Tag: Family

Good Family and Good Food

 Two necessary ingredients for a nourished life. 

 We spent some time with family and friends this labor day weekend along with some seriously good food.   A dear neighbor gave me this recipe 20 years ago and it’s still a hit with my crowd, so I made it to bring along to a family picnic.

I also found it online so I don’t have to type it out!

Pillsbury Antipasto Squares.. recipe HERE.   Easy to make, a crowd pleaser for sure.

 
 
 
The Vineyard Crew, remember them? 
 

 
 I’d post more of the family here, but one of the chief indians did not like
their pictures, so you’ll have to settle for just us.
  
 
 
It’s a new day all – make it a good one!
 
 
 

Vineyard 2014 – 3

  Our favorite town on island is Edgartown and it’s harbor, home to the previously featured Edgartown light. So much charm in the old sea captains homes, their maritime history,  the brick sidewalks, the old churches, the gardens,  and even the visitors from all over the world who’s languages and accents float along the sidewalk as they stroll along.  Restaurant choices are abundant and the food is fantastic. For those of you who like to shop.. you could shop till you drop.

This is our youngest crew – truly a joy to be around, I’m happy to say.
M & M on the left, my nephew C and his girlfriend on the right.
Polite, appreciative, helpful, Amen.
 
 

 
Moody skies on our first night…
 

 
The house we called home for a week… an 1800’s colonial
with wavy floors and big old rooms decorated in true vineyard style. 

 

 
 
One of my favorites below.. but rents along the harbor waterfront are
very expensive.  Our location on Main street across from the Old Whaling church
was more affordable and we found it very convenient.

 
Two great places to have breakfast.. the Right Fork Diner out at Katama air strip..
and the Main Street Diner in Edgartown.
 
This pic taken years ago at Main Street…
 


 
Same booth this time around….


 
The Atlantic at the base of Main street on the water is fantastic.
 

 
 

 
And a stroll around town after such a meal is delightful.

 
 
 
They look like an ad for Town & Country, don’t they?

Can you imagine sitting out on this porch overlooking the harbor with coffee every morning?

 
 
 
I think he consumed five lobsters while on island…
This pic was taken at the Black Dog Taven in Vineyard Haven.

 
 
We were thrilled to know our home away from home for a week would be across
from the Old Whaling Church… Mike loves the sound of church bells
and we had a front row seat!….
 
Until he realized it was going to chime.. every hour.. on the hour.. the number of times that was the actual hour… day… and night.
 
It made for some interesting sleeping… or not.

 We came home with some wonderful memories, family time I will always cherish, and this….

Vineyard 2014 – 2

 60 years ago the Vineyard had a slightly different feel… it wasn’t yet known as a Presidential and celebrity retreat.  President Obama will be making his annual visit shortly and we saw many many flags on display and some storefronts paying tributeto the occasion. While I will assume there had always been an influx of summer people, the extent of it now can be… frustrating.  Weekend crowds in the towns of Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven and Edgartown make parking a nightmare at prime dining and shopping times, and beach parking or grocery shopping are an experience all it’s own.  When I see the congestion and the rudeness and arrogance of some summer visitors, I feel sorry for the locals.  Their towns are taken over and littered on, although they make their best efforts to be cordial and keep the place clean. 

That being said, there is still much natural beauty on island as you head out onto the country roads and explore.  There are working organic produce farms and wildflower fields, old fashioned air fields,  riding stables, an alpaca farm, livestock farms that provide organic beef, pork, etc… and ofcourse the beautiful shoreline. Katama,  West Tisbury, Chilmark, Menemsha and Aquinnah (Gay Head), while popular with tourists, are still  mostly uncongested and retain their bucolic rural beauty.

K, M & M  took a trail ride through the West Tisbury woods and fields thanks to Arrowhead Farm…

 
Kayak anyone? 

 

 
The Gay Head Light in Aquinnah… about to be moved approx. 180 feet back from the edges
of the cliffs… 
 
 
 
 
The view from the light…  The strand of sand below the cliffs is absolutely beautiful.
There is nude sunbathing at the far end if you’re so inclined.  I love the  clay cliff
colors and the boulders along what is named Moshup Beach. You can unload your car at the base of the hill on Moshup Trail but parking is at the top. Prepare to walk.
 

(photo above taken from internet)

Tomorrow.. Edgartown!

Vineyard 2014 – 1

 We have just returned from a family vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, one of my favorite places to stick my toes in the sand and watch the power of the ocean unfold.  Gently… not the BIG power, just the gentle stuff, ya know.   The water there is different from our coastal water.. .Long Island sound and the CT River are brackish and tampered with silt and it changes the color of the ocean water as it comes to rest on our shores.   Out there, the turquoise and navy and green hues of that refreshing clean ocean water are still a bit wild and unfettered ..  it’s soul soothing, just that.

The island is so diverse, it’s hard to put into words in one post.  So if you care to follow along, in the next few days I’ll do my best to describe the experience for us that is Martha’s Vineyard.

Let’s start with that ocean water and the various strands of beach… although I won’t cover all of them, these are the ones we visit…

Wasque Beach   is a 200-acre nature reserve on Chappaquiddick Island off of Marthas Vineyard. The Boston Globe called this stretch of sand a “Magnificent Beach”.  We have to agree – very pristine,  not crowded at all, still ruggedly natural.  Travel & Leisure calls it the best in New England.

 
My mermaid girl was carried off to sea not long after she was created…
 

Rip currents can be strong, so caution is always advised.
 
Note the erosion in the background, of which there is much. 

 Mike and I walked up North Main street  in Edgartown most early mornings and then down the beach path to Edgartown light.. where I couldn’t resist wading in on those still water days to look for shells not yet discovered by beach combers.  The water was so incredibly calm on two of these mornings… amazing, the ocean moods you witness if you spend any length of time by the sea.  The Edgartown Light beach is the only dog friendly beach on the island, and is excellent for swimmers

 

 
 

 
 

 

 State Beach is a very crowded but extremely young- child friendly beach for those who like their swimming water tame and shallow.  Parking is difficult on weekends in the summer months – getting there early to set up is advised.  We do a lot of sitting around with toes in the water or sand, book reading and football throwing here.  If you plan to stay for more than a few hours, bring a cooler of food and drink and an empty bladder.   – just sayin.
 
See the color of that water?  Amazing.
 
 
 

 
 
 
This time around, I had someone with us who was willing to take the leap off the
JAWS bridge with me.  My son’s girlfriend is a real trooper, I kinda love that about her.
And hell no, there is not a photo as proof. That would require a full body bathing suit shot,
and it’s just not happening here.  🙂
 
This is the JAWS bridge, named so because it was in the movie…
 

Here’s a scene in the movie with the bridge in the background… see the fin? …

State beach, scene from Jaws as everyone evacuates the water…

 This one is just kinda funny. But Oh, how that movie terrorized me all those years ago.

 More tomorrow if you’d like to tag along….

 
 
 

snapshots of a beautiful weekend

 
 It was a glorious weekend weatherwise,
and we took full advantage.
I hope you had much of the same and were able to get
out and enjoy it.
 
 
Saturday – Kayaking at Griswold Point at the mouth of the CT river –
 
I love driftwood…
wouldn’t this be an awesome piece in the backyard?
 
 

 
It’s kind of  cool when the young adult children actually
enjoy spending some quality time with the ‘rents.
 

Except when mom gets annoying with the camera…. apparently.  

 
We beached it on Griswold point, a nature preserve and private estate
where the owners are kind enough to let kayakers rest for a bit –
and did some shell seeking before heading back to the launch. 
 
 
..and there was a fun poolside gathering of family as well.
 

Opie and I got in some quality riding out in the
newly mowed hay fields yesterday…

 


..and M&M gave Ben a  bath.

 
 
M & M also made these adorable vases…
My son, … the crafter?…   Ah, young love.
 

 
 
 It’s a new week, all.  Let’s make it a good one –
– after I go to the dentist this morning to have a cavity under a crown filled.
*sigh*  Pass the Xanax.
 
 
 
 
 


Farmers Market and a Wedding bouquet

 M & M went to a wedding Saturday…

And brought home this beautiful table centerpiece which her grandmother made…. the ceremony was on the shoreline, perfect theme, don’t you think?  Two of my favorite things here.. a ball jar and sea glass.

Yesterday we went with good friends Jeff (our awesome Restoration-This-Old-House guru) and his wife Raven (the Fairy Queen who let me try on her wings)   to the Coventry Regional Farmers Market. If you are fairly local, it’s one of the best around and since dogs are welcome, many attend.. some in their absolute best dress. So consider it a dog show too.

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

It was a good friends, good food, pink poodles kind of day.
 
 
 
 
 


The one about LOVE on so many levels

   An update – The story of the couple I posted yesterday is heartbreaking and also inspiring, in that so many people are rallying to their side to help them navigate the difficult months ahead.  The volunteer fire company folks are building ramps at the house and already, in just two days time, $50,000. has been raised to help with the huge medical bills they will encounter.  I hope to give you an update that includes a picture of Amanda holding her baby in her arms.

******* 

   My  funny  Frasier has been enjoying our walks, which are most often along a body of water.  He loves wading around and sitting or laying in it to cool off, often with soot or silt stuck to his curly fur as we head back home.  I’ve learned to keep towels in the car.

 
 
*******

My sister and brother-in-law with my niece, 
who just graduated from HS and is off to college in the fall
 –  Congratulations, S! 
 

 
Hard to believe our youngest children are all grown up!
 
*sigh*
 
Wasn’t this just yesterday?

 
 
 
 
We’re working on a four day horse show this weekend.
K had to work today so Max has a day off at the showgrounds.
We went for an all black look yesterday…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 It’s true that all that glitters, sparkles and spangles, dangles and dances in the light is the “IN” thing in the show pen… but if you ask me, this simple look with a $28. Banana Republic blouse is just as cool and it seems to be coming back in style at the smaller shows.  We’ll help it along 🙂
 
KMax had a great first day at the show with wins in Western Pleasure and Horsemanship. Tomorrow we do it again.

 
You know…It’s not the wins or losses,  and we are familiar with both.  These two and their camaraderie  are the thing that gets me teary. The old horse that taught the injured girl to work hard toward her new goals, to trust and to be kind and to be patient, to believe in herself again.    It’s a beautiful thing, this.  Better than any number of blue ribbons.
 
 
 
 
 
 

It’s not about the Mansions

    Oh, you’ve gotta see ’em at least once, the Mansions that  line Cliff Walk in Newport, RI. I’ve posted on it before… see HERE if interested.  They aren’t what I love most about that incredible place, though.

     This Old House is located about four miles from the coast. Our “coast” isn’t quite –the ocean– because we are on Long Island Sound and the barrier it creates, calming things a bit as far as the water is concerned.  Once you get to the mouth of the sound and beyond… the Newport area is an example, the water turns a deeper, colder,  moodier blue-turquoise-green-navy color and the roil and foam are a crisp white. So refreshing and soul soothing, that’s what I love most.  We often bring beach chairs and sit by the water with good reading material, taking in the salty sea breezes and Vitamin D.

 
located on the bulkhead

 
 
Clear water

This boats sail reminds me of a shark fin
 
 


 
He was flirting with the girls.. hoping for a bit of their lunch.


 
 
Del’s is a Newport staple.. if you’re out near the water, you gotta get a lemon
slushy from the Dels Lemon Truck (it’s yellow & Green, like the cup)
Most refreshing drink ever created, I believe.

 
 
 
Wind whipped but happy girl here, in her element.
But enough about me…this picture is about one of my
buddies from back in my artisan shop days…
Mickey Johnson, formerly Nicholas Landon Jewelry,
is now living in beautiful Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia.
I love her sea-inspired jewelry designs, and they are affordable! 
I’m wearing one of her simpler original pieces, pearls are
among her favorite natural gems to work with.
Her studio and creations can be found  here –
https://www.facebook.com/SeamistStudio
 
 
(you’d think I woulda put the clasp in the back, right?)
 

 
The best part of yesterday was meeting up with these characters
for an early dinner before heading home.
They spent the day on the beach below the Cliff walk and Mansions.   

 
 
 
What I love about this particular crew right here is … they are all each others
best friend. There isn’t drama, no petty bickering… they really enjoy each
others company and  holy cow –  even ours on occasion.
 
It’s a beautiful thing.
 


 
Just a side note because I found it kinda funny –
What exactly was in the cooler they packed for themselves?
 
Water* Cheez-its * Swedish Fish * a Nerf Football
 
Who could ask for anything more 🙂  
 
 

 
 


The Graduate

 
What a day… so proud of these kids.
They’ve known each other since kindergarten and they’ve shared so much
.. as the best of friends, teammates, classmates.
Our families have also been close, sharing their trials and triumphs,
looking out for each other’s children…
Indeed, it takes a village.
 
It was a beautiful day to celebrate these awesome young men,
their accomplishments and their future.
 
 

 
 
 
 
I love that face right there.
That look says a thousand things…



 
 
Cousins… and their girls.
Life awaits! …..

 
To M & C-  We are so proud of you both – two fine young men who
will no doubt grace this world in abundance with your intelligence,
wit, kind nature, strong work ethic,  good will and humor. 
 Go forth and live the life you imagine.
 Hard work, determination and living what you love are the key.
 
Love you always  xo