seagardensandglass

More on the wreck

2012-01-28T07:46:00.000-08:00

I found this path-of-the-liner piece fascinating. I wish I could tell where Giglio is on the map:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16742405

Southern climes

2012-01-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

In 8 days, I and my friend Tress will fly to Virginia, there to travel by car to North Carolina. I am taking some of Mom's ashes to my cousin Garna.

The average January and February temperatures were a lot more attractive when it was 30 degrees out, but are still attractive:

We will be staying in Rocky Mount, between Raleigh and Greenville, all of Saturday and Sunday.

Dang pan

2012-01-26T11:02:00.000-08:00

I ordered this pan, the Precise Heat 8-Inch Element Omelet Pan, from Amazon.com (Vic & I got gift cards, thank you so much, from my mother-in-law Marie):

Unfortunately, this Precise 8-Inch Pan is the one that arrived:

I will try to complain to Amazon. Can you tell why I'm complaining?

Two lights

2012-01-26T10:57:00.001-08:00

There's a green lighthouse to match the red lighthouse. It's just so sad.

Minute muffins

2012-01-26T10:41:00.000-08:00

I've been making myself high-fiber muffins since re-starting the low-carb diet. They're actually quite yummy -- Vic (not dieting) will request a gingerbread one for himself, and that's saying something. There are flavors that I have yet to try: Garlic Dill, Lemon Poppyseed, and Pumpkin. And they are so FAST, cooking in 1:11 -- 1 minute! -- in the microwave.

Below is a cinnamon muffin with 1/2 an ounce of blueberries inside, topped with whipped cream cheese. The green soup mug is what it was cooked in. Recipes follow.

CHOCOLATE WALNUT MUFFIN
1/4 c milled flax (flax meal)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbs Hershey's special dark cocoa
sweetener to taste (I use Splenda)
1 tbs chopped walnut
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
Mix dry ingredients, then add wet (use a whisk). Scrape the sides.
Nuke for 1 min (1-1-1) in a soup or coffee mug. Put butter on it after baking.

CINNAMON MUFFIN
1/4 c flax meal
1/4 to 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 packet Splenda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 lg egg
1 tsp butter
Put dry ingredients in a soup or coffee mug & stir. Add egg and butter; mix.
Microwave 1 min (1-1-1). Slice & eat with butter, or toast before eating.
Carbs: 12.07, Fiber: 8.8, Calories: 243 calories, Fat: 18g, Protein: 12g

GINGERBREAD MUFFIN
2 tbs golden flax seeds, ground
1/4 to 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
Sweetener, about 2 tsp
1 large/extra large egg
1 tsp olive oil (EVOO)
Mix dry ingredients in large mug. Add wet ingredients and mix throughly, scraping bottom and sides.
Cook in microwave for 1 min (1-1-1).
Top with butter or cream cheese.

No more SV

2012-01-26T10:23:00.000-08:00

SV as in supervision -- or, as in good supervision. I had to step away from the case that I was working, and "SV" came with that case.

I wanted to share with the mother that I had filed a report with DCF, but the big boss said, "No." Not sharing would have made my situation working in that home unpleasant, if not untenable. The mother would obviously know that it was me who filed, once DCF visited the home. That I would not be able to confirm or deny was ridiculous.

I haven't resigned from the organization, but I get the sense that I might as well have resigned. Still, I feel empowered and authentic. Plus, I got a phone call yesterday from an Endicott classmate. He wants to recommend me for a position working with him. We'll see!

Good supervision

2012-01-24T08:46:00.000-08:00

For all that things at work are going to hell in a handbasket, I am relieved that my supervisor was switched in October. The new supervisor, let's call him SV, is a much more serious, knowledgeable, and compassionate presence than Person #1 was.

Here's a weird example: Person #1 had no response to a complaint of mine -- that, whenever the client pulled my hair, he would eat the pulled-out strands. New SV instructs that any strands are to be removed from the client's grasp so that he is not reinforced in that behavior by being able to eat them. It's a small thing, but SV connected dots that #1 did not.

In addition, where #1 discounted the usefulness of assessing the client's preferences -- assessments upon which much of behavior analysis is predicated -- SV has proposals and recommendations for conducting such assessments. And he speaks to the client with kindness and respect.

Costa

2012-01-24T08:35:00.000-08:00

Look at the difference in angle, 2 posts down as compared to this one.

It hurts to hear that so many of the dead being recovered are in their life jackets. What that says to me is that they gathered on deck and then were instructed by crew to return to their cabins. More than just the captain should be answerable and charged with manslaughter.

Am I a working girl?

2012-01-24T08:23:00.000-08:00

I was asked *not* to report to work today. Having witnessed a punch last night, I had to file a 51A. My bosses both instructed me not to let the parent know that I had filed (I would have preferred to do so) and told me not to go this afternoon.

Of course, this is a week when I need all my hours -- I'm going for a weekend to VA/NC on February 3, paycheck day. A smaller paycheck is not helpful! At least there are no bills at the very start of the month.

I applied to two more jobs this morning.

Oh, Carnival

2012-01-15T13:43:00.000-08:00

Haven't we all been watching these images on TV? I love a good shipwreck, but never the loss of life. Who crashes into a lighthouse? I know, I know, but it sure looks like that's what happened.

The ship is supposed to be part of the Carnival Cruise Line. Vic and I had hoped to book a cruise through the Mediterranean, perhaps for 2013. Eek.

What we have booked is England, and shipwrecks are still relevant. The Scilly Isles, off the coast of Cornwall, are the true Graveyard of the Atlantic (the OBX are AKA): http://homepage.ntlworld.com/lawrence.roy/cornwall/scilwrec.htm

To paint

2012-01-15T13:34:00.000-08:00

For about four years now, I've been working on the same painting each time we go to the Outer Banks. It will be done soon, I hope, because I have two images that are competing to be the next painting that I attempt:

Which do you think?

Of course, we aren't likely to be back on the Outer Banks until the fall. England takes priority.

England, here we come

2012-01-15T13:26:00.000-08:00

A project that Vic & I finished last weekend is our trip to England. It will take place 20 years after nearly the exact dates of our honeymoon, which was spent in the same spots (for the most part). One of those spots is the Scilly Isles. This pic was taken on Tresco, in the Scillies cluster:

The area in the picture is dedicated to shipwreck debris. The Lawson was the only 7-masted sailing ship ever built, and it wrecked off the Scillies. :)

Victor hasn't requested Week 2 off work yet, and I haven't gotten permission for a single day. But everything's booked, including our flights, so we are going, dammit. One planning project done.

Still-due projects

2012-01-15T12:37:00.000-08:00

There are a number of things that I should probably be doing right now instead of posting repeatedly to this blog.

First, a PR project for the place where I work. Mind you, I've done substantive work on this, pro bono, already. But I need to visit my co-creators' comments and incorporate them into the text. And that was due today.

Second, my 'cookbook.' I'm putting together (in an accordion file) all the recipes that Vic and I have loved over the 20 years of our marriage. I have a particular focus on low-carb recipes -- I'm restarting Atkins at the moment (and have lost 8 pounds!).

Third, sorting receipts. Ugh. All my financial data from 2011 needs to be sensibly presented to Victor, who does our tax returns.

And finally, finishing my Christmas presents. See next post.

I will probably post here a couple more times, though. ;)

Still-due presents

2012-01-15T12:29:00.000-08:00

For family, for Christmas, I gave as gifts 8" digital frames. (You may remember that I posted about giving smaller ones to my niece and my mother.) In the wake of losing Cathy and then Mom, and because I put together photo montages for both services, I felt (feel) like everyone needs to have access to the best images.

My plan was to put together SD cards full of pictures for everyone, so that they could start using their frames right away. Well, it would be done, except that a) I felt like I had to shrink the picture resolution, as there were 500+, and now I'm not sure that was the best idea; b) I may need to organize them better so that pets and people don't repeat in clusters; and c) I'm still searching for two pictures that I know I have, but can't find: niece Alexandra and a just-caught mackerel, and my father with me and Helen (my sister) in the driveway of the house in Madison, CT. If you have a copy of either picture, please alert me!

Once we were adults, my parents gave to each of us the photo albums that they'd been compiling since our births. The thing is, these albums contain lots of great pictures of us as individuals that are not in anyone else's album. So, e.g., Helen's album has many pictures of Helen in it that Myron doesn't have. It is my hope that, once the SD cards are distributed, any images that folks decide to *add* will be shared (because no doubt they're great pictures of us growing up that I've never seen).

Mmm, ceviche

2012-01-15T12:09:00.000-08:00

For two Christmases now, I've proposed to Vic that we make ceviche. He has rejected these proposals, but three times = the charm, right?

If you aren't familiar, ceviche is raw seafood marinated in citrus so that it's essentially "cooked." With jalapenos, sweet onion, and avocado, it's a lovely appetizer. I love how scallops, salmon, and shrimp taste in lime juice. Vic fears that his family won't go for raw seafood that has been chemically altered by citrus, but the alterations are identical in heating seafood.

From the Good Morning Gloucester blog, this one has mango in it:

And here's my recipe for CEVICHE:

Preparation time: 15 minutes to prepare, 3-4 hours to let sit. Always use the freshest fish possible. Make this on the same day that you purchase the fish.

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs firm, fresh fish (e.g., salmon, shrimp, haddock, scallops), cut into 1/2" pieces
5-6 lg limes (or 3/4 c lime juice)
2 lg lemons (or 1/4 c lemon juice)
1/2 sweet onion (red or Vidalia)
1 md to lg tomato
2 serrano or jalapeno chilis, seeded and finely diced
dash ground oregano
salt to taste
dash Tabasco or pinch cayenne pepper
1 avocado
3 tbs cilantro
tortilla chips or taco shells
[optional: 1 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp+ minced garlic, sliced hearts of palm, crab meat]

Cut up onion and fish, making sure all skin and bones are removed. Seed and chop tomatoes and chilis. Squeeze limes and lemon.

In a non-reactive casserole dish, either Pyrex or ceramic, place the fish, onion, tomatoes, chili, salt, Tabasco, and oregano.

If using, mix the oil and/or garlic into juices. Cover fish mixture with lime and lemon juice. Let sit covered in the refrigerator for an hour, then stir, making sure more of the fish gets exposed to acidic juices. Let sit in refrigerator for at least another 3 hours, giving time for the flavors to blend and all the fish to become "cooked."

Chop cilantro and cut avocado. If using, slice the hearts of palm. Remove ceviche from fridge and carefully stir in cilantro and avocado pieces (and optional hearts of palm and cooked crab meat) right away, before avocado can darken.

Serve with tortilla chips or taco shells.

Trike

2012-01-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

In Gloucester, before the holiday, I found myself driving behind this vehicle. It was so warm that its owner must have been gleeful, to be able to capitalize on the extra time before the need for storage.

It reminded me of the Reliant, a three-wheeled vehicle that popped up on roadways from time to time when we lived in England, 1975-76. There's a spirit of fun, somehow, about traveling on three wheels. From http://www.3wheelers.com/facts.html:

Betty

2012-01-15T11:48:00.000-08:00

I think this is post #1000. I was going to write about the trike, but then I thought that #1000 should be on a more weighty subject.

Following are pictures of Mom (Betty) with Gillian and her first husband, Eric; and working at Rediffusion (radio) in Barbados. She is so YOUNG in that first picture, embarrassed to be photographed. (Wait, was she ever not embarrassed in picture-taking situations? LOL)

This is the last picture taken of her, I believe. I may have run it on this blog before. Victor took it.

The following is my ID pic on Facebook at the moment. The flower was taken from the wreath that surrounded her urn. The OBX sticker is because, if not for Mom as my guide, I never would have visited the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Vic and I owe a lot of our experience of peace and healing to her -- even if she was not personally a source.

30? 31 days ago?

2012-01-15T11:34:00.000-08:00

This lovely woman, who sent her words of support when my mother died, lost a brief battle with cancer on December 14. I attended her funeral the week before Christmas.

Corinne was a mentor and a savior. A specialist in adoption troubles, she provided invaluable input when Victor and I were struggling to do the right things.

Over the past 24 months, I had been traveling down to Hingham a few times a year to lunch with her and with Linda Grillo, another great mentor in the adoption community. She pressed me during those lunches to get myself certified so that I could treat children. I hope that that's the path that I'm on.

TEK

2012-01-15T11:27:00.000-08:00

TEK stands for The Emperor's Knife. My sister co-wrote this book with a gentleman in England, and it has been out & available for a full month now! It kind of takes my breath away, and hers, too. It is getting such great reviews, and I'm hoping positive word-of-mouth as well.

Neglect

2012-01-15T10:58:00.000-08:00

It has been so long since I posted on this blog that I forgot my password. I had to re-set it.

I don't know exactly why it's been so long. I had (have) it in my head that I needed to post something about my blood pressure crash when I had the nuclear medicine procedure (for my foot). The tech told me that she watched the color drain from my face: way too close to what I and my sisters saw in my mother's room on her last night. It could be that.

I recently developed a heart flutter/palpitation that I'm wearing a halter monitor to track. It showed up right after my mother died! It could be that: Health stuff just isn't interesting, and maybe also I've been grieving (though not excessively).

I was excited, but maybe also hesitant, that, with just another 4 posts, I would hit 1,000. It could be that.

But I've been saving photos for a full month to go with interesting tidbits that I haven't written up!

Poor attendance; great help!

2011-12-09T11:10:00.000-08:00

We didn't have a whole lot of help with our tree this year! I feel like it's been years since we had "all the kids" in to decorate, even though I know we had 3 of the 4 last year.

Liz and James acquitted themselves well (tho' they at first overlooked an entire box of nonbreakable ornaments, and our favorite jellyfish one -- but I can't complain, as all I have to do now is de-decorate it on New Year's).

James also tried valiantly to get the topper to stay in place. Vic finally had to bend over several branches to accommodate it. It's a new one, and we love it. As Alexandra said (she got the pics by phone, participating at a distance), "It looks like a Dr. Seuss topper!"

Boot

2011-12-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

I have a boot on my right foot. It's heavy, ugly, and uncomfortable. I have to wear it for six weeks!

My foot had been bothering me for months. I saw my primary care doctor in September to complain about it. He sent me for X-rays, but didn't see anything. It was getting progressively worse, so I returned last week. The PCP did some follow-up and saw that there was probably a stress fracture.

When we were on the Outer Banks in October, every walk I took down to the pier was sloooow because of my foot. When I am at work, walking up and down the stairs 6 to 9 times, and taking my client to the park and back each day, I leave limping. I was off work this week, but just got orders to go back from the ortho guy who prescribed the evil boot. Evil ortho guy.

Last week for Lobsta Land

2011-12-09T10:22:00.000-08:00

Lobsta Land closes for the season this Sunday. Vic & I went on Monday. He had his regular: Portuguese haddock. I had the best chicken dish I have ever had in a restaurant. It was a beautifully moist, pepper crusted chicken breast in a gorgeous brandy sauce.

It's so sad each year when Lobsta Land closes. The views there are incredible (see above, on a rainy day). And the food, well, honestly. It's amazing.

Good thing we've already tried the new menu at Lat 43 and fallen in love with the short rib ravioli.

Cell for texting

2011-12-09T10:16:00.000-08:00

Victor got me a new cell phone for our anniversary, November 30. (It was #20!) I had asked for this phone specifically. It's rated by Consumer Reports as 'best for texting.' Since I now have a maximum-text plan, it makes a lot of sense! It's also nice-looking and sturdy. I like LG products, and I like a flip-open keyboard.

I feel like the last person on earth who does NOT have a smart or 3G (or 4G) phone. But I have a 3G iPad, that counts, right?

Fantasy

2011-12-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

A member of my family (OK, my younger sister, Helen) has co-written a book that was accepted by publishing houses in the UK and US. It was published here this week and is available at B&N (barnesandnoble.com) and at your local bookstore.

It's a wonderful read, full of well-drawn characters and intrigue. I hope to create a bumper sticker that reads, I [heart] THE FELT. Pick up a copy -- it makes a great gift!

Another breakfast

2011-12-09T10:08:00.000-08:00

Victor and I, remembering the great French toast that we had in Las Vegas years ago, tried to replicate it recently. This project arose out of having too much vanilla-nut butter left over after Thanksgiving. We weren't thrilled with the Thanksgiving dish the butter was made for. However, the butter itself was really good!

It's a simple vanilla French toast recipe, with cinnamon and nutmeg (2 eggs, whisked till foamy; then 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and a sprinkling of nutmeg, all whisked together). The trick is, you buy an uncut bakery loaf of bread. Use fully half of it to cut 4 thick slices, about 1 1/2" to 2" thick.

Melt 2 tbs butter in a large skillet. Use the 4 slices of bread to soak up ALL the egg mixture. Cook the bread in the skillet, leaving each side undisturbed for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, so that it gets a nice, crisp browning. Note that this makes only two guilty servings.

Serve with maple syrup and vanilla nut butter:
6 tbs unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean
1/4 cup pecan pieces
salt & pepper
(Soften the butter just slightly. Toast the pecans. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the butter and combine in small bowl. Fold in the pecans and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate 20-30 minutes before use.)

Breakfast burritos with andouille

2011-11-18T12:16:00.000-08:00

12 oz good quality chorizo (we used andouille)
4 green onions
6 lg eggs
1 tbs olive oil
4 9"-10" flour tortillas
2/3 c grated Mexican 4-cheese blend
1/2 c fresh cilantro
1/2 c tomatillo salsa (jarred)
1 avocado

Remove casings from sausage. Chop green onions and cilantro. Slice avocado.

Saute sausage in large nonstick skillet over medium, 5-6 mins. Add green onion and saute another 30 sec. Transfer to bowl (keep warm).

Wipe out skillet. Whisk eggs in medium bowl and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Add oil to skillet and heat it over medium. When oil is hot, add eggs and cook until softly scrambled. Remove from heat (keep warm).

Warm tortillas in second skillet until pliable, 20 secs per side. Divide sausage among tortillas. Top with cheese, eggs, cilantro, salsa, and avocado. Roll tortillas.
(from Bon Appetit, I believe)

Less than 3 weeks?

2011-11-18T12:09:00.000-08:00

It doesn't seem quite possible that we've been back from the Outer Banks less than three weeks. What would I believe? Three months. Work is such a slog.

I never got back to folks regarding the recipes that were successful. In addition to the list I provided last month ("Good eats"), Vic and I enjoyed:
Chai pots de creme
Jerk pork
Dijon-basil sauce

Here again is the list I provided previously:
Scrambled eggs with lemon cream & smoked salmon
Breakfast burritos with andouille (recipe called for chorizo)
Clams with andouille
Pesto, olive, and roast-pepper torta
Southwest chipotle corn

Not a small collection, considering we were there only a week. Weirdly, while we were there, we felt like so many recipes flopped!

Up on the roof, so to speak

2011-11-15T20:50:00.000-08:00

I opened the front door to scan for the Gloucester paper. It wasn't there. I nearly shut the door, when a movement caught my eye.

Can you see what I saw?

It certainly wasn't ours, not up above your head like that. Ours is a bush dweller.

You can't see me

2011-11-15T20:49:00.000-08:00

Hatteras ocean piers

2011-11-14T18:12:00.001-08:00

It seems that I was not alone in thinking that the south-facing beaches on Hatteras need a pier:

http://www.islandfreepress.org/2011Archives/11.14.2011-HatterasIslandOceanCenterIsANewProjectThatWouldBeAFishingPierAndMuchMore.html

What to do

2011-11-14T11:45:00.000-08:00

I do not like my job. That makes me one of many, I realize.

Yesterday, my client (I have only one) started, with his other therapist, to use the great outdoors as a bathroom. It appears that he may have had diarrhea. Whatever it was, he was not comfortable, and he decided that it was his therapist's fault. Hands covered with excrement, he went into attack mode.

I only just shared with my sister in law that she needs to hold onto her employment, which is pretty awful, at least until the start of 2012, for the sake of her resume. That applies to me as well -- maybe more to me, since I have in the past left a job in December. My hasty departure still causes me resume headaches.

But I really don't want to see my client, ever again.

984

2011-11-13T08:32:00.000-08:00

This posting will be number 984 for this blog. Hard to believe that I've had nearly 1,000 things to say! But there's something satisfying about it, too. I've never successfully kept a diary beyond the first week. Now, over fully three years, my output has been fairly consistent.

Hope that those few of you who read this blog will continue to do so. I get weekly reports on numbers of page views, etc., and something about knowing that someone is reading helps keep my voice going.

Welcome in roses

2011-11-13T08:25:00.000-08:00

Upon our return, as predicted, the rose bushes out front continued to bloom. The white rose bush is prolific even today, two weeks later.

Sadly, the white roses don't have a strong scent. Annoying, because they were advertised as being quite aromatic. In any case, they're lovely!

The day after

2011-11-13T08:18:00.000-08:00

Among my impressions of our fall trip to NC: I'm sad about the absence of the laughing gulls; however, this bird (gull?) popped up from time to time. The weather was great, and the ocean was warm. Beachcombing wasn't as rewarding as expected, but there were no big storms right around the time of our visit. The hurricane debris was heartbreaking. All in all, I'm on the fence about whether a fall trip might replace our traditional spring trip.

On the second day of our journey home, we stopped in NY to visit Shaun and Ilona. They have a new (leased) Mini, a racing one!

In NY and CT, the number of trees downed by the Halloween blizzard (it qualified as a blizzard in Yonkers) was astonishing. Every single road we traveled in Yonkers, without exception, had a tree down, interfering with traffic. It's annoying that Sen. Brown and State Sen. Tarr both whined on the radio about how "unacceptable" the utilities' response was to power outages in MA, when the focus had to be CT and NY, where damage was just astounding.

Last morning in Frisco

2011-10-29T05:45:00.000-07:00

Over Vic's protests that, without a shirt, he was not photography material, I snapped this pic of him on the porch after an overnight rain. There was lightning, which is wonderful -- we were feeling like we would see no storm action while we were here.

And speaking of storm action...the trip home will be interesting. Words like dangerous are being tossed around, regarding travel over this first-Nor'easter weekend. Even words like blizzard.

Vic doesn't have to work at all on Monday, and I don't have to work until 4pm, so we can take our time.

Rolo's wins

2011-10-29T05:40:00.000-07:00

We went back for our last lunch to Capt'n Rolo's (I spelled it completely wrong the last time I mentioned it). Their fish basket was heavenly: essentially fish and chips, it featured the freshest flounder I've ever tasted. It was dusted with a flour-and-salt mixture, other seasonings in there I'm sure, and presented with fries that were crispy and neither too wide nor too stringy.

On the table were three red sauces: ketchup (blecch), seafood cocktail sauce (mmm), and hot sauce. I combined the last two for my fries.

I'm pretty sure that Rolo's is a place that locals frequent. We got "looks" both times we entered. However, the sign above the door conveys that at least some travelers are expected!

Kitesurfing in Frisco

2011-10-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

When the wind is blowing just so, the kiteboarders flock to the south-facing beaches. I was on my daily stroll and got a few pictures.

We're staying in one of the last houses on the beach before the airport, and we think the house line (houses stop, miles of vegetation/airport begin) is a marker for the surfers. Twice now we've seen their multi-passenger vehicles parked outside. After the boards zoom in, their riders apparently think they have to clamber over fences to get to the cars -- unfamiliar with the dune overpass that would be a lot more direct for them?

Good eats

2011-10-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

Though it was hurried, a menu was assembled for this trip. We haven't fallen in love with a lot of the items therein, but a few -- including two breakfasts -- stand out:

Scrambled eggs with lemon cream & smoked salmon
Breakfast burritos with andouille (recipe called for chorizo)
Clams with andouille
Pesto, olive, and roast-pepper torta
Southwest chipotle corn

If you come to stay in Gloucester, be sure to request one of those breakfasts! Recipes for each of these to follow in coming days. We'll modify a couple of recipes to try again, such as Zucchini cakes with smoked trout. Something about them just kinda misfired. And, of course, we still have today's items to sample.

As far as eating out goes, we've been to lunch at
Cafe 12 (yum)
Hatterasman (amazing fries)
Top Dog (always good)
Dijalo (Ocracoke; truly inspired food)
Captain Rollo's (best fish)
and Buxton Munch...
not sure where we're going today, but maybe to repeat Cafe 12. The tortilla-bottomed Flat, with it's 4" edge of fritelle-style cheese and fresh toppings including sushi-grade tuna, is hard to resist!

New kite

2011-10-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

Well, not new, but different. Vic says he thinks he has done more kite flying this trip than on any other trip we've taken. He does love to fly his kites!

Frisco at the pier

2011-10-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

'North Carolina's Ocean Fishing Piers' states that the Frisco Pier has stood for my lifetime, since 1962. It has not been open since 2008. The book calls it "the only south-facing pier on the Outer Banks," and we can testify to that. I truly enjoyed fishing there the single time (2007) we were able to do so.

The current owner of the pier has said that "considering the economy," he does not see it as "worth it" to repair and reopen the pier. It sits on federally owned property, so temptation to cash in the real estate is not a factor, and its pier house is in good repair. Anyone interested?

Avon at the pier

2011-10-28T08:29:00.000-07:00

Action at the pier at Avon was in swing, if not in full swing. This week I picked up a book on the fishing piers of North Carolina. Called 'North Carolina's Ocean Fishing Piers from Kitty Hawk to Sunset Beach,' it asserts that early November is the prime fishing time for red drum, a species associated with the Outer Banks. So there's still time for pier action this year.

Its author, Al Baird, says of the 1964 structure: "The Avon Pier now has the distinctive look of an old wooden roller coaster, complete with banked turns." I would agree!

Champion sheller

2011-10-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

Vic's skill at finding whole shells exceeds mine. He has found a whole olive (tubular shell, top left), a whole Scotch bonnet (bottom left), and a whole whelk (bottom center).

I did find a very nearly whole Scotch bonnet, but I have yet to come across anything like a whole olive or whelk. I also found a weird, shell-hard egg case (center, top). Still love beachcombing, though.

Cape Point

2011-10-28T08:16:00.000-07:00

We went to Cape Point yesterday, and there my legs failed me. When the Point was in sight (it's about 1.5 miles from where you have to park), I had to turn back. My calf muscle had knotted again. I was pretty angry about it! Cape Point is such an unusual spot, where you can practically touch the Gulf Stream and where land suddenly banks right at a quicksand intersection.

I returned to the car, while Vic walked on. Vic snapped the pelican surrounded by seagulls at the Point. (Did I say already: no Laughing Gulls?) I snapped the lone sea bird closer to Cape Hatteras Light.

Scenes

2011-10-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

One of these I might want to try to paint: The one at the port in Ocracoke, with the upright logs.

The other was taken at Buxton, where two British navy men (one unknown) washed ashore in 1942. This tiny cemetery is maintained by the British Commonwealth. Ocracoke also has a British cemetery -- the U-boat campaign resulted in much loss of English life off the NC coast.

A trip north

2011-10-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

When we went north a few days ago, we stopped to see whether the sunken boat and untidy boathouse, which we photographed on our spring trip, had survived the storm. The answer was, Yes and No. The boathouse has been severely damaged, but it stands. The sunken boat appears untroubled, perhaps because it was already securely 'anchored' in the water.

Further north, at Oregon Inlet, the same jelly die-off that's happening in Frisco appeared to be occurring. This was one of several dead jellyfish littering the shore.

Fishing without us

2011-10-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

We seem to *see* a lot of fishing, without participating in it. We did bring poles. We'll see whether I can get Vic interested today. The pier at Avon is open.

Gorgeous Ocracoke

2011-10-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

It was pretty windy when we got to Ocracoke. The feel of the island is so unlike that of Hatteras. Hatteras feels hardscrabble, pocked by aggressive incursions of money on the shoreline. Its news is full of controversies and tragedies. However, it's as beautiful as it is unkempt.

Ocracoke feels like the Florida Keys, laid back and indulgent, without concern for achievement or wealth. You get the sense that a fisherman and a Rockefeller could chat over beer, without money ever coming up as a topic or an issue. Pelicans, the seabirds who seem most unperturbable, hang out here. You'd expect to encounter Jimmy Buffett, wasting away.

In October Ocracoke still has pink and purple flowers in bloom, trailing along the roadways and popping up beside the eateries. Vic and I lunched at a place called Dijalo, where the hot crab dib and the tempura-battered (spicy) bluefish were heavenly.

Frisco on the beach

2011-10-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

From our strolls back and forth. A large number of horseshoe crabs and jellyfish met their ends this week off Frisco, their remains washing ashore, sometimes in pieces. We have encountered few other creatures; birds, but scant humans.

The pier can be seen way off in the background. I purchased a book on NC piers, their histories and ultimate fates. The Frisco Pier has a questionable future.

Staying here is fantastic. The lulling noise of the ocean nicely complements bathing in the sunshine and the hot tub. Not to be associated with the deaths of water creatures, piers, or even parents.

Wreck ashore?

2011-10-27T06:32:00.000-07:00

A friendly female nonresident property owner told me that this washed ashore in the hurricane. It came in with a number of other beams, some with brass attachments, that were carried off by persons unknown. In her opinion, these are part of a shipwreck, probably a Spanish one. This piece is, by her reckoning, part of a rudder or steering mechanism. Sounds promising.

Ashes

2011-10-27T06:28:00.000-07:00

Mom's urn got a place of prominence in the front room here in Frisco. Yesterday, I distributed about a half-cup of her ashes on the beach, across from the ponies, at Ocracoke.

Late Festival Pics

2011-10-27T05:56:00.000-07:00

Just got an email citing the NASGA 2011 Festival page. These two pics -- the top one a much better photo of the Glosta stopper than mine was -- are found there:

The pottery shard is very cool. I had taken one to submit that was a stylized partial bird -- not nearly as arresting as this boy is.

Here's a link to the pics (including those above) of all the winning pieces this year:
http://www.seaglassassociation.org/Festival2011/PhotoAlbum2011/index.html
-- And here's a link to a piece of Mackinac Island glass. I spoke of Mackinac Island at my mother's funeral, as one of her most beloved places. This was during the part of the ceremony when people were asked to take with them a piece of sea glass. Well, here's an amazing piece of sea glass found there -- read the interview!
http://www.odysseyseaglass.com/mackinaw-island-decanter-stopper-october-2011-sea-glass-photo-contest.html

New New = Pea

2011-10-27T05:49:00.000-07:00

The Island Free Press has just decreed that, from now on, the inlet that for two months has been called "New New" will now be called "Pea Island" -- as in, Pea Island Inlet and Pea Island (temporary) Bridge. I'm fine with that designation, though the editor of IFP is, she writes, disappointed. (She liked "New New.")

IFP, an online news service, surveyed Hatteras residents (and visitors, perhaps) to determine the best name. Fewer than 60 people responded; fully 30 of those respondents wanted 'Pea Island Inlet.' Sadly, I couldn't snap a pic of the inlet itself because the sidewalls of the bridge are too high and too bulky. But the pictures here are of the area immediately surrounding the bridge, where new pools abound:

I like it that the name 'Pea Island' may be more in circulation. The tale of the Pea Island Lifesaving Service certainly deserves greater prominence. I have a DVD documentary about the crew, should anyone be curious and want to borrow it! I am told that the Discovery Channel is going to run the program in the next year or so. It's both little-known African-American history and lifesaving history.

Run aground off Hatteras Island: Us!

2011-10-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, as I mentioned below, our ferry ran aground yesterday. We decided against going to Ocracoke, since we would have been about 3 hours later than planned.

The ferry we were meant to take developed mechanical problems, so they brought in this other, larger ferry:

We're not Mann's Harbor but Hatteras Inlet. Our ferries do not have a row of seats on the car deck! And, BTW, here's our car riding aboard:

The boat had to apply side propulsion to get out of a sticky situation at the halfway point, but on we pressed. Until we were spitting distance from Ocracoke, where we grounded. One engine got dangerously hot as the ferry tried to extricate itself, by report of a crewman. I guess the channel got no deeper closer to the dock, as a decision was made to return pretty much the whole 40-minute distance to Hatteras.

More on the hurricane

2011-10-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

We went back up to the Tri-Village area (Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo) on Monday. The KOA campground has been devastated. The little rental cabins that used to be all lined up on cement pads are no longer.

Taken at the 'New' New Inlet, where the temporary bridge was erected, this is a shot of what used to be a Coast Guard building:

You can see the sound's tide line on the ocean side of the island. For perspective, the sound doesn't tend to rise to more than a couple of feet outside its typical mass. This tide line is at least a few hundred yards outside sound territory, if not more:

Victor + OBX = happiness

2011-10-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

Two days ago, and yesterday, my sweetie on the beach. My husband loves this place -- not that I do not! I've taken a walk down to the pier and back each morning, but I have a knotted calf muscle today, sadly.

You know, there's an inn advertising for a manager, "couple preferred."

"Going out of..." wait a minute

2011-10-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

So is this place going out of business, or is the owner just hoping to boost traffic?

Glassing in Frisco

2011-10-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

I found two pieces of sea glass, and Vic found coral.

Of course, we can't resist shelling.

Birds and birthdays

2011-10-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

So I'm sitting here reading Facebook, and a bird flies in the open front door (it's 75-ish degrees). He lands on a light fixture, then crashes into a window. He's motionless, on the floor, but he's still alive.

I take him out to the porch, a sunny spot, cradling him in my hands. He's flat -- splayed -- then he's upright, testing his legs; then he's down again, but not splayed out. I've snapped two pics of him and I off-load them to my computer. Off-loading is how I discover that it's October 26, my mother's birthday. The bird flies away.

Yesterday, when we were headed to Ocracoke to deposit some of her ashes, the ferry ran aground and took us back to Hatteras. Ashes still in the car.

Views, two days

2011-10-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

From 'our' front porch. One includes pelicans; one includes a kite rising above the dunes -- anchored, on the beach, by my husband. They pretty much convey how it feels to be here!

Life goes on

2011-10-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

Not to say that I am equating my mother's death and Hurricane Irene, but a certain weight lifted when we passed this scene. Even with all the damage and loss here, young people still come down to kite board. They spend money, they party, and they rejuvenate the scene.

Station damage

2011-10-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

In northern Hatteras Island, where storm damage was pretty extreme, the Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station got whalloped. One building was washed off its pilings and lost its entry ramp. The papers here say that every building at the site had at least a foot of floodwater inside.

These pictures are from a news site, not ones that I took. The entrance to Chicamacomico was barred when we drove past.

Vic and I will return to northern Hatteras to get a close look at damage and perhaps see how we might help. Distressingly, the population of the turtle enclosure at a Pea Island stop (on previous trips I posted pictures) appears to be decimated. I asked a ranger there and, though he said he did not have specific knowledge of turtle loss, he also said "no doubt" many died, as he knew a number of island creatures were lost in the storm.

Down the road

2011-10-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

Damage was less prominent further south on Hatteras. However, when you saw it, it had a lot of shock value -- standing out from the loveliness of the surroundings.

Some things change

2011-10-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

Some things that change: the population of earth, and the locations that will support life. Due to septic issues, few of the latter will exist, it appears, at Mirlo Beach. It's hard to believe, seeing these images, that the hurricane was 2 months ago -- but not at all hard to believe that the highway reopened only 12 days ago. Many services and resources were unavailable until then.

While some things are the same

2011-10-23T14:26:00.000-07:00

Bodie Island Light is undergoing renovation, which is halted at the moment due to lack of funding. It did, however, survive Irene pretty much intact (as far as we know).

Below is the view from the car of the new islet at the southern end of Bodie (pronounced like 'body'). There had long been a battle between the National Park Service and local fisherfolk over "the spit" -- and it looks like the NPS won. Birds and wildlife won, too.

Hatteras Island did not fare as well as Bodie. The approach to the new and temporary bridge in the Pea Island Wildlife Refuge still features construction equipment (it was only completed October 11). It "feels" temporary; it's in sections that are visually distinguishable and aurally as well, as your tires go over each. The bridged inlet, variously called New New Inlet or New River Inlet, is a significant change to Hatteras as a result of Irene. Its southern bank features an eroded and collapsed building, and both banks are actually escarpments of more than 5 feet.

At last

2011-10-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

My sister Helen had what was a very good idea, actually, about writing and sending Thank You notes to those who offered their support last weekend. So I got less than 3 hours sleep on Friday night, before boarding a plane (another plane! ugh) at 6am Saturday morning. I was flying to Norfolk, Virginia. Vic had driven all day Friday so as to arrive in Norfolk the night before.

I was so tired. Vic encouraged me to nap in the car, but then we realized we were at the bridge to the Outer Banks, a good hour before we expected to be! Some of the landmarks for which we'd been looking along the roadway are no longer there, perhaps eradicated by Hurricane Irene.

Following are the first two images of our OBX trip, one of the view from the bridge (Bodie Island is the distant land mass), and the other of the welcome sign at the end of the bridge. There was a celebration in Kitty Hawk of the 100th anniversary of the First Flight (yes, it's capitalized in NC). We thought about stopping, and actually pulled in to the Wright Memorial. But it was quite crowded, and the pull of Hatteras Island is strong.

Jersey NASGA

2011-10-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

You may remember, the North American Sea Glass Association is why I was in New Jersey the first weekend of October. I submitted some pretty cool glass to the best-shard competition. My submissions included one piece (pink) that was 1) found and nabbed for me by my friend John, in a place where taking glass was not exactly permitted, and 2) obviously fingered by the judges because I glued it down in one position, and it was all turned around upon its return.

However, the piece below won, and with good reason. It's a bottle stopper, it's black, and it's unique as well as, obviously, rare. It was found by a teenage boy in Gloucester, Mass!

I wish the photo was more clear, but I took it with my phone.

Nearly final garden pics

2011-10-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

Depicted here are the last gasps of my 2011 garden, except the roses out front. I took a few images of the front roses, but they proved blurry. I expect that they will still be picture-worthy when we get home, so no worries. Also no doubt present on Halloween will be those nasturtiums, whose leaves get ever bigger.

The blue-flowering bushy plant below is one that I was bragging about to my mother before her final hospitalization. As a great lover of any blue garden flower, she wanted to know the name -- which I did not recall. Still don't. The picture is of a single tendril because my camera struggled to focus on this plant, with its myriad tiny blue flowers at varying distances form the lens.

Catching up

2011-10-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

I am posting from the Outer Banks of North Carolina, but I am running month-old pictures of Gloucester at the moment. They have been waiting, in the pipeline, while life swept me along.

On a rainy day at the end of September, I photographed our indoor African violets. They are about 20 years old -- or at least the original one is. The other two were split off from the original over time, who knows when.

Vic remembers them as being from the publishing company H. W. Wilson in the early 1990s, when I worked there. However, I remember them as being a gift from Nancy and Steve, who led the buddy program at the AIDS Action Committee until shortly before Nancy's death from liver cancer (in, if I recall correctly, 1995). Nancy Silverman was her name, and she was a remarkable woman -- foster mother to dozens of children, and lost to us far too early.

Urns

2011-10-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

It was difficult, incredibly difficult (as in, taking a full day), for us to choose an urn. I think the one we chose is lovely, and the wreath of flowers that sisters Helen and Gillian selected is spectacular.

It may be weird to photograph the urn; I certainly am shocked when I see the dead in casket photographs. However, I think that this azurite vessel -- encircled by roses, tulips, ivy, hydrangea, and a gorgeous deep-blue flower, which resembles a blossom from a supersize larkspur (if you know it, please give me the name) -- is somehow both elegant and sumptuous. So look away if you must, but I see this as a thing of beauty.

I want to present the text of my friend Molly's card, which parallels what my friend Tress, whose parents are both now gone, has been sharing since my mother's death:
Grief, like the ocean, comes in waves
only to recede and come yet again.
But with it comes healing.
Memories wash ashore
and are bathed by the golden sun.
Grab hold of those memories
and let them fill the emptiness.
May they bring you peace.

Remembrance

2011-10-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

I received a lovely card today from my friend Molly (Gorman) Dumas. Molly was my matron of honor when I married Victor. I wish that the note inside had been available yesterday, when we read aloud people's remembrances at the service. At least I have this blog to run Molly's remarks:

"I'm facing the Wasatch Mountains, taking advantage of that fleeting season between parched grass and powder, when the rugged granite is draped in a Persian rug of foliage, remembering your mom. I want to describe the sky as it dissolves from Wedgewood blue to periwinkle, with its sable-brush strokes of apricot clouds. I can't help but think that the only reason I know the color Wedgewood blue is because your mom displayed a cherished few pieces in the living room where you grew up. And Betty rarely used common names for colors, so of course I cannot call the leaves green, red, and brown; they're olive, pomegranate, and tawny.

"My mental scrapbook of your mom is rather sketchy beyond my teen years. But those years of our adolescent friendship are as vivid as the panorama before me. I mentioned to you the other night that there were long hours I spent talking to her while waiting for you to wake up the mornings of sleepovers. I'd invariably wander into the kitchen, wondering what I was going to do until noon, and she would put the kettle on, saying, "...Tea, then?" I learned to drink tea with [milk and sugar], sitting there with your mom. Funny that in my recollections, she always seemed to be peeling potatoes or fruits, yet I don't think of her as a homemaker. To me, she was a font of words, baptizing me with adjectives poured from conversations we had while stirring spoons in teacups.

"We didn't have the gossipy talks one would think. We'd commiserate about the curiosities of American life: how automobiles came to be edified; why teenagers inserted striped triangles into their bell-bottoms; why elderly women added a blue hue to their cotton-fluff hair; how on Earth did Nixon become president; and who could possibly think that Velveeta was cheese. She'd giggle, pretending to stifle her response to such silly human behavior behind fingers...

"I realize these are memories of someone who was likely younger than you and I are now, yet who seemed a great deal wiser than I think of myself at this age. I will always be grateful to your mom for taking in this long-haired hippie friend of yours. She gave each of you a gift: a command of language that was not stunted at pre-pubescence, but rich as clotted cream. And I will be ever grateful that she shared a spot of it with me."

Elizabeth (Betty) Margaret Lanigan Swart, 10/26/1930 - 10/10/2011

2011-10-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

I still can't quite believe it: my mother has died, she has been cremated, we have held a wake (yesterday) and a funeral (today), and Victor and I are taking her ashes to the Outer Banks for dispersal next weekend.

She wasn't a perfect mother, but she was the only one I knew. I have been crying all week -- at some moments feeling guilty, and at others feeling relief. Her life had become so constricted.

I was stranded due to a fault in a plane in New Jersey (returning from the sea glass festival) when the hospital told us all to get there ASAP. Fortunately, she held on a bit. I had about 5 hours with her, though she was not conscious and had not been all day. At the end we watched the color recede from her face...I was not prepared for that.

Shower rod

2011-09-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

Victor and I spent a huge portion of our day working on the oval shower rod for our clawfoot tub. Because of the cathedral ceiling over the tub, we had to find rod supports with pivots (hinges). It was frickin' hard to get them in the right places, especially when the house just is not plumb!

I bought that shower curtain at least five years ago; it waited in a drawer until today. And then we installed the mirror and white-knob hooks and bars (see below). Now I have to talk to my dad about getting the clawfoot clock (atop the stool) to work.

Ethics again

2011-09-17T16:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my supervisor horrified me at work. The parent of our client ended up coming in and asking her to stop. I was ashamed that I had not already done so. She was giving arbitrary commands and managing the child's responses physically and forcefully. She was confusing him (and me), frustrating him (and me), and refusing him any opportunity to regroup.

While she debated with mom whether what she was doing was appropriate, the child tuned them out, looked at his schedule -- trying to make sense out of his session -- and said to me, "Now we play Hi-Ho Cherry-O?" The poor kid. I tried to put as much warmth and compassion as possible into my "Sure, let's play."

I have two interviews this week. I have to believe that other organizations are not being horrible to their clients. Having family members who are or were compromised and who sought treatment, I tend to treat children with developmental disorders like they're family (during session, anyway; my boundaries are strong). Honestly, I think that's how it should be done.

Personal Cookbook II

2011-09-14T21:56:00.000-07:00

I'm finished cumulating all those recipes. They now reside in a file box, organized by type of food (e.g., Meats, Sauces).

As a result of being "done" with the project, I can turn to the huge pile of untested recipes that I've pulled out of periodicals, for our October trip to the Outer Banks. (Yesterday visitors were allowed on Hatteras Island for the first time since Irene.)

Following is the master list of Soups, Stews & Chilis:
Soups, Stews & Chilis
beef mole chili
black bean cannellini soup with cilantro & chiles
calamari stew with red wine, potato & hot chiles
carrot parsnip curry soup
carrot yogurt cumin soup (Moroccan)
corn zucchini chile soup
curry soup
lentil soup with pepperoni
lentil stew with eggplant & ginger
mushroom Madeira soup (shitake, oyster, crimini & white mushrooms with onion)
Myron's chili
pork chili verde with potato & red salsa
pork tequila chili verde
red pepper garlic cream soup
shrimp hot & sour soup
-->Again, if anyone wants a recipe, just let me know. I'd love to share b/c Vic and I both endorse these recipes whole-heartedly.

Application

2011-09-14T21:47:00.000-07:00

By the way, I did apply for some of those jobs I was talking about before. Got a call back on one the other day, too. However, it turns out that they employ a method that my recent class in ethics (where ABA is concerned) roundly denounced. I didn't feel comfortable proceeding.

ABA is dedicated to evidence-based practice...which makes my current supervisor's comment over the summer, that she finds that "often evidence-based practices don't work," stand out. If a practice does not work, then there won't be evidence of positive effects, with proof that the practice itself causes those positive effects (necessary in ABA). Will there? Exaggeration of effects or fudging the proof is supposed to be disallowed.

I'm feeling unsure that, ethically, I can even justify working where I work.

A different kitty

2011-09-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

I feel like I just posted about my cat's age, talking about watching for behavior, and suddenly he's changing. He has taken to spending the night in our bedroom all of a sudden. He has never done it before -- tho' he has slept there often during the daytime (see pic). For 3 or 4 nights now, he has slept in our room, next to the bed (in a laundry basket).

At least he's not isolating. That would be a sign that he feels like he's near the end. But what's behind this new dedication? Is he seeking our protection?

Labor & Columbus Days

2011-09-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

Vic and I got in our kayaks on Labor Day and paddled over to Ten Pound. As ever, we collected sea glass -- a lot of it:

My favorite pieces from that trip appear below.

Remember, the thicker the glass, the older it is. When was the last time you handled a bottle that was as thick as the piece at rear left, below? I don't think I *ever* have.

I now have to go through all my glass and choose those pieces that will come with me in a few weeks time to New Jersey. It's the next national sea glass festival! Go ahead, laugh. I enjoy myself there. I'll be away October 8 till Columbus Day.

Exasperation

2011-09-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

My mood is so variable this week; my self-esteem wavers. Is it the approach of 9/11? It really could be. On the 5th anniversary, I was in Florida with my husband. I went, alone, to a cinema to view the movie World Trade Center. A true story, it featured first responders who got trapped in the wreckage. I cried and cried. This week I've read dedications and remembrances and watched documentaries that left me sobbing. Note, I feel like it's my duty as a citizen to absorb whatever authoritative information, sanctioned by smart people, is out there about 9/11. Which came first, my mood, or the anniversary?

I seem to be OK if it's not a "big" anniversary. But I get such a sense of sad astonishment to realize that those events were actually 5 years ago, now 10 years ago. On Wednesday I downloaded several job listings, with ideas for cover letters dancing in my head. I updated my resume and went to bed, imagining the productive next morning and how well suited I would be to most of the jobs. The next day I was too tired and sad to even try. Before going to bed, I posted a message on Facebook that consisted of words that I'm not supposed to say in public. Today I had to write down what's on my To-Do list b/c I don't trust my head to keep track.

On that day in 2001, my daughter was living in a hospital, kept safe by its remoteness. My son, however, was in high school. I phoned the high school to say: 'You know that the country is under attack. This is new territory. We do not know whether Boston and its environs are targets. Will you be sending the children home, so that they can be with their parents and loved ones?' I imagined, not without reason, that this day could be our last, and I wanted to be together. Although I tried and tried, I could not reach my parents, touring the coast of Maine. But my husband was on his way home... In the end, the kids were not dismissed -- leaving me feeling a certain kinship with those who could not reach their relatives in tall buildings, to confirm life and love.

When Mike returned at the end of the school day, he said that in his final period of the day there was an announcement. The principal via PA system let the student body know of the events of the day. The announcement concluded with, "However, I want all of you to know that Malden High School is a safe building." As Mike succinctly put it, "Yeah right, they smashed into the Pentagon, but Malden High is a "safe building.""

Personal cookbook I

2011-09-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

I'm putting real effort into gathering together *all* of the recipes that, over the last 20 years, Victor and I have greatly enjoyed. Well, all of the recipes that, for one reason or another, are not part of a bound cookbook.

For all of that time, I've been collecting recipes that are found in periodicals, Swart family favorites, and versions modified by me for various dietary reasons. I can't believe how many of our favorites are desserts! I thought I was hopeless at making desserts.

If you like the sounds of any of these, send me a message. I'm happy to share.
Desserts
almond honey cake
ancho apple pie
apple cake
bananas Foster (rum banana coconut flambe)
bananas with rum & ginger
bread pudding a la caramel
chocolate buttercream
chocolate cake with bourbon, currants & almonds (Reine de Saba)
chocolate flourless cake
chocolate ganache
coconut mini cakes
crème brulee with brandy & coffee
dried cherry chocolate oatie-Os
figgy pudding with brandied hard sauce
lemon chiffon pie (graham cracker crust)
peanut butter & cocoa oaties
peanut butter cookies
pear & brandy cream cheese tart
pear steamed pudding
strawberry lemon tart
strawberry rhubarb crisp
strawberry yogurt popsicles

Caponata

2011-09-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

I made a yummy eggplant caponata yesterday, using tomatoes and eggplant from the garden, exclusively, and raisins, onions, and capers from the larder.

I harvested one additional white eggplant for the dish. Victor really likes the white ones, more than the purple. They don't have any bitterness. And we still have a number of delicious Brandywine tomatoes on the vine.

As for squash...I'm really wishing now that I had been making fritters from these blossoms throughout the last few months. We have had not one single squash, zucchini or summer, over the whole growing period.

Prior to rain

2011-09-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

These are not the last blooms that we will have -- I still have a bush with blue flowers that is only now in bud. However, their display is close to being the final garden show.

The rain has pounded to earth these and other last-gasp flowers around our yard. After Irene, Vic was able to prop up one of our sunflowers. I fear that the current round of rain may collapse it again.

The white hydrangea is going pink, as it does around this time every year. Irene knocked its trunk off vertical by a good bit. (While it is a tree, it's a small tree, and the trunk is a lot more like a broad stem.) Vic and I will have to carefully reposition it when the soil is dry. I'm hoping that the additional moisture in the soil -- Katia moisture? -- does not cause the whole tree to collapse.

Storm damage (not VT)

2011-09-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

I just found this picture on an Outer Banks website. (I know, I keep looking at the OBX; we are barely more than 6 weeks out from our intended visit.) The photographer was facing west. To the left of the picture, out of frame, is most of the Bonner Bridge and the northern tip of Hatteras, Pea Island. To the right is Bodie Island, the southern tip of which is depicted.

The hurricane cut through a popular fishing ground, *at* an existing inlet. That's truly weird. You can see, at bottom left, the waves of the vast Oregon Inlet. What would force water through at an angle, so close to a broad channel? Was it the sound, unable to push against the ocean tide?

Around the house, post-Irene

2011-09-08T06:36:00.000-07:00

Over a couple of mornings last week I snapped a few pictures that I like. One is of our vase full of sunflowers, which were knocked down in Irene:

The other is from our side door, a picture of a squirrel. I tried to snap a pic of him when he was atop the fence post, munching grapes that, along with a piece of vine, had come down in the storm. But just as I tried to photograph him, he nearly dropped the segment of vine. He caught it well before it hit the ground:

U-Mass glass

2011-09-08T06:27:00.000-07:00

Alexandra took us at high tide to a beach near her apartment that was covered with glass. Few of the pieces had much burnish from time in the water -- but it was HIGH tide. The pieces that we could see were rarely covered by the water.

We found TWO pieces of true yellow, including the one depicted here (I gave the other to James, who loves yellow). I have never found such true yellow glass anywhere. I would really love to go back at LOW tide!

15 times

2011-09-08T06:22:00.000-07:00

Mike, Liz, Victor, and I have been to a Bertucci's 15 times over the past 14 years on or near August 15. The first time we went, we were driving north from Rhode Island, hungry and tired, bringing the children and all their belongings to our home. They joined our family that day, August 15, 1997.

U-Mass

2011-09-08T06:17:00.000-07:00

Vic, Liz, James, and I went to see my niece at U-Mass Boston on Sunday. The main portion of my birthday present to her had arrived at last, and Liz had not seen her in months and had gifts to give.

James, my nephew, had not yet seen his sister's college environment with furniture and residents. His tour proved an opportunity for us all to tour the harborfront.

The location of Alex's apartment is spectacular. The top picture below was taken standing near the shore, looking toward her building; the bottom one was taken in about the same spot, looking toward the shore.

Our son Mike and his boyfriend Dan joined us near 5pm, and we all (including Alex's friend Lily) went to a lovely Dorchester restaurant for dinner. Indian food, yum! It was a good visit.

My niece & my Mom

2011-09-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

This week I helped move my 'newly 18' niece into her truly gorgeous apartment, just off campus at U-Mass Boston. She has ocean views! One of my contributions to her apartment was a small digital frame, loaded with family pictures. (We also contributed, from our home, her futon couch and her desk.)

The idea hit that maybe my mother would like to have such a frame. The one I bought for Alexandra was only 3.5"; the one I bought for my mother was 7" wide. I expected that 7" would be a good picture size for her failing eyesight.

Well, she could not see it, even when it was positioned barely more than a foot from her face. So I moved on. I had also brought her a lemon ice, which she adores. While I was feeding it to her, she suddenly vomited. Asked to step out of the room during cleanup, I shoved the picture frame in its box -- the cord would have been in the attendants' way. Of course, out in the hallway I dropped it, cracking the frame.

Vomit and breakage of a costly brand-new item... these do not constitute my best visit with Mom. She is more frail and less functional; even when I expect those things, they are hard to see. Today, Vic and I will pick up our daughter and our nephew and return to Boston and Alexandra. Our daughter and nephew have not seen her place, and our daughter has not transferred her birthday presents. So it will be, I hope, an *enjoyable* visit.

Senior kitty

2011-08-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

I don't want to lay it on too thick, but kitty turned 12 last month. Elmore was only 13 when we lost him. They say that indoor-outdoor cats tend to live about 13 years. I don't think that Sisco's behavior has changed one iota over the five years that we've had him. But you'd better believe that I'll be watching closely!

Wistfully, wisteria

2011-08-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

We have a smattering of bloooms, still, on our trellis. Nothing like what we had when clematis clung to the vine, but enough to sustain belief that summer won't end for another three weeks.

Prepare for fall

2011-08-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

We had to pull our boat off the water for Irene. That really hurt. We might have gotten another six weeks of enjoyment out of the season.

The close-up picture is a few days old. The side-of-the-house pic is from last year, but you get the idea.

Then, when we went to Rocky Neck to look around -- to see what other boats had been pulled -- we saw chestnuts on the ground. Of course, you may think that the hurricane knocked them down. But the hurricane was not able to bring down our tree's last apple, which Victor really wants to eat. It's going to be fall too soon.

After Irene: Personal

2011-08-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

We had not limbs but twigs and leaves down in the yard. Pots blew over, and our sunflowers out front bit the dust. So we now have a lovely vase of sunflowers on our table.

Hatteras, post-Irene

2011-08-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

Seriously, new inlets? We didn't really need new inlets... or did we? Would nature create what it does not need? I don't think that Mother N is prone to redundancy. Below, that water is pretty blue, which means: deep.

Note: These pictures are in pairs as each pair depicts two views of one area (three areas in all). Two images were provided by the N.C. Coastal Federation; the others I gathered in shock and did not note from whence they came.

On Hatteras they were debating last year whether to extend the Bonner Bridge through Pea Island (the uninhabited, protected stretch of northern Hatteras). It looks like they should have decided to do so, but they did not.

The segmented roadway is what has isolated approximately 2,500 Hatteras residents. You can't get there by car, and the ferry from Ocracoke has stopped because Ocracoke is having some highway issues: The dunes are completely gone along some stretches, which must be cleared to ensure that they remain whole.

We are supposed to be vacationing there in, I believe, 53 days. Despite what NC Governor Purdue has said on the news, I *believe* (believe, believe) that our oceanfront cottage will be accessible via Ocracoke. As long as no additional storms blow through.

After the storm: Local

2011-08-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

It feels mean to describe the minor damage that we have here in Gloucester. From North Carolina to Vermont, people are truly being pushed to the limit. (You probably just saw some North Carolinian imagery, intended to be one of the posts atop this one. Awful.) Here on Cape Ann, the storm brought out more gawking than distress.

The top two pics here are lifted from area blogs and papers. Number One is credited to John McLaughlin, and Number Two bears a credit. Three and four were taken during the "eye" -- not that the clearing is bright enough to be noticeable.

Below is what happened on our sea-glass beach on Rocky Neck.

Victor glasses

2011-08-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

Victor keeps finding opportunities to get over to Ten Pound Island, often when I'm at work. Nearly all the glass that we've collected so far this year (in the big pile) was collected by him.

The pieces that are segregated are some of the nicest ones collected during his Saturday trip. (I was, again, at work. Harumph.) My favorite is the dark green triangle, sort of in the middle.

Complementary yellow

2011-08-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

I tend to see the aggressive yellows of a late-summer garden as over the top. However, when contrasted with a rich, deep purple, such as you find in our morning glories, those yellows appear equally rich.

Pretty shady

2011-08-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

I think that the small hosta in the middle is the last of our hostas to bloom. Throughout the shaded areas of the back yard, such loveliness arises.

I'm re-ordering the all-phlox package today. Phlox just blooms and blooms, and the intensity of the color draws the eye irresistibly.

Continuing the harvest

2011-08-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

Our nephew James made a wondrous pesto sauce for pasta (farfalle) on Sunday. He harvested the basil from our yard, obtaining nasty mosquito bites (he's allergic) in the process. Such bravery! And it was goooood.

I like how the gorgeous nasturtium flower is surrounded by its own greenery and some purple lettuce: orange, green, and purple. Love this pic.

The eggplant plants are now minus their largest output, which we picked and which is depicted at bottom. Look how the next-largest eggplants are now quite big! Then you see our first harvest, including those large eggplants. Look at all those nice tomatoes...

The Front: Beauteous

2011-08-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

Here is the aspect of the house that, in the current moment, is my favorite. I love the color and blossom combinations.

Red, red rose (and white ones, too)

2011-08-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

Our roses out front are in bloom again! Numerous buds and plenty of blossoms. These are just as heavily scented as the bicolor rose (the red more so than the white, perhaps).