8/2/12
nyc

Back from ACK one week. Had a blast. Perfect beach weather. Lots of fish. Wiley (the clam digging dog). Rom's famous BLTs.

PS.  Posting this from Vieques in March, 2013.  Makes perfect sense.

atlantic shaman

Vieques.  Late in March, 2013.

What is it about different places and different people that provoke us to write.  Somehow we must make sense of the fact that it takes sooo many people and things to keep the world spinning around.  On our first day, we did not have the rental car yet, so we found a totally mellow beach a ten minute walk from Casa Rojo (our temporary hacienda). Crystal clear waters and totally deserted.  After a while i noticed a thin brown bearded man wearing a loincloth and swinging a branch in and at at the water in different patterns.  He paid us no mind and we did likewise.  Later he passed by us digging his toes and sometimes his ankles and sometimes his stick in the sand.  More patterns.  He was clearly working at something.  Eventually he took a what appeared to be a break and made some eye contact.  I said hello and he did likewise.  He must have surmised that I was intrigued by his beachside manner so he obliged.  " I am the shaman of the atlantic.  My name is Charlie.  I take care of this beach and others on the other side of the island.  I protect the beaches from hurricanes and I create these nice smooth eddies where your children are playing.  You can see that I have moved the rip current away from this area.   I use mimicking and sweeping techniques and other techniques that I have learned over the years."

A few minutes later he was in the shallows with the twins placing a large sea urchin in their hands and explaining to them the different types of sea urchins.

The next day we took a cab to the farmers market to buy plantains, mangoes and such.  We did not plan for a ride back so we decided to stroll for a while.  At some point the bags became heavy, the sun became hot, and we were looking at the map bewildered.  Some guy stopped his car.  He announced that we looked bewildered and told us to get in and proceeded to give us a ride to our hacienda.  At some point the topic of Charlie, the Atlantic Shaman came up.  Our new found driving friend said: " Oh if you run into Charlie again, tell him to call his sister in Indiana."

our little understudy

6/7/2012

Things have been a tad hectic. Thank goodness I don't have a job. Clare has been performing in Midsummer Night's Dream because Clare A has been sick. She goes again tonight. Merde! Meanwhile there is a heap of ten year olds in my living room. Refuse from Ben's sleepover party. 

Yarmouth Clam Fest

Trying to do my first entry on the phone. Listening to Water Song as the iPod pumps through the jetta's speakers and we try and make a ferry to Nantucket. The Maine traffic is somewhat trying, but summer is incomplete without at least one stressful push towards Wood's Hole or Hyannis. We dropped the critters off at camp this morning. Clare has a counselor named Scout (I'll leave it at that). The big story of the weekend was the Bessire/Yarmouth clam fest. The only thing missing was the giant clam exhibit. Fried clams and steamers, as well as lobsta rolls and lime Rickey's. Fireworks, the Lion's Club and Jill survived the gravity ride with Ben. Pure small town Americana at its best.

Mr. Swampert2000

May 20th 2012

Gotta love it.  We're blogstars.


The first selected entry in this part is by the very interesting Mr Swampert2000 who travels a lot with his family. He follows the suggestions of Lonely Planet but in his blog he adds so much more to the guide book. As he says in the beginning of his blog, ‘there sure is a lot of computer stuff u need to do when u r traveling these days.  Thankfully the water is blue, the sky is blue and i am not.’

Some blogger who lives in Ikaria liked my blithering enough to review it.

sign of the apocalypse

Who needs the PTA?  My kids' school has a Lice Committee. Those meetings have to be fascinating; nits, mayonaise, magnifying glasses, ugh.

chinese soul food

May 10, 2012

Found my new favorite place on the planet. Haicheng is an 81 year old chinese owned soul food restaurant on 116th st. and st.nicholas.  It gives new meaning to "hole in the wall." and the health grade was pending. However my pork chop sandwich (3 fitty) was mad stupid tasty. There are about 8 old school counter seats.  Old black dudes are eating ox tails with lima beans and cabbage. A take out order costs 10 cents extra.  The vibe is great. There is a beautiful asian woman behind the counter who speaks halting english and refused my request to take her picture explaining that she "was scared." However she seemed to know the regulars orders by memory and smiled each time they reminded her three times that they wanted extra gravy.  One world.