in the POD - ready for 2016

the POD in the driveway - almost ready to depart.

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As I take a minute to sit in the POD while packing / loading up for our next getaway I cannot help but reflect on this past year in which it  - the POD - was so important in connecting us with family, friends, and so many amazing adventures!! 

In this tiny, tiny moving home I was able to work while traveling, serendipitously explore parts of this country I might have never come across, discover out of the way art and natural wonders, reconnect with family and friends and still have a welcoming "home" to return to each evening.  Kind of perfect.

So - obviously- as we close in on 2016 some new POD time is needed! We are packing to head south for the month. Planning to spend time on Pine Island with friends and then...... the rest will be open to chance! Tim and I are both hoping to begin 2016 with a fresh perspective even thou there are very interesting and challenging events that will take center stage for us as the new year unfolds. Not the least of which will be the arrival of Rosemarie Josephine Sadler - heading our way sometime mid March! OMG! Cannot even talk about it ! I am so happy/excited/a bit freaked out... Needless to say, SHE will be a game changer! 

Also - When I return north I will be designing "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Oklahoma" for Trinity Rep to finish up their season. And, maybe, there is a little business venture in my future.....  who knows?. So much to do and plan for over the next month in the sun!

All in all...... It is looking like 2016 will be quite interesting. Bring it on!

within the familiar - to muse and be thankful

skies are full of wonder and inspiration

somewhere, PA

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Writing this blog has, for me, been a deliberate choice, an ongoing exercise in creativity, personal reflection and, yes, accountability. Looking back on the past few months - I obviously stopped writing the blog. 

Why? 

I definitely did not stop creating. I never stopped seeking inspiration. And based on my type A personality … I am, by a fault, always standing accountable  - at least to myself.  But it seems that I left behind the reflecting - the muse.

As we approach our holidays, and another year is about to be torn from the calendar this is the perfect time to get back to that thoughtfulness. Just like good mental or physical therapy, introspection moves us forward, keeps us honest and grounded.

The past 11 months have been intense, busy, overwhelming, and a whole lot of crazy. The forces of change that we personally go thru, the dynamics within families, the emotional toll we put on ourselves and each other, the loss of friends as well as the expectation of new life…..all mixed up with the natural ebb and flow of work, commitments, and maybe a bit of pleasure can upend us..... none of this is new, or unknown. It is a part of us all. We create it, we live it every day, and we feel it. 

It is our response that matters. And I guess that’s where art comes in……

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SO, what I am saying is that I need to get back to responding! 

Yesterday, I pulled out 3 art pieces that I began last winter. Over the next few weeks I will revisit them with new eyes and perhaps with some elements of chance I will bring a new story to life. Or something totally new will emerge.

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Collages in process.

Providence, RI

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And in the thankful column:

Tyler, I am so proud of the man you have become and that you were wise enough to seek out Amy, whom I cannot imagine not having in my life as well! 

And to “Baby YS” - I am so looking forward to meeting you!

may the moon and stars be yours

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at table - Ken asked for meatballs!

Tyler's first meatball shared with his cousin, Michaela

Cape Cod, 1989

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Food is and should be satisfying and delicious.

Food is and should be comforting.

But above all, food should be about sharing......

Those times "at table" when we share food and conversation are moments that are stuck in our hearts forever. It is what we recall with fondness and those memories make the food taste even better in retrospect.

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In the early 1950's when on a Sunday afternoon the Archbishop of Boston, Richard Cushing, visited my great-grandmother - who did not speak a word of English - she was cooking at her stove. As he walked up and introduced himself to her, she wiped her hands on her ever present apron, smiled, picked up a fork, stuck it in a meatball and handed it to him.

The rest is history.

My dad, Tony, became the next meatball king. Picking up the torch from his mother and grandmother before him. Sunday morning meatballs was a tradition carried from our homes in Malden and Stoneham to our summer home on Cape Cod. And slowly even the blue blooded New England Yankees were on board - showing up at our door, like clock work, when the smell of garlic wafted over the neighborhood.

Countless friends, children and grandchildren all talk about their first .... meatball. Just out of the pan, stuck on a fork and eaten naked, with a bit of tomato sauce, or rolled in a slice of Italian bread.

Memories created one yummy bite at a time.

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Delicious as they are the meatballs were really about the camaraderie. Standing around the kitchen, forks in hand, talking and sharing time as the meatballs were slowly cooking in the skillet on the stove. You did not want to miss that part of the experience. Yeah, the meatballs were good later in the day - but they were best in shared company. 

Grab a fork. The memories are worth a lifetime.

Have a meatball Ken! 

Thanks so much for being a part of so many Sunday mornings - and
asking me to make you meatballs this week.
Shared memories.

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in the garden - a quiet season

Round Midnight Lily

my new favorite beauty!

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I have not been in the garden much this year.  Too many other commitments. 

I planted so many new things over the last two years that a season of seeing what is actually working is probably a good thing. 

It was such a tough winter that a lot lot my plantings had fewer blooms - at least that is what I am chalking it up to!

Other than moving a few hostas and adding some wildflower seeds I had no big garden event this year! But, this past weekend we did finally make something we had been talking about for a year.

A sun sail shade for our tiny back deck.

Although the sun sail shade is not "technically" an "in" the garden project - it is, however, a "for" the garden project. And yes, technically, I was inside more than outside while constructing it. 

But..... I am going to consider it a garden related activity and post it here.

Besides the fact that I can't believe we did it at all! 

And thank you to Tim for keeping my will in the game!

our covered deck

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Most of the early summer blooms are gone but the hydrangeas just keep being prolific and beautiful. And those hardy summer flowers give color continually - love them. Thank you shasta daisy, lianthus, black eyed susans, and cone flowers!

I am already thinking about next summer .......

what shall I plant?

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Nasturtiums 

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Backyard walkway

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Rose of Sharon

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Black Eyed Susans

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Echinacea and wildflowers mix it up

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and because they are so beautiful.....

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Within the familiar - the POD in Eastham

Getting oysters at sunset

Sunken Meadow Beach, Eastham, MA

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It's July, the month that is truly, truly all summer - and not wanting to miss out on those long, wonderful, memorable days we decided to pack up the POD and head to Cape Cod for some cool sea breezes. Our 3 days easily turned into 5 days .......we just could not help it. Thank you Teri and John for a spot to park the POD and the hospitality, Brogan and Saige for being such great, conversant young adults, and Marianna for being so friendly and warm! 

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John, Brogan, Teri and Marianna

Eastham, MA

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It was perfect weather all around, perfect food and just enough activity to keep us feeling un-slug like. Hanging out and catching up with Teri, John and the kids was summer as it should be - unhurried and totally relaxing. I had lots of work to do ....... but ultimately cast it all aside and let myself fall into the natural rhythm of a summer's day. Boy, did it feel good!

ahhhhhhhhh................

Teri and her daughter, Saige

Eastham, MA

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The cottage at rest

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Oysters on the flats 

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Teri and me!

Sunken Meadow Beach, Eastham, MA

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Sea clams!

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Beached

Off the Orleans Cove

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in the POD - Hudson River Valley

the view south from Olana, Hudson, NY

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The POD beckoned - and we decided to explore the Hudson River Valley for a bit. 

Great timing! The roads were still pretty empty of the summer-to-be traffic and the weather was turning in our favor.

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We started with an overnight in Stockbridge, MA visiting our dear friend, David. 

Stockbridge is everything that is New England; the rolling countryside, the quiet beauty, the farms, the manicured gardens ..... We love visiting the area and being surrounded by so many colors of green.

We had the perfect summer evening - beginning in David's garden for cocktails, then a quiet dinner at the tavern in The Red Lion Inn - one of the few inns in New England that has been operating since the late 1700's - and then back to the cottage for a night cap.......

gabbing until midnight. 

Perfectly delightful! 

David in the garden

Stockbridge, MA

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We had reserved a campground at Mills-Norrie State Park in Staatsburg, NY which looked to be in the middle of all the towns and sites we wanted to explore. The park was great - quiet this time of year and located high up along the banks of the Hudson (althou the surround of trees afforded no view). There were a few hiking trails that did get us down to the river - but the focus for this trip was to immerse ourselves in some history - with a bit of culture thrown in. -And not just the culture we found in the AMAZING sheep's milk yogurt at the Old Chatham Sheepherding Co.!

A serendipitous stop on the way to Hudson, NY this cheese and yogurt stop was filled with delicious treats! Albeit, there were no sheep in residence........ a big disappointment at first but once we learned that the sheep had been moved to a better, more relaxing, venue I accepted it and happily ate the yogurt. Seems that sheep, unlike cows and goats, need to be VERY, VERY relaxed in order to milk them. Which is why sheep milking is not a huge thing in this country.

a hike down to the Hudson River, the Old Chatham Sheepherding Co, 

a walk around Hudson, NY, and the POD at camp.

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Ultimately our major goal was Hyde Park and everything FDR. Having watched the Ken Burns's documentary on the Roosevelts this past winter we were hooked. Needed to feel the energy of our greatest leaders, Franklin and Eleanor - who individually and collectively redefined the American way of life - for the better. Our visit to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt home, the Presidential Library, Top Cottage and Val-Kill took all day. A extremely full day filled with history and insight. 

Hats off to our National Park tour guides!! - they were terrific at each site! Cannot say enough about them and their command of the history as well as the nuance of the people and times. 

Engaging and enlightening.

To me the most insightful thing was to see how the Roosevelt's actually lived. Springwood, the childhood home, was, to begin with, a large wooden cottage. An expansion/renovation was started in 1915 as FDR's political career was taking off and his family was growing larger. Yet, althou the house practically doubled in size and the exterior was transformed to follow the prevailing Colonial Revival style of the period - it still remained a "family" home on the inside.
It was definitely not lavish.
Top Cottage, FDR's private retreat, is a small Dutch Colonial stone cottage.
Simple, clean, easy - set high on a hill - with a big open slab of a porch. One can easily imagine gazing off into the woods below for quiet reflection and guidance.
I tried to imagine Winston Churchill sand FDR sitting here on the porch discussing the atomic bomb!

Val-Kill, Eleanor's private refuge, was also as dear a place.
Surrounded by a pond, stream, and simple gardens this small wooden home felt like a camp. A place where one is able to grow into their own skin. 

“Val-Kill is where I used to find myself and grow.  At Val-Kill I emerged as an individual.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt

And the Presidential Library..... the amount of first hand documents on view was what blew me away! And to actually walk through the "list" of crisis that Roosevelt had on his plate just sets one's head spinning!!!!

Huge economic depression.

Unemployment.

Banking fiascos.

Bad farming practices + drought = Dust Bowl. (didn't see that coming...)

and then....

WWII 

and having to conduct 2 distinctly separate wars on different sides of the world.

Imagine any one of our "leaders" of today managing that! 

Uggh - I rant.

sorry.

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So back to the fun.......

Tim enjoying the view from the Vanderbilt "cottage"

Hyde park, NY

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 The rest of our days were spent visiting other historic sites:

 Vanderbilt Mansion

The Hyde park Vanderbilts were actually much less "showy" than the Newport, RI side of the family - althou this "cottage on the Hudson" was pretty spectacular.

one of the gardens at the Vanderbilt Estate

Hyde Park, NY

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Olana

The (incredibly beautiful) Turkish influenced home of the painter Frederick Church. The home is set at the top of the 250 acre property that Church landscaped to compose a sense of space and wonder - just like his paintings. 

Olana

Hudson, NY

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the only actual floral garden at Olana

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Cedar Grove

The studio and residence of Thomas Cole, 

considered the father of the Hudson River School of Art

Currently on view at both Olana and Cedar Grove is a co-hosted exhibition of
contemporary art called 

River Crossings

28 contemporary American artists set among the work of Cole and Church. Some of these artists were influenced by the Hudson River School and all aim to open the dialogue about what is "American" art. 

The Richard Fisher Center for the Performing Arts

at Bard College

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A spur of the moment cultural event was to attend an almost chamber music version of "Oklahoma" being done at Bard College as part of their Summerscape series. 

It was very interesting conceptually and musically the performers (4 women and 6 men) were terrific and we loved the "orchestra" of accordion, banjo, bass, guitar and pedal steel guitar!..... but ultimately the production failed.

sorry.

The rest of our time spent exploring roadside stands for fresh veggies, fruit and other interesting cheeses...... oh YUM!!

Cherries!!!!

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and, of course, delicious things to drink!!!

Okay ... we did not stumble upon this cool distillery. I actually did a bit of homework and we had to drive approximately an hour out of our way - but it was so well worth the efforts! 

 Orange County Distillery

OCD

Goshen, NY

These 2 young guys, one of whom owns the farm from which they get all their grains/products etc, started this small enterprise just a year ago and literally distill into 5 gal water bottles. Their product sells out as soon as it is bottled with many high end restaurants buying it up! They grow all the product that they use in their spirits and the vodka is distilled from sugar beets.

I LOVE the American spirit!

inside the distillery

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at table - experimenting in the kitchen

Introducing the Whippet

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Having a wedding to attend in NY over the weekend, Ty and Amy had dropped off the dogs late Friday night for us to babysit for the weekend. And with us not feeling overly comfortable taking the two dogs on our normal Saturday walk to the farmer's market and other venues ..... we found ourselves kind of house bound. Or at least confined within our fenced yard.

So - what to do?

Cook!

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I decided to delve into a bit of mixology and Tim thought he needed to bake. 

The dogs - Charlie and Penny - were thrilled! 

And ..... they loved the full time access to the back yard.

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I was shooting from the hip. Sunny summer day......

I wanted something refreshing and a bit tart. 

Frothy.

 Special but not overly complicated.

On the other hand, Tim had been thinking about shortbread for a very long time.

(And, full disclosure, it is my absolute favorite cookie!)

He wanted a basic recipe that could be the canvas for future flavor ideas.

We all got to work.

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Penny and Charlie paid attention to every detail of the process!

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 Of course, Tim's shortbread project took a lot more time than mine and the dogs were much more interested in helping him in his endeavors. Which was okay with me. I got to spend quality "grand-dog" time later that night... snuggled up together watching a movie. 

Charlie monitoring the shortbread cooking time.

I think we all succeeded in our plans and I believe the dogs enjoyed themselves as well. They didn't even whine about the fact that we didn't go for a walk or anything!

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"The Whippet*"

3 oz of gin (or vodka)

2 tsp St Germain Elderflower Liqueur

2 oz grapefruit juice

1/2 egg white

add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

Shake.

Strain.

Serve.

This can also be served in a small rocks glass (with or without ice)

*whippet - breed of dog. a smaller and more refined version of the greyhound.

Shortbread and shortbread with crushed pumpkin seeds.

Whippets straight up.

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by the numbers...... and onward

Our first "POD" adventure - a 26' yellow GMC
1986 - 1988

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The final tally for our on the road adventure is that we drove around 11, 000 total miles 
covering 30 states (plus Mexico)
I was on the road for 56 days and Tim, having headed to Florida earlier, was on the road for
70 days.

In that time we visited:

9 national parks/monuments

And camped/slept in:

7 state parks

1 commercial campground

8 truck stops

1 rest stop

1 apartment (Portland, OR)

1 house (Merida, Yucatan)

8 driveways

Needless to say - we had a blast and saw a lot of amazing things. We had time alone and we had time to visit friends and family. Ultimately, we had thought of this trip as a test - and as a test we probably should have started smaller..... But - we did it, we enjoyed it and we learned a lot about ourselves, the POD, and some best practices while on this trip. And, as always, there are still things we need to figure out!

We learned that we can easily live in the POD for extended periods of time, that we can cook healthy and delicious food while living in the POD, that I can actually work from the POD, and that there are many places to stay while traveling that will not break the bank!
Life in the POD was pretty simple - which we both enjoyed! Simple activities, simple clothing needs,  and simple food - all work best in this tiny environment.
We loved looking over maps, routes, and finding possible things to see. We never felt like we "missed" something in any place - we always made a choice based on what the weather was, how we felt that day ..... There are a LOT of somethings out there! And most are all good!
Keep it simple.

We did come to realize that laundry could be an issue ..... had not thought that one through clearly! We did manage okay with some hand washing and the aid of friends' facilities. I only had to spend a few hours in one commercial laundry near the end of the trip. Also, making sure we were always aware of the "how much water" and "how much urinated water (and solids!)" are in the holding tanks was a full time concern. Luckily, Tim handled those issues, as well as the refilling and dumping as required. Maybe that's why I was the one to spend the hours in the laundromat.......
Fair deal.

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However, the biggest thing we learned on these travels is how amazing this country is! We saw so much beauty and learned so much history along the way. Each state was so different from the next and the forests, mountains and geological formations all told different stories.
The U.S. truly stands out for it's diversity: in its landscapes, in its food and, most importantly, in its citizens. We met so many friendly people - many who shared their stories with us - who lived interesting lives, in interesting places, all doing different things. 

The diversity in this country is what makes us a true nation - a nation of strong, determined and creative individuals.
We are a nation born of an amalgam of cultures from around the globe.
We need to protect that diversity.

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in the POD - home

a peaceful "home" in stained glass

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"what does "home" mean to you?" he asked

"quiet
peaceful
where one feels safe
warm
and..... family."
I said, pausing between each word, as I looked into the camera.
He was working on a public service film.

a warm "home" rich in color

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Over time I think my idea about what home actually is (for me) has evolved. It is definitely not a single place or a single structure - surely I've moved around too much for that.
Maybe it does not even need walls.
Right now it is more of a feeling, a state of being.

I was very much "home" in the POD as we traveled these last few months. Falling into the natural rhythm of our lives we discovered how simple life can be, nothing extra..... no need for fluff!
The walls of scenery changed almost daily and yet we were always "home".
We were safe, warm and it was definitely peaceful ...... and, most importantly, we had each other.

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Tyler and Amy are buying their first home today. They move in on Saturday.
I hope they see this as the first step in creating what "home" will be for them.
I want them to be happy
and safe .......
They have each other.

a sturdy, safe cabin 

that happens to live inside a loft in NYC

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We finally arrived back in Providence on Monday afternoon. It was reassuring to walk into our home - familiar furniture, artwork, family photos.
Our life.
However, I did not get to visit much with my own home - I was only there for 36 hours.
I am now currently enjoying a long, leisurely morning in a downtown loft in NYC. Had to come in for a meeting yesterday and stayed keeping my friend's plants, artwork, and family photos company for the night while they are away.

It is kind of comforting to be surrounded by friends' possessions.
It's like visiting with them.... very quietly.

Interesting what we surround ourselves with.
What we need, what we think we need, and what we are willing to give up.

We did collect a few tokens along the way to decorate the POD - small branches of pine, a photograph of a river,  colorful and textured rocks, a sprig of bay leaves, pinecones, shells, a printed card - and we discarded/gave away some at stops along the way as well.
Ephemeral.
These things personalized our space.
I need a bit of that.
"home"

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in the POD - jiggety jig

Alum Creek State Park

Delaware, Ohio

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So we headed east through the rest of South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, and some other state beginning with a letter "I" that I refuse to name (because it is dead to me).

After so much incredible beauty in the northwest; tall trees reaching to the heavens, clear rushing waterfalls and streams, towers of granite and mountains that rolled on and on -
raw elegance at its best -

Suddenly.........
Whoa!!!! there was a whole lot of flatness going on!
It made me wonder what the early adventurers must have thought - traveling this route in the
opposite direction - East to West.
How surprised they must have been to discover what was up ahead of this flatness!

I'm sure those dramatic sights compelled them to keep going........
hoping to find an even better home for themselves.

The low, flat horizon was beautiful and kind of restful in its own right and I am sure that there are wonderful things to see in those states but ......
We wanted to get to Ohio - specifically Columbus.
We needed to check in on the place we had once called "home" for 28 months.

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Barley's Brew House

Columbus, OH

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Columbus, OH. 

We were looking forward to re-visiting this city that had so captivated us for over 2 years. Checking in on our favorite spots, seeing what had changed and whether the city still retained the charm we had  originally found there.
Much had changed in our old neighborhood of Short North. A new hotel, whose construction practically closed the vibrant area for almost a year, lots of new restaurants replacing old mainstays, some favorite places gone, many remaining and, yes, the busy streets and walkable alleys still lured us in. Our local Goodale Park was in full bloom and the walk through and around was just as satisfying and relaxing as always. 

A stop at the local brew pub, Barley's Brewing Company, was as satisfying as ever!

A visit to our favorite art gallery, the Marsha Evans Gallery, reconnected us with our friend, Marsha, whose current show happened to be one of new paintings by Annette Poitau! 

Annette is an artist that we adore and began collecting while we lived there!! 

Serendipity at its best!

Dinner at our favorite restaurant, Basi Italia.

Cod on sweet pea ravioli with a carrot sauce

Columbus, OH

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A leisurely visit to Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens - another favorite refuge of ours in the city - was again serendipitous. It just so happened to be butterfly release month! Released twice a day in the Pacific Island Water Garden, newly emerged butterflies looking for nectar and romance filled the green space with wings of color! 

One of the many Blue Morpha landing on me!

(look right below my hands)

Franklin Park, Columbus, OH

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Fields of tulips

Franklin Park, Columbus, OH

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We also watched a glass blowing/forming demonstration in the conservatory's "Hot Shop". Interesting to watch the process but even more interesting to watch the artist's precisely timed and, seemingly, choreographed movements through the space. 

Daniel Schreiber, Glass Artist

Franklin Park, Columbus, OH

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And, of course, we had multiple visits to North Market, the neighborhood indoor open market of food purveyors. We wandered, ate as much as we could and took home (almost) everything we had been missing.


We ended our stay in Columbus visiting with our friends, Jackie and Jason.  One night they hosted a get together with my ex-Lane Bryant team. Wonderful, creative women to work with and great to still have as friends.
Love you guys! Thanks so much!!!

Lucy, Jackie, me, Robin

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