Five day old piglets, baby goats and lambs!

Today I ate at the Red Lion Inn and went to the Hancock Shaker Village, where I got to pet baby goats and lambs.

Vacation, in Photos

Garden Party

There are a few things that make me want to pack up and move back to New England immediately. One is when the weather in D.C. is so humid that I have to shower three times a day. The other is when there are really exciting sports games (the Sox, Patriots and Celtics were all in the finals in the past year), and I know that my entire family is watching it together, usually with food made by my culinarily-talented brother.

But even watching it alone, the Celts' 39-point win Tuesday night was pretty amazing, and it was the first time I saw them win the Championship (seeing as how the last time they won, in 1986, I was 2).

I've also decided that my next job needs to involve live blogging sports events.

Save The Mount

Edith Wharton's home in Lenox, Mass., The Mount, is in danger of being closed due to financial troubles. They're looking to raise $3 million to stop it from closing, and the deadline to raise this has been extended from April 24 to May 31. They're still far from the amount they need. I've visited many authors' homes, and none are more beautiful than The Mount, so I've already sent in my pledge.

They are also maintaining a blog which details people's memories and stories about their visits to The Mount.

Superbowl in D.C.

Zagat has suggestions of where to get take out during the Superbowl. But this leads me to a more important topic — where can I find people who don't hate the Patriots to watch the game with? I don't like being around people who support the other team, which pretty much rules out bars, and I'm sort of getting sick of watching various New England games on my couch while ichatting with my mother because no one else watches them. Suggestions?

(Not) The View From My Window

I'm back in the northeast and woke up to snow this morning. It's a welcome change from the warmish weather in D.C. Other nice changes include having a little black kitty sitting next to me while I work. She helps with typing and also with drinking my coffee.



Photo taken last winter in Middlebury, VT

Bookstores in the Valley

There are four articles on the NYT website today about bookstores in the Pioneer Valley — which, for the unknowing, is where I lived for 22 years.

An overview: the Valley of the Literate.

The independent book store tour: Well-Marked Trails for Bibliophiles

Handmade books: Rarefied World

And then a slideshow. I've been to almost all the bookstores mentioned, and several are in my recommended bookstore list.

The Onset of Fall

It may not be autumn yet in the District, but in Vermont, where I was last weekend, it is.

New England This Weekend

The gentian weaves her fringes,

The maple's loom is red.

- E. Dickinson

NE roundup

I'm returning to DC tomorrow evening after an extremely short 10 days. I'm very sunburned and really got used to doing nothing, but I'm looking forward to returning to reality, plus I have three job interviews this week.

I'll be bringing two new dresses with me (one from J. Crew in black and a brown one from Banana Republic) and a black and white J. Crew scarf that I've been wearing as both a headband and a belt.

One of the highlights of the trip was the exhibit on Gerald and Sara Murphy at the Williams College Museum of Art. Most of Murphy's major paintings were there, such as Razor and Wasp and Pear, which are abstract pictures of everyday objects, such as books or razors, and precursors to Warhol or Lichtenstein. Many of the paintings depict machinery and epitomize some of the themes of modernism.

There was also a vast amount of personal memorabilia, such as letters, books, and photographs. The Murphys' personal interactions with friends Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso, etc. are well documented, and provide the sort of glimpse into these hallowed lives that literary nerds desire.

In related news, it seems as though Hemingway is undergoing a minor revival in the press. This month's Smithsonian has an article by his secretary-cum-daughter-in-law, and today's NYT has three mentions of Hemingway — an article on bullfighting in Portugal in the News section, an article on children who travel, and an essay in Book Review about rethinking one of Hemingway's favorite activities: sport fishing.

Moxie

Today's Boston Globe has an article about Moxie, the New England soda with a unique, bitter flavor. It's definitely an acquired taste, but the flavor is so different that I sometimes find myself craving it. I only know a few other people who like Moxie (my grandparents, a friend from high school), but it has a cultish following, and Maine even has Moxie parades and festivals.

Here's a second article about the creator of Moxie, and what gives the soda that bitter flavor.

The Berkshires

In case you missed it, I really love the Berkshires. New York Magazine has some of the hot spots listed here. It's a pretty decent list, though I would throw in a trip to Stockbridge, with dinner at the Red Lion Inn.

New England plans

I'll be in New England from August 3-13.

Plans:

Massachusetts
Spoleto
The Clark Art Museum's Monet Exhibit
Brunch at the Delaney House
Osaka in Northampton

Maine
The Goldenrod
L.L. Bean
Bridgham and Cook, Ltd. (my fave British store, it has a better selection than Tea and Sympathy in the West Village, though there's no incredible adjoining tea shop)