All In The Family

Mother-Daughter blogging - 10 years ago, who could have predicted that I would be blogging alongside Jamie about the same event? Extra Jam Please At the risk of duplication, here are my notes and pix from our Boston family weekend. Friday night home-cooked meal a la Chef Drew. Saturday a.m. George and I wandered into the Sugar Bowl cafe for breakfast on Dorcester Ave. near our hotel, and cycled the 'hood in South Boston. Drank in the salt water smells and sights at foggy Carson Beach. Wondered about designated "Master Diggers" parking spots, which evoked a nice memory of my childhood summers, clam-digging at low tide in Long Island Sound. Does anyone remember wearing clam-diggers (now re-branded as capris)? Met the girls back in JP for lunch at the busy Lebanese restaurant Cafe Beirut JP. Art immersion at the JP Open Studio tour. Bought a delicious stack of books at the JP Library booth behind Sam Adams Brewery. One-minute walk back to the apartment to drop off our haul, then off to Eliot Street School and lots of fun other studios. George picked out darn-cute "bread plates" for our morning English muffins. Discovered my favorite artist of the day in a 3rd floor walk-up: Amanda Barrow. Her paintings:  Chakra Monotypes Hot sun by 4:00, so siesta time for everyone. Rode the T to Back Bay for a meatarian dinner at the trendy Salty Pig. Sunday dawned crystal clear for the Hub Ride. After a slow start sitting at the end of the pack of 6,000 cyclists, the 35-mile route was awesome. Drew rode her trusty Pugeot to meet us at mile 12 - after her 16-mile training run. Just needed a swimming leg to create her own half-triathlon!  Rewarded by spectacular views at mile 30 -- along tip of the Harbor Walk, the impressive Kennedy Library overlooking late September sailboats cruising Dorcester Bay, JFK's little sloop on display. All in all, a perfect weekend, quality time with our delightful daughters, and with no kitchens or 12' ceilings to paint!

High on Peaks

Is there a hiking hangover pill? Still feeling the burn in my quads after a weekend hiking in the Adirondack Mts. 18 miles in, up, down, up-down again, and back out of the High Peaks near Lake Placid, NY. While we certainly have great hikes here in the Green Mountains of Vermont, there’s something almost mystical about the ADKs, as we call them. There are 46 High Peaks 4,000’ or higher, and I crossed #46 off my life list in August 2011 - yay! So now I hike just for the fun of it - accompanying others who are trying to finish, or just starting on their quest. This summer I climbed seven peaks on Round 2 - like getting re-acquainted with long-lost relatives: Phelps, Algonquin, Sawteeth, Gothics, Armstrong, Upper Wolf Jaw, Haystack. I’ve become a charter member of my sister and brother-in-law's hiking group in Western Mass - Pioneer Valley Hiking Club, joining them on two weekends this summer. This past weekend 20 of us convened at the John’s Brook Lodge, a rustic hiker’s lodge 3.5 miles up the trail from a remote parking area in Keene Valley, NY. Great company, amazing Sat. night dinner, bright stars at night, doe and her fawn munching in the yard Sunday morning. The young caretaker, Brandon, and his black lab Khyber helped us settle in and use their industrial kitchen. Of course I brought Green Mtn Coffee, which tasted amazing brewed in old-fashioned percolators! Running cold water and gas-powered lights/stove, but otherwise no frills (as in showers). In addition to tending the lodge almost year-round, Brandon is working toward his PhD studying climate change in northern Ontario. Impressive. Anyway, here are a few pix of our JBL gang and some views from the top of Haystack Mountain (also posted on FB).

My Favorite Things (this week)

My favorite things lately, in no particular order (and no relation to "raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens"): Monarch butterflies - can you find 3 in the zinnias? Inukshuks - common in Ontario, Canada and now popping up all over the Burlington waterfront. In-laws - So glad I married into the Thabault clan. They're fun, talented, colorful and generous beyond belief. Breakfast at the Spot had 5 of the 7 siblings at one boisterous table! Fresh spring rolls - so easy to make and almost anything works as filler. My first batch was carrots, mango, mint, cabbage, bean sprouts, scallions, baby shrimp. Art Hop - one of Burlington's best events. Coming up this Fri-Sat. Keith Jarrett Koln Concert - A perfect hour of jazz piano, recorded live in 1975.