backyard birthday

Camilla at eight.

downtown with donna

Spent a couple days smashing the patriarchy. Sadly, we haven't finished yet. But I'm off to Providence.

9/11 again

I don't have any more to say than that. Going down to the World Trade with my partner in news and mischief then and now, Donna Ferrato. Pix TK.

things they throw out in new york

Seems like this rocking horse would make some child very happy. But it's in the trash. This person was once a child and might have been very happy. Prosperity and poverty. Welcome to New York, where it's all out in the open. The city is such a shock to my system.

home again

Baby Sam's and Heidi's baby, Abigail Phoebe—and Debby's grandbaby—is home from Mass General where she was born.

And I am back home in New York.

Have a sweet New Year!

off to the boat

visit to edie's

Have always loved the roof lines and gardens at Edie's old Block Island house.

As we pulled into Edie's, there were thousands of barn swallows—so many at first I thought they were starlings.

It's been so hot the American flag is smoking.

deserted island

Relatives

 What a week! The predicted rain did not develop. And on Monday everybody left the island but us kittens. Gold sun, blue sea—the whole thing. The people on island can once again drive to the dump without fear of killing. The Internet has sped up significantly. And now the season of visiting begins.

Day trippers

Homies

first day of school

They got up at 5:45 and donned matching outfits. They were too excited to eat breakfast, and kept asking if it was time to go yet. Finally it was, and they marched into their classrooms without looking back.

sea change

So one minute I am sweltering on Alan's porch, praying for a breeze under the clear blue, and the next minute I am looking through Pam's door watching a Northeast front blow in.
Weather is amazing.
And, sadly, getting more amazing with every passing year. See this interactive feature on how much hotter it is in your home town during your lifetime.

photographers' night out

Keri Pickett was in town from Minneapolis, and Donna Ferrato and Ellery were around, so we gathered at 98 for a repast. It was so hot in NYC that a cold collation plus gin and tonics seemed like the best idea. Donna was happy to demonstrate her mastery of chopsticks with the sushi. And Ellery was kind enough to demonstrate her mastery of the scissors by trimming my hair.

bathing beauties

1943

My father took this picture of my mother, barely 17, with his Brownie. When he gave me the print, he said, “Every daughter should have a picture like this of her mother.” I am still puzzling over that. Every daughter should have a picture of her mother as a teenager, newlywed, object of desire? What about every son? He died three years ago  at 94, and he can’t tell me. I can’t show it to her, either; she died almost a year ago at almost 91. I am glad to have my own Botticelli, a testament to my mother’s beauty, and my father’s ability to see it. And it reminds me that old people are also young.

    Meanwhile, my mother’s youngest granddaughter, 17, was in my apartment recently and noticed a resemblance. “We’ve got the same elbows,” she texted. I encouraged her to restage the pic. The main difference is not in appearance, but in attitude—perhaps based on the fact that my niece’s picture was taken by her older sister rather than her newlywed husband.

2018

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horror show

There were potions and near poisons. Cauldrons bubbling and casting of spells. Wands and wizards. It was more like a Halloween party than a birthday party. But it was, in fact, Isaac Bright's fifth birthday party. By request, no children were invited other than his sister. Though what he lacked in children, he made up in relatives: three grandmothers, a grandfather, an aunt and an uncle, along with other favored guests. Also by request, a Harry Potter theme with Lord Voldemort as the focus. He and his sister have listened to their mother read the first five of the Harry Potter books at about the rate of one a month.

Every attendee received the Dark Mark on the left forearm. And a wand.

These were incredibly nasty jelly beans. I spit out the rotten egg one. Avoided the vomit.

Lord Voldemort was consumed almost in entirety. He looks evil but was tasty.

real jungle

Rendalia Motorway, Talladega, Ala.

Kudzu was apparently introduced as an ornamental to shade southern porches in the late 1800s. In the early 20th century, the US government promoted its use to cure Dust Bowl erosion and provide cattle fodder, paying farmers to plant it and giving away some 85 million seedlings. Now it is considered invasive. Kudzu is very difficult to contain. What you see aboveground is almost matched by the root system underneath. It is typically confined to open roadsides, however, rarely killing back more than the outer trees of a forest.
   It certainly has taken over the road to Jan's house in Alabama recently. There is so much more of it than there was even last year. But then, it has been rather toasty on the planet this year.

welcome to the jungle

 The plants managed to thrive on their journey through 15 states in less than a week, though the dracaena is a bit battered. Now we'll see how they do with city life.
   I plunged in immediately, waiting for my great parking spot to be legal, unpacking with Debby's help and going out for oysters and martinis with Ed. Great to be home.

plantmobile

B loads the dragon.

The plantmobile. Now in New York City!
The plantmobile left Alabama on Saturday, Georgia on Sunday, and West Virginia today. It is now home in New York in a valid parking space. Who travels with a rosemary plant, two coleus, a dracaena and three bitter melon sprouts along with one swordbean? (Only the coleus and rosemary traveled outside.) Also arrived in NYC with one hard-boiled egg, one kiwi, one banana, one watermelon, two tomatoes (sorry Leonard) and a 12-pack of Stella. Oh, and a Christmas dragon named Buddy. That's what's in the cardboard box. But more on that later.

sweet home

Jan maneuvers with her safety noodle.

Having a big time in Alabama!
Jan and I did our toes, we went swimming at a neighbor's pool, Jan cooked, and we have had several entertainments. Seeing my cousins this evening.
Today, Talladega. Manana, Madison.

coleus and crepe myrtle to kudzu and cotton

The coleus rode outside and did not enjoy the drive.

Them old cotton fields back home. Left the Goose in the plantmobile. Carrying the coleus (mailbox decor), attempted transplants of swordbean and just-sprouted bitter melon (karela), and the dracaena, which barely fit in the back seat and waved at me every time I went over a bump or tuned on the AC.  The dracaena  also made it somewhat difficult to switch to the right hand lane, which didn't become a problem until Birmingham, Ala., where I saw more cars in two minutes than I'd seen in the two months prior in Missouri.

last days of summer

Duck and cover

 I had been wan ting to take a picture of this place for a long time. I wanted the kids in the pool, the folk barbecuing and sitting on the trailer steps, the laundry on the line. But I didn't have an opening until they decided to hold a yard sale. So Todd and Carly, my houseguests, and Dianne and I went with that excuse. We met Christa, who let me take a picture of the pool and showed us her bunnies. I asked, "Are they for pets of for meat?" She said, "Both." I did not tell this to animal lover Dianne or tender-hearted vegetarian Carly. 

Snuggle bunny.

Christa checks out the shoppers.

the reveal, 2018

Not as much progress as I had hoped. Particularly when you realize that the footprint is only 16 by 22, and the bathroom takes out a hunk of that. I basically got two walls mostly done. Didn't get to the bathroom or the floor, either. I like the color scheme though. The shelves ate up a lot of time, but it was worth it. Like the new dishwasher too. And I fell in love with the styrofoam it came packed in. How many places do you see it used?

Doing a round of entertaining before I hit the road on Tuesday. Houseguests tonight.