A day on vacation

Posted April 26th, 2010 | Permalink

As we turn left, from vacation to the end of the school year, days get busier and busier in our family. Spring is crazy season for us: baseball 5 days a week, lacrosse 4 days a week, scouts all the time, birthdays two in one week, quickly followed by Mother’s Day and then Father’s Day, then AJ’s birthday and then my mother’s birthday, preparing summer plans, then adult softball and of course trying to keep gardens going and sanity in check.

This past week though, vacation week, was slow and full and sunny and warm. We were very busy for two days of all-out fun, then slowed waaaaay down for a few days of rest with friends and just hanging at home.

At the beginning of the week, we sat down as a family and made a list of all the things we could do during the week. It was a long list. Everything from hiking in Acadia, watching the Celtics. With the list in hand, AJ and I charted a course through Tuesday and Wednesday that kept everyone busy, involved tons of fun, and fell within budget.

Tuesday was a beautiful day. It was boy/girl day for us.

We began with a family trip to the local flea market. We all love the flea market. The kids both have collections they like to shop for (keys, coins, cards), and AJ and I just like to look at old stuff, and laugh about the oddities of mankind. I mean really, a box FULL of plastic panda bears? Where do you even begin with that?

The local flea market is outside of an “antique” store. I use the quotes because almost nothing in the place is actually a real antique, but it’s chock full of things to look at. The big shelf of books is one of my favorite corners. This week it included a copy of one of my favorite books. I’ll covet that for a while and hope it’s there when I go back some day. The dishes? Well, I’ve already been coveting those for a year or more.

After the flea market, we headed home for lunch, then packed the boys’ bikes in the car and headed up to Portland for the afternoon. First stop, Corey & Co. Remember Corey & Co? I haven’t been in a while, and found many new and wonderful things, that I will, again, covet. Grace tried out an umbrella. The cool thing about this umbrella which resembles a parasol, is that it comes with permanent markers and you can color it. No matter what the weather brings, you can be covered in your favorite hues. Barbara showed Grace a key collection from her parents. She has so many cool things in her shop that are just there because she loves them. I appreciate that.

After Corey & Co, the boys and girls split up. The boys left for a bike ride around Back Bay. The girls went window shopping in the Old Port. We hit our fave spots, including of course The Old Port Candy Company. There we purchased treats for all family members: coke flavored gummies for Jake and AJ, chocolate with sea salt for me, wax juice bottles for Grace, and just to try  - a piece of OPC’s famous chocolate covered bacon. We loved the jar on the counter, and the attached sign. The bacon? Not our fave. A little too meaty.

We wandered to all the stores on Exchange Street, including the new Popcorn Company. We got popcorn for everyone too: Hot Wing flavor for Grace, Garlic and Parm for me, Cheesecake for Jake and Dill Pickle for AJ.

Grace bought herself a new hat (she’s a hat girl). We marveled at a telephone pole that had a trillion billion kazillion staples on it. We stopped at Gritty’s for french fries. We looked at cake pans at Leroux, lavender at Fiachre and checked out the new stuff at the toy store. We watched a seagull eat a muscle. And then, and then, we had manicures overlooking the harbor and J’s. It was a great, great, girls day.

The boys had a great boys day too. They rode and rode and rode around the Promenade, past the Narrow Gage Railroad, smelled the beans from B&M across the bay and downright wore themselves out. They also had ice cream. What is a vacation day after all, without ice cream.

And that was just day one.

Just Looking Glass

Posted April 16th, 2010 | Permalink

The flea market is calling me today. It’s been open, at the end of the road, on weekends now and sunny days for a few weeks. It’s open today, with quite a few vendors.

As I passed in my car today a table chock-full of old glass caught my eye. And when I say the flea market is calling me, I mean that table of old glass is calling me.

I have a thing for glass. And really, it’s kind of a new thing. At least, I’ve never noticed my passion for it before. I can see now, plainly, that it has been there, way back in my meeself for a long time. When I was a teenager, I loved to spend my money on wine glasses and champagne flutes, even though I didn’t drink. But it never occurred to me that it was the glass that drew me, I thought it was “nest building” for my future home. And maybe it was. Glasses first.

When I worked at Crate & Barrel years ago, I loved working in the glass department, and I purchased a book at a garage sale about the history of American Glass. I should have known then that I was hooked, but it just didn’t occur to me. I had too many other interests too.

Last September, I went to the flea market at the end of the road and purchased a bunch of old glass pieces: a completely random mix of cocktail glasses, compotes, ashtrays, little bowls, mason jars; in all colors and textures and sizes. I bought them for a total of $22. I don’t know how many pieces, at least 20 I’d say.

I used them as part of the décor for my outdoor 40^th birthday party. I put a handful of dried beans and a tea-lite in each one and covered the outdoor buffet tables with them for a really cool evening glow. It was lovely. Really, it was.

My intention was to sell them on Ebay after the party. Or give them as prizes here on 4Square.

But, since then, I haven’t been able to let go of them. Or even store them away. They live in an old basket in our sunroom, tucked in a corner. But they keep making their way out: to the mantel, as centerpieces for dinner, as vases for stones or little flowers, and again as candleholders for our outdoor Easter dinner.

There are lots of pieces in the basket. One of my favorites – a light blue water glass. I love the way the light plays through it. It’s a playful piece, feminine and light. It belongs on a shelf with my books about etiquette and Heloise’s Kitchen Hints. I think I’ll put it there.

I also love the clear glass compotes. Who uses compotes anymore? But we should. They’re so cool. I use them as candy dishes. Never had candy dishes around my house before, and really, we don’t NEED candy lying around all the time, but the compotes were just begging me. They said, “Please put candy in us and set us around the house. It will make everyone happy.” So I did.

I guess glass speaks to me.

And so now I know, I realize, that I love glass. Old glass especially. I am a fan of Simon Pierce Glass, but honestly, it’s almost too gorgeous…too delicate. I don’t want to have to be too careful around my glass. I don’t want to pay $100 per square inch either.

And I have long coveted and collected specific, small pieces from Sydenstricker Glass on Cape Cod. Very specific pieces – many of their patterns are just not for me. The ones I do have come out rarely, in the springtime, for brunch (we have brunch so often around here – not) or an afternoon snack in the sun when I’m just feeling like the world is sweet.

I like my glass to be everyday. I like it to be whenever, wherever.

Easy-going glass.

I’ll try to stay out of the flea market today. Then again, if I take pictures while I’m there, I can call it homework.

Where is it?

Posted April 15th, 2010 | Permalink

Here’s a new one for the Mainahs.

Can you find him?
You have until next Wednesday – good luck!