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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in the POD - The Badlands and bad lands

Badlands National Park

South Dakota

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Badlands National Park is 250,000 acres of opposites. 

Eroded buttes, wind shaped spires, and the largest undisturbed grass prairie in the US. 

It is both serene and yet wild. It is threatening but still calming. It is magical. It is oh so real.

The scale is so vast it is difficult to take in and to explain. 

You need to experience the wind, the colors - and the lack of colors - and the constant changes to the landscape as the sun and clouds create new highs and lows. Each change pointing to a new vista.

Neither of us expected such beauty out of such rawness. 

But there we were.

Speechless.

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1874 map of Custer's Black Hills expedition

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In 1874, Lt Col George Armstrong Custer led a team of over 1,000 men and 110 wagons into the Black Hills for a "fact finding" mission. The team included map-makers, engineers, and scientists who recorded the topography and natural resources of the area. The maps they created are stunning - both in their simplicity of design and in the information they recorded. "bad land" and "grove of trees" along with "rich resources" all detailed, in minutia, the layout of the land and set in motion the dismantling of the 1869 Treaty of Fort Laramie made by the US government with the Lakota tribes. Gold - and lots of it - was found. 

Settlers and prospectors poured in.

Wounded Knee - 1890.

Pine Ridge Indian Reservation now occupies much of the southern most part of South Dakota and most of the "bad land".

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Badlands National Park

South Dakota

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Badlands National Park

South Dakota

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Badlands National Park

South Dakota

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Badlands National Park

South Dakota

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Badlands National Park

South Dakota

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Badlands National Park

South Dakota

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You could sit and look at the same spot in the Badlands for hours at a time and it would continually change right before your eyes - the way the sunlight hits, a cloud moves........ 

like the sea it is constantly shifting.

Tim says that he is full. 

Eyes. Heart.

Time to head home.

the POD

Badlands National Park

South Dakota

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in the pod - Custer State Park, SD

Custer State Park, South Dakota

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There are so many pockets of wondrous beauty in this country. We are continually amazed by what we are seeing and chancing upon. We have been wondrously lucky - in our routes: weather wise, in our camp spots, and in what we have seen.

As we left Keyhole State Park in Wyoming an extremely large raptor emerged from a roadside ditch, flew up and ahead of the van - around 2’ from the front window, stared back at us and then flew off. It was a golden eagle (!!!) with a wing span of at least 6’ (look it up!). Oh, to have a picture of that bird! 

It was stunning and threatening at the same time!! 

We shared a moment. Brilliant!

In terms of animals - we have encountered so many bison (buffalo) that it seems second nature to see them. (Forgive me…), bald eagles (I stopped counting at 12), elk, wild mustangs, mountain goats, prairie dogs, deer (of all varieties), pronghorn (never even knew about them), bighorn sheep, muskrats, wolves, wild turkey, pheasants….. 

I’m still looking for bears.

Bison calf and family

Custer State Park, SD

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The last two days we have been traveling in the Black Hills of Wyoming and South Dakota. Custer State Park, SD - our home for the past three nights - is  jewel of a park at 71,000 acres with lakes, trails and multiple campgrounds. We have traversed a lot of it - althou the rain has kept us inside the POD more than we would have liked.

Deadwood, SD - oh yes.. so in love with the old HBO series that I had to visit. The town itself is quite cheesy and filled (now) with gaming establishments (kind of a bummer). However, the Adams Museum was a perfect introduction to the area’s history. Filled with primary source documents - photos, letters, claim certificates, ledgers, maps (oh yeah)

- it really brought Deadwood to life. 

And, yes, all those characters on the series were real! The Gem Saloon? It's still there … but now with Budweiser and slots. Oh, Al how I miss you………

Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway - A 20 mile gorge between Spearfish and Cheyenne Crossing, where many of the scenes in "Dances With Wolves" were filmed. 

It is remarkably beautiful.

Mount Rushmore was fascinating from the idea/process/get it done/completion point of view. Kind of a crazy idea all in all but … South Dakota wanted a tourist industry and sculptor Gutzon Borglum gave them one! It is magnificent to behold and the museum helped explain how it was accomplished as well as the vision of the sculptor and the changes he was forced (by nature) to make. 

Mount Rushmore 

Keystone, South Dakota

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Big Thunder Gold Mine - could have been so touristy… but it was not! We had an informative tour of a turn of the century historic gold mine. 

FYI - Don't want to mine ..... ever........

Tim entering the mine

Keystone, SD

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Of course… we happened upon a brewery (or two)

Miner Brewing

Hill City, SD

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…… and an amazing dinner of buffalo burgers at Black Hills Burger and Bun! 

Thank you so much…. Custer, SD!  

And hats off to the terrific couple we shared a table with while dining - you were terrific ambassadors for the town and the area! 

Love it!! 

Black Hills Burger and Bun

Custer, SD

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The BEST buffalo burgers .........!!!

the POD

Custer State Park, SD

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and on we go.

in the POD - Two Devils

Devil's Canyon Lookout, WY

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All of this in less than 24 hours.

All I can say is WOW! 

Tim at the edge of Devil's Canyon Look Out, WY

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Pryor Mountain wild mustangs......REALLY!

Devil's Canyon National Recreation Area, WY

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lake at the bottom of the canyon

Devil's Canyon, MT

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along the route

Devil's Canyon, MT

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summit Bighorn National Forest, WY - 9,666'

amazing!

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alone again

Pete's Point, Keyhole State Park, WY

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Devil's Tower, WY

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Devil's Tower, WY

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Devil's Tower, WY

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"It all adds up to one thing: peace, silence, solitude. 

The world and its noise are out of sight and far away. 

Forest and field, sun and wind and sky, earth, and water, all speak the same silent language."

- Thomas Merton

writer and Trappist monk

1915 - 1968

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