Skinny Dipping For several summers in our early,  married-without-children years we rented a beach house in the Hamptons with our good friends J and K.   After a few years our friends – serious fishermen by then –  opted for the mountains instead and bought a house near a trout stream.  (See Catskill Weekend) And… Read More

I haven’t written here for a long time, but I couldn’t resist penning my memories of trips to Jones Beach in the 1950s. Excitement mounted when mom informed me and my little brother that we were going to the beach. We ran around in circles, chasing each other and laughing, til Dad yelled at us… Read More

"It's really a blast," I wrote in my travel diary. That was high praise in 1966. Read More

2024 is the 80th anniversary of D-day, the joint Allied invasion on the beaches of Normandy to liberate France from the Nazis. Read More

Surprise Party When her husband Andrew was turning 40,  my friend Simi decided to throw him a surprise party in their apartment,  and she asked for my help. We were both stay-at-home moms then with plenty of free time on our hands for surprise party planning.  In fact for weeks before the party we must… Read More

I had a vague familiarity with the digeridoo and some of the paintings. What to expect? Read More

...the woman ascending has never visited the devil. Read More

Shot Glass Ever wonder who buys those shot glasses sold in tacky souvenir shops?  I confess I do,  and have quite a collection. I’m not sure when I began collecting shot glasses,   but probably on a vacation when looking for a souvenir of the trip,  or a gift for the cat-sitter.  In any case… Read More

Pitcher and Bowl I’m a sucker for pitchers and bowls. Pitcher and bowl sets were first found in Victorian boudoirs where they were used as wash basins before the advent of indoor plumbing.  They’re still sought after as decorative pieces,  and I’ve always loved them. A few years ago I was in an antique shop… Read More

I found myself being seduced by hand-crafted dolls from different lands over the years, finding serendipitous treasures in flea markets, souvenir shops, street vendors, and craft markets. Read More