my journey, destination unknown
It was a bit of a last-minute get-together, and it’s been 35 years, but it felt like hardly a day had passed. My high school prom date was in the U.S. from Australia, visiting friends in Boston and Providence, and we managed to arrange for him and his fiancée to spend a night with us…
Maybe there are better lenders now. Maybe my money would be better used elsewhere. Everyone seems to have an opinion these days, and it’s easy to second-guess small choices. But this is something I started at the end of 2012, with my kids. Each year, we added another $25 or so and took time to…
I spent many hours creating a newsletter for the local recycling committee. I do this every month to help people better understand how to reduce and recycle. Our town has a unique system, with guidelines that don’t always apply elsewhere, so clear communication really matters. After sharing the newsletter on Facebook, I received a response…
Empower (verb): to make someone stronger and more confident—especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights. 2025 was my year to get myself back into fighting shape at work.2024 was a shit year. My performance review was the worst I’d ever had, and for a while it honestly wasn’t clear if I’d still have…
I was planning to go, really I was. But then I spent the day dealing with all.the.things and lost my momentum. Lately, this seems to happen far too often. I have good intentions, but maybe I just expect too much of myself? I have high hopes of what I can do and then end up…
Usually by this time, the stocking are hung, the tree is lit, and the house is festive. This year, I’ve managed to get up a few of the basics, but am struggling to get the job done. Is it becuase the kids no longer are at home? Because I am just always exhausted from work…
A bitter cold morning by the water, but we were grateful that the wind had died down and the sky was clear and blue. There were 3 or 4 people on top heaving and pulling ropes to raise the wreath up from the ground. On the ground was a whole bunch of observers helpfully yelling…
Each year, Turnip Fest coincides with Hat Full of Potatoes Day in Orleans at the Birdwatchers General Store. I’m not entirely sure how this tradition began, but if you show up at the store with a hat, they will fill it with potatoes. People bring baseball hats and “Cat in the Hat” sized hats. And…
I’ve never been a huge fan of Thanksgiving, and since moving up to the site of the “First Encounter” even less of a fan. I don’t like much of the traditional food (turkey, stuffing, gravy), and the prep work leads to unmanageable levels of stress. So this year, with it being just me and Rob…
A couple of weeks ago, Rob and I went “all the way up” to Wellfleet to learn more about making cheese and wood fired pizzas at the now relocated Two Goats School of Cheesemaking. The class had only four students plus a helper dog. We started by dicing curds that had already been cured and…
This little boy has been living his best life…. He’s lived in an urban fifth-floor condo, enjoyed a suburban yard, and now happy to spend his days by the beach. Weekly hikes at Arabia mountain, camping in the mountains, and chasing balls at the beach. He taught us what it meant to own a dog….
It’s that time of year again… TurnipFest in Eastham! After running a few errands around town, Rob and I grabbed our hat full of potatoes (more on that later) and headed to Friends Marketplace to pick up a pint of Eastham Turnip & Maple Syrup with Cranberry Swirl ice cream—along with a beautifully plump Eastham…
It’s one of those things. It is so easy to do, but it takes me a lot of energy to get past the inertia of starting. Once I do it once, the next time is much easier to do. Camille helped me this time. Hopefully I’ll now be able to do this on a more…
coming up this week: 29: National Chicken Wing Day and National Lasagna Day and National Dance Day 30: National Cheesecake Day and International Day of Friendship 31: Jump for Jelly Beans Day and Mutt’s Day and Harry Potter’s Birthday and National Avocado Day August:1: National Girlfriends Day and National Raspberry Cream Pie Day and Lughnasadh…
coming up this week: 22: Hammock Day 23: National Vanilla Ice Cream Day 24: Amelia Earhart Day and Cousins Day and National Tequila Day 25: National Hot Fudge Sundae Day and National Wine and Cheese Day and Parents’ Day 26: All or Nothing Day and National Coffee Milkshake Day 27: Walk on Stilts Day and…
coming up this week: 15: National Gummi Worm Day and National Tapioca Pudding Day 16: National Corn Fritters Day and National Personal Chef Day 17: National Hot Dog Day and Yellow Pig Day and Peach Ice Cream Day and World Emoji Day 18: National Caviar Day 19: National Daiquiri Day 20: National Lollipop Day and…
Summer’s here!
coming up this week: 8: Video Game Day and Chocolate with Almonds Day and National Ice Cream Sundae Day 9: National Sugar Cookie Day 10: National Piña Colada Day and Teddy Bear Picnic Day and National Kitten Day 11: World Population Day and All American Pet Photo Day and National Blueberry Muffin Day 12: Pecan…
Always such a joy to see these blooming in the yard!
coming up this week: 1: Canada Day and National Ginger Snap Day and National Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day and International Joke Day 2: World UFO Day and I Forgot Day and Build a Scarecrow Day 3: Eat Beans Day and National Chocolate Wafer Day 4: Independence Day and National Country Music Day 5: Workaholics…