Reflections on high summer

June and July wrap up

Highlights

Pickleball Saturday mornings with my sister at Ocean State Pickleball, in the old roller rink I went to in my tween years.

7am runouts with TC in what feels like our own private meadow, the Preserve.

Many fun adventures exploring Watch Hill, Stonington, Mystic, and Westerly

Blueberry picking early Sunday mornings with the most abundant bushes I’ve ever seen, where hundreds of bushes are positively heaving under the weight of ripe berries.

Blue Shutters post work sunset swims.

One beautiful olive egg per day from our 18-20 week old pullet hens, such good girls!

Increasing ripeness of our 8 sun gold tomato plants that smell incredible.

More hummingbirds than we can count, like a swarm of Jedi fighters.

Bumblebees on lavender.

The happy sound of goldfinches daily.

Quonnie pond oysters.

Quick high tide dips at Dad’s beach.

Lobster salad and Cotswolds cheddar from Sandy’s.

Hamptons coming up in August, girls weekend!

Multiple days where the temperature was perfect windows open no AC, the best breezes wafting through the house day and night, so great!

Quarterly food and wine gatherings supporting Greenvale Vineyards, small and special.

Weaving classes in Wakefield in the historic Kenyon Mills store where I shopped in high school.

Lowlights

Japanese beetles

Endless weeds on gravel paths and driveway

Dad hurt his hip

Back to office in September

Being working class

Japanese stiltgrass invasive species instead of lawn

Green briar invasion on our forest floor

No financial ability to have a groundskeeping staff like Martha Stewart or Ina Garten

Focus

Becoming you values by Suzy Welsh

Let Them, Let Me Theory by Mel Robins

Goals + Deadlines + Consistent Action

Post menopause habits and opportunities

Bone density

Eye hand coordination racket sports

Grip strength

Weight training

Balance training

Deep sleep

Meditation

Quiet

Reading

Writing

Herbal Tea

Essential Oils

Somatic awareness

Mobility training

Pollinator meadows

Vegetable purée soups

Power smoothies

Raccoon battles

Suet feeder nightly binge fest by our resident raccoon. Andrew 0 | Racoon 5

We keep playing, we keep losing, we keep inventing new ways to secure the treat. We fall asleep placing tiny bets.

Wild morning with the turkey clans, 3 mamas, over 15 babies and one randy male. Truly entertaining to watch their antics with my double espresso each morning lately.

Windows open, cool breeze’s wafting through the house is like heaven! Savoring each great day like this.

Friends who throw outrageously perfect birthday parties for their spouse, fun to be invited, dress up and celebrate.

Father’s day weekend, treasure having my Dad now.

Pickleball Saturdays playing with my sister at Ocean State where we used to indoor roller skate as pre teens, good to be in our hometown recreating in the same buildings young and old.

House and garden projects galore, hours in the garden, a labor of love.

TC massive groom down for summer and recently ordered 2 cute items for myself with his initials and monogram- sunshine of my life. Photo of his sire.

4th of July up next.

Fall is the time

To plant out the trees and shrubs I’m propagating now.

Eastern red cedar

Boxwood

Red and yellow twig dogwood

Summer is time to prepare new beds for fall planting, stack and dry firewood, build winter cover frames to support burlap.

Learned after this spring that the order of affairs needs to be as follows:

January- forced bulbs indoors, citrus, perhaps winter sweet and witch hazel, asian greens and salanova lettuce in cold frames

February- begin some seeds indoors, list tbd

March- ground still frozen, grow in cold frames, hellebore and snow drops begin

April- early magnolia, tulips, daffodils, carrots, arugula, spinach, brassicas, hydrangeas leaf out

May- Allium globes, prolific pollinators, plant sales for natives and organic veg

June- warms up fast, tomatoes, basil, peppers, squash, pumpkin, melon

Spring is too wet to build new beds.

Gold finches and allium.

15 new baby wild turkey 2 big mamas, they live on our lot.

Walks up the lane filled with glorious rhododendron, mountain laurel, fern.

4 season living is a dream!

Our second Oyster Bar Burns down

Bizarre.

First 210 Oyster, last night Matunuck, these are our places.

Grew up waterskiing on Potters Pond.

Love to go to watch tide rushing by at sunset, enjoying a French Rose, fresh oysters, lobster rolls, and their local farm grown green salad, unbeatable! Local dahlias in vases on the bar.

Hopefully they will build back better than ever!

I accidentally injured one of my 11 week old chickens today, decided to euthanize at the vet to provide relief for her and to me watching her suffer.

Tried moving the coop, she got caught under it and I did not believe she could come back from that. She didn’t eat or drink or move in over 4 hours.

9 chickens feels incomplete but I’m not going to get another. Live learn.

Thinking ahead to fall planting now. Cabbage for the chickens and winter asian greens for us. Bed building this summer.

Growing for flavor and freshness.

This weeks goals: Potting up all the berries this espalier the apple tree, create bed for asparagus, organize my office, groom TC!

Town hall visit because neighbor bought the land from Charlestown Land Trust, no notification. Weekend in Stonington, vineyards and pottery studios, splurge on gorgeous espresso cups. Trip to Sachuest point and AQF.

Not ready for summer- holding on

Still wearing jackets, long sleeve and the air is fresh and cool. Fully leafed out now and I love those days right before the fullness of the trees returns.

My merlin app bird recordings have been next level. Birdsong stopping me in my tracks to hit listen, yesterday around 5pm still so light out we had dueling Bard Owls loudly back and forth.

Hosted a great little dinner party for Dad last week. Fully embracing legumes on the menu lately. Added fresh halibut to a red lentil soup that had over 20k recommendations on NYT cooking app, a winning soup no doubt about it!

Rain will hopefully continue, already feeling the threat of drought ahead, like last fall no rain for weeks on end, plants suffer.

Two weeks off soon, packed days ahead, up early to complete the multitude of indoor projects that must be done so that post sunrise I can be outdoors as much as possible. Hydration and stamina needed!

So enjoyed the tour of Bois Dore inside and out.

New wood piles, inspirational raised bed covers, remarkably abundant plant sale at local Greenview farms, TC needs a groom and a nap, Snaps of Merlin sound recordings., beautiful rhododendron arching towards light, asked AI for a front porch, outdoor kitchen and pool in front of house where all the beautiful light is.

May 4, 7 week old chickens

Now outside in their Omlet Eglu Pro Coop with 9 foot run and automatic door.

They had a great bright sunny warm first day, they went into their new coop home just fine even though it was their first time. They woke up to a chilly dreadfully rainy day. Meal worm treats throughout the day, feeling protective. Lovey and comforting to watch them peck and waddle around in their fluffy feathers. Cozy.

Sitting in the window overlooking our backyard aviary of chickens, blue birds, droves of finches, just witnessed astonishing beauty of the smallest nut hatch landing to perch on the stem of a single tulip. Breathtaking.

TC and his precious paws.

New Morso wood stove, filling the vaulted spaces with warmth and glowing light.

Avian spring

This week the hummingbirds returned to our feeders.

Beautiful Baltimore Oriole, an Indigo Bunting, countless bright finches, robins and bluebird in residence nesting in boxes.

+ Chickens getting feathers 3 weeks until move to coop outside.

Wild Turkey daily

Construction projects//

Stupid half walls gone.

New platform staircase to garage with mudroom extension.

Attic ladder installed in hallway.

Sound proofing around sump pump discharge and in boiler room.

On deck//

Bury and extend downspouts further into the forest.

Primary closet redesign.

Create new beds front and back.

Cut invasive greenbrier to ground smother with cardboard layer 6 inches of wood chips.

Inspired by //

Beautiful Newport homes and gardens.

Organization ideas from Farmers Daughter.

Arboretums etc.

Recent tree haul //

2 Bracken’s Brown Beauty magnolia for winter interest

2 Sassafras for fall color

2 Styrx Japonica Japanese snowbell for bees in summer

1 Himalayan white birch for winter interest

2 Dwarf European Hornbeam for front seating area

Wanted //

4-6 Taylor Juniper

8-10 Japanese Maple all colors for understory of forest

4 more Cryptomeria because, so gorgeous

Already added //

1 Butterfly Magnolia year one 2022

1 Flowering Dogwood

Tours upcoming //

Bois Dore with Newport Tree Conservancy

Arnold Arboretum for Lilac Days

Select Horticulture day trip

Local Plant Sale day trip to Little Compton lunch at Groundswell

So in love with Spring and all things fine gardening.

Other cultural outings on radar //

In Montreal in 2026 a jaw dropping collection of marble Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection March-July

The Other Art Fair October 2025 in Boston

Summer Theater Matunuck and Westerly with family

Memberships //

The Newport Tree Consevancy

South County Art Association

Greenvale Vineyards

Westerly Chorus

Ocean State, Narragansett Pickleball ( TBD)

Westerly YMCA

All That Matters Yoga

Open Gate Sangha meditation practice

Consumables //

United Sodas

Salted Soured Pickled Rye - Carissa’s Bakery

Recchiuti Chocolate 16 Box

Nancy’s Fancy Gelato

Tiramisu from Pasquale’s

Random images + things on my mind //

Amalfi Coast

Mosaic classes

Ayurvedic medicine

Pottery classes waiting for my bowl to be fired

The beauty of winter surfing

March 21st a bomb went off

In the form of 10 baby chicks 🐤 with high needs that will consume me for 2 months until they are grown and feathered and able to go outside into their beautiful coop Eglu Pro by Omlet.

Between now and then, while they are in a tent in the boiler room in the basement at ninety degrees, it will be mostly a situation I endure rather than enjoy.

They’re certainly adorable and they’re certainly time consuming and messy.

I chose this.

In the quest to create independence from the food supply, to loosen the dependency on grocery stores and shipped food. As the quality degrades, freshness degrades, I have the acreage to create delicious fresh food and I plan to capitalize on it for better tasting experiences.

Protein: eggs, beans

Greens: Arugula, lettuce, radicchio, spinach

Brassica: cauliflower broccoli

Root: carrot, beet, blight resistant long storage specialty potatoes , sweet potatoes, shallots, onions, garlic

Other: Asparagus, fennel, leeks

Herbs: rosemary, cilantro, mint, sage, thyme, chives, basil

Fruit: sun gold tomatoes, apple, blueberries, raspberries, maybe citrus when I get the greenhouse

Cultivate pollinator habitat, generate big piles of compost, forage seaweed, leaves, wood chips

This is my world now.

I’m becoming a hobby prepper, on a quest for freshness and flavor.

Wood stove, Solar power, geothermal power, breaking ties with grids and grocery stores, oil and gas. Unplugging turning towards all things analog and tactical.

Balls in the air

ADHD season has arrived with the extended light of day.

Projects in the works:

Mache, red sorrel, bib lettuce, arugula, cress have been planted.

Germander (Teucrium) propagated

Mint propagated

Restoration of antique French scroll top armoire strip sand painting has begun

Chickens are off the table right now, hands are full, days are full .

United sodas and San Pellegrino restocked in the WFH bar.

Tail end of Deep winter

February was an ice storm day after day. Need to order the Danish boots with tiny spikes and stock up on pet safe salt for the north facing gravel driveway.

Press in Wickford has provided solace in the chill.

Greenvale Vineyards had their members party, we had fun!

The stars have been incredible. Breathtaking most nights.

Today, March 1 was spent on the boxwood. Pruned the two year old New Gen Freedom hedge, propagated cuttings. Moved the cold frames to face north. Important to build burlap frames in the fall.

It’s a 3 acre project. Managing invasive japanese stilt grass and green briar. Using AI for quick solutions.

Piles of wood chips. Neighbor Jack keeping them in order.

Tellie watching lately includes an Italian show called Ice Cold Murders, filmed in the Italian Alps. Entertaining.

United Sodas of America variety case for the 3pm slump.

Submitted two paintings to South County Art Juried show, my painting were accepted, they’re hanging in the gallery until Mid March.

Keeping busy with pottery, and soon pickleball.

Lunch at Dads tomorrow.

Sauna at the beach in little C next week.

Two comedy shows on deck in March, an Irish one in EG and Sebastian Maniscalco in Pvd, post Al Forno’s!

February week one

AB returned home from business trip with Covid. First time, we have both managed to dodge it until now.

Masking in the house, in quarantine essentially for a full 10 and up to 14 days. If it lingers past two weeks and threatens to consume the entire month, this will require a growth mindset to say the least.

I’ve abandoned my most needed and enjoyed Friday 5pm heated slow flow yoga, feeling the loss.

Before AB left for this infectious business trip, I hosted a tiny but decadent lunch for Dad and Sharon. Served delicious braised short ribs, english roasted potatoes, a winter green salad with radicchio, tasty fig crostini. It was a beautiful bright sunny arctic day, I do savor days like those. Especially grateful for the ability to have the bandwidth, nothing better than an empty calendar and a mind free from distraction or work or rushing, to be able to be fully present preparing a memorable meal for people I love.

Photos are of recent blooming amaryllis, sunset, sunrise, frosty trees.

Subzero Northern Bluebird lunchtime

Enjoying our beautiful avian friends as they dine on mealworm three times daily. We have 3 pairs and are hoping they nest on the property in spring, nesting boxes are ready for them! They are heavy drinkers and are often lined up on the heated birdbath, tipping their heads down for tiny sips in the most elegant manner.

Recent winter hikes around Trustom Pond, Matunuck and Beavertail, Jamestown.

December 28

8 days out from mandibular tori surgery on my jaw, the best day yet.

New definition of a luxurious way to start the day

Listening to the piano trio by Schubert while watching a beautiful variety of winter birds, including blue birds with rosy breast feathers enjoying their breakfast at the many feeders in the back yard framed by ancient stone walls, with the fireplace going and one well behaved Norwich terrier in a cozy hand knit wool sweater at my feet, sipping freshly brewed Dave’s coffee, enjoying a nourishing bowl of warm sprouted oatmeal with fresh blueberries, wearing silk pajamas, wrapped in a cashmere robe, wearing shearling slippers. Blissful on a snowy morning on the edge of 2025. Focus of the day will be planning a May trip to Ireland to visit the family and six new cousins under age 5, followed by a trip to London for the Royal Horticultural society’s Chelsea flower show.

November Gratitude | Spirit Animal | Reflective Fact Finding

Werkapaug Inn 5k, new friends at Old Man Joe’s coffee. Fellow sociologist, so much to discuss at this point in time.

Old summaries about the rise and fall of civilizations apply, we live within fragile systems.

Reading Sapiens and then Nexus.

Listening to Eckart Tolle on repeat.

A comfort to dwell on the facts, we are and always have been only primates after all: money, guns, technology, aviation, automobiles, borders on maps do not move the needle on our biology.

Spirituality, and the ability to not identify with incessant mind activity, the ability to rise above thought is the only solution I see.

The only way out of suffering is meditation and resting open into the being behind the human.

Redirect attention away from thoughts increase the power to observe your own mind and emotions.

These teachings are ancient, Buddha and Christ described the same solution.

From the inside out, relax open to the present moment, end the illusion of time - past and future. Life is always now. Time is moving towards you, you are not moving towards the future.

The human being.

Human is the animal, the amygdala, the scanning for danger or threat, trapped in a time bound mind and a body on alert, the human never has enough, chronically dissatisfied. Occupies the horizontal dimension past and future.

The being is the spirit, the ghost in the machine, the one who is listening to the voice in the head and watching the images of the imagination, direct your gaze inward, look right at it, drop back, observe, rest open and feel the aliveness in the body, focus on your sense of hearing - on sounds in the now. Occupy the vertical dimension of present moment.

On the human side we are hardwired to love and protect our own, seeking safety in a hierarchy not equality. Conflict and fear along with violence have always occurred, there has never been peace on earth because we are animals. We’re too frightened to be spiritual when our attention is absorbed by mind activity.

Due to our storytelling minds and shared narratives where myth, imagination reign, we conjure up The Other instead of looking for how we are the same.

Death has always been and will continue to be the great equalizer for all beings. Such short lived creatures are we.

Truly great civilizations have come and gone, war and disease have always been since the homo sapiens secured the gene pool.

Back to the wonderful day to day living in peace for now. Lucky to have enjoyed peace so far.

Uncle Scott turned 69 at Al Forno’s, where I will always remember the amazing person I once met there three years ago, wishing we knew each other better.

Dads house for football games and whiskey.

Making connections at Shepards Run, beautiful space with outdoor heated saltwater lap pool, boutique gym, yoga studio and spa. Looking to begin working with clients again, training to age with strength, mobility, stamina in the face of estrogen loss. Develop a foundation at ages 45-65 to protect 75-95.

Fireplace going after work each day, bluebirds and deer in the yard each morning.

Happy for our espresso machine, thick feather duvets, car in the garage - little luxuries in winter.

Favorite new quote:

If you want to be happy for a year: get married

If you want to be happy for a decade: get a dog

If you want to be happy for the rest of your life : make a garden

Private tour TF German car collection

Grand day out to the hidden gem vintage car garage sanctuary in Middletown. Iceland Green VW Bug unforgettable, plus one gorgeous Porsche, three enormous Mercedes, one Karmann Ghia, five VWBugs including one 1952 split rear window- swoon!!

Garage with heated floors, elevated lifts and dehumidifiers ensures their meticulous preservation.

More fun than an art gallery, so many clever details to admire.

Such thoughtful proportions and beautiful lines, especially curved glass windows, charming knobs, handles and buttons.

The upholstered seats and interior roofs and floors were textured elegantly with patterned rich fabrics, perhaps mohair or wool, or patina worn leather, so luxurious.

The nicest guy ever TF, reminds me of an American James May.

Blustery walk on The Cliff Walk to see many harlequin ducks bobbing and diving in the beautiful sage colored sea.

We were lucky to enjoy a glorious sunset on the bridges after stopping off at Aquidneck Farm AQF for grass fed everything. Grateful!

Ariel yoga cafes with fireplaces charming bookstores holiday gardens

Another gorgeous weekend! Leaf mulching completed courtesy of U. Scott and Andrew, hopefully spring will reveal beautiful compost for the new beds.

First time for Arial yoga and first time at a chiropractor this week, both experiences made me feel apprehensive and surprised, exhilarated and slightly terrified. Will go again to both, decompression is wonderful.

Farmers Daughter, Matunuck Oyster Bar are providing seasonal cheer.

Planting indoor bulbs and outdoor containers for the season, tomorrow.

Conjuring up wild ideas of throwing a small soirée, then quickly trying to remind myself that I did enough entertaining already this year, just relax, do more yoga, spend more time at Martin House Books, more swimming and sauna.

Random update

Clocks back. Days are done at 5. Fireplace, candles, tea, soups and stews. Writing and reading.

Planning the holiday cheer: classical music in Newport, yoga at the Weekapaug Inn, wine tasting at Ocean House.

On the garden front, looking to get as many camellia, winter green ground cover, hellebore, heather as possible. Huge day collecting leaves for next spring compost thanks to Uncle Scott. Wood chips and composted manure to the rescue.

Build propagation tables using cinder blocks. Raspberry and blueberry beds.Dead wood hedge down by the mailbox 5’ tall. Get 40’ rebar and have it cut down in Warwick 6’ to accommodate 1’ in the ground.

Looking at property in Europe for the next possible phase of our lives, America is looking unpleasant to say the least. not here for it.

Workwise, many train trips on the horizon parties and gatherings.

Dental surgery ensures long recovery over Christmas week, dreadful but necessary.

Beach walks bright skies magical trees

Today was a caffeinated (Old Man Joes) adventure in Watch Hill- long sunny walk out on Napatree Point. The finest sand on that beach! piping plovers, multiple schools of jumping bluefish keeping flocks of cormorant in a feeding frenzy. The tiny town is mostly shuttered now, Olymipia Tea Room still open. The Cooked Goose is thankfully a nice place to find a recovery snack post beach walk.

Yesterday, was tree planting volunteer day with Karen R and The Newport Tree Conservancy. Five native willow and tulip trees are now in the ground in the forest restoration zone of Miatanome Park in Newport. Followed up with a visit to Newport Vineyards, Food Love and a walk on Second Beach with Karen K from yoga.

Decided that TC’s little brother will be a Yorkie after meeting and amazing little bright one on the beach. Asked many questions about the breed. Easy, fun, endearing and adorable, conveniently portable.

Feeling guilty about the lack of garden time this week, knowing I’ll have to finish projects in colder, darker days ahead, planning those outdoor outfits already; how to stay warm and flexible?

The universe gave me two signs : A picnic boat called Snow Goose ( still in the water as November looms) and a Salem sweatshirt. Trust.

The best way to trick or treat is to visit the charming classic cars at fort adams. Love the old logos and hood ornaments and curved glass windows. A gorgeous little robin’s egg blue or tiffany blue VW bug stole my heart. Impeccably restored little beauty with the smallest well crafted details. A grand day out!

Closing out the dahlia patch

Frost dates closing in. A tiny crop of dahlia this year, the boxwood hedge around them grew tall casting a shadow early in the season. They will need a new bed close to the hose, in full sun, thirsty tubers. On the hunt for KA’s and more spiked cactus and pompon to replicate the most beautiful garden in Dorset by Charlie McCormick. White, pink, purple and orange.