From Fayetteville, NY to Walkersville, MD
CONTACT
Temporary Address until May 22nd:: 8897 Successful Way, Walkersville, MD 21793
Permanent Address after May 22nd: 8509 Adventure Court, Walkersville, MD 21793
March19, 2026
Lily and I hit the road after a brisk and bittersweet walk with our dog pack: Honey, Coco and Littles and their humans. Lily slept most of the way, despite the barrage of swear words spewing from my mouth when I entered the construction-hellscape known as the state of Pennsylvania. Just as we crossed under the twin cranes that have form a demented gateway into PA for the past eight years, Bruce Springsteen’s “Badlands” started playing. Coincidence? I think not!
We arrived in Walkersville around 3:00 pm, had tea and scones and went for a walk to check out our surroundings. There was much sniffing, exploring and frivolity. I think we’re gonna like it here.
March 20, 2026
On today’s schedule:
1. Sniffing
2. Walking
3. Picking up sticks (me).
4. Enjoying the 70 degrees weather and sunshine.
March 21, 2026
On today’s Schedule:
1. Sniffing
2. Walking
3. Visit to Petsmart in Frederick
4. Find the post office
OMG! I found an IHOP!
March 22, 2026
The Discovery Neighborhood, where my sister and I live, was built in the 1970s. It appears that there were only 3 designs built:
1. a split level with 6 steps up to the front door in to a main level over the garage, 6 steps up to bedrooms & 6 down to a den.
2. a split level with a bay window, no steps to the front door, and the same split stair situation inside.
3. a colonial with no steps up to the front door but 12 steps inside between floors. I think the richer people live in these.
Our House is style #2.
It has the fewest stairs and is the BEST style for a geriatric beagle and a someday-but-not quite-yet geriatric beagle mom.
March 23, 2026
Yesterday we went to Fountain Rock Park which had plenty of rocks, but no visible fountain. These 22 acres are old…used first as Native American (Iroquois and Algonquin) hunting grounds, then as a limestone quarry that ground rock into gravel, and now as a nature center and trout fishing area. It was nice, but, honestly, it was no Green Lakes. Sorry, Maryland!
March 24, 2026
Lily had her first vet appointment this morning (nothing is wrong, but they make you come in for a “welcome visit” where they welcome your credit card to the amount of $114 into their computer system.) it would be extremely hard, if not impossible, for this clinic to impress me since I was lucky enough to live near the gold standard of animal care, Village Veterinary Hospital and had the best vet in the world, Frank Capella.
Opossum Pike Vet Clinic is off the busy highway known as Opossumtown Pike (thus the “original” name). I immediately missed the peaceful, bucolic pond and sculptured grounds back at VVH in Canastota…not to mention all the wonderful people inside.Within the OPV clinic, concrete and metal took the place of the warm brown wood and artwork I had come to know. The atmosphere was cold, but the workers were friendly. I liked their logo…cuz…purple!
It took Lily approximately 22 seconds to realize that, despite the extreme difference in decor, she was at THE VET. “Oh no,” I could hear her thinking as she vibrated her whole body in panic attack mode, “they have these things in Maryland, too! WTF!” The doctor, Rececca Arthur, was very serious, calm and quiet yet seemed knowledgeable and thorough. Of course she was the opposite of Frank, who is a humorous, exuberant extrovert.
Everything there was in such sharp contrast to what I have known for the past almost 30 years that I teared up. But I got over it. Lily will get good care at OPV. Me…I’m not so sure. Maybe it will grow on me? I know it isn’t helpful or healthy to compare here to there, now to then, but...see pics below and you won’t judge me. I’ll try to do better. Next time.
Village Veterinary Hospital, Canastota, NY
Opossum Pike Vet Clinic, Frederick, MD
March 25, 2026
Today, Lily and I are heading to Barrick Garden Center to buy that tool that removes dandelions. If you’re reading this blog, you know of my irrational hatred of and zero tolerance for these weeds. If I’m feeling festive, I may also purchase a rake. And, oh boy, I think I figured out how to add comments to my blog! Now I get to see if anyone is actually reading it. 🤣😂
March 25, 2026 (post road trip)
Barrick was cute, but small. It reminded me a of the nursery in Chittenango, Sorbello’s. My Grandpa Parry, who fostered my hatred of dandelions by making nasty wine from its flowers and drinking way too much of it, had a saying: “Tutto il mondo è un solo pease.” For those of you who don’t speak Italian, it means, “All the world is one country.” He proclaimed it in wonder whenever something in America reminded him of the small village in Calabria which he left when he was ten. Despite his flaws, and there were many, he did share a few gems of wisdom. I think of this one frequently down here, especially when I pass farmland, and for a moment, I feel like I’m just driving home from the vet in Canastota.
March 26, 2027
Lily and I checked out Walkersville Community Park early today to beat of afternoon high of 80. It was BEAUTIFUL! And that is in this in between, not-so-lovely time of year. I can’t wait to see it in May, June, July and then as summer blurs into Autumn.
It was a hybrid of the Erie Canal walk and Mill Run Park. No herons but I saw a few mallards and geese. There was even a mini covered bridge (they are big around here). Theo will love the huge playground.
Walking the trail was the first time the ashes of doubt about this “adventure” slipped off my shoulders. I can see myself visiting frequently and bringing friends who come to visit. It’s my favorite places so far…except for wherever Lily is.
PS I don’t know who zoned Walkersville, but to get to many public places, like the parks, grocery stores and churches, you have to drive through residential neighborhoods. It’s weird.
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HOORAY!!!💕
March 27, 2026
I am a Maryland homeowner.
March 28, 2026
Today Lily and I and “Aunty Mommy” (aka my sister), are running errands. Lowes allows dogs, so we will have a new adventure. She did well for the two hours that I was at my closing yesterday although she did screech an accusatory, high pitched objection at me when I returned home. My gross negligence was duly noted. It is the coldest day here so far (high will be 45), but it is sunny. Warm enough to buy some pansies!
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Wow! You did it! Very impressive!
Enjoy every piece of this move.
March 29, 2026
Today we had brunch with Charissa, Alex and the kids which was the first time I’ve seen them since I arrived. Theo is so cute and smart; Amalia is just adorable. She tried a tiny bit of ice cream and loved it. She got that from my genes, no doubt.
March 30, 2026
Today will be quite exciting as I’m getting my oil changed 🤣. Poor Lily has to have her ear cleaned out.😳 She had an infection when we left NY, and it takes the medication a few weeks to work. She is VERY protective of her ears.🤕 I can already hear her high pitched screams in my head. 😱She has adjusted well to this Big Adventure and loves to sniff the back yard and travel on the community trails. I take her between my sister’s house and my own every day, so it will be one less adjustment when I move in on May 22nd.
I’m hoping to take my sister to Walkersville Community Park as she has never seen it although she moved here almost six months ago! We signed up for the FFL “meet the author” book club on April 15 when they will “meet” Hayley Gelfuso who wrote The Book of Lost Hours. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-book-of-lost-hours-hayley-gelfuso/1146385198?ean=9781668076361 Anyone can sign up for the Zoom. You don’t need to live in Fayetteville. I highly recommend it if you’re an avid reader. https://onlib-fayetteville.libcal.com/event/16189672
March 31, 2026
I’m loving Maryland today because it’s sunny and almost 80 degrees. I think it’ll hit 70 in NY, and I’m glad because the winter there has been brutal. It’s peak cherry blossom season, but I’ve only seen one tree. There are these weird wild chive or garlic plants that are seemingly endemic to this area. I first thought they were unique to my sister’s yard. When I cut the grass, I could smell this faint onion aroma. But then I saw them all over the park. Lily adores Walkersville Community Park; she always walks ahead of me—rare for her— and gets that dog smile on her face. It definitely “youthens” her.
March 31, 2026 PM
The USPS in Fayetteville actually forwarded a piece of my mail. This is how it arrived. I can’t wait to see the condition of the first package.😂🤣
April 1, 2026
This morning was boring but busy as I got my taxes done. It took almost two hours, and Miss Lily was not pleased with my absence even though she got the gold standard of canine care from my nephew. The decibel level she can achieve when she is angry with me is truly remarkable. Maybe she was an opera singer in a former life? 🤷🏻♀️Fortunately, she was not too upset to lick up every particle of her breakfast. I feel very guilty leaving her, knowing she gets this neurotic, and it makes getting to know the area a little tricky. It hasn’t even been two weeks, so I’m hoping she’ll adjust to my leaving. I do plan to go to Bethesda for Greek Easter. 🐣
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I just love reading your blog!!!
April 2, 2026
Lily and I will be spending a quiet, cloudy afternoon indoors after a drizzly walk and a fruitless and frustrating morning, trying to locate my mail that still hasn’t arrived since I put in a request three weeks ago. I’m told there is a backlog…
On the positive side, those of you who knew and loved (or at least tolerated my love for) Buddy, the squirrel, will be heartened to learn that there is a local Maryland cousin with even a shorter tail. I feel fated to befriend this special needs squirrel.🐿️
April 3, 2026
Today is a dismal day. For those of you who never took Latin, or like me, took it but spent the whole class writing gossipy notes to Al Carletta, “dismal” comes from dies mali or bad days. It’s a trifecta of badness here in Maryland.
- Bad weather—which isn’t Maryland’s fault. It spoiled me for ten days by being too good, with sunshine and temps so high that I was embarrassed to report them to my friends in CNY. For the last two days, it has been drizzly and in the 40’s/50’s. And foggy! Morning fog is thick and prevalent in this area, and I don’t understand why. It’s not like we’re near Chesapeake Bay. I’ll have to float an email to my old friend, John George, the earth science teacher and amateur weatherman, and ask for an explanation. It reminds me of the Kansas song, “Cold, Grey Morning” from their amazing (but extremely under-appreciated) Freaks of Nature album. It was written thirty years ago but perfectly describes today’s political climate. You can give it a listen if you’d like. https://youtu.be/q1T8rGqvmmM?si=Cv8cYokWOJ0bz2We () But moving on…
- Bad day for Lily as she visited the vet. Again. She has been peeing in her bedding almost once a day since we got here. She pretends to dig a hole and lets go. I am beside myself. Except when I leave the house, she seems to be adjusting. I take her out every two hours by day and once in the middle of the night. I’ve purchased disposable diapers. She removes them. I put the wee wee pad, which she has used for almost 15 years, ten feet from her sleeping area. She has peed on it once. I decided I need to rule out a UTI. Thus, the early morning vet visit. In the cold, grey fog. The vet, a different one from last time, who had even less personality, took a urine sample and sent me home. She said she’d look at it after her morning rounds, and if Lily needs meds, I can just return to fetch them. Through the traffic, and the fog…
- Bad day for my eyesight. Last night, when I was groggily tossing Lily’s waterproof bed cover in the washing machine, I accidentally included my glasses. They went through the wash and rinse cycle although I did retrieve them before they hit the dryer. As a result, my left lens got scratched. Now it’s like I’m looking at the world through a cataract or my bangs are in my eyes. Surely, you ask, you have an extra pair? Well, in fact, I do. I have a spare, I also have prescription stitching glasses, and I have two different magnifications of readers...all of which are nestled in a POD in East Syracuse. Have you ever tried doing cross stitch with blurry glasses? I don’t recommend it.
April 4, 2026
Some days I wonder why I took in this adventure. I have been asked by friends and relatives, with puzzled glances in quizzical tones.. I have had a safe and comfortable life in New York. There is nothing wrong with it. But I think the best, most complete and honest answer to that question is that I don’t want to be the “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” which is meaningless to you if you don’t like Pearl Jam. I don’t actually like Pearl Jam. I bought their greatest hits, which is forty songs long…they’ve had A LOT of hits... and never found another tune that I could listen to the whole way through. But this song of theirs is among my favorites of all time. It makes me think of my best friend at Colgate where we studied to be teachers. He went off to London to teach, travelled all over Europe and took great risks while I remained in upstate New York for 30 years. Ironically, I’d always thought he was the cautious one. I wonder: What would he think of me now? This song was on one of the cassettes tapes he always made for me, and it resonates. And it festers. And more recently, it burns. I don’t want this to be me.
Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
You can listen to Eddie Vedder singing it if you choose. It is hauntingly beautiful.
https://youtu.be/g0pzDAd6TNw?si=rCTWd3iQTI_-BSvp
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Your blog is a treasure. Lots of gems! Thank you! I look forward to finding more gems.
April 5, 2026
Today is “normal Easter”…as opposed to Greek Easter which we will be celebrating next Sunday—complete with a whole lamb roasted on a spit—which I’m sure will amuse or perplex the Potomac neighbors. My sister and I attended mass at St Katherine Drexel, a gorgeous church in Worman’s Mill, a wealthy neighborhood in nearby Frederick.
I had never heard of St Katherine, who is the patron of philanthropists and of racial justice, so I googled her. Her life was quite inspirational. She was a banking heiress, but her parents taught their daughters that wealth was to be shared with those I need. This started her on the road to philanthropy. As an adult, she advocated and built schools for native Americans and African Americans; she established the order of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and Xavier University in New Orleans, both welcoming minorities. You can learn about her life HERE. https://saintdrexel.org/about-us/about-st-katharine/
The church building is a visual feast for the eyes. As you enter, you’re welcomed by a long corridor with two rows of flags of the world hung from its ceiling. There is a beautiful wall fountain that still pics cannot convey, and I unfortunately couldn’t find a video of. The altar is stunning, and the picturesque gardens even have a labyrinth.
Inside:https://youtu.be/svpTXLU4xfY?si=IpqXGRmuyxPrEmpx
Gardens: https://youtu.be/x9YHuJ31icc?si=ajJGwna_bDRIuX2G
But St Katherine Drexel is not just about pretty window dressing. The parish is very progressive and inclusive, two features not often associated with a Catholic Church. It does outreach to marginalized individuals and communities and strives to embody St Katherine’s spirit through its work. I was besotted by it. My sister, not so much. She thought it was too big, too crowded, too modern. But how can you properly judge a church on Easter Sunday? She is off to Bethesda to celebrate Greek Palm Sunday which includes a traditional feast of beets and cod. 🤮 (Makes me SO glad I’m Italian.) I will stay home with Lily and eat carrot cake. Whatever your menu, I hope you have a good day, one that is drier and sunnier than we have here in Maryland!
April 6, 2026
Maryland weather has spoiled me, and I’ve become entitled in a short period of time. Today it will only reach 60, and I’m bitter. A month ago, in New York, I would have delighted in anything over 40—which it will barely hit today. It is fascinating how quickly a person gets used to a place—visually. After less than three weeks, I can walk this neighborhood with a blindfold. I can navigate to about ten destinations without GPS.
Acclimating is not as quick in other ways. I miss my dog pack back home, canines and humans, the cosy, familiar spaces in my old house, and not having to adjust everything in my mind, all the time. I yearn for my old routine, knowing exactly what my day will look like and who will wander in and out of it. Maybe it is not a good thing to live life on repeat, like a skip in a record or a number on speed dial, but it is comforting.
April 8, 2026
“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.”
This is a famous French saying that translates, “The more things change, the more they are the same.” I think this is crap; the more things change, the more the ground shifts under my feet and the familiar touchstones disintegrate and scatter to the wind..
I haven’t even been gone three weeks from New York, and already my favorite tree, the ancient giant that has shaded the front of my old home forever and was the beloved playground of Buddy, the squirrel, is slated to meet the axe; meanwhile my favorite house on Mott Road will soon be sold with the lovely gentlemen who has lived there forever moved into a facility.
These two icons of the neighborhood can’t be replaced, and their loss alters the landscape irrevocably. I am planning a trip back to Fayetteville in June, and I can only shudder, wondering what other changes will have taken place in the interim.
I suppose it’s hypocritical to complain about these transformations when my own move probably shifted the ambiance for a bunch of people. No more beagles in the bay window, for one thing.
I’ve been told that the neighborhood dogs still pull their owners up my old driveway, looking for the “treat lady” and get confused when the dogless new owner stands there, empty handed.
April 9, 2026
It looks like today will be warmer in Fayetteville, NY than it will be in Walkersville, MD, and I happy because no one deserves a nice spring day more…except maybe the poor people who endured winter on the Tug Hill Plateau. My exciting itinerary includes picking up Autumn leaves and opening an M&T bank account in Worman’s Mill, my new favorite place to shop.
The second worst law firm in NY state, Wladis, (you were for-warned), messed up my closing and never credited me for paying a year’s worth of 2026 county taxes, so they had to issue a refund. which, of course, was done incorrectly. The correct check finally came in my mail which has started to trickle in. Lily’s day will be objectively worse as she is due for an ear cleaning.
I thought about living in Worman’s Mill, which is five minutes down the road, but I couldn’t abide the $300+ HOA fee. It is pretty, though, centered by a gorgeous gazebo and ribboned by the Monocacy River. There is a special part of it called The Island which I’m longing to see. Maybe Lily and I will take a road trip this afternoon and watch the wealthy live large..
Worman’s Mill, Frederick, Maryland
April 12, 2026
Today is Greek Easter. We were supposed to go to Potomac to a large 50+ celebration. It included a whole lamb on a spit, Charissa’s two BFF’s and their husbands/kids and Yiayia’s renowned cooking. Well, we make plans and…ah…life. One by one, the Kafarakis family came down with some intestinal flu; Yiayia Maria even ended up in the hospital. Not wanting to expose their children, my niece’s besties both backed out. Then my sister got sick…so we won’t be attending. I guess it’s just going to be lamb for 40. Here are a few pics from last year when they dressed Theo in the traditional outfit of Lefkada. And of course, the unfortunate lamb.
April 13, 2026
Since I arrived in Maryland, I have been seeking a great—or at least good—ice cream experience; so far, I am zero for two. My first day here we went to Sweet Babe’s Creamery which is supposedly the number one ice cream place in Walkersville. Well, I’m guessing there must only be one ice cream place in town because this place was BAD. They only had three flavors: vanilla, chocolate and twist. Since I don’t like chocolate ice cream, I chose vanilla. It was grainy, as if it had bits of sand in it. The tiny shop was right on the main drag. Like a little truck exhaust mixed with your ice cream??? Not me. Not. Good.
Yesterday we went to Glamour View Creamery. It boasted homemade frozen custard made with milk from their own cows. I had high hopes for this place that was way, way out in the country beyond the town limits. The shop was actually a truck; it had three flavors: vanilla, chocolate and twist. I have to admit the vanilla frozen custard was delicious and velvety with not a grain to be felt. BUT…the cows were on site. While they were very attractive animals, I’d hardly use “glamour” to describe them or the barn view. (though the two baby bovines were adorable). It’s not very appetizing to eat anything, however scrumptious, when overpowered by the odor of cow sweat and other cattle byproducts. I probably won’t return.
With nostalgic longing, I am remembering summer jaunts to Zems, a scenic Canastota stand offering 40+ flavors and a peaceful picnic area to enjoy it, not to mention a store filled with candy and fudge! But the best part of Zems was the company of my neighbors which I dearly miss.
Next weekend we are going to Brown Cow Creamery, a market in Mount Ary that reportedly makes its own ice cream. Maybe three times is a charm?🤞🏼🍦
April 14, 2026
Oh my god, if you didn’t watch Jon Stewart last night, you have to see this! It was SO hilarious that I had tears in my eyes from laughing; but then the end was so moving and inspirational that I had different tears…of hope. He is truly a comic genius! I wish HE would run for president, but he’s too good for that. https://youtu.be/g6k55WQ5GAk?si=UvCy3q-FDz9Ua-ip
Today is leaf clean up day before the temp climbs above 80. But more importantly, it is this tiny girl’s 6 month birthday. Off to the doctor (lousy b-day gift). We shall see if she exceeds 12 pounds and can finally make the baby growth chart. Though people rightly fuss over Amalia, I must mention that big bro, Theo, is off the charts adorable. UPDATE: 12lb.1oz. She made the first percentile!
I Have Become a PODs Person
Yes, it’s true. Not “Pod” like in the invasion of the Body Snatchers where a parasite has kidnapped my consciousness—although sometimes I wonder…but “PODS” as in those scary, white and red trucks that lock all your possessions away in a location you can never access for two months. My most frequently used phase now is, “Oh, no, it’s in the POD,” uttered regretfully whenever my sister needs some household item, or I’m looking for weather appropriate clothing. Searching for a nail or hammer? In the POD. Summer shorts or short sleeved shirts? The POD. My exercise equipment? P-O-D. Apparently anything that could possibly be of any use to me or anyone else, including my dog, living in this house, is safely stored away in East Syracuse. The only exception is my Nespresso machine which I have dragged cross country…cuz…well…priorities!☕️
The upside is that I have been “forced” to clothes-shop. 🥰 Silly me, I never realized that the temperature here would hit 90 by April. I should have known. That’s why their outdoor Renaissance Faire takes place in September and October instead of mid-summer. It’s because the actors would melt into puddles of velvet, leather and lace if they wore those heavy costumes in July and August. But since I left upstate NY in the throes of March’s deep freeze and figured I would have my spring wardrobe here by mid-May, I brought the barest essentials, half of which are corduroy and velour. Now packages arrive daily from my new, favorite online retailer, Natural Life. https://www.naturallife.com. If you long to relive your flower child days while humming sixties classics like “California Dreaming” or if you just like cheap, extremely brightly colored/patterned clothing, you should check the store out.
April 16, 2026
Maybe it’s the 90 degree weather or the fact that my NY friends have already started tripping to Zems ice cream stand (without me🤕), but I can’t stop thinking about my second favorite dessert (fudge still owns my heart). My sister and I were trying to find a new place to explore this afternoon, and she found this website https://www.visitmaryland.org/article/ice-cream-lovers-guide-to-maryland. To my delighted surprise, it says that Maryland has an”ice cream trail”, kinda like the wine trails in the Fingers Lakes except way, way sweeter and creamier. Many of these sites promise a “cow to cone” experience! Also, Maryland was the first place to serve ice cream back in 1744 (strawberry) and the first state to sell it in 1851. Perhaps fate drew me to this state?
Anyway, we decided on two places: One was Catoctin Mountain Orchard which was highly recommended to me by the president of my stitching guild; it was okay. It reminded me of a small farmer’s market except it was all indoors and still had no produce. It had ONE flavor of ice cream, “Apple Pie Moonshine”. However, Kansas’ “Carry On Wayward Son” was playing on the speaker, and they are my absolute favorite band (The Goo Goo Dolls are now; Kansas is eternal), so I rated the place a 5/10.
The other, which I was MOST excited about, was Gateway Candyland, voted the best candy establishment in Frederick County five years in a row. It was a gigantic candy store with a bakery, reminding me of a larger version of Zems’ indoor shop. The fudge counter was my first sight as I opened the door, and my fudge-deprived heart leapt, but…honestly…I’ve had better. They also served Hershey’s ice cream as well as their soft serve, so I was really suffering from the Zems nostalgia. However, they only had a third of the usual array of flavors, AND they were playing country music, so I gave it a 6/10. These destinations are in Thurmont, about 20 minutes north of Walkersville, and I doubt I’ll be driving up route 15 much this summer to visit them. Not when there’s a whole ice cream trail to explore.
April 15, 2026
Today Lily has her monthly shot for Addison’s Disease. Hopefully, she will also get a pedicure while she’s at the vet, so I’m guessing it won’t be a good morning for her. To compensate, I am going to take her to the park and hope she’s not too bitter to enjoy it. She is not eating with her old enthusiasm, a troubling change which began when Grady left us. I thought it was the lack of prednisone, but she’s on 5x her normal dose and still doesn’t get to her breakfast until about noon and then only if I coax her. I took her into PetSmart and picked out a new Wellness recipe that I hoped would be more palatable. She likes it, but is still grazing which is not her (or any beagle’s) usual M.O. I wish I knew what was going on with her, but her recent bloodwork was great, and these vets don’t know her like Frank did. I feel frustrated and worried about her all the time.
I finished my first big needlepoint piece since moving or really since deciding to move and packing away my stash of stitching supplies (they’re “in the POD!”😵💫😱). It has reminded me of all the things I love and dislike about needlepoint. My thumb and wrist are throbbing from grasping the stretcher bars, and I spent more time ripping out floss than threading it in, but I do enjoy trying the different stitches and admiring the final result. I love the designer, Kathy Rees’ work which you can view here. It’s so colorful! https://needledelights.com. This piece called “Steampunk Strips” is comprised of my least favorite colors, but they seem to all work together well to give it an almost medieval feel. Now I’m onto a “simple” cross stitch that I have to teach next month at EGA called “Rhode Rage” (for all the swirling Rhodes stitches).
BUGS! As the weather here heats up, I have noticed some prolific bug activity, not at the normal buggy happy hour of dusk like up north but CONSTANTLY; it’s especially annoying to be mowing the lawn whilst trapped in nature’s sauna and then have these tiny flying things dive bombing my face. I was so agitated this morning that I stomped inside and googled “why is Maryland so buggy?”. I assumed the web would reveal nothing except the realization that I was hallucinating from heat stroke. This is what popped up instead. Oh. Joy. Note the lovely 17 year cycle of cicada infestation. Fortunately, by their next attack in 2038 I’ll be back living in a nice Kimry Moor townhouse in NY with snowflakes, not gnats bombarding my face. At least they melt.
April 18, 2026
Today we met Charissa, Alex and the kids in New Windsor at the Tulip Festival. In addition to rows and rows of “you pick ‘em” flowers in every shade, there were kiddie activities, food vendors and live music. The first booth I saw sold fudge which was excellent! They had some unique flavors: red velvet, lemon meringue pie, and Dubai chocolate. The tulips were kinda bedraggled, probably wished they were back in Holland. The music was really good—folk and soft rock. I felt kinda proud that most of the tunes the band covered I’d heard live by the original artists during my “wild”, concert going youth. The kids were adorable. Amalia loves music and was trying to move her mouth to sing along with me as I sang along with the musicians. Theo found more pleasure in the dirt than the tulips. They also had a Hershey ice cream truck, and I tried a new flavor—Midnight Caramel River. If they offer it at Zems, I strongly recommend it!
April 19, 2026
Today is a dreary, rainy day in Maryland, ushering in a cold spell. It may not even hit 50 tomorrow! I guess I shouldn't complain, though, because back in upstate NY it might snow. In addition to the weather, I’m a little bummed because I finally finished the twenty book Louise Penny mystery series with inspector Gamache. They are set in the charming Canadian village of Three Pines, filled with lovable, flawed, idiosyncratic characters. I began the series around the time I started moving, and truthfully, Three Pines seems more like home to me than here. I hate leaving there until October when the new book comes out, and I can go “home”. If you haven’t read them and want to, here’s her web site.https://www.louisepenny.com. I guarantee that after your first visit to the town square in Still Life, you’ll want to read the other nineteen novels.
Right now I’m finishing The Book of Lost Hours. We were supposed to Zoom with the author through Fayetteville Free Library’s book club, but I mixed up the date with one of my stitching Zooms, and we missed it. It was an okay book, but not recommendable. I am also reading Bruce Springsteen’s memoir, Born to Run and am learning so much about this musician who is one of my favorites. I’ve only seen him in concert once (at The Dome) during the 1985 Born in the USA tour. It was a “lifelight”, my new hybrid word for life highlight (ranking up there with watching Steve Walsh of Kansas perform and hearing the Goo Goo Dolls sing “Name” for the first time— both at SPAC; It makes me sad that I’ll probably not get back to that beautiful venue for concerts anymore. Maybe I can find a nice place around here.
Anyway, that Springsteen concert, which was three hours long, no opening act, was so epic, so memorable in my heart and mind, that I never went to another. It may seem counter intuitive, but I wanted to preserve it as the singular and pinnacle experience that it was. Now, I regret that. And I mourn the deliberate, decades long dry spell during which I disallowed myself from enjoying live music. I must have been punishing myself or something during my forties and fifties. Bruce is doing his farewell tour at Nationals Stadium in DC on May 27. I desperately want to go, but my sister says it’s a "terrorist attack waiting to happen”, and I don’t know anyone else around here that I can drag to it. Oh well, I’ll always have the memory of the Dome, I guess.
April 20, 2026
We are making two cakes today for Charissa and Alex’s eighth wedding anniversary tomorrow. The first is a Chocolate Banana Bread, the main purpose of which is to use up two aging pieces of fruit.I don’t even like bananas, but you can’t taste them; they just help make it the BEST, moistest loaf ever. It is from a food blog I love,Two Peas and Their Pod, twopeasandtheirpod.com. The other is a fancy almond honey cake with raspberry filling and buttercream frosting from Victoria Magazine. We had to buy coconut flour which I’ve never used before; I hope the result is worth it.
It doesn’t seem possible that their wedding was so long ago. Since then, I have stalked multiple matrimonial blogs, and I’ve never found another as lovely as theirs at the New York Botanical Garden. If a wedding is a foreshadowing of a husband and wife’s future, these two will be one of those elderly couples, still holding hands at 90, while tottering towards a rainbow lined sky together. 🌈
April 22, 2026
I’ve been here five weeks tomorrow and will be able to occupy my house a month from today. I’m getting very familiar with the layout of Walkersville and even know a few shortcuts. Without GPS I can get to Safeway (3 different ways), the Post Office, CVS, Sheetz gas station, Barrick Garden Center, two local parks and Pleasant Hill Produce where we joined a consortium.
Down the road in Frederick, I can navigate to the vet (OPV) and PetSmart (of course), Wegmans, M&T Bank, the UPS store,, IHOP, Worman’s Mill town square., and the Ceresville Mansion. I’m also pretty sure I could nose my way back to the candy store in Thurmont and the two substandard ice creameries we’ve tried—not that I have any interest in revisiting those last 3 destinations.
Around the Discovery neighborhood where my sister and I both live I’ve met three humans and four dogs. I can meander through the curving streets and community paths without getting lost…usually. Lily will not have to get used to a new walking area when I move again. But we will both have to adjust to a new house and yard. I’m anxious to do that!
April 23, 2026
On Tuesday I took Lily back to the vet for blood work to see why she does not always want to eat, considering that she is 1) a beagle and 2) on prednisone. She should be ravenous. She’s been like this off and on, mostly off, since Grady left us about 10 weeks ago. On Sunday, she didn’t eat breakfast until 8 pm. Of course, ten minutes after I made the vet appointment on Monday morning, the dog ate voraciously and begged for more.
I am flummoxed. Her bloodwork from February was great. Her physical exam was fine. Yes, she has since been stressed with the loss of her brother, her home and her pack. She was beside herself Saturday night because I left for three hours and maybe that was the reason for her fasting on Sunday? 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️I wish I had a vet I could trust (Frank), but I have what I have. Even though she rallied, I kept the appointment. You don’t mess with Addison’s Disease.
So her bloodwork was good. One kidney measure was “slightly elevated”, so they are now treating her as if she has renal issues which I think is premature. She’s on prescription, low protein dog food and can’t have real chicken which is the only thing she really likes. They told me to give her daily Pepcid and an appetite booster. Ironically, for the three days in a row, she has eaten better than she has since Grady died. I know I need to follow their guidance, but I’m so conflicted.
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April 25, 2026
Today we went to the Fiber Festival in Frederick, although I confess it was the fudge vendor (from the Tulip Festival) and not the booths for knitters and weavers that lured me there. Charissa and Alex dropped off Theo and went to lunch (with Amalia). They are both adorable. We think the baby may have said her first word, “burp”, although Mary insists she has previously said “yiayia”. She is a tiny thing and was wearing jeans and a pink sweater with a crocheted collar that I coveted for my own wardrobe. Theo actually ate, and we took him and Lily on a “nature walk” through the community trails.
Hallelujah
April 26, 2026
I’ve become very interested (the Millennials and Gen Z-ers would say “obsessed with”) the song, “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. Great songwriter that he was, his voice was a dirge, so I was listening to Chester Bennington performing it at Chris Cornell’s funeral service. (Cornell, the lead singer of Soundgarden, committed suicide in 2017). The song was even more poignant because a few months later, Chester Bennington, lead singer of Linkin Park, also took his own life.
Anyway I noticed that the verses he sang were not the same as the four verses first recorded in 1984 which I had googled. Here are the original four stanzas on Cohen’s recording:
Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord, But you don't really care for music, do you? It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, The minor fall, the major lift,
The baffled king composing Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Your faith was strong, but you needed proof. You saw her bathing on the roof. Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you. She tied you to a kitchen chair. She broke your throne, and she cut your hair. And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
You say I took the Name in vain. I don't even know the Name. But if I did, well really, what's it to you? There's a blaze of light in every word. It doesn't matter which you heard. The holy or the broken Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
I did my best; it wasn't much. I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch. I've told the truth; I didn't come to fool you. And even though it all went wrong, I'll stand before the Lord of Song. With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Halleluja, Hallelujah
Apparently Cohen wrote multiple verses of this song over five years, some say as many as 80, and finally, painstakingly selected four. Seven years after he recorded it, John Cale asked to see them and was sent 15 pages of lyrics. Cale recorded five verses, Cohen’s original first two and three others which he chose from the songwriter’s pages. The new version was more focused on a relationship and was very dark. Well, John Cale’s variation was used in the Shrek movie, so of course, the cartoon adaptation became the one everyone—more than 300 other musicians—covered and is the one that every listener knows.
I think this is unfortunate because it omits and therefore buries the theme of the song which is, “There's a blaze of light in every word. It doesn't matter which you heard. The holy or the broken Hallelujah.” Hallelujah roughly translates into “praise God in song”. To me the Cohen’s message is that there are praiseworthy things here on earth that are both sacred and secular if you have eyes to see and ears to hear: the winter’s icy, naked branches, blossoming into spring’s promise, a certain note in a piece of music that strikes a perfect chord inside you, a baby’s tiny hand grasping your finger as she smiles, the lonely wind, wailing through a summer storm, the tenderness and strength you never knew you possessed to care for a loved one, the image of your dog, running free and joyfully behind the veil after you’ve had to say “good-bye”. These things are of this world, not of heaven, yet are no less sacred or less worthy of Hallelujah than anything divine.
I wish there were a version of this song of praise with Leonard Cohen's original lyrics but sung in a voice that is anyone’s but his. I would listen to it everyday…just to remind myself.
April 27, 2027
When I was a teacher, I bemoaned Mondays. Although I never liked the Bangles, I related to their tune, “Manic Monday,”
It’s just another manic Monday (Ooh-oh). Wish it were Sunday (Ooh-oh). Cause that's my fun day (Ooh-oh). My I-don't-have-to-run day (Ooh). It's just another manic Monday
I sang along to the Boomtown Rats song, “I don’t like Mondays.” That was until I found out it was inspired by a psychotic teenage girl who fired into a school playground and offered the phrase to hte police as her motivation. I guess that explains the weird line, “I wanna shoo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oot the whole day down.”
Ironically now that I’m retired, Monday is my favorite day of the week. The mail resumes, television vastly improves from the dearth on Sunday, and everything that was closed, reopens—except some restaurants. Most importantly, the dread of five teaching days no longer looms over me like an ominous storm cloud, which could burst open and overwhelm me at any second.
It’s not that I hated my job. I loved the kids, enjoyed the curriculum that I had total liberty to create, and treasured the company of my friends on staff. It was the stress of the constant, often overlapping to do list: webpage updates, emails, paperwork, grading, meetings, etc. All of it made me feel like some aged-out athlete, trying in vain to complete an never ending obstacle course without collapsing into a heap. A colleague of mine called our school, “The great sucking place”, which was so perfect. Teaching sapped all my time, energy and brain power, leaving no reserves for anything joyful.
So why do I miss it? God knows I was planning my retirement party five years out. It was a gala, complete with a candy buffet, an acoustic duo and a Ben and Jerry ice cream truck. Maybe it’s because the people who attended it had became my second family. And my days with the kids imbued me with a sense of purpose and a feeling of accomplishment I have not replaced since June 30, 2019, my official expiration date. How am I both relieved that it’s over and nostalgic for that time in my life? It’s a mystery.
April 28, 2026
I am about a third of the way through I Am Phil. It’s a new memoir by Phil Ehart, the drummer and manager of Kansas, which has been my favorite band for over 50 years. I saw them live multiple times in their early days and in my early days, when the six members were truly a musical miracle. You may have heard, “Carry on Wayward Son” and probably know, “Dust in the Wind”, but this band was so much more! Listen to their masterpiece album, Leftoverture. Their body of songs is an intricate blend of classical elements and polyphonic rock. All of them were such gifted, mostly self taught musicians. They amazed me.just watch this video of Carry On Wayward Son.
Hearing them live was a surreal experience. It felt like I was standing in the eye of a musical tornado, and the vocalist’s perfect tenor was the wind, propelling the other instruments to spiral and swirl around me. Their violinist, Robby Steinhardt, who died in 2021, was a marvel, the main lyricist, Kerry Livgren, wrote metaphysical poetry—think Tolkien meets Thomas Merton—when every other band in the seventies was singing about drugs, sex and boring minutiae. And…then…then…there was their lead singer and keyboardist! Steve Walsh had the voice of an angel and the physical appearance of a god. He’s 74 now and has lost his characteristic mane of dark hair and his sublime voice, but to this day, he is my favorite musician. And in my mind, he’s still young and beautiful.
In the early eighties, he briefly left Kansas to form his own group, Streets. I saw them at the Lost Horizon in Syracuse on Nov 2, 1983 and stood right below him. Steve was extremely athletic and high energy during performances (he was known for doing handstands on his keyboard). That, and what I’m sure was a hearty dose of cocaine, caused him to perspire intensely during concerts. Well, at some point during this particular one, he flicked his long, gorgeous hair and swoosh! a spray of sweat descended on me. It remains one of the best moments of my life although I tragically lost the jacket he had sweated on. Steve Walsh rejoined Kansas a few years after that, but the original six musicians never reunited, and I never saw them, or Steve, live again.
Anyway, since I was an avid—some might say rabid—Kansas fan over the years, I’m not learning a ton that I didn’t already know from this book, but every new bit of information I get, I clutch onto like a precious gem. My dad used to say to me, "Wherever you go, you take Laurie with you.” And I do not believe he said this as a compliment. (I may have been a bit sullen and a tad negative back then…) But I will add a corollary to his words: “Wherever Laurie goes, she takes Kansas with her.” And that music and those memories it evokes help to make anyplace where I am feel safe and warm and home.
Dave, Kerry, Robby, Steve, Rich & Phil
April 29, 2026
Oh! I just saw the little, tail-compromised squirrel who lives in some tree around here. We’ve haven’t met yet, though. I can’t lure him with peanuts because there are about five outdoor cats skulking around, and I don’t want to unintentionally cause a tragedy. Besides there’s a tree around front with gigantic walnuts, and I just can’t compete with that.
It’s another dismal day in Walkersville. Apparently I was misinformed about Maryland’s weather! These overcast, chilly days somehow make me long for home which makes NO sense. It’s not like I came from Maui; whatever unseasonable streak of days we may be having here, I KNOW it’s gotta be worse up north, so why the longing? Maybe I am homesick because the gray sky and never ending jacket weather remind me so much of NY? That must be it.
It’s nearing the end of the month, and this week I rushed to complete my April ToDo list. I hit up Wegmans for groceries and CVS for drugs, started a local M&T bank account, pit-stopped by the vet for Lily’s new kidney drugs and ordered her kidney food (yum!🤮) from Chewy, mailed cards to some friends, caught up with others on the phone and finished my current book, I am Phil.
Most importantly, this afternoon I will see a man about a fence. I finally made contact with the handyman my realtor recommended. He was very slow to get back to me, but I hated to use someone else as Rosie made him sound like a cross between Frank Lloyd Wright and Bob the Builder. Well, I complained to Rosie, and she must have mad sway with him because three minutes after I texted her, he finally called me. It was worth the wait because he can do EVERYTHING I need, including fencing in Lily.
At my new house, the neighbors’ fences on each side of my yard are dog secure. But the fence on the back of my own property is one of those sad, corral ones that they love down here. Think rodeo or cowboys and then imagine a bunch of the horizontal wooden poles broken and bent and you’ve got the picture. Now, those who know Lily well realize she’s not exactly a big escape risk. She has always had her own special speed—I call it “maybe I’ll move today”. Plus, she is now fifteen and has arthritis. Yet, she is a beagle and will follow her nose if a rabbit or an outdoor cat comes into view. A dogproof fence is my first priority.
Second in importance is a new deck. The current one on the back of the house is tiny, old and basically an extreme do over. I’ve been gathering ideas on Pinterest, and am very excited to replace it. I imagine planters and benches as the perimeter instead of rails and a ramp to replace the steps. (safer for beagles prone to back problems and toddlers prone to tripping). My third priority is buying a washer/dryer and hooking them up anywhere but the basement where the previous owner did her laundry. She is taking her giant appliances with her which is fine with me since they look like I'd need my aviators' license to operate them. After all that, I figure I’ll just hand my home inspection report to this poor, unsuspecting guy and point him to my house.
May 1, 2026
Today is May 1st, May Day, Beltane and a Full Moon (Flower Moon). It’s a perfect day to read Tarot cards which I will do tonight as soon as the moon and stars peak out from the black silk of the sky . I just bought a new deck which re-illustrates the cards as stained glass windows. At one point, I had about 20 variations of the Ryder-Waite (original) Tarot deck, but I sold most of them on eBay. Now I’m down to four: Ryder, Tapestry (Zerner-Farber), Stained Glass and Game of Thrones. It’s fun to flip through and see how different artists have interpreted the 78 major (22) and minor (56) arcana. Of course, my favorite, Tapestry set, is located…you guessed it…in the POD.
The most important thing about May 1st is that it’s the month I finally get into my new house. The scheduled date is May 22, but the former owner is ahead of herself with packing and may vacate sooner. I’m conflicted about leaving my sister”s place. I’m excited to be reunited with my stuff and truly start my life here. BUT Lily loves this yard and has gotten to know this house and her new people. I feel bad that she must start again from zero.. And it will feel weird to always be alone (Lily is a girl of few words) although you’d think I’d be used to it. I know I’ll be very busy through the end of this month, settling in. And then, maybe guests will visit me… All of you are welcome!
May 3, 2026
I just finished watching the latest version of Wuthering Heights, and all I can say is that somewhere out there, Emily Bronte is weeping and wailing at the wreckage they made from her novel. I read that damn book about ten times, and I’ve cursed it because reading such a twisted love story in my formative years made me think that hopeless, painful, doomed-from-the-start love was somehow incredibly romantic. (And don’t even get me started about Mr Rochester, the so called hero in Jane Eyre.) I finally figured out the truth with no help from either of the two famous Brontë sisters.
The 2026 film changed the plot, cut out critical characters, altered the personalities and motivations of the remaining ones, and in the end, made Catherine and Heathcliff such heinous people, ones with no redeeming qualities, that you couldn't even scrounge up an ounce of pity or a teaspoon of tears for their doomed romance. I should add that two of the “hottest” actors in Hollywood—Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi—were the leads. I’m sure whoever was responsible for that casting figured their name power would boost movie revenues, yet was blind to the fact that neither of them can act. It was pretty horrible. When I wasn’t laughing.
May 4, 2026
This morning I bought a new hoodie which is hardly big news, but I got it from the EB Foundation. Most people don’t know much about EB or Epidermolysis Bullosa, which is a rare genetic disorder present from birth. Babies with EB lack critical proteins that bind the skin's two layers together. Without these proteins, the skin tears apart, blisters, and peels off, leading to severe pain, disfigurement, and internal and external wounds that may never heal. Children with EB are called “Butterfly Children” because their skin is as fragile as the wings of a butterfly.
If they live to adulthood, EB patients may lose their ability to walk and often lose limbs to aggressive squamous cell carcinoma that their constant wounds make them prone to. The best case scenario is that these poor kids spend the rest of their lives in pain and wrapped in gauze to prevent injury, infection and septic shock. Because of this, everyday activities we take for granted like eating, sleeping, walking and playing can become insurmountable tasks. You can find out more about it HERE.
I know this is a dark, depressing topic which may hang heavy on a sunny spring day, and I didn’t go looking for it. I was searching for a Pearl Jam concert to watch, and I kept getting the phrase, Matter of Time. Was it a new Pearl Jam album? No, it was a documentary that Eddie Vedder and his wife made about EB. Fifteen years ago they co-founded the EB Research Institute. Back in 2010, the only “treatment” for the disease was gauze and bleach baths. Now there are 50+ trials going on and 3 FDA approved drug treatments. Researchers believe a cure is imminent, and this isn’t only great news for EB kids and their families. The genetic research can make inroads in finding cures for Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, Cystic Fibrosis and other rare diseases.
I was profoundly moved by this documentary (Netflix), awed by the challenges these patients and their families faced with grace and faith while dealing with such uncertain lives and futures. I find it inspirational that Eddie Vedder, who is a millionaire 100 times over and can rest on his decades of artistic accomplishments, is trying to create positive change in the world. Unlike Jeff Bezos, who “bought” Venice, Italy for his ridiculous, superfluous wedding to a Botox-boosted, society poser, the Vedders are humanitarians. They are grateful, generous, empathetic and kind. Knowing there are people like that gives me hope for this world. 🌍🌎
May 5, 2026
This video should have made me laugh out loud, as Jon Stewart always does, but it just made me really, really angry and a little scared. I won’t say more as I promised myself I wouldn’t address politics on this blog. I’ll save that for Facebook posts. But…JEEZ!
https://youtu.be/oneo86z5VG8?si=Y_o53HZ45fxz0lZt
I had to look at these pictures to calm down.
May 7, 2026
Today we are going out for ice cream again, but it’s back to that cow pasture place, so I can’t get too excited about it. I heard it was winter coat weather for a few days up in NY, so I guess eating anything under a sunny sky should be an opportunity for gratitude, not complaint. Nearby Frederick is supposedly a foodie paradise, but we don’t go out to eat much…or at all. We got pizza from Cugino Forno which had high Yelp ratings, but it was just so-so. And I’ve already bemoaned the ice cream situation. Maybe I’m too picky or have a bad attitude?
It’s not like Syracuse was a Mecca of food choices. There was Avocolis for Italian (good) and Erawan for Thai (very good). Nothing to which my stomach ever demanded a return visit. There was Zems for ice cream and Hercules Candy for fun. The Eggplant had decent pancakes…An Italian bakery and gelato place was supposed to open in Fayetteville, but it got delayed, and then I left. I wonder if it’s any good? So far the only impressive food I’ve tasted in Maryland is this fudge, but we haven’t really ventured out. I miss Zems…
May 8, 2026
Today Lily and I were out for our walk and noticed an elderly lady we’ve passed multiple times. We always nod and say “good morning” to each other, but this time, for no particular reason, we stopped to chat. It turns out she also moved here from NY—the Binghamton area. Not only that, but she is from Owego, a picturesque town on the southern tier. It lies beside the Susquehanna River , and it was my home during my early teaching days! She, too, had walked down River Row, shopped at The Hand of Man, and attended the annual Strawberry Festival. All my favorite things to do there, she knew!
Even though I only lived in Owego for two years, that time is still so vivid. My memories loom in technicolor and overwhelm past visions of my more recent lives, set in other places. Keith visited me there as well as my two favorite students, Matt and Rob (after they had graduated HS). They said they worried that I was lonely. My nephew, who was a toddler, called the town “Aunt Wego” because my sister would so often drive to see me and buy treasures in the unique stores along the river.
Reminiscing is bliss. I can recall carefree days, walking past the bridge that spanned the Susquehanna or watching the water lap lazily along while I had coffee and dessert on the porch cafè at the Hand of Man, a magical shop beyond my writing ability to describe (See pics). Owego was the postcard perfect,19th century American town with its huge gazebo, Victorian lined streets and the sound…always the gentle sound of flowing water, serving as the sweetest background music to my life. But mostly, it was the peacefulness and the possibility of that time that I cherish and can’t help mourning. I was young, the future lay spread out before me in any direction I chose to travel. My life was rich with the hope of what might be.
I left Owego in 1993 because it was too far from my new job in Ithaca, but by then, the shimmer had tarnished for me. Keith had stopped flying up from Florida to save me, the boys had left home to find far away jobs, and it seemed loneliness was my most frequent visitor. Although I returned often, I never could recapture the zen of life there. Then in 2011 terrible floods destroyed 90% of the town, including River Row where I had lived above a law office. The Hand of Man closed permanently a few years later. Robert Frost was right: “Nothing Gold Can Stay.”
Owego is so sleepy, so out-of-the-way and has maybe 42 residents! (Actually 4,200). What are the odds that I would come across Judy who may have actually strolled those streets the same years that I did? She seemed awfully nice and chatty, and I hope we can get to know each other. (She has no dog…)
May 11, 2026
Yesterday we went to Mother’s Day brunch at Charissa’s house. Menu: eggs in purgatory with garlic toast, gourmet mac and cheese, fruit salad, blueberry-lemon bread, chocolate dipped almond cookies and lemon tiramisu. And mimosas. Charissa’s Greek in-laws were uncharacteristically low key, but perked up when Alex suggested making a batch of Negronis. As we left, they were brainstorming a signature drink for Amalia’s Christening. They do love their alcohol!
I played super heroes with Theo. He’s into Spider Man, and my sister bought him the action figures which he really didn’t need as roll models. He’s already high energy and very loud (but also super cute and smart). I hope he calms down by kindergarten this September. Amalia is so tiny and adorable. She will be seven months old in three days and weighs less than 13 pounds. She “talks” and teethes nonstop and just cut her two bottom teeth. Poor Champ is still unsteady after his bout with canine vertigo and was begging for attention. He enjoyed eating anything Amalia dropped from her food tray…which was a lot.
We left with flowers and cards. All-in-all it was worth the tongue lashing I got from Lily when we returned. Today I am hoping to hear from the handyman who canceled on me the first time and stood me up the second. I really need that fence done soon, but I did commit to work with him; I don’t know how long to wait or when to call it quits and just call a fence company.
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Loving your blog!!! You are such a good writer!!!
I’m enjoying your daily blog Laur!! 🩷
Thank god mama left me in the car at Barrick. I could smell two evil kitties in there!!!