Part 1 of 3: Berkshires Visit

We are off on our summer road trip, visiting family & friends in Mass, Maine & New York. First stop, Grammy & Grampy's in West Stockbridge, Mass. Otherwise known as "the Berkshires." Lots of people from Manhattan, Boston, etc. have summer places up here. They, like my in-laws, are lovers of nature and refined living. You get pastoral country, charming towns and also world class music (Tanglewood is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra), art (Jacob's Pillow performing arts, galleries, local artists--it's the birthplace of Norman Rockwell), excellent restaurants and my favorite--Kripalu, a yoga retreat and teaching center that would bring the Dali Lama to tears. And if you are not up for hiking or culture, you can always spend the afternoon curled up reading on the porch...

One of the highlights of this visit were two great hikes--the first was at an Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, where we spotted a giant bull frog--he was bigger than a newborn baby (and in my family, that is big)--and came across lots of beaver dams. I had never seen either in real life before. It is refreshing to experience something exciting for the first time as an adult without having to buy a ticket, pop a pill or place an order. The second nature walk was ironically to Steve's Glen (all of us went on the hike except for Steve who needed to balance all of the fresh air, flora and fauna with extra spicy Thai food and restaurant table service). The Glen is deep in the woods and has a peaceful sitting perch overlooking a gorgeous waterfall...but none of us can remember why it's named after Steve.

How fast can a dragonfly fly?

Sam's next choice was a scooter/walk/run. He likes to scooter while I walk or run. In La Jolla we usually took the bike path by our house. But sometimes, for a special treat, we would go to the Mission Beach boardwalk. It's always a tender moment between mother and son...side by side, enjoying the ocean, early in the morning...when the old guy in a thong roller skates by.

Here in Ithaca we went over to Stewart Park--about a mile from our house--and what began as fresh air and exercise quickly turned into dragonfly hunting. Good news for me is that a dragonfly can out fly even a very determined , fast, skillful 5-year-old boy with a Ziploc bowl...

How does your garden grow?

Carrots, Broccoli, Pumpkins

While Charlie is off at Cornell Sports School this week, Sam is hanging out with me. This was not a fumble. I intentionally scheduled time where we could have a whole week just the two of us. He is growing up so fast. I am really trying to savor these last few (Dear God, make them years, not months) pockets of time.

I have been letting Sam choose the activities. First up was making a garden. He hauled all the bricks, then set them in a surprisingly symmetrical rectangle, supervised while I cleared and prepared the soil, and then we both planted the seeds. We had a fun arts and crafts session making the markers for the rows. Sam finished up by carefully watering his new babies...

Ain’t nothin’ like the real thing.

Went on a run today that led me past big red barns, horses that watched me go by, corn fields as high as my waist, through the woods, over an old bridge, along a stream, and down a path chasing a waterfall…how can anyone expect to go back inside a gym after this?

The only saving grace is that my knees will give out long before it starts snowing…and then we will see what I come up with to stay sane and keep my friend Chardonnay at bay.

So not everyone in Ithaca is a vegetarian.

Saturday we went to a very fun party with people we met through the Cornell Entrepreneurship Network. I have been to a pig roast before and was relieved the main attraction was NOT a gigantic pig on a spit. Thankfully, the pork was being cooked and pulled out of sight, behind a barn. The best part of the event were really welcoming hosts, friendly other guests and great live music --Technicolor Trailor Trash. The boys got to run amok on 30 acres and spent most of their time fishing in a pond on the property.

We would have stayed late but Steve was anxious to get back to the Grassroots music festival in the neighboring town--lots of hippies and hopes of seeing Woodstock-esque happenings.

On Sunday, we were invited to another friend's home (they have two girls our kids' ages) for breakfast and a hike. They, too, live outside of town on something like 11 acres. We were treated to homemade waffles (made from eggs the hens laid that morning) and a tour of their property led by their two dogs and fearless 5 year-old...

There is something really intriguing about living out in the middle of an endless, gorgeous parcel of land...and knowing that everything as far as the eye can see is yours...and during deer hunting season when you see those guys with the orange caps sneaking around out back, you can yell, "Get the hell off my property!"

Signs that I have left California

Signs that I have left California
1. The ATM spits out fives and tens.
2. There are composting bins next to the recycle bins everywhere you go. Not very many trash bins around. (I like this)
3. When oncoming traffic flashes their brights, they are not warning you about a speed trap—they are letting you know a mama deer and her babies are about to cross!
4. Pistachios and avocados are considered delicacies.
5. You can’t buy your wine at the supermarket. (I do not like this)
6. You can’t get a full service car wash (believe me, if it could be done, I would have found it)
7. The gardener and handyman have Ph.D.s. (just kidding)
8. You can drink the tap water.
9. The local news is not depressing.
And the best sign so far:
10. The public schools employ P.E. coaches, music teachers, art teachers and the ratio in Kindergarten is 1 to 7. (2 teachers for 14 kids)

Signs that I may actually be living in a fraternity house

Looking for my favorite yoga pants, lost somewhere in a sea of khaki and black, it dawned on me how quickly the sweet little piles of boys’ clothes have turned into stinky mountains of guys’ boxers, sweat socks, t-shirts and shorts around here. I realize my babies grew into boys, but looking at all these garments, it hit me, it won't be long before they are men. And guess what that means?









Signs that I may actually be living in a fraternity house:
1. dirty socks everywhere
2. powder room smells like a urinal
3. wrestling matches before breakfast
4. there is a ping pong table in the middle of my family room
5. food disappears faster than I can buy it
6. no one can say the words “breast” or “nipple” around here with a straight face
7. throwing trash away or clothes into the hamper scores you two points, unless of course, you make the shot from the hallway, in which case it scores you three
8. I have to beware of booby traps when I open closet doors
9. “All American Rejects” is playing constantly from the bedrooms
and the top sign…
10. I live with all men!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ithaca Sweet Ithaca

So here is our new pad on Hampton Road...in the summer...center hall colonial...on an acre...talk to me in March before we decide how high I am on this...

In the meantime, I will pretend I am Martha Stewart (pre-insider stock trading)...


I am planning my first summer party...this yard just begs for guests. I wonder what my new vegetarian, non alcohol-guzzling friends will think of my iPod playlists? I know my peeps in SD can't stay seated when I start to spin my tunes and the cocktails are flowing...hmm...maybe I should spike the watermelon?

Cornell Plantations

Seeking inspiration and an outing for my family, we found both at the Cornell Plantations--an incredible spread of botanical gardens, arboretum (150 acres) and natural areas (4,300 acres of trails and ecological conservatories). I took the kids and my in-laws for a mini hike in the natural areas and through the arboretum. It was so impressive, I am adding it to my list of things that give me hope:

The List
1. We elected Obama
2. Good Samaritans (my favorite: last summer, trying to get out of the Tanglewood parking lot late at night, after fireworks and James Taylor concert, 8 men in country club garb stopped to help push our massive rental SUV out of the mud--they sunk down to their ankles and while I hit the gas and splattered mud all over them, they kept rockin and pushin that beast of a vehicle until it was on solid ground--leather loafers and white linen be damned!)
3. Cornell Plantations

You can see my list is short, which is why my goal for the year here is to restore my faith in humanity. No pressure on my Ithaca followers, but it feels really good to be living in a place where people not only know about the mass of plastic bottles the size of the United States floating around in the ocean, but they are actually doing something about it. And even though it's embarrassing, I am relieved when people stop and stare at me on those days I drink from a plastic water bottle or tote my groceries home in a non-green bag.

Cayuga Nature Center

The good part of living so close to all of this nature is the hiking...streams, wild flowers, moss-covered logs, majestic trees...The boys love it, too, which makes my heart soar. The only tricky part is navigating the trails with my New Yorker husband. "Is that poison ivy?" "Should we do a tick check?" "My GPS says we are heading in the wrong direction." No one will get hurt, lost or suffer any discomforts on his watch. I, on the other hand, think scratchy legs and getting lost in the woods are a right of passage...so, stay tuned. This is only hike #2 of about 50 I plan to do this summer, with or without our very well-educated bodyguard.

Cascadilla Gorge

Can you believe this is only 2 miles from us? Cascadilla Gorge is in the middle of downtown Ithaca, running through Cornell's College Town. Despite being surrounded by roads and buildings, it still has something of a wild feel due to the depth and steepness of the gorge. There is a well maintained trail through the gorge, which students use as a shortcut to campus. We hiked the little stretch from Linn Street to College Ave...