my weekend in the hamptons

I spent the weekend in East Hampton. Sounds good, right? I am enjoying dropping that fact into conversation as much as possible for the next couple days. We hung out, we barbequed, we swam in the pool, walked on the beach (that's Atlantic Avenue Beach, above), took advantage of Adam's hospitality, admired his new house in the woods. But mainly we talked. Who knew there was so much to say? "The whole weekend was like a filibuster!" says Adam.

Given the fact that Adam, Hope, Barbara and I had all met at Time Inc, as had Adam's luncheon guests, there was a lot of reminiscing and gossip about mutual friends. What a pleasure to be with a bunch of smart people! And the fact that we  have known one another long enough to be comfortable together was an added bonus.

Hope left the party early, because she had to get back to a Patti Smith concert in Central Park (pobrecita), so we bid her adieu at the train station and headed off to the dump with a disused mattress. In a scene that reminded me of Alice's Restaurant, we found the right place to offload the mattress—it required driving around the dump several times to Door #2.

 

It was worth it, though, because behind door number #2 was an almost new Tommy Bahama beach umbrella that Adam had been needing. In the giveaway section, Barb scored a top sheet she had been needing, and I the amaturish oil painting  above the sink (below) that I really didn't need. Ah, the end-of-season spoils.

 

And then we packed it all up, and Adam skillfully drove us back on the LIE, past several car  accidents and through some horrendous traffic. But the memories that will linger are of good friends and the moon on the ocean and the sound of the waves. Happy Mid-Autumn Moon Festival!

Did I mention I spend the weekend in the Hamptons?

thank you, ganesh

Ganesh, or Ganesha, the elephant god, is known as the patron of intellectuals, bankers, scribes and authors. He is known as a remover of obstacles. To me, he is known as the God of Parking. I don't know who told me this, but I have not forgotten. 

   I guess I didn't pray hard enough; when I got back from Providence, it took me almost four hours to park. Even the garages were not taking any more cars. The guys told me that they had no room, because everyone had come back from their Covid in the Country breaks, and the kids were going back to school and, well, tough noogies. 

    So that was Tuesday. Finally someone pulled out of a spot—big enough for my truck!—and I got a spot close to the front of the building. But I had to move the truck today for the street sweeper. Barb suggested that I take my little statue of Ganesh to the truck for luck.  I stayed put in the truck for an hour and a half, played on my phone, ate my apple and waited to have to move, praying all the while that I wouldn't have to move. And the gods were kind. The street sweeper never came, and I kept my spot smack in front.

 

birthday a go-go!

There are a lot of moving parts to a birthday. First, on a nonschool day, came the celebration of Camilla's eleventh with a couple friends—just weeks after the celebration of Isaac's eighth. A carousel ride. Fancy ice cream sandwiches in the back yard. The other kids (and the tickets and the ice cream) picked up and delivered by Hannah and Chris.

On the night before the actual birthday, a school day, Hannah set out the presents she had wrapped and the pinata she had made.

The morning was unwrapping some presents and eating the special, now traditional, piggy pancake made by Hannah for breakfast before school. Then Camilla donned her school uniform and her crown and her mask, and Hannah walked her and Isaac to school.

After picking up the kids at the bus stop, it was time for the family party on the front porch. Cousin Madison came in from Block island. Cousins Will and Noah (originally fro Block Island) are living in Providence, as are PopPop Douglas and Lynn and Uncle Simon, and RaRa and Titi Mira. We all ate takeout burritos and chips (picked up by Chris) from ChiPOTle.

The "cake" was fancy ice cream tacos with a couple candles (representing eleven) stuck in rugelach from Zabar's. Isaac performed Happy Birthday on the ukulele (after third lesson).

Then came the pinata. Isaac and Camilla succeeded in breaking it, and even the big kids scrambled for the candy.

After all the festivities, there was last-minute homework the next morning while waiting for the bus on Hope Street. And the birthdays were over for another year. However, there are still Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Talk about organizing! It exhausts me just to think about it!
 

goodbye to all that

A few last snaps of the neighborhood in T'ville from my farewell tour. There's the propane tank at the cafe across the street. There's the rock house nearby that Randy and Sherry rebuilt after the flood. Sherry makes pinatas, and Randy mows my yard.

There's the former beer store next door, rebuilt after the flood distributed bottles and soggy cigarettes all over the road as an an Air BnB. Also for sale, if you're interested. Parked there is the most beautiful truck in the world, a Chevy, Dianne informs me. Below at Randy and Virginia's place are a few less beautiful trucks, but the most beautiful turkey in the world. Also rather friendly.

 As you know, I have a taste for funk that goes for miles. And I am extremely fond of my neighbors in Missouri. However, after a few months of being surrounded by people who believe that vaccines are poison microchips being distributed by Bill Gates and the Evil Democrats, I feel a sense of relief walking among my peeps here in New York. My peeps are all colors, from all different countries. My peeps are strivers who came from other places to live here because this place has more opportunity and more excitement than most places. They don't fuss when asked to show vaccine cards to go into restaurants and bars, or mask up in subways and stores. They are out and about—street life is livelier than ever. Cafes and falafel carts on every block. Moving trucks with people moving back in. Gorgeous displays of flowers for sale outside the corner groceries. Dogs and kids and lovers and beggers. It's good to be back.

doesn't everyone travel with plant life?

The beautiful squash (actually, whoops, it is an heirloom cushaw) was a gift from David that he picked in his neighbor's garden. I just couldn't leave it behind. Same with the elephant ears reflected in the video of Hannah walking in her sixth grade graduation. They came from Virginia, and having killed the ones I left outside last year, I thought I better bring them home, too. And then there was the rosemary I got from Jan, the basil I rooted from a batch I got at Mary's farm, and plants hit the road.

     The building guy who helped me unload didn't look at me askance—he's been helping me for years.

 

the case of the unknown charger

You can't really grasp what a big, beautiful country this is until you drive through it. I drove through vast cornfields and skyscapes. Through clouds in the mountains, through tall cities and tiny towns. (And many, many rest stops, at one of which, in Ohio, I found a pair of shoes parked next to me. I can think of many explanations, but the true one will remain a mystery to me.) And then I came upon the vision of the greatest city in the world, getting taller by the day. I wanted to take the picture—well, I wanted to take a lot of pictures—but I was driving, alas, hauling ass for the stable.

I returned home to The Case of the Unknown Charger. And the unknown laundry basket, pillow cases, towel, diary, nightlight, stuffed toy, frozen pizza, sea salt,  various gifts from who knows who, etc. etc. Also a mystery pair of men's Birkenstocks. And I realized what a hopeless creature of habit I am. I am used to having everything where I placed it, but when several batches of people have been living in your house, stuff moves around. (And also I don't necessarily remember myself where a certain extension cord was plugged in.) I guess I am getting old and set in my ways, though Hannah says I have always been like this.

   It feels odd to drink water from the tap. And to flush the toilet every time.

   And this morning I woke up in a strange bed: my own.

 

staging

 

Ready to hit the road. Manana! Have plants will travel.