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On a recent trip (pictures coming soon) to Provence with our friends, I found a lovely store filled with French linens and housewares.

This is a our table (with kitchen to the left and living room to the right.) This is where we set up the laptop, drink coffee and eat peanut butter, pile groceries and occasionally...not nearly as often as I'd like...sit down together for dinner.

I have a love, now boarding on obsession, for aprons. It started by Kerry passing on an apron worn by her and TJ's grandmother. I love the idea of us both wearing it - during times of preparation and creation or food for those we love.

Then we wore aprons for our first Thanksgiving with both families at our house on Gates street, followed by some New Years eve preparations.

I love them and my hook for them is now overflowing. It makes me happy to put one on, and a bit silly too. A nice way to start a task.

This is a part of our living room, (you can see TJ on his laptop in the reflection.) There was a bakery giving out balloons one Saturday. It became a couch-companion!

Just a little update on 'where we live'!

I am horribly behind on posts....

Clarence House

Each Summer the royal family open their London homes, (Buckingham Palace, St. James Palace, Clarence House,) to the public. This is in part a way for them to raise money, and to allow the public to see these places that are normally both working offices and private homes.

We've been to Buckingham Palace a few times. Each year it has a different theme. I've seen the Queen and Prince's wedding, (her wedding dress, their presents, films) all set in Buckingham Palace. Last year we saw the palace dining room set with china, crystal and silver for a state banquet.

We just recently went to Clarence House, where Charles and Camilla live and where the Queen Mum spent her later years. It is stunning - elegant, but in a lived in way. Tables of books, art, views to gardens that Charles built. It is just a beautiful design experience and made me think repeatedly, "when we get a house (again)..." We went on a private tour with our friends John and Melissa on a Friday night. We had the tour then a glass of champagne.

The best fact we learned is that Charles has a custom Aston Martin. Although all of his cars run on bio-dynamic fuels, this one is even better. It runs on red wine. After all of the banquets that occur at Clarence House, the empty all of the bits of red wine to help the car run.

A bit fanciful....but definitely makes me smile.

Deauville - Normandy

Earlier this summer we took a trip to Paris and Deauville (on the Normandy coast.) After two nights in hot summer Paris, we welcomed coming to the beach.





Although the heat continued, we ate well (due to TJ's colleague Francois' recommendations...)

had some lovely wines...

took a little ferry to Trouville...

and stayed at a lovely hotel - all pictures are here!

Moment of Zen...

I spent some time on Long Island this past month. A week of which was spent between Brookhaven and Stony Brook hospitals with my dad.

I had some time on one of my last days there, to grab lunch in the Stony Brook cafeteria. It was beautifully hot and sunny and I was desperate for some fresh air. I grabbed my vegan dumplings (yeah, that's right...hospital food has come into its own,) and made out for the patio.

In the corner of the 3rd floor roof, sat a metal swing. A metal porch swing is the best way to describe it. Why metal? Cleanliness...efficiency....who knows but definitely not for the peaceful sound.

I scrambled onto it and started swinging. Creeeekkkkkk....squeeeaaakkkk....I swung like I was back on Barton Elementary's playground. Creeeekkkkkk......squeeeaaakkkkk....my smile started. Creeeekkkkkk......squeeeaaakkkkk.....I started laughing.

I knew that there were dozens of people in my life my parents, aunts and uncles, TJ, Karen, friends, Lauri, Alyssa, Stacia, Laura, Christine, Jen, Ami, Shannon, Kathy and Sparky, Kerry and Kevin, brothers and sisters in law, and cousins who would laugh with me and that they were right there with me enjoying the heck out of that 5 minute breath of fresh air on a squeaky, metal porch swing on a roof of a hospital.

They were there with me.

Thank you.