Another Photo Post

I have several photographs on my phone that I haven't shared yet. 

Here we go.

Lola is on one of her last outings to Taylor Farm.

Lola and I saw this deer on our last visit to NRVT. 

Lilies of the Valley down the street from us.

This dog caught my eye at the Westport Fine Arts Festival. I heard a couple call him Maximus. I asked if he was the same Maximus from the Stamford Loft Artists group who ran for President? Yes, it was him. I think I have a post that mentioned him. Hope to edit that later. 

Yesterday I said hello to two neighborhood friends I haven't seen in a while. 

I love Dylan.

Here is Dylan with his younger brother Jack.

Jack howls

LGM!

I had two other ideas for a post today, but then the Mets tied their game in the bottom of the ninth against the Phillies with a home run by Nick Plummer in his first major league hit. He was just called up from Syracuse. "There was something about him," said Manager Buck Showalter. I'd say he was right. 

The Mets won on an Eduardo Escobar walk-off double in the tenth, completing their first sweep of the year for a 32-17 record.

I'm a Mets fan. I always wonder what's going to go wrong next. 

This year many things have gone wrong, but the Mets are still winning.  

I check the Mets standings almost daily; this is as bad as checking your weight everyday. Day-to-day doesn't matter. 

Tonight was big. Everyone contributed. 

LET'S GO METS!

A Walk at Calf Pasture Beach

I've rarely walked at Calf Pasture Beach when I had a dog (Spike or Lola.) I only remember going once to meet my friend Melissa. Jeff and I have visited a few times in the last few weeks. Sometimes we have a drink or snack at Ripka's Cafe. 

Today I went on a solo walk. It was nice to walk outside--after barely leaving the building yesterday. The air smelled fresh.  

I'll always miss the waves of the New Jersey shore, but I never lived as close to the water before. I also miss the white sands of New Jersey. It's taken me years to get used to trees along the beach. 

When I walked to the end of Shady Beach, I saw Adirondack chairs at the apex of the property on the sound. I felt a pang of envy. Okay, it was more than a pang, but how much is a pang anyway? I imagined myself sitting in one of those chairs with coffee, tea, wine, gin and tonic, whatever. I guess that's not in the cards for me. 

I was also envious when I saw people walking their dogs--the dogs all seemed so happy. Getting another dog will be easier than getting a house on the water, but we're just not ready. I need to enjoy what I have now. 

Vaxxed and Boosted

On Wednesday afternoon, I scheduled my second Covid-19 booster shot. I made sure that I had no obligations for the following day. I got sick after each vaccination. Luckily, I was less sick after this injection than the other three. I was tired, chilled, and achy: a small price to pay to avoid catching Covid. 

Book 16: Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow

This is a weird book: how's that for a comment of insight and profundity?

The story revolves around a family in New Rochelle, New York at the turn of the twentieth century. Yet the family members remain unnamed: they are called Father, Mother, Mother's Younger Brother, Grandfather, and the Little Boy or the Boy. I was reminded of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca in which narrator, the second Mrs. DeWinter, is unnamed, representing how she is overshadowed by her husband's first wife Rebecca. I suppose Doctorow's unnamed characters are overshadowed by the changes at the turn of the century and the famous people they encounter including Harry Houdini, Emma Goldman, Evelyn Nesbit, and Admiral Robert Peary.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, although I thought Younger Brother's adventures with Francisco Villa and Emilio Zapata seemed a bit much to  me. 

Edited to add 6/23/22: The New York Times listed Ragtime as number 18 of "The 25 Most Significant New York City Novels of the Past 100 Years." 

It's Sherlock Holmes Day

I'm surprised to learn about this holiday. I knew it's Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's birthday, and I'm proud to share the day with him. 

I read through a list of people born today. I've got Conan Doyle and Lawrence Olivier but also Ted Kaczynski. Take the bad with the good.

It wasn't a big birthday so we didn't do anything big. I went for a walk around Oyster Shell Park this morning--I had hoped to see egrets--but did see two groundhogs. I picked up bagels and veggie cream cheese, cut up some fruit, and opened a bottle of champagne for brunch.

Jeff and I watched the Mets win, invited a friend over for a drink, and went out for a birthday dinner. I decided on the restaurant based on an online menu. Unfortunately the menu was from another branch. The Norwalk location didn't include all of the appetizers that appealed to me. The food was still good. The service was off--too intense at the beginning--and then almost non-existent. The dining room was a bit warm, but a fan set up next to us kept it comfortable. 

I probably won't return to that restaurant in the near future. We have our favorite places, and there are always new restaurants to try.

Food Snob Revisited

Several months ago, I wrote about whether I was a food snob because I didn't buy fish at Trader Joe's. Jeff and I were running several errands yesterday. I was in Trader Joe's and had planned to pick up some salmon at Pagano's Seafood. Then I saw frozen salmon at TJ's and bought it.

My thinking was more along the lines of saving a trip rather than saving money (though I had a little bit of sticker shock the last time I bought scallops) and I wanted to try TJ's seafood.

Verdict: Maybe I am a food snob. The salmon was so watery it didn't brown properly and just tasted blah. As I wrote before, some things aren't worth skimping on. 

Frustration Variation

It's been a while since I had a frustration or anxiety dream. I had one Monday night. I went into New York City for a class, then got on a bus. Somehow I ended up in a suburb at a kids' game. The return bus wasn't for another two hours, and I started talking to people about how I could get back. I suddenly realized I was dressed in a wool skirt, sweater, heels, and long winter coat. That wasn't right.

I woke up then. I guess it didn't really count as an anxiety dream because it didn't last long enough. I wonder if I somehow pulled myself out of it. Wish I could do that with the frustrations and anxieties of real life. 

Book 15: American Heiress The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst by Jeffrey Toobin

I remember hearing about this book when it came out in 2016 and was interested, but promptly forgot about it until I see this book at one of the recent book sales. I have always been intrigued by what Patricia Hearst went through. We are only a year apart and were both in college at the time of her kidnapping. 

I've previously read Anyone's Daughter: The Times and Trials of Patty Hearst by Shana Alexander, My Search for Patty Hearst by Steven Week with Scott Swanton, and Every Secret Thing by Patricia Campbell Hearst. 

Toobin did an impressive amount of research revealing such details as the backgrounds of the kidnappers--members of the Symbionese Liberation Army SLA--and how the kidnapping almost fell apart before it started. Toobin's research included a collection of legal and investigative files of all SLA figures collected by SLA alum Bill Harris. These files included legal strategy memos, FBI interviews, television and magazine interviews. 

Unfortunately, Toobin has a superior, condescending tone. It's annoying enough even without knowing about this incident among others.

I don't respect Toobin as a man, but I do respect his research. 

Outlander Season Finale: I Am Not Alone

I've been underwhelmed by the season. I didn't like the Fergus is a drunk storyline, and didn't like that he and Marsali left Fraser's Ridge. I didn't like that Claire's PTSD after her rape has ghost-like appearances by her rapist and has her turning to ether for release. The plot of Lizzie and her two husbands was stupid. Finally the plot of Malva naming Jamie as the father of her unborn child was something I've seen too many times over the years on soap operas. 

I've been losing interest in the show. We used to watch it live each Sunday. Sometimes a few weeks go by before we watch our recording. I also realize I haven't been paying as much attention as I used to do. 

That being said, I did enjoy the finale, especially Ian to the rescue. I had been asking where he was. Now I want to watch next season.

Birds of Prey at the New Canaan Nature Center

For the past two months, I've been volunteering to care for the birds of prey at the New Canaan Nature Center. There is a red shouldered hawk, a bald eagle, a barred owl, a barn owl, a northern saw whet owl, and a turkey vulture (the last is not technically a bird of prey.)

I clean the enclosures which isn't as bad as it sounds. If the bird is ornery, I don't clean as well as I normally would. I also give the birds food and water.

As part of my duties, I prepare food for the following day. The birds are fed mice, chicks, and/or rats--all frozen. I was told that their food was raised cleanly and humanely. Each bird is given a specific amount of food. To get the specific amount, I sometimes have to chop up a mouse, chick, or rat. I thought I'd be too squeamish to do it. Then I learned it can be physically difficult to chop up a rat; a repaired hatchet helped. 

I've gotten better with the rat chopping--I'm actually pretty non-squeamish--and more efficient in my other duties. There are still challenges. Jasper, the barn owl, has taken to flying to me and trying to land on my head. I started to wear a baseball cap and will carry a broom to keep Jasper away. Apparently the birds get a little antsy in the spring. 

At some point, I'd like to be able to hold a bird on my arm (specially gloved, of course) but I'm far from there. For now, I'm happy to help take care of them. 

Book 14: waiting the true confessions of a waitress by debra ginsberg

About 10 years ago, I found a blog written by a waiter about bad restaurant customer stories. I thought of that blog when I picked up this book. 

Ginsberg's family has a history of restaurant work and she has experience in many different types of restaurants including a luncheonette, a diner, a national park restaurant, a pizzeria, a fine dining club, and a fine Italian restaurant. 

Ginsberg shares her own stories of bad tippers and demanding customers, behind the scenes drama in the back of the house, as well as the economic realities of waiting and tipping policies. Ultimately, waitressing was a good option for Ginsberg for financial rewards as well as time to write and to raise her son. 

Yesterday in Mets History

Six years ago, the great Bartolo Colon, Big Sexy, hit his only home run in his baseball career for my beloved New York Mets. 

This event will live on as one of the greatest moments in Mets (maybe all of baseball) history. Today we honor that memory as we will soon honor another. 

Another Book Sale

This book sale at the Pequot Library occurred before the weekend of book sales; I just didn't write about it before. 

I bought seven books.

1. Wild From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed 

2. Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

3. Waiting the true confessions of a waitress by Debra Ginsberg

4. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

5. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

6. The Fire by Katherine Neville

7. Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow

My bookcases are bursting at the seams again even though I recently reorganized the books in the living room and packed up a box of books to donate. I guess I need more bookshelves.

Book 13: Julie & Julia my year of cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell

I wanted a change of pace from my last book (The Lost Fortune of the Tsars) and this fit the bill. 

I enjoy the movie and usually watch at least part of it every time it's on TV. It has a good cast: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and Stanley Tucci. I identify with Julie as a frustrated novelist and blogger, and Julia Child's story is charming. 

It's the addition of Julia Child's story that makes the film better than the book. I also liked the film's addition of Julie's humiliating story that her "friend" wrote about her in New York Magazine (at least I think it was New York Magazine.) It really nails her "I'm 30 with nothing to show for my life" ennui.

A nitpick: I would have liked to read about more recipes and skipped the story of 11-year-old Julie finding her father's copy of The Joy of Sex.

Cinco de Mayo and Lola's Birthday

Today is Lola's designated birthday. I had wondered if (and hoped) she would make it this far. But it wasn't to be. It was a beautiful day, and we would have loved to spend it with her.

I was cleaning/organizing earlier today and picked up the book Dog Heaven that my friend Darlene gave Jeff and me after Spike died. I cried as I re-read it. It helps to picture Lola and Spike together having fun. We had even asked Lola to say hi to Spike for us. 

Today is also Spike's half-way day. 

Book 12: The Lost Fortune of the Tsars by William Clarke

I had never really wondered about the Tsar's fortune to be honest, but of course I don't have a claim to it. Clarke's research continued for over 20 years, and he made slow progress with Russian sources, until the advent of Glasnost. The research was interesting, though I won't remember details. Basically, Clarke found no secret stash for the personal use of the Romanovs (though it was difficult to separate personal from state funds.)

It was interesting to compare Clarke's descriptions of "Romanov" claimants  Anna Anderson and Michel Goleniewski with those of Robert K. Massie. I also liked seeing how Clarke depicted the Nicholas' last days as background to the search for fortunes. Obviously, this was a summary compared to other books I have read on the downfall of the Romanovs. 

A Two Booksale Weekend

A plethora of riches. Here's what I bought (in no particular order):

1. All This and Heaven Too by Rachel Field: Bette Davis starred in the film version. Enough said. 

2. Julie & Julia my year of cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell: this is another purchase inspired by a film.

3. American Heiress The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst  by Jeffrey Toobin: I've been fascinated by Patricia Hearst's story and have already read three books about her including her Every Secret Thing.

4. Manhunt The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson: This is the adult version of  the book I read last November. I figured it could only help to have more details.

5. A Treasury of Railroad Folklore The Stories, Tall Tales, Traditions, Ballads and Songs of the American Railroad Man Edited by B.A. Botkin and Alvin F. Harlow: I couldn't resist this, just in case. Didn't I just say I want to immerse myself in railroad lore?

6. The Last Czar The Life and Death of Nicolas II by Edvard Radzinsky: Yet another book about Nicholas. I picked up this book, but bypassed two others about the Romanovs. 

7. South The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition 1914-1917 Sir Ernest Shackleton, Edited by Peter King: I'm intrigued by Antarctica and couldn't resist this.

I also picked up two black-and-white post cards of the Alhambra.

Back to Merwinsville

One of the things I was too busy to do last weekend was to go to the Spring Arts Show at the Merwinsville Hotel, so Jeff and I went on Friday. We looked at jewelry, paintings, photographs, pottery, and glassware. I bought two blank cards--one with a photo of a red shouldered hawk, another with a photo of a snowy egret. I also bought a mini painting of a black bird with red wings. 

In the non-art category, I bought Rail USA Museums & Trips Eastern States. This is an illustrated map and guide to rail-related museums, depots, historic sites, etc. I don't remember seeing it before and figured I'd regret it if I didn't buy it. I'm trying to immerse myself in railroad lore of the 1840s.

We had lunch at The Old Oak Tavern. We ate sandwiches at the bar and talked with the bartender and another patron about beer and dogs.

Georgeanne, one of the hotel volunteers, had asked if I had seen Merwin's grave. I hadn't, but had noticed Gaylord Road on our way to the hotel. After lunch, we drove by The Little Red Schoolhouse, and stopped at the Gaylordsville Cemetery. I found the gravesite (this photo is better than the ones I took.) We ended up taking a detour--a bridge was out--and found ourselves near White Silo Winery. We may have stopped there, but we still have a few bottles of wine from our last visit. 

It's always good for me to go to Merwinsville. I have to get back to my research and actually start writing the book. 

A Visit to the Met

Yesterday, my brother, his girlfriend, her son, and I visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

We walked through Greek art displays as we headed to Egyptian Wing; unfortunately the Temple of Dendur was closed, but there was still plenty to Egyptian sculptures, paintings, and other things to appreciate. We saw a small exhibit of Faberge eggs originally owned by the Romanovs. I had misunderstood a description of one piece and didn't see the egg I had hoped to see (it's on the cover of the book I'm reading  about the lost fortune of the Tsars) but they were all beautiful. 

I was psyched to see a gallery of Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Seurat paintings including Van Gogh's "Self Portrait with a Straw Hat", "Irises," and "Sunflowers." We saw Monet's "Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies" (I am looking at a reproduction now in our living room) and other paintings of water lilies.

We visited a Winslow Homer exhibit, "Crosscurrents." I'm not familiar with his work except for "The Gulf Stream." Later we saw abstract art including Jackson Pollack works.

On the way out I saw a portrait of Joan of Arc by Jules Bastien-Lepage. I remember seeing it when I visited the Met in high school. I had sat on the bench, stared at it, and felt that Joan was staring into my eyes. I didn't get the same effect from the painting in its new location, but I was happy to see it again. 

Of course, we couldn't leave without a stop at the Museum shop. I got a few postcards, a set of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism magnets, a Monet Bridge and Water Lilies catchall tray, and Frida Kahlo lip balm.

After lunch at Bocado, we headed home. It was a great way to spend a beautiful spring day.