Here There and Everywhere!

Wow, it has been a while, hasn't it? Although I'm not sure you've been reading -- perhaps vacationing or swimming to avoid the horrendous heat and humidity that we have been having.

In a bit you will see that I have been a little busy.

The Rock Voices concert of the British Invasion (17 songs) was a resounding success. 192 of us onstage at the Academy of Music in Northampton had great fun singing Beatles, Rolling Stones, Petula Clark and other songs of the late 1960's. I was thrilled that Mom, Deb, and Emily attended. Well, Emily stayed at my house with Jay. Emily is a brand new foster Mom. I'm a foster Grandma!!

Jay deciding that he wants to get the decorative horse.

Jay is five months old, teething, has taught himself how to roll over and squiggle around. He and I are enjoying Peek-a-Boo.

The next day I hosted a brunch for a dozen people. I got many compliments for the food. But I had spent many days decluttering (didn't want to trip up Mom) so when my next door neighbor walked in, he said, "Where is Tina and what have you done with her?" I laughed, but I have decided a clear counter and sink and kitchen table is the new normal. Retirement is great! (Next comes the bedroom -- that might take me a month of decluttering. I'm getting better at "letting go" of stuff, but it is a struggle for me.)

So as you have read, Mom was here from California. I trekked over to Boston and stayed with her for a few days. We were staying at Deb's condo rental because she and Paul have moved into the condo that they bought. What luxury! (Both places.) Mercifully, the air conditioning was tip top as Boston went into a heat wave with 90 F. plus temperature and 60% or more humidity. It rained every afternoon in short thunderstorms. It was like being in Florida.

One day we did venture out to the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), which I had never seen. Modern art is not really my thing, but I was feeling as if maybe I should broaden my horizons.

Below is the cheeriest of Kevin Beasley's works. The beginning of his exhibit is a bunch of articles of clothing which he has covered with acrylic epoxy. You are first confronted with about a 7 foot bunch of hoodies and dresses 'standing up' so that it looks like ghosts. There are no people, just the rag-like clothing.

The bottom pieces are brand new -- large & expensive -- sneakers inbedded in wood (I think)

I liked Keogh's work a lot better. Here are a couple of samples.

The best part of the ICA is the huge glass wall on the way out. It's looking at the hahbah.

You can see the afternoon storm moving in 

Site of the original Pier 4 Restaurant. It will be condos.

Mom and I had a great time wandering around and meeting very interesting Uber drivers.

This country mouse was fascinated by the parking meters.

On Sunday (a week after my brunch), Deb had a luncheon/open house in the Community Room which is on the same floor as her new condo. There's an exercise room and the pool outside of the Community Room is salt water. Apparently salt water helps you to float but I have never had a problem with that. My natural flotation devices have served me well over the years. (That's what our SCUBA instructor called them.) Her luncheon was fabulous with food from La Familia Georgio. Yummy!

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Yesterday, I took a fabulous trip with the Amherst Senior Center to the Isles of Shoals. Thank you, Nancy Pagano, who arranged the whole thing!

The bus left at 8 a.m. (I know it's hard to believe but I was waiting for it at 7:30 a.m.) We stopped in Leominster about an hour later at a Panera for a coffee break. Then it was on to Kittery, Maine for a fabulous lobstah lunch. One of the women who ordered the 1.5 pound lobster didn't really know how to get the meat out. She said she only wanted the tail -- some of us nearly screamed, 'Don't forget the claws!!' She said her husband used to eat all of the other stuff and now she's divorced ... 

Then it was off to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for a 2 and half hour cruise to the Isles of Shoals. (A shoal is a hunk of land in the ocean surrounded by very shallow water.) I got to see Star Island where some of my friends go every year to vacation or go to art class camp. 

The weather was fantastic! It was a bit cooler and less humid and sunny. The day in Amherst had started out rainy and grey and we were worried about rough seas. Nope, it was wonderful. I got home around 9:15 p.m. tired and happy.  Oh, yeah, here are some photos I snapped.

Portsmouth Ship Yards -- birth place of first US nuclear submarine and other marine firsts.

Former jail, decaying

From the restaurant. We were on the second floor.

First major bridge on our way up.

As you can tell, I didn't edit these pictures at all. But you get the idea!

Today I have made zucchini chocolate muffins and they are yummy. I didn't have any ground cloves though and I think the author of the recipe is right and they need it. Or maybe cardamon ...

Today, after lunch with a friend, I'm going to Emily's to help out a bit with the baby. Tomorrow we're going to "Porkalooza" which appears to be a pig roast. I have only been to one other pig roast and it's yummy but I don't like seeing the head. I don't like remembering my food is an animal. (Except crabs. I don't care about crabs. I crack those suckers with glee.)

Have a wonderful weekend Everybody! 

P.S.

8-8-18