While cataloging the posts that didn’t make it on to the blog in 2011, I recognize that I was notably quiet about our experience with Tropical Storm Irene. I was unnerved by life without electricity and even more upset watching my in-laws and their neighbors deal with aftereffects, less than half a mile away. We [...]
While cataloging the posts that didn’t make it on to the blog in 2011, I recognize that I was notably quiet about our experience with Tropical Storm Irene. I was unnerved by life without electricity and even more upset watching my in-laws and their neighbors deal with aftereffects, less than half a mile away. We hosted those a few who could no longer inhabit their homes and lived by the grace of a generator. It was not convenient, but it was nothing to complain about.
I started this post back in September, but never found the energy to finish it until now. Five months later, my in-laws are very close to returning home.
September 8, 2011
How quickly life goes back to normal. I’m still momentarily surprised by hot water from the tap, flipping the switch and being delivered from darkness. Last week, I learned to appreciate all those little things so easily taken for granted.
Hurricane Irene roared up the Eastern Seaboard, but in the end it was the storm surge that ended up being even more devastating. Here in Morningside we lost power for 5 days, but I know there are those who lost much more. It was a rough week all around, but we are counting ourselves lucky that our friends and family are safe.
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In Morningside, a tremendous wind violently ripped the leaves into a soggy green carpet
The angry Long Island Sound, high above from the Morningside seawall
So much for the hurricane shutter… and the window.
The storm surge flooded the neighborhood and set all kinds of personal effects adrift in the street.
Not every golf cart ride is fun
One block in, now on the waterfront
This little water voyage made me smile
One day later: golden tranquility returns to the shoreline.
The week before Christmas, I can always start to feel things come a little unglued. It’s that one last gift you can’t figure out, the traffic jam in the parking lot, and the stress over entertaining family. Last night a person we had never met before bought us dinner. We were a surprised and hesitant [...]
The week before Christmas, I can always start to feel things come a little unglued. It’s that one last gift you can’t figure out, the traffic jam in the parking lot, and the stress over entertaining family.
Last night a person we had never met before bought us dinner. We were a surprised and hesitant in accepting his generosity, but he simply insisted we pay it forward. This afternoon I had the answer. I remembered Community Plates, a local Connecticut non-profit recently featured on CT Bites.
As we close in on Christmas, I have a great little discovery for all of you who have said “bah humbug” to pine needles on the floor and the question, “did you remember to water the tree?” If your Christmas tree was assembled after digging out the storage box, there’s no doubt you may still [...]
As we close in on Christmas, I have a great little discovery for all of you who have said “bah humbug” to pine needles on the floor and the question, “did you remember to water the tree?”
If your Christmas tree was assembled after digging out the storage box, there’s no doubt you may still miss that woodsy holiday scent that comes along with dragging a live tree inside your house. The Thymes Frasier Fir collection is the answer. So many candles feature an overbearing fragrance, but this is one is very balanced and natural. Light this candle before the doorbell rings and you’ll notice guests immediately comment that the tree smells great! I received this candle from a co-worker and now that I’ve test-run it a few times, I’ll say it’s a worthwhile investment and makes a fine holiday gift. It burns cleanly and evenly and when you take down the ornaments, you can pack this candle away knowing it will last for many Decembers to come.
Photo booth shots may com back to haunt you! I’m aware they are a popular feature at weddings these days, but have never come across one before Katey and Dave’s NYC wedding. There’s something about this curtained little cramped space that guarantees some laughs, especially since I entered with a camera hound celebrating his birthday! [...]
I’m aware they are a popular feature at weddings these days, but have never come across one before Katey and Dave’s NYC wedding. There’s something about this curtained little cramped space that guarantees some laughs, especially since I entered with a camera hound celebrating his birthday! This booth automatically took 6 photos. We kept one strip of 3 and the other 3 went into a guest book. We kept the sillier shots (still safe in my wallet) and gave the newlyweds the straighter set of photos. Turns out NYC Photobooth supplied the bride and groom digital copies of EVERY photo! They’re also online, in a event gallery. Mercifully, those images are password protected, but you can laugh at ours below!
We initially planned our trip to Southern California to celebrate a few milestones in my father’s family: my grandfather’s 88th birthday (a significant celebration is in order if you are Japanese) and my cousin Geoff’s graduation from UCSD. My aunt planned this family reunion and firmly believes that in order to have a successful family [...]
We initially planned our trip to Southern California to celebrate a few milestones in my father’s family: my grandfather’s 88th birthday (a significant celebration is in order if you are Japanese) and my cousin Geoff’s graduation from UCSD. My aunt planned this family reunion and firmly believes that in order to have a successful family vacation, you must ensure everyone gets at least one activity that makes them happy. Since D was enduring a lot of time with MY family, I’m sure his trip highlight was a round of golf with my uncle and grandfather on the North Course at Torrey Pines.
When we arrived in La Jolla, we drove straight to the course for a 10 am tee time. After our hot afternoon inland in Coto de Caza, I was unprepared for the June gloom and chilly temps on the coast. Like a true rookie visitor to the San Diego area, I hadn’t packed enough long-sleeved clothing and I figured, “oh it’ll just burn off.” I didn’t expect to go out on the golf course, but at the last minute my uncle suggested riding in the cart. I grabbed my camera and proceeded to freeze my way through the front 9.
While the guys were warming up on the driving range, I took a look around.
My Uncle Steven
D on left, my grandfather on the right
What the deal is with the Torrey Pine?
Is it native to only this area of La Jolla? It certainly is a iconic feature of this course.
Looking south to downtown La Jolla
My grandfather is an avid golfer and was a longtime member of Waialae CC. These days, he doesn’t get out quite as much, but regardless, it’s pretty impressive to play a full round of golf at a US Open course when you’re 88!
I begin to tire of pine trees and start checking out other flora and fauna
There were loads of rabbits on the North Course. This fellow is just chillin’, not the least bit afraid of me or any of the golfers passing by.
I really can’t explain the wacky range in exposure for these photos. I’d like to blame it on the June gloom or the rush to find a place to shoot, while not holding up the game, but really it boils down to user error.
When we hit the turn, I promptly jumped out of the cart and booked it on over to our hotel. I was freezing cold and had lost feeling on the side of both my pinky fingers 3 holes ago. The Hilton Torrey Pines was our home base for 2 days. Located right on the edge of the 18th fairway, we found it both comfortable and reasonably priced! We also liked being situated between both La Jolla and Del Mar. Check out the view from our room!
A final note about me (and golf):
Even though I can’t play, I am one of the crazy few who finds it relaxing to watch golf on tv. Perhaps I am just so happy that football season is over! I also don’t mind riding along in the cart, as long as the course is a worthwhile spot for photos.
Once upon a time, Morningside was just one large estate. Eventually it was subdivided into many smaller building lots that make up the footprint of the current neighborhood. This year, the Morningside Association celebrates its 90th anniversary! I think most of our neighbors would agree that Morningside is at its best during the summer. In fact, [...]
Once upon a time, Morningside was just one large estate. Eventually it was subdivided into many smaller building lots that make up the footprint of the current neighborhood. This year, the Morningside Association celebrates its 90th anniversary! I think most of our neighbors would agree that Morningside is at its best during the summer. In fact, its finest hour may just be the Fourth of July picnic. Last year, my Hawaii cousin Brent attended this bbq organized and funded by the association and proclaimed it was like being in a movie. There’s a lot of All-American small town appeal in this community of about 200 families. Where else can you gather in the summer shade and eat your neighbors’ home cooking while watching kids go crazy with tug-of-war, sack race and egg toss? I know there are many, many folks who contribute their time and efforts to make this event happen, but I believe an extra special shout out belongs to Bob W, Mr. Fourth of July.
We’re lucky to have a rec field that is managed by the association. When we arrived, the grill was already going with burgers and dogs.
Neighbors contribute side salads and other specialties
First order of business: getting in line for lunch
Tug of war
We bring our own chairs and always seek shade on the hillside. This year the weather was perfect. Just a slight breeze to cool things off.
Back to the three-legged race
And the sack race
And finally… the egg toss. A lot of eggs met their demise on that field!
It’s really wonderful to have a frosty treat on a hot summer day. In order for the neighborhood kids to get their ice cream, first they need to deliver it out to all the adults on the field.
It started with a paperweight. Nearly every summer of my childhood, I flew from Connecticut to visit my father (an attorney) who lived in Honolulu. I had my eye on a paperweight that he kept at home. It looked like trash, a discarded sheet of yellow lined legal paper destined for the garbage. I wanted [...]
Nearly every summer of my childhood, I flew from Connecticut to visit my father (an attorney) who lived in Honolulu. I had my eye on a paperweight that he kept at home. It looked like trash, a discarded sheet of yellow lined legal paper destined for the garbage. I wanted this paperweight even though I had no legal aspirations and it’s doubtful that I had ever even scribbled on an 8.5 x 14″ page. I certainly wasn’t churning out anything special in middle school, but I still grasped the small pleasure that comes with *physically* discarding a bad idea. These days, just try getting that same satisfaction when you delete a file into the ‘recycle bin’ on your computer desktop!
My dad passed away my freshman year of high school and no one claimed (or threw out) the crumpled mass. An only child, I quietly claimed this memento as my own.
Who would design such a paperweight? I never bothered to investigate. This pre-dated the days of Googling every question that pops into your head. I had never even heard of the New York design firm, M&Co. My introduction came after college, when I bought a hardcover copy of Tibor Kalman: The Perverse Optimist. As I poured over the pages, there was the story behind the paperweight.
And it had friends!
Inside that hardcover retrospective, I also took a special shining to the whimsical drawings and paintings of Maira (the M in M&Co) Kalman. Over the years, she’s stayed on my radar. I bought What Pete Ate for a friend’s son. I stumbled across The Pursuit of Happiness blog on the New York Times. I purchased the hardcover of The Elements of Style(for the illustrations)and when we bought our new house, I proudly shelved it in our downstairs bathroom. Bonus points for you, if you visit and happen to notice it.
Last week I finally crossed paths with this fast-talking artist, who really can find inspiration in just about anywhere. In May, she’ll be moonlighting as a maid in an Irish castle. After a Westport Library/Write Yourself Free talk with her partner-in-crime Rick Meyerowitz, Ms Kalman graciously signed my copy of The Elements of Style. The first thing she did was inspect the book’s spine to make white typeface was printed properly. I immediately panicked, but was assured not to worry. My copy came off-press just fine.
Rick Meyerowitz’s work was mostly new to me. I’m a bit too young to remember National Lampoon the first time around, but his new retrospective Drunk, Stoned, Brilliant, Deadhas also been purchased, signed and has quickly topped the backlog stack of New Yorker magazines on my reading list. I would love to sit down to dinner with these two. They have a sharp eye for both the absurd and the beautiful in life. Plus, they love to photograph food!
End note: I’m sure many of you are thinking, why doesn’t she read the damn Elements book and learn a thing or two from Strunk and White? Like Ms. Kalman, I appreciate wit and wisdom of The Elements of Style, but I’m a designer, not a writer. I find grammatical guidance difficult to absorb or heed.
Recently, I posted a link to Dine with Design, a June 11, 2011 event that features food from Harvest to Heat chefs and artisans at Philip Johnson’s Glass House. The sole Facebook comment came from my friend Burke, who noted, “People who dine in glass houses shouldn’t throw cherry stones.” I thought this quip was the perfect match for a Maira Kalman illustration. But of course she’s already been to New Canaan and I’d know that if I had bothered to read about restrictive clauses.
My stepfather is probably the person who has most influenced my love of food and travel. Tonight we celebrate with family, but George has never dined at Schoolhouse at Cannondale so we plan to remedy that shortly. I always hear rave reviews for Chef LeBant’s food, I don’t know why it’s been over a year [...]
My stepfather is probably the person who has most influenced my love of food and travel.
Tonight we celebrate with family, but George has never dined at Schoolhouse at Cannondale so we plan to remedy that shortly. I always hear rave reviews for Chef LeBant’s food, I don’t know why it’s been over a year since our last visit!
Photographic memory… Sadly, I definitely don’t have it. My abilities are a bit more selective. Luckily as a designer, I am blessed with good visual recall. This means I can remember certain images very clearly, even years later… Like this one, from our wedding nearly 5 years ago. We were just married minutes before and [...]
Photographic memory… Sadly, I definitely don’t have it. My abilities are a bit more selective. Luckily as a designer, I am blessed with good visual recall. This means I can remember certain images very clearly, even years later… Like this one, from our wedding nearly 5 years ago. We were just married minutes before and there was husband and my great uncle from Hawaii – together on the lawn of a winery in Connecticut.
Some of you may know my Uncle Ed. This man of great compassion and wisdom was my maternal grandmother’s brother, both an architect and artist. He passed away late last week, but I know he would want family and friends transform sad thoughts into happier ones. I’ll always remember feeling special when Uncle Ed took me (the short lived, architect-aspiring version of me) on a tour of his firm, Aotani & Associates. One of his paintings now hangs proudly in our living room. When I look at the giant brushstrokes and ponder my grandmother’s abilities as a seamstress, I can’t help wondering if my creative abilities find their roots in the Aotani side of the family?
Happy Valentine’s Day! We’re back after a short, unplugged winter getaway to Vermont. Thanks to Verzion, I now know I can still survive 2 days without tweeting, texting or using my cell phone. While I’ve known my Valentine for 9 years, I’ve never seen him on a snowmobile before. D had a surprising need for speed, [...]
Happy Valentine’s Day! We’re back after a short, unplugged winter getaway to Vermont. Thanks to Verzion, I now know I can still survive 2 days without tweeting, texting or using my cell phone.
While I’ve known my Valentine for 9 years, I’ve never seen him on a snowmobile before. D had a surprising need for speed, so I was relieved to take this photo while STANDING with two feet firmly planted in the snow. This sentiment came about after hanging on for dear life on the back of his sled! There’s more to come in a separate post: including our stay at the our eternally rustic Falcon’s Roost in Rochester, adventures in snowmobiling and Brent’s first snowman.
image via 
