Home At Last

My line up of herbs on the railing.

Window boxes brighten up the deck

Vases of peonies - they don't last long!

Spring has meant a lot of rain and quite cool weather for us since our return. But yesterday and today summer finally arrived with bright sunshine and warm temperatures. The garden is really beautiful this time of year with the peonies, rhododendrons, phlox and poppies adding lots of color to the various bright greens. I planted 5 window boxes with annuals and a large herb collection on the railing in front: parsley, basil, thyme, mint, oregano, and rosemary. 

Heather, Sean and Rowan - out for a brew

Gary, Will's Dad, also came for a visit on his way
to Spain.

Rowan loves to laugh and Scott really gets him
going!

Will and Sean

We've been kept really busy with community events and social occasions. But our first weekend we spent down in Boston with son Sean, son-in-law Will and our youngest grandson Rowan. He has grown up so much in these last six months. He'll be 2 in July and chattering away already. We even understand most of the words! He's a darling. 

I'm back at work doing 4 hour shifts at Pierce's Store, volunteer of course. And we had a huge turnout for our spring wine tasting. I made 4 different appetizers for sale - all goes to support Pierces, a non profit co-op. We had a 7 piece band too! Scott is now attending his many board meetings in person and now can return to his Quaker meeting on Sundays. We had their annual meetings and dinner at our house one Sunday. There are a variety of concerts too - here in Shrewsbury and around our area. The bluegrass group, Green Mountain Boys, performed at our Town Hall to a packed crowd. My book club met to discuss Where the World Ends by Geraldine McCaughrean. The meetings are once a month at a member's home and this time we all stayed for a pot luck dinner. 

The food and wine line. We had 8 different kinds
of appetizers. I made 4 of them.

A view around the room. The events are held in 
the renovated garage behind Pierce's Store. That
me on the left.

There were seven musicians overall but they
weren't all on stage at on every piece.

The Green Mountain Boys (and woman) at the
Town Hall. 

We both joined our local MINT, a Makerspace facility. "Makerspace programs provide space and resources for individuals to design, experiment and invent, fostering creativity, problem-solving and collaboration." Here in Rutland it's in a huge former warehouse with a warren of activity. I've rented a 8ft by 8ft space as a studio and Scott uses the variety of machines, like 3D printers and woodshop machines. Their funds ran out and they had to let go of their paid staff so now it's all being run by volunteers!

My last living first cousin on my father's side, Judy Halburg, celebrated her 90th birthday in June. That's her in the center with Heather on the left. Over 100 guests attended a beautiful luncheon in her honor. Most of them were descended from my father's sister, Judy's mother, Edna. 

Scott has returned to baking sourdough bread!

 

We both volunteer at our local library and I'm a member of the Rutland Garden Club. We maintain over 16 gardens around the city and mine is the local Senior Center. Scott helps me with is along with 2 other members. I must admit this is getting to be difficult for me, along with my own huge garden, but it's OK for now. I'm not walking as much as I should but we do Bone Builders twice a week. It's an hour of weights, stretches, meditation designed for Seniors. But we are sure keeping busy as you can see from this write up! 

And on the 1st of July our family and friends start arriving for our annual Fourth of July weekend. More about that in my next post. 

2024 - Finishing up the Year!

Scott and I took some long walks in nearby 
Central Park and got to watch the runners in the
NYC Marathon.

Daniel and Shira contemplate one of my 
chocolate chip cookies. I brough tons of 5 
verities and they were all gone in a few days!

 

Cookie, Uzi and Maya pile up on Josh

Uzi, Heather, Maya and Shira at the Museum of
Modern Art.

Before our trip to Ireland we went down to NYC to visit our oldest son Josh and his family. Michal and their two younger children moved to Manhattan in September. They joined their oldest three kids who are all at Columbia University: a Senior, Junior and a Freshman. Their Coop apartment is on the corner of Park Ave. and 84th and has room for all of us. So we'll be visiting NYC more often!

Heather with Jessie and her son.
Mollie's 3 children and Rowan were
there as well, but somehow I only
took 2 photos!

And here's the other one: Doug, Carol, Julie and Gene.
These are both at the Holiday Open House

After returning from Ireland we had several parties to enjoy. First, Pierce's had a dinner for all their volunteers and staff - great fun and excellent food. Then our annual Holiday Open House in Boston which this year was hosted for the first time by Marty Wolf and her daughter and son-in-law, now living next door, Molly and Patrick. Scott and I stayed with Marty for the weekend to help out with the preparations. We had a big turnout with lots of family and friends. Last was a pot luck dinner for my Book Club members and their spouses at our good friends and neighbors, Lily & Eldred French.

Everyone dressed and ready for a day on the slopes. Michal, Maya, Daniel, Shira, Uzi & Cookie.

It was Daniel's 22nd birthday and we
made a three tier chocolate cake
filled with s'more ingredients!

Michal, Cookie, Shira, Scott, Uzi & Daniel - lighting the 
Menorahs

This was our year for Thanksgiving so the rest of our family was celebrating Christmas with their in-laws. But Josh's family accepted our invitation to come visit us for the week and celebrate Hanukah with us. Yeh! The only sad news was that Josh could not goin us. He was stuck being the doctor for his partnership during the holidays. Michal, my daughter-in-law drove up from NYC with our grandchildren, Daniel, Cookie, Maya, Uzi and Shira. What a great time we had and the weather cooperated with lots of snow. They skied two days at Killington, made snow forts and snow men, sledded, and roasted a LOT of marshmallows. 

Also in November Kolya got to go on his first
real tent camping trip on the AT.

And now we're on our way south - more on my next post.

And I couldn't resist adding this
fun photo of Rowan and a pair of
outsized boots.

December in Photos (California, Boston and Vermont)

 

Grandpa and Rowan in Boston for Scott's 
Birthday

I made a carrot cake for the celebration at Sean
and Will's in Boston. We had the Holiday Open
House at Sean & Will's on Sunday and didn't get
a single photo!!! But it was a lot of fun and brought
together so many old friends.

Rowan is 5 months old and as you can see,
adorable. We're in Boston still.

With Zoë in California for a week around
Thanksgiving at the start of December

James, Morgen and Kolya drove up from Washington DC for Christmas

Josh and all his family (7 total) came from Dallas
London and NYC Here he's helping Will with dinner 
prep.

Shira and Michal read to Rowan

Here's all seven of Josh's family ready for a day on the slopes: from left, Josh, Daniel (yes, he's that tall and 21 now), Maya, Shira, Cookie, Uzi and Michal. There was snow up at Killington but none at our house. I'm so busy at the holidays with a household of 15 that I didn't get many photos!

Rowan is quite a handful for Kolya!

Rowan is the happiest baby!

Kolya loves Astronomy and Oceanography.

Here it's Sean and Will who look happy!

Cousin Lisa came up for a night and 
met Kolya and Rowan for the first
time. 

Daniel on the slopes!

Uzi, Cookie, Daniel, Shira and Maya

Daniel's Birthday celebration - 21 year old!!!!

Fun Times in Boston with Sean & Will

 We returned home on Monday night May 10th and that very Friday we drove (the Prius this time - big gas mileage difference) down to Boston to visit our youngest son Sean and our son-in-law, Will. They bought a single-family house in Dorchester near Savin Hill around two years ago. The weather was lovely until Sunday when we did have some showers. Sean had taken the afternoon off on Friday so we went for a beautiful walk along the harbor starting from the Kennedy Museum and continuing on to the South Boston beach. That night we enjoyed drinks out in their deck overlooking their big backyard with their neighbors Joe and Eileen. I brought dinner with me, a Beef Ragu with Ramps, which I served over orzo, with a garden salad. Scott and I forage for wild ramps every spring near our home - so good.

You can see a little of their deck in the background while Sean has fun with some Romaine.

Saturday they had bought tickets to the Monet exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. It was a real treat to return to a place we have spent so much time. I took art classes at the Museum's School for many years before we moved to Vermont and we've been members there for a long time. Sean and Will are very active members! That night we had two parties - first with Jason and Dan for drinks and then Sarah, Jesse, and Dave for dinner. Party, party, party - life visiting them! Fabulous time with all of them and wonderful food. 

Scott snapped this photo of Heather, Will, and Sean in the mirror under the Sargent Ceiling.

Sunday morning was beautiful so we drove downtown to the Seaport district and walked along the harbor. We chose Davio's for lunch as it was Sean's favorite restaurant for his birthday celebrations when they were on Newbury St. This location is right on the harbor and we sat outside admiring the ships and sailboats going by.  When we first bought Scott Free we spent a year at the Marina just across the bay in East Boston. 

Here's a great view of the harbor walkway looking towards downtown from the Seaport area.

Sunday afternoon we had a Jack & Jill virtual shower for Caitlin and Brett, soon to be Mr, & Mrs. Silverstein. Packages had arrived in the mail for us with the party theme, Hawaii. We wore colorful sunglasses and leis and enjoyed cookies and chocolates. Next, we had planned to attend a party at a trendy bar where Sean had taken a cocktail course. It was a bit of a reunion with his classmates. But late afternoon showers shut down the outside dining and the bar was too crowded for us at this point in time, so we passed. 

Marinated vegetables to go on the grill for dinner - notice the ramps on top! They were accompanying steaks, shrimps, and sausages. 

Instead, Will made some wonderful grapefruit cocktails for us (with fresh ruby grapefruit juice, Amaro, gin, and Aperol). And there were plenty of great leftovers for an easy dinner. The next morning Scott and I drove home, stopping for a walk and ice cream with Russ & Marty Wolf in Concord, Mass. What a fabulous weekend!!!

Will shakes up his Grapefruit cocktails with a
flair!

Enjoying the Monet exhibit, distanced and with
masks.

Sean & Will

Looking away from the previous photos at the 
Seaport at a small Marina area,.

That's Davio's restaurant across from the harbor
walk. It's enormous with lots of outdoor seating.

Summer's End

James Haslam, Director of Rights & Democracy, Senator Bernie Sanders, Heather and Scott at Bernie's Birthday Bash September 10th  on a cruise around Lake Champlain.

Scott and I hike almost every day. This was taken on the AT/LT north of Killington.

It's always bitter sweet when we enter September. Touches of red, yellow and orange tinge the trees and it's too cold to sit outside and eat our breakfast. Fall is starting and we barely had summer. It was cooler and wetter than usual here in Vermont. But we had a lot of fun as usual with lots of guests. Here's a photo album of some of the highlights:

Scott, his cousin Lisa and her boyfriend Yosi, neice Wandi, sister-in-law
Wilma, brother Brent and Heather

All dressed up to attend Opera North's Madam Butterfly.
Brent, Wilma and Wandi came for a week in early August.

Scott won a painting by Persi Narvaez at the
Art in the Park, Rutland

My sister Paula took Amtrak to Boston this year at the
beginning and end of her two weeks with us. Here our first
night dinner at a Cape Verdean restaurant in Dorchester.
Restaurante Cesaria, Sean & Will

Scott, Paula, Sean & Will at Boston Harbor's Harborwalk
Terrace for dinner and a concert by Soul City.

Blues Band Soul City played one hit after another.

My sister Paula Mathai and myself

We picked so many blueberries that we made jam for the
first time.

My containers did really well this year.

The new border around the west end of the pond

I LOVE hollyhocks and just wish I could grow more of them.

There is a close up below of the huge blue heron that has made our pond his home. AND eaten all our trout! He definitely
considers himself King and is not easily driven away.