Things that make me feel unreasonably accomplished. A list.

• When I successfully hand- or machine-wash an article of clothing labeled Dry Clean Only, saving on present and future dry-cleaning bills.
• When I schedule a haircut, dental appointment or other nagging, grown-up life admin item.
• When I return all my library books on time.
• When I keep a plant alive through the winter.
• When I put together an outfit of which my fashionista sister and mother would be proud. (This often involves at least one piece of clothing or jewelry given to me by one of them.)
• When I have a successful phone conversation with someone I don’t know. (There are few things I dread more. Sometimes I actually pray for people not to answer the phone.)
• When I pull off a new, complicated recipe or knitting pattern.
• When I finish a difficult book.
• When I send off a well-written book review. (Extra points if it’s a review of a difficult book.)
• When I successfully navigate a new city, particularly if I do it by instinct.
• When I buy a gift for someone and they love it.

What makes you feel absurdly, disproportionately, proudly accomplished?

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Weekend in the Berkshires

Since we moved to New England, people have been telling us we needed to visit the Berkshires, which is only a couple of hours from Boston but might as well be another world. We spent a recent weekend there, celebrating J’s birthday, exploring half a dozen charming little towns and touring a historic Shaker village. It was green and fresh and blooming, quiet and relaxed and charming, and simply lovely.

We stayed at the Apple Tree Inn, eating breakfast on the veranda, playing Super Scrabble in the living room, reading in the front yard, and taking deep breaths of the spicy, woodsy air all around.

Just up the road was Lenox, where we stuffed ourselves with pasta at Frankie’s, savored ice cream at The Scoop, and sampled a range of tapas (and sangria) at Brava. (Fried calamari + patatas bravas = YUM.)

Lenox boasts one bookstore, aptly named The Bookstore, where I found a wonderful old hardcover edition of Anne Frank’s diary (complete with newspaper clippings about Otto Frank) and a copy of a brand-new E.B. White collection on dogs. (He and I share a deep affinity for dachshunds.) They have a wonderfully eclectic selection and an enormous amount of poetry. I could have browsed for hours.

I spent far too much money at Colorful Stitches, a gorgeous two-story yarn shop, and we also stopped by the Lenox library book sale, where J and I each scored a $2 find. (We figured that balanced out the big yarn bill.) From there we drove to Lee, where we poked around a bit and had lunch at the Starving Artist Creperie & Cafe. (Delicious.)

We then drove up to the aforementioned Shaker village, where we saw medicinal herb gardens complete with cool old seed boxes:

There were also baby animals, and lots of old farm equipment, some of which J tried out:

I was fascinated by the looms and spinning wheels, once used by the women of the community:

On Sunday, after checking out, we drove to Great Barrington and enjoyed omelets at Martin’s, then spent a while wandering around Main Street and its environs. The sun was out and so were the locals.

Just before leaving, we enjoyed some (more) ice cream at the SoCo Creamery shop. This was the same brand served at The Scoop in Lenox, and it is delectable. That blue concoction you see below is called Cookie Monster. Nom nom nom.

All in all, a perfect (and delicious) weekend. We’ll be going back.

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What’s On Your…

Ali Edwards and Lindsey of A Design So Vast both posted their versions of this list recently, and I decided to post my own. I always love these glimpses into other people’s everyday lives. Feel free to play along on your blog, or in the comments. (Above: what’s on my coffee table.)

Here’s what’s on my…

VANITY | I don’t have a vanity. But on the top of my dresser (which serves a similar purpose) are my CD alarm clock, two bottles of perfume, a bracelet with a red double-decker bus charm, my watch (when I’m not wearing it), and assorted earrings in a heart-shaped pottery dish (a gift from my friend Abi).

PERENNIAL TO DO LIST | Mop the kitchen floor; do the laundry and dishes; purge my closet; write more.

REFRIGERATOR SHELVES | Asparagus, milk, leftovers, butter, assorted yogurts, spinach, several kinds of cheese. (In the pantry: cereal, chips + salsa, Girl Scout cookies, baking ingredients.)

ITINERARY | A trip out to the Berkshires (western Mass.) soon, to celebrate my husband’s birthday. A folk concert in early June. Thinking about how to celebrate our fifth (!) wedding anniversary at the end of June.

FANTASY ITINERARY | Oxford. Always Oxford. Also Paris, Italy, NYC, Hawaii, and time with my family in West Texas.

PLAYLIST | I don’t listen to music at work these days (I work in an open-plan office). But at home while we cook dinner, it’s Kate Rusby, Grace Pettis, Frank Sinatra and various jazz compilations (including a five-CD one bought long ago on Portobello Road). And on Sundays there is a lot of a cappella singing.

NIGHTSTAND | Vanilla sugar hand lotion from Bath & Body Works, Burt’s Bees lemon cuticle salve and honey lip balm, a lamp with a red base, a constantly rotating stack of books. 

WORKOUT PLAN | Guilt, mostly, for not getting more exercise. Contemplating a return to yoga, or an attempt at running.

IPHONE | I don’t have one, though I admit my seven-year-old flip phone will need to be replaced before long. Still can’t decide if I want a smartphone or not.

TOP 5 LIST | Time with my husband; good books; singing with friends on Sunday nights; my nephew’s smile; the change of seasons in the Boston area.

BUCKET LIST | Go back to many wonderful places I have loved; visit many more new places; write a book; raise a family; be brave.

MIND | The mixture of grief and hope so prevalent in Boston right now. Where to find cute, comfortable shoes for spring. Birthday gifts for my husband and nephew. Juggling multiple freelance assignments (a happy problem). Starting my balcony herb garden. Lots of life admin items.

BLOGROLL | The Wednesday Chef; Micha Boyett; Modern Mrs. Darcy; Pink of Perfection. (And so many more!)

WALLS OF YOUR FAVORITE ROOM IN YOUR HOUSE | A photo of my husband and me printed on canvas; a photo montage of my time in Oxford; three red maple leaves pressed under glass; a small landscape painting bought in Spain. A red shelf with a few treasured books on it.

LIQUOR SHELF | Don’t have one. I’m not much of a drinker, though I enjoy a glass of sangria or white wine once in a while.

LAST CREDIT CARD STATEMENT | Stitch Fix; Brookline Booksmith; Darwin’s; the pharmacy; the grocery store.

SCREENSAVER | Don’t have one – though my work computer background is a joyful, colorful burst of tulips.

TV EVERY NIGHT | We only turn on the TV on Mondays to watch Castle, or to dip into Friends (my very favorite) on DVD.

What’s on your…?

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Gone to Texas

Last week, I hopped a plane at Boston Logan one morning, wearing a shirtdress with tights, tall boots, a scarf and my plaid wool peacoat. Several hours later, I landed in sunny West Texas, where I spent the evening – and the next several days – in jeans or shorts, short-sleeved tees, and bare feet.

After two (more) feet of snow recently, the warm sun on my skin felt miraculous. But even better was the chance to spend time with this little guy:

That’s my nephew, Ryder, who came straight to my arms even though I hadn’t seen him since Christmas, and who will (I have no doubt) be walking any day now. Meanwhile, he’s a speedy crawler. He loves flipping through board books (especially those featuring Sandra Boynton’s crew of quirky animals), knocking down towers (which my mom builds for him over and over again), and clapping for himself. And anything with wheels. (My uncle has already bought him his first few John Deere tractors.)

Time seems to slow down when I go back to West Texas, especially when it’s not a major holiday and there’s no real agenda. I spent lazy mornings sipping tea and reading the newspaper with my parents (we have a longstanding tradition of finding typos in it – they abound). We ran through Rosa’s three times for chicken fajita burritos dripping with queso and paper bags full of warm tortilla chips. My mom and sister and I browsed junk shops for the perfect table to put behind Betsy’s sofa, then spent hours in my brother-in-law’s shop, painting and sanding and staining. (Their new house, which was still a construction zone at Christmastime, is finally finished, and gorgeous.)

I love many things about my life in Boston, including my new job (where my supervisors were kind enough to let me take this already-planned vacation). But every so often, I feel the urge to get back to that dusty oil town where I grew up, to eat fiery salsa at Mexican restaurants or juicy steaks grilled by my dad, to travel the familiar roads of my childhood and teenage years. To laugh with my sister and quote old movies with my dad and hug my mom, and to watch the dusky pink and orange and purple of the sunsets I still miss. To go to the church where I grew up and hug my parents’ friends, who are also my friends, and tell them about my life so far away.

Despite last week’s crocuses, it’s still cold and snowy in Boston. But I am warmed by the memory of four days of sun and salsa, and spending time with a few of my favorite people in the world.

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Winter weekend in NYC

Recently, J and I hopped down to New York for a long weekend. I didn’t visit the city for the first time until about three years ago, and I find it endlessly alluring, no matter the season. It’s fast-paced, but there are pockets of quiet even in such a teeming metropolis. And there are a seemingly infinite number of historical landmarks, dazzling theatrical shows, delicious restaurants, fascinating bookstores, charming cafes…the list goes on and on.

We rented a lovely little third-floor walk-up apartment in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, complete with wee kitchenette (and teakettle!):

On our first evening, we wandered the neighborhood and visited, among other spots, the Greenlight Bookstore – a light-filled space packed with fascinating books of all genres. (I snagged Ruta Sepetys’ new novel, Out of the Easy – wonderful young adult fiction set in 1950s New Orleans.)

After some (rather disappointing) Italian food, we headed to the Chocolate Room in Park Slope, because chocolate cures many ills:

That’s a delectable brownie sundae, and we both ordered hot chocolate to go with it.

Warm and woozy from our dessert coma, we headed back to the flat and fell asleep.

The next day, we did a “vertical tour” at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, in Morningside Heights near Columbia. Madeleine L’Engle, my heroine, was the librarian there for many years, and I’ve always wanted to see it.

We walked up (and up and up) a staircase that took us to the top of a buttress, eye-level with gorgeous stained-glass windows, and eventually up to the roof:

After a stroll through Columbia’s campus, we settled on lunch at Deluxe, which we finished by splitting a strawberry milkshake:

We then headed down to the Upper West Side, popping into Book Culture on West 112th on the way:

A chill wind and tired feet led us to stop for tea and a muffin at Arte Around the Corner:

Refueled, we wandered over to the Museum of American Folk Art near Lincoln Center (a fun, quirky little find), then ate some delicious Indian food on the West Side and bought a few Insomnia Cookies to take back to the flat.

Sunday morning found us wandering the Brooklyn Flea, housed for the winter in the beautiful old Williamsburg Savings Bank building:

Then we met our friends Duncan and Allison for brunch at Whym in the West Fifties. This was my choice – mixed-berry stuffed French toast, with raspberry curd. Heaven.

We spent the afternoon seeing The Mystery of Edwin Drood, a hilarious musical adaptation of an unfinished Dickens murder mystery. The audience gets to vote for the killer! Campy and fun, in the style of Clue. Afterward, we headed to The Little Pie Company for fresh berry pie and tall cups of tea.

The wind had kicked up by then – it was too cold to walk around, but we weren’t hungry for dinner yet. Allison suggested the Harry Potter exhibit at the Discovery Center in Times Square. It’s a little pricey, but such fun for Harry Potter nerds – it showcases props and costumes from the Potter films, including Quidditch gear, robes and wands, Hermione’s textbooks, several Horcruxes, and a huge glass case of sweets from Honeydukes and Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes.

We shivered our way down to Don Giovanni’s for some yummy pizza, a glass of sangria, and some truly delectable chicken noodle soup, with spinach and tomatoes. Perfect for the bitter weather.

Our bus left on Monday afternoon, so we spent a leisurely morning strolling Park Slope (popping into cafes for tea when it got too cold). An utterly charming New York weekend. (Though I hope the weather’s warmer next time I go.)

What are your favorite NYC spots, if you’ve been there?

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Four birthdays.

More than that, actually. My mom’s birthday is today, my sister’s is next week, and nearly every day I get a birthday notification or two on Facebook. But on Friday night, we gathered to celebrate these four ladies:

Gerilyn, Abigail, Katie and Kelsey (from left to right above) all have birthdays this month. When we discovered this fact at our New Year’s party, we decided to have one big birthday bash. And it was a hit, if I do say so myself. (Birthday crowns courtesy of Abi’s class of preschoolers.)

There were two kinds of enchiladas, spicy tortilla soup, pulled pork, a big bowl of guacamole, three different birthday desserts, a pot of mulled cider, and plenty of tea. There were hilariously awful first-date stories and flickering candles (birthday and otherwise). Later, there was a truly incredible game of charades. And all night long, there was so much laughter.

Since moving up here two and a half years ago, J and I have often felt isolated, lonely and far from home. We miss our families, and the community of friends we built in West Texas. (We are ever more thankful that Abi and her husband Nate, old and dear friends, ended up here with us.) We are working to build new friendships, but it is often a slow process. Forging community takes time and effort, and it’s difficult in a city where many people don’t stay long.

But on Friday night, our apartment rang with voices and footsteps and shouted guesses during our charades game. We hugged and snapped photos and sang “Happy Birthday” and told stories and laughed and laughed some more. And when we fell into bed after midnight, exhausted but happy, J and I agreed: it’s wonderful to have friends in our home. It’s wonderful to have community here. Our circle is small, but precious. And we are grateful.

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Don’t you love New York in the fall?

I do. (It makes me want to buy school supplies.)

J and I spent a long weekend in NYC recently with our friends Allison and Duncan, who hosted us in their wee apartment (though the air mattress took up most of their living room). Three days is only long enough to taste the glories of New York, but we savored every moment (and several delicious meals).

Saturday was summer-warm, so we strolled through Central Park:

After lunch, we spent the afternoon wandering the West Village, browsing funky shops with adorable window displays:

We sniffed and browsed teas at DavidsTea (I bought a tin of delicious pumpkin chai), tried on cloches at a gorgeous hatmaker’s shop (I felt like Maisie), listened to jazz in Washington Square Park, and finally headed to Victory Garden for goat’s milk ice cream:

(Allison had chocolate and salted caramel, swirled. I had salted caramel, with “choco-crunch” topping. Heavenly.)

We ate dinner that night at Arriba Arriba – the first good Mexican restaurant I’ve been to in New England. It wasn’t quite like home, but it was pretty darn close (and delicious). And then we saw The Fantasticks, which is a delightful, magical little piece of musical theatre. So much fun.

Sunday was rainy, but J and I braved the weather for another Central Park walk:

We visited the Frick Collection and then met our friends for chai at a hip little cafe on the Upper East Side:

That afternoon, we visited the Lower East Side Tenement Museum – a fascinating, well-researched museum detailing the lives of immigrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries. If you’re interested in NYC’s history and/or the history of immigrants in this country, I highly recommend it.

I can’t go to NYC (or really anywhere) without visiting a few bookstores, and the group let me stop at Shakespeare & Co. on Lexington as we headed for Thai food and the Tenement Museum. And later on Sunday afternoon, Allison took me to Books of Wonder:

It is truly wonderful – a bookstore dedicated to children’s literature, with a gorgeous section of old and rare books at the back. I bought a copy of a story I loved as a child, The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes.

We ate a cozy dinner at Quaint that night, followed by Scattergories, ice cream (Ben & Jerry’s, of course) and tea in the cozy apartment. And the next day, we played Ping-Pong in midtown before catching the bus back to Boston.

New York is where I go to do things I can’t do anywhere else – often several of them in the same weekend – and also to do the New York versions of things I love to do all the time, like browsing bookshops and drinking tea. It can be gritty and overwhelming, but it’s also dazzling, and exciting, and fun.

I’ve been to New York four times now, and my trips there are always chock-full of magical moments, which make me believe again in the New York I know from so many books and films. Mostly, I keep going back for a taste of that magic. And the city always delivers.

If you’ve been to New York, what are your favorite things to do there?

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Small group at the beach

When I told Kristin about our tiny church, I mentioned our small group, which meets on Sunday nights – usually at Ryan and Amy’s, on the west side of Boston. She said, “Wait. You have small groups in a church that size?” I said, “Well, we have one.”

A couple of Sundays ago, at the tail end of a heat wave, Amy proposed a change in plans. Rather than coming to her house to sweat, she said, why don’t we go somewhere with a sea breeze?

There happen to be sea breezes a mile from my house. So we had small group at the beach.

Telling stories

The boys played Frisbee, and we girls sat on blankets and talked. We helped the kids hunt for shells, and enjoyed the cool water and gritty sand on our feet.

We had a sumptuous picnic, and later walked across the street for ice cream. (No photos – I was too busy eating!)

We stayed until a bank of smoky purple clouds rolled over the sun, gold slivers of light peeking through. And then we piled into cars and headed home, sated with sun and sea air and hours of good, relaxed talk with friends.

I’m thinking we should make this a regular occurrence.

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Four years.

I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so badly.

—Kathleen Kelly, You’ve Got Mail

Serving the wedding cake

Four years ago today, we stood up in front of God and our families and our friends who are also family, and we promised each other: It will always be you.

In Maine, last weekend

Happy anniversary, love. You’re my favorite.

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Summer Manifesto

Since Ali posted her summer manifesto a few weeks ago, they’ve been popping up all over the Internet. I’m a wee bit late to the game (but so is the weather in Boston). Here, what I’d love to do this summer:

• Go to at least two free outdoor movies (they show ‘em at the Hatch Shell and the Boston Harbor Hotel).
• Travel to Maine for the wedding of two dear friends.
• Eat lots and lots of ice cream.
• Cheer on our six-year-old friends at a t-ball game.
• Walk on our beach.
• Eat lunch and dinner outside whenever possible.
• Make and eat salad at least twice a week.
• Dig into some summer reading.
• Wear linen.
• Host friends for weekends.
• Open the windows.
• Fireworks.
• Take a vacation with my love.

What’s on your list for summer?

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