Sunday in the City

It's taken me years, but I finally now think 

of NYC when I say, "The City."

(For many years, this phrase evoked Philadelphia for me.)

I brag all the time about how easy it is

to get into NYC, and it is...

but with a confirmed "nature boy" for a son,

I don't take advantage of that ease

as often as I might like.

So yesterday, with the boy still at sleepaway camp,

a large-screen screening of Kyss Mig 

at Lincoln Center lured me in. 

(Loved it.) And then a show at ICP got me snapping shots.

Here's a classic street scene:

A truck that caught my eye

(can't imagine why):

The sun burnishing the buildings as it set:

This beautiful red-headed girl I spotted.

I started following her... couldn't help it!

As she headed into Penn Station,

she must have felt my gaze...

my heart was pounding:

she was on to me!

But she didn't seem the least bit upset.

Reader, we went home together.

(Special thanks to T for this last photo,

which is a view from the train.

Thanks to her, too, for a wonderful Sunday.)

Porch Peaches Galore

It's porch peach season around here. What's a porch peach? I'll let Mr. D explain:

"A porch peach is a peach that's SO juicy,

you know there's no WAY you can NOT drip,

so you have to take it outside 

and eat it on the porch." (Bite.)

"This is definitely a porch peach."

(A reverent silence descends.)

Lessons from Camp 2012

We're back, and once again we had a fantastic two weeks at our favorite home away from home, North of Highland Camping Area. Here are some lessons from this year's stay at camp (as usual, clicking on photos will give you a chance to see a larger version of them):

Go ahead and take some chances.

Watch for seals...

... they're out there!

Sketch.

Play games.

Make new friends.

Dig deep.

Save the castle at all costs!

Point your toes where you want to go.

Set your course for a far horizon...

(See that tiny little lighthouse way out there, 

almost directly over D's head?)

... and you may just get there!

Don't leave anything important behind.

(Thanks so much to our camping partners Sassafras Mama + JT, 

as well as to Rachel, Grammy + Grampy, Grandpa + Nana, 

Fred, the Pattons, the Feldinis, 

and everyone else who conspired to make

our time at camp especially wonderful this year.

More great pics are available over in Sassafras Mama land,

and if you'd like to take a stroll down

memory lane, you can click on through

to posts from 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, and 2007.)

The Force is strong with this one.
(This is not a trick shot;
his balance is just that good.)

At this time of year,

the Force we're talking about

is the pull of the tides on Cape Cod.

This latest heat wave is just the cue we need to head north, 
so as of Sunday we'll be holed up in the woods, 
engaged in some serious old-fashioned fun.


We would love it if you felt moved to send us snailmail at camp. Every year the camp staff at North of Highland is amazed by how much fabulous mail we get, and of course we are delighted with every note, so please keep it up! If you're reading this between July 6th and July 16th, 2012, here's your big chance to make our day at camp!

Send a little note (and/or dark chocolate!) to:
Riendeau-Krause campers, site 35-C
c/o North of Highland Campground
52 Head of the Meadow Road
P.O. Box 297
North Truro, MA 02652-0297

If you'd prefer, you can call the camp and ask them to leave us a note on the camp message board; these messages are also a big thrill. (Did we mention that we'll being going "cold turkey" with regards to email?) That number (good from July 8th through the 19th or so) is 508/ 487-1191, and their office hours are pretty much all day with the exception of meal breaks from noon-1pm and again from 6-7pm.

We know that you'd love to be there with us; please do stop by if you're in the neighborhood! Otherwise, let us know you're thinking about us and we'll dedicate an afternoon's worth of laze-about reading or a morning of boogie boarding to you

And a special thank you to the excellent neighbors who are keeping watch on our little house until we get back. Watch this space for details on how to send mail to Mr. D at Camp Onas, where he'll be heading just as soon as we wash all the laundry we'll bring back from the Cape.

Continuing Celebration

I was told to make no plans for yesterday, which, as the nearest Saturday to my observed birthday, was designated as a day for celebration. I didn't find out until Friday night that our destination was to be NYC. Now I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Oh, no, wasn't it super hot in NYC yesterday?" It wasn't too bad, actually! We went from air-conditioned space to air-conditioned space, and when we needed to "cool the core," we found that there were folks ready to help (as always, click on any photo in this post to see a larger version):

Our first destination was the downtown location of TeNo, a jewelry place we've had our eye on from afar. Angela, Hector, and Ken could NOT have been nicer. 

When it became clear that picking out our bracelet elements was going to take a little while, Hector conspiratorially borrowed my camera and said, "C'mon upstairs, I have to show you something!"to Mr. D.

This is our boy thinking, "Ummm... okay..."

Upstairs was like stepping back in time... graffiti everywhere!

 Someone got busy.

And by the time he returned, we were 

putting the finishing touches on our bracelets.

Then it was a quick hop on the subway 

to the Brooklyn Museum

and the final days of their

Keith Haring exhibit.

We loved it.

(And in this context, how perfect was Hector's

inspired upstairs adventure for Mr. D?)

T had also arranged for us to connect 

with a bunch of old friends throughout

the course of the day... 

we forgot to take a picture of Evan & Luis, 

but Mr. D nicely agreed to snap this one of 

us with Joan & Louise after our 

terrific dinner at the Bogata Latin Bistro (we recommend it).

In Quakerism, we sometimes talk about "continuing revelation," when referring to the idea that it is always possible to be learning about the Spirit's will for us in the world. 

Yesterday was close to the one-year anniversary of T proposing to me, after all these years. Later this year, we'll be celebrating either our 20th year or our first, depending on how you're counting. This made me think, today, of the phrase, "Continuing Celebration."

 (Thanks to everyone for the wonderful

birthday wishes... it would seem that they came true!)

UPDATE:
The good folks at TeNo featured this post
on their blog,
further cementing their reputation for awesomeness!