once again I saw how lucky I am to be so accessible to Boston - and went up to the JFK Library to a reception for the women candidates in November, 2014.  They came from all six New England states.

Anyhow, the reception bored me so I went upstairs and saw a gazillion people standing in line.  I asked a woman what this was for-- and it turned out that the Brookline Booksmith was sponsoring an event honoring the great John Cleese of Monty Python fame.  OMG!! We talked for awhile and then she offered me a $60 ticket to see him - her friend was sick and could not come!! Can you believe it? It was just what the doctor ordered after this horrendous week.

The audience was young, hip and alive - just my type.  John Cleese came in with the lovely Robin Young, his interviewer, to rapturous applause, including mine.  He then proceeded to keep us delighted for the next 1 1/2 hours!! He has just written his book, So, Anyway - which for $60 you could get - and read some of it with Robin.  He also talked of his experiences in the entertainment industry and at the end, many in the audience lined up at microphones to ask him questions.

He was so gracious - none of us wanted the evening to end.  I am still so happy for having been there in such an unexpected way.  Yes, God is so good - and I am so lucky to live in Mashpee and to be able to easily get to great events like these.

What a great way to start the week-end!! The total best!!

John Cleese Event At The JFK Library

Here are pictures from the great John Cleese event at the JFK Library.  I am going to write about it in another post!! Enjoy - he is the best!!

Another Great Day On Cape Cod

Well, I have just been reading my blog and I see that I have not written a thing since October 7!! That is because I have been so busy showing my gorgeous property in Mashpee to interested buyers.  What a time! They cannot believe the beauty of Mashpee-Wakeby Lake.    Few people know about this fresh water pond - which is how we residents like it.However, I have to break anonymity to sell these 17 acres!! You cannot sell the without showing them, that is for sure.


So, I have been setting up appointments with real estate brokers and possible buyers and have been running back and forth from my house next door to the seventeen acres in Pickerel Cove.  It sure takes up a lot of my time, but I am focused on this project and want to sell the land to people who will love it as much as my family and I do.  Plus, the new owners will be our neighbors, so it has to be a good fit.


The new owners can do anything they want with the land.  They can build eight lovely homes on eight 2-acre lots or they can build one or two homes and build a tennis court, a golf course, and a swimming pool - any amenities that they desire.  All I know is that anyone who purchases the gorgeous 17 acres will be in Paradise, as I am.


And today is Paradise here in Mashpee and Cape Cod.  It is 65 degrees and sunny and I feel as if I am in heaven.  I have been at my health club and now I am at the Sandwich Library, where I am marketing the property; and later I shall sack out at Cotuit Beach and read.  Could anything be better?  I do not think so.


And Saturday I went up to Newbury Street - a glorious, glorious day!! It took me only an hour from Mashpee and by 10:00 a.m. I had found a meter, parked the car, and was browsing at my favorite stores, like Madewell, Forever 21, Converse, Saks, and Lord and Taylor.  Then I met my sister at Shake Shack in Chestnut Hill, where there was a Halloween sidewalk party.  Such a fantastic time!! Could life be any better?  I do not think so.


So that is my story on Tuesday, October 28, 2014.  I hope you are having as happy a time as I am.  ENJOY!!


By the way, if you want to see the listing on Zillow, go to www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/Mashpee-MA/2108128959_zpid/

Pictures from Mass. Association of Realtors Conference

Having a Blast at Mass. Realtors Conference in Falmouth

Hi, Everyone,


Well, today is another reason that I love living in my cottage on Mashpee-Wakeby Lake.  Unexpectedly, I was invited to participate on a five-person consumer panel at the Mass. Association of Realtors Conference at the Seacrest Hotel in Falmouth, which is about thirty minutes from my house.  And I was paid for having a blast!


This is a new panel for the conference.  I guess the realtors are having a very hard time and they want to know how we, the consumers, perceive them and what our experience has been with them.  Since my experience has been pretty negative, I am marketing my gorgeous property myself.  Why?  Because I am so enthusiastic about it and know its real worth, whereas the brokers that I have dealt will only want to make a quick sale and have no regard for my paradise at all.


What I learned today is that the other panelists feel the same way but do not know what to do about it. One guy has had his house in Hyannisport on the market for two years.  He is relying on a new broker to sell it for him.  Another woman from Rhode Island is in the same boat.  Well, I have decided to do something about this situation and am marketing, marketing, marketing.  And I learned that I am doing the right thing by doing it myself.


No one cares about our land as much as I do - no one knows its value.  So I shall persevere and I am convinced that the right person will come along. The next post has great pictures from the Conference.

Listing for Land on Mashpee-Wakeby Lake on Cape Cod

Here is the listing that is on Zillow for the 17 acres on Mashpee-Wakeby Lake, in case you have not seen it.  So, here goes:

Exceptional opportunity to customize your vision and build a legacy family compound on 17 acres in one of Cape Cod's most private and undiscovered waterfront areas.  This is heavenly Mashpee-Wakeby Lake in Mashpee, which is surrounded by panorama water views and untouched woodland.  What makes Mashpee-Wakeby Lake unique and fantastic is that it is the second largest lake in Massachusetts - 729 acres and 10 miles all around - and one-third is conservation land.  This land was given to Massachusetts in 1943 by President Lowell of Harvard University who foresaw the need to preserve the glory that is Mashpee-Wakeby Lake.

This 17-acre property is subdivided into eight 2-acre lots where you can build your dream surrounded by the elegance, serenity and lushness for which this incomparable fresh water lake is known to those who are lucky enough to live there.  Moreover, there are all kinds of water activites - swimming, boating, fishing, jetskiing, waterskiing, sailing - anything that you love to do.

And what makes this spectacular fresh water lake even more remarkable is that you do not have to pay for flood insurance because Mashpee-Wakeby Lake is not in the Flood Zone on Cape Cod.

Plus, Mashpee is the fastest growing community in Massachusetts with all the amenities.  It is close to Mashpee Commons and South Cape Village, with their upscale shopping, restaurants, movie theater, and it is accessible to live theater all year round.  Moreover, Mashpee is only 90 minutes from Boston, so you can have the best of both worlds:  your Paradise in Mashpee or the city for exciting activities or easy access to your job.

Contact me at 508-477-1908 and I shall be happy to discuss this Paradise with you.

Price:  $3,750,000

Another Beautiful Day in Mashpee

It is so sublime today. So spectacular here in Mashpee that you would never guess all the terrible things that are going on in the world right now.  I know I sound pessimistic - I am not really - just realistic and trying to absorb all the beauty that I can down here while I can.

It is also the High Holy Days - Rosh Hashanah is tonight and Yom Kippur will be on October 3-4.  A good period for us Jews to think about things and reflect on how we can make this world a better place.

By being here on Mashpee-Wakeby Lake, I am able to gain strength to go out and contribute.  I shall be producing my show soon, Ellen In Medicaland, hoping to teach people how to handle the health system. I shall also be performing this show wherever I can find a venue.  A great adventure, that is for sure.  Mashpee-Wakeby Lake and Mashpee is almost like being in temple - I feel so close to God here.  I always have and I always will.  I feel a part of nature - just one more living thing that fits in with the whole scheme of things.

So, those are my thoughts for today.  They are good thoughts and help me to get on with things. And I hope for anyone who is reading this blog, that today and the whole year will be a good one for you!

Robert Redford at the JFK Library

Going Off-Cape To See Robert Redford

My Thoughts On 9/11/14

Well, it is 9/11 once again and I could not but notice all the beauty all around me at Mashpee-Wakeby Lake and its contrast with the sadness that I feel on this terrible, terrible anniversary. It is so hard to wrap your mind around all the beauty that is in this world - especially here, where I live - and the evil out in the world.

I got up and looked all around me and thought again how lucky I am - to be here, in this glorious place, and to be healthy.  And then I thought about all those beautiful lives lost on 9/11/01 and their bereft families.  I watched the ceremonies on TV with Obama, Michelle and Biden, as well as Ground Zero.  I saluted and cried.  There really are no comforting words, except to continue to contribute as best as you can in this world and love those you care about.

So, I am continuing my day - talking with friends about this sad day and we are comforting each other.  And I am doing my work here at the sweet Cotuit Library in Cotuit.  There is no other place that I would rather be.

So, take care and I hope your day is a good one.

Heavenly Mashpee-Wakeby Lake at 8:00 A.M, 9/11/14

My sweet boat on Mashpee-Wakeby Lake on 9/11/14

Another Wonderful Day On Cape Cod!!

Hi, Everyone,

I keep writing about how wonderful it is here in Mashpee on Cape Cod.  I know it seems as if I am overly enthusiastic, but, OMG!! - it is spectacular.  We have been so lucky with the weather.  As you can see, I have put up some pictures - of me at Cotuit Beach and two pictures of Mashpee-Wakeby Lake.  What a place!!  I always tell people that if you had spent $10,000 a week to vacation here, you would think it is worth it.

Anyhow, I am now at the Mashpee Library, which is also spectacular.  Built about four years ago, it has every amenity and it is definitely the go-to place for computers and reading material and great books and videos.  Actually, all of Cape Cod spends on its libraries, which are actually like community centers down here.  There are places in each library where you can sit and read and talk with others who are there, too.  It is so congenial and it is better than a spa because it is totally free.

The other new library is the Osterville Library, which is also fantastic.  In Centerville, the library was remodeled.  The community had fewer funds so not as much could be done to the old building.  But it is still lovely and I so enjoy spending time there.

Also, each library has a used bookstore where I buy the greatest books for less than $3.00!! and sometimes for as little as $.50.  I love books - I do my decorating in my cottage with books.  I consider them my friends and have read some two and three times.

So, my family and I are now marketing seventeen glorious acres on Mashpee-Wakeby Lake.  What makes this so fantastic for potential buyers is that there is very little available on the lake.  For one thing, one-third of Mashpee-Wakeby is conservation land.  So that in itself limits what can come up for sale.  And also, few people want to sell.  My family and I certainly would never sell where we have our cottage - Never!!

The seventeen acres is in Pickerel Cove and goes from Rte. 130 or Main Street in Mashpee all the way to the lake, with two acres fronting the water.  It is perfect for a family compound and it is ANR'd so that there are eight buildable lots.  I shall write more about the property as the weeks go by, but you can look the information up on Zillow at www.Zillow.com/profile/ellenkagan/for-sale-listings.

Have a happy day!!

Living it up on Cape Cod!!

Mashpee-Wakeby Lake

Mashpee-Wakeby Lake - the best place ever to live!!

Living in Paradise on Cape Cod

Hi, Everyone,

I am now in the Cotuit Library in Cotuit thinking how lucky I am to be living on Cape Cod.  Actually I live all year round on Mashpee-Wakeby Lake in Mashpee.  This glorious lake is ten miles all around, 729 acres, and one-third is conservation land.

I live in a simple, lovely cottage and when I wake up in the morning, I can look through skylights and see the trees and hear the birds.  What a glorious way to wake up.  It is better than a strong cup of coffee, although that is so terrific, too, in my cottage.

I have lived in Mashpee my whole life - mostly in the summers - but since 2005 I have lived there full-time. What a gift!!  So spectacular.

I have started this blog because I want to talk about the pleasures of living on Cape Cod all year round.  Not many people are as fortunate as I am - but there are many people here on the Cape - and life is easy and pleasant and gives you time to think about what is important in this life.  Also, what I love so much about being in Mashpee is all the creative people that I meet - artists, writers, photographers, and actors.  They are all here and trying to find authentic expression.  Just the greatest people ever.

My Dad and his cousin found Mashpee in the 1920's and when they married, they bought the 10-acre cove in which I live.  In the 1950's, they also purchased 72 acres on Mashpee-Wakeby Lake, strictly for environmental purposes and then sold 18 lots on the lake to friends and relatives for very little.  They just wanted to preserve the land and it remains pristine to this day.

In 1985, because of financial reasons, my Mom and our cousin sold 30 acres for a development and we kept 17 acres back.  We now want to sell it and we think it would be perfect for a family who wants simplicity as we do.

I shall talk more about the seventeen acres later.  For now I shall close and wish you a nice day - as nice as the one I am having here on Cape Cod.