Skipping Town

I went into the office all day then came home and went to Trader Joe's with the kids. Coming home from NH and then immediately going back to work as well as being a solo parent has left me exhausted. At least now we actually have groceries, if not the time to cook anything. We had a quick "dinner" of frozen Trader Joe's dumplings as soon as we got home from the store, and then went to Frick Park for Lucia's cross-country run. Her team summer runs have begun, and she is beyond excited. She says XC is her favorite time of the year.  Greta didn't want to run tonight so she walked two miles with me. I am very tired and stiff, so she had to make an active effort to keep pace with me, which she kindly did. It's a lesson for me: in NH, I moved around all the time, walking down the road, walking down the hill to the pond, and I felt great. It's the best I've felt all summer. Now, after a ten-hour car ride and back to sitting for most of the day, I can feel...

The drive home yesterday was long, but we made it, and now the next part of our summer will begin. We were all very sad to leave. We needed a few more days there to lie in our hammocks and play Rummikub; we had some busy days the second week we were there, and we needed a few more days of our regular NH routines, with the kids screaming nonsense on the floating dock, Andrew puttering around the barn, me moving from place to place with my book. But two and a half weeks--not bad at all. Not bad at all. Today Andrew left for Peru, and I worked from home, and the kids slept very (very) late and are once again ensconced in their rooms. The rhythms are so different here.  A bright spot was when Lucia and I were talking about her required summer reading for her tenth-grade English class (three books by American authors; it's an American lit class), and she seemed flummoxed about what books to select. (The guidelines gave categories--book by a Black American author, book with sci-fi elemen...

Our final day in NH. We started off the day with a second river rafting trip, taking two rafts this time with Andrew's sister's family plus aunt and uncle. The water was very shallow and slow, but it was a beautiful day, and Andrew and the girls and I stopped twice to hunt for river glass. It wasn't a very nice swimming day, since the slow water meant there were lots of tiny flies that adhered to skin and swimsuits; the volume of them was actually very alarming. Lucia did swim for a while while we were rafting, in an area where there weren't many flies. We saw a bald eagle and a cute family of brown-headed ducks. Then it was time to unwind our NH stay: deflating all the inflatables, taking down the pond rope, taking down the swing and hammocks, packing up, cleaning out the fridge. It was all very very sad. Andrew, the kids, and I squeezed in a hike through the woods. Andrew's aunt and uncle brought over Pizza Chef pizzas for dinner, and then we loaded up the car and...

There's nothing like the Fourth of July in NH. This is our 16th NH Fourth--we've been coming here every year for the Fourth of July since 2008, with the exception of 2012, which was when we moved from Brooklyn to Maplewood. Sixteen years of Fourth of July parades, rummage sales, bbqs, fireworks, fire pits.  Today was exactly the same as every other year. We went early to the parade so we could visit the rummage sale, which, this year, was very sparse; but across the street was a giant sale, and the girls and I found lots to bring home, including a mug that says "Vermont All-State Cow Tipping Team." Then we watched the parade. The girls have officially aged out the candy portion--everyone throwing candy passed them right by. But we did get our chocolate milks from the dairy. After the parade, we had hot dogs and hamburgers at the firemen's bbq, browsed the cakes in the cake auction area, and then headed home.  While Andrew and his sister etc went to hike up Mount A...

Wednesday was the memorial service and lunch reception for Andrew's parents. They were laid to rest in the family cemetery with a group of cousins and other relatives in attendance. It was a beautiful sunny day, and I think everyone was happy to have this chance to formally gather and reflect. Today was extremely rainy, so our planned rafting trip was postponed until Saturday. The girls and I spent much of the day reading. Andrew, the kids, and I played two games of Rummikub. After lunch, the girls and I took our final trip to Books-A-Million and Newbury Comics, and Katherine and Thomas came with us. Greta turned in two punchcards and got four books; Lucia turned in one and got two books. I bought myself a book too. We just browsed at Newbury Comics. I felt very sad when we left, saying goodbye for another year. Once we get home, we don't even think about these stores until we're getting ready for our next summer visit. We went out to dinner at Harpoon Brewery, the seven of...

I had a very busy workday but took a quick break at lunchtime to play Rummikub with the girls. After I was done for the day, I floated on the pond while the girls did their usual horseplay on the dock. There was no sign of the snapping turtle. Andrew and his sister shopped for nearly the entire eight hours I was working, getting things ready for the funeral and reception tomorrow, which they are cooking for themselves rather than catering. This is a complex undertaking when home base is a house without any platters, serving bowls, counter space, fridge space, or other amenities. It's almost like trying to host a party from an extended-stay hotel, where, if you're lucky, you have access to one fork, one teaspoon, and a couple of thin plates. The highlight of the day: It's Farrah's 6th birthday! Six years ago today, our little baby was born at Creampuff Farm. To celebrate tonight, we gave her a doggie ice cream cup topped with a strip of bacon, plus two new toys, and sang...