To Galilee We Go

On Saturday, James and I lit out for an overnight away when the going was good. One kid off to camp, one kid home to guard the fort, and one kid on his way from camp courtesy of neighbors who were driving their son back themselves. Through the years my good friend Joyce and her husband Gerry have created a beautiful oasis of gardens and outdoor living spaces while restoring their historic home, a combined post office/general store residence in rural Pennsylvania.

Joyce has a knack for creating the most gracious of environments and her delicious cooking means meals enjoyed in the nicest of settings. (Thank you dear friend!)  Whenever the light was right I picked up my camera in quest of my own photo soliloquies. Spending a weekend at their country abode in the Delaware valley is to experience a little slice of heaven. One couldn't ask for more.

Live Ink

C. Olaf Högnell of The Mighty Horseman Tattoo Company recently opened a shop in Tarrytown and the other night he and Jenifer Ross of WaterCooler staged a living art installation on her premises. The crowd that gathered mixed and mingled as they compared the styles and designs of Högnell's work along with a few of his talented peers. Tattooing as a means of expression was well represented in the range of detailed creations on display.

                           

Fluffy

As my son is away, we are taking care of his snake Fluffy for him. I should confess when it comes to reptiles, I am a little squeamish. When it comes to parenting, squeamish I am not. Add to that my own childhood where we were not allowed pets. In the memorable words of my dad, "5 kids are animals enough." My husband grew up in a rural environment replete with chickens, horses and sheep. So when it comes to the animal kingdom he has enough enthusiasm for both of us. And typical of a parent who was deprived of something special when a child, I couldn't say no to all the requests that were made of us

When Jacob was 7, he got his first lizard, Sandy, who lived a long life and then went to the great beyond. His interest morphed to snakes, and we acquired a very sweet ball python whom he named Fluffy and who continues to live a long and mostly boring existence is his room. (We did have a few corn snakes who escaped in to the house.... but no worries Mom!) Whenever kids are over, we take out Fluffy and watch the average 9 year old's gaze widen with fascination. Fluffy is one agreeable critter and bears the distinction of being the lowest maintenance member of the family.

Maps, Bags and Bikes

Yesterday saw another whirlwind round of stamina driving. We took our son Jacob and his friend to the AYR Academy in Northfield, New Hampshire. When we entered the dusty parking lot in this rural locale we had arrived at Highland Mountain Bike Park where the camp is located. Yesterday, the Claymore Challenge was being held and the place was milling with bikers of all sizes and ages. Amazing, expensive bikes were assembled along with their very serious owners. Watching the competitors zoom down the mountain trying to pack as many spine tingling thrills as they could in to their jumps and turns, I realized the irresistible appeal of the sport for my son. Swimming fast in a pool, pinning an opponent on a mat in record time, fielding a ground ball and delivering it in to the mitt of a waiting teammate all pale in comparison to flying down a mountain doing circles in the air. Sometimes, as a parent, understanding the desires of your child brings you that much closer to appreciating what makes them tick.

Dots all Over

It was only a matter time. Houses, Louis and now Marc. I should have see it coming.

On a subject tangentially related, I am in the middle of a fascinating book, Deluxe, How Luxury Lost its Luster, by Dana Thomas. This book is a sobering reminder of the powerful lure of high end consumer goods in how we have come to define ourselves. Or, in the words of the iconic artist Barbara Kruger, "I shop, therefore I am."