Maine Weather

It’s grey and wet and misty. Water everywhere. I go to sleep to the sound of rain on the deck and wake up to absolute stillness and a view of low clouds over the lake smudging the boundary between the sky and the water. Where has summer gone? No more tennis or runs down the road. It’s cold and damp in the house. My sheets are clammy and the towels never seem to dry. I’m wearing socks and shoes, not flipflops, a heavy sweatshirt and long pants. I feel like eating soup or even stew. Maybe I’ll even make a fire during the day. Maine weather.

There's a lot of water under this bridge!

Happy anniversary to the happy couple. Would you believe it's been 39 years of. . . well, you fill in the blank...the possibilities are truly limitless.

We celebrated with ice cream cones at Pears. We both had Maine Birch Bark--vanilla with chocolate chips, caramel swirl and, last but not least, cashew chunks coated with white chocolate. Quite tasty.

There is something to be said for hanging in there.

Looking Ahead

Sometimes, in fact a lot times lately, I get the sense that I am living in a era of massive change in the way we as Americans live and think. Yes, it's scary--the potential for wrong turns or disastrous decisions is huge--but it's really exciting to think that at age 61 I can still be a witness and even a participant.

Of course, it helps to have a daughter who's right out there on the cutting edge, building a business and a lifestyle that's based on a new paradigm that makes so much more sense. Despite the steady flow of bad news that rains down on us, I am still hopeful about the future when I look at the life and community that she and her friends are actively creating for themselves.

Summer Solstice, continued

The most beautiful day of the year.

Summer Solstice

I'm still in bed on the longest day of the year. But why rush when there's so many hours of daylight to look forward to.

Let's hope the sun holds out to sunset. Yesterday, I heard the rumble of thunder all afternoon like background music in the sky. Then a jangle of rain and wind and then the sun again. Maine weather.

Back in Maine

It took me almost 10 hours to get here thanks to horrendous traffic around New York, but my IPod shuffle kept me going all the way to the lake. I love crossing the bridge in Portsmouth, NH into Maine and suddenly the air feels and smells so different and I just can't wait to get to the house and start the summer.

I've been here less than one week and already I have amazing mosquito bites including two huge welts on my forehead that made me look like I'm sprouting antlers. I've had lobster once and am looking forward to another round this week. I've played two sets of tennis and wasn't half bad despite the long layoff. I've watched a spectacular sunset from the dock and, best of all, it's wonderfully quiet--no camps in session yet--just loons not boats on the lake.

Naturally, I have not been in the lake and have no immediate plans to take the plunge. (At this point, July looks doubtful. Even Steve says the water is freezing.) But I've run the road, joined the gym, and begun to fantasize about next year's wedding on site--August 22, 2009. Save the date!!

Hot and Hungry

For anyone interested in learning more about Liz's spectacular summer meal in honor of Alfonse's 65th birthday, check out her blog at Sweetpea and Banana. (Yours truly was the official photographer for the event.)

And while you're at it, don't forget to check out her delicious new business venture, Sweet Pea Nourishment.

Whew!! It's Hot Out There

Despite the fact that Philadelphia has suddenly turned into the Gobi Desert, I had an absolutely wonderful weekend.

Friday night: Girls night out with Liz and her friends to see “Sex and the City.” Absolutely adorable, both the girls and the movie.

Saturday night: Soft shell crabs with “the happy couple” aka Liz and Giul at Dimitri’s.

Sunday night: A spectacular summer dinner prepared by Liz in honor of Alfonse’s 65th birthday. A true labor of love.

Wedding Planning

I have dipped my toe into the vast pool of wedding porn. At Logan Airport coming home from Boston, I bought a copy of New York Magazine's wedding issue. This led to way too much time. spent at the computer checking out sites for wedding related stuff. . . especially wedding gowns. I vow not to go there again.

Life was simpler back in 1969 when Steve and I announced to our families that we were getting married. And just six weeks later we were. I remember practically nothing about the whole process of planning the wedding. My mom with some help from her best friend, my Aunt Jimmy, did it all. Now, looking back I realize what a superhuman effort that must have taken on her part but then my mother was famously competent. I do remember buying the dress. It cost $125, an outrageously expensive amount and a sure sign that this was a very special occasion.

I think I had fun at my wedding. Mostly, I remember the Solms family providing the entertainment--Steve on his knees singing "Mammie" to his mother, Dave dancing and telling jokes in his best Yiddish accent and, of course, Kenny, the one true professional in a family of hams, making a toast. Oh, and let's not forget Jerry Robinson on guitar doing his usual number.

Class of 2008

The Graduate, 2008. My nephew Alex Beck, singer, scientist, idealist, man about town and all around cool guy. All of us sat out in the sun and watched him graduate from Brookline High School. Then we drank champagne and toasted to him and his future in the shade of his back yard.