Rabbit rabbit

 

Rabbit rabbit

Give back your heart/to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

As smoke is in the world

It's Friday, or as I like to think of it, Gentleman's Saturday.* Specifically, it's Friday the 13th, always a lucky day for me, a person who missed being born on Friday the 13th by a mere ~19 hours. 

It's been a month of birds-of-prey sightings: just this morning I saw another Deering Oaks hawk, a smallish brown one drying its wings while perched in a tree, holding them wide and letting the wind blow through the feathers. 

Everything is eerily green for January. It's 50 degrees and raining. There are teeny buds on the lilac.

We started out the week eating Chinese food and playing? solving? a mystery-in-a-box with Adam and Jeannette's wonderful upstairs neighbor, Dani. We were successful, but we required many hints.

Sleuths, sleuthing

*To be perfectly honest, I think of Thursday as Gentleman's Friday. Today is actually just normal Friday.

Recommendations for a long winter

Wordle's a word now, spell checker.

I simply must insist that you try Wordle if you haven't yet. You can only play it once a day, and it just takes a few minutes, so it can't...become a problem.

You could try baking a chocolate babka too, if you have some friends or neighbors to share it with. 

Stitch with yellow thread. Buy a new journal. Drink peppermint tea instead of nine more cups of coffee. Wear mittens instead of gloves. Watch good movies. Get a soft sleep mask. Light candles. Apply extra lotion. Go outside, no matter the situation out there. Read a real book. Make fish tacos, then the next night make "fish tacos" with whatever you can find in your fridge (tofu, potatoes, carrots, beans, whatever). Think about making soup. 

Here is the time for the sayable, here is its homeland.

The pandemic can apparently be blamed on...Maine lobster. 

Driving in the countryside on Friday, we passed a sign that said "Death and Breakfast." Halloween-themed B&B, I guess.

We also saw the White Mountains as we drove; I know they're wee as far as mountains go, but they always make me say "Oh!"

And then Melissa got married, which was the loveliest. 

See what I mean? The loveliest.

Oh! And then I got to join Holly and Maia for a drizzly outdoor breakfast, then rally for reproductive rights with them and my girl. I love how 100% of the people you see at such gatherings are wearing masks and giving you space. 

On Sunday, Adam and I went for one last dogwalk before he heads back to SF for a spell. And Zoë indulged me by helping me figure out my beautiful new game, which as it turns out is fun to play and also, birds. 

And then Clover got skunked. I always run out of bandaids and tylenol, but let me tell you, I am never without a quart of hydrogen peroxide and a box of baking soda. 

What have I done but wander with my eyes in the trees?

Late night Settlers of Catan marathon with our boy and a high school friend of his. Theo was wishing he had opposable thumbs so he could play too. It was a revelation to me when I put on my reading glasses, because I could see the board without squinting (#old).

Miss Lulu has gone home, so we are now down to one dog, one cat. Two of Isaac's college friends spent most of this week chez nous and have now departed too, so we are down to one boy. He leaves tomorrow, emptying the nest yet again.

And OH did I show you this yet? We hung an antique cabinet (courtesy of my mom and dad who bought it years ago), and it only took about four hours of discussion/attempts to line up the hole in the wall with the hole in the cabinet (it's all about studs behind the plaster, etc). ANYWAY, it took four humans to do this, and we did it, and it is securely attached and now even full of dishes, which is amazing. Also in this photo you can see our new window sill--it's a gorgeous piece of oak. We still need to caulk around it and sand and paint the window trim where we messed it up. Then it's on to the floor, the last project before we start talking bottom cabinets!

March is nearly over, my dears. April isn't the cruelest month, no matter what they say.

Twenty-nine

They all leave this morning, but wonderfully (and alarmingly), they'll be back in just a couple of weeks! What a lovely long holiday weekend, as preoccupied as they were with finishing work for the semester, and in Zoë's case, finishing grad school applications. We had time for TV-watching, tea drinking, game playing, and many delicious baked goods.

Hey There Lonely Boy

He waited for friends on the beach this morning, but it was just so cold. First there were some dogs that are a little standoffish (to them, he's just a pup, and they growl a warning when they see him galumphing toward them). Then he was overjoyed to see a real puppy he's met before, but she was just leaving and he only had a chance to tumble and roll her across the sand for about five minutes. Also, her owner said, "Oh, Gus. We know Gus. He likes to hump her."

Did I mention how cold it was? Better twenty minutes of beach than no beach at all, I say.

Did I mention that I'm on a doctor-prescribed diet in an attempt to cure my irritable innards? No, I'm sure I didn't because that is the most boring subject ever in the whole history of the world. I am trying to look at it all glass-half-full, but I can't help but note that many of the things I can't eat right now are the things that sustain me, normally: garlic, onions, beans, soy, wheat, honey, apples, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms... Yep, pretty bad. I only mention it because I had a funny dream that involved the Wii game Just Dance, some characters from American Horror Story: COVEN, and me devouring a falafel sandwich like an animal. I mean, just shoving it in my mouth, gobbling it so fast that by the time, in my dream, that I realized I was eating at least two forbidden foods (wheat, chickpeas), it was far too late.

Twenty-eighth

I'm thankful for family and friends and coffee and movies and laughter and Indian food and music and backgammon and mancala and walks in the cold, dark night and cats and dogs and the city I live in and the ocean I visit every day.

My Thrifty Friends

I am a thrift shop enthusiast in theory, but I tend to have bad luck and/or am so horribly indecisive that I run, screaming (in my head) from the shop, with nothing to show for my careful shopping.

Observe, however, what some friends have found in their recent travels through church sales, grocery store book bins, and thrift shops.

The Greengage Summer, found by Emily in the aforementioned "grocery store book bin." Who knew there was such a thing? She loaned me this book, and it was wonderful.

Emily is the best thrift shopper I know, by the way. She has a knack for finding really, really good stuff. If she's wearing an adorable cashmere sweater, for example, she undoubtedly found it at Goodwill.

David M, who has lavished so many beautiful antique/weird books on us over the years, is another ace finder. And usually, he just finds things in random places (the basement of his building, for example). This vintage Parcheesi game, however, he purchased at a church sale in Lovell, Maine.

And my very own Mark found these paintings, below, at our local Goodwill store. And not only did he find them, he actually purchased them. And hung them upon the wall. And they are sad clowns, friends. If you come and have a sleepover at our house, you will most likely get to fall asleep with these guys being sad right beside you. Lucky, lucky you!

Birthday Day

Scenes from a pretty great birthday day. Arabica, waterfront, waffles, rainbow cake, Risk, friends, gifts, sparklers, sixteen.

always fires after midnight

it was zoë and max's party weekend, maine-themed, complete with a casco bay lines piñata, bread in a can, plenty of moxie, homemade vegan whoopie pies, and much more. oh, like a watermelon cut with a samurai sword.





yep. because it's not a party without a samurai sword and fire jumping.*

and the chair trick, although the party was replete with shorties who seemed to think that the "trick" was them getting to sit in a chair and be lifted into the air by a bunch of people. i've decided that trick is for grownups. can you sense in the photo below that i'm losing patience?

the piñata was so heavy it required four grown men to hoist it.

but one girl in a dirndl was nearly enough to defeat it.

after the sun goes down, the fire games begin.*

we had our boy home for the weekend, my mom and dad here not only for the party, but also a celebration the next day of mom's birthday, complete with dog walks and leftover blueberry buckle and lunch at gogi. summer, i like you.

half nested again

while this bird gets herself settled back into life at home,

spending time with this guy, and time alone, and time with friends,

oh, and digging through the box that finally arrived two months after it was mailed from china (minus many books, most of them illegal dalai lama contraband),

(max acting out his fury at the chinese government, below)

reviving the old scrabble club, meditating with the buddhists, making plans, eating delicious food, worrying about life a bit, taking walks, and reveling in clean-smelling clothing, comfortable beds, and western-style toilets,

this bird has flown to cambridge, where he's spending most of the month of july attending an architecture/design program at harvard design school.

so the boy is off to a great start, living the urban life with the coolest grandparents ever, commuting to harvard square, and designing things all day. he'll have a new project each week, and he's planning to come home on the weekends for some maine breezes, bike riding, frisbee throwing, and hanging out with friends.

above, his very own desk. below, something cool looking that he made.

so we're down one kid again, at least during the week. luckily we've got some extras from time to time, in max, adrienne, miss gliss, lilly, anthony, and more. stay tuned for the highlights of max and zoë's welcome home (maine-themed) party this weekend.

each glistening minute

reader, she came home!

we greeted the travelers in boston with bottles of moxie, and a bag of peach rings for max.

after feasting on american-style indian food in central square, we sent max and his mom on their way home to maine. zoë wanted to spend a little time with her mana and pop in cambridge, and it was a gorgeous summery day of strolling and iced tea from peet's and listening to tales from india and china and japan, and a few tears too.

when she got home, zoë reunited with her beloved miss gliss right away. not only that, but there was a papier-mâché project undertaken almost immediately. more on that later.

below, isaac's belated birthday present -- a mahjong set purchased at a chinese "dirt market," one of zoë's most successful haggling experiences. max and zoë taught us the basic rules.

what else? since she's been home, we've artwalked, met up with some old friends, eaten korean tacos, observed some congress street eccentricity (and no, i don't mean david meiklejohn), shopped for college bed-length sheets, sipped iced coffee, made paninis and pan bagna and tibetan momos, and spent some quality time on the beach.

it is wonderful to have her home. being able to reach over and touch her is kind of unbelievable after six months of seeing her only via skype, or her words on google chat, of finding her location on the map thirteen hours and so many miles away. there are so many things to fit into this whirlwind summer. she is my scrabble buddy, my walking-downtown companion, the only one who finds certain things as funny as i do. i have plans to try and slow this fleeting summer down, to enjoy every minute. meanwhile, zoë is still easing out of jetlag, sleeping fitfully and feeling overcome by a wave of exhaustion every day around four o'clock. also, she misses the adventure desperately, is deeply nostalgic for all of it, even as she eases back into sweet everyday life at home. it's a complicated time, to tell you the truth, for all of us.

sons are like birds

the last day of ninth grade for my boy, which makes me want to listen to this song and cry a little bit. but just a tiny bit. we've celebrated, so far, with otto pizza and frisbee and bowling. we're also celebrating the fact that he was accepted into an architecture and design camp this summer that looks amazing.

today we are also saying goodbye to zoë's childhood bed, moving in a better option (i.e. bigger) for guests who might stay in her room while she's away at school (yes, it's still her room -- we're not turning it into an official guest room or a studio or an office or a ping pong room or any of the other infinite options). and, even better, we get to imagine her actually living in that room for the summer!

in other news, my itunes on shuffle seems to want to play something by beck, like, every four songs. coincidence, or scientologist conspiracy?

every flower enjoys the air it breathes

such a lovely weekend, and i'm kicking myself for my lack of documentation. i.e. i have been bad lately about taking pictures with my picture-ma-phone* (i also made somewhat of a resolution to learn how to use mark's actual camera, but as usual i am all about planning things out in my head and not doing them in real life). anyway, on friday night we took the freshly fifteen year-old boy out for indian food at tandoor, where we met up with m. meiklejohn. we then had a bit of a poker party, complete with isaaccash, bills printed out with isaac's face where the president should be.

anthony and jason and leander also joined us, and we had a great time and ate cake, vegan devil's food with creme filling and a thick ganache to be specific.

we also skyped with zoë and max and got some glimpses of their generous host in tokyo, josh. zoë was happy to get to chat with her pals jason and david (pictured below in the rabbit costume, for zoë's amusement).

there's been rain and rain and rain, but there was some sunshine this weekend, and digging in the dirt and grilling pizza outside on the actual grill and open windows. saturday our great friend heather was in town, staying at eva's house, and we attended a fun party there, with (again) grilled foods and little kids running around and party tricks (specifically, the chair trick, which mystified everyone and was performed a dozen times as we tried to uncover its mystery, unsuccessfully). and once again, i took no photos (except for a couple of strange unflattering ones of party guests standing with their heads against the wall, their bodies bent into a ninety degree angle, and holding a small chair...never mind, it's a long story). mark and isaac played tennis with leander and megan, bowled with anthony and karen, and then played tennis again (i pulled something in my neck, so i stayed home working on my pile of library books and enjoying the breezes through the open windows. oh, and i gave minnow a haircut).

so many words, to make up for the lack of (my own) photographs! i filled up the ice cube trays. a sure sign that warm weather's on its way.

zoë and max's adventures continue, only in japanese!

*two-thirds of these photos were stolen from mark